Ali criticizes Western countries for overlooking national Arab interests

(Special to The Reference) – Director of the Center for Middle East Studies in Paris (CEMO) and Member of the Egyptian Parliament, Abdel Rahim Ali, lashed out today at Western countries for overlooking the national interests of Arab countries.

“You are committing a grave mistake by not, for example, backing the Libyan National Army against al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,” Ali said.

He added at a seminar organized by CEMO on dialogue between the two banks of the Mediterranean that everybody will pay dearly for this mistake.

Ali noted that Western countries commit the same mistake by noting supporting the Egyptian army in its ongoing war against terrorism.

“You do the same when you do not back the Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Houthis in Yemen,” Ali added.

It is easy for regional leaders, Ali said, to overlook the dangers posed by terrorist groups in the region and even hammer out deals with these groups who can then use Arab territories in attacking Western states.

“This will be a terrifying scenario for Western states,” Ali said.

The seminar focuses on cooperation between Europe and non-European Mediterranean states, including Egypt, in the fight against terrorism; illegal immigration; education, and water.

The seminar is held on the sidelines of the Two Mediterranean Banks summit which is held in Marseilles on June 23 and 24.

CEMO takes the opportunity of the summit to open discussion on the issues that cause problems between countries on the two banks of the Mediterranean.

Apart from the Arab-Israeli conflict, which stands behind most of the violence in our world today, the Arab Spring came to wreak disaster on the world and widen the scope of problems in it.