Light of Peace

Saddam Hussain, the former ruler of Iraq, was a dictator of his own kind with no parallel in the modern world. He gained power in Iraq through his political ‘Ba’ath Party’. After assuming power he suppressed his people through the use of ruthless force and brute techniques. The ‘Shiite’ Muslims, though being in majority, were denied their political and religious rights and were always kept away from power. They were not even allowed to celebrate their religious rituals of “Aashur’ in the holy city of Karbala. Similarly the Kurd population in the north Iraq was victimized. They were targeted and bombarded with brute use of force. The Kurds were even subject to the genocide by employing chemical weapons against their civilian population centers. The intelligence network of Saddam was so dreadful and effective that no one in the country could escape its wrath. The voices of dissent were crushed immediately by eliminating the opponents, even if they were from his family and clan.

Saddam attacks Iran

The political party of Saddam Hussain, ‘Ba’ath Party’ that was in power, had a socialist orientation. Hence neither his party nor Saddam Hussain himself had to do anything with Islam or Islamic ideology. Till second Gulf War, the posture of Saddam Hussain was that of a pure secular dictator; however during the war he amended his profile to display as a champion of Islam, just to attract the sympathies of the Muslim world.He invariably got himself photographed while sitting on a mat and saying prayers. At times he would compare himself with Saladin, the great Muslim leader who fought Crusades with the Christian armies of Europe in 10^th century. All this was a pseudo behavior as his actions never matched with the values and teachings of Islam. Despite his inhuman behavior and policies, Saddam Hussain was continuously pampered by the West. It is so unfortunate that the western democratic countries vehemently supported a dictator like Saddam, just to fulfill their own aims. A huge amount of military aid was provided to Iraq to make her army as a formidable force to face the Iranian Islamic revolutionary state. The result was obvious. Saddam Hussain attacked Iran in 1980 without any provocation but was supported by the West. Imbued with the spirit of patriotism and inspired the revolutionary teachings of their leader. Ayatulla Khomeni, the whole Iranian nation put up a formidable resistance and achieved success against Iraq, despite heavy odds.

The Gulf War 1991

Saddam Hussain then planned to capture Kuwait in 1990. He based his strategy on the assumption that the West, particularly the Americans will not interfere militarily with his adventure. It is yet not clear to the political and military analysts as to how Saddam could commit such a blunder without taking his benefactors ie the West, into confidence. One opinion is that the Americans themselves prompted Saddam to take this action so that they may have an excuse to interfere and then station their forces permanently in the Middle East. Whatever the case may have been, Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait and occupied it virtually without any resistance. This adventure directly threatened UAE, Behrain, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia. It seemed as if Saddam Hussain was out on a winning spree in order to become the master of the richest lands of the world. Obviously the whole world opinion turned against Saddam and wanted to get rid of this menace. The military alliance created under the leadership of the US was unprecedented. It comprised troops from not only the Western countries but the significant Arab countries like Egypt, Syria, UAE and Saudi Arabia also contributed their troops. Even Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sent their troops to fight against Iraq as the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq was being seen as a naked aggression and was to be undone at all cost. Israel was however kept out of war due to political reasons.

The Operation Desert Sabre was virtually a walk over. It was a one-sided battle that broke the myth of Saddam’s military strength. The Iraqi army suffered casualties like sitting ducks. Saddam never used his air force and chemical weapons which he had been threatening to use. The surface to surface Scud missiles proved to be total failure. Most of these missiles were neutralized by the under cover agents of the UK even before the war. The battle became a testing ground for the most sophisticated weapons held by the Western countries which played havoc with the Iraqis, destroying every target with precision and impunity. The morale of Iraqi army descended to its lowest ebb. Most of the soldiers surrendered without fighting. They sold their weapons in Kuwait city to get the fare for their journey back home. Iraqi army even could not carry out a planned withdrawal from Kuwait. The road from Kuwait to Baghdad was littered with the destroyed Iraqi tanks, vehicles and dead soldiers. After having 15000 Iraqi soldiers and 45000 Iraqi civilians dead, Saddam Hussain ordered cease fire and withdrawal from Kuwait.

Aftermath of the War and Strategic Blunder of the Allies

The plan of the allied forces was to retake Kuwait from the Iraqi possession. It was a very limited and short term aim and had its own consequences. The larger strategic aim should have been to remove Saddam Hussain from power. By then it was proved beyond doubt that he was a war criminal at international level and a cruel ruler who had been massacring his own people with impunity. Even George Bush, the then president of the US had declared ‘Saddam as worst than Hitler’. If that was the case, then why were the Iraqi people, the Middle East and the world as a whole left at the mercy of Saddam? The US could have very easily helped Iraqi people to replace the tyrant dictator with a democratic set up as the whole world was having a consensus on this. Had this been done back in 1991, the world would have been different today. The US misconstrued the aftermath of war and thought that the people of Iraq would themselves remove Saddam Hussain from power as no ruler can stay in power after such humiliation. That analysis of the situation was against the ground realities. The nations, whose ego, liberty, personal respect, freedom of expression and freedom of thought is crushed over a prolonged period of time, can never think of rising up to face a dictator in order to get their rights. Only the nations can stand up to face their cruel ruler and usurpers who have the life and spark left in them. Some analysts say that the Americans spared Saddam Hussain purposely so that he could again be used for some malicious plans in the future. But that time never came.

Conclusion

Saddam Hussain remained in power for the next about 13 years. He neither played any positive role nor did he prove useful for the West for his remaining period in power, till we saw the dawn of year 2003 and with it the America’s war on Iraq. Now after seven years of fighting in Iraq, what has the American nation gained or lost, is writing on the wall. The big question is: Did sparing of Saddam Hussain in 1991 help the promotion of global peace or otherwise? The answer is left to the political analysts. However the lesson learn t is that the strategic decisions taken by the super powers always have lasting effects on the world peace.

Aim is to achieve peaceful reunification,

It promises of non-military exercise,

The cross-strait personnel exchanges

Promotion of economic and cultural ties.,

Establishment of cross-strait direct communication as soon as possible,

Establish the trade links with mutual cooperation.

China’s main land has a socialist system where as Taiwan has capitalist system. After the unification that system will be retained by Taiwan and will merge with main land slowly and gradually over a period of time.

Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy after unification. The central government, the administration and the military will not be disturbed

The resolution of Taiwanese issue is the internal matter of of the Chinese people and only they are going to settle it. There is no need of any foreign interference in this matter. The Chinese government has strictly followed this policy and hopefully Taiwan government will also find the solution within the ambit of this policy, this policy has been reiterated time and again by successive Chines governments before the the world and Taiwan also.

The Chinese government strictly denounces the use of force to settle an issue. It always prefers peaceful measure to resolve the issue of Taiwan. However china has never promised not to use force. It reserves the right to use any means deemed appropriate to settle this issue if need be. As long as the US government and the world as whole supports Taiwan authorities but keep in mind that Taiwan is an integral part of china and PRC is the only legal government of china, there will be no friction between the foreign countries and China. However the Taiwanese authorities are expected to think and act within the scope of on china. The concept of independent Taiwan will not be acceptable to china at any cost.

The reunification of Taiwan with china will be beneficial to people of both the lands. When the Chinese speak to the Taiwanese authorities, they always talk of one country china and its indivisible sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is the basic premise on which further dialogue can be developed to achieve global peace.

“O man, do not wrangle over the material items of the world by saying,

‘This is yours, this is mine.’

As a matter fact, this world is neither yours nor mine,

This world is like a festival arranged for a few days,

Thereafter this world and you will,

Turn into a heap of mud (grave). “

This couplet provides a deep insight into the fact about the worldly life. The material resources of the world are meant for the use by man to sustain life and to promote / develop human attributes. These are not to be occupied permanently, rather they cannot be. Just look at the historical monuments and palaces of different civilizations. They have changed their masters a number of times over the centuries. Moreover, after the death, the heaps of mud (graves) do not need these resources.

There is no restriction on the use of these resources. As a matter of fact, the immense resources of the universe should be explored, harnessed and made use of for the best benefit of the mankind and the individuals. You may eat, drink and enjoy your life but should not transgress over the rights of the others. If you transgress, the first casualty will be the peace. The aim should be; enjoy your life and let others to enjoy it. Keep the resources of this world open for the use by everyone. This sense of sacrifice and care for the others start from your inner self, family, encompass your neighborhood and then spreads over to city, country and the world as a whole. If we adopt this attitude for life in the light of the sayings of the saint poet, there is no reason why the peace may not prevail in the world.

Decisions made by the powerful countries always create ever lasting impressions in the history. Same is the case with decision taken by George W Bush, the former president of the US to launch a global war against the terrorists. Notwithstanding the facts whether the suicidal attacks were genuinely planned and executed by Al Qaeda or were orchestrated by those who had their own plans to implement and interests to be accrued, my focus will be on the out come of the war and its future prospects.

During the days of bipolar world, although a large number of conflicts were going on in various parts of the world but the global peace was not being threatened in a manner as it is today. Although the hostile forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries remained deployed in full preparation, we did not see a single bullet being fired from any side of the adversaries. Despite conflicting policies, a semblance of uncomfortable calm prevailed under the shadow of nuclear warheads.

When a super power makes a strategic decision, it has to take its full responsibility as well. During the cold war era both the super powers took many decisions but with responsibility, probably due to an expected backlash from the other side. However the decisions now being taken by the sole super power seem to be devoid of responsibility. Relying on the sheer use of brute force, with a total disregard to public opinion and with no regrets of the colossal damage caused to civil life and property, the outcome of that decision is as the following:

§ The number of casualties caused to American and allied forces have exceeded the casualties caused in the destruction of World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

§ The economy of the US plunged to its lowest after the recession of 1902’s. The US government had to rely on the bailout package to stabilize the economy.

§ The unemployment graph in the US is at its all time high. The promises made by President Obama for jobs, health etc are still in doldrums.

§ As per the assessment of the US generals, politicians and think tank, their country is still unsafe. Reportedly Al Qaeda is intact and is planning to launch terrorist attacks inside America on the lines of 9/11.

§ Despite of the killing and arrests of many notable Al Qaeda leaders, no meaningful progress has been made to determine the location or status of Osama Bin Laden.

§ Despite a full time presence of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan with a single aim to crush Al Qaeda and the Taliban, a large area of the country is under effective control of the Taliban. They are reported to be conducting press conference, taking the government loyalists as hostages, growing poppy to finance their operations against the allied forces, and making strongholds in their areas of influence.

§ Despite unconditional cooperation rendered by Pakistan in the war, the blame against that ally for not doing enough, existence of safe heavens of terrorists and their frequent crossing over to Afghanistan continue. America has been given a free hand even within Pakistan to conduct anti terrorist operations in the shape of drone attacks and organizations like Black Water; but the situation seems to be out of control. It is amazing to think that a multinational force equipped with sophisticated weapons has failed to control the Taliban and to block their crossing of the border, but a single country like Pakistan is expected to do all this with miraculous success.

§ America has lost its good will in the world, particularly in the Muslim world. The US is being perceived as a neo-crusader who have unleashed a rein of terror and destruction against the Muslim countries. Although this perception is denied by America time and again, but seen in the back drop of unresolved issues like Palestine and Kashmir etc the perception seems to have some weight.

§ The generals and admirals of American and NATO forces have confessed many times that the war in Afghanistan is not producing the desired results.The admittance of this failure speaks volumes about the conduct of war in 21^st century.The military strategists may revisit their doctrines. Gone are the days when the powerful countries would conquer the weaker ones and then stay there peacefully. The cost of war now drastically outweighs the gains achieved.

§ President Obama announced the end of operations in Iraq and the withdrawal of combat troops from there. An appearance of joy was visible from the faces of the American hierarchy as if an unpleasant job was over. But the country is far from being stable. A surge in suicide attacks in Iraq recently has been seen. It may take decades for the Iraqi people to come to terms with the post-war situation.

§ The US is not clear what to do and what not to do in Afghanistan now. The puppet government of Mr. Karzai is corrupt, incompetent and ineffective. The writ of the government can hardly be seen outside Kabul. As and the allied force leave Afghanistan, with or without settlement with the Taliban, the Taliban are sure to make a come back in the power. What will be the political and strategic map of post-war Afghanistan is anybody’s guess. However given the track record of the decision making by the sole super power, only an abrupt and erratic decision is expected without any forethought and forward planning.

On the cross road of history

So this is the cross road where we are standing today. The decision to attack Iraq and Afghanistan was the biggest mistake of this century. Taliban were never the enemies of America, rather they were converted to as such. They had a strong and effective government and were able to enforce peace in the country. If they did not agree to hand over Osama Bin Laden at the first instant, they could have been persuaded by their friends like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia over a period of time. By executing development projects the West could have brought the Taliban in the main stream of world community. Once that happened, other issues would have become much easier to settle. It was probable that after getting in to the main stream, the Taliban would have refined their internal policies to make them more civilized and acceptable.

Similarly attacking Iraq has disturbed the basic power structure in the Middle East. Saddam Hossain had a tight grip over the affairs of the country. He had virtually surrendered to the will of international community during the last days of his authority. It was much easier for the UN to get the desired policies implemented in Iraq through him. Apart from hundreds of thousands of Iraqis being killed and destroyed, this war has proved to be extremely costly for America in terms of money and resources.

Who are the beneficiaries of this war?

The analysis of the situation shows that, as a result of the American attack on Iraq, the country that has benefited the most is Iran. The Shiite population in Iraq, which had been politically suppressed by Saddam Hossain despite being majority, has now come up as an effective power broker. Obviously they have an inclination towards Shiite Iran. A strong government of Saddam Hossain duly supported by the West was a counter balancing force against Iran. It can be seen very clearly that after the start of this war, Iran is emerging as regional power. Iran has recently made tremendous progress in the fields of science, space and nuclear technology and the weaponry. The refueling of its first nuclear power plant with locally enriched uranium has started. Apart from many achievements in the manufacturing of missiles and other weapons, Iran has announced to send its first astronauts in space within fourteen years. There is no going back from this stage. Iran will soon be a potent force in the region to reckon with.

As the attack on Iraq has benefited Iran, in a similar manner attack on Afghanistan has benefited Pakistan the most. The post-war scenario in Afghanistan shows emergence of a strong and formidable Pakistan. After the exit of foreign troops, the Taliban or pro-Taliban government in Afghanistan will be a great support for Pakistan. The terrorist groups like Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan and their auxiliary groups will cease to exist in Pakistan. Hence Pakistan will get rid of the curse of terrorism and a new era of development and foreign investment will begin. Already a nuclear power, Pakistan will be another potent force in the region that nobody will be able to ignore.

Given the emerging scenario, the best option for America in Afghanistan will be to immediately negotiate their withdrawal plan with the Taliban. A broad-based national government in Kabul will be acceptable to the people of Afghanistan and will pave the way for a respectable American withdrawal. In the regional context, three countries; China, Pakistan and Iran will be the most important players. The responsibility of regional security and peace should be entrusted to this troika, for the best results.

Let Obama and Osama talk out their differences

And last but not the least, I go another step forward. For the sake of global peace the possibility of one-on-one dialogue between the US and Osama Bin Laden or his aide may also be considered. We should not be ashamed of this initiative because this is war and most of the wars in history have culminated at the dialogue table. Moreover, the Al Qaeda people are not aliens to the US because they were actually trained, financed and patronized by the US. If now they have become disgruntled and frustrated after being abandoned by the US, there is no reason why they could not be convinced again. Their grievances can be listened to and reasonable demands can be met. For long term demands the process of dialogue may continue. Some one may come up with the logic that a dialogue with Al Qaeda is ruled out as they very cruel people who have killed so many of the innocents. In my opinion history is full of such atrocities by the cruel people that if the share of Al Qaeda’s is compared with them, it will be infinitesimal. While rising above our ego, we may do well to take every possible step, how unpleasant it may look to us, for the sake of global peace, as no price is more than the worth of peace.

War does not have good things for the people.War does not just kill people but those who survive, live in a state of agony and dismay.Take the example of nuclear radiation that descended on Japan in 1945. There are many who survived but are still suffering from the bad effects.
In addition, many children, our next generation are born with a disability.The children are born with various disabilities like no natural fingers.No one comes forward to bring a change in the life of these children.

Today a large number of children are suffering in the world due to war.As the schools were destroyed in the war, about 18 million children picked up the weapon and went to fight the war.. A child who was a student of class five is now a soldier.
War is still going on in many parts of the world, and there are people who are still struggling with the wounds of war.

The Limits of Peace

A question arises, "Is there a limit to the peace?" Because wars are being fought every day.
For example, Iraqis are dying despite of the presence of tens of thousands of foreign, troops in Iraq. Whether we like it or not, the war tragedies are taking place right in every home,.in the school and town. This is the gift of such a small war. What would happen if the war is extended beyond limits? The peace is limited. It has its limitations. War has got no limits. When it starts, it makes its own way and is very difficult to stop. It keeps multiplying in terms of dimensions and losses. For example, the U.S. military attacked Iraq because of the 9/11. But it seems that the US military reacted with 911 attacks per second!

China participated in joint training exercises with foreign countries. War games were organized throughout the year. China and Mongolia carried out joint training of peacekeeping forces, China and Gabon embarlked up on a military "peace angel" medical aid mission. Chinese and the Russian troops carried out “Peace Shield "joint convoy training exercise. China and the Romanian Army" conducted “Friendship Operation “that was a Joint mountain training in terms of the military related areas for the first time.

60th anniversary of the founding of the new capital was celebrated as the National Day military parade. Troops from army, navy and air force also participated. A large number of foreign diplomats wee also invited. Representatives of 34 countries attended the National Day parade. Navy and air force in international forums, marine parade, air show and other activities were displayed to present the Chinese army as a symbol of peace, openness, cooperation and good image.

The Naval escort made positive progress in 2009. it actively promoted the Gulf of Aden army in international waters off Somalia for escort and cooperation missions. In addition to the formation of foreign naval escort, frequent meetings were held with naval commanders, the joint convoy was arranged, joint exercises were conducted, and tasks like legal assistance in the coastal sea area of various countries was performed. The logistics support co-operation was also raised in Aden Bay area. International conferences of coordination were held in Bijing which won the support of majority of the countries who welcomed it..

The work of foreign military news release system was improved. 8-year Chinese Defense Ministry news conferences were organized to arrange an interview with nine units of international media, Defense Department spokesman issued a formal statement and the Department of Defense Website launched a trial operation.

The Chinese have been able to achive a positive image of their national defense and armed forces. They were able to put forward their stated position on foreign policy that responded appropriately to international concerns. That shows an opening of Chinese army with more active rols in future based on their transparent sincerity, confidence and global peace, as they have claimed so far.

Mahatma Gandhi, a great leader of India requires no introduction. A simple soul with modest dress and posture, a man of the soil, is to be remembered by all for his marvelous contributions for the protection of human rights, civil liberties and global peace. One may differ with his political ideas, but no one has ever raised a finger on him as far as his patriotism and efforts to achieve peace are concerned. He was a symbol of peace and an example to be followed. His golden principles and sayings are still contemplative and worth considering. His teachings clearly lay down the foundations up on which the society should be build. These cover all the aspects of the society; political, economic and the religious.

The crux of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi is that if a person is void of spiritual value, he or she is of no use to the society or to the world even if that person reaches the zenith of material successes and gains. Man is a beautiful combination of matter and spirit and unless both the facets are not satisfied the aim of life is not achieved. Mahatma Gandhi was of the view that peace starts from within the person. Once a person finds peace within, the achievement of outer / global peace becomes very easy.

Mahatma Gandhi always denounced violence. He always fought with his enemies with the weapon of peace and non-violence. He achieved tremendous successes with bare hands which many of his adversaries could not achieve with arms and wealth. However when we look at the present profile of India, we find it at a total divergence from what their great leader preached. The religious, racial and linguistic extremism is on the increase, the violation of human rights is a matter of routine and the political spectrum is dotted with nepotism, corruption and ambiguity. No minority may be Muslims, Christians or Sikhs are not safe. People like Bal Thackeray and organizations like RSS are all out to victimize / harass the religious minorities. The desecration of Babri Mosque, the massacre of Muslim minority in Gujarat, the denial of the right of self determination to the people of Kashmir and their brutal suppression and burning of the Christians along with their churches are some of the black spots on the democratic and secular posture of India. Had Mahatma Gandhi been alive today, he would certainly have condemned his fellow countrymen for open violations of his axioms. The enlightened people of India would be better placed if they convince their government to shun all those policies that are in contravention to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, particularly the ones that deal with the rights of minorities, so that the passionate image of their great leader is not tarnished and the achievement of global peace is made easy.