IN MY OPINION: ROBERT D. RICHARDS

 

Update - September 14, 2001

 

Pakistan - As the horror turns to anger, certain facets of the inevitable response seem to be coming into focus.  Politically Pakistan is the key question right now.  It has official diplomatic ties to the Afghani Taliban and itself has a network of militant Islam organizations, some of course connected to bin Laden.  The Pakistani leadership is wedged between a 'rock' and a hard place.  The Muslim nation is a military regime with nuclear capability and therefore the strongest force in the region.  It is an enemy of Israel and India and an ally of Afghanistan and Iraq.   It has open diplomatic ties but stressed and conflicting relations with the US.  After some hesitation, today Pakistan is pledging support of any US initiative in the region.  The reality of this remains to be seen.

 

US-led War – Today CNN changed its banner from “America Under Attack” to “America’s New War”.  This reflects the current tone from the US: a self-led global war against terrorism and the states who support it, with a challenge to all countries to choose sides, "us or them".   The Pentagon is making statements like "ending states who sponsor terrorism."  Ending states is a major turn in international affairs.  The means destroying countries that you now see on the map - they will no longer exist.

 

Political Wildcards - Russia is key.  Pakistan is key.  Iran is Key.  Saudi Arabia is key.  Egypt is key.  Major historic allies like England and France and other NATO members are in the bag of course.  Iraq is waiting in the shadows to emerge with whatever Hussein sees will leverage his personal power and revenge against the US.  Israel and Palestine are the hotbed of the issues, and remain uncertain wildcards.

 

Though the political realities are complicated, the core of the issue is quite simple.   This is a modern global conflict rooted in the creation of Israel and the expulsion of the Palestinians from their perceived homeland.  It is a conflict of religious and secular interests: "foreign policy" and "holy-war" mean the same thing -- it's what you do to pursue and defend your basic beliefs and philosophy from those who oppose it.  The people waging the battle and the technologies have changed, but the problem remains the same.