The irony of it

PRESIDENT George Bush’s claim on Friday that America is making “really good progress” in Iraq seems to be overly optimistic. The basis of his claim at a news conference on Thursday was that the Iraqi security forces were performing “much better” and that the people of Iraq had begun to see the benefit of a free society. However, a day after the president made the claim, Iraq saw no less than 10 car-bomb explosions that killed nearly 100 people, 90 of them in the capital city. At the political level, things have been even more disappointing, for it took almost three months after the Jan 30 election for a cabinet to be finally approved by the transitional assembly. Does this cabinet have the ability and will to control things in Iraq and begin the task of reconstruction?

Today, Iraq is a hopelessly divided society. More than two years after the end of the Saddam regime, the post-war scenario the Americans had visualized is nowhere in sight. The end of the Baathist regime, the world was told, would usher in a new era of peace and freedom for the Iraqi people, who would greet the invading forces as liberators. This has not only not happened, the anger of the Iraqi people over their country’s occupation is there for all to see. The resistance to the US-led occupation began immediately after Baghdad fell and has since then continued unabated. In fact, as pointed out by Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff, the resistance today is as strong as it was a year ago. Yet the general insisted that the Americans were winning the war.

The fact is that the resistance will continue as long as Iraq remains under occupation. The very presence of foreign troops on Iraqi soil continues to remind the Iraqis of their humiliation. They might have been fed up with the Saddam regime, but they had not opted for a war and occupation that have proved devastating for Iraq The country’s economic infrastructure is in a shambles, death lurks all around, and normal life has ceased to exist. No wonder, most Iraqis and Arabs see the American attack as part of an Israeli agenda in the Middle East. To them, America attacked their country not for liberating them from Saddam Hussain’s tyranny but for occupying a country in the heart of the Middle East and monopolizing its oil resources. Given America’s unqualified support to Israel against the Palestinians, the Iraqis see the American success in the war and the current occupation as basically an Israeli victory. For that reason, any attempt to restore normality in Iraq will fail so long as the country is under US-led occupation. For most Iraqis and Arabs, Iraq is for all practical purposes under Zionist occupation. Very significantly, at his Thursday’s press conference, President Bush again gave no time-table for the withdrawal of American troops. This failure to give a cut-off date for occupation fuels Iraqi anger and fills suicide-bombers with greater determination. The present Iraqi government cannot enforce discipline in Iraq nor ensure peace because it is seen by the people as America’s collaborator. Unless the US gives a firm date for the withdrawal of its troops, there is little possibility that the violence we see today will come to an end.

Tragic fire deaths

THE death of eight family members on Friday in a fire at an apartment in Karachi is tragic. This incident has thrown up a number of issues that need to be addressed by the city government to stop such tragedies from recurring. Initial investigations suggest that the cause of the fire was an electric short circuit which ignited gas that was leaking from the kitchen stove. In this regard, the government needs to launch a campaign to advise people to have both their electrical wiring and gas connections checked on a periodic basis. In many apartment blocks builders have used substandard wiring in a bid to cut costs. Such wiring then becomes the cause of fires, as seen in Friday’s incident. A comprehensive campaign should be undertaken by the city government to create awareness, especially among apartment dwellers, about having electrical wiring checked. At the same time, the relevant gas company could have periodic checks done to ensure that there is no leakage in houses. Such an exercise will also help cut down wastage of gas, a valuable natural resource.

Another point that needs to be addressed is that of accessibility for emergency vehicles. The fire engine was delayed in this particular case because roadblocks had been put up for security reasons in the area where the apartment block is situated. A number of residential areas have blocked off access to roads as a security precaution. While this arrangement may be useful in terms of security, it causes problems in the event of an emergency. If such obstacles are in place, the area residents should inform the local emergency services about it. This should include the police, the fire service as well as ambulances responding to medical emergencies. In Friday’s incident, after crossing the security barriers, the fire engine also had problems getting into the apartment block because of a narrow entrance. Proper access arrangements need to be made by apartment residents so that timely help can reach them when it is needed. Friday’s tragic happening should serve as an eye-opener for both residents and relevant agencies to ensure easy access to emergency services in times of need.

Reviving tourism

THE Punjab government’s decision to set up a human resource development institute under the aegis of the Tourism Development Corporation of the province is a step in the right direction. To be completed at a cost of Rs. 80 million, the institute will help train professional personnel and thus promote tourism in the country’s most populous province. With Punjab assuming control of the national heritage monuments that attract many visitors, the provincial government has finally felt the need to streamline its tourism department. Lahore, over the last few years, has held the distinction of hosting the largest number of tourists in the country, both domestic and international. But the city’s existing infrastructure, such as reasonable accommodation and specialized tour operations, has been found lacking in many respects. With the improvement in relations with India in the course of last year, the city attracted over 30,000 tourists from that country alone. The annual Basant festival also brings a record number of visitors to the city, when hotel prices skyrocket because of a dearth of accommodation facilities. These trends have discouraged the common local tourist from coming to Lahore to take part in festivities or for a holiday.

For tourism to continue to develop on a steady basis, it is imperative that boarding and lodging costs in a given place are reasonable for tourists of average means. In this regard, we have a lot to learn from our neighbours. For instance, Nepal and Sri Lanka, despite recent political unrest in the former and the tsunami disaster in the other, have continued to attract relatively large number of tourists who are not necessarily big spenders. In Pakistan, too, it will have to be an increased volume that could help revive the tourism industry. In Punjab, the TDCP would do well to also re-evaluate its existing tourism packages, many of which have remained out of the reach of average middle class tourists.