An outside observer – an alien, say, or anyone at all, frankly – would look at the conflicts raging in the Middle East and correctly conclude that this region has been ill-served by its leaders. The dearth of leadership at what is a critical moment is obvious: in Syria, Bashar Al Assad continues to rain death on his citizens, preparing for a major assault on the country’s largest city Aleppo – even as vast swathes of the east is conquered by the Islamic State.
In Israel, similarly, Benjamin Netanyahu blows up civilians in Gaza, even as Israel’s five-year siege of the territory prevents adequate medicine and food entering. And in Iraq, facing a similar threat from the Islamic State, the parliament decided first to focus on its summer vacation – all while the government is not even in control of its own territory – and then, once the public pressure within and without Iraq became too great, to hastily reschedule the meeting for next week. Truly, the Middle East, as the British once said of their own army, are lions led by donkeys.
The Iraqi parliament’s decision to alter its postponement is welcome, but its delays remain unforgivable. The Kurds, having already declared an intention to separate, intend to hold a referendum within months – such dearth of political leadership will not convince them to stay. Elsewhere, there are reports that the Islamic State have expelled 30,000 residents from a town in eastern Syria, adding to the more than 100,000 people already on the move in that region, plus tens of thousands more Iraqis across the border. Day by day, the situation is getting worse.
Meanwhile Nouri Al Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, clings on to his position, although he is more often seen as the problem than the solution. With political leadership, after all, there is a solution to the threat. The Iraqi army doesn’t lack the ability to tackle the Islamic State, but they lack the leadership and the trust of the Sunnis. A change of prime minister could fix that.
These conflicts, from Gaza in the west to Baghdad in the east, are linked by a lack of leadership, a narrow perception of who and what is a threat, even as far greater problems go unresolved. It is no wonder that so many observers throw up their hands.
And yet, as this newspaper has argued many times, Iraq, Syria and Palestine can be made stable and prosperous. They simply need good leadership and sensible policies. The Middle East, even in the middle of Ramadan, needs cooler heads and clearer minds.
