Punish warmongers

By Bukka Rennie
March 16, 2003

What we may very well be witnessing is the beginning of the last anguishing days of the last superpower. In 1983 when the Chambers Government stood firm against the US invasion of Grenada on the pretext of safeguarding American medical students on the island, the Reagan puppets in the Caribbean sought in every way to ridicule George Chambers and T&T. In Barbados, Chambers became synonymous with "cowardice". At their fast food outlets, it became customary to hear people order "a Chambers and chips".

The French people are today undergoing a similar onslaught of sick jokes because of their stance against the impending invasion of Iraq. The French are now being termed the buffoons and cowards of Europe who were even incapable of defending their motherland against German invasion during the second World War.

You see, it appears that only the superpower and its people possess the wherewithal to define and can so easily twist and distort history to suit their own malevolent purpose. The only factor that is delaying the US invasion of Iraq is the rapidly building anti-war sentiment of world opinion.

The US and their British allies are working feverishly to counteract this global response to war with Iraq, and they are using all the "artillery" at their disposal from humour to outright bribery and extortion. The moment that they feel that their efforts are about to stem the tide of the anti-war sentiment, they will invade Iraq.

What the world needs to do to punish warmongers such as the US is to make certain that all they hope to achieve via this war be turned around and be made counter-productive to their expansionist ambitions.

True to say, this war with Iraq is geared to maintain their sphere of influence and control in the Middle East and at the end of the day extend it. It is important to note the following:

n If US foreign policy in relation to the whole Arab world hinges on their relationship with the conservative, anti-democratic Saudi regime that sits on the largest proven oil reserves on Earth, then they will be seeking by means of this war to reinforce their control of this regime.

However it is now common knowledge that there are "young Turks" within the Saudi hierarchy who are not as inclined as the older heads to toe the US line. This younger elite tends to be more progressive as Arab nationalists, more pro-Palestine, etc. The anti-war axis of world opinion must seek to promote and support these young Saudi leaders that are emerging, moreso because they are inclined to be democratic in approach.

n Bringing Iraq to heel under firm US military control will serve to further stabilise US hegemony in the Arab region and put the second largest proven oil reserves under US control.

To counter this, world opinion must insist that no permanent US military force be based in Iraq, that Iraq"s future must be decided by the Iraqi people and their asset reserves be exploited only in their interests without foreign interference and manipulation.

n It will be in the interest of the US to exploit Kurdish nationalists to help defeat Saddam, which they will do but as before the US will quickly abandon the Kurds once their goal has been accomplished.

World opinion must recognise and pay homage to the demand for Kurdish self-determination. World opinion must insist that the Kurds as a people be allowed the greatest possible autonomy even to the point of carving out a distinct territorial entity if it is so desired.

n If the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan was about the Caspian Sea oil reserves, which incidentally are not proven reserves, and about the possibility of a pipeline across land to bring these reserves westward to a sea port, then the control of Iraqi proven reserves will allow the Caspian Sea oil issue to be placed on the back burner for the while until the warlords of Afghanistan are brought to heel.

Again it is in the interest of those who are for sustainable and equitable development to insist on a Pan-Arab perspective to the exploitation of the region's oil and gas assets.

n Many political and economic analysts are of the view that oil-currency is as important as oil reserves to US hegemony and domination of the world. To date petro-dollar bank reserves have always been kept in US dollars, thereby keeping the demand for US dollars high. That has begun to change much to the consternation of the US elites.

W Clark in his piece "The real reason for the war with Iraq" cites this new trend to hold petro reserves in Euro dollars rather than US dollars. In November 2000, Iraq switched to Euro dollars, Iran is presently considering doing likewise, Venezuela (under Chavez) and China have diversified their bank reserves, holding both USD and Euros.

What Clark also suggests is that with the coming expansion of the European Union by 2004 (ten new countries are to be added), it means that in terms of a market, the EU will then have a population of 450 million "oil consuming/purchasing" inhabitants with a "GDP (gross domestic product) of 9.6 trillion US dollars" to compete with the USA with its "280 million population and GDP of 10.5 trillion US dollars".

It is the view that, of all the big countries, the US economy, with its massive deficit, is the most sluggish and is presently in the most precarious position. The war in Iraq, the US elites feel, will "heat" things up, stimulate the economy into positive growth and greater output once again and create greater demand for US dollars. Most of all the US will then have the military presence throughout the entire region to enforce its influence.

The EU and France and Germany in particular must promote the switch to Euro dollars. It is in their interest to do so. The whole of OPEC must be made to do all transactions in Euro dollars rather than US dollars. That will break the back of US world hegemony.

World opinion must make this war against Iraq the beginning of the demise of the last superpower on Earth. The world will be a better place with no superpower but a strong UN structure as the world government.

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