What we are witnessing lately are knock-out blows to the body and head, not merely the usual slaps across the [Arab and Muslim] face. These events have once more shown the impotency, if not the implicit complicity of the regional political elite with respect to the Bush administration's untowardly acts vis-à-vis the Middle East and its populace. The situation in the region, sadly, is not getting any better to say the least.
During the last Mubarak and Sharon respective visits to the US, president Bush made promises to both leaders but fulfilled only those to most likely help harvest a substantial political windfall in the coming elections. So, without any shame nor concern for the inevitable consequences of such acts, delivered the foreign policy controls to his conservative and religious constituencies, insuring in return blind allegiance: a shrewd and dangerous precedent in political machinations, if you ask.
While ignoring the Egyptians’ requests for US moderation in the Middle East, Bush made some huge historical concessions to Sharon. The US government, under the neocon’s ferocious grip and malevolent influence, has firstly, reversed a long standing US policy of supporting the right of return for Palestinian refugees following any peace deal settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Secondly, Bush now has legitimized the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Not only did we, the US government, keep a blind eye to the constant illegal Israeli state assassinations of innocent Palestinians and their leaders, we are now green lighting that process. To this day, we have vetoed any and all UN resolutions condemning Israel’s dangerous pattern of behavior.
Bush, in one fell swoop, has effectively assassinated the Quartet‘s "Road Map" process and with it any reasonable hopes for Peace in the region, let alone the creation (reestablishment) of a Palestinian homeland. Our administration’s message to Israel this last week was "you can do no wrong", as former senator Hart used to say "My mother, drunk or sober" when discussing the Israeli lobby hold on The US congress and the executive.
To understand Bush’s US foreign policy reversals however, is to plunge deep and immerse yourself into the murky waters of election politics. As you know, November the 2nd is approaching at breakneck speed. There is no secret Bush is beholden to the strong right wing of the republican party, including the Christian right, the powerful pro-Israel Jewish lobby, and, to top it all, the giant US transnational corporations. These lobbies carry disproportionate and undue influence on domestic and foreign affairs in the US.
Take the American media, it went from government watch dog to a leashed government’s dog in a flash, and got embedded where the sun don‘t shine. Not to blame the media however, its bottom line was supposedly at risk. So, in doing government biddings, the media gets commensurate recompense for services rendered in the form of FCC loosened industry regulations, increased access and rights of ownership to a wider public airwave’s bandwidth. The FCC commissioner is by the way, the son of secretary of state Colin Powell. Loopy, ain’t it? This media complicity is not driven solely by bottom line factors mind you; it emanates from a historic unquestioned, almost irrational, support of Israel and its misguided policies.
The media then becomes a willing agent and conveyer of misinformation and propagandist views through a well rehearsed mantra of hate and fear doled out to the American entertainment and news consumer on a daily basis. The constant demonizing of and disregard for specific groups i.e. Palestinians, Iraqis, Muslims, to name a few, only serves to de-legitimize those struggles in the eyes and ears of the average American citizen, et voila, mission accomplished!
We all have to get it through our thick skulls: no people, no one wants to be occupied, period.
The situation for the Middle East will not get any better under a Kerry administration either. Kerry is an unabashed supporter of Israel and its policies. He supports the sending of more troops to Iraq, and vows defeat there is not acceptable. Having voted for and supported the war against Iraq, senator Kerry, if elected, will not deescalate the conflict in Iraq, and might actually add more fuel to an already explosive situation.
All I see is a sea of bleakness engulfing the Middle East. By acts of illegal aggression and unlawful occupation, some countries have taken it upon themselves to impose on the weaker nations in our global midst. Silence among governments of the world reigns around these pressing events facing all of us.
For understandable and commendable reasons, we find the world’s masses rallying against such international acts of adventurism and brigandism. A few states, against the will of their electorate, have become willing partners in these illegal acts, while the majority of them coerced into participating in these deplorable actions and all are subsequently awarded a share in the spoils of war. Isn’t this reminiscent of barbarian battles of yore? I sure hope things take a turn for the better.
Wouldn't you know it though, small chinks are beginning to appear in the armor of the coalition forces as Spain is recalling its troops home immediately, indicating that other nations may follow suite. This retreat of Spain from the Iraqi soil largely reflects the Spanish people’s desire to live by and respect international law, including the respect of sovereign people and their patrimony. In demoting the government of Aznar, Spaniards, via a healthy democratic process, elected leaders that best carry and convey their wishes and desires, domestically and abroad.
Like all the world’s masses joined in their unified condemnation of illegal wars and occupations specifically the war on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pray that the masses of the Middle East rise up to the challenges facing them. They must retune and reform their respective failed political leaderships, and change them with a more representative strata of statesmen and stateswomen whose sole agenda will be and must always remain the people’s agenda. The region has to recreate its image within its myriads of islets and project an image of collectivism imbued with a sense of purpose, a sort of consortium of nations in accord with the common goals and aspirations of their populations.
This scenario may seem and sound, to many, as wishful thinking dressed in colorful and hopeful linguistic garbs. But tell me then, what other alternatives exit for the Middle East and its indigenous populations, apart from total subjugation to belligerence, occupation, and theft of common good? Remedies do exist, and the most potent of them is the power of intent that resides within the people of the region to rid themselves of domestic and foreign tyranny; a power which, if well harnessed and properly focused can impose itself over and above all foreign constraints. The power of intent to tip the balance of power, will tip the balance in favor of the people.
A determined and popular unified front in defense of the common good, would stop any belligerent forces that dare encroach on them. Each nation in the Middle East, through its population, must reform its respective government and institutions to best reflect their wishes and desires. Once the domestic side is attended to, the eyes of those nations have to turn outward, and energy summoned to link them into a unified international block with legitimacy and clout. Only then I believe the region can be safe, and its people prosperous, instead of continuously been subjected to harassment and victimization by foreign antagonists.
