The U.S. betrayal

“The world has much to learn from this tale of betrayal.

No sooner had I wrote about the heightened tension in the Middle East last week than we learned about its escalation. The threat of armed confrontation is getting imminent. This time the protagonists are not Iran and Saudi Arabia but Turkey and the Kurds in northeastern Syria. The region is on fire.

Unsurprisingly, a constant pivotal player stands out in this political game of brinkmanship — the United States. Its ubiquitous presence in these crises involving Arabs is a suspect about their real intention in the region. They are not playing the role of World Policeman to secure global peace. It is in fact throwing fuel on the fire. Is it for selfish economic and political reasons?

Recall that the United States with its saber-rattling President has been in the forefront playing the role of a Big Brother to Saudi Arabia vis a vis Iran. It has threatened the latter with more economic sanctions and raised a notch armed confrontation by sending additional troops and war materials to the region if Iran continues its provocative skirmishes with Saudi Arabia, the latest of which is the bombing of its primary oil refineries affecting world oil market.

This time, in its characteristic impulsive foreign policy decision, Trump decided to pull out American troops from Syria. Turkey which has been for long, planning to invade the Kurds, a rebellious minority and security threat, interpreted it as a de facto green light to move. Foreign media reported the start of the invasion with Turkey dropping bombs, air strikes and artillery fires to selective targets of Kurds territories.

President Trump has blown hot and cold in the present crisis. It warned Turkey against invading its rebellious Kurds minority else it will impose economic sanction but in the same breath invited Turkish President Erdogan for a visit to the White House.

The American decision would not have raised a fuss were it not for the fact that the Kurds were its closest partner in the fight against the Islamic State in the region. At a time when US needed local ally who knows the battle terrain, climate and the enemies, the Kurds were there to help them as their forefront ground troops. And now after the pyrrhic war was won at the cost of about 11,000 Kurd martyrs, they have been literally dumped like hot potato. It’s a stab on the back of a loyal friend. The Kurds now faces annihilation by Turkey, a much superior power. Is this the price of servitude and loyalty? Does this define the new face of American foreign policy under Trump? It unsettles its allies and heavily dented faith and trust on America.

Trump’s action drew criticism and condemnation both from home and abroad. Even his Republican partymates had strong words against the President expressing fear that the credibility of the US in global politics will be severely compromised. But Trump reasoned out that it is a campaign promise — to bring home American soldiers in the “endless war” in the region. He feared falling into the quagmire that US found itself entrapped in the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars. Foreign governments like France, Germany and Russia warned of humanitarian crisis in the region.

The world has much to learn from this tale of betrayal. The Arabs must open their eyes to the reality that they are being wittingly or unwittingly made pawns in the global power play of America. The economic interest of US as a supplier of war armaments and materials preponderates its foreign policy.

The Arabs must mend ways with their regional neighbors and find ways to pursue the dream of Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt for Pan-Arabism as the key to make them politically strong against manipulation by western powers. They should take a good look why the League of Arab Nations (conceptually equivalent to the United Nations) or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are not effective aggrupations to promote their unity and common interest. Or, they might consider organizing a new alliance attuned to the present world challenges and realities. After all, they can always invoke the Islamic concept of Ummah or Muslim brotherhood. Any alternative will aggravate their weakness, disunity and distrust and selfish interest.

Again, the region hosts our overseas Filipino workers whose remittance provides buffer to our economic problems and their dislocation will bring nightmare to our government and people unless we adopt proactive anticipatory measures.