The Observer newspaper published an article by Simon Tisdale, in which he said that US President Joe Biden is delusional in his belief that he is able to score three goals at once, an Israeli-Saudi peace, a breakthrough on the Palestinian issue, and an understanding on Iran, and the reason is that “the American century has passed.” without return.”
The writer said: “It is strange, the way in which the American influence in the Middle East declines, while it is on the same path as the British Empire’s decline in the same region, and it seems as if the countries of the region, after abandoning one arrogant empire, reject another one. Slowly, dictatorships and ruling regimes assert their autonomy, some in a democratic manner and most without. Meanwhile, you are making new allies. This reflects a fundamental shift towards a multipolar world, not dominated by a single power.
In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, there is a process of building a homogeneous national identity to project power abroad through financial clout, oil, and sports. Depending on the strategic location, the two countries and other countries in the region reject the Western protectorate status granted by the United States, and before that by Britain.
And in Israel, Jewish nationalists and religious extremists are locked in a battle to determine the country's future in defiance of Washington's aspirations, reminiscent of the violent days at the end of the British Mandate.
Given his knowledge of the horrific American disasters, anxiety over the course of the war in Ukraine and fear of China, President Biden has avoided, since his arrival in the White House in 2021, the ongoing crises in the West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya and Sudan. And his only promise in the Middle East, to revive the nuclear agreement that his predecessor Donald Trump destroyed, remains unfulfilled.
In 1956, the conquest of Suez undercut Britain as the dominant power in the region, and the question is: “Is America, which is no longer relevant to the region, approaching a turning point like Suez?”
It is not surprising that Biden's answer was "No", given his belief in American superiority, and that is why he decided to search for an ambitious plan to restore American leadership in the Middle East, with the aim of countering the influence of Moscow and Beijing, and to remind non-compliant local allies whose security and prosperity America is protecting.
To make the case, Biden sent 3,000 more troops to the Gulf this month, apparently to deter Iran and show that he is the master. Political calculations cannot be avoided, as Biden is preparing for his re-election campaign, which is why he hopes to score the unlikely triple goal.
The reward is diplomacy equal to the triumvirate: the United States working on an understanding with Iran, a historic peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and a breakthrough on the level of the Palestinian state.
Take, for example, Iran. The talks in Qatar, which led to the release of American prisoners in exchange for $6 billion of frozen Iranian assets, made significant progress this month. The two sides are discussing the possibility of stopping Iranian support for Russia in the field of combat marches. He claimed that the ultimate goal is an unofficial bilateral deal through which Iran will stop nuclear programs and weapons, in return for lifting all sanctions, which is what the unpopular and economically besieged Iranian government aspires to, and the talks are continuing.
The second link in the reshaping of the Middle East concerns Iran's old enemy, Saudi Arabia. Washington has been alarmed by Chinese mediation between Tehran and Riyadh, and the Kingdom's increasing cooperation with Russia. Biden wants Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to return to the track, and to secure an agreement in the manner of the Abraham Accords with Israel. And he is waving a security treaty, and US support for a civilian nuclear reactor in Saudi Arabia , which may match the Iranian nuclear project, despite fears of the spread of nuclear weapons. This thinking raises concerns in Israel, but Biden's answer is "no problem." The Saudi-Israeli deal will include security guarantees and advanced weapons for both parties, and will leave an additional impact in terms of marginalizing China.
The writer asked about the reason for the United States to defend Saudi Arabia, especially after Biden pledged during the 2020 election campaign to make Saudi Arabia a pariah, and the reason is clear, which is that normalization will be a great diplomatic victory before the elections, especially if it is linked to the third stage, which is support for the Palestinian state.
Besieged at home, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu desperately wants an agreement, and so do the Saudis. However, they insist - on paper - on achieving tangible progress on the Palestinian track.
And the extremist alliance with Netanyahu will not agree to concessions, he barely talks with Biden, and in October he plans to visit China to annoy the American president.
Nevertheless, Biden believes that he is able to achieve an agreement with Israel to strengthen the Palestinian economy, stop the annexation of the West Bank, and revive the measures for the two-state solution, in exchange for persuading Saudi Arabia, removing Iran's fangs, and providing security guarantees to all.
Biden's three goals seem illusory, as there are negative domestic factors standing in front of him. Like the rest of the world, the leaders of the region, who are trying to search for their interests, are wondering about the possibility of him continuing to rule, and whether Trump will replace him.
The writer says that what we see today is that the era of the superpower and the “indispensable state” is coming to an end. Biden may be trying to do his best to preserve the old order, but like the lost era of British imperialism, the “American Century” is quickly fading into the history books.
“The coming days are more difficult.” An emergency in province of British Columbia due to fires and the evacuation of tens of thousands : Canada
Authorities in the Canadian province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency and officials were given temporary official powers to address the risks of fires that got out of control, closing roads and destroying residents' property.
On Saturday, the Canadian authorities launched a massive operation to evacuate thousands of people from the north and west of the country, in light of the intensification and expansion of forest fires, especially in the province of British Columbia.
Firefighters are racing against time trying to control the spread of the fires that have destroyed large areas, while the authorities have ordered about 35,000 people to evacuate their homes as the fire approaches Kelowna, British Columbia.
The fires destroyed large areas of the Kelowna forests and prompted tens of thousands of its residents to leave, and the fire was concentrated throughout the city, which is about 300 km east of Vancouver and has a population of about 150,000 people.
And the Canadian authorities warned that “the coming days will be difficult,” while the Minister of Emergency Management in the province said, “The situation is changing, and the numbers are also changing. We are talking about evacuation orders for about 35,000 people, in addition to placing 36,000 people on alert.”
Northwest Territories Environment Minister Shane Thompson said, "At least 19,000 people have been evacuated from Yellowknife in the last 48 hours. Almost the entire city has been evacuated."
He said that about 15,000 people fled by land, while 3,800 people were evacuated by air, and 300 firefighters were called to fight the fire in one of the largest moves of equipment in the very isolated region in the far north.
And the authorities in the province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency starting on Friday, and officials were granted temporary official powers to address the risks of fires that got out of control, closed roads and destroyed the property of residents.
Government officials expect the fire season to continue into the fall due to the widespread drought-like conditions in the country.
The government confirmed that at least 40 flights departed from Yellowknife and landed in Calgary, carrying 3,500 passengers, while the city made 495 hotel rooms available to the evacuees.
Local authorities issued an order to evacuate the University of British Columbia campus, which houses more than 11,000 students, and announced the closure of airspace for the area, to contribute to efforts to combat the fire by aircraft.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "We will all get out of this incredibly difficult summer together."
Trudeau spoke of an "uncertain and terrifying phase" at a time when more than a thousand fires are currently ravaging the country from east to west, more than 230 of them burning in the Northwest Territories and more than 370 of them in British Columbia.
This year's wildfire season in Canada appears to be the most severe, as it has so far caused the evacuation of 168,000 citizens across the country and destroyed 14 million hectares of land, twice the previous record set in 1989.
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