Many Western countries, led by the United States, show outward support for the Arab Spring and profess to want the demands of the Arab people for freedom, justice and equality to be met. They want Arabs to think that they reject all dictatorial regimes. But the fact is that they, up until the moment the revolutions were staged, were supporting these dictatorial regimes. It appears that Western countries have realized that they cannot continue their friendship with dictatorial rulers who were rejected by their own people and shift their support to the populace when the revolutions appear to be succeeding. The West seeks to win the hearts of Arabs after decades of indirect colonization. Its position is calculated to serve the interests of Western countries, above all other considerations. The West hopes to make friends with the new regimes or at least to lessen any hostility the regimes may have to the West. The Western position reflects its sophisticated diplomatic skills, if not cunning, and has put Russia and China on the spot. Russia and China view the Arab Spring from a completely different perspective. The concern of these two giant countries is to blunt the moves of the United States and NATO, their arch enemies. The policies of Western countries and of Russia and China towards the Middle East appear to be a zero-sum game. If the West wins, the Russia-China axis loses — and vice versa. The Western position prompts Russia and China to join hands, although there is no formal alliance between them. But such an alliance can be formalized if the West provokes them with bold moves in the Arab region or any other part of the world. It is a fact that the Arab region has become a major theater of the global struggle for influence. The country which gains a foothold in the region and controls its resources, will gain a stronger global advantage. Since the end of World War II, the strategic importance of this region has grown. That is why Russia and China do not want the West to control this region because it will undermine their own vested interests. From this perspective, we can understand the position of Russia and China towards the Arab Spring. Russian politician and diplomat Yevgeny Primakov, responding to a question as to why Russia was against imposing a no-fly zone over Syria, said: “Because we don't want a new Libya in Syria.” He was referring to the NATO intervention in Libya, which the West supported. But Russia and China are making a strategic mistake because they are placing their bets on regimes which are losing the support of their own people. If the Arabs in countries buffeted by the Arab Spring win, they will gravitate towards the West, which has undertaken clever maneuvers to secure its influence in the region. (Dr. Sadaka Y. Fadhel is a Member of the Shoura Council and Professor of Political Science) __
