Monday 22 December 2003 Libya and the Arabs  | Libya's announcement that it is giving up plans to develop weapons of mass destruction has caused surprise and consternation in the Arab world. This report from Roger Hardy. |
 Listen to the story Colonel Gaddafi may have had his own, Libyan, reasons for taking his surprise decision. But he must also have been aware that it would remind his fellow-Arabs of their collective weakness in the face of an assertive American superpower. After all, the Libyan leader had seized power in 1969 as a champion of a radical form of Arab nationalism. He'd seen himself as the political heir of the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel-Nasser, who had captured Arab hearts with his defiance of the West and his calls for Arab unity.
But those heady days are long gone. Now each Arab state is left pursuing its own self-interest. Even the idea - put forward by a number of Arab officials - that the Libyan move puts pressure on Israel to abandon its undeclared nuclear programme is based more on hope than realism. Israel has no such intention; nor is it under American pressure to do so. The Arab state that will now feel uncomfortably isolated as a result of Colonel Gaddafi's decision is Syria. It too stands accused by Washington of developing weapons of mass destruction, as well as supporting groups the Bush administration regards as terrorist.
Roger Hardy, BBC
Listen to the words had his own... reasons if you have your own reasons for doing something you have specific circumstances which make you do it collective weakness not having, together, much power assertive someone who is assertive acts in a forceful way the political heir someone who works or thinks in the same way as a former leader captured Arab hearts gained the full support of Arab people heady days here, a time when there is enthusiasm and optimism for a cause long gone past, finished pursuing its own self-interest only interested in its own goals and ambitions based more on hope than realism here, unlikely to happen uncomfortably isolated its traditional friends and supporters have left it  Read more about this story | |  | | | SEARCH IN LEARNING ENGLISH | | | |
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