MELODRAMA IN THE MIDDLE EAST: USA FOREIGN POLICY OR DOMINATION POLICY

A few days ago, the United States of America (USA) designated the most elite unit of the Iranian Army, ‘the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’ as a terrorist organization (recall that the USA imposed heavy sanctions on Iran that have devastated the economy of the State). In its report, the USA claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were involved in financing and assisting terrorist organizations across the globe therefore, by implication impeding on the success of anti-terrorism campaigns. In retaliation, the Iranian Government designated the US Army as a terrorist organization. 

According to the media, this is the first time the USA would declare a sovereign nations army as a terrorist organization. I beg to differ. In my opinion, this is the first time two sovereign nations would declare their opposing Armies as “terrorist organizations”. Let us take a microcosmic analysis of the Foreign policy saga of the United States Vs the Islamic Republic of Iran with exacting focus on the USA.
Basically, the United States Government Foreign Policy evolves around their Military might and their claims to foster “democracy”. The United States Army and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard both have troops stationed in Iraq to restore order in the society and provide support to the government of the day. However, due to the faux nature of all United States interventions in sovereign nations till date, the underlying tone, hidden personal beneficial agenda and their inability to work with Iraqis great neighbor ‘Iran’ to bring about a desirable social change to the parties involved, the USA is trying to use its might to bully Iran out of any involvement in Iraq.

In 2001, the USA invaded Afghanistan post 9/11 and till this day, the war in Afghanistan is still on with no end in sight and a total destabilization of the state. The human toll? the financial toll? Unimaginable! 2003, USA and allied forces invaded Iraq under the guise of a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) in the country. Till this day, no WMD has been unearth and no stability restored in the nation either. In 2011 the United States Army had a covert op in Pakistan that lead to the killing of the most wanted man in the world, Osama Bin Laden. As Laudable as that may be, due process was overridden (the Pakistani Government was never consulted and the operation can be deemed as an illicit act and a slap on the territorial integrity of Pakistan) and the spate of terrorism in the world blossomed nonetheless.

During the Arab spring of 2011, the USA invaded Libya and toppled Mummar Al Gaddafi. One of the great visionary African leader (a crusader for a one united Africa with a single currency) of both the 20th and 21st centuries was captured and killed on the streets of Libya in the most inhumane way ever. Today’s Libya are in a shambolic state of perplexing ruins eight years on and the fight in Libya getting bigger by the day. Last week, USA pulled out some of its troops in Tripoli and a few days after, forces loyal to Warlord Khalifa Haftar carried out airstrikes (see Aljazeera for videos of the fighting) at a Libyan airport in Tripoli. Yes, air strikes! Forces loyal to Warlord Khalifa Haftar are fighting a United Nations (UN) backed Libyan interim government and its forces. USA Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and the UN have called for an end to the fighting. On the 9th of April 2019, Warlord Khalifa Haftar forces targeted another airport in Tripoli with air strikes. Is the USA playing Chess with people’s lives in Libya? Connect the dots. Without a doubt, that the Syrian President Bashir Al Assad is still in power today even after years of civil war in Syria is because of the support of Russia. Remember that a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) was dropped in Syria by the USA and just recently, the USA also claims to have completely annihilated ISIL (ISIS) in Syria.

From the foregoing, it can be noted that the intervention of the USA in sovereign nations under the guise of fostering world peace and democracy is Ludicrous to say the least. A big hoax! To paraphrase, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely and world power corrupts inestimably.

In the words of Fela Anikulapo Kuti “hear another animal talk…They call the place United Nations, who and who unite for inside United Nations? One veto vote is equals to 96 or more! Wetin united for inside United Nations?” (from his “beast of no nation” song). Obviously, with the carnage in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Mali, DR Congo, Nigeria, Gaza Strip, Cameroon, India Vs Pakistan, North Korea Vs the rest of the World, North Korea US relations or lack, it is endless. The rhetoric of a United Nations (formally The League of Nations) to foster World Peace post World War II is a mere cosmetic work by Western nations to continually dominate other nations of the World.
Written by: Chisom John O

ogbonniachisom@yahoo.com