The world is in utter confusion due to the unilateral policies of the US. The next step in Afghanistan isn’t clear as the US is acting ambiguously with the result that the international community isn’t able to determine which course of action it should take.
International terrorism did not begin with the attacks of Sept. 11. In fact it surfaced as a direct threat to peace and security 15 years ago. Egypt was one of the first nations to warn the world of this menace. President Mubarak, when he attended the European Assembly held in Strasbourg in January 1986, suggested a plan to combat terrorism and he called for an international conference for this purpose. He suggested that the United Nations supervise such an event. The Egyptian president stressed the importance of collective efforts. He further warned the US and Europe in specific terms about the dangers posed by the international terrorism whose leaders, he said, are seeking political or other form of asylums in the Western world. It is no secret that the Egyptian president has warned Western countries against granting asylum to such potential time bombs.
Ironically, many nations were convinced of the need for convening a conference to debate international terrorism. But some nations including the United States opposed the idea. They based their rejection on the fact that since Israel and the Palestinians were fighting each other it is impossible to arrive at an international consensus. This is why President Mubarak’s suggestion wasn’t taken seriously. Further, some countries interpreted the Egyptian president’s call as an attempt to gather other nations around him to fight terrorists who were threatening his rule. Time has proved that Mubarak was right and that he was worried about the international community in general, not merely about Egypt. The Egyptian president’s fears became clear to those who turned him down but only after the attacks of Sept. 11.
Isn’t it time the international community thought seriously about a global conference to discuss ways of combating terrorism?
It is. But the problem is that the US insists on fighting terrorism unilaterally. Worse still, the US seems determined to antagonize both friends and foes or anyone who opposes its actions.
Someone may ask why the US is pursuing such a policy. The answer is clear: The US is using the war against terrorism to unilaterally define “terrorism” as it wishes or as its interests dictate. In addition, the US is determined to avenge its attackers with or without an international umbrella and without any international guidelines. The US wants to prosecute the war against terrorism the way it likes. Moreover, the US sees in this war an opportunity to reach places that would have been out of bounds. Central Asia and the Caspian Sea are among the many places the US is eager to have its military presence.
The US is determined to remain in Central Asia to oversee its interests precisely as it did in the Gulf following the end of the Gulf War. The US knows in advance that an international conference would bind it to the will of the world community and restrict the scope or areas of its actions. This may militate against its plans to dominate the world.
However, we believe that if the world community is serious about uprooting terrorism, it must persuade the US to submit to its will. An international conference for combating terrorism is the only way to tackle this issue and prevent a repetition of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
