Syria's crisis is strictly an internal conflict
The signs of jubilation that accompanied the fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents have disappeared. At the time, officials and media outlets in Syria and Iran cheered their downfall, while Hizbollah's secretary-general, who gave a thunderous speech to express his joy at the humiliating fall of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, has opted not to comment on recent events in Syria, observed the columnist Abdulrahman al Rashed in his article for the London-based Asharq Al Awsat daily.
The protests erupting throughout Syria denounce not just the system, but Iran and Hizbollah too. "No one is immune from the terrible events of today," the writer said. "No one can lecture others, as there are many. Those who don't cope with the new world order are under threat."
The only dilemma is that those who are used to owning a system find it difficult to let go. The Tunisian and Egyptian presidents couldn't compromise either.
The situation in Syria is more difficult and much more serious because the regime rejects the idea of compromise. It seems unaware of the danger surrounding it and insists on interpreting the events as foreign conspiracies.
The solution to Syria's problems is strictly internal and should therefore be resolved internally. Time still allows for reconciliation by responding to some of the people's demands, particularly the reform of the security apparatus.
Libya's stalemate can be still be overcome
Now that the Libyan crisis is nearing its seventh week, the international community is wondering if it's still possible to quell Col Muammar Qaddafi's offensive through the no fly zone resolution.
Although Nato forces were able to destroy the regime's air forces at the start of operations, Col Qaddafi has proved that he is still capable of thwarting the rebels using military ploys that made Nato target the rebels with friendly fire twice in one week.
In light of this, the US and the European Union are persuaded that a ground intervention in Libya, which was out of the question only a few weeks ago, is now in an advanced stage of study and a ground landing could be ordered in a few days.
Germany has already agreed to send forces into Libya to defend humanitarian passageways, which suggests that other EU members could soon follow suit.
"The motives don't matter as long as the objective is to put a swift end to the crisis through inevitable military confrontations with Col Qaddafi forces," suggested the writer.
"Things change in this type of crisis, especially as the air raids proved insufficient to defeat the regime. New ideas, such as ground intervention for humanitarian aims, are required."
Future scenarios are known. Nato forces could be reinforced while "analysts" go on talking about "the price" Libya will pay through oil contracts with "liberating" states.
Offer of dignified exit for Saleh will expire
The popular uprising in Yemen is at a decisive moment, said Hussam Kanafani, a columnist with the Emirati daily Al Khaleej.
Protestors amassing in the streets are closer than ever to realising their goal of toppling the president Ali Abdullah Saleh, especially given the GCC initiative that urges him to step down and hand over power to the vice president or a temporary council. The initiative gave the green light to start searching for an alternative, despite Mr Saleh's obstinacy.
Yemen's president has gradually lost all the support he relied on to withstand popular protests. It began with the tribes, when his own, Hashed, urged him to respond to the people's demands, followed by his former ally, theAl Islah party.
Then, it was the turn of the army, as major general Ali Mohsen al Ahmar, the commander of the first armoured division and Saleh's half-brother announced his defection. He was followed by others, causing a rift within the armed forces.
The US followed suit. Until recently, the US insisted on "dialogue and a peaceful transition of power" to end the crisis and had to change its stance into admitting that the Yemeni president "needs to step down".
"President Saleh lost internal legitimacy and foreign recognition, said the writer. Stalling is no longer in his best interest. He is offered an honourable exit today; an offer that won't remain on the table indefinitely."
Onslaught of Gaza must be checked
The Israeli offensive on Gaza will continue to violently escalate until it realises a number of objectives, the most crucial of which is terrorising Palestinians and drowning them in desperation in order to force them to relinquish their legitimate rights, observed the Jordanian Addustur daily in its editorial.
"Although we don't expect much in the way of outcomes from the emergency summit the Arab League called for today, we hope that sister states will assume their responsibilities and not stop at the usual condemnations. They are required to take effective measures to save the Palestinians from occupation and to halt the Zionist project that jeopardises the Arab world in its entirety," said the daily.
Israel's continuous bullying of and use of Gaza as an open battlefield upon which it projects its state-of-the-art military and banned weapons prompts the Arab world to assume its obligations and stop this offensive through bold and decisive measures. The enemy has exploited both the negotiations and the peace process to manipulate the occupied territories and Jerusalem, regardless of international laws and customs.
* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem
r.makarem@thenational.ae