Mideast Must Seek to Solve Its Own Problems

Re “Rattling ‘Doors of Hell’ in Mideast,” Commentary, Dec. 3: Bouthaina Shaaban is yet another commentator bewailing Arab victimization and blaming the West for the ills of the region. From this crabbed perspective, Arabs are never at fault.

Perhaps Shaaban should clean Syria’s house first by telling President Bashar Assad to abdicate his dictatorship, i.e., rule by “military might.” And maybe getting rid of Saddam Hussein won’t open the “doors of hell” but the “doors of freedom” in Syria and Saudi Arabia as well as Iraq.

Bill Blum

Studio City

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I take issue with Shaaban’s assertion that only the U.S. can broker peace in the Mideast. Far from it; the U.S. is too biased in favor of Israel to be able to act as a peace broker. The internal politics of the U.S. and the strong influence of the Israeli and Christian right lobbies on Congress make it impossible for any U.S. administration to take any position unfavorable to Israel, something that is essential for peace.

One has only to look to President Bush’s call for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories a few months back to realize the clout of the Israeli lobby in the U.S. Not only did Bush have to recant his demand but he was soon forced to adopt Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s demand for change in Palestinian leadership. Palestinians have to stop hoping that the U.S. will act as an impartial party and impose a solution on Israel. They should look for an alternative.

Hamid Hefazi

Irvine