A world against itself
The Arab states would like to combine their strengths. But first, argues Peter David, they must decide whether they are one nation or many
CONSIDER a riddle. The Arab East—the half-dozen countries from Egypt in the west to Iraq in the east—holds 110m people and half of the world's proven oil reserves. Its warm and inventive people speak a common language (Arabic) and most profess a common religion (Islam). Its governments say they believe in Arab unity, and belong to an organisation (the Arab League) that is designed to promote it. In logic, the Arabs ought to be strong. Why, in practice, are they so weak?
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