Creating chaos

By Naguib Mahfouz

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The more I hear about daily incidents of murder, kidnapping or bombing in Iraq the more I am confirmed in my conviction that the American invasion brought not the liberation of a people but a new breeding ground for terrorism and violence.

The US invaded Iraq on pretext that this was part of its war against terror. But rather than alleviating that blight, the invasion unleashed a rein of chaos, creating the perfect pasture for terrorists and the ideal climate for recruiting more.

No one disputes that the Iraqi people were groaning under a ruthless dictatorship. But ambassadors were not being summarily kidnapped and executed, as was the tragic fate of the Egyptian ambassador, the Algerian charge d'affaires and others. These attacks against foreign diplomats are evidence that the violence that has enveloped Iraq is no longer confined within its borders. It is rearing its head towards other countries, including fellow Arab nations, for terrorism, after all, knows no fealties of brotherhood.

There is no exonerating the US and Britain for the tragic situation in Iraq. Their occupation of that country is directly responsible for transforming it into a quagmire of death and destruction that threatens to engulf us all.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy