Interesting article from Iran today. Very few in the region support Saddam, but most bitterly oppose the kind of puppet regime the US wants to install in Iraq.
U.S. Plans to Bridle Europe's Industrial and Diplomatic Power
By Parviz Esmaeili
TEHRAN -- The future of Iraq in the post-Saddam era is currently one of the
important issues in international diplomacy. Each day we hear fresh news on the
topic. For example, we hear news that Saddam will definitely be deposed, or
requests received by foreign envoys of various countries concerning granting
asylum to Saddam's family, and even reports about his request for international
guarantees that no charges will be filed against him.
Other reports refer to U.S. officials' interest in preserving the main body of the
Baath Party and focussing U.S. operations on the removal of Saddam and his
senior supporters in the Iraqi Army and government. Other choices have been
stated as well. However the common point in all the analyses is that
Washington's problem is Saddam himself and his supporters and the U.S. will
be satisfied with nothing less then his abdication and replacement with a
pro-Washington government.
On the other hand, the kind of government that will take control in post-Saddam
Iraq is also of importance. Plans in this regard vary. One plan is the
establishment of a military occupation government in Iraq administered by a
high-ranking U.S. commander. This government would last for at least 18
months, until the creation of a federal government comprising the major Iraqi
opposition forces, and would be established under the aegis of the U.S. and the
UN, similar to the Bonn conference.
What concerns regional states the most is not the removal of Saddam but what
kind of government will replace him.
In recent days news was published in London quoting the spokesman of the
Iraqi National Congress that caused grave concern among regional countries,
the Islamic world, and the Arab League as well. An Arabic language daily
published in London quoted the spokesman as saying that the future federal
government of Iraq would undoubtedly normalize relations with the Zionist
regime. He added that after the new Iraqi government is consolidated, it would
denounce the Palestinian Intifada and end its support of the Palestinian people,
making it the only Arab state to take such a measure.
Prior to this, a senior Bush administration official had emphasized that the only
paradigm for the post-Saddam regime in Iraq that the U.S. would agree to would
be one based on secularism -- a government system similar to Turkey's.
In an analysis of these developments one must bear in mind the following: 1-
Circumstantial evidence indicates that Bill Clinton and his team had chosen the
promotion of the U.S. version of democracy through diplomatic channels as the
focal point of the foreign policy agenda of his administration. Meanwhile, George
W.
Bush and his gang, especially the hawk faction of his administration, have taken
a different stance.
They want to promote secularism and eliminate religiosity from the political
scene of countries by any possible means, including military force.
U.S. measures in the aftermath of the September 11 events, including the events
in Afghanistan, pressure on Kabul to omit Sharia (Islamic law) from its
constitution, and the stand taken on Iraq all point to the fact that Washington has
reached the midpoint of its plan. Moreover, taking into consideration the fact that
the U.S. plan to promote secularism arises from an ideological basis, then it is
obvious that after the problem in Iraq has been resolved the trend will be
continued in other countries. Hence the resistance and attentiveness of Islamic
countries of the region could thwart or restrain the plan.
2- By the same token, if regional countries, particularly the Iraqi government,
adopt more secular systems of government, the first issue to emerge would be
Iraq ending its opposition toward the Zionist regime and cutting off support for
the Intifada of the innocent Palestinian people. The promotion of the
phenomenon among other Muslim and Arab countries and their adoption of the
system would lead to the elimination of all the obstacles blocking the Zionist
regime from an all-out clampdown on the Palestinians. Obviously, if this plan is
carried out and is not challenged, after Palestine the countries neighboring the
occupied territories will be invaded and occupied by the Zionist regime, too.
3- Furthermore, it could be readily concluded from the remarks by the Iraqi
opposition official that the U.S. is seriously pursuing programs to establish total
control over the world's most strategic and important source of energy, the
Middle East.
The U.S. has currently deployed an army of troops in most regional countries
under the pretext of fighting terrorism -- a campaign that started in Afghanistan
and will probably include Iraq soon.
The Iraqi government is definitely unable to resist the anticipated U.S.-led military
action against the country. On the other hand, it is currently fully cooperating with
UN arms inspectors now examining the country's arsenals in search of
weapons of mass destruction and has even invited CIA experts to make more
comprehensive inspection checks in that connection.
Still, it appears that the real goal of the U.S. anti-Iraq campaign is not just gaining
control over Persian Gulf energy resources. Washington is in fact also planning
to gain control of the energy resources of the Caspian Sea and Central Asia,
where some 55 percent of the world's total oil and gas reserves are located.
Therefore, the geographic dimensions of the future U.S. dominance of the region
and also the long-term presence of U.S. troops there will not just be a threat to
Muslim and Arab nations.
Several other countries, including Russia, India, and China, will also feel the
same threat to their sovereignty and their ability to resist U.S. pressure will be
diminished.
4- If Washington's plans in the region succeed, and the U.S. gains control of
Middle East energy resources, the economic power of European states will
certainly be subject to the influence of that control.
And this in the future will remove a major problem that Europe has always posed
for the U.S., that being Europe's attention to issues such as human rights and its
opposition to unilateralism, the use of military force, and the pursuit of
warmongering policies.
The U.S. control over the vast energy resources of the Middle East, the most
significant of them being oil and gas reserves, will lead to Europe's losing its
ability to oppose U.S. policies. This will be particularly true considering that
European states rely heavily on Middle Eastern energy resources to support their
economies.
Therefore, it appears that the U.S. warmongers are planning to establish
U.S.-Zionist domination of the world. For this to happen, Washington considers
not only Muslim, but also Christian states in Europe and elsewhere, to be
obstacles to it plan.
Therefore, if the American dreams of total control over Middle East energy
resources came true, then the scenario that the White House has devised for
Europe would be implemented. |
