Pick a side. Don't hide on the sidelines. Don't stay in the middle. Being neutral in a dispute is often disparaged. Children in fights and other contests on playgrounds worldwide learn early to fear such taunts and often take sides to avoid persecution by the crowd.
Yet we need to recognize the diplomatic value of neutrality for peaceful conflict resolution.
"We Algerians are completely focused on honorably fulfilling our nation's voluntary diplomatic role to serve as the neutral intermediary, mediator between the U.S. and Iran. We have good diplomatic relations with each side. We are messengers and unbiased interpreters between two adversarial nations. We wish only to bring an end to the dispute."
Algerian diplomats described to me their role in then-ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations over American hostages held in Tehran since November 1979. Flying across the Atlantic Ocean on two Concorde flights several days apart in late December 1980, both Algerian ambassadors, one to the United States and the other to Iran, agreed to talk with me, the surprise reporter on board.
As an international journalist, I had been involved in coverage of that dramatic international story from the first day. A year into the continuing crisis, in November 1980, upon my initiating reporting the newly developing Algerian diplomatic effort, I became ABCNews' so-called "Algerian Connection" covering Algeria's role as intermediary.
Those Dec. 26 and 31, 1980, Concorde flights carried the Algerian envoys enroute to and from diplomatic talks with senior Americans in Washington before the two flew on to Tehran to convey messages the beginning of 1981. Then, also early January, the top U.S. negotiators set up their final base of operations at U.S Embassy-Algiers until the American hostages were finally released from Iran to Algeria Jan. 20 for handing over to U.S. officials and airplane waiting at Algiers Airport.
Today Pakistan is playing the delicate, chief intermediary role between the same two adversarial nations. Pakistan is a friend of Iran and USA, sharing multiple bonds with each, including a geographic border and religion with the former, and also important, long-standing connections of varying degrees with the latter.
A rare number of nations, like Switzerland, maintain a state of neutrality worldwide. Others might claim neutrality in a particular conflict, war or other dispute, while maintaining friendship with both sides. Sometimes such countries with a strong desire to end conflict between their friends serve as intermediary.
Opposition to neutrality comes from all sides, including the warmongers and those opposing wars. Bullies deride neutrality and do all to force taking their side. The threats against and lures to entice openly and subtly push and pull others incessantly to give up any neutral inclination.
This year the American president threatened the Arab nation of Oman for maintaining Iran ties along with its centuries-old U.S. relations, including recent decades' serving as valued interlocutor between U.S. and Iran. Oman continues standing its ground, on its ancient geographic position over the Persian (also Arab) Gulf's Strait of Hormuz and long Omani coastline on the Indian Ocean.
Qatar, though also an intermediary relaying messages between the U.S. and Iran, houses some inherent obstacles to claiming true neutrality. That Arab nation, also across the shared Gulf from Iran, hosts a major U.S. military base while simultaneously offering refuge to Iranian-supported international organizations deemed terrorists by the U.S. Yet Qatar still operates as a key influencer-intermediary bearing messages, offering advice as it wields enormous financial and strategic power over both warring nations.
Historically, Algeria, though never truly credited by the antagonists or global media, played the essential diplomatic role of neutral intermediary in resolving that 444-days-long U.S.-Iran conflict finally in January 1981.
Let's hope Pakistan can now maintain its neutrality in this conflict to become the successful intermediary between their friends, Iran and USA. It's a difficult position to maintain as warring nations welcome scapegoats to blame for any negotiating failure.
Long live peacemaking neutrality!
Postscript: Neutral intermediaries can help bring peace not only internationally but also nationally and locally. I'm wondering whether there's a neutral nation or domestic party courageous and caring enough to serve as intermediary to bring peace in this conflicted United States of America.