The United States administration and people [Archives:2003/673/Opinion]

By Abdulla Sallam al-Hakimi
For Yemen Times
In the wake of September 11, 2001 terrorist events, and under their atmosphere and profound political and psychological impact, it was apparent hat the United States was perseveringly and speedily working for formulating and following a new foreign policy. It was a policy meant to be quite different from its previous policies. That new policy was putting into account the comprehension and understanding of new facts and unprecedented developments produced by September events. The American administration found it compelling to take them into account and deal with them as it should with regard to the post-cold war strongest state on earth. That new American policy in its major international features was based on declaration of an all out world war against terror, in the full sense of terrorism. Accompanying the rhythm and reverberation of war against terror were American administration demands and pressures on the ruling regimes in the Middle East region and the Arab countries in particular. The pressures focused on effecting changes and reforms pertaining to situations and structures of the regimes in a manner leading to tackling aspects of corruption and poverty, pushing for democracy or more forms of democracy, respect of public freedoms and individual rights. Such changes would also open the way for peoples participation in administrating their affairs. Added to that a group of economic, educational, cultural changes and reforms in ruling institutions. Most important of that was America's announcement about its determination to find decisive solutions for disputes and wars occurring between the countries of the region in peaceful ways. Such American policy was proceeding from presumption that the defeat of terror could not be achieved in the targeted manner without the implementation of changes and reforms in the region's countries. All forms of terror and extremism can only appear and thrive under corrupt and troubled situations.
Through and after the 11 September events a torrent of statements and stands were issued by senior American administration officials, creating confusion and bewilderment at circles of the world public opinion in general and the in the region in particular. This American policy was stemming from the concept that defeating terror could not be achieved in the targeted manner without implementation of those changes and developments and comprehensive deep reforms. The reforms have to include the structure of the ruling regimes in the region and also the different situations and aspects of its societies life.
Officials in the American administration began since the first day of the events unleashing their accusations towards certain direction without any contemplation or insight. They have beaten strongly the drums of war and implemented the greatest mobilization operation and massing up striking military forces. They deployed those forces in various parts of the globe, placing all world states and peoples before only two options; both to accept and comply with all American demands immediately including opening of their territories and space to the American forces or they would automatically be doomed on the list of the countries hostile to America.
Accordingly thousands of people have been exposed to a horrible series of pains and calamities and injustice, such as killing, beating and humiliation, arrests and despotic measures inside the American and all of the western societies, under the absence of the simplest guarantees of he law and basic human rights. These policies included even those citizens bearing the American nationality by naturalization. Their only guilt is that they have features denoting their Middle Eastern ethnical and religious origins.
America had launched the war on Afghanistan, a country most backward in the world and pounded it with the most lethal and destructive weapons under the justification of the war on terror. But the Afghan tyrannized people were alone who paid a heavy price for the war by there lives, blood and torture. Very unsightly crimes were committed during the war as thousands of Afghan prisoners were annihilated while in detention with their hands and feet chained and hundreds or may be thousands of them had been taken to the detention military camp in the American military base in Guantanamo. They have been deprived of the all legal and human rights inside iron cages that are not fit for even animals and moreover they have not right to get trials, military or civilian. There are no lawyers to defend them and are not even considered as war prisoners. As for the terrorists against whom the war was launched they undoubtedly came out with the least amount of losses.
On the other hand there is a large-scale pursuit of charitable societies, humanitarian organisations, scientific centres and financial and investment companies the properties and assets of which had been frozen in violation of law and justice. The sweeping majority of those are from Middle Eastern origin. Senior American administration military and civilian officials continued their torrential statements expressing contradictory slogans and intentions. They began unleashing slogans characterized by fanatic religious marks such as '' the axis of evil'', '' rogue countries'' and '' absolute justice'' and unleashed threats of the use of military force against many states merely for their differing with America and opposing its policy. Those officials declared openly that their country's task was not just fighting terror but also toppling regimes which they term as dictatorial and tyrant and to protect the life of man wherever he was in addition to dealing a blow to tendencies hostile to the American policy. Other goals had also been included such as America would not allow any state to threaten its security and stability bay possession of weapons of mass destruction.
The United States had alone declared the war on Iraq, toppled its regime and occupied its land by force under pretext of its possession of weapons of mass destruction despite that the UN was still carrying out accurate and comprehensive inspection and search for those weapons for more than eleven years. Resounding political scandals blasted off in the United States and Britain after it had been proved that there was manipulation, falsification and exaggeration of the file of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction on a groundless basis. The American administration maintained its pressures on governments of the region for chasing and arresting and killing persons wanted on charges of terror. Those government did not restrict their responding efforts to those pressures and demands but they rather found that a good chance for liquidating their political opponents under pretext of responding to the American pressures. Thus those governments have become sharing the American administration in suppressing the peoples and forces of change and arousing terror and fear in their societies. All that was accompanied with the American administration threats of military strikes against countries, and political parties and organisations struggling for national liberation in the region included Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Lebanese resistance movement and the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation forces.
It is regrettable that all the American reckless policies and measures in the middle east in general and the Arab region in particular have dissipated the hopes the peoples of the region have attached to the American new policy as strong support for the change and reform and democracy as the confused stands of the American administration have become the prevalent characteristic. Its acts and practices are characterized by large-scale violations of human rights and human freedoms and sovereignty of the law and also its fearful tendency towards the full control and complete dependence on the logic of war and use of force.
Against all that the peoples of the region are increasing feeling hope and optimism with the people of the United States of America and their role and values anhumane message. That feeling o the peoples of the region came from their tangible awareness of the activities and noble stands of the American people whom our peoples see while huge groups of the American people take to the streets in various American cities in demonstrations and gatherings refusing wars and calling for peace, security, stability and human cooperation, pressuring strongly for establishment of bases of peace and social justice among mankind.
Our peoples bear great feelings of respect, appreciation and admiration towards the American people, considering them as bearing a great human message for the good, happiness and peace of the humankind on earth. This qualifies the American people to lead in the world but not to control the world.
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