Hypocrisy behind grand coalition

The United States and the West are not the biological parents of Osama bin Laden. But they created him. He is the creature of western, particularly US, political self interest.

If the ‘monster’ they created has turned round on its makers, then surely it behoves us to ask how it happened, why the creature that was created and nurtured by his masters has developed such a hatred towards his creators.

This is by no means to condone the mass killings that Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda are accused of. That was terrorism pure and simple. Sri Lankans have lived through all this before. 

Our terrorists might not have killed and maimed people in such large numbers in one single act. But the experience, the trauma that Sri Lankans have lived through successive terrorist attacks have left their own psychological scars and they have endured the same agonies and losses that the American people did on September 11.

One reason why the American tragedy has roused international condemnation is not merely the dramatic manner in which terrorism struck but that it did strike at the heart of American might- the economic might symbolised by the World Trade Centre and the military might by the Pentagon. Here was a country that bestrode the world in the post Cold War era as its only colossus. It seemed invincible, challenged the rest of the world in defying nuclear arms treaties put together after careful and lengthy negotiations, and threw caution to the wind in turning its back on environmental agreements such as the Kyoto treaty.

George W. Bush thought he was Zeus atop Olympus. Little did he realise that, like the mighty Achilles, the US states too had a vulnerable heel. For all its missiles that began raining down on Afghanistan two weeks ago and its nuclear arsenal, only utmost vigilance, if at all, could have saved the US from the deadly devastation.

This is not to gloat over what must be one of the greatest man-created tragedies the world has seen in post-war years. It is to realise that even the seemingly impregnable force is not without its fault lines and that however powerful we think we are, nobody can truthfully guarantee their people’s security. Therefore, we must believe in humility.

Not all the Cruise missiles fired by the US and British war machine are going to end terrorism. They can destroy what is left of Afghanistan, they can bring the Taliban to its knees. But if the two Bs- Bush and his transatlantic partner Blair- believe that shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, they will create a modern tombstone for terrorism, they live in a world of naivete.

This sudden call to arms to fight international terrorism is only because the United States suffered this tragedy and humiliation. Blair is extending his support because he can acquire some international stature only by hanging on to Washington’s coat tails. So they rush to build this grand coalition of the world’s nations against global terrorism.

Where were these great western leaders when small and smaller countries faced with terrorism, were crying out for help to put down this growing menace?

For a decade or more Sri Lanka has raised the danger of global terrorism at various international forums including the United Nations.

The liberalisation of trade and commerce made the movement of capital much easier. With barriers lifted it took only seconds to transfer enormous sums across frontiers.

The implosion of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a number of independent states with dangerously weak economies led to scientific and technological talent and arms being sold not only to other nations but to extremists without nations.

The West refused to recognise these dangers. Western countries were only worried that any nuclear arsenals or nuclear technology these newly-born countries might have would pass to what they perceived as “rogue states”.

They did not pay heed to the fears of smaller countries that technological and terrorist to terrorist cooperation was already happening and arms sales between and among groups were real.

Now they are hoist on their own petard. If Tony Blair and Britain are so determined to wipe out terrorism, why have they not done so in their own backyard? Missiles with the destructive potential of thousands of megatons can be used to kill some poor Afghans armed with dilapidated weaponry.

So what if a few Afghans die. Recently Blair was interviewed by BBC radio. When told of the news that four Afghan civilians working for a United Nations mine-clearing project had been killed by the attacks, his reaction was to discredit the news. Don’t believe all that you hear. You must wait for verification before drawing such conclusions.

After all it is only “collateral damage”.

Why has Blair not fought Northern Ireland terrorism with the same enthusiasm and moral righteousness that he now preaches to the world. Why does he not fire a couple of missiles at the IRA for not surrendering their weapons.

The answer is simple- Afghans, Muslims, blacks, Asians are expendable. Not the Irish. Tony is a phoney. In his first term as prime minister New Labour spoke of an “ethical foreign policy” based no doubt on principles and not self-interest. After his re-election in June “ethical” mysteriously disappeared from British foreign policy. Now he is sermonising again.