Shock and awe to quagmire

Saybhan Samat, The Island, Asia News Network, Colombo

The United States and her allies who shouted the slogan "shock and awe" before the invasion of Iraq with their high-tech weapons have suddenly discovered that they are in a quagmire. They are now appealing and coaxing the very United Nations that they ignored, to step in and help them out of a situation that is getting worse by the day. From all current events the situation is going to be worse than Vietnam, because the locality is in the sensitive Middle-East.

The recent killings of the sons of Saddam Hussein, Uday and Qusay, have caused some euphoria in the White House but in reality this is no comfort for the administration as it has also caused elation among the Iraqi people as Saddam his sons and his Baathist clique were tyrants who oppressed the ordinary Iraqi people.

Although denied by the U.S. administration the real force in Iraq is the Islamic resistance which also abhors Saddam's Baathists. Paul Breman, the U.S. representative in Iraq, on July 20 said that the attacks on U.S. soldiers were the work of "professional killers loyal to Saddam and that the U.S. forces would arm Iraqis to help fight them." Recruiting for a new Iraqi army began on July 19; this new army is likely to turn their guns on the U.S.

It was reported that a man with his face swathed in an Arab head-dress told Abu Dhabi television that Saddam was not responsible for any resistance. He added that "they are all waged in the name of God, none of them have any relation to the former regime, all Iraqis have been harmed by the former regime". He said this standing in a group of about 10 masked men, carrying rifles. He added, "America and its allies say they have tanks, they have war planes, they have technology, we have something stronger than all of this. We have God supporting us."

To add authenticity that the resistance in Iraq is Islamic, it was further reported that tens of thousands, some carrying swords and others waving the flags of the Shia Muslim faith and all chanting "Down with the invaders," demonstrated in the Holy city of Najaf the center of Shia Rthna-Ashara (12 Imams) theological learning. This demonstration of July 20 was the largest anti- American demonstration held so far.

To compound problems for the U.S. Shia clerics have announced that if the U.S. and her allies do not leave Iraq within six months, Holy War would be declared. This means that it would be incumbent on every Shia in Iraq to even sacrifice his/her life to rid the country of the invaders. Martyrdom seeking Islamic fighters are bound to proliferate like the Hamas and Hizbullah in Palestine.

Together with the Taliban regrouping and attacking U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan the U.S. administration has found itself in a total quandary. Born again Christians, President George W. Bush and his fellow born-again Donald Rumsfeld with Zionist supporter Paul Wolfowitz who beat the drum for invasion against world opinion have lost their credibility. It will not be long before the American people get rid of this clique and throw them into the dustbin of political history. The same fate awaits Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is in bigger quandary.