Arabs must unite against threat

In a few weeks’ time, the Daesh offensive in Iraq will have already completed its first year without being reversed or even greatly threatened.

It was in June last year that hundreds of Daesh rebels managed without difficulty to occupy the entire Iraqi province of Nineveh with its historic capital of Mosul.

The Iraqi army collapsed without putting up any fight. Daesh took control, looted assets and committed unparalleled atrocities against the population, and despite all talk of liberating the land, the invaders are still securely there.

In Iraq, Daesh continues to fight, to expand and to make additional gains. Puzzled, however, we suddenly realise that Daesh is also operating in Libya, in Egypt and in Yemen. That, of course, in addition to the group’s major military role in Syria. 

Though the most immediate threat to the entire Arab order, Daesh is by no means the only one.

For the last few years, the situation in the Arab region has been deteriorating fast. 

Political and security chaos is spreading freely across the region like wildfire. The situation in general is worse than any the region has experienced before.

Inter-Arab disputes and disagreements are not unusual; they have existed all along. In the past few decades, though, crises were better managed due to the existence not only of credible Arab heads of states but also of authoritative Arab leaders whose roles exceeded their national boundaries, stepping in to handle Arab crises every time the situation demanded collective action within the Arab League and the institution of Arab heads of state summits.

It was by no means ideal, but there was a more functioning system than now.

The current Arab predicament urgently requires collective Arab action for a comprehensive strategy to end the spreading chaos and violence.

Unfortunately, that seems remote. Most Arab leaders are in no position to play such a role. They are either weak, fully overwhelmed by their own problems or hardly exist, as is the case in Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Equally lacking is the strong and respected Arab leader whose word would, in difficult times, determine the direction: the kind of role Egypt’s president Gamal Abdul Nasser played until his political eclipse after the Arab armies were defeated during the Israeli aggression of 1967.

Other influential Arab leaders played similar roles. All along, the role of Jordan and its leaders has been pivotal.

Such leaders’ effectiveness was further enhanced by their ability to mobilise other Arab heads of state towards constructive action in political emergencies, in addition to the prominent leadership they offered on their own.

Even when Arab countries were engaged in wars against each other, that kind of leadership initiative was mostly potent in leading to reconciliation at best or at least arresting the deterioration.

That probably is the exact prescription for the current very critical Arab situation.

Precisely because the situation is so chaotic, and indeed many leaders are in precarious situations, there is no alternative to these leaders coming together and staying in session until they reach understandings on a common and binding strategy to put an end to the disastrous decline.

Such a summit should also allocate the resources, financial and otherwise, to guarantee all sides’ commitment. 

Rather than squandering billions on feeding conflicts and financing wars, the vast Arab financial assets ought to be wisely saved for economic development and reconstruction all over the Arab region.

That will be a substantial part of the long-term struggle against ignorance, radicalisation, indoctrination and recruitment by groups like Daesh.

The longer Arab leaders wait before acting the more complicated, difficult and costly any solutions will be.

It is frightening to realise that Daesh and the many other extremist outlaws are digging in and expanding in every direction despite the international coalition arrayed against them.

Almost a year of international forces bombing in Iraq, Syria and now in Yemen, in support of local armies, and with international military advisers on the ground, there are no convincing results. Its threat remains on the rise.

That is the reality. It is time we admit it and act accordingly.