Former US president George Bush's recently published memoirs have provoked a range of responses in the English-speaking world, from hundreds of fans waiting in line at a Dallas book signing to calls by Amnesty International for a criminal investigation.
In the Arabic-speaking world, which has been on the receiving end of many of the controversial decisions Bush aims to defend in his memoir, "Decision Points," reviews have been near-universally scathing. Beyond condemning Bush's decisions, Arab commentators analyzed what Bush's memoir may say about American politics, the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Middle East itself.
Satea Nour Al-Deen, writing in the Lebanese paper As-Safir, sees the book as sign of a comeback:
Bush returns as the very unpopular man he was. He has abused America's image, security, economy and society, leaving a heavy, unbearable legacy to his successor. However, he will not remain as just a former president like Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter; because the American conservative public are on the hunt for a foolish leader.
بوش عاد كما كان، شخصا غير محبب، اساء الى صورة اميركا وامنها واقتصادها واجتماعها وترك لمن جاء بعده ارثا ثقيلا لا يحتمل، لكنه لن يبقى رئيسا سابقا فقط، مثلما هي حال بيل كلينتون او جيمي كارتر، لان الجمهور الاميركي المحافظ يبحث عن زعيم أخرق
Zuhair Qusaybati
in leading pan-Arab daily Dar Al-Hayat:
Assuming that the claims of the author of "Decision Points" are true (which they aren't) according to facts, it is only Bush's famous 'intelligence' that leads him to a simple conclusion that 'justifies' a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq: "25 million people...now have a chance to live in freedom"!
وإذا صَدق ادعاء مؤلف «لحظات حاسمة» أن اميركا باتت أكثر أمناً من دون وجود صدام - وهذا تكذّبه الوقائع - فـ «الذكاء» الذي عُرِف به بوش هو الذي يقوده الى استنتاج بسيط «يبرر» حرباً أوقعت مئات الآلاف من القتلى المدنيين في العراق: «25 مليون شخص باتوا يعيشون في حرية»!
Abdel-Bari Atwan
of Bush to Bush's allies in Iraq, in the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi:
President Bush hasn't at all felt guilty that his war in Iraq has completely destroyed the country. Why would he, if the Iraqis who legitimized, covered, defende, and are still defending the war and justifying its catastrophic consequences, have not in turn showed any regrets; they rather boast about its results.
الرئيس بوش لم يشعر بالندم مطلقا لان حربه في العراق دمرت البلد بالكامل .... فلماذا يندم طالما ان العراقيين الذين شرّعوا له هذه الحرب، ووفروا لها الغطاء، ودافعوا، وما زالوا يدافعون عنها ويبررون نتائجها الكارثية
Writing in the London-based magazine Elaph, 'Isam 'Abdullah sees Bush's memoirs as not so much an explanation of the past but a
:
The book prompts the question: If the Americans had had a prepared plan to strike Iran and Syria, and if this was held off only because of developments in Iraq, then what is holding President Obama back today from achieving a military and political victory by launching a single strike that would satisfy his allies and the other regional powers, and thereby secure for himself a second term?
السؤال الذي يطرحه الكتاب الآن هو: إذا كانت هناك خطة أميركية عسكرية معدة سلفا لضرب إيران وسوريا معا، وإذا كانت ظروف الحرب في العراق قد حالت دون تنفيذها، فما الذي يمنع الرئيس أوباما اليوم من احراز نصر عسكري وسياسي بضربة واحدة، يرضي الأصدقاء والحلفاء والقوي الإقليمية في المنطقة، ويضمن لنفسه مدة ولاية ثانية بسهولة؟
Reda Mohamed Lary, writing in Saudi daily al-Riyadh, imagines Bush
at the Hague, and traces the history of what he calls Bush's crimes:
The primordial sin was for the American president to announce that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction which posed a threat to the US. Bush also announced at that time that Baghdad's use of terror on the world stage would force America's hand. It was in this vein that Mr. Bush issued his ultimatum to the international community that you are either with us or against us. If you are with us, then you have an obligation to fight terror with us all over the globe; but if you are against us, you are one of the terrorists.
بدأت الجريمة من واشنطون عندما أعلن الرئيس الأمريكي أن العراق تمتلك أسلحة الدمار الشامل الذي يشكل خطراً على الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وأعلن في نفس الوقف أن الإرهاب الذي تمارسه بغداد فوق المسرح الدولي يدفع أمريكا إلى التدخل لقمعه والقضاء عليه، وكان قد أعلن قبل ذلك أن على دول الأسرة الدولية أن تحدد موقفها أما أن تكون معنا وإما أن تكون ضدنا في مواجهة الإرهاب فإن كانت معنا فلنحارب الإرهاب في كل مكان في الأرض، وأما إن كانت ضدنا فتصبح إحدى الدول الارهابية.
The views in this post are taken from diverse sources and should not be taken as the views of Meedan. You can add your view in two languages on news.Meedan.net
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