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| Kathmandu, Friday January 24, 2003 Magh 10, 2059. |
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War hysteria
As the United States flexes its muscles against
Iraq and makes the war cry more strident, anti-war efforts have been stepped up globally.
The US, joined by its most trusted ally the United Kingdom, is looking for the first
opportunity to strike. The two have deployed massive arms and forces in the Persian Gulf,
almost in anticipation that Iraq is not going to cooperate with UN weapons inspectors. In
the meantime, Iraq has claimed to have shot down a US intelligence plane for violation of
its airspace. Amidst the gloomy scenario, France and Germany decided to strengthen their
40-year-old tie of friendship and peace by making joint effort to block a war on Iraq.
France, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has given enough indication to veto
the possible US proposal to be moved by the US in the Council. Germany has said it would
vote against the resolution of war if such a situation arises.
There have been anti-war campaigns throughout
the world including in the US where President Bush has been projected as a protagonist of
war more than peace. A Washington Post ABC news poll recently recorded a five per cent
drop to 57 per cent supporting war against 62 per cent in December. The overall approval
rate of President Bush has dropped further. This shows opposition to the war in the US is
growing in the same proportion as the campaign in the rest of the world.
Other nuclear and powerful states have
spearheaded their own efforts to stall the war as well. India has made it clear that any
solution to Iraq problem has to be found within the mandate of the UN Security Council,
and the US should not be allowed to impose its pro-war agenda on the world-body. Russia,
China and Pakistan have made their position against the war clearly understandable to the
rest of the world.
A message should not go to the world outside
that the US actually wants to take the control of fuel in Iraq. UN’s current mandate
is to secure Iraq’s full cooperation to the UN weapons inspectors to inspect the
suspected sites of production and store of mass destruction. The weapons inspectors have
their accountability to the UN and certainly they should not give away scope to Iraq as
well as the rest of the world that they are more aligned to anti-Iraqi quarters. But the
pro-war hysteria or propaganda by the US disregarding the world opinion will be taken as
absolute defiance of the world opinion. |
