Middle East Focus: Baghdad to Get a Summit Facelift: Until Death do them Part………

Arabia Deserta

Baghdad to Get a Summit Facelift: Until Death do them Part………

“The Baghdad Municipality or Amanat al-Asima is racing against time to upgrade some of Baghdad’s run-down cities and neighborhoods before next year’s Arab summit. The Iraqi government has expressed a willingness to host Arab leaders in Baghdad and the authorities are trying to give the violent city a new ‘facelift’. Baghdad has been the scene of massive car bomb attacks recently which have killed and wounded hundreds of Iraqis. Many of its streets are dotted with cement blocks and checkpoints and certain streets and neighborhoods are no-go areas. But Saber al-Aysawi, Baghdad’s mayor, claims conditions will be different by the time Arab leaders flock to Baghdad. Though it is not yet certain whether the summit will be held in Baghdad, given the spate of the latest upsurge in violence, the authorities are selling the meeting as an indication of relative quiet. Aysawi said the municipality will “open 22 streets in preparation for the Arab summit next year.” The streets in question are among the most guarded in Baghdad. They are full of concrete blocks and checkpoints. But Aysawi said the concrete blocks will be removed along with the checkpoints. The government says it has earmarked $300 million to upgrade Baghdad hotels and state-owned villas for the event………” Azzaman

ALL Arab leaders showed up in Baghdad for the last summit held there in 1990, mainly because they did no want to upset Saddam and incur his wrath. That was when Iraq was ruled by a tribal clique mainly from the areas around Tikrit and Samarra.

This time around it is different. Power in Iraq has shifted to others, representing most Iraqis, whether one agrees with how it came about or not. Some Arab oligarchies are quite unhappy about the change, especially among those who aided the US-led invasion. They do not say it openly, not to Westerners, but they are not used to Shi’as ruling an Arab state, even if they are the majority. It is just not done in polite genteel Arab oligarchy circles. This is not necessarily the case in most Arab states, but it is the case in Saudi Arabia and a couple of its close associates.

It is not just the Shi’a thing, it is also the “messy” popular voting and the electoral bargaining, what is called political horse-trading in the USA. It is considered impolite to horse-trade in genteel Arab political circles, and not just in mixed company. One deosn’t trade anything: one is either born with political power or one takes political power by force, and keeps it against all odds. Until death do them part.
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com