The Lesser of Two Evils
Hakim Joe
When Israel launched a retaliatory attack against Hamas late last year, the entire world chipped in to denounce both the US (for its support and approval) and Israel for its actions against a weaker opponent, forgetting the fact that it was the Hamas that provoked the Israelis into it and their unwillingness to extend a ceasefire agreement.
No, the Israelis were not all prim, pure and proper either as they grabbed this “golden” opportunity to renew hostilities, and to make their land grab permanent. But then again, war was never about being nice and fair.
When the US “over” extended their occupation of Iraq after ousting Saddam Hussein from power, almost everybody (not directly involved in the UN venture) started screaming as innocent body counts escalated and news of abuses filtered out from the media. Abu Ghraib, Haditha, Ishaqi, Fallujah… the list goes on.
Well, for those who did both screaming, here is the good news. Obama has annulled Bush’s promise that a final settlement would permit most of Israel's 500,000 "settlers" to keep their homes in the West Bank. “So, what is Plan B then?” Sorry, there is no Plan B. Israel is “temporarily” on its own now.
Additionally, the US will pull all its troops out from urban Iraq by the end of this month. That’s today. Who takes care of security then? The answer is anybody and everybody with a rifle in his hands still living in Iraqi townships except the American troops. When trigger happy rival henchmen of opposing warlords fight over a certain turf, it can be assured that the innocents will be the first to suffer.
What Obama just did is to create a strategic void in which every minor power inside Iraq is attempting to fill. With almost no authority strong enough to impose a certain control, blood would soon flow again on the roads in Baghdad and other local townships as local urban warlords individually fight over control of the cities and collectively fight against the legal government of Iraq. For those who thought that the casualty count was high when Israel invaded Gaza, think again now. Collateral damage is expected to rise drastically, one could even say exponentially, once the American troopers clear the town boundaries, and unless they are specifically targeted, the troopers are ordered not to return fire or to get involved in any regional affairs, whatever they might be.
As the Americans pull out, one would expect another superpower to fill the power-vacuum so created but the Russians are in no condition to do so as they do not possess any “assets” in Iraq. Power ultimately comes from the barrel of the gun. Zero guns equal zero power. Islamic fundamentals do not readily subscribe to Communism anyway, not after what the Russians did in Afghanistan. The only possible regional power capable of this feat is the Iranians and this is not something any sane person would wish for. Why? Remember the Iran-Iraq war of 1980 to 1988? If that is not enough, the two Islamic countries have been bitter enemies for the past nine decades since Turkish Ottoman Empire’s rule ended after WWI. If anybody thought that the Iranians will treat the Iraqis as fellow human beings, they seriously need their head examined, twice.
The UN can only do so much as participating countries all over the world are extremely reluctant to send any peacekeepers into this volatile, war torn land. The money to fund such expeditions is not a problem at all as these nations rush to line up to make financial contributions. Money is not a problem at all; sending troops in is the major problem. Even the English and the French have wised up.
So, when the killings and massacres start afresh without US involvement, who do you blame?
