Doha commended on Lebanon agreement

David Sapsted, Foreign Correspondent

• Last Updated: May 22. 2008 1:21AM UAE / May 21. 2008 9:21PM GMT

London // The deal reached in Doha to end the long-running and bloody conflict in Lebanon was hailed yesterday as the latest manifestation of the increasing role of the Gulf states as “honest brokers” in international conflicts.

“The remarkable agreement that seems to have been reached in Qatar is a sign of increasing self-confidence among the Arabian Gulf states,” said a senior diplomatic source in London.

“The Gulf states’ role as mediators in international diplomacy has markedly increased in recent years, often achieving what the Arab League, the Saudis, the US and others have more difficulty achieving.

“It is a role likely to grow simply because the Gulf states are now confident that they have the financial muscle to stand up to practically anyone, plus the independence and contacts which enable them to see both sides of an argument.”

Qatar was able to bring the sides together because “it is trusted by Lebanese factions who knew that it was not pushing its own political agenda”, said Mohammad al Misfer, a Qatari political analyst.

Like other Gulf states, Qatar maintains ties with Iran, Syria, Hizbollah and Hamas, while remaining an ally of the United States. Moreover, Qatar even has links with Israel, which has a commercial interests office in Doha. Its awkward relationship with Saudi Arabia also appears to have improved recently.

Marc Lynch, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said the Gulf states’ new-found role in international diplomacy is typified by the Gulf Co-operation Council’s (GCC) independent-minded approach to Iran.

“The Gulf has moved away from American arguments for isolating Iran. American policymakers need to do the same. The states of the GCC are accommodating themselves to Iran’s growing weight in the region’s politics,” Mr Lynch said.

“They remain key parts of America’s security architecture in the region, hosting massive US military bases and underwriting the American economy in exchange for protection.”

But, as Khalid al Dakheel, a Saudi analyst, argued, they are no longer content sitting passively beneath the US security umbrella and want to avoid being a pawn in the US-Iranian struggle for power.

“Flush with cash, they are not interested in a war that would mess up business. That’s why America’s attempt to shore up containment against Iran increasingly seems to be yesterday’s battle.

“The GCC seems more unified and confident than it has in years. The Gulf states won’t abandon their US protectors any time soon, but they seem more willing than ever to act on their own initiative.”

Yesterday’s agreement on Lebanon came as Abdul Rahman al Attiyah, secretary general of the GCC, was in Dammam, stepping up pressure for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

He also called for efforts to disarm the region of weapons of mass destruction, called for the reopening of the Gaza crossings and called on Palestinian groups to return to the Mecca Accord.

“A few years ago,” said a British diplomat, “nobody would have really paid much attention to such calls. These days, though, the Gulf states cannot be ignored. It is now up to them how far they extend their roles in international diplomacy, but few doubt that they could represent a real force in future years.”

Even Nato has recently been wooing the Gulf states to assist in international conflict resolution. Jean François Bureau, the organisation’s assistant secretary general for public diplomacy, told a conference in Qatar this year that he was “reaching out to interested countries in the Gulf region [because of] the new dynamic in your region”.

He added: “In foreign policy terms, the Gulf states individually and collectively through the GCC, have emerged as important international players.

“In domestic terms, Gulf states have demonstrated their willingness to meet the challenge of change, to combine their proud Muslim and Arabic heritage with the challenges and opportunities posed by today’s globalisation.”

According to the current edition of Time magazine, Gulf leaders are “abandoning their desert reserve and opening up to the world”.

The article adds: “Each with their own priorities and vision, the new generation of leaders in the Gulf are inviting foreign business partners to their states, enfranchising their people and encouraging free speech. Together, they’re making their sheikdoms the beating heart of 21st century Arabia.

“For decades, after Arab countries gained independence, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon used, respectively, their military power, oil wealth and intellectual capital to dominate Arab agendas.

“Nowadays, Gulf rulers in cities like Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi set the pace for change in the Arab world.”

The benefits of that change could be seen in Doha, a state hitting above its weight in diplomatic terms. Not only has it been actively trying to sort out the Lebanon problem, it is also mediating in several other regional conflicts, including the Zaidi Shiite rebellion against the Yemeni government.

Karim Makdissi, a political-science professor at the American University of Beirut, said the lesson to be learned from Qatar’s apparent success in the Lebanon conflict is that “the notion of an international community wheeling and dealing and imposing itself cannot work unless the real situation on the ground allows it”.

The fact, however, that it was a relatively tiny Gulf state that was ready and able to take advantage of that opportunity and broker a deal that many thought impossible, will not be lost on the rest of the world.

dsapsted@thenational.ae