Arab League secretary general wants increased cooperation with US-Arab organizations
Regional-USA, Politics, 2/8/2002

Secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, stressed the need for closer communication between his organization and the Arab-American community, at a banquet hosted in his honor this week by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Virginia.

After he "expressed enthusiastic support over the growing cooperation between Arab Americans and the Arab world by establishing bridges of understanding between the United States and Arab countries," the Secretary General "offered specific approaches to achieving closer communication with the Arab-American community, including the establishment of liaison offices in several U.S. states for the Arab League," says the ADC in a release.

Amr Moussa, who was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of his Distinguished Service to the Arab World and the Cause of Peace, also emphasized the importance of activating the Congress of Arab-American Organizations to coordinate the activities of the Arab-American community.

He also announced an Arab League's plan to convene a Global Conference on U.S. -Arab Relations in the United States in Spring 2003.

ADC President Ziad Asali, urged all Americans to be active and responsible citizens in this period of heightened national security concerns by participating in the public debate and in the shaping of U.S. policies. Asali concluded, "Our goals will not be achieved by pleading and by scoring debating points, but by our active participation in local and national civic, political and cultural arenas. We have been increasingly playing a role that reflects our presence and our commitments. The time of our self-marginalization has come to an end, and we will see to it that our ideas get the hearing they deserve."

Moussa also underscored that the problem in the Middle East will be solved only through serious negotiations, stating that as long as Israel practices occupation, Palestine will practice resistance. He also called the U.S. to be an honest broker in resolving the conflict, before expressing appreciation to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for the positive vision for peaceful coexistence he outlined in his Louisville, Kentucky speech November 19, 2001.

Some of guests included the ambassadors of Qatar, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Chief Representative of the Palestinian Authority. Also in attendance was Prince Faisal bin Salman Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia. Some members of the congress were among participants, including Nick Joe Rahall, Darell Issa, and Cynthia McKinney. Other guests included Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd, Ambassador Chris Ross, and Aaron Miller of the State Department. DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey was also in attendance as a special guest of ADC. (MAP)SH

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