LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF OLD ALLIANCES

A fast- paced world mixed with an information age increases the likelihood of shortening our memories. The current events in Iraq exemplify this unique trait.
In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, was America’s friend. Iran, a chiite country, was America’s foe. America has helped Saddam build his arsenal and he fought a ten-year war with Iran. Saddam, a Sunni, harassed, jailed, murdered countless chiites. Iran, patiently, and expertly planted false information to be used later in its quest to topple Saddam’s regime. It paid off in March 2003.

The Bush administration’s arrogance, its lack of knowledge of the most basic notions of diplomacy, its ignorance of the Middle East realities played to Iran’s advantage. The irony, at this time, is that getting help from Iran to stabilize Iraq formed the core of discussions in the political circles in Washington. How quick does America forget? It is indisputable that Iran has more influence than America in the Middle East and that America’s diminished leverage was evident during the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Based on what is going on now in Iraq, I doubt that Haiti would like to take credit for inventing guerrilla warfare, tactics the former slaves used efficiently in the late 1700s to defeat the most powerful French armies and proclaimed its independence in 1804.

Whether you are a democrat, an independent, a republican, I am hoping that you are American first and it is time to reflect. It would take at least 50 years to repair the damage done to America’s prestige and moral authority. What kind of world would we like to leave for our children?

As America is forging alliances to get out of Iraq’s quagmire, she needs to remember that “even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.”

(Written in December 2006)