Ali Ashraf Khan: A pre-planned war

So the terrible eventuality has happened and American and British forces have been let loose against Saddam Hussein. The irony is that although this is a fight between Saddam Hussein and President Bush to avenge his father's shortcoming in Iraq during the last Gulf War, yet the innocent Iraqi men, women and children will suffer for no fault of theirs. They do not have the control over Iraqi oil, which is the real attraction for George Bush and his oil magnet friends now, occupying important positions in White House.

Power corrupts and has corrupted absolutely the American President, who at the moment thinks he is the mighty power on earth, when he started his war against terrorism after the incident of 9 / 11 he was advised to capture the wealth of Iraq. His cabinet needed some more time to buildup public opinion for invasion of Iraq, hence the attack of Afghanistan another prospective oil wealth region. In his intoxication of power President Bush thought that he being the super power, his move against Afghanistan and Iran would be sweet and short, but practical warfare has some other story to tell. We have written in these columns that war is not a game of dice with quick results, the warriors not only have to plan but also to work their plan, and unless and until the infantry is strong no war can reach the end planned by the invaders. The foot soldier is the necessary ingredient of success in a war. The much more necessary ingredient in a war is the cause for which the war is being fought. The allies consisting of England, Europe and America fought the 2nd World War to its successful end because Hitler for no regime or reason had invaded Poland to have control over the port of Denzig. Democracy was at stake, people had a cause, leadership was dynamic, there was Mr. Winston Churchill who on taking over as Prime Minister declared on the floor of the house " I have nothing to offer to the British nation, but blood, sweat, toil and tears after the colossal military disaster in the wake of successful withdrawal from France, when the Germans had entered Paris.

Shouted Mr. Churchill in the Parliament, come then let us to the task, we have not a moment, not an hour to be lost. The bastion rallied behind him. He visited Washington and obtained the support of the great American President Mr. Franklin Roosevelt and entered into a lend lease agreement with them. This is how the American policy runs, even in that hour of peril they did not forget to encash the problems of the fighting leader of a nation at war Mr. Winston Churchill. He had a cause; he had peril staring in his face.

So far as the present war of President Bush is concerned there is no cause to fight for; the armed soldiers and marines will be just mercenary soldiers because they are being paid for the job. Because they are being paid for the job and on the other side Saddam Hussein how so ever unpopular he may be has got a cause, President Bush has struck and Saddam Hussein has been made a Hero. The entire Muslim world condemns American Presidents move, they have a cause, and their holy places are in danger of being destroyed. Their women and children would be killed in the senseless bombardment on Iraq by American and British bombers. Bush has provided Iraqi nation with a cause, which the American army does not have and fighting without a cause is like an army without

President Bush had promised sweet and short cause of action in Afghanistan, what happened there, they have not been able to obtain their prize Osama bin Laden or for that matter Mullah Omar. Not only this, they have also become a phobia for the Americans. Now the Americans are fighting a war of attrition in Afghanistan.

The story in Iraq is not too different. United States of America is a lone fighter at the moment and according to President Bush this war is going to be sweet and short, which he has now corrected to say that the war may be long and difficult for which the nation of America will suffer for the adventure of one man to keep him in power till the continuity of war.

There is still a chance for President Bush to rise like a great President and be written in history in the letters of gold and call a halt to this war as was done by Chairman Mao Ze Dong during the course of the Chinese revolution. America at the moment is a lone walker on the globe with no friends but all foes. The UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan expressed his regrets that war had again come to Iraq and called on combatants to do everything possible to protect civilian during the fighting. This pre-planned war is all the more deplorable because Iraq has been disarmed recently when they were asked to destroy even the Al-Samoud Missiles and launchers to facilitate American mighty forces to slaughter the Iraqi people under the UN Resolution 1441, so that Iraq could be thrown before the wolf. Is this the New World Order at the same time, Israel has been let loose to kill, loot and plunder the Palestinians in their own home land and American plan now to recognize Palestinian Sovereign status after 2005 appears to be contrary to the agreed formula at Camp David earlier, by pushing them into Jordanian or Iraqi soil. Has United Nations been formed only for the benefit of USA and Israel?

Pope John Paul II has also condemned the American attack on Iraq as a defeat for reason. Pope John Paul II devoted his daily mass to peace and the people of Iraq. These are the thoughts and sentiments of the entire world including Americans at home, where more than two dozen protestors have been arrested on this charge for opposing American aggression over Iraq. An American soldier at the front cannot be bereft of these sentiments, which the Commander-in-Chief of American armed might should take note of.

Today there is still a hope for peace but very little. Since the first casualty of this war is the United Nation, the Security Council should come out immediately with a joint statement against the unilateral aggression and use of brutal force, Iraq has already complied with UN demands for disarmament. This has to be done immediately by the Members Countries of the UN Security Council. Secret voting in the Security Council should be adopted; otherwise some countries may be forced to vote under arm twisting methods of the super power or by bribing their leadership. Any one who has signed the United Nation Charter should be strongly opposed to putting an entire nation under the sword. A peaceful solution can still be found, there is no need and justification to humiliate an entire nation in Iraq under the garb of Saddam phobia, an ally of Americans.

The personal fight between President Bush and Saddam Hussein should not lead to bloodshed of hundreds and thousands of Iraqis. If President Bush needs oil, he should sit round a table with Saddam Hussein and strike a deal as has been done by Russia, Germany, France and Japan. Be a businessman and behave like a businessman. Now when the chips are down and black is black and white is white, the issue is not between Saddam Hussein and President Bush, it is now between darkness and light and the world has to promulgate light and follow a policy of live and let others live and not exploit the poor and weak nations with their superiority of a so-called digital media warfare technology by portraying black as white. Now is the time for all the peace loving nations, if any, to unite under one banner and condemn the commencement of aggression against Iraq by America and Great Britain in spite of public opinion against this aggression. It is now the responsibility of the empowered nations to show stature, respect for justice and International Law. For the Love of God, please do not support the tyrant, and act immediately to stop the war in Iraq. The American-Israeli war will give birth to more terrorists and President Bush would miserably fail to promote peace through war. No war has ever been able to promote peace, mark my words, even at home President Bush will never be able to provide economic stability to Americans due to his this adventure in Iraq, because America itself is in huge deficit due to day dreaming for a one world government for the corporate managers who have even removed their carpets under the feet and landed America into over $ 4 Trillion in red, hence this war for oil through destruction of Iraqis and Muslim shrines. Come forward and let us work quick and fast to stop this war, which may engulf other regions into its fold.

Ali Ashraf Khan