Israel is waging an open-ended war on Lebanon, with criminal US cover, opportunistic European collusion and shameful Arab acquiescence. Nothing good can come out of this war. Neither Israel nor Hizbullah can emerge victorious. It holds out no hope for the eventual dispensation in the Arab world. Lebanon is being systematically destroyed and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The international community says it will only intervene when it is good and ready -- that is, once the damage has been done. Then we will see negotiations taking place, perhaps to save face for both sides, perhaps to give Israel -- yet again -- everything it wants. And what does Israel want but the total destruction of both Hamas and Hizbullah?

But we should learn something from this war, and from the way in which the US is standing behind Israel as it pummels its opponents into obliteration. We should look again at our helplessness and humiliation and ask ourselves how much of our condition can be blamed on the machinations of the world's sole superpower. We should compare our conditions and actions with those of Tehran. Iran has doggedly pushed on with its nuclear programme in the face of fierce US and European opposition. Iran has been cajoled and threatened, offered carrots and sticks, and it refused to listen. Iran refused to trade its nuclear programme for a bag of poisoned sweets. We, on the other hand, buckled at the first temptation. Egypt and other Arab countries gave up their nuclear programmes in the 1970s and 1980s, because we were told to do so or else were frightened in the wake of Chernobyl. Whatever the motives, Arab populations were duped and now have to pay homage to a scientifically and militarily superior Israel.

I don't know how far Iran is from having nuclear weapons. Suffice it to say that whatever progress it has made, it has scared its foes. Iran is standing up to the international forces of evil and terror. Iran is standing up to the US and Israel and because it is doing so has a chance to escape the tragic fate of Lebanon. Had one Arab country, say Egypt, refused to bow to threats and listen to temptations, we would have had nuclear weapons, just as Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea do. And things would have been different in this region. We would not have been watching the rape of Lebanon. We would not have seen the US throwing its weight around the region. We would have had nuclear parity, and with it some respect. The humiliation and helplessness we now feel could have been avoided, had we acted in a timely manner, had we had more foresight and had the strength to stand up for our rights.

Iran saw it all coming and prepared itself. Iran learned the lesson that we had failed to learn and held on to its legitimate rights. Iran has a nuclear programme, one that many of us have criticised. But perhaps Tehran was right all along. Perhaps Egypt and the Gulf states should rethink their position on Iran's nuclear programme. The way things are going, Iran may turn out to be our only friend.

Salama A Salama
Al Ahram Wekly
July 28, 2006