-Caveat Lector-
From
http://www.atimes.com/editor/DB01Ba01.html
>>>This has its roots in the French Revolution and the imfluence of
emigre's from Eastern Europe<<<
}}}>Begin
Editorials
Give war a chance
"What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that - far from ending
there - our war against terror is only beginning ... Thousands of
dangerous killers, schooled in the methods of murder, often supported
by outlaw regimes, are now spread throughout the world like ticking
time bombs set to go off without warning."
Thus spake President George W Bush in his State of the Union speech
before the US Congress on Tuesday to sustained applause. And he laid
out the scope of the continuing war; his words are worth citing at
some length:
"Our nation will continue to be steadfast, and patient, and
persistent in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will
shut down terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring
terrorists to justice. And second, we must prevent the terrorists and
regimes who seek chemical, biological or nuclear weapons from
threatening the United States and the world ...
"And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the world toward the
values that will bring lasting peace. All fathers and mothers, in all societies, want
their children to be educated and live free from
poverty and violence. No people on Earth yearn to be oppressed, or aspire to servitude
or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret police ...
"America will lead by defending liberty and justice, because they are right and true
and unchanging for all people everywhere. No nation owns these aspirations, and no
nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of i
mposing our culture, but America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands
of human dignity: the rule of law, limits on the power of the state, respect for
women, private property, free speech, equal justice a
nd religious tolerance ...
"America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these values around
the world, including the Islamic world, because we have a greater objective than
eliminating threats and containing resentment. We seek a
just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror ...
"Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's price; we have
shown freedom's power, and in this great conflict, my fellow Americans, we will see
freedom's victory."
George W has learned from his father's mistake of ending the Gulf War with resounding
military victory but leaving the culprit, Saddam Hussein, who caused the war by
invading Kuwait, untouched and free to continue his opp
ressive rule. Unlike George Senior, George W will not stop with victory in
Afghanistan, but pursue Osama bin Laden and bin Ladenism to the furthest corners of
the globe. (And he and his domestic political advisers have al
so learnt that popularity gained as the result of military victory can be short-lived
if the economy falters; hence his speech declared continuing war on terror and war on
recession in one breath).
But where does this war against terror that "is only beginning" lead? How will it be
pursued? When, given its above-defined scope, will it end?
Bush is certainly right in not mistaking military victory over the Taliban for victory
over bin Laden and his creed. Mullah Omar - though he remains at large - and his
Taliban regime are politically finished. But Afghanis
tan was only a base of convenience for bin Laden's al-Qaeda, a safe haven and secure
base of operations and planning while it lasted. It may not be possible re-establish
such a base elsewhere, but then again, it may not b
e necessary to do so. Thus Bush is also right in calling for relentless pursuit of
al-Qaeda remnants and related terrorist cells worldwide.
One may also agree - though few nations even among America's allies now do - that it
is necessary to extend the anti-terrorism campaign to "rogue" states in possession of
weapons of mass destruction and with the possible
present or future intent of passing such weapons to terrorist groups.
But it is far from clear what sort of course Bush is charting when he speaks of having
"a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the world toward the values that
will bring lasting peace", or of taking "the sid
e of brave men and women who advocate these values around the world, including the
Islamic world ..." Is the war on terror, already pretty open-ended and - perhaps of
necessity - without a precise exit strategy, to be con
verted into a "war of liberation"? Is Bush declaring Leon Trotsky-style "permanent
revolution" in which wars afford the opportunity of speeding up the liberation
process? On Tuesday, did we witness the birth of George W B
ush the revolutionary?
Well, tell us it is so, George! Tell us that the US henceforward will
shun alliances with rotten regimes if somehow that suits the national
interest. Tell us that the very definition of the American national
interest and purpose forecloses making rotten compromises not just
with Iraq, Iran or North Korea, but also with the likes of Abdullah's
Saudi Arabia or Karimov's Uzbekistan. Yes, George, in that sense,
give war a chance. But beware your own caveat against "imposing our
[American] culture" and beware not to confuse universal values with
objectives of American power.
((c)2001 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for information on our sales and syndication
policies.)
End<{{{
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