Claims and reality

ON the eve of his African visit, President George Bush has come out with a statement couched in idealistic terms and tones, asserting that in its relations with other nations, America is guided by moral considerations. Without America’s active involvement with the world, he said, “the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed,” and that millions would be “at the mercy of terrorists.” On quite a few other points covered by him President Bush is no doubt right in claiming for America a “broader” role in the world context. One such instance is the emergency and humanitarian aid his country provides to people in distress, though it must be added that the US is not alone in this and many western nations and Japan too do the same. The controversial part of his statement relates to America’s conduct of foreign policy, to his references to tyrants and terrorists, and to his claim that the US government “works for human dignity.”

Where tyrants and terrorists are concerned, an appraising look at the history of American foreign policy makes it abundantly clear that the US has been selective and is often guided by superpower expediencies and ambitions bordering on unilateralist chauvinism. In the first place, getting rid of tyrants is not America’s responsibility. Basically, this is the job of the people themselves — whether in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq or in Milosevic’s rump Yugoslavia. However, the truth is that America has more often than not supported dictators and condoned their tyranny and persecution if they happened to be on the right side of America and were doing Washington’s bidding on the domestic, regional or international fronts. Whether it was Pinochet in Chile, the Shah in Iran or Pakistan’s Ziaul Haq, America lent them its full diplomatic, economic and military support because they were Washington’s allies in its anti-communist crusade. On the other hand, it had no compunctions about ditching an ally like the Shah of Iran when the success of Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution seemed imminent. Similar was the fate of quite a few pro-American despots and tyrants in South-East Asia and Latin America. Saddam Hussein, too, was once America’s favourite bully in the Middle East, especially during his war with Iran. It was then that American firms were allowed to supply lethal chemicals which Saddam used against Iranian soldiers and civilians.

On the question of terrorism, America has chosen to declare as terrorists those who are fighting for their freedom in Palestine and Kashmir. In both cases, ruthless denial of human rights, safety and dignity of people under subjugation has been palpable for decades. In both places, there have been horrendous human rights violations, but America has not uttered a word of condemnation of the perpetrators for stripping Palestinians and Kashmiris of all human dignity. By treating these two countries as friends and allies, America is helping breed fanatics and terrorists. Terrorism is not something that individuals and groups alone practise; the worst form of terrorism is that which is called state terrorism. By condoning state terrorism, America has done no service to the cause of a world free from terrorism.

Their tragic plight

UNICEF reports emanating from Baghdad reveal horrifying facts regarding the state of the Iraqi children. Years of war and devastating economic sanctions since 1991 have left the majority of Iraqis in a state of destitution, disease and hunger. Among them are an estimated 12 million children under 15. Life-threatening diseases like polio, measles, tetanus, diarrhoea and tuberculosis have come back to haunt Iraqi children owing to a public health system that has all but collapsed. Iraq’s stocks of vaccines have long run out and its health infrastructure is in tatters as a result of the recent bombings by the American and British forces. Another direct threat to the life of Iraqi children comes from huge quantities of unexploded munitions the occupying forces have left scattered in the cities they have captured. Unicef sources say Baghdad alone has 1,700 sites with huge quantities of unexploded munitions lying around that threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of unwary children.

Unicef representatives in Baghdad have revealed that the recent war has rendered thousands of more Iraqi children orphan and homeless — condemned to roam the streets in search of food and shelter. Recent bombings by the coalition forces have wiped out 40 per cent of Iraq’s health infrastructure. An estimated 4.2 million children are now vulnerable to killer diseases that are otherwise preventable. The world children’s fund says it is helpless because it would take the aid agencies another year to restore health care facilities to their pre-war conditions. It is these disturbing facts that the occupying forces and Paul Bremer’s administration in Iraq are hard put to hide from the outside world. While the American and the British forces are now in total control of Iraq and the decade-old economic sanctions have been lifted, it is all the more disquieting that no significant rehabilitation work has begun thus far. It is time a comprehensive rehabilitation programme under the UN auspices was initiated to at least put Iraq’s 12 million children out of harm’s way.

Deaths by drowning

THE death of seven young men at Karachi’s beaches by drowning on Sunday is a tragic reminder that the local authorities still have a lot to do to minimize the threat from the sea to the city’s picnickers. Every year, the same story is repeated with dozens of people drowning in the rough monsoon waters along the Karachi shoreline. Each time something like this, or worse, happens, the authorities proclaim their intention to take “all necessary action” to minimize the threat but facts prove otherwise. Merely, announcing a ban on swimming along the coast is not enough. A lot more has to be done if the incidence of drowning is really to be minimized.

The long Karachi shoreline stretching from Seaview all the way to Hawke’s Bay and Sandspit has no signs warning people of the dangers of swimming. Such signs must be placed at all important points along the route and on beaches telling the visitors of the precautions to be observed, especially against getting caught in strong under-current found in Karachi’s waters. Some time back, the city authorities, in conjunction with the Edhi Centre and the Pakistan Navy, deployed lifeguards. Their number must be increased, especially along the parts of the beach closer to the city which have become more popular in recent years. In the incident on Sunday, the deaths occurred early in the morning at around sunrise, before the arrival of the lifeguards at 9 am. An arrangement should be made to extend their hours, from daybreak till sunset.

In addition, watch towers should be built so that it becomes easier for lifeguards to spot anyone in need of help. These towers can also serve as first aid centres and should be stocked with medicines, life jackets and other material needed to prevent drowning and provide timely medical help. Finally, a word of advice to the thousands of people who go to Karachi’s beaches. Even if you are an expert swimmer (and most people are not) do not go deep into water because it is risky especially at this time of the year. And keep a lookout for children because they get very excited at the sight of a vast expanse of turbulent water.