Failed Foreign Policy and Trip to Canossa
It’s impossible not to relate CIA Director George Tenet’s resignation “for personal reasons” to the rather catastrophic foreign policy of the Bush Administration. One can only guess that this is the first major casualty in the effort that the Bush campaign may have undertaken to portray its candidate in a better light for the November presidential race. Will Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Candolezza Rice and others follow as sacrificial sheep on the altar of Bush’s reelection? It is difficult to predict. But one thing is certain though, the current Administration’s foreign policy has not only isolated the US at the international level, but its two major campaigns, in Afghanistan and Iraq, have by far not reached their targets. “Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan has translated into “Enduring Anarchy” and operation “Iraqi Freedom” has become “Iraqi Problem.”

The US invasion and regime change operation in Iraq have created much chaos in the Middle East. A year later, far from the idyllic future promised, the Iraqis live in a country in an actual state of war and experience daily insecurity. Due to the lack of preparation and understanding on part of the US, what used to be a highly centralized and state regulated country has collapsed into anarchy. The US did not plan and did not act to control the transition from a Ba’athist authoritarian regime into one that would eventually become democratic. In the vacuum, what has replaced the “ancient regime” are regionalist, ethno-centric and tribal-based powers that in many ways compromise the unity of Iraq and its future.

A warmonger Bush Administration that ridiculed the UN and the international community for opposing the war in Iraq now finds itself in a miserable position – not enough soldiers; overstretching of resources; US public opinion growing worried; Iraqis increasingly uneasy (euphemism) with the “occupation,” etc. – and is in desperate need of allies to help it manage the Iraqi mess. Today’s visit of the American President Bush to Pope John-Paul II, who has repeatedly decried the US invasion of Iraq, can only be interpreted as Bush’s own trip to Canossa.

Regulating US Presence in Iraq… and in Afghanistan?
I find it extremely interesting that even the US appointed Iraqi Interim Government dares to speak of Sovereignty and asks that the modalities of the US presence in Iraq beyond the June 30th date be clearly determined, whereas in two years of US military presence in Afghanistan, I have not read or heard a single time Hamed Karzai or any member of his US-backed cabinet mention the word “Sovereignty” or say anything about regulating the presence of US forces in Afghanistan!

The International community’s major players, such as China, France, Russia, etc., who are so serious about the issue of sovereignty in Iraq and battle about it on the UN Security Council floor as well as in other diplomatic arenas, do not seem the least concerned about it when it comes to Afghanistan. Never has it been mentioned in any Security Council resolution that foreign troops (mainly US), other that the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan, should seek proper mandate from the international community through the UN or, at least, make known the timetable of their presence as well as the legal basis for their continued presence and action in Afghanistan.

Whereas Mr Karzai will never dare to evoke such questions – even in a rhetorical manner - simply because he owes his proper existence in power to that of American troops in Afghanistan, I think it behooves to the United Nations to demonstrate the same degree of commitment to its principles when it comes to Afghanistan as it does for Iraq.

© Assem Akram / Afghan Observer 2004.