Date Published: 01/05/10
American Diplomacy of Butchery: A Retrospective By Idumange John
How time files and how fast and dramatic events repeat themselves quite often baffles the imagination of those who pry into the crowded pages of history. Even before the “détente” when the ideological struggle between the East and West was rife, militarism was seen, as an instrument to influence an opponent while war is an act of violence intended to compel one to fulfill his opponents will. Clausewitz, therefore argued strenuously that “War is a continuation of policy by other means; it is a political instrument as the use of force involves both power and influence. The use of raw force itself has dreadful consequences.
Rome employed force to exterminate Carthage during the Punic Wars. Egypt the cradle of African Civilization also held sway in the conduct of her foreign relations because of her military might. Most countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East paid tribute to Egypt. Egypt maintained her prime position until the hardened Pharaoh had the formidable forces perish in the Red Sea only to rewrite the history of the Middle East with the blood of the downtrodden hoi polloi. The centre shifted to Greece during Alexander the Great who through a policy of Hellenization, culturally and linguistically assimilated even the Jews in Diaspora.
One irreversible trend in all these great powers is the organic concept of rise and fall. When nations rise in their power and splendour, they tend to arrogate to themselves near – omnipotent powers and hold on to the “God is Dead theology”. When they bask in the euphoria of Godlessness, such nations engage in wanton use of force until the immutable laws of nature levels such colossal civilizations. Today, America and the Western world have legalized gay rights and all forms of immorality.
Before 1776, Great Britain was the foremost naval power while France since Napoleonic times had evolved the most sophisticated infantry. But the independence of the United States of America turned the balance of power Napoleon invaded Russia in 1912 and was the undisputable strongman in Europe until he was humbled first at Trafalgar and finally at Waterloo in 1815.
In the first decade of the 20-century, Japan became a power in the Far East. Northern Chin, Korea and Thailand were either annexed or subjected to the status of vassalage. During the same period, Germany was the greatest capitalism in Europe. Whereas Japan was humbled by the atom bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Germany was defeated by the Allied powers. The Great Hitler of Nazi Germany, Emperor Hirohito of Japan and the Halana leader Benitto Mussolini – the fascist hero were all brought low from their exalted positions.
Today, in spite of the existence of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) there is proliferation of nuclear weapons and a surfeit of cruise, ballistic missiles around the world And because the world yearns for collective security as against Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) the use of force an only be legitimized when permitted by the United Nations either individually or collectively for self-defense or against aggressors of international law. This was what the UN approved against North Korea in 1950, and in Iraq in 1991. However, other countries have used force even though it was not convenient to do so. China used force in 1962, 1947 and 1871 against Pakistan. The United State perpetrated atrocities at the Guantanamo Bay operations during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. and under the cover of the cold war, America elevated global terrorism to its apogee with a view to vilifying soviet interest and the much-dreaded proletarian internationalism that was adumbrated by Marxism-Leninism.
America wrecked havoc in Vietnam, Granada, Afghanistan Panama and Cuba under the rubrics of curbing terrorism. Because of America’s belligerence, the Peoples Republic of China adopted isolationism as a foreign policy ideology. However, when the Soviet Union was intact, America’s excesses were checked if not contained. But with the advent of Gorbachevism, which initiated the strange technologies of Perestroika and Glasnost, the globe became Unipolar with America as the only super power dictating the pace of world diplomacy. That is why today, the opinions of Russia. France, China all members of the Security Council are not respected. Only the United States has to hold sway because stockpile of nuclear warheads. That is why none of the world powers could challenging the United States even when US is waging an unjust war against Iraq. It is an unjust war because the United Nation did not approve of it. Most political analysts believe that the American aggression on Iraq was not prompted by the latter’s refusal to disarm but to father its political interest in her Middle East Diplomacy.
The allegations that President Saddam Hussein gives financial and moral support to the AI Queda network have not been authenticated. Also, the world is not ready to disarm because the disarmament process was on before White House and Downing Street decided to pound Iraq, not even sparing civilian target. This is a brazen violation of Article 45 of the Vienna Convention of 1961. The Russians have also alleged that their radar station was deliberately hit by American cruise missiles. A war that claims more civilians than soldiers is not a “justum belum”. Africa has indeed suffered the terrorism and violence of the West.
Before the “détente” when the ideological struggle between the East and West was rife, militarism was seen as an instrument of influencing an opponent while war was an act of violence intended to compel one to fulfill the opponents’ will. Clausewitz, therefore argues strenuously that “War is a continuation of policy by other means; it is a political instrument as the use of force involves both power and influence. The use of raw force itself has dreadful consequences.
Strategically and economically, the Suez Canal serves as a gateway for European oriental diplomacy. The area is critically important because it is the seat of about 60 percent of the world’s crude oil reserves and it is a statement of fact that the abundance of the liquid gold an where in the world is a source of attraction as well as contention among interests. Again, the Middle–East is the meeting point of two nationalism namely: Zionism and Arabism. These factors underscore the belligerence and bellicosity between the Arabs and Israelis and other contending economic interests. The two strong forces at play in the Middle–East are religion and economic interests which are sometimes given political colouration. American has over the years played a skewed diplomacy in favour of the Israelis.
When the League of Nations was established following the end of world war I, there was intense commitment the part of world to settle the Jews side by side with the Palestinian Arabs. Thus in 1920, the League of Nations gave Britain the “Palestinian Mandate” with a proviso that “an appropriate Jewish agency be established to advise and cooperate in matters affecting the Jewish national homeland and to take part in the development of the country”. This was in furtherance of the Balfour Declaration of (1917 which empowered Britain to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Today, in spite of the existence of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) there is proliferation of nuclear weapons and a surfeit of cruise, ballistic missiles around the world And because the world yearns for collective security as against Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), the use of force can only be legitimized when permitted by the United Nations either individually or collectively for self-defense or against aggressors of international law. This was what the UN approved against North Korea in 1950 and in Iraq in 1991. However, the U.S. aggression against Iraq in 2003 was not approved by the U.N. The action of the U.S has created the impression that age-old animosities are better settled with brute force or the atom bomb. That is why Pakistan and India are vigorously pursuing the armament race at a very huge cost even at the point of neglecting very pressing domestic. If the atom bomb is the key, why will the Persians not look for it at all cost and why is America crying wolf where none actually exists?.
However, other countries have used force even though it was not convenient to do so. China used force in 1962, 1947 and 1971 against Pakistan. The United State perpetrated atrocities at the Guantanamo Bay operations during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, and under the cover of the cold war, America elevated global terrorism to its apogee with a view to vilifying Soviet interest and the much-dreaded proletarian internationalism that was adumbrated by Marxist-Leninist ideology. It was the duplicity of the United States and the capitalist bloc that made Havana and Hanoi to succumb to the whirl wind that was socialism.
America wrecked havoc in Vietnam, Grenada, Afghanistan, Panama and Cuba under the rubrics of curbing terrorism. Because of America’s belligerence, China adopted isolationism as a foreign policy ideology. However, when the Soviet Union was intact, America’s excesses were checked if not contained. But with the advent of Gorbachev which initiated the strange terminology of Perestroika and Glasnost, the globe became unipolar with America as the only super power dictating the pace of world diplomacy. That is why today, the opinions of Russia. France, China and all members of the Security Council do not command as much respect as that of the US and Britain. Only the United States has to hold sway because of the inexhaustible stockpile of nuclear warheads. That is why none of the world powers could challenge the United States even when US is waging an unjust war against Iraq. It is an unjust war because the United Nation did not approve of it. Most political analysts believe that the America’s aggression against Iraq was not prompted by the latter’s refusal to disarm but to further its political interest in her Middle East Diplomacy, and other hideous economic interests.
The allegations that President Saddam Hussein was financing the AI Qaeda network have not been authenticated. The much dreaded Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) have not been found. There seems to be no correlation between the Saddam Hussein regime and the activities of Al Qaeda, as his death even intensified the sinister acts of the network. The United States acted on the basis of false security report and the Bush administration finds it difficult to re-trace its steps because of the shame that America has been disgraced in Babylon. Also, the world is not ready to disarm because the disarmament process was on before White House and Downing Street decided to pound Iraq, not even sparing civilian targets. This act is a brazen violation of Article 45 of the Vienna Convention of 1961. The Russians also alleged that their radar station was deliberately hit by American cruise missiles. A war that claims more civilians than soldiers is not a “justum belum” just war.
America led an unpopular war against Iraq under the guise of curbing dictatorship, tyranny and terrorism in the Middle East. Having removed Saddam and extinguished his regime, America and her allies are now working hard to foist their will on the Iraqi people. This bravado has offended the sensibilities of the various religious sects in Iraq, leading to sectarian violence and bloodletting. Obviously, the Bush administration has pushed her gun boat diplomacy too far to snub the sane advice of some Countries that the people of Iraq should be left alone to sort out their internal problems. Indeed, America has been licking her self-inflicted wounds and the situation will even degenerate to the wholesale importation of Al Qaeda sponsored terrorism to the West. This trend will become obvious in the years ahead.
The American led invasion of Iraq has precipitated a civil war and every day scores of people are sent to their untimely demise. In spite of this crude and barbaric act, an adamant President Bush is bent on perpetuating this horrendous carnage, and wants Congress to fund the war. The whole of America mourned the gruesome Virginia massacre in which an irate and paranoid Cho abbreviated the earthly life of 32 people including Professors. The massacre is nothing compared to the genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan, where human life is not worth more than a chicken. If the whole of America could shed tears for the Virginia University of Technology victims, then the trauma of the innocent women and children in Iraq could better be imagined.
The Bush administration had no an ounce of value on human life. Rather than atone for the sins of perpetrated against the civilian women and children in Iraq, the President is desperately searching for a war Czar – who according to White House, would remove the bureaucracy involved in carrying out swift instructions. No administration, not even the Richard Nixon era displayed such a degree of foolhardiness in the management of America’s foreign policy. All dictators across time and space behave the same way. Bush’s reckless might have inspired the likes of the Virginia Tech Korean killer student, Umar Farouk Mutallab and their likes.
A peep through the windows of time over the past three decades seems to have given credence to the truism that the capitalist – industrialist countries in USA and Western Europe – have contributed immensely to slow down the growth and development of democratic institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin yet the same capitalist countries spend billions of dollars to sustain an unpopular war in the Gulf. Many who are conversant with the unfolding stream of global politics and gunboat diplomacy world concede that the Western world is never predisposed to the development of democracy- the most cherished form of government ever invented by man. Only a man with Barack Obama’s background, disposition and experience can delete Bush’s reckless record of America diplomacy of butchery.
Idumange John (MNIM, CBA)
Is a University Lecturer and Activist
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