Recent estimates place the cost of the ‘war on terror’ to the United States at $335 Billion USD, but monetary value was not the key measure for panelists assessing the cost of the conflict to the Arab and Muslim people, in the third day opening session at Arab Strategy Forum, which ran till the 6th December in Dubai.

Resolving outstanding issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and finding a sensible solution to the deteriorating war in Iraq figured prominently throughout the discussion, moderated by Raghida Dergham, Columnist and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Al Hayat, USA.

The general consensus among the 400-plus attendees, as reflected in the question period, was the US’s unilateral policy had caused the current situation in Iraq and that it was up to the US to resolve it – “you broke it, you fix it,” said one leading Arab journalist.

Measuring the progress – or lack thereof – of the war on terror, Peter Bergen, Terrorism Analyst, CNN, USA, stated: “‘Jihad terrorism’ witnessed a 659% leap in global terrorism since the Iraq war, 482% in terror attacks in the Arab world and an exponential rise of suicide attacks in Afghanistan”, quoting figures from US-based RAND Corporation.

Mainstream discussions on terrorism seldom construct the appropriate context, allowing seasoned analysis and policy prescriptions.

On that issue, Rami G. Khouri, Editor-at-Large, The Daily Star, Lebanon, explained: “Terrorism emerged out of a historical process and not a vacuum. Unfortunately, there is no serious discussion on US policy and its relationship with Israel, and its impact on the cycle of violence in the region.”

Is the war on terror winnable and, if so, how can it be won? Wesley Clark, Former NATO Commander, USA, suggested Dayton-like shuttle diplomacy throughout the region: “The war on terror should be fought with ideas – military force should always be a measure of last resort.” The former general called for “two-way information flow” to “re-educate the US public” on the issues and realities in the Middle East: “There is a lot of talk in Washington DC about the Middle East but very little listening.”

Khouri echoed Clark’s sentiment: “There has been a terrible lack in shared analysis and putting our heads together – there needs to be an integrated and complete view on issues.” He referred to the current debate on terrorism in the US and Europe as “intellectual hooliganism”, which he explained as people with limited understanding of the region, its people and issues promoted as “terrorism experts”.

Marwan Al-Muasher, Member of the Senate, Jordan, focused on the responsibility of Arabs in the war on terror and their role of rectifying the situation, urging Arabs to take a “principled stand against the use of violence and the targeting of civilians.” Failure to do so, he continued, is a “disintegration of our value system - we need to address this if we want to move forward.”

Robert Malley, Director, Middle East and North Africa Program, International Crisis Group, Washington, D.C, placed the onus at the doorsteps of both the Arab governments and the US Administration. Regarding the former, Malley said: “The US is not engaging in serious dialogue with Arab governments because what they say in private to the US Administration is not consistent with what they tell their people.” Turning his attention to the US, he stated: “We need to address the political issues and not exclude them from the process – when an issue is framed in military terms; you neglect politics and cause a strategic vacuum.”

In a similar vein, Al-Muasher argued that terrorism is being “compartmentalized”, disconnected from the fundamental issues like Palestine-Israel conflict – the US, he suggested, needs to recognize the centrality of these issues.

The ASF, held under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has attracted more than 600 distinguished participants and 115 worldwide speakers, and is a vehicle for change and a key driver in the reform and policy shaping of governmental and business organizations throughout the Arab world.