The
Persian Gulf that satisfies the oil needs of the industrialised West,
has a unique importance in today’s world. This source of energy,
intrigued the super powers in the cold war era where both USA and the
USSR tried to establish their foothold in the region. The Soviet Union
in a bid to reach the warm waters, collapsed in Afghanistan. America may
also meet a similar fate if better sense does not prevail. In this
region, Americans always enjoyed the upper hand where they could
maintain strong relations with the Jews, Arab monarchies and the Shah of
Iran. During the Arab Israel wars, the USA openly sided the Jews in
every conceivable manner yet the Arab Monarchs could never have the
courage to take a stand. The anti Jew bogeys that the Arabs created was
only for the consumption of their people and the other Muslim world at
large. The Jews, in the American guise had complete access to the entire
defence structure in the Arabian peninsula. Here they played multi facet
game to effectively keep a strong hold over the region. On the other
hand, the Russians had strong relations with the non monarch Arab
countries but they also maintained strong covert relations with Israel
to pacify its own Jewish population and the world media.
After the
oil crunch of the seventies and the Iranian revolution, the Americans
required a base in the region to influence any future development. Like
the East India Company, the Americans exploited the inter Arab enmity
very effectively. The Arab republics were projected as threats to the
Kingdoms. American policy makers, mostly dominated by the Jews knew that
revolutionary Iran would also have to be contained for it did not suit
their designs. It was an American expediency to find an alternative
quickly. The Arabian Peninsula was a good choice, rich in oil and other
mineral resources but unable to manage their affairs. Therefore by
moving in here, the Americans could achieve all their goals at the
Arabs’ expense. The Americans played the Iran and Israel card to keep
the Arab Kings and Amirs of the region in a submissive position. The
communistic doctrines of the Soviets were also exploited to keep the
Arabs away from Moscow. The Arabs had no option but to rely on the
American support.
Diplomatic efforts were speeded up to befriend the Arabs, main thrust
being on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)
comprising of the monarchies of the region was formed soon after the
ouster of Shah of Iran but the three key players of the region Pakistan,
Iran and Iraq were kept away. Without these countries, the pact became
meaningless for the region but it suited the Americans the most. Overtly
it was anything but covertly, it was a defence pact as a front-line
force to counter the Iraqi and Iranian threats as an American proxy.
Pakistan was the only country that had military presence in most of the
Arab world to provide training and technical support. Pakistan's
presence was not conducive to the American designs. To counter this,
‘The Gulf Scenario’ was written by Richard Bulliet, to project Pakistan
as a nuclear power taking control of the region. It was followed up with
other diplomatic channels to create distrust between Pakistan and the
brotherly Arab countries.
The
airlift of mostly obsolescent defence systems in surplus quantities was
initiated on war footings. The Saudis were given F 5s while A 4s were
shipped to Kuwait. For the purposes of training, the Saudis and Kuwaitis
were sent to the United States in large numbers where they were also
exposed to the western culture totally in conflict with the Islamic
values. This cultural invasion was the main thrust of the Jews to dilute
the Muslim faith. In the next phase, when the Americans felt stabilised,
replacement of the equipment and the constructions of the military
cities started. Arabs were talked into building their bases according to
the American standards fully self contained. This brought in the new
phase of training at a much larger scale. The new systems like the AWACS
and F 15s were so complex that the Saudis could not operate them. The
catch was that the vital components of the new weaponry could not be
repaired outside the USA. During my contract with the KAF & AD, the
Americans were enticing the Kuwaitis to buy a few squadrons of F 18s
with complete paraphernalia. To keep the Pakistanis away, the Americans
introduced the ‘Third Country Nationals’ clause into their agreements.
This made the Pakistanis redundant thus not being able to provide any
support to their Arab brethren. Now all the facilities were staffed by
the Americans themselves at exorbitant prices and all the data was
available to Israel courtsey the USA. The Arabs never realised the game
that was going on. They were only given to take pride in having the
latest and the biggest of the facilities in the world and made them
spend their money in a very callous manner. The entire plans came
prepared from America and the Arabs were only to finance the project.
France and Great Britain also got a slice of the cake where the French
were looking after the UAE while Great Britain maintained its presence
in Oman. In the meantime, the Americans cultivated the Iraqi leadership
in a very clandestine manner to play threat in the region. Saddam
Hussain took the bait and began a massive defence build-up mostly with
the Russian and French assistance. Almost every VETO power country of
the West, shared the booty. They fully worked their industry and economy
off the Arab money and also developed new technologies.
The
instigation of Iran-Iraq war was also a link of the same chain. The
Americans aided Iraq to avenge their humiliation at the hands of the
revolutionary Iran and so did the Arabs for different reasons. This
aimless war went on for more than eight years with a very high human
loss. At this stage Iran was going through post revolution period and
was not finding any stability. At one time it appeared that Iran would
fragment into smaller faction states but the Iraqi invasion came as a
blessing in disguise. The Iranians united and faced the Iraqi threat
very resolutely and pursued their revolution more fiercely. During the
war, they held elections and carried on their normal political activity
that brought them the desired unity and stability.
After
Saddam’s failure to make any gains on the Iranian front, to save his
face, Kuwait was invaded but not without the blessings of America. There
was no better target than Kuwait with whom Iraq had some border
disputes. Iraq also wanted Bubian and Falika Islands to dominate the
Gulf that Kuwait always resisted. On the appeal of Sheikh Jabber, the
Amir of Kuwait and King Fahad, Security Council meeting was summoned to
mobilise the world opinion. The Americans played their cards very
effectively and now had a wide opportunity before them to play with the
Arab wealth. They moved their troops into the barracks that they had
been building over the past two decades or so. The second world war did
not see a concentration of troops like operation Desert Storm. The
Americans and its allies found a good opportunity to battle test their
new doctrines and technology that they had been developing over the
years. The entire cost of this operation was borne by the Arabs, what a
tragedy? Not only that, the Americans found a permanent foot hold in the
region to control the vast oil reserves and other mineral resources that
the area is so rich in. Americans through the UN imposed all sorts of
restrictions on Iraq and today even the children are dying of hunger and
disease.
Bush proved to the world that America was the only global power. He very
quickly announced the new world order and began to dictate his terms.
The smaller countries are finding the unipolar system not conducive to
their survival. The bigger and developed countries like China, Japan,
Russia and even France and Germany in the NATO have begun to look for
different alternatives to counter the American thrust. The new groupings
are still in the process of formation and would need some time before
they can stand the test of time. The Jewish-American nexus are busy
eliminating any possible threat, the most immediate and potent being
Islam. A handful of Muslim countries like Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Iran
have been placed on the terrorist list, occasionally, Pakistan is also
shown the red card. Iran for its more revolutionary ideas and a strong
match in the region has always remained in their focus. The Iraqi attack
on Iran also proved counter productive. Iran not only gained strength
but also managed to shed its expansionist image painted by the West. In
the recent months, Iran and Saudi Arabia have come closer. Visits are
being exchanged, flights have resumed and trade is opening up. This does
not fall in line with the Jewish thinking.
During the Iranian exercises, Americans positioned their forces in the
Gulf but found no opportunity to attack. Not wasting any time, Saddam
card was played to further boost their forces in the Gulf. Most people
thought that Iraq took a stand but that was not true. Why would the
Americans waste their energies on a dead horse? The Americans are
building up to punish Iran and keep Saudi Arabia submissive. In Iran,
they want to install a secular system like the one in Turkey. The recent
Iranian diplomatic overtures have caught the Bill administration on the
wrong foot. If America does venture against Iran, it would be a
different ball game altogether.
Major (Retd) Raja Ghulam Mujtab
Tel
+92-333-5829111, E-Mail:
raja_mujtaba@hotmail.com
Published in Pakistan
Observer in June 1998