Israel's approval of a Palestinian state prompted a warning this past week from Raghida Dergham: "Beware the arrogance of might. It can turn the mighty into a prisoner."

Dergham, senior diplomatic correspondent for Al Hayat, a London- based Arabic newspaper, was in Salt Lake City to address the 55th annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Dergham's comment was directed to Americans who fail to see the big picture of the U.S. role in the peace process in the Middle East. "Most Americans only understand they belong to a superpower and are eager to defend their status," she said. Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakastani ambassador to the United States, who also addressed the conference, said the now conservative- managed America sees itself as a force for good.

However, perceptions abroad are different. "It is almost universally seen as rejecting the rule-based system of institutions the U.S. helped to establish," she said. Some of the resentment comes with the occupational hazard of being the world's only superpower, Lodhi said.

An educator in attendance asked Dergham whether President Bush's road map for peace will achieve its goals if the White House is committed. "My hope is that President Bush decided it's his personal investment," she said. "If the Arab perspective is that the U.S. will become a long-time occupier, they will lose trust." Arabs formerly thought the United States' goal in waging war was to control Iraq and its oil and to do Israel a favor, Dergham said. The United States, she said, needs to show this is not the case.

"A successful partnership is in the best interest of Iraq," she said.

This may be difficult, Lodhi said, because many see the U.S. stance in the Middle East as a hypocritical one -- by trying to secure rights for Israelis while occupying Iraq.

Prior to the war, the cultural feeling was that Saddam Hussein couldn't be taken down. Now that the United States is occupying the country, people still fear Saddam, Dergham said. The citizens of Iraq and other Arab nations understand they have the ability to take power but don't have complete trust of Americans, either. "Americans should cultivate relationships with ordinary people," she said.

Lodhi added that educators should be part of the dialogue, too.

An educator asked how to ensure American institutions and study- abroad programs can help the peace process. The institutions need to encourage debate, Dergham said. "Whoever is stifling debate is hurting what America is about," she said. "Stifling debate on college campuses is probably one of the most dangerous things we can do."

Ursula Oaks, spokeswoman for NAFSA, said it's important to keep student exchanges open, because they foster good relations between countries. "The people we are bringing here are the future leaders of the world," she said.

Oaks said a few of those leaders are Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines and Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary general. The NAFSA conference concluded Friday at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

According to NAFSA, more than 250 organizations involved in international educational exchange had exhibits at the Salt Palace. Next year's NAFSA conference will be held in Baltimore.