Brussels, 2-4 May 2004
www.icsbrussels.org , ics[at]icsbrussels.org
Aijal Center
Lebanon
It has become evident now that by invading Iraq, the Untied States of America’s targets the whole Middle East; it’s financial and oil resources, its profitable consumers markets, and its geographic location which provides for the redistribution/reallocation of armed forces and military bases, as part of a global strategy to bring about military and economic dominance over the entire world.
Observing the American policy in the Middle East, few remarks can be noted:
First:
The US uses its war on Iraq together with the accompanying change in political structure; the incarceration of political leaders, and the destruction of infra and public structures, the mugging of institutions, ministries, cultural heritage and archeological sights, the dissolution of the army and police and the full domination over the Iraq’s economical resources and capital, especially oil, and the appointment of a ruling council and a cabinet of ministers that is commanded by the occupying authorities, all of these actions are used as a constant threat to Arab regimes to comply to colonial supremacy and to submit to the demands and conditions set by the American policy.
The Arab regimes conceded, in groups or individually and in varying degrees, to these pressures.
Libya, For example, abandoned its mass destructive weapons program and handed in the entire documents, equipments and supplies, and resigned from a role in Africa she was ambitious to play.
Yemen agreed to security and military coordination including the dock of American naval vessels in its harbors.
Egypt and in compliance to American demands in playing an intermediary role with the Palestinians to herd the uprising and to end the national resistance.
Nonetheless, regimes, such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and others are illustrious for their pro-American policies.
The Arab regimes went further than just succumbing to US policies to protect themselves from a similar situation of that in Iraq, they gave up even their roles in a multitude of issues:
They abandoned the Palestinians and withheld financial and even political support.
The Arab League backed away from all resolutions that is concerned with protecting and supporting the rights of the Palestinian people and agreed to what was called the Arab Initiative which consent to all conditions set by the Israeli state which has been calling for peace agreements with the Arab countries, since its establishment in 1948. The Arab initiative calls for establishing normal relations with Israel, acknowledging it as a state with safe borders, and invites for commercial dealings with her. They also set down UN resolution 194 which affirms the right to return to all refugees, substituting it with a more flexible terminology asking for a just solution for the refugee problem.
Although many news media leaked information that the Arab initiative was originally put forward by US through Saudi Arabia, Israel mocked the initiative and in defiance, invaded large areas of the Palestinian authority in the west bank, committing large scale atrocities and besieging President Arafat’s headquarters as an expression of rejection to the Palestinian negotiator.
Second:
The US has been very active in implementing traditional imperialist’s policies by breaking up national unity, and in causing internal conflicts by stirring up ethnic feelings among the minorities, like what’s happening in west and south of Sudan, in Syria and Iraq (the Curds), and in Algiers (the Berber), and by provoking religious and factional fanaticisms as in Lebanon and Iraq (Moslem-Christian in the first country and Sunnite-Shiite in the second). More and above, US prompted Arab regimes that support her policies to incapacitate all Arab organizations that is capable of making unified resolutions such as the Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab Maghreb Union, and should they meet they would not agree on decisions that reflect the interests of its own people but would rather agree to what was demanded from them by America and sometimes the resolutions would be handed to them in advance.
Third:
In the context of this intimidating Arab situation as a result of what happened in Iraq, and which is unable to formulate a common strategic view, the US envisages that it is the appropriate time to seize the opportunity to promote the "Greater Middle East Plan", which is a new version of the Baghdad fall, which was followed by the "Void to fill", then the "Middle East project", all of which have the same objectives:
Undermining the national identity and overpowering the globalization culture, submissiveness and submittal to the powerful, encouraging the consumer’s economy and bringing about feelings of inferiority against the superior force of the west. Hence the Arab regimes and people must yield in and submit to the super power of America.
Presenting Islam as a source of terrorist activities and accusing Moslem parties and power groups of being an instrument for international terrorism. Islam and Islamic fundamentalism are mainly found in the Arab countries, therefore, this area, from the imperialist’s perspective, should be reshaped and modified culturally and educationally and school curricula should be restructured, and Friday speeches given in mosques should be censored. By associating Islam with terrorism, the imperialist America aims at misleading public opinion and makes the world nations believe that she is fighting a war against terrorism bringing about liberty, peace and prosperity for the peoples in the area. Such a big sham and false pretension; the US audaciously hide the real motives for her defiant intrusion into the affairs of the people in the Middle East- she’s after the oil and capital resources, the suitable geographic location to monitor by air, sea, and land the neighboring countries and to protect her favorite ally, Israel.
Enabling Israel to penetrate the Arab and Middle Eastern countries to be an active partner in implementing the imperialist strategy under the leadership of US, at the same time exploiting the oil and capital resources of the area benefiting from its markets in addition to enjoying security and stability at the expense of the Palestinian rights which are outrageously ignored in the "Greater Middle East Plan",
The American predominance over the Great Middle East area is instrumental in the global strategy to control the whole world; by having power over the oil resources she can manage the world economy and restrain the capabilities of the developing countries to compete in the international markets. Moreover, through her military bases, located in many countries in the area, she can overpower the countries which might pose a serious future threat to her interests such as China and India and perhaps Russia.
Fourth:
The "Road Map" is a hoax at the Palestinian level; it hasn’t been suggested to be implemented, rather, as one Palestinian leader said, it’s only a trap to lead the Palestinian people into internal conflicts so that it can be dissolved charging the responsibility for its dissolution on the Palestinians. Therefore, Sharon can have a free hand to go ahead with his project, one-sided, justifying that by the absence of partner negotiator on the Palestinian side. We have to note here that the Palestinian leadership have agreed to all propositions, plans and initiatives suggested so far, starting with Oslo Agreement to Wye Plantation followed by Sharm El-Sheikh then Mitchell, then Tenet, and the Road Map etc.. However, the Israeli government impeded all solutions and holds the Palestinians the responsibility! Why?
Because Israel proved, in practice, that she does not favor a just and an inclusive solution; she’s victorious and has the right to impose her conditions on the defeated party
Israel still envisages a solution based on her "Zionist" background which considers that Palestine historic borders are the land of Israel which means: there is no space for a Palestinian state, and unified Jerusalem is the eternal capital for the state of Israel, it can’t be divided to east and west, in addition to the impossibility of the return of refugees, who were driven out in 1948, back to their homes
Sharon’s one-sided plan is the only solution that the Israelis agree to, with the exception of the extremist Jews who have only one strict solution: ethnical cleansing or mass slaughter
Sharon’s plan can be summarized in one statement: "Palestinian Autonomy as a minority, security domination, within the state of Israel". Hence, the Israeli pretended withdrawal from Gaza is only, as they phrase it, "disengagement" and comes as a complementary step to the "Separation Wall". Both of these are part of the security procedures to control over the densely populated Palestinian areas, to immobilize the national resistance and to terminate the uprising.
From the aforementioned, I conclude:
The Arab area, as a part of the Greater Middle East Plan, occupies an essential component in the military and economic strategy of the US
The invasion of the coalition forces under US leadership to Iraq caused a major rift in the Arab regimes and created suitable conditions for the US to implement her Greater Middle East Plan, but on the other hand it produced, faster than expected, increasing resistance against the occupier and not imported, as US claims, it’s the national resistance of the Iraqi people irrespective of religious, factional or ethnic background
The compounding difficulties that faces the occupying forces, daily, and the human and material losses will drive the US to back away from a multitude of plans and projects in the area and will abort a lot of her strategic goals.
The Israeli persistence to discard all political efforts (exploiting in Bush’s external, in Iraq, and internal difficulties- as the next elections is due soon enough) for a Just solution in Palestine will simply escalate the armed confrontations and the Israelis will commit more atrocities and massacres. Peace advocates among the Palestinians will face a brick wall and no matter how much they give in, it’ll be useless, only the resistance and the uprising will be the sole choice of the people despite the immense difficulties
Histories of the nations proved that occupation, no matter how belligerent, hostile and frightful will have to retreat upon the national resistance and will of the people for liberty and independence
Salah Salah