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Ousting Saddam prelude to eliminating Islamist currents
Randa Habib for Middle East Online The Arab world's worst suspicions about US policies have been stirred by Secretary of State Colin Powell's comments to Congress that a war on Iraq could "reshape" the Middle East to suit Washington's interests. An Arab official, who requested he not be named, said that diplomats in the region had been aware for a year of US intentions to reshape the Middle East's political landscape. "American officials often told us in private that an intervention in Iraq would be a prelude to political and geographic upheavals in the region." [Applies look of fatuous innocence] "No! Really? They must be mistaken..." An analyst who also requested anonymity said Washington was playing a "carrot and stick" game with its main Arab allies, pressing them to align themselves fully in the war on terrorism and the campaign against Iraq, or be prepared to face dire consequences. That part about "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" was a pretty subtle hint, huh? "The Americans have ... made it known to countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt that they must modernize their forms of government and engage themselves clearly in the war against terrorism and Islamic extremism," he said. "It is understood that from now on only pro-American dictators, that ally themselves totally with the West and clamp down Islamist currents, will be tolerated." Can't recall that we've mentioned installing any dictators at all. We've been talking about democracy and individual freedom. Is there a translation problem? Powell told a congressional hearing Thursday that ousting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime could fundamentally reshape the Middle East in a positive way for the United States and its allies. Well, there it is, right there. That lays out the whole plan, doesn't it? Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-02-08 |
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