In 1966 the Hopkins Center for International Studies hosted Senator Fulbright, the head of the US Senate Foreign Relations committee for 26 years from 1942 to 1968. His topic was the arrogance of power. His message was clear and loud. He stated that many great empires had collapsed because its leaders failed to be guided by wisdom or proper assessment in employing the power at their disposal. He felt that the United States had put to good domestic use its expertise and knowledge.

However, on foreign policy it had reached the point where great nations reach the danger of losing correct vision and proper connections to realities that occur in its extended authority and beyond. Many great nations pursued this road of decline before it. Senator Fulbright wanted his nation to avert it.

This week, billions of people watch through the latest American inventions, the devastating attacks. Air, sea and land forces are directed against defenseless, hungry, poor Iraq in pursuit of a dictator previously equipped with their own weapons to invade his neighbors, destabilize the region and enslave his people and build an empire. The attacker takes the route of destructive campaigns to rebuild Baghdad for its prosperity at the expense of the poor people of Iraq.

Baghdad has been the Arab capital most subjected to invasion and destruction. Baghdad is the ancient name for a small village on the river. Its fame goes to the second Abbasid caliph who in 762 modernized it and renamed it “the city of peace”. With repeated invasions and war, this proved to be a misnomer and Baghdad prevailed.

The Caliph Al Mansour made Baghdad his capital and put up numerous government buildings. It became one of the big cities of the era with a prospering economy and a population of more than a half million people. It became renowned for knowledge, art, medicine, culture, architecture etc. and was the center for scholars from other nations particularly Greek, Persian and Uzbeks. Their books were translated into Arabic and then into Western languages. Baghdad reached the zenith of its glory under Caliph Haroun Al Rashid (786-803). The city prospered and established relations with both east and west. But all this vanished after his death through fighting between his two sons Al Ameen and Al Mamoun. The latter won in the end in 813, but only after Baghdad was left in ruins. It lost its political status but remained a seat of culture and knowledge.

In 1258 Baghdad was invaded by the Tartars who killed the Caliph and destroyed the city with all its treasures and also killed thousands of its people.

The cruel invasion was repeated in 1401 in an attempt to eliminate all traces of culture that remained. When the Islamic Ummah (the Islamic community) came under Ottoman authority, they made Baghdad a regional capital. Its status was raised to the capital of the Kingdom of Iraq in 1932. This lasted until 1958 when a bloody revolution transformed it into a republic. Apart from the establishment of Baghdad University, the city went through tremendous turmoil and revolutions until Saddam Hussein and his history came on the scene.

The whole history of invasions, revolutions and murders has brought Baghdad and the people of Iraq to where they are today. The rest of the play seen by billions all over the world. We can now imagine one dictator tumbling while another entity for the love of the people is slaughtering them in the process. Allah, we ask for Your mercy and guidance for those whom You know.

Arab News Features 24 March 2003