AL chief describes Washington's policy in Iraq and the region as wrong

The secretary general of the Arab League (AL) Amr Moussa urged the US on Wednesday to discuss democracy with the Arabs and not to try to impose it on an area which is boiling because of the occupation of Iraq and the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

Moussa called on the Americans to implement and practice democracy in Iraq first, as they had promised before trying to do so in the Middle East.

In an interview on the sideline of the world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Moussa said he supports democratic change. But he indicated that the Arabs are disappointed when rightist intellectuals who have links to the administration of the US president George W. Bush try to teach them lessons in Democracy.

Moussa explained that the Arab League is the best partner for talks with the US over a change in the region. He said "there is no shame in talking about what is going on in your mind, whatsoever, as long as you debate certain view points and you are ready to listen to my view point." Moussa denied the Arabs to be against democracy, noting that that democracy is not an act that can be executed immediately. He stressed that there are several dialogue and hearing programs at the Arab tv stations and opinion polls and more than 100,000 non governmental societies in the Arab states.

Mousa added that the American administration did not prove following the invasion of Iraq that democracy will be attained in it. He added " they ( the Americans ) said they will enter Iraq to show us an example to be followed for democracy, that we can follow, But so far we do not see any thing." The secretary general of the Arab league announced that Iraq’s situation will not be settled unless the situation will be clear concerning the sovereignty transfer and the withdrawal of the foreign forces and the role of the UN and rebuilding of Iraq.

Mousa said that the Palestinian problems represents a greater challenge for the Arab world and there are no peace moves in the horizon. He added that the situation is still suitable for the current Israeli government. It believes it is beyond the International law. This is the problem. It is the immunity given to Israel and the green light it gets to do what it wants." N.