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By Baha'uddin Abu-Shiqqa

Edited by Rob Gibran

July 25, 2005

Egypt - Al Wafd - Original Article (Arabic)

It is apparent, from all of the events that we've been witnessing, that the world has entered a dark tunnel with no end in sight. It is also plain to see that the United States is pushing every nation, even its closest allies, into murky uncharted waters; this due to its oppressive policies and its blatant disregard for international law since it crowned itself the only world superpower.

While Britain still smolders from the inferno of terror that burned up innocent people in the London subway explosions, Mr. Bush is busy flooding the world with the same statements that we've all memorized by heart; like some awful song that everyone is tired of listening to. He had this to say at Gaston College in North Carolina [July 15, 2005]:

"Today, we are fighting a global war on terror. ... We're fighting against people who celebrate the suffering of the innocent. ... [The terrorists] are ideologues. They hate freedom. They reject tolerance. They despise all dissent. They have objectives. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in their own grim image of tyranny. They want to topple governments. They want to export terror. They want to force free nations to retreat. These people will not be stopped by negotiations. They're not going to be -- they won't change their mind because of concessions. There is no appeal to their reason. There is only one course of action. We will take the fight to the enemy, and we will stay in the fight until this enemy is defeated."

Bush Signs Condolence Book at Egypt's Embassy

Bush's words are very nice and sweet, but also hollow and empty and have nothing to do with the real world! Everyone knows by now that these are words of deception: If all of this is really true and the terrorists want to overthrow governments, then the U.S. is following in the same path and with the same agenda. The United States backs its agents and spies and dissenters with cash and political support in its efforts to topple all sorts of governments, even the ones that toe the American line and answer to its beck and call. Didn't the U.S. do exactly that in Iraq and Afghanistan and other Middle East countries?

But come now, Mr. Bush, and please tell us, who are these "suffering innocents" that your country is assisting? Does Israel belong to that downtrodden bunch? Is that why it receives the full support of the United States? Maybe that is why America turned a blind eye and covered the eyes of international observers while the Israelis built up their nuclear arsenal, not to mention offering them all of its "smart bombs" --and even the dumb ones -- that they use to crush the civilian population in Palestine.

If the Palestinians and the Iraqis and the Afghanis are not the "suffering innocents," then who is? Or maybe Bush is speaking of some other innocents who are suffering on some other planet; Mars, perhaps. And what about the "human rights" that America purports to defend? This is the same America that kicked humans to the ground, dragged them into the street, and wiped the asphalt with their bodies. Suffice it to say that Amnesty International heavily criticized the U.S. government, and confirmed that it has wantonly broken all forms of "human rights" in its detention camps, especially Guantanamo.

Instead of reconsidering its policies and atoning for its sins, the United States directed harsh criticism and disparaging remarks toward the international organization [Amnesty], who dared to tell the honest truth.

Cartoon from Egypt's Al-Ahram

In his speech, Bush said that there is no way to reason with the terrorists other than to "take the fight to the enemy." The question is, did Bush succeed in doing so? Did the London explosions take place on enemy soil? He should have known that terrorism doesn't have a country or a religion, and that therefore there is no battlefield on which to wage war with it. Bush should realize that Britain has now paid the price for being his ally and his comrade in arms, for giving its blessing to all his policies which included the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and for putting its battleships and fighter jets and soldiers at his service without even the slightest question.

This has been corroborated by the British Royal Institute of International Affairs, who said that the decision by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government to participate in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq largely contributed to the occurrence of the London explosions. The Institute, also known as "Chatham House," whose members include many prominent academics and previous members of the British government, pointed out in its report that the main problem facing Britain in confronting terrorism is that it is considered a follower of the United States in the war it has declared against this destructive phenomenon.

The Chatham House report, which came out after the first four attacks in London, added that the British government's ability to take anti-terrorism measures is hindered by the American administration, which always takes the most prominent role in presenting choices and policies in this regard. The report goes on to say that the invasion of Iraq provided the terrorists with ideal targets and a perfect training ground, and that blindly following an ally's policies (as Britain has) has "proved costly in terms of ... lives, military expenditures, and the damage caused to the counter-terrorism campaign."

Panic gripped the British capital after the second terrorist attempt, which prompted Blair to cancel many of his prior engagements to assess the situation. Blair said that the terrorist attacks were designed to cause fear, and that "we can't minimize incidents such as this, because they obviously have been serious."

What remains to be asked is: Until when will Washington control British decisions while victims of this damned terrorism pile up day after day? The rosy dreams that Bush has been spreading to the world have evaporated, and his daily promises of eliminating the boogeyman of terrorism have withered. The wait has become longer, the world constantly less safe, and who knows what tomorrow has in store.

The time has come for the United States to rethink its policies, to respect international authority, and to dismiss those who are followers of the "law of the jungle" and the arrogance of power. And the time has come as well for America's allies to wake up from their slumber before it is too late. The war on terrorism starts with the spreading of justice, with the powerful nations respecting the small ones, and with non intervention in others' affairs.

Will America learn this lesson? We hope so.

VIDEO FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD

Egyptian Commandos In Action

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