Moderate Arabs look to curb militants

[barb162]

Sunday, July 23, 2006 · Last updated 12:20 p.m. PT

Moderate Arabs look to curb militants

By STEVEN R. HURST AND SALAH NASRAWI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITERS


CAIRO, Egypt -- Egypt and Saudi Arabia - both with strained U.S. ties - are working to entice Syria to end support for Hezbollah, a move that is central to resolving the conflict in Lebanon and unhitching Damascus from its alliance-of-convenience with Iran, the Shiite Muslim guerrillas' other main backer, Arab diplomats and analysts said Sunday.

The two Arab heavyweights were prepared to spend heavily from Egypt's political capital in the region and Saudi Arabia's vast financial reserves to rein in Hezbollah as well as the Hamas militants now running the Palestinian government. In return, Washington would ease pressure on its moderate Arab allies for broad democratic reform, the diplomats and analysts said.

The deal offers hope of stopping the violence on both sides of Israel - the fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. It is believed that taking Syria out of the Hezbollah-Iran orbit would blunt Iran's bid to establish itself as a regional power-broker. Iran's attempts to expand its influence sends shudders through the moderate Arab world.

"The U.S. administration has already realized that its Middle East policies are not paying dividends. They have yielded no real reforms. Now the (Arab) regimes find it easy to tell them (in the administration) that the status quo is better and Washington should not insist on reforms," said Khalil el-Annany, a political analyst at the Cairo-based International Politics Center.
snip
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Mideast_Fighting_Arab_End_Game.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Let's hope

their efforts succeed in stopping the violence. That has to happen before any talks begin.