By Muhammad Diyab

Muhammad Diyab
Muhammad Diyab is a well-known Saudi writer and journalist.

Last week, newspapers carried a report saying that Iraqi authorities arrested a young 20-year-old Saudi national as he was trying to infiltrate Iran through the Iraqi border using a forged Saudi passport. The press report adds that the young man confessed that he works for the Iranian intelligence service in Iraq! With all its influence and presence in Iraq, does Iran need to recruit a Saudi national to work as a spy for it in Iraq?

After reading this report one can only be remind of the satirical question posed to Juha [A Don Quixote-like Arab folk hero] "Why are you touching your left ear with your right hand?" [A common saying used to refer to a person that beats around the bush].

The story of the Saudi spy working for Iran is like one that sails from Suez to Alexandria via the Cape of Good Hope! It is also similar to a movie whose producer and director have absolutely no respect for the intelligence and awareness of the public.

The story of the Saudi spy working for Iran is nothing more than one link in a chain of many tools intended to tarnish and spoil the signs of Arab-Arab rapprochement that have begun to loom in the horizon in the wake of the Arab good gestures toward Baghdad. These gestures have also coincided with the restructuring of the Syrian-Lebanese relations in a rapprochement to which [Arab League Secretary General] Amr Musa referred a few days ago as "positive developments that will lead to a positive outcome" when he was asked whether the Arab-Arab climate has improved. Arab rapprochement is a must in order to confront the storms that are buffeting the region these days as a result of the escalation between the United and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program.

The question that begs an answer is who is scheming to target Arab-Arab rapprochement?

The fingers of accusation cannot be pointed atone single particular quarter for certain for there are several quarters whose interests may not be served by Arab-Arab rapprochement. The Arabs should be more wary and more conscious of the aims and causes of such intentions as well as the motives behind it.

The report on the arrest of a 20-year-old "Saudi" working for Iran in Iraq is not devoid of ill intentions. It is an attempt to create divisions in the course of the vision. Even if for the sake of the argument we accept that such a misguided youth was lured into playing such a role, his recruitment has no other intention except to embroil Saudi Arabia and Saudi nationals in an attempt to distort the pivotal role that Saudi Arabia is playing. Saudi Arabia's role represents moderation in the face of extremism, wisdom against demagoguery, and reason against insanity. Those that resort to such" cheap ploys" can only share their disappointments.