-Caveat Lector- http://www.dawn.com/2002/10/15/op.htm#1
American policy in Middle East By M. Khalil Khan Ghauri American strategists were totally baffled when the Arabs used oil as a weapon during 1973 Israel-Arab war. This was the first wake-up call for the Americans to realize that the Middle Eastern oil-rich states could make them totally helpless by reducing their oil production. Resultantly the oil prices soared to nearly thirty dollars from four dollars per barrel. While it brought a sudden economic boom for the Arabs, the American thinkers started worrying that their trillions of dollars would ultimately move into the pockets of the former. The Americans therefore came out with a grand design to counter this threat. They developed huge oil stockpiles for any such eventuality and decided to physically control the Middle East. A physical occupation of the Middle East then was not possible because of a strong reaction from the Soviet Union. In the 1950s the Americans had developed a strong infrastructure in Iran to ensure that the Soviet Union did not approach the Middle East through land routes and no outside power disturbed the free flow of oil from the region. However, once the Shah's government was replaced by the Khomeini regime, the Americans were thrown out of Iran. The Americans identified the Soviet Union, Iran and the oil-rich Arab states as their next targets to deal with at an appropriate time. To achieve this aim they adopted the old British colonial strategy of divide and rule. They exploited the Shia-Sunni differences and created a scare among the Gulf littoral states of an Iranian expansionist threat. Iraq, therefore, was tasked to neutralize the Iranian military and damage its economic base. Iraq was heavily armed and Saddam Hussein was promised rewards for decimating Iran. Interestingly, Col. Oliver North of CIA was detailed to supply enough weapons to Iran. Iran-Iraq war continued for nearly eight years and cost billions of dollars and of deaths to both the countries on a totally useless issue. Once Iran was enfeebled, Iraq demanded the promised reward from the United States. The Americans had already started the proxy war in Afghanistan once the Soviets moved in there in 1979. Eventually the Soviet Union disintegrated and the Americans, the sole superpower, became the police man of the world. Soon after, the Americans winked at Saddam Hussein to annex Kuwait as a promised reward for decimating Iran. Once Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait the Americans changed side and moved in the Gulf countries for their defence. Americans over projected the military power of Iraq and created a false impression in the minds of the world through propaganda that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. The world media portrayed the Iraqi army as the most powerful force in the region capable of holding the entire Middle East through the threat of use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to bondage. Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries fell into the trap and provided all the infrastructure and ground facilities for the Americans to establish the required military bases here. Consequently, Iraqis were humbled within days. The UN as a tool in the hands of the West passed a strong resolution against Iraq and prescribed economic sanctions against it. Saddam and his regime were purposely allowed to exist and from time to time the American and the British forces launched strikes against Iraq on the pretext of the latter's violation of 70-fly zones. The Americans extracted billions of dollars from the Arabs for liberating Kuwait and for providing protection to them against possible Iraqi military threats. It is about twelve years that the Americans along with British troops have held bases in all the key Gulf states and have refused to depart despite the destruction wrought on Iraq. The Arab governments kept paying billions of dollars to the Americans who have stationed their forces in the region. The Saudi economy is in bad shape and their GNP has dipped considerably, and after the Gulf war its annual budget has gone into deficit. The American grand design after 1973 oil war was finally achieved: Russia was no longer a superpower, Iran and Iraq both have been neutralized and the oil-rich Arab states are now tied to America's apron strings. The Arab rulers felt totally helpless and the nationalists started to rise and started opposing the presence of American and western forces on their soil. Osama bin Laden, an American hero in the Afghan war, accepted this as a challenge. He had the will and a highly motivated group of militant followers to fight for this cause. During the presidency of Bill Clinton, Arabs had a strong hope that Palestinian issue would be resolved justly and peacefully. Osama and his Al Qaeda outfit were assisting the oppressed and down-trodden Muslims elsewhere in the world too. They had no intention to target the US. However, things changed dramatically when George W. Bush moved into the White House. Bill Clinton's peace efforts in the Middle East were shelved, Israel was encouraged to back-track on its earlier commitments to reach a settlement with the Palestinians. This change of policy not only infuriated the Arab states but also forced Osama bin Laden to turn against the West with even stronger determination. The unfortunate attack on the World Trade Centre in New York was a manifestation of this frustration and helplessness against an unjust superpower. All Muslims seriously condemn such terrorist attacks in which innocent lives are lost. However, big powers like the US should also realize that there is a limit to tolerance by the oppressed and once that limit is crossed, desperate actions, no matter how illogical or deplorable, become inevitable. It is also time for the American people as a great and noble nation to judge the performance of George W. Bush. Since the time he has taken over, the Americans economy has been in a mess, serious corporate scandals have come to light, confidence in the corporate sector has been shaken, innocent lives in Palestine are being lost. America is turning into a police state and its image in the world as the champion of freedom and justice has been tarnished. If the present American government does not change its current policies, the world order will soon turn into an anarchic and immoral one. George Bush's doctrines of 'pre-emption' and superpower 'unilateralism' are a sure recipe for disaster, particularly in the context of the increasingly volatile and restive Middle East. 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