A failed cartography
The roadmaps drawn up by the conservative administration that came to power with George W Bush have all failed. Washington has yet to achieve its stated goals in Afghanistan; all the signals are that it is becoming bogged down in Iraq. Nor is its roadmap for a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict likely to lead anywhere.
The reasons are simple. The US seeks to reinforce its domination of the world and the world is expected to be subservient. Washington has based its policies on military power, pre-emptive strikes and the piling on of political and economic pressure regardless of international law and the legitimate rights of peoples. It ignores the principles of freedom and human rights on which the US itself was built.
It is no coincidence that in the three cases mentioned above the US has targeted Arab or Muslim populations, couching its goals beneath the naïve rubric of fighting terrorism.
Two years after the invasion of Afghanistan US influence barely extends beyond the suburbs of Kabul while the warlords continue to exercise control over the rest of Afghanistan. In Iraq the war had barely ended before the fallout began. The explosions in Riyadh, followed by attacks in Casablanca, are the predictable result of fanning the flames of fanaticism and extremism in the region. The US military machine was able to depose one of the most despised regimes in the Arab world. It has not, however, been able to eliminate terrorism which is fuelled by rage, frustration and lack of international justice.
What hope, then, for Washington's latest roadmap, drawn up by a pro-Israeli administration that has done everything in its power to accommodate Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's demands. Washington thrice postponed publication of the roadmap, and recently back- tracked on the demand both Palestinians and Israelis implement it unchanged.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with only stubbornness in his talks with the Israelis. The Palestinian Authority was quick to accept the plan without preconditions or alterations, and implemented the steps needed to form a new government headed by Abu Mazen, appointing Mohamed Dahlan (whom Israel trusts) as security chief and marginalising Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Sharon's response was to list 16 objections to the roadmap during talks with Powell which, the US secretary of state was told, he would discuss with President Bush when they meet in Washington.
Despite every indication that Sharon will not budge Abu Mazen agreed to meet the Israeli prime minister even as Israeli forces continued the siege of Beit Hanoun and demolition, oppression and assassination operations in the West Bank and Gaza. As professor of international relations at Oxford University Avi Shlaim noted, Sharon's aim was always to abort the diplomatic process the US had launched.
The meeting between Sharon and Abu Mazen did not amount to much. Sharon demanded that Abu Mazen disarm and dismantle Palestinian factions before Israel will even consider withdrawing troops from the occupied territories. Sharon's only concern, it is apparent, is to drive a wedge between Abu Mazen's government and the Palestinian factions.
The most recent terrorist attacks in Israel, which caused Sharon to postpone his trip to Washington, have come as no surprise. Sharon had ignited the fire before meeting Abu Mazen when he decided to permit Jews into the courtyard of Al- Aqsa Mosque. He then dealt a direct blow to Abu Mazen by informing him that he would only discuss security measures.
No one expected the third roadmap to succeed. Everyone knows what Bush should tell Sharon, though there is little if any hope that the US president will utter the necessary words. And once again Washington is destined to fail.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 22 - 28 May 2003 (Issue No. 639)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/639/op4.htm