In the continuation of the task to heal the bonds which had been disrupted by the Bush administration, Obama has recently visited Russia to add them to his list of compliant helpers. Within his time there he emphasised the similarities in their interests carefully highlighting only issues which they both agree upon. Such as not only reducing their nuclear arsenal but also of other countries amassing nuclear weapons of their own, such as North Korea and in the Middle East, stating: "we should be united in opposing North Korea's efforts to become a nuclear power, and preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."
As with many other European countries Obama also called for Russia to have more involvement in its war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the name of fighting extremism Obama stated: "Instead, we want to work with international partners to help Afghans and Pakistanis advance their own security and prosperity. That is why I'm pleased that Russia has agreed to allow the United States to supply our coalition forces through your territory."
Since coming to power Obama has moved through the international scene in a haze of bilateral engagement. On the surface Obama's America appears to be one which champions peace through the removal of arms and a crusader against terrorists who wish to disrupt the civilised world, who currently happen to be in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In reality this is a nation motivated only by its own interests, Iraq being a case in point. The recent ‘so called' pull out leaves Iraq with destructive sectarianism, and little infrastructure, and instead leaves them with a pliable government which even allows American advisors to draft oil contracts for the Iraq Oil Ministry.
The Pakistan and Afghanistan war is following the same pattern, where the oil and gas in central Asia fiercely fought over by America and Russia to name a few countries. For centuries major powers have been participating in ‘the great game' where the hunt for fuel, for their energy hungry countries has led them to battle for oil and gas deposits. Hence a major reason for Obama's involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan is to protect the pipelines which carry this fuel, not to mention the untapped deposits which happen to lie under the main focus of fighting namely the north of Pakistan.
The warm words exchanged by major the powers does not reflect what these countries are really gaining from the situation. Russia was looking for an American recognition of Russian power in Eurasia, assurances that Poland would remain neutral, and the curtailment of US support for pro-Western Ukraine and Georgia. The US in a much weaker position was looking for Russian airspace to act as a supply line for the war in South Asia. Russia and America have taken advantage of a temporary period where their interests overlap and therefore have decided to help one another. These countries are not our helpers rather their presence in our countries will only deepen the destruction of our countries.
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Zeital
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The great struggles between the Byzantine Empire and the emerging Ottoman State, and then the continual conflicts between the Habsburgs of Spain and Central Europe and the Ottomans capture the attention of many historians. The Russian State traces its identity to the Ukraine ‘Little Russia’. The Slavic populations trace their heritage to the Greek Orthodox faith (of which for Eastern Christendom the Byzantine Empire was a standard bearer). An affinity for civilisation from Pagan Greek or Roman antiquity also features in Russia, as it does with the rest of Europe. The Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth was the mighty empire that bordered the Orthodox Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. Poland-Lithuania was the standard bearer of Catholicism and duelled against the Orthodox Church and also the Ottoman State. The loss of Constantinople was a huge scar on the pride of European Christendom, (on the back of bitter reversals of the Crusades). Russia saw itself as the ‘Third Rome’ now that Constantinople had fallen to the ‘Godless Turks’. The Russians (and heir Slavic cousins) had been dominated for centuries by outside nations, such as Mongols and Tartars to the East, and the Poles to the West. Poland-Lithuania and the Ottomans had carved up Ukraine, which underwent foreign absorption ‘Epoch of Ruins’. The Russian Tsars who were very religious minded had many suspicions of their powerful neighbours, but with the rise of Russia, this relation of subservience would be reversed. “Ukraine: Twas first put under the protection of Poland, which carried it over them with too high a hand; they then applied to the Muscovite, who governed them as slaves, as much as possible. The Ukrainians had the privilege at first of choosing a Prince under the name of General, but they were soon after deprived of this right, the General nominated by the court of Moscow”. Voltaire, 1732 Whilst the British used maritime activities and nefarious plots to undermine the Ottoman State and become involved in India and Persia, the Tsarist Russian Empire simple expanded its territory in the Balkans, Eastern Europe (absorbing Poland), Caucasus and Crimean region, Central Asia, and even established protectorate regions over China. Russia even ruled over Alaska and parts of the Western coast of America with interests in California! Only Japan would put a check on Russian expansionism at the Victory at Tsushima in 1905. Russian expansion and Anglo-Russian rivalry would result in bitter wars of the modern era, such as the Crimean War and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 - 1878. Russia was a bitter rival of Britain and France, where the fate of the Ottoman State and control over the Dardanelles was contested. The bitter conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Balkans and Caucasus region was an unfortunate consequence to geopolitical struggles of the 1800’s. |
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Rizmie Ziard
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Russia has been an enemy of Islam since the time of khilapah, similar to the Americans they have oppressed Islam in countries like Bulgaria after the colapse of the khilapah. Though both countries hate each other they are willing to supress there hate inorder to distroy an Islamic country. The only solution to this issue is to re-establish the Khilapah state. |
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