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That's the bet that Iraq will become a bigger, nastier mess than Afghanistan did after America's ``victory?'' US blunders have been much more serious this time and the consequences will be much more disastrous. The US will have many reasons to regret its victory. Consider just four:
Israel as the prime mover of policy. The Jewish lobby was powerful enough in Washington to force America into war in defiance of world opinion. Protecting Israeli interests was the undeclared war aim. That aim is stronger now that the first round is won.
After Iraq, the two remaining ``threats'' to Israel are Syria and Iran. And sure enough, America has already accused Syria of having weapons of mass destruction etcetera. If the US military machine now turns on Syria, it will fill Arabs with still deeper hatred and revulsion against America. The fury of a humiliated race could threaten the safety of even a superpower.
Oil as America's principal interest. In the thick of battle looters devastated Baghdad including the priceless National Museum and the National Library. US spokesmen said American forces were unable to control the looters. But they were quite able, from Day One, to protect the oil fields. The first field has already begun commercial production and company employees were ready with uniforms bearing S.O.C. initials __ for Southern Oil Company.
It should cause no surprise if America finds oil more important than the cultural treasures of a region where human civilisation began. America can rarely comprehend any culture that's older than its own, which is all of 200 years. Even so, the efficiency and speed with which Iraqi oil business has been revived tells its own tale.
Media as chauvinistic propaganda. One undeniable reality of the Iraq war is that the much-touted independence of the American media stands condemned without a doubt. Never has Time-Newsweek-CNN partisanship been more unashamed. Never again will they be believed, no matter how big their reach and how polished their production.
Unfortunately for them Internet made other views, other angles and other facts widely available. Even some independent British newspapers tried to present a balanced picture. And of course Al Jazira and Al Arabia and Abu Dhabi TV provided consistently more credible coverage. All of which merely nailed the lies of the American media. Let two samples of American journalism suffice for now. Pictures of the statue- toppling photo-op carried the caption ``Iraqis pull down Saddam statue.'' The pulling down was done by US Marines with the help of a US tank. Another photo caption in Time said, ``Iraqis mourn a relative killed in a blast, perhaps caused by US bombs.'' Perhaps.
Christianity as an aggressive player. The main religious element in this war is Jewish, but Christian evangelists have rushed in looking for their own pickings. Two prominent organisations are the Southern Baptists (the most fundamentalist Christian outfit in America), and the Samaritans' Purse, an extremely rich aid dispenser run by Frank Graham, son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham.
The Southern Baptists, who publicly describe Islam as evil, are distributing food packets labelled, in Arabic, ``Truth was realised through Jesus Christ.'' The Samaritans do likewise. Taking advantage of people in distress will do no good to Jesus Christ, but that is a cherished tradition of American evangelists.
Between exploiters of oil and peddlers
of Christianity, the Americans will establish themselves as an imperial
occupying force in Iraq. Their enemies will be legion. From these enemy
ranks will rise new Osama bin Ladens. America will never again know peace.
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