generalspeaking

Western Intervention, Islamist Conquests

We've seen Afghanistan close up and personal. Canada, like other NATO countries, responded to the U.S. call to arms, sanctified by the United Nations in a world reeling at the malevolence of a religious political ideology that brought us a kind of tragic-horror theatre that none could have imagined being cleverly mounted with the audaciously lethal attack on the United States by al-Qaeda operatives.

Afghanistan, a country of barbaric backwardness, tribally ferocious and religiously fanatic, was steeping in the vividly nasty juices of fanatical Islam. Another fanatically Islamic country was involved in contriving that Afghanistan would remain in the clutches of the Taliban, whom Pakistan had involved itself in funding, sheltering, training and arming. Aided covertly, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, by the U.S. CIA.

Of all the Islamic countries of the world, Pakistan likely represents the most neurotically paranoid. In invading Afghanistan, NATO forces came to understand that its neighbour, Pakistan, which declared itself a committed supporter of Western determination to battle the forces of terrorism, and whose greed for American financial support ensured it parroted the resolve to secure Afghanistan against jihadism, fuelled the very terrorists it claimed to detest.

The collaboration of NATO and UN-aligned forces along with international NGOs to build a better country for Afghans out of the ruins left by the Taliban seemed as though it was destined for success. At huge cost to the West of treasury and the lives of their military personnel, the realization gradually dawned that nothing was going to really change Afghanistan; the culture was deeply engrained with tribal and religious fundamentalism.

All the NATO and UN-allied forces were eager to depart that sad dead-end trap of failed aspirations. Just as intervention in Iraq with an invasion that toppled a murderous dictator led to the ouster of Saddam and his minority Baath party, and despite the presence of thousands of Western military personnel, unleashed a brutal storm of hatred and bloodshed between Sunni and Shiite gave some indication of the interrelated difficulties inherent in reconciling such societies toward democracy, we have the added complications of the Arab Spring.

Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain have all been altered significantly by an Arab and Muslim re-awakening. One that the West celebrated as surely an indication that the greater populations of all those countries clamoured for freedom, liberty, liberal democracy. When in fact, the greater majority given the opportunity, just as occurred in the Palestinian Territories, voted for Islamism and elevated Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists to the fore.

In the ongoing bloodshed in Syria we see through breathless news coverage of atrocities committed by the Alawite Baath regime of President al-Assad the classic collision between an Arab Muslim tyrant and an oppressed population. And lurking behind the protests of the oppressed, awaiting their opportunity to aid and assist the civil-war-protest of the Sunni majority are the ranks of the tried-and-true Islamist militias.

From Sudan to Somalia, Algeria to Mali, Islamist terrorism is on the march, as well. The French have taken the initiative in Mali where jihadists have been so hugely benefited by the fall of Libyan tyrant Moammar Ghadafi to take possession of looted weapons depots. Groups associated with al-Qaeda, sharing that fascist ideology of Islamist dominated Sharia imposition have been temporarily routed.


Just as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban have receded with a hudna, so too have the Malian Islamists. They lurk in the background, patiently awaiting opportunity. To rearm, to feint, to draw back again, to threaten and to observe. And when those who seek to counteract their malign presence finally withdraw, their opportunity to resume their ascent resumes.

Labels: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Islamism, Mali, NATO, Pakistan, Syria, United Nations

posted by Pieface @ Friday, February 15, 2013