HASSAN TAHSIN Ever since the US administration determined that North Korea, Iran and Iraq constituted an axis of evil which must at all costs be prevented from possessing a nuclear military capability, the people of the Middle East have lived in a state of political confrontation and aggressive diplomacy. The US policy was a diversified one with regard to dealing with this issue. At times the US employed false diplomacy, while at other times it resorted to military threats or economic blockades and imposed a variety of sanctions against the three countries. None of these American maneuvers were successful as far as North Korea was concerned. Defying the West, it conducted nuclear tests, albeit in a limited manner. Hence, the West stopped its policy of threatening the country, and US administration officials headed for China in order to ensure its intervention in solving this complicated issue. This indicated the success of a policy of fait accompli. As for Iraq, it was unable to defend itself because of its corrupt ruler and his ego. When the US administration accused Saddam Hussein's Iraq of having an advanced nuclear capability which could threaten the United States, that was the biggest lie in the global political arena. And the US tried to convince the world of this lie. When the US administration failed to do so, it decided, together with Britain, to invade Iraq. That was done without any international approval and thus in defiance of the United Nations and the UN Security Council. The US war on Iraq concentrated on destroying its infrastructure and making use of its oil wealth. Then, the US was forced to pull out of Iraq, leaving it in the midst of internal clashes between followers of various sects and ideologies, without the country having any police force capable of maintaining internal security and any army to protect it. With the destruction of Iraq, Israel was reassured slightly. But this reassurance was neither complete nor sufficient. Israel is still afraid of Iran's power even though it has a monopoly on a nuclear deterrent in the Middle East region. Israel continues to remain the trusted servant which protects American interests in the region and is used as a cat's paw to cover the lapses of the US. This is why the US administration is mounting pressure on Iran diplomatically and economically and in the media without being certain of Iran's nuclear capabilities and whether or not it is really working on making a nuclear weapon? The diplomatic and media campaign against Iran unleashed by the West and led by the United States and Israel has created a tense situation for Arab countries in the region as well as for Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. Apart from this, there are strong indications that point to the ulterior motive of the US administration and Israel – the destruction of Iran. In pursuit of peace, the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held in Vienna on September 20, voted to pass a draft Egyptian resolution that calls for the acceptance of the application of IAEA safeguards by all countries in the Middle East region. Among the member countries, 110 states voted in favor of the resolution while eight countries, including the US, abstained from voting. Despite Israel's claims on every occasion that it was working for peace, the Jewish state voted against the resolution. While taking part in the debate on the draft resolution, the president of the conference session highlighted the significance of applying a comprehensive safeguards agreement in the Middle East. He said that a decision in this respect would be a positive factor that would be in support of the annual meeting of the IAEA, scheduled to be held in Helsinki in December this year, for a discussion of the establishment of a Middle East region free from nuclear weapons as well as from weapons of mass destruction. In the Vienna meeting, Russia announced the withdrawal of its draft resolution, clearing the way for Egyptian resolution. After Israel's rejection of the resolution and America's abstention from voting, Egypt is left to shoulder a major political task, namely compelling Israel to disclose its nuclear arsenal, which is not a simple issue. Apart from this, Egypt also has to demand that the US stop threatening Iran and compel Israel to admit that it has nuclear weapons. Nobody has asked Israel about the size of its nuclear arsenal which is supposedly capable of striking Moscow and Western capitals. Iran's naval exercises were followed by those of the US, the largest of its kind held in the region, with the participation of 30 other countries. But it seems that Washington has re-evaluated the gravity of the situation and has ordered Israel not to carry out any kind of military operations against Iran. A senior Israeli official disclosed this fact. He said that the United States has warned Israel that any military strike against Iran may lead to the cancellation of the peace treaties of Egypt and Jordan with Israel. Apart from this, such an attack would cause damage to most countries in the region and that would adversely affect American interests. Despite this, I believe that the United States is waiting for what it considers to be the appropriate time to attack Iran just as it did Iraq. So far, Iran has been successful in crisis management. I visualize that Iran is waiting for the right time to realize its goals after which it will present the world with a fait accompli, which is always a successful policy. – Hassan Tahsin is an Egyptian writer and political analyst. He can be reached at [email protected][email protected]
