topic by
real watcher
8/19/2002 (14:38) |
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Middle East Countries Must Meet to Thwart U.S. Threats Against Region
*NEWS ANALYSIS
By Our Staff Writer
TEHRAN - The United States has warned Arab countries opposing its planned
attack on Iraq that it will treat them as enemies if they continue their opposition,
reported the London-based ***Al-Qods al-Arabi*** in its latest issue.
Some U.S. diplomats in the Middle East have conveyed the U.S. intimidating
message to the countries concerned. The message reveals the fact that the
United States intends to confront any country that fails to cooperate with it in its
plan to attack Iraq.
Although the decision is not new in U.S. foreign policy, it gives added weight to
concerns U.S. foreign policy is becoming more and more dictatorial. The
dictatorial nature of U.S. foreign policy was first enunciated by President George
W. Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks when he announced that
those who do not join its war on terror are with the terrorists.
The approach is dangerous. Most European allies of the United States are not
happy with it. The approach will definitely lead to a militarized international arena
set to host another world war.
The U.S. may be able to pressure one or two weak countries, but if all these
countries unite no amount of pressure from Washington will work. In the face of
mounting U.S. threats, all Middle Eastern countries must unite to unanimously
oppose the planned U.S. military attack on Iraq.
Foreign ministers of all Middle Eastern countries are called upon to seriously
consider a united stance against the Iraqi issue and to unanimously oppose the
planned attack on this Muslim country.
The same meeting must also encourage a greater and more active role for the
United Nations and European Union toward settling the crisis through peaceful
means.
The meeting must also pressure Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations to
settle the crisis and remove any excuse for the U.S. to intervene militarily.
It is a fact that the U.S. puts pressure on weak countries in order to make them
obey its wishes, but tomorrow it could be something else. Once it succeeds in
reining in weak countries, it will set its eyes on stronger ones in order to achieve
the same goals. When this happens, the ground will be prepared for bigger
confrontations and, who knows, uncontrollable ones.
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