Editorial Daily Star: "America's rudderless foreign policy takes another deadly turn"

Copyright (c) 2007 The Daily Star

Wednesday, August 01, 2007
America's rudderless foreign policy takes another deadly turn
By The Daily Star
Editorial

Shortly before departing for a trip to the Middle East this week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice confirmed that the American government plans to provide multi-billion-dollar military aid packages to its "moderate" Arab allies and Israel. Rice's announcement represents the latest twist in what has been a directionless and inconsistent US foreign policy in this region.

In the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, the US proclaimed itself the global champion of democracy, promising to promote freedom and the rule of law across the broader Middle East. Arabs and Muslims in the region initially greeted that policy with understandable doubts about America's true agenda, but that skepticism might have melted away had the US been consistent in the pursuit of these stated objectives. Instead, the Bush administration upheld these foreign policy goals when it seemed suitable, and ignored them when it was inconvenient, such as when Islamist parties proved to be the most democratically viable forces in Palestine and Egypt.

With Rice's announcement of the arms deals, it has become apparent that Washington's democracy agenda has more or less been abandoned. Instead, the US now seems to favor a policy constructed around a fictitious storyline that portrays the world as a battleground between the forces of "moderation" and "extremism." This narrative ignores the real-world events from which Arab and Muslim rage toward Israel and its American backer stems: the killing of civilians, the destruction of homes, the forceful eviction of people from their towns and villages, the annexation of land and the enforcement of a codified system of discrimination.

Extremism will continue to find swamps in which to thrive so long as US leaders continue to run roughshod over their nation's most sacred principles, including those embodied in the oath that American schoolchildren take each day when pledging allegiance to their nation's flag: "liberty and justice for all." The US would do better to channel its resources into the pursuit of a balanced peace process based on liberty and justice for all Israelis and Arabs, instead of enabling the perpetuation of injustice by flooding the region with arms, ensuring that more civilians will follow in the footsteps of those already slaughtered by American-made weapons. By arming this region to the teeth, the US might empower its allies win a few battles against what it calls "extremist" forces. But these minor victories will come at the price of a decisive defeat in the larger war for Arab and Muslim hearts and minds.


Copyright (c) 2007 The Daily Star
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