By NNN-APP,
London : A leading French academic and author, Professor Gilles Keppel, has said the new US President will face tough decisions on several issues in the Middle East when he takes office particularly on the situation between the West and Iran.
Speaking at the launch of his new book titled ‘Beyond Terror and Martyrdom’ which explores relationship between the West and Islam after 9/11 here on Thursday evening, he said both President Bush and Osama Bin Laden failed to galvanise public support, and President elect Barack Obama has tough decisions to make on the Middle East.
Professor Gilles believed that to overcome some fundamental issues Western Muslims will have to adopt European values and for both sides will have to work out how to co‑exist in harmony if significant political progress is to be made.
He described the ‘neocon’ in USA and Al-Qaeda as the two respective extremes of the spectrum with the former’s narrative on war on terror meant that “you not only had to fight the terrorists but also to reshuffle the Middle East and to invade Iraq, to create a new pro‑west state in Iraq, that would secure Israel, that also would allow oil to flow freely, without any dependency on the Saudis and ultimately to bring democracy to the Middle East.”
Explaining that US President elect Barack Obama has major issues to deal with, Prof. Kepel, said pulling out of Iraq, means making some sort of deal with Iran, because Iran is now ‘kingmaker’ in Iraq. It is controlling the Shi’ite militia’s and has very significant leverage on the Levant front with Hezbollah on the Israeli border.
However, according to the French academician Iran also has liabilities in the sense that the price of a barrel is plummeting and the country has a large population that is has to feed on oil.
“Iran is under embargo, so in the negotiations that is to take place between the west and the US on one hand and Iran on the other hand, both sides have a lot to lose and a lot to win, and a lot will depend on how the west is conducting the negotiations.”