AMERICA’S LONG MARCH FROM COLD WAR TO “HOT” WAR

[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]

In the wake of the Second Great war of 1938-45, Europe was divided in two clear spheres: one capitalistic world with established democratic traditions and the other Communist dominated areas with totalitarian regimes. Entire Eastern Europe was “occupied” by Russia along with half of Germany with the Berlin Wall standing as a line of demarcation in between the two. The Western side was under complete authority of the USA and Eastern portion was fully controlled by Moscow. The USA was benevolent enough in developing the countries that were liberated by her through its comprehensive “Marshall Aid Plan” that amounted about 9 billion Dollars at that time whereas the Eastern countries of Europe were made to suffer heavily in all respect under the tutelage of communist doctrine, the dictatorship of the prolitariat, with no democratic process and utter denial of human rights. Western Europe was freed gradually by the USA both politically and economically but Eastern Europe suffered in both the fields bitterly.

To contain communism and its spread towards the West, the USA stationed its army at different strategic points throughout the Western Europe, encircling the USSR and its satellite countries. The current strength of USA forces in Europe/Asia can be summarized as under: Germany 71,592; UK 11,467; Spain 2,450; Italy 14,052; Turkey 1, 772; South Korea 39,707 and Japan 34,695. The cold war to check the advancement of Communism continued almost fifty years. Ultimately, Russia succumbed to its own foolishness of occupying Afghanistan for attaining its centuries-old desire to enter in the “hot” waters in the South and was totally defeated by Afghan Mujahedeen with active material support of the USA and moral and man power from Pakistan. Subsequently, in the aftermath of Afghan war, Russia abolished the communistic system, resorted to capitalism and free market economy, and freed its occupied lands of Eastern Europe and the Muslim countries of Central Asia. The Berlin Wall was demolished, giving the signal that the Cold war had come to an end. Communism is dead and is surviving in the garb of “capitalistic socialism” in China and elsewhere in few pockets around the world. It all happened in 1990-91.

Now more than a decade has passed. The USA is “occupied” by different people who are hawkish, war mongers and working for a quite different strategy of preemptive attack towards the containment of poor Muslim countries of Asia and Africa who have only one weapon in their hands and it is their superb ideology of “Peace” [Islam] that stands for security and protection of entire mankind. However, the ruling coterie sitting in the Whitehouse is allergic to “Islam” [Peace] and its emergence anywhere in the world as a political entity. They coined in their self-created and self-sustained laboratory of so-called “war against terrorism” false propaganda stunts based on lies and concocted stories. They had destroyed both Afghanistan and Iraq and strategically are “occupying” Pakistan to serve their “declared” war against “peace” [Islam].

In this process of transforming their foreign policy from containment of Communism in Europe to “crushing” of Islam as an Ideology in its homelands, they have put the future of America at stake. The USA could not afford to have two fronts at a time. The European front was closed long ago but now a safe burial is to be given to it by transferring its army to “home” for any future eventualities, especially, in the ME, the hot bed of world politics for decades to come. The military strength of America has already stretched beyond description and our youth in uniform are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan with fatigue and extreme strains. The USA has, therefore, no alternative but to resort to a “Long March” of bringing about 70,000 armed men from Europe first to “home” and then gradually replace the tired American forces in the battle zones of Middle East. It is just a face saving device designed by the Neo-Cons of Bush administration to “admit” in disguise that their military planning about Iraq was altogether wrong from the beginning to the end.

This “Long March” of twenty-first century is double edged. President Bush is going to punish Germany “economically” for her opposition to war in Iraq. Simultaneously, it would boost the moral of our armed men and women in uniform and give a signal to resurgent in Iraq and Afghanistan [Pakistan, Iran and Syria too] that the “occupation” of their country is not going to end soon. Fresh “consignments” of armed forces will be ready at hand to counteract resurgence anywhere in the Muslim world and “augment” the Bush-Blair-Sharon war against “peace” [Islam]. In fact, this Long march is a preparation against the innocent followers of Islam. However, President Bush and his henchmen are forgetting one thing about “Islam” [Peace] that it is in its nature to expand when pressed hard. As such, the Long March of President Bush will tantamount to a March form “cold” waters [war] to “troubled” hot waters of Muslim lands where a super power of the time had already succumbed to its wild desire to reach the hot waters before his eyes. History will repeat the same story if the protagonists of Whitehouse do not “read” the signs written on the rock of time. To understand this scenario in historical perspective, this “trio” must study the book: “The Rise and Fall of The Great Powers” by their own Historian, Paul Kennedy published in 1987. It shows in categorical terms what happens to nations when they “thin” out in comparison to the demand of time.

Shamim A Siddiqi

August 22, 2004