On July 11, 2011, Khaled Al-Kharoub, a Palestinian researcher at Cambridge University, published an article stating that Russia's and China's support of tyrannical regimes in the Arab world constitute an immoral position and harm the interests of both countries. He said that the Arab public would come to see them as having helped to delay or thwart the Arab revolutions, and could call for retaliation against them. On the other hand, Al-Kharoub said, the West's support of the revolutions would increase Western influence in the Arab world.
Following are excerpts from the article:
The West Will Grow Strong at the Expense of Russia and China
"Do Russia and China stand opposed to the ambitions of the Arab peoples and their revolutions and [covering this up] with various excuses and justifications? Have both these countries, which have gone through revolutions – a Bolshevik [revolution] and a Maoist [revolution] – and which have become a [beacon] for revolutionaries everywhere in the second half of the 20th century, become supporters of dictators and the enemies of real rebels and revolutionaries?"
"Starting with the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and through those in Yemen and Libya – and now in Syria – China and Russia were inclined to support regimes built on corruption and tyranny. In Libya, they persistently supported [Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi] and his criminal regime to the very end. If not for his insane speeches, in which he declared his willingness to destroy his own people... [speeches] that greatly embarrassed his Russian and Chinese friends, they may never have given up on [his] hollow regime.
"The Syrian regime is more devious. While protestors in Syrian cities and the surrounding rural areas are slaughtered, [the regime] speaks of dialogue, reconciliation, and reform. No intelligent observer is convinced that the Syrian regime is prepared to enact real reform, and to relinquish its total dominance in the process... And yet, the rulers of Moscow and Peking are convinced of it. They defend the regime and stand by it, as though their only friend in Syria is the [current] regime...
"The implications of the Russian and Chinese stance on the upheaval [in the Arab world] and its future are important and disconcerting. The first implication is the creation [of camps]: on one side, [the camp] of Arab upheaval and the West; on the other side, the opponents of Western policy – Russia, China, and [the dictatorial Arab] regimes. This division has harmed the image of the Arab [revolutions], which were accused of accepting support from the West...
"The current Arab upheavals are true revolutions in every sense... There were no external elements, plots, or ideologies fueling any of the revolutions. On the contrary, the traditional opposition... was itself surprised by the peoples' ability to initiate intifadas, just as the regimes were... These upheavals forced external powers to change their position, which was supportive of some of the existing regimes. It is natural that these powers would try to adapt their policy to suit the changes brought about by the Arab revolutions. For this reason, we have seen that the West has smartly and gradually relinquished these collapsing regimes... unlike the lingering, conservative position of Russia and China...
"The second implication of the Russian and Chinese positions on the Middle East following the Arab upheavals is the strengthening of Western influence against their will. The regimes on which Russia and China hang their hopes cannot withstand the movement on the street, whose power and scope grow every day. The situation in Libya has been the clearest of all... We can estimate that Russia and China have left the [Libyan] arena to the West, and that post-revolution Libya will not be open to Russian and Chinese interests, as it was in the past."
Russia and China Have Chosen to Oppose the Historic Shift in the Arab World
"In Syria, the scenario is repeating itself, albeit more slowly. However, whatever the result, Russia and China will lose. [Even] if things go according to their preferred script, and the Assad regime remains in power, it will not happen without fundamental changes, which will affect [the regime's] nature and ability to rule... If this happens, this regime will remain [Russia and China's] only friend, while they will receive no love or friendship from the people on the [Syrian] street. [Russia and China] will be held responsible for thwarting the Syrian revolution... until another revolution may take place, with different results... In this new atmosphere, we might hear popular talk of revenge on Russia and China...
"According to the second scenario, in which the current regime meets its end, the losses inflicted on Russia and China will be heavier. They will lose another area of influence, and will witness the [rising influence] of Western countries. This [will happen] as a result of a [Russian-Chinese] policy that is expressed by a short-sighted strategic view, based on an alliance with tyrannical regimes, which are facing extinction all over the world.
"The final conclusion that arises from this vision of the Arab world following the upheaval, and from an early reading of the balance of international powers, is that the U.S. and Europe are those who stand to gain. This will also influence other topics in the region, including the Palestinian issue...
"By insisting that certain tyrannical regimes in the Arab world are their only friends, Russia and China have decided to morally oppose the historic shift [in the Arab world] and [ultimately] their own interests [as well], pragmatically and opportunistically."[1]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Ittihad (UAE), July 11, 2011.
