Countering terrorism in reaction to the 9/11 (2001) attacks in US, President Bush proclaimed to eradicate the terrorists and make the world a peaceful place for everyone. Bush’s target was Osama Bin Laden, Mullah Omer and the other militias who were basically institutionalised by America against former Soviet Union to defend Afghanistan from Russian habitation in the late 1980s. President Bush had promised the world to detain Osama Bin Laden and his acquaintances, dead or alive. He then, disregarding worldwide consent including UNO, left his business unfinished in Afghanistan, jumped into Iraq on another pledge to find and destroy Saddam’s hidden Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD).
In the last 3 years, the world has seen the worst kind of torture, terrorism and killing a human can imagine from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Indonesia, Spain, Saudi Arabia and of course Iraq yet President Bush and his allies are unable to tell the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and Saddam’s WMD.
Despite of the fact that the majority in the world was not in a favour of war against Iraq but wanted to see Saddam’s expulsion from his dictatorious rule due to his brutalities on his own people. Invading Iraq, President Bush said his army would win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. Now after watching the ferocious images of the horrendous tortures carried out on the detainees of Abu Ghuraib by the US army one would hardly commit to memory Saddam’s tortures.
Launching the war in Afghanistan, President Bush had promised to make this world a safer place to live, today, forget the safety of others, US and other foreigners are being captured and beheaded and the videos of their slaughtering are being shown openly on web sites and state TVs. The US agencies find no choice other than to advice their citizens to leave the states where these expatriates have been working for good peacefully for many decades.
Every day, the world is witnessing a new form of terror and torture. From Afghanistan to Iraq, the people are being horrendously killed from both sides either on the name of Jihad or in the account of countering terrorism.
President George Bush and his partners are constantly claiming that they are making progress on war against terrorism yet the terrorism is continuously expanding and growing into new forms. Saudi Arabia was the dreamland for American and Westerners for making money in a tax-free environment. Saudi Kingdom is supposed to be the most controlled state by the US through Saud’s family. When Osama Bin Laden declared war against America, one of his main agenda was to kick out the Westerners from his motherland –” Saudi Arabia. Today, Bush and his allies’ country-men are being kidnapped and slaughtered on demand in Saudi Arabia by Al-Qaida cells. The US agencies are found helpless in rescuing their citizens except advising the others to leave Saudi Arabia.
The shocking and revealing stories in the high level commission inquiries in USA, UK and Australia on war against terrorism have shaken the faith of the people from their governments. From 9/11 to Bali bombing, the responsible sources are claiming that these attacks could have been avoided if the appropriate actions on warning were taken in time.
No dispute on the fact that there had been the terrorist activities prior to the 9/11 attacks in this world. However, the human hostilities were limited to the areas of conflict whether it was a Palestine, Kashmir or Chechnya movement. There was no hatred against the US at least in the western world and no revenge against US citizens in any part of the world except few odd cases. Now innocent US and its allies citizens are paying the price in foreign lands for the sins they never committed.
Saddam Hussain showed no resistance what he had been claiming prior to the US attack on Iraq, however, he had said that his army and the people would never let the US army back alive and they will be buried in the streets of Iraq. As a matter of fact, since the invasion of Iraq, the death toll of US soldiers is constantly increasing. The suicide attacks and ambushes on US convey are now the daily business in Iraq.
The people of Arab States already kept abhorrence against the US due to its blind support to Israel on Israel-Palestinian issue. Taking the benefit of the US policy; Osama is framing the invasion of Iraq by US as an ultimate operation of the US for the greater Israel State. His top mission is to induce his creeds to the Muslims especially to fellow Arabs that the US sought to deliver the entire control of Arab land to Israel and the rulers of Arab States are mere puppets of the US.
The increase in Al-Qaeda activities in Saudi Arabia are a clear message to the fact that Osama is succeeding on his goals. His main agenda was to create hatred against the US and the West among the Muslims especially among the Muslims of the Arab States. The increase in suicide attacks and blasts are an obvious fact that despite what the rulers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia claim and despite of rare arrests and killings of few Al-Qauda members, Osama is making success in inducing his ideology in fanatic minds and enhancing the force of his like-minded people.
On the other hand, it seems that the Bush administration only believes on enmity and hostility. How can you win peoples’ hears and minds when the people see every day their fellow citizens are being killed in brutal attacks and their bodies in pieces are lying on the streets?
President Bush and his allies have dragged the world at a very critical stage. The most fearful matter for the world is that the ongoing battle in Iraq is gradually impacting entire Middle East, including Saudi Arabia which is the sacred place for the Muslims of the world. God forbid, if any incident happens at the Holy cities of Makka and Madina the reaction in all the Muslim World could be like a fire in jungle, dangerous and devastative which may not be stopped by their respective governments.
Coming back to the Iraq situation, though this time the UN has succeeded to get a resolution on the formation of a civilian democratic government in Iraq and to deploy a multinational force for the establishment of a stable government by 30th June, 2004 but as the deadline is approaching there has been dangerous increase in the attacks and killings by the militia. This is a clear message to US and its allies from the opponent forces that any new government and multinational force which are backed by US forces will not be accepted by the strong militia groups.
Accepting the losses of lives, trust and harmony in the last three years, US administration has to accept that peace can not be achieved by a dictatorious rule. To bring the peace and stability back in the world, Washington has to change its adventure style missions in the world and has to take the world community together on equal level and equal interest.