Gen. Anthony Zinni (2nd L), chairman of the Washington-based Middle East Institute (MEI), is visiting the headquarters of Okaz/Saudi Gazette in Jeddah, Saturday. He was accompanied by Kate Seelye (R), Vice President of MEI, and Robert W. Jordan (L), former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia. — SG photo Shams Ahsan Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – A general who has won many awards for his valor on the battlefield and strategies in war rooms is today out to win hearts and minds. The weapons in his armory: Words of wisdom and an inclination to engage in constructive dialogue. He once dubbed himself as a “Hagel-Lugar-Powell Republican,” but has taken a public pledge not to run for office. The retired commander-in-chief of the US Central Command, Gen. Anthony Zinni, who has served the US Marine Corps for 39 years, is on a mission to build bridges of friendship and clear the land mines of misunderstanding. And there cannot be any better place than the region where popular uprisings gave rise to what is euphemistically termed as the Arab Spring. “The Middle East and Saudi Arabia need to be portrayed in a proper perspective to the people in the US,” he said during an informal discussion during a visit to Saudi Gazette Saturday afternoon. Gen. Zinni, who has minced no words in criticizing the Bush administration for its Iraq war strategy, has taken up the chairmanship of the Middle East Institute (MEI), a 66-year-old Washington-based institute dedicated to “increase the knowledge of the Middle East among the US citizens.” “This institution is not a provider or promoter of policies. We are facilitators,” said Zinni. “We have come here looking for ideas. And we have some ideas which we would like to explain. This is our first trip. And the first stop was Abu Dhabi,” he said. Explaining the institute's expanse and scope, its Vice President Kate Seelye said that every week 5,300 visitors from 183 countries view 17,000 pages through the MEI website. “We have to expand our vision by bringing as many voices from the region as possible through exchange programs,” she said. “We are developing regional institutes, exploring other areas of joint interests like trade and culture. We are running a very successful internship program. We organize annual conferences. We teach languages, primarily Arabic,” said Kate. To the doubting Thomases in this part of the world and those in the US, Gen. Zinni has this to say: “We are very transparent, and have no agenda.” The discussion meandered from MEI to the Arab Spring to democracy and its underlying principles. Involved in the conversation were Robert W. Jordan, former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Dr. Khaled Batarfi, a writer and Saudi Gazette columnist. The Arab Spring and its outcome formed the core of the discussion. Gen. Zinni agreed that “it is not the best thing to transport what works in the US.” “One size does not fit all, and one label does not suit all,” he said, giving examples of vibrant democracies in Denmark and the United Kingdom governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. Alluding to the electoral outcome in the Arab Spring countries, Gen. Zinni said that each society has a different culture. “There may be differences in structure, but not in democratic principles.” “You may look at our democracy and select what suits your culture and tradition,” he said in response to a question as to how US can portray the examples of good governance. So, does he accept the decision of Hamas coming to power through elections? “What is important is to set the democratic principles,” replies Gen. Zinni. Batarfi joined in by saying that this part of the world should be encouraged to come up with its own solutions. He alluded to the initiatives of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to promote interfaith and inter-sect dialogue. He said that the US can engage with this part of the world through social media, which has grown like wildfire in recent months. Gen. Zinni, who has written many books, did not justify the former US Navy SEAL who revealed classified information in his book on Osama Bin Laden's final moments. “There's nothing wrong in writing books, but giving out details of techniques and plans is not justified,” he said. The former Navy SEAL may face trial under military code, he said. The general, who opposed the 2003 Iraq invasion, said any unilateral action on Iran should not be based on assumptions. It is important to first establish capabilities and also consider the repercussions, said Zinni, who had predicted the dangers of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan even before the 9/11 attacks took place.
