The Arab world is really a lot of little worldsnation-states, kingdoms, sheikdomsand it is seamed and cross-stitched with special interests, jealousies, old feuds and odd alliances. It has never been monolithic and, in spite of Cairo's stout talk of united Arab backing for Strongman Nasser in the Suez crisis, it is not now.
There are telltale signs of fissures in Nasser's support. From Beirut last week came news that Jordan's young King Hussein is discreetly promoting a meeting with the Presidents of Lebanon and Syria to discuss how the small Arab states can assert their independence of...