THE NATION
27 MAR 2003
Institute of Policy Studies
/WMD an excuse: for grand strategy
bol-o-e
By Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmad
IPS
2002
Bush/Blair invasion of Iraq
has nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction or any link- age between Saddam and al- Qaeda. The relationship is total- ly unproven and impossible because of diametrical-
ly opposed ideologi- cal positions.
Saddam was a tool of USA and
WAR O
Britain and, when he became power- ful enough that could be a threat to Israel in the region he was demonised and his military power total- ly destroyed. Saddam is not pos- ing a threat to anyone, even to its weakest neighbour what to say of UK/USA or world secu- rity.
The real target along with ac-
cess and control over oil of Iraq is the American grand strategy of redrawing the political map of the Middle East, bifurcating and marginalising the Arab states and paving the way for ‘greater Israel’. The other objective is to establish the hegem- ony of America and give the mes- sage to the world that America is powerful enough to act unilaterally as it regards itself above international law and international security sys-
ON IRAQ
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tem, based on collective respon- sibility and accountability of the
nation states.
The new doctrine of pre-emp- tive strike and regime change is
WMD an excuse for grand
instrument for a new global ma- terialistic adventurism and es- tablishment of pax-Americana in the twenty-first century. Issue is not Saddam, issue is Bush and his rightwing fundamentalists’ new vision of America’s role in the world. It is they who are a threat to peace and global secu- rity.
The consequences of US attack on Iraq would be immense hu- man suffering, death and injury to hundreds of thousands of in- nocent people and destruction of a country’ socio-economic infra- structure.
It would also have serious ad- verse affects on regional, Ameri- can and global economy, and only the military industrial com- plex and energy corporations of America would benefit. The war will initially weaken the UN and terrorise the smaller nations of the world. But ultimately there would be a strong reaction against American unilaterism, brinkmanship and hegemony. The possibilities of emergence of a multi-polar world as against the present uni-polar situation would increase in the medium
and long term.
Iraq is not the end of the story; it is only the beginning of a number of bloody encounters. Many Muslim countries are at the hit-list – Iran, Syria and Pakistan may be early targets; North Ko- rea and Lebanon would also be exposed to future threat.
I am sorry to say that leader- ship of Muslim World has mis- erably failed to take a firm prin- cipled and courageous stand against American adventurism. Pakistan also had pursued a rather ambivalent policy. I am unhappy over that. Whatever the Pakistan government has done, it seems is result of the pressure that has been building up from the grass-root.
America has no interest in de- mocracy in other countries in- cluding the Arab. It has always backed dictators and would pre- fer autocratic rulers in the future. All talk of democracy is hippocratic and constitutes only a lip-service.
I am happy over the emergence of German, French and Russian cooperation in resisting America in the UN and outside. Iran and China have also shown some in-
dependence. It is time that new alliances emerge to contair America’s imperialistic designs. America’s invasion without UN approval has exposed the total illegality of this war of ag- gression. The UN, overwhelming majority of the human beings all over the world and the Vatican and other religious leaders of the world have categorically declared this war immoral, illegitimate and unjust.
The danger to other countries behaving in the same manner is very much there and India and Israel are already flexing their muscles. Pakistan, the Arab World and the world communi- ty should take note of this.
The best policy is to contain America and create a situation in which no one dares to take law in its own hands and inflict war on others, merely on the basis of military strength and brute force. Might should not be allowed to prevail and right must contain might.
This is the only way peace and well-being can be ensured for mankind, and movement to- wards a just world order be- comes possible.
