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Has America’s fight against terrorism gathered dust? |
 Bhuwan Thapaliya |
| 26 Jun 2007 | |
| Peace is better than war and we all agree this doctrine, but if the war has been waged against you than what will you do. The only option left before you, when the war has been declared on you is to fight for it. You cannot run away from war, when your nation's sovereignty is in stake, can you? You got to fight and fight with vigor without thinking about the consequences of the war. After September 11th, that’s what president Bush exactly did. It was his constitutional rights as the President of the United States to save his citizen from further attacks such as the one committed in the very heart of America . But to begin with, he did everything right but somewhere in the middle, he got more ambitious and lost his way completely or so it seems now- six years after September 11. This is an age of television and internet. Out from Iraq , Afghanistan , Sudan and the Middle East , the wars come straight into our living room, bringing with them horrific images of pain and hatred. To be precise, we all are in one way or other affected by the war, no matter how safe we are and no matter where we reside. Considering this and various other facts leaving Afghanistan at the hindsight for a moment, one could ponder over the Iraq war and state that America ’s fight against terrorism and its lackluster performance in Iraq has gathered dust. Yes, what began as a one sided war to topple Saddam Hussein, is not showing signs of easing off. It has escalated to the point of no return and thus has reminded the world and most importantly America that all war is easy to begin with but it is hard to end war. That might explain why American casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq could rise furthermore, or some newly untoward allies action in the war zone, could push the war into other direction. So far, the score card of the American success has not looked good in reality, and there are no chances of it improving for some time to come. It is better, then, to begin by assessing the accumulation of failures. Politically speaking, after September 11th, America’s military actions whether they be in Iraq, Afghanistan, or its vocal accusations of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Sudan or its target against the terrorist groups such as al- Qaeda and all, have provoked anti- American uprisings. All this could mean, however, that the World’s greatest military, economic and diplomatic power house is fighting a losing battle pretending to win. For example, they are somehow to some extent winning the battles, but at the cost of anti- American uprisings. It would also show that coalition of countries and terrorist groups against the United States has assembled. At the moment, these nations even if they combine together can possess no harm to America . But however, their anti- American uprisings might impress some more potential anti- American supporters. There is some fear that this may already have occurred. For example, in Pakistan , a country that is forever in the minds of America ’s military planners though its president is pro- American. But analysts say that equation can change any time, as Musharraf’s relationship with America is not static. Meanwhile, critics say, these nations don’t have an iota of military infrastructure to challenge the American military might, and they cannot be regarded as a threat to America . It is better, then, to focus more on al- Qaeda and other terrorist groups. What makes al- Qaeda dangerous is that they are terrorists without frontiers. And the million dollar question is this: What might Osama bin Laden do next? “Without doubt he is waiting desperately for an American mistake, and then try to exploit it by his cunningness. He could try to forge such mistake himself,” analysts were quoted as saying by The Economist. He is astute, and America must take him and his terror group seriously because they are not finished yet. Of course, they are washing their hands on the muddled water of Iraq and who knows, they might be behind the rise of Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan . Bin Laden is a fox and media reports say, given the unpopularity of the Bush administration, he could try to inflame turbulence by some provocative action in Israel, the lap dog of America, which would put America right on the money or al- Qaeda could commit further terrorist acts in America to further dismantle the American morale. In response to that possibility, all that America can do is to be vigilant. They are fighting unseen thugs, who are trying to portray the reverse side of the coin. They are trying to fool the world by stating that America ’s war against them is a war against Islam. But the true Muslims must keep in mind that America ’s war against the terrorism is not a war against Islam; rather it’s a war against terrorism and terrorism only. Let this be understood by all Muslims. But unfortunately for America , the anti- American anger sentiment generated by the Muslim fundamentalism tolerates no conciliation though America has always been telling that it has no quarrel with Islam. Considering this, it is worth noting here that Militant Islam and the Muslim Extremists hate America for what it is as a nation and not for what its foreign policy does to the world and to them in particular. “The truth is, America is hated mainly for its achievements; for its wealth, for its freedom, for its democracy and for its super power status, and as critics would say, option it present to a traditional Islam,” most observers are saying. On the other hand, in the midst of its fight against the terrorism, its time for America to reap the success. And for this to happen, America and its allies must emphasis that their struggle against terrorism is not a war against Islam. They must keep on saying it because America has no quarrel with Islam. But the paradox here is this: America can live with Islam but what is unclear is whether Islam can live in peace with America . Meanwhile, perhaps a time may come when America should seek a healthier solution for Iraq than its current bullet bursts. But that is a long way off and the roads are full of serpentine bends. However, before then, what is required is a clear focus on the immediate task at hand: dealing with Taliban, Iraqi insurgents and al- Qaeda. For the few years since the atrocities of September 11th, President Bush has handled that task well but somehow he has lost the momentum now. That does not mean that he has failed completely, he has just lost his balance. The question is whether after gaining the balance he offers the same solution to the problem. It is yet to be seen. |
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