In defense of the Arab nation and Iraq [Archives:2002/31/Focus]

BY MOHAMMED A. NASSER, 
ADEN
I have worked and lived with Americans for two decades here in Aden in one of their business establishments and honestly speaking I found them to be nice, respectful, considerate and generous. An impression that overwhelmed me for so many years about them, except for what is happening in our region where I have observed a total bias of the consecutive Administrations against Arab causes especially with regard to Palestine and Iraq.
Throughout more than five decades the U.S.A has always stood against and vetoed many of UN resolutions on Arab issues through resorting to various excuses and pretexts and favoring the Jewish state. Thus they have blocked action for implementing of the course of the UN justice, last of which was the cancellation UN observers team that was supposed to find out what has really happened in the town of Jenin and the ongoing inhuman treatment of the Palestinian people and the real story of the usurpation of their land which if broadcast to the American people, would be criticized and branded as anti-Semitic. America is always seen to be the first country to target Arab countries and to rush UN resolutions imposing economic sanctions, isolation of several Arab countries like Iraq, Sudan and Libya. Who will come after we will wait and see, especially with the growing talk that America is bent on attacking Iraq to change its ruling regime, although many Arab countries and people of the region oppose that, as well as many countries of the world. The only exception of this U.S. scheme is the United Kingdom.
For the last 12 years, Iraq has been subjected to the harshest economic sanctions after it was driven off Kuwait, and no- fly zones were imposed on its Southern and Northern parts even without UN mandate. There a daily bombing and killing of innocent people whenever the countrys air defenses fire back at the American and British fighter planes violating their countrys aerial space. America and Britain claim to be defending the Kurds in the North and the Shiite in the South whereas as a matter of fact they serve their hostile plans against Iraq and their continued policy of bleeding white the resources of the Gulf States, alleging that Iraq is a major threat to their security. These two countries never wish in fact the Iraqi issue to end regardless of the human losses Iraq has sustained during and in the aftermath of the 2nd gulf war where 1,67 million Iraqis lost their lives and are still suffering because of the prolonged and unjustified American and British sanctions, using the UN as a cover and are applied by the use of their superior war machine after weakening Iraq.
It is ironical to hear from some senior American officials in the U.S. administration claiming that the Iraqi regime used weapons of mass destruction against its own people, whilst what America and Britain have and are doing is the mercy killing of over a million Iraqis most of them children and the upcoming invasion which is being promoted by the two countries will not deter them from the use of the most lethal weapons like the depleted uranium and possibly mass destruction armament to achieve their goals.
America seems to have forgotten its defeat at the hand a small, poor, week but brave nation of Vietnam where we were able to see on the TV screens how they left the country leaving their puppets to the hands of the Victor Charlies (the Viet-Cong) and later sought reconciliation with the communist party, still ruling and respected by America to date. The same with Britain. It has forgotten lessons of the colonial past and wants to regain its faded glory even at the expense of the suffering of the Iraqi people, with its chief ally the U.S.
The hatred that is now rife in the Middle East against America in the first place is growing, and boycotting its products is prevalent in many Middle Eastern countries, and Britain is also receiving its share of this hatred, but at a lower level.
I remember seeing in one of the demonstrations staged in America a placard carried by a lady saying America if you want peace pull out of the Middle East and there is nowadays a strong public opposition to the British policy that is subservient to the American Foreign policy especially in the Arab World, but I would hereby call on America to show wisdom and justice and remain in the Middle East where it has its immense interests and extend economic aid and true friendship and leave the Iraqis to solve their own problems as they deserve a decent life away from your daily threats, as the gunboat diplomacy or rather the aerial power and changing of regimes to create puppets is something of the past. I hope my words goes into the good listening ears.

——
[archive-e:31-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-07-29-p:./2002/iss31/focus.htm]