The United States Congress will soon debate the decision of the Bush administration to sell $20 billion in sophisticated weapons to several Arab countries. This package is being presented by the White House as a way of promoting stability in a Middle East threatened by Iran's ambitions and the rise of terrorism. Congress should flatly decline the sale on the grounds that arming the Arab world is neither in the best interest of the region nor that of the US in the long run.
A lack of stability seems to dominate the Middle East. Every corner of the Arab world represents different sets of growing dilemmas. Economic stagnation, the rise of fundamentalism, terrorism, and the erosion of personal liberties are among the pressing issues. Despite the record rise in the price of oil, the economic wellbeing of most Arabs is worsening.
If oil and natural gas were excluded from the various economies of the Arab states, which have an estimated 350 million inhabitants, their cumulative gross domestic product would amount to less than that of Finland, a country with a population of a little over 5 million. With the exception of a few isolated pockets, the Arab world has failed miserably in catching up with the economic growth visible in most other corners of the world. It certainly does not need an infusion of armaments that will trigger a regional arms race and further destabilization.
Beyond the proposed sales of the Bush administration, other states are also escalating the arms buildup. The French are pursuing a $400 million arms sale to Libya; the Russians are negotiating a record deal with Algeria and continue to explore sales to Iran. This comes at a time when tension is peaking in the Middle East.
A fundamental question is why the region needs additional sophisticated weaponry. Who would the recipient countries be fighting? Iran? Not likely. Nor is it in Iran's best interest to militarily confront Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates. The US and other Western countries would not allow this to happen and Iran knows it. What Iran is able and willing to do is to support militant movements that will create unrest throughout the Arab world. Iraq and Lebanon are cases in point.
Those proposed weapons sales are the wrong tool to combat militant movements in these countries. The real threat that many Arab countries are facing is domestic religious extremism and militant terrorism. Buying $20 billion or $100 billion worth of the most modern weaponry on the market will not make violent extremism go away. Reforming the educational system and allowing the market to flourish will. Trade should be freed, rights protected, and education modernized. Arab universities have consistently produced graduates who have difficulty finding a place in the global economy. Those unemployed graduates are resentful and hopeless and become ideal targets for recruitment by extremist groups.
There is a desperate need for educational policy changes that will allow future citizens to compete effectively in the global arena - changes that are based on a sound educational system that will put math and science, rather than religious studies, at the center of the curriculum. Arab students should learn how to think instead of what to think.
These are troubling times in the Middle East. Selling new weaponry will only add fuel to an explosive situation. Historically, the US Congress has questioned and occasionally opposed the sale of weapons to Arab nations on the ground that it may endanger Israel's existence. Debates on arms sales served as political venues for many members of Congress to voice their support for Israel - even as they knew that Israel was never really in danger. This time, Congress should block the sale because it is the right thing to do. Arabs need serious help as they face up to pressing social and educational challenges. Weapons should not be part of that package.
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