Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 5 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
population, and at least 150 American families.
Recently I attended a conference in Cambridge, Mass, on the Arab world. Nine scholars from several countries spoke on a variety of subjects - the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the revolution and its aftermath in Iran, developments in Iraq leading up to Saddam’s attack on Kuwait, the history of the Arabspeaking people in North Africa and the Middle East, the legal system in Saudi Arabia, politics in Israel, and the role of cities in the historical development of Arabic Islam.
I think that not one of the professors who spoke to us and whom we questioned believe the war has been anything but an unmitigated calamity, although none of them addressed the issue directly. The conference was not on the war. The ambilivant attitude of President Bush, and his administration’s ambiguous policies in the region, expose the loss of direction the victors of this war feel. We have two destroyed countries and grief in Jordan as well as other neighboring states. But we have nothing positive to be glad about. Who would be surprised if Iraq turns into a new Cambodia, Kuwait into a Laos and Jordan into a Vietnam when it comes to the future of the people in those areas? Years of war have savaged Lebanon beyond repair, turned Israel into an armed camp and brought the Palestinian natives to the brink of extinction.
People who think as I do believe we need to work for peace every day, conscious that peace work is difficult and uncertain, but that neglect and policies that stress weapons and war will result in all likelihood in war and other violence.
You stop Saddam Husseins by not inventing or encouraging them to start with. You work for peace by trying to help those who realize that peace work is worthwhile. King Hussein of Jordan was one of those before this war whom we pointedly look through today because, although technically neutral, he psychologically supported the wrong side. But would you be surprised if Saddam Hussein managesTo hold on to power in Iraq and reconstitutes his state, if eventually President Bush sends an ambassador there to represent him?
We have proved that killing and the corresponding encouragement of destruction by others is relatively easy to organize and carry out.
Is this what we want to teach our young people about a proper role for the United States in this ever-sotroubled and increasingly deteriorating world?
DIANA BIRD
Washington
95.0%