One tragedy after another seems to always befall the people of the Middle East. Whether it’s an American invasion, an Israeli bombing, or a desperate rebel bombing the people there seem destined to a life of turmoil. The most recent events, some being a continuation of the colonial deprivation forced on their societies, are fostering a climate that may prove to be the most damaging yet for Arab societies at large and to a lesser extent the rest of the world populace.
The situation in Iraq has become one of the biggest military fiascos in the United States history. With almost 30,000 casualties to date and over 650,000 Iraqi civilian deaths the U.S. has not gotten any further in succeeding in its goals. There is no stable client state in Iraq, the insurgency still rages on, and the U.S. is extremely isolated in national and international opinion.
The Americans have reached such a dead end they have decided to take rather extreme measures. The New York Times reported that “American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.” The American military is now arming the Shiite death squads, the militias, the military, and now they may plan to arm the Sunni resistance groups as well. In essence, they are going to arm almost every single party involved in the conflict. They are also not acknowledging that almost all the parties involved have been or are currently targeting them as well.
This process seems to be further inciting the civil war. Veteran correspondent for the London Independent, Robert Fisk, commented March 2006 that “certainly, somebody at the moment is trying to provoke a civil war in Iraq.” He further states “Some form of militias and death squads want a civil war. There never has been a civil war in Iraq. The real question I ask myself is: who are these people who are trying to provoke the civil war? Now the Americans will say it’s Al Qaeda, it’s the Sunni insurgents. It is the death squads. Many of the death squads work for the Ministry of Interior. Who runs the Ministry of Interior in Baghdad? Who pays the Ministry of the Interior? Who pays the militia men who make up the death squads? We do?”
This is a growing trend in the region as a whole. In Palestine, for the first time since the Israeli occupation began the Palestinians are in a full fledged civil war as well. Almost 700 people have now died in Gaza since the Hamas movement won elections last year. Hamas appears to be gaining the foothold in the power struggle with Fatah. Fatah, largely funded by the United States and accepted by Israel, has not been able to cope with the fact that it lost the absolute power it has had since the 1970’s. With U.S. and Israeli mediation and arms supplies it appears Fatah felt that Hamas could be eradicated militarily which is proving false. The U.S. sponsored embargo further highlighted tensions in the Gaza Strip.
Author and activist Noam Chomsky stated, the goal of the embargo “‘is to starve the Palestinian Authority of money and international connections’ so that President Mahmoud Abbas will be ‘compelled to call a new election. The hope is that Palestinians will be so unhappy with life under Hamas that they will return to office a reformed and chastened Fatah movement.'” Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr commented that “If you have two brothers put into a cage and deprive them of basic essential needs for life, they will fight.” The U.S. has thus succeeded in starving the population but Hamas may appear victorious. The latest reports indicate they have gained substantial control of the Gaza Strip.
In Lebanon the violence is also reaching a fever pitch. After the Israeli assault last summer the Lebanese government is under extreme strain. The Hizbullah movement has gained much notoriety from the conflict with Israel. They’re relatively small militia humbled one of the strongest militaries in the region. Emboldened they began to protest the government for greater representation.
Yet, these weren’t the end of Lebanon’s problems. Fatah al Islam, a group that is ideologically inspired by al Qaeda, was attacked by the Lebanese military. The Lebanese government stated that the group has been robbing banks and proceeded to launch an assault that has resulted in several deaths. The U.S. government immediately offered to send weapons and money for weapons to the Lebanese government. However, when U.S. weapons in the hands of Israel, were utterly devastating Lebanon the U.S. approved as well. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, asked “where were these arms when Israel bombed your vehicles and your positions? It is something one has to ask the Lebanese, Palestinian and Arab peoples.” They definitely weren’t being offered to the Lebanese military.
What we are witnessing is the commencement of a regional war. In almost every country in the Middle East a conflict is brewing. It appears every political group, movement, and even individuals allied with Washington are being targeted. Furthermore, every group opposed to Washington’s domination is also being targeted. The Islamic nation is already exploding and it appears right now we are at the tipping point. The damage is already done. We can only hope some lives will be spared in this horrible process.
