September 22, 2006

Five Years after 9/11

Five years after 9/11, there have been many disputes but one fact is undisputed. The world has become neither a safer nor a better place. During his speech of September 9, 2006, at the Islamic Education Center at Potomac, Maryland, in the Washington area, former Iranian President Khatemi said that, after 9/11, the largest problem of the world is the pervasive insecurity, which touches everyone around the globe.
It is clear that the policy of force, force, and more force, has failed. The results are now out: the ‘war on terror’ has proven to be an error.
Air travel is becoming a vexing inconvenience. Train travel seems equally fraught with danger. The language in diplomatic discourse has become ugly, with terms like “Islamic fascism” used loosely and frequently.
The environment of fear and suspicion is on the rise. Liberty has been compromised in the name of security in the US. Sixty years after the Holocaust, racism and extremism in Europe are again becoming acceptable. The Middle East is embroiled in turmoil and South Asia remains a troubled region. Both Palestine and Kashmir remain where they have been. Fierce fighting has again erupted in Afghanistan with British forces there comparing its intensity with that of the Korean War of over 50 years ago.
Amidst all this, the leverage of the White House has slipped both at home and abroad. The invasion and occupation of Iraq stands exposed as having been based on a false pretext. The same applies to Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose legacy has been tarnished by his Chamcha-giri. American influence has slipped drastically, with critics at home and abroad disparaging US decision-makers. Israel’s myth of invincibility has been punctured by the resilience and fighting spirit of Hezbollah. There has been no breakthrough made on tensions with Iran, where the UN is accused of being the instrumentality of the US.
What does it all mean?
Some lessons are clear. First, the so-called ‘war on terror’ has shattered American claims of being ‘an indispensable sole superpower’. Second, the cycle of confrontation has proven only to be the path of destruction and has been a godsend gift for zealotry. Third, instead of nation-states, non-state actors are calling the shots and are shaping policies. Fourth, over-reaction expressed through over-reliance on force has not worked.
What lies ahead?
More of the same.
Three distinct elements have combined together to contribute to the continuing global unrest and chaos. Those are:
1. the bloody occupation and suppression of Muslim lands and people by outside powers;
2. the unquestioning support given by the US to Israeli policies; and
3. the ineptness of Muslim oligarchy to respond to challenges and to provide good governance to its people.
And, finally, what is to be done?
For things to get marginally better, there has to be a concurrent re-evaluation of existing policies and priorities both in the West and in the Muslim world. When facts have changed on the ground, policies cannot remain the same.