• Pledges USD 20 million to kick-start a global poverty alleviation programme

Dubai, UAE, October 29, 2016:  Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor delivered a strongly-worded speech at the 25th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington DC on Wednesday 26 October 2016.  The event, under the conference title ‘The Next US Presidency and US-Arab Relations: Probabilities, Possibilities, Potential Pitfalls’, is organized by the National Council on US-Arab Relations, and comes just a two weeks ahead of the US Presidential election, on 8 November, when American voters take to the polling booths to decide who will succeed President Barack Obama in the White House. 

Al Habtoor, a prolific and influential commentator and writer on Middle East politics, told the 100-plus strong audience that the next US President needs to be someone who can take tough decisions. He said the next US administration needs to decide who its friends are in the Middle East. “The GCC countries have been good friends to America yet the US government is leaning nowadays in favour of Iran. This is a cause of concern. Iran is the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism. A truth that the US seems to forget for its own interests.”

He added, “You may ask what right do I have as an Arab, a non-American citizen, to pass comment on your future leader… I have the right, because whoever gets into the White House affects everybody. The entire world. The new President’s policies will either empower our enemies or weaken them.”

Al Habtoor said, “Iran’s intentions are clear. It wants to be the dominant player in the region. And it is getting its wish with the help of the US and other western nations. Rather than focusing on Iran, and getting rid of its evils, the US is targeting its long-time ally the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

He also criticized the passing by the US Congress of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), saying it is another nail in the coffin of US-GCC relations. “The passing by US Congress of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, is another nail in the coffin of US-GCC relations. The future Iraq is seeing it as an opportunity to claim compensation from the US invasion, and abuses committed by American forces, and Saudi could consider passing a similar bill.”
The speech focused on what he sees as the main challenges that need addressing when the next US President is elected, including what he calls “everyone’s nightmare, our biggest man-made monster – Daesh.” 

He highlighted the neglect by world leaders of the millions of refugees around the world, saying it is “a global threat to stability”, and said “lack of education and irresponsible media” has contributed to a sharp rise in Islamophobia around the world. 

Chairman Al Habtoor urged American voters to take these points into consideration when choosing their next President. “I have high hopes that America will make the right choice and its new leader will be able to take tough decisions when needed,” he said.  “The biggest threats we face today are because of past failures. We cannot afford any more mistakes.”

Al Habtoor said, “It is time to stop talking politics and let us focus and deal with real the problems threatening our world today.” He pledged USD 20 million of his own money to kick-start a global initiative to combat poverty alleviation. “If we join hands together, we will be strong enough to dismantle terrorism in the Middle East, and the world. It is a fact that poor countries have significantly higher terrorism rates. Terrorism plays on poverty.”

The speech was followed by a moderated session with Randa Fahmy, Member of the Board, National Council on US-Arab Relations, and President of Fahmy Hudome International, a strategic consulting firm based in Washington DC.

At the conference, Khalaf Al Habtoor’s new book ‘Is Anybody Listening?’ made its US debut. The book, which features a Foreword by former US President Jimmy Carter, and an Introduction by Dr John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations, spells out how misguided foreign policies have adversely affected the Middle East and provides advice to future policymakers on how to rectify past errors. 

In the book Al Habtoor excoriates Western administrations for empowering Iran and enabling terror groups as a result of the illegal Iraq war. He writes, “It is like Armageddon in parts of the Middle East, and there is little hope of getting out of this quagmire, which I believe is due to the catastrophic moral and political failures of world leaders who have enabled the likes of Daesh, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Republic of Iran – its militias and proxies… I have no doubt in my mind that failings by world leaders have empowered this fanatical mob hell-bent on a reign of terror, using the false cover of religion… and unless action is taken soon, I fear, for all our futures.”