Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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We were in the Middle East at a time when the global economic scene was going into free-
fall and the fight for the US Presidency was in full swing. Unfortunately I didn't get many
English language newspapers during the several weeks we were there. There was one in
Jordan and then several in our last days in Damascus. In those I read, the articles on the
world and regional economies were numerous, as were those on elements of the US Presid-
ency. But I was more interested in seeing what else was exercising the regional minds? Here
are some examples:
Building Civil Society, a Must in Arab World - this was an editorial that stressed that the
building of a strong civil society has to be a priority for all Arab states:
“This process is part of the natural development of Arab societies as they move into the new
world of much greater emphasis on creating opportunity that will replace government con-
trol. The aspirations of the people and the governments will continue to change every few
years with far more free access to information, and both elements will need to regularly re-
view what they are doing. An effective civil society in the future has to be based on an open
partnership between each nation's government and the many civil bodies representing dif-
ferent parts of society.”
Out-Thinking a Canny Enemy - this was an article that warned of things that could come:
“While our friends across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are watching the (Presidential)
race closely. America's enemies are also watching from the mountain villages where Osama
Bin Laden's followers are hiding out. Al Qaeda is following the race intensely because fear
and destruction are the principal aims of terrorist groups. It is fear and the resulting chaos on
which terrorist groups feed.
“The fog following a terrorist attack is thick, and it often leads many to support decisions
that may not advance America's security interests. Worse, these decisions often play into the
hands of the terrorists who attacked the US thereby increasing their popularity. Examples of
this abound, but the invasion of Iraq in the wake of 9/11 is perhaps the most pronounced ex-
ample. The war, the administration's use of torture on captured prisoners, and its disregard
