Qatar warns forum against US dominance

Qatar warns forum against US dominance
2/17/2007 TurkishPress

DOHA - Qatar's foreign minister warned an international forum on US-Islamic dialogue Saturday against the "monopolisation of power" by the United States, which has been pushing for greater democracy in the Middle East.

"If the monopolisation of power on a domestic level is unacceptable, the monopolisation of power on the world scene ... the policy of double standards (and) the absence of transparence ... and the use of force, even more, must cease," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani told the opening of the meeting.

The meeting is being attended by nearly 230 delegates from both religious and secular backgrounds, drawn from the fields of politics, business, media, academia, the arts, science and technology and civil society in 34 countries.

It is the fifth annual US-Islamic World Foreum and is organised by the Washington-based Brookings Institution think tank in partnership with Qatar's foreign ministry.

Sheikh Hamad outlined a 12-point proposal to improve dialogue between the Islamic world and the United States. In particular, he cited settlement of the Palestinian problems and Middle East conflict, the eradication of poverty and the "struggle against terrorism by policies which search for the causes of it."