Last
week’s attack on Iraq has divided the world like never before and though many
call the intrusion a war, it is less of a war and more of a sheer
show of muscle power. Protests have continued even after the strike and leaders
around the world have publicly voiced their displeasure though to deaf ears.
The claim that the attack is meant to liberate the Iraqi people falls flat if one is to consider that $26 million of bombs were dropped on Baghdad on the first day of the war in an attempt to assassinate Saddam Hussein, whilst only $34 million has been pledged to the UN Humanitarian Relief project for Iraq so far.
In
school when a strong boy hits a helpless weak young boy he would be called a
bully and be seriously reprimanded or sometimes even dismissed by the head
teacher. In today’s world politics, the head teacher is weak and this is why
the world is facing a grave danger of being dangerously divided and some
countries are now behaving just like students would behave when they know their
head teacher has little authority.
It
hurts one to see horrific pictures of innocent civilian deaths on television and
on web pages. While the western television stations have imposed some form of
blackout on such pictures, the world is seeing them through the Internet. Iraqi
soldiers who are killed are being treated as martyrs defending their country
while the coalition forces call their dead ones national heroes for putting in
the ultimate sacrifice. However why are so many lives being put to stake?
Did
not the United Nations confirm that they have found no weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq so far? Did
not Robin Cook, in his resignation speech, say that Iraq probably doesn’t
possess any actual chemical or biological weapons? Did
the United Nations not ask for more time for inspections? Did Iraq not allow
inspectors a free hand to inspect? How can the intrusion be justified against a
country that was compelled to stop arming itself through United Nations
sanctions that prohibit any country to sell it arms or ammunition? After United
Nation sanctions that have deprived Iraq of essential supplies including
medicines what is the reason for suddenly considering this country evil?
The
few who have supported the war are saying that Iraq is dangerous. Anyone in a
right frame of mind knows that the country has neither ability nor reason to
attack any country because it was taught a tough lesson during the Gulf War. Had
Saddam been a threat for world peace then he would have occupied Kuwait and Iran
long ago.
The
world knows that many countries possess nuclear abilities and why then the
double standards when some countries are known to be more dangerous in their
intentions than Iraq? This is what the millions
of hapless Iraqi men, women and children who are bracing for their lives, as the
horrendous power of military machinery is unleashed upon them what to know.
The
opposition to the current strike does not mean Saddam, his regime or his
position is right or requires support. The opposition to the war is because many
Iraqis have suffered brutally over the past twenty years when the international
community stood idle. Now they are being told that some of them have to die in
numbers once again so that democracy can be implemented in their country. Must
we not allow Iraqi people to be the arbiter of their own destiny without further
sacrificing their lives when Hans Blix’s last report to the UN confirmed that
real disarmament is occurring as did Kofi Annan’s speech expressing regret on
the war?
There
is little doubt that the battle will be won by the coalition, due to the
superiority of their weaponry and equipment. However, what they forget is that
whilst this battle will be won, the war for justice will be lost. The 1991 US
attack on Iraq had the support of 35 States and now there are only three or four
true supporters and even the spiritual leader, Pope John Paul has termed the
attack on Iraq as an invitation to the wrath of God, saying that all those who
back the war will be answerable to God.
You
can't kill people on one side of the world and expect it to be business as usual
on the other side. Irrespective of how fast the war is won, the events of the
past few days will go down among the dark days of human history. One prays that
in the process fewer people lose their lives though the first few days of the
intrusion indicates that this is very unlikely.