The 19th Century British politician, Lord Palmerston, made the most stark admission about Britain’s foreign policy when he said ‘We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are perpetual and eternal and those interests it is our duty to follow.’ Such a quote epitomises the premise by which Western Capitalist nations conduct their foreign policy projects in the hope of securing vital resources and strategic interests.
The war against Iraq in 2003 was no different to the above premise. The brutal dictator, Saddam Hussain, was once a close ally of the Western powers as in his early years he was on the CIA payroll to oust the then Prime Minister, Abd al-Karim Qasim, who withdrew from the anti- Soviet Baghdad Pact – a move that went against Western interests in dealing with Communist USSR.
The fact that Saddam employed brutal methods against the Muslims in the region was not a cause for concern for the Western leaders – not only were his crimes tolerated, they were encouraged. No call was made for his removal as long as he allied himself with Western interests.
Even if the Iraq war was found to be illegal no prosecutions will be brought and none will be tried in a court of law for war crimes. The Chilcot inquiry is Britain’s attempt at dealing with the many calls in Britain to bring to task those who led the illegal war against Iraq. The enquiry started in November 2009 after much controversy with regards to should it be a public or secret enquiry. However the questioning, in the comfort of Westminster, is about as close as the politicians who initiated war resulting in the murder of near a million people will get to a trail. This is the justice the British democratic system offers the people of Iraq! It is ironic that Chemical Ali was executed in Iraq for committing genocide last week as Tony Blair faced the panel.
Despite the fact that the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, remains defiant on his decision to go to war, his unapologetic rhetoric does little to ease the anger and distress felt by those who lost loved ones due to the conflict. Whilst a number of officials have appeared before the panel, what is becoming clear is the decision to go to war was based on contrived evidence and the whims of Tony Blair. Blair proved his imperialist nature when he went to some length to explain he would have done the same today knowing that Saddam had no Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). Committee chairman Sir John Chilcot asked Blair if he had any regrets about the war, Blair said he believed it had been right to remove Saddam. Blair went on to reiterate “I took the view very strongly then – and do now – that it was right for us to be with America, since we believed in this too.”
At best, the Iraq war inquiry will produce the conclusion that there were no WMDs and Saddam did not support terrorist groups. However, the inquiry will not explicitly acknowledge that the foreign policies are based on the corrupt basis of interest and reward. Blair frequently professes that democracies do not go to war to justify his neoconservative agenda for democratising the Iraq, Middle East and the wider Muslim World. The Iraq war has proved that western democracies (Britain and America) will lie, mislead, bribe and coerce one and all in order to achieve their interests including the extremities of initiating war. It is obscene that Blair is today one of the highest paid politicians after leaving office in spite of his war criminal role in the disastrous Iraq war. Yet perhaps not, as it reveals the true ugly nature of western democratic politics.
For too long, the Islamic World has been used as a political chessboard by the leading Capitalist nations. From the Sykes – Picot agreement concocted during WWI to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, all are desperate vain attempts at further breaking the resolve of the noble Muslims, in the hope of allowing global domination by the likes of Britain and America.
Oh Muslims, the only solution for you is the re-establishment of the Khilafah State. Such a state will not allow our lands, resources and blood to be treated with impunity. Only the implementation of Allah’s laws will restore the dignity and honour that this noble Ummah needs. If not, then we will continue to be humiliated and live in despair.
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا
“Whoever rejects My Message (the Qur’an) for him is a life of hardship.” [Surah Ta-Ha: 124]