Doing as the Romans Did

Bush's War on Terror is a Sick Joke

Tariq Ali counterpunch



The consequences of 11 September remain visible on several fronts. Psychologically, the American empire has constructed a new enemy: Islamic terrorism. Its practitioners were evil, the threat was global and, for that reason, bombs had to be dropped unilaterally and wherever necessary. The leaders of the United States wish to be judged by their choice of enemies rather than the actual state of the world, leave alone the concrete results of the 'war against terrorism'. Politically, the United States decided to use the tragedy and re-map the world. Its military bases now cover every continent. The largest of these is situated in one of the tiniest states: Qatar in the Persian Gulf. There are 189 member states of the United Nations. There is a US military presence in 120 countries. Domestically, the Bush administration sought and obtained extensive new powers to curb dissent and to detain and deport suspects at will. On the East Coast alone, over a thousand immigrant workers of South Asian origin were arrested and deported to their countries of origin, without any outcry in the mainstream media.A year on, what is the balance sheet of the war? With the help of its Pakistani creators, the Taliban regime was overthrown without a serious struggle, though approximately 3000 innocent Afghan men, women and children perished under the bombs. For the West, these lives were not even worth half as much as those of the US citizens who died in New York and Washington. No memorials honouring innocent victims will be built in Kabul. The torture and mass execution of prisoners of war leaves many liberal supporters of 'humanitarian wars' unmoved. However, despite all this, the central aim of the military operation, which was the capture ('dead or alive') of Osama Bin Laden and his confederates and the physical destruction of Al-Qa'eda, has still not been accomplished. On 16 June 2002, The New York Times reported:

"Classified investigations of the Qa'eda threat now underway at the FBI and CIA have concluded that the war in Afghanistan failed to diminish the threat to the United States, the officials said. Instead the war might have complicated counter-terrorism efforts by dispersing potential attackers across a wider geographic area."

Nor has the imperialist occupation of Afghanistan led to stability, peace or prosperity in the region. The character of the Afghan government is symbolised by the fact that the US-backed leader, Hamid Karzai, asked for and received bodyguards consisting exclusively of US soldiers. (...)

The 'wider geographical area' includes neighbouring Pakistan. Washington's closest ally is the country's newest military dictator. The first Afghan War (1979-89) required a Pakistan general prepared to play the Islamic card. Zia-ul-Haq obliged. The result was the creation of the Taliban. (...)

While the 'war against terror' has destabilised South Asia, it has buttressed Israel still further. (...)

There is no support for this war anywhere in the Arab world. (...)

Even in Blairland a majority of the population is now opposed to the war. (...)
"There are congressmen today who want to fund the Iraqi Liberation Act, and let some silk-suited, Rolex-wearing guys in London gin up the expedition. We'll equip a thousand fighters and arm them with 97 million dollars' worth of AK- 47s and insert them into Iraq. And what will we have? A Bay of Goats, most likely."

Nonetheless opinion polls in the US suggest that 60 per cent favour sending in the daisy-cutters, but the figure drops to 36 per cent at the suggestion that the US should go in alone. (...)

The question is: why is the current regime in the United States so determined to wage this war? (...)

full article: counterpunch