The International 'New Deal' of the Middle East

The international community, which was divided over the Middle East policy in the stage of Iraq war, has achieved a historic unity over the 'new deal' concerning the Middle East.

The differences about liberation and democratization of Iraq were, in my view, due to narrow national interests besides the state of powers ― including military ― which did not enable France and Germany to play a leading role at that global and delicate level.

Iraq war is not something affects just Iraq; it is a core of new reality would affect the entire Middle East. The democratization of Iraq represents a course of action accompanied by a comprehensive strategy and a new vision of the Middle East. It is to make a new reality and to reshape the geopolitics of the region. That resulted in a political phenomenon, many scholars called it the Arab spring.

At this stage, the defiant European powers have found a new context in the Middle East they have no share in neither prompting nor managing it. Hence, they have no choice but to abandon their shortsighted position and to accept the new rules and new realities and begin to deal constructively with that.

Hence, the democratization of Lebanon has the unanimous international support though it is a complement of the course of action initiated in Iraq, and I believe it would not be real without the new context after Iraq.

This new context is comprehensive and integrated. It does not concern the geopolitics only; it reaches the political conduct even inside the Middle East states affecting towards confining it to the international standards. From here, the political crimes ― including those against domestic peoples ― are not overlooked anymore in the Middle East. And that is obvious through Saddam's trial and the international investigation into the assassination of Mr. Hariri.

The unity of the international community, which appeared in the unanimous adoption of the UNSC resolution 1636, is unique and meaningful. With no attention to whoever killed Mr. Hariri, this resolution conveys a strong and unprecedented message and opens a new era in the Middle East through this historic position of the international community.

The resolution 1636 ― under the binding Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations ― establishes an international authority, which has competence to arrest suspects and even to impose international sanctions on them.

The 'new Middle East' is approaching to be guaranteed by the international organization. The road is long yet, but what has been done is a real and effectual foundation to the change in the Middle East.