Madan G. Gandhi
President, Gandhi Earth Vision Foundation
Iraq War : Bush's game plan
Bush's avowed objective in invading Iraq was to bring about 'a regime change' in Baghdad and the invasion was termed as a 'preemptive attack' against the rogue state supposedly in possession of weapons of mass destruction. Indeed the real motive was to safeguard the present interest in the entire Middle East and control the oil reserves in the region. It is the new hegemonist face of Bush's political machinery which believes that all those countries which are strategically necessary for world control have to be under their direct dominance and open to investment and appropriation of profits.
In Bush's game plan Middle East, because of its proven oil reserves, is crucial. So is central Asia for its vast potential of untapped oil wealth. With eyes set on economic, military and political control of the entire globe, the Bush's administration is behaving as globe-cop seizing every conceivable opportunity for global domination. It is currently gripped by a paranoid fear of innumerable enemies lurking in the Third World which offers a fertile ground for testing its military prowess and imperialist designs.
Conjuring scenes of looming 'mushroom clouds' by use of nuclear weapons, mouthing warning signals under 'big lie principle', Bush regime today is out to resurrect civilizational clashes in certain select areas of the world. It is not sincere about ending the MAD syndrome and total elimination of all nuclear weapons and other chemical and biological weapons. In dread of the possibility of terrorists and rogue states like Iraq aiding and abetting to deliver WMD to their targets, Bush's political machinery is justifying recourse to war against these states unilaterally on the plea of self defence even if it may mean going against the UN mandate. This way America is out to destroy whatever semblance of multilateral regime remains in the world by its new found doctrine of unilateralism.
Admittedly in terms of weapons of mass destruction arsenal and military capability no country or even coalition of countries can match the US. So in confronting nations like Iraq the double standards of the current bush administration's stand out most starkly. Till date America itself remains the greatest obstacle to total disarmament. Who can deny that WMD is just as much a problem with US and other members of the nuclear club and even threshold states as with Iraq in so far as their destructive consequences are concerned. No distinction can be made in case of 'good WMD's' and 'bad WMD's.' How come they are essential for national security for Americans, British, French, Chinese etc. and taboo for others.
After the Iraq deed is done most perceptive purveyors of the reality on the ground opine that the UN inspection process was just a ruse to gather logistics before launching the military action. For the real goal of the Bush's current establishment was regime change - either by military coup or open invasion and following the fall of Saddam Hussain to gain full control over Iraq's oil. With this single most strategic interest in the Middle East the Bush administration's political machinery considers that once Iraq came under its domination Iran, Syria, Turkey etc. might be the next targets. For in Bush's ground plan any country that comes under or has liaison with what he calls 'axis of evil' and is not promotive of American interests as defined by the Bush administration's political machinery have no right to thrive as a sovereign nation. And if it happens to be a major oil resource it ought to be tamed and made to subserve the latter's hegmonist ambitions. A puppet regime in Iraq and a pliant one in Iran as being under constant threat of surrounding US military bases in Central Asia to the North, Turkey and Iraq to the West, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman to the South and Pakistan and Afghanistan to the East will strategically suit best the Bush administration's policies. It will not only give much greater leverage to Washington in relation to these countries but will also enable it to extend its control over oil pipe-lines from the Arbian Sea in Central Asia through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Besides it will facilitate negotiating of terms favourable to Israeli occupation and dispossession of Palestinians.
With US dominated oil regime in the Gulf and Central Asia, countries like China, India, Europe and Japan will have to increasingly depend on the former for its energy resources. This dominant position in the Gulf region will give a big boost to American economy, and its political and military power.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990's the United States remains the World's sole super power. The decline of Europe and Japan has further bolstered the prospect of a true 'Power Americana' as per Bush administration's global perspective which brooks no peer competitor. Only a US led coalition suits its global hegemonic ambitions. This policy supported by US-centric globalization is clearly designed to maintain and perpetuate its political, economic and military dominance. At the expense both of its potential rivals and the global growth America under adventurest president is radically expanding its control over the world system thereby provoking imperialist rivalries on a global scale. Other capitalist countries that feel threatened by its 'break out strategy' are in the look out of devising ways and means to challenge the US dominated new global order taking shape.
Invasion of Iraq engineered by the Bush regime has provoked universal condemnation. There have been mammoth protest rallies within the United States, Europe, Japan, China and the countries of global South. Bush's new avatar in the form of American unilateralism and its doctrine of preemption have been under fire. The unfolding consequences of this doctrine of aggression are becoming evident with every passing day as more victims are being added to the list. Success of 'Operation Freedom' has further whetted the appetite of the hegemonstists. Verbal threat to Syria, Iran, Turkey and other countries is a new sinister development. Countries which failed to rise up and be counted in denouncing the aggression, they will rue their timidity sooner than later.
The deed has inflicted a lethal glow on the UN. In the whole process the Bush's political regime has emerged as the global bully. The redeeming feature is that a powerful troika of nations-- Russia, German, France-- have stood up shoulder to shoulder to challenge the its hegemonic face. The day is not far of when China, India, Africa and the Arab world will come together to safeguard themselves against this highly unacceptable unilateralism and exploitative globalism. They will rise in revolt against double standards of the Bush's administration in confronting terrorism where it affects them and janus-like looking the other way when it affects other nations, their making loud noises to eliminate weapon of mass destruction of their potential rivals and in the meanwhile continue arming to teeth those who are part and parcel of their own coalition and forging alliances with autocratic regimes in preference to those that are natural votaries of democracy.
The invasion of Iraq by the Bush regime has destroyed not only Iraq's ten millennia old civilization but has also violated, twisted and mutilated the American liberal civilizational dream of its founding fathers. Furthermore it has destroyed the credibility of their mass media and the role models they have been projecting before the world.
Bush's administration's policies are responsible for making America vulnerable and the Deed's Creature whose children may have to bear the brunt of the grievous wrong inflicted on the unarmed Iraqi people and those in Afghanistan. Even in victory is its defeat. Today thanks to Bush administration's wrong policies America stands isolated in the world and has lost much of its moral authority to pontificate on democracy, human rights and terrorism. With new breed of terrorists rising from the ashes of indiscriminate bombing and destruction caused in different parts of the world, it is anybody's guess what will be the future of beleaguered human race with mines planted all over its bosom.
For every Saddam Hussain there is a double lurking some where. Gandhi's dream of non-violent world-order can not fructify unless there is a qualitative transformation of leaders of nations and peoples. Neither Bush nor Saddam can be role models for new world order. To ensure greater accountability and sense of equity and justice people have to rise as one man to fill the vaccum. They have to take command and lead their leaders by the nose string. The peace rallies and mammoth peace marches which have been witnessed in different parts of the world including United States of America following invasion of Iraq is a silver lining in dark horizon. This way is hope............