OIC SUMMIT IN QATAR HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF IRAN-SAUDI AXIS
By Safa Haeri in Paris with reports from Qatar
DOHA (QATAR) 11th Nov (IPS) Bowing finally to double pressures from the region’s heavy weights Tehran and Riyadh, the oil and gas rich Persian Gulf Sheikhdom of Qatar decided at the last minute to cut relations with Israel, thus paving the way for the participation of leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia in the 9th Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) that is to start here on Sunday.
Speaking to an Iran Press Service correspondent in Doha, a Qatari official with the Conference said that the decision to cut shut the Israeli Trade Office in Doha was taken in accordance with the last Arab Summit’s decision adopted in Cairo and also to promote consolidate solidarity among the OIC members.
However, he admitted privately that it was the "double threats" of Iran and Saudi Arabia to boycott the two-days Summit of the 56-members OIC that "forced" the Emirate to close the Israeli Trade Mission in Doha, especially that the presidency of the organisation for the next three years must be transferred to Qatar by the current Chairman Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami of Iran.
"Without the presence of Iran and Saudi Arabia, the region’s and Muslim world’s most important and influential members, the Conference would be void of importance", he said.
Informed sources told IPS that the decision to abstain from attending the Doha Summit if Qatar refused to severe relations with the Jewish State was taken jointly following secret talks between leaders of the two nations.
In fact, statements by Tehran and Riyadh announcing their boycott of the OIC’s ninth Summit reached Doha at almost the same time, placing the Sheikhdom’s officials in front of the difficult choice of either bowing to discarding Iran-Saudi threats and "save" the meeting from fiasco or, in line with their cherished policy of independence, maintain ties with Israel and the hell with the OIC.
As Saudi Arabia said it will boycott the summit in Doha because of the "deteriorating situation" in the Palestinian territories, Iranian President's Special Envoy Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi, meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday, told him that Qatar's cutting of relations with Tel-Aviv would "pave the way" for Mr. Khatami's attending the Conference.
Official sources in Riyadh said that Crown Prince Abdollah bin Abdul Aziz would not attend the November 12-14 gathering because of Qatar's continued ties with Israel despite the clamour in the Arab world to isolate the Jewish state.
Arab leaders at an emergency summit in Cairo on October 21-22 called on all members to cut links with Israel but stopped short of a boycott of the Jewish state.
Following the decision, Oman, Tunisia and Morocco severed their relations with Israel, but Jordan and Egypt, the only two Arab nations – with Mauritania – to have full diplomatic ties with Israel "cooled off" their relations.
Diplomats said the bowing of Qatar to pressures from Iran and Saudi points to a new and highly important development in the strategic region of Persian Gulf in Tehran-Riyadh Axis.
As a result of such a co-operation, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was able not only to redress dwindling oil prices from a mere US$ 10 a year ago to over 30, but also play its’ part in controlling world’s volatile oil markets.
Relations between the Shi’a Iran and Wahabite Saudi Arabia, two sects of Islam that are at each other’s throat, were cut four years after the victory of Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979, with Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pronouncing leaders of Saudi Arabia who presents themselves as "Servants" of the "Two Holly Places", as the "Traitors" to Mecca and Medina, Muslims two most sacred sites with Jerusalem as the third.
To prevent Iran occupying Iraq and creating another Islamic Republic in Baghdad, Saudi Arabia, United States closest ally in the Persian Gulf, contributed billions of dollars to Saddam Husein’s war machine against Iran, Washington’s staunchest enemy in the region, during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.
However, ties started to improve steadily following the landslide victory of Mr. Khatami in the presidential elections of 1979, with the Saudis tending their hands first when Crown Prince Amir Abdollah attended the 8th Summit of the OIC that was held in Tehran few months after the elections.
Diplomats and political analysts noticed that Riyadh is giving a more listening ear at the Iranians consistent "invitation" to other region’s countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, for preserving peace, security and stability of the strategic Waterway through regional co-operation instead of calling on foreigners.
Of fear of both Iran and Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf tiny, but rich nations have signed defence agreements with the United States, Britain and France in that order of importance.
Riyadh has also adopted a more neutral position in the dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates concerning the strategic islands of Abu Musa and Great and Small Tunbs at the entrance of Persian Gulf.
They said recent developments in the Middle East, the collapse of the Peace Process, the start of the "new intifada", the US’s continued unilateral backing for Israel, coupled with President Khatami’s policy of détente have contributed to bring the region’s two "giants" closer to each other.
"Washington and other Western nations with vital interests in this region must watch with great interest this new axis", pointed out one former Iranian diplomat who served several years in the area.
Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have urged that the question of Palestine must be the Summit’s number one item of debate.
In his address to the Organisation’s foreign ministers held Thursday, Mr. Kamal Kharrazi of Iran called for a general isolation of Israel by all Muslim nations as well as the creation of an international force to "protect" Palestinians against Israeli attacks.
Created in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by the 30 founder members in 1972, the Organisation has so far held eight such summits in Morocco (1969) Pakistan (1974), Saudi Arabia (1981), Morocco (1984), Kuwait (1987), Senegal (1991), Morocco (1994), and Iran (1997).
Though ever since its creation the Organisation’s debates has always been dominated by Middle East problems, yet the Arabs are in minority among the now 56-nations OIC, as the largest Muslim nations and communities are in Asia, with Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh representing respectively 250, 140 and 120 millions Muslims.
Besides the crucial problem of Palestine, the ninth Summit will have to discuss some legal matter such as the setting up of an Islamic International Court of Justice and Human Rights in Islam and the signing of certain international conventions, such as the anti-terrorism convention.
Other items on the agenda include media affairs, economic affairs, social affairs, education, technology, culture, and the like. The summiteers will then look into financial and administrative matters of the organization.
Bosnia, the Central African Republic, the Ivory Coast and Thailand, Muslim minorities like the Turkish Muslim community of Cyprus and the Moro Liberation Front in the Philippines as well as regional and international organisations, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the Organisation of the African Unity (OAU) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) take part at the Conference as observers.
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