The crash of the Russian plane in the Sinai has led to travel warnings and restrictions from western governments, to the clearly stated displeasure of Egypt’s officials and the media.
In the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat, Abdel Rahman Al Rashed said the verbal lashing initiated by officials and media outlets in Egypt will not change any of the decisions taken.
“These [western] governments have to take action so as to waive legal and political responsibility in their countries and before the voters. Should they fail to do so and in the event of another such incident, they will strongly be held accountable,” he wrote.
“Preemptively suspending flights, issuing travel warnings to their citizens or getting them out of the country has become commonplace in our region since the spread of terrorism.”
This was not directed against the Egyptian government, nor did it reflect ongoing hostilities against the Muslim Brotherhood. Western governments are compelled to issue these warnings, even if the sources of information they are based on are unreliable.
“These governments worry about political considerations when they assess the extent of the chaos and when they realise their citizens and interests are targeted,” he added.
While awaiting scientific proof to determine whether this was a deliberate act or not, some countries fear the incident may be a terrorist act with others to follow. At this stage, he said they will not accept the reassurances of the Egyptian government, no matter what.
“Let us consider the big picture in the Russian plane crash crisis. Should the terrorism theory be proven correct then the whole region – not Egypt alone – is threatened.
“Terrorist organisations target foreign interests, popular means of transport and places frequented by tourists to strike a blow to their sources of revenue, which are vital to many Arab countries, with the intention of spreading chaos and overthrowing regimes,” he noted.
Issues of sovereignty are out of place when it comes to concepts such as aviation and tourism. It is in the interest of all countries to allow the respective airlines and governments to implement practices designed to reassure their citizens that air travel is safe. This includes increased security screenings of passengers and their bags.
“When one passes through Abu Dhabi airport on the way to the US, one does not perceive increased security screening before travelling as a lack of sovereignty due to the presence of American passport control officers – quite the opposite.”
Al Rashed said any country that wants to boost its economy through tourism has to be the first to reassure other governments through its actions, “even if this means allowing them to be part of security screenings, as this would enhance confidence and would certainly not demean their sovereignty”.
In the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, Ghassan Charbel said it would not be surprising if ISIL is found to have caused the Russian plane crash because it is in keeping with the group’s massacre of the Yazidis and the beheading of Muslims, including tribesmen who refused to pledge allegiance to it.
“We are not standing at the edge of the abyss – we are already in the abyss,” he said.
“The scattered and shattered debris is not that of the Russian aircraft, but that of the Middle East. We have failed in establishing a normal state. This incident has revealed the depth of our backwardness and our lack of capability.
“ISIL’s fighters did not come from the moon. They emerged from the monstrosity of our region.”
* Translated by Carla Mirza
CMirza@thenational.ae