Something in The World is Changing
Soraya Helou
Albeit western media prefer to ignore the event, it remains just as important on too many levels. Holding the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in the Iranian capital, Tehran, should per se make too much ink flow in the coming weeks.
Some will start by saying that the Non-Aligned Movement had no grounds for existence since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the world's bipolarization, the East and the West. But developments on the international scene since 1989-which allowed the US to turn into a "hyper-power" as termed by Hubert Vedrine, the ex French Foreign Minister-have shown that one mere country, no matter how potent, must not solely lead the world, especially if it is highly engaged in just causes, like the Palestinian Cause.
Having become the master of the world, the US has unremittingly sought, for the past 20 years, to put the entire globe at the service of its own interests, in a bid to grab hold of the energy resources and protect the entity the West had created in the Middle East, "Israel." It staged wars, fueled conflicts, dented Europe by preventing it from becoming an economic, political, and military power, and sought to insulate those daring to go up against its interests. Thus, the US invaded Iraq, occupied Afghanistan, and led a "soft war" against Iran, chided with seeking to be endowed with a nuclear bomb. The US could have thought that it would reach its goals and make the world bend to its authority; but the resistance of people has started to impede its route.
This is when the US had to face China, Russia, and other burgeoning powers like Brazil, India, and South Africa, as well as, on the regional level, Iran, and the so-called axis of resistance extending from Tehran until Gaza, passing by Syria and Lebanon.
Indeed, holding the NAM summit in Iran mirrors this new reality. This country, much banished by nations and which the US sought to isolate before destroying it, was able to host the representatives of nearly 120 states.
In other words, it hosted one of the most significant meetings worldwide after the United Nations General Assembly. If these states disagree over many issues, they however agree over the necessity to re-launch the Non-Aligned Movement so as to bring forth a counterbalance v/s the US unilateralism. In fact, this was grosso modo the bulk of the speech delivered by the Islamic Revolution's Leader at the inauguration of the summit.
Beyond the political speeches, this event is of a salient importance for the entire world as it heralds a change of strategy. Powers that met in Tehran and that represent over half of the world's population have indirectly declared that they wanted to exist hereafter and to defend their own interests, which can sometimes intertwine with those of the Americans and nay, run into them.
It is at this level first and foremost where Tehran summit is significant.
It is also as significant with the participation of Egypt through its newly elected President Mohammad Mursi. Egypt, a key NAM founder in the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser, attended the summit to highlight its will to exist on the international and regional scenes, not as a country that is aligned with the US policy, yet as a country that is building and exploring itself in an effort to have its very own policy.
This is also a highly considerable event, especially after years of total severance in diplomatic ties between Iran and Egypt. In fact, the country of Pharaohs is to be subject to huge pressures by the US and its Arab allies, namely on the economic level, in order that it should not go far with its new-fangled contacts. But the dynamics of Egypt's return to the regional and international scene have already flashed; and this shall not stop, even if it must take some time. At any rate, Egypt is certainly willing to use every possible way to loosen the economic noose currently tightening it, although it may mean waving the card of relations with Iran to fright the other Arab countries and to specially broaden its own margin of maneuver.
Lastly, if Iran proved, through this summit, that it would not be carried along a regional sectarian strife, as the US and its "Israeli" ally wish by welcoming many Arab countries, the presence in Tehran of the former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, the freshly-promoted UN Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, is certainly significant. The man who has for long been the head of the American foreign policy of hostility against Iran and against the resistance has now come at the core of the "axis of evil" and even attended Ban Ki-moon's meetings with the Iranian officials.
The situation would be absurd if the US arrogant attitude in running the world did not change. Not to say that this is the start of a direct dialogue between the US and Iran, since Feltman is officially in Tehran under the label of the United Nations, this presence is a sign of change in the American unilateral approach.
Feltman, who is after all an American citizen and whose presence at the UN is nothing but a confirmation of the US grip of this international institution, wanted all the same to be at the forefront of Tehran talks. Is it pragmatism, a fear of the NAM re-launching under the impulse of Tehran? The looming weeks shall give a clearer lowdown on Feltman's true mission in Tehran; but what is certain is that something in the world has changed and that the US is in wait...
Source: moqawama.org
Albeit western media prefer to ignore the event, it remains just as important on too many levels. Holding the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in the Iranian capital, Tehran, should per se make too much ink flow in the coming weeks.
Some will start by saying that the Non-Aligned Movement had no grounds for existence since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the world's bipolarization, the East and the West. But developments on the international scene since 1989-which allowed the US to turn into a "hyper-power" as termed by Hubert Vedrine, the ex French Foreign Minister-have shown that one mere country, no matter how potent, must not solely lead the world, especially if it is highly engaged in just causes, like the Palestinian Cause.Having become the master of the world, the US has unremittingly sought, for the past 20 years, to put the entire globe at the service of its own interests, in a bid to grab hold of the energy resources and protect the entity the West had created in the Middle East, "Israel." It staged wars, fueled conflicts, dented Europe by preventing it from becoming an economic, political, and military power, and sought to insulate those daring to go up against its interests. Thus, the US invaded Iraq, occupied Afghanistan, and led a "soft war" against Iran, chided with seeking to be endowed with a nuclear bomb. The US could have thought that it would reach its goals and make the world bend to its authority; but the resistance of people has started to impede its route.
This is when the US had to face China, Russia, and other burgeoning powers like Brazil, India, and South Africa, as well as, on the regional level, Iran, and the so-called axis of resistance extending from Tehran until Gaza, passing by Syria and Lebanon.
Indeed, holding the NAM summit in Iran mirrors this new reality. This country, much banished by nations and which the US sought to isolate before destroying it, was able to host the representatives of nearly 120 states.
In other words, it hosted one of the most significant meetings worldwide after the United Nations General Assembly. If these states disagree over many issues, they however agree over the necessity to re-launch the Non-Aligned Movement so as to bring forth a counterbalance v/s the US unilateralism. In fact, this was grosso modo the bulk of the speech delivered by the Islamic Revolution's Leader at the inauguration of the summit.
Beyond the political speeches, this event is of a salient importance for the entire world as it heralds a change of strategy. Powers that met in Tehran and that represent over half of the world's population have indirectly declared that they wanted to exist hereafter and to defend their own interests, which can sometimes intertwine with those of the Americans and nay, run into them.
It is at this level first and foremost where Tehran summit is significant.It is also as significant with the participation of Egypt through its newly elected President Mohammad Mursi. Egypt, a key NAM founder in the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser, attended the summit to highlight its will to exist on the international and regional scenes, not as a country that is aligned with the US policy, yet as a country that is building and exploring itself in an effort to have its very own policy.
This is also a highly considerable event, especially after years of total severance in diplomatic ties between Iran and Egypt. In fact, the country of Pharaohs is to be subject to huge pressures by the US and its Arab allies, namely on the economic level, in order that it should not go far with its new-fangled contacts. But the dynamics of Egypt's return to the regional and international scene have already flashed; and this shall not stop, even if it must take some time. At any rate, Egypt is certainly willing to use every possible way to loosen the economic noose currently tightening it, although it may mean waving the card of relations with Iran to fright the other Arab countries and to specially broaden its own margin of maneuver.
Lastly, if Iran proved, through this summit, that it would not be carried along a regional sectarian strife, as the US and its "Israeli" ally wish by welcoming many Arab countries, the presence in Tehran of the former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, the freshly-promoted UN Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, is certainly significant. The man who has for long been the head of the American foreign policy of hostility against Iran and against the resistance has now come at the core of the "axis of evil" and even attended Ban Ki-moon's meetings with the Iranian officials.
The situation would be absurd if the US arrogant attitude in running the world did not change. Not to say that this is the start of a direct dialogue between the US and Iran, since Feltman is officially in Tehran under the label of the United Nations, this presence is a sign of change in the American unilateral approach.
Feltman, who is after all an American citizen and whose presence at the UN is nothing but a confirmation of the US grip of this international institution, wanted all the same to be at the forefront of Tehran talks. Is it pragmatism, a fear of the NAM re-launching under the impulse of Tehran? The looming weeks shall give a clearer lowdown on Feltman's true mission in Tehran; but what is certain is that something in the world has changed and that the US is in wait...
Source: moqawama.org
