Mideast terror and chaos

Thus hopes for peace in the Middle East were again dashed. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s policies will turn Israel into the new target of ‘revenge attacks.’ US President George W. Bush’s post-9/11 doctrine of pre-emptive war has failed to prevent terrorism following the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but has turned many countries into new targets of revenge attacks. Though Turkey declined to take part in the Iraq war, it still suffered from terrorist attacks connected to al Qaeda. And then, 200 innocents were slain in attacks in Spain. When the White House hawks were planning the war in Iraq, they ignored warnings that solutions not addressing the Israeli-Palestinian problem were doomed to failure. It was clear that they could win the war but not the peace. Unfortunately this proved true. Today there’s no stability in Iraq, and the Middle East isn’t safer than before. In addition, most Arab countries are eyeing the US’ Greater Middle East Initiative (GME) suspiciously. Kurdish revolts in Syria, confusion in Iraq and finally Sheik Ahmed Yassin’s assassination might turn the Middle East into a fireball. Turkey’s concerns about the region’s situation are rising.

During his recent contacts in Washington, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug argued against the idea that Turkey should be held up as an example of ‘moderate Islam’ for the Middle East. On the first anniversary of the war, there are more and more articles written by Western thinkers criticizing the US. For example, as history professor Richard Overy wrote in British daily The Guardian, ‘Terror cannot be fought as if it were a war against a hidden, global and undifferentiated enemy. The threat, such as it is, has been exacerbated by the arrogant display of naked power shown by the US, Britain and its motley coalition. But the real changes to "our way of life" are the consequence of the panicky Western response to terrorism, which has eroded civil liberties and the rule of law and threatens to smother us with a security net that will undermine the so-called "democratic" values that the West is pledged to preserve. This is an unnecessary price to pay, but we will all see the surveillance state grow unless democratic non-compliance reasserts itself.’ The war in Iraq was a historic mistake. It seems the chaos and terrorism in the Middle East will continue for years to come.”