The third anniversary of American invasion and occupation of Iraq has just passed by. The American leadership, now almost intellectually bankrup, seems to be at the end of its wit and is behaving in an abnormal manner. An overwhelming majority of Americans today feels that the war in Iraq is purposeless and must stop here and now. But George Bush still seems determined to carry on with this highly unpopular war ignoring the express opinion of his fellow countrymen. It appears as he is out in Iraq to pursue and carry out some personal agenda and therefore wants to fight to the finish. He has tried to link the deposed Iraqi president, Mr. Saddam Husain with Al-Qaeda and believes that the pro-Husain elements in collaboration with the Al-Qaeda “terrorists” are behind all the acts of violence in Iraq.
The victors never see their own mistakes or turn a blind eye to their own acts of violence. This is what exactly is happening in Iraq. The Americans are killing large number of innocent people and yet shamelessly claim that their drive is directed against some terrorists. Their violence is not a violence but a response to the terror of the insurgents and, therefore, it is justified, they argue further.
The third anniversary should have been the occasion for the American leadership to properly evaluate and analyse their gains and losses in Iraq. Without doubt, they opened their eyes but only to see their “gains” as they have suffered no losses there. And the gains they have enumerated include the toppling of Saddam regime and the establishment of a new government in its place, though the elected members of parliament have failed to form a national government despite the fact that the general elections were held in December, 2005. The country seems to be on the verge of a civil war as Shias and Sunnis are fighting bloody battles all over Iraq. At least and at last the Americans have succeeded in dividing the Iraqi society on sectarian lines which had not witnessed such untoward incidents for centuries.
The American public may think that the war in Iraq is not worth the billions of dollars their government is spending on it. But the neocons seem quite determined and want to win this war at any cost. At stake is their ideology as well as their dream of making the twenty first century an American century. Way back in early 1990s Francis Fukuyama, a noted neocon thinker, had advanced the argument that the end (purpose) of history was to achieve perfection with regard to human society and governance. And with the end of communism the capitalist economy and democratic polity as practiced in the United States have not only come to dominate the world but they also mark the end of the evolution of man’s mind. In plain words Fukuyama argued that the human civilization has achieved its pinnacle in the form of American society and governance.
Fukuyama’s was an intellectual exercise which George Bush and his neocon associates want to put in practice. Immediately after the collapse of communism and defeat of Saddam Husain in early 1990s, the neocons had started arguing that the future of humanity depended on how quickly America was able to fashion a world order of its own liking. Their thinking, however, could not be put into practice as they lost to Bill Clinton in the presidential election. But with coming to power of George Bush, the neocons were able to revive their old scheme and chalk out a strategy to make the new century an American century.
West Asia is significant owing to its huge oil resources. The neocon strategists, therefore, decided to first create a “Middle East” that would willingly serve their purpose. As some nations were/are resolutely opposed to being subservient to the US, the neocons have decided to subdue them one by one. They have got rid of a defiant Saddam Husain, marginalized Syria and now want to cut Iran to size.
But making a scheme on paper is one thing and putting it in practice is an altogether different ball game. In their thinking the neocons had assumed that Egypt and Palestine were already on their side. But recent elections have thrown up forces which can frustrate the neocons’ agenda for the Middle East. Iran, too, is not going to be a soft target. The Iranians seem to have learned their lessons from the fate of Saddam Husain. That cooperation with a politically motivated and American-dominated United Nations is a sure recipe for disaster. Therefore the gem of wisdom to acquire is to achieve the level of power that will ensure your survival in the American-dominated world order.
[March, 2006]
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