New style of colonialism [Archives:2002/33/Focus]

BY MOHAMMED. A. NASSER
The last decade of the last century has seen the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The former Soviet union, before that event, had been militarily defeated in Afghanistan as a result of the steady struggle of the Afghan people supported by various forces of national liberation.
The Soviets were already stationed in the Southern part of Yemen and in the Horn of Africa where they were able to establish military presence and got some acceptance of their Marxist ideology, but the war in Afghanistan accelerated the demise of their empire, leaving the world to a uni-polar superpower, that is the United States of America.
Nowadays we are witnessing events reminiscent of the colonial past to occur similar to those that took place in the 19th and 20th century when many lands were occupied and colonized to serve the interests of certain western powers. However, later on those countries gained their independence after wars of liberation began to emerge here and there by getting training on the use of arms and political support from the then Eastern bloc countries, chief of which was the Soviet Union and thereafter adopted a policy which was inclined towards that bloc.
The existence of the Soviet Union at that time represented an equilibrium in the world arena and each of the two superpowers was very careful and cautious in tackling points of contention, except for the Cuban missiles crisis when they seemed to be on a collision course but later the explosive situation was calmed down with the wisdom of the Soviets retreat and the dismantling of the missiles and their subsequent return to the Soviet Union.
The disappearance of the Soviet Union as a superpower from the world arena created a political vacuum and the balance tilted in favor of the other superpower; the USA which now holds the military might and economic power unchallenged and thus influencing the course of events everywhere in the world.
The ongoing policy of dictatings on part of the only remaining superpower to changing some countries leaders and imposing its will on their nations, either politically or the under the threat of using force, are phenomena prevalent during the past colonial period. Such phenomena are becoming more clear and apparent in our region particularly with the collusion of the former experienced colonialist power of Britain, that with collaboration of France and Israel, launched an aggression and invaded the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1956, then under the reign of the immortal Arab leader the late Gamal Abdul Nasser in retaliation of his nationalization of the Suez Canal to bolster his countrys economy. The current policy pursed by some Western powers goes in this direction and solely serves the interests of Israel and its strategic ally the US.
Even the Arab worlds most friendly European state Spain which occupies two coastal cities on the Moroccan main land recently used its superior power against its neighbor Morocco to forcibly evacuate a small contingent of Moroccan troops from a tiny rocky island which is 200 meters away from this Arab state shores, whilst this European country stands helpless to recover its southern tip stretch of a rocky land from another ally. So, the Arab world territories are becoming vulnerable to foreign invasion in different forms and its national security is now facing dangers from various directions unless it wakes up from its hibernation and unites its stances against these covetous foreigners.
All these reasons and the looming use of force against the Arab countries in the region under whatever pretense, lead one to lament the lost days of the past when the Soviet Union was a matching power in spite of its oppressive system and abhorrent ideology, as yet it kept the scale balanced and the dignity and sovereignty of states respected.
To us as Arabs, we all know that the United Nations resolutions and sanctions are applied against our countries only as has been noticed throughout the past and the present, last of which the report issued by a UN committee charged with investigation into the tragic events that happened in the city of Jenin, which is casting doubt on the credibility of this international organization that is supposed to be an impartial judge whereby it has equated between the gladiator and the prey. The fact is that the UN was not allowed to make a field visit to the area but based its conclusion on information presented to it from known quarters including those who wield the influence at the organization.

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