KARACHI: Global resistance against ‘US empire’ predicted
By Nizamuddin Siddiqui
KARACHI, May 17: Resistance against the ‘American empire’ has already begun. And it has begun in the latest country invaded, and then occupied, by it — Iraq.
So said noted novelist and political commentator Tariq Ali during the Dr Eqbal Ahmed distinguished lecture which he delivered here on Saturday evening. The lecture was jointly organized by the Eqbal Ahmed Foundation and Badalty Dunya magazine.
At the moment, the resistance in Iraq is a low-intensity one. Gradually the resistance will increase until it turns into a war of attrition, said the well-known author who resides in London.
He didn’t predict the timing of the ‘war of attrition’. “It may take a year, two years or may be a decade. But I am confident that this will happen.”
Tariq Ali expressed the hope that resistance against the American leadership would gather momentum in all the Arab countries that are at present being ruled either by monarchies or military leaderships. “The Iraqi resistance will ultimately result in the blowing of a strong wind of change which will push aside the Arab lackeys of the US,” he said.
The writer — recognized in Britain as a vocal dissident belonging to its Liberal Left — went to the extent of saying that the resistance in the Arab and Muslim countries would spread to the heartland of the ‘American empire’. “Keep in mind that the US has a tradition of resistance to imperialistic tendencies.”
He reminded the 1000-strong audience that after becoming fed up with American leadership’s imperialistic designs, the famous author Mark Twain had launched an anti-imperialism league for which the support of hundreds of thousands of Americans in 50 cities had been enlisted in a short period of time.
Tariq Ali said some American intellectuals had actually called for the revival of the anti-imperialism league not so long ago.
The well-known commentator pointed out that more Americans had marched against the Iraqi war than had people belonging to all the Arab and Muslim countries combined. “Half a million marched in New York. And one and a half million people marched in London alone.
“These people wanted a regime change, not in Iraq, but in the United Kingdom. Globally about ten million protesters demonstrated against it. In comparison only a few thousand people marched here in Pakistan.”
For the first time in history the world had only one empire, said Tariq Ali. “Throughout history there have been several empires that have been jostling for space, markets and countries. But today there’s only one empire — the United States.”
The author of twelve political books said the Iraqi war had opened wounds of division in the west. “But too much should not be read into these divisions because they are embryonic at the moment.”
The American leadership had been emboldened so much by their success in Iraq that it had started to say openly that the US no longer needed to invade a country to bring about changes in their stances. Its message is clear, he said.
“And the message is: If you don’t listen to us, remember what we did in Baghdad.”
Tariq Ali said the American ‘empire’ was on the offensive and the people seeking to resist its progress forward should start thinking strategically. The Americans had decided to move forward along their path, utterly disregarding the international opinion.
He alleged that the Americans were using the events of 9/11 to reshape the map of Middle East, and with it, the world. The United Nations had been weakened to the point of impotence and paralysis. “There is only one empire now and there’s no international community.”
The well-known author was of the view that the UN should not play any kind of role in what is being dubbed the ‘rebuilding of Iraq’. He said allowing the United Nations to play a role in Iraq, in a way, would legitimize the wrong policies of the US.
Tariq Ali claimed that America was weak economically and it couldn’t afford to wage a single major war. He was of the opinion that the American leadership would never hold democratic elections in Iraq. “They know that free and fair elections will bring Shia leadership into power. Also, an elected government may say that Iraqi oil belongs to Iraqis. And this they will never want.”
Turning to the Pakistani issues, he said Kargil was the only conflict which had been won by the Pakistani military. “And keep in mind, most often the Pakistani army has been fighting the Pakistanis.”
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal could join hands and then create a link with the Chinese. “We should think strategically, just as the US has been.”
