5
{trouble in the middle east}
POR: CAMILO GONZÁLEZ - ARAB LEAGUE
The Debate that took place in the Arab league resulted in a much more troubling talk than expected,
it started with the reading of the opening speeches in which the great majority of its members
expressed their unconformity with Syria’s government, accusing it of being corrupt, reckless and
with desire of power and bloodshed, while the delegations of Sudan and Jordan offered supplies,
medical help and shelter for refugees, others threatened to use military force and intervene directly
if no agreement was reached; the delegations of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrein and Saudi Arabia
were very clear in stating that the innocent Syrians should be put above all and their safety is what
really matters. As the debate went on, the Arab league was split up into two main groups, those
delegations who supported Syria’s government and their fight against the rebels composed of the
delegations of Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Turkey and Syria, and those who supported the
rebels and their fight for their freedom which were the delegations of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia,
Morocco, Kuwait, Somalia, Egypt, Mauritania, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Pakistan. Quickly
after, Egypt and Tunisia laid out a daring resolution; it consisted in dividing the country’s jurisdiction
between the people and the existing government, this would last for twenty eight years and each
group had to take turns lasting four years each, however, this solution was very unstable and the
other members of the league ignored it; the accusations continued for about twenty minutes more
and the delegates started to become uneasy; worried that no agreement was ever to be reached, the
threats started becoming severe: the delegations of Turkey and Iraq, taking advantage of their
respective country’s military superiority over the countries of the other delegations, threatened to
send troops and weapons to aid Syria’s government in exterminating the rebels all over the country
at the request of Syria, while these threats filled the room with fear and confusion, the delegation of
Jordan insisted that no delegation should suggest the use of military action in Syria as a possible
solution. Finally, as tension grew within the debate, some delegations such as Bahrain and Kuwait
considered that Syria had to remain suspended from the Arab league until the problem was solved.
What will be of the fate of the Syrians?