Before dealing with the Nov 24 interim agreement, reached at Geneva between Iran and the US-led group consisting of France, Germany and Britain as well as China and Russia, let us have a brief look at the Washington’s strategy, the core of which is to solidify its position in the hunting ground, called the globe, in common parlance.
First, give the dog a bad name. Continue repeating like Adolf Hitler’s propaganda secretary that the canine has stocked piles of weapons of mass destruction which are dangerous for mankind, till a stage arrives when the Goebbels are left far behind.
In the meantime, the targeted victim is forced to what the US loves to call face justice.
In the second stage form a group called Allies in the defence of peace. Put pressure on them to contribute their part in the form of hard currency and fighter planes with promises of brighter future as reconstruction of the dilapidated country would compensate their monetary losses.
The third stage includes giving a short shrift to the world opinion and cold-shouldering the world bodies like the United Nations.
FOURTH STAGE
And the fourth stage is directly assassinate the besieged dog or, let him be assassinated by his own local dissenters or enemies.
After the victory, comprehensive plans are devised to maximise the supply of oil from the “liberated” country at the cheapest possible rates. The B part of the plan is to supply the US-made substandard goods to the attacked country at the dearest possible price. The eager “allies in defence of peace” rush to the flattened country through carpet bombings.
The western world, where the civilization has touched the ultimate point of progress, also enters into the foreign lands in the name of ushering in or restoring democracy. Washington plants its own lackeys in foreign capitals. The CIA, America’s time-tested subversion instrument, kills or gets killed the honest dissenters of the United States. It creates US lobbies in foreign capitals, bribes the A-1 intellectuals of the country, funds the parties, and waits for the opportune moment to alter the momentum of political history.
Fathered by Great Britain and the United States, Israel is never touched as it is sacred and sacrosanct to the US think-tanks where, by the way, now gradually reason is dawning. But this did not happen till it became clear upon the wiseacres in Washington that too-much sacrifice has been made by America for Israel. The end of the Zionist game is still far away. This child conceived on the wrong side of the quilt continues to be elefante cordiale. Its protection and promotion happen to be holier than the Bible to the United States.
PAIN NAY AGONY
In this uncomfortable backdrop what is surprising if Israel is the only country in the world today which has unambiguously rejected the Iran-US nuclear deal. The world Muslims have noted with utter pain rather agony the fact that Saudi Arabia happens to be on the same page which carries Israeli protestations. To put it bluntly, Riyadh wants to see Tehran crippled if not dead as a vibrant Muslim Shia Muslim State.
Does Iran’s commitment to Shiism disqualify Iran for dignified life? Shia-Sunni conflict is centuries old. To the best of our knowledge – and we are open to correction – there is no edict by any competent, recognised and accredited scholar of any school of thought to declare Shias out of the pale of Islam. What is the justification of this ill will? If the alleged Shia machinations are an issue or if their pre-revolution call for exporting Shia revolution to the Arab countries is the irritant, much water has flown down the Shatt el-Arab that can be sorted out through secret diplomacy as Iran perhaps knows, or if it does not know, it must now know that the dream of world Muslim leadership is impossible to be translated into a reality. Now Iran is mature enough. Shia domination shall never be acceptable to the Ummah. The exercise to this effect would be futile and nothing except bloodshed would come out of the essay in this direction.
ISLAMIC BLOC
What we as a Muslim envision is an Islamic bloc which includes Iran also. There is merit in the thinking that if we Muslims do not hang together, we will be hanged separately.
It would be fruitful to recall that Algeria emerging as an Islamic state was hanged separately. The Sudan emerging as an Islamic state was hanged separately. What happened in Iraq is still fresh in public memory and words beggar description to delineate the barbarity in Iraq. So has happened with Afghanistan. Aren’t these sufficient examples to put sense into our heads? Had we an Islamic bloc, had Muslims been a force to reckon with, these hangings would not have followed. Had the concept of Ummah instead of narrow Arabism been pursued by the Arabs, history would have been totally different today. It looks as if Zionism has blinded Christendom of the day.
As referred to above, Israel has flatly rejected the Geneva agreement. It is fair to recall that Israel had exploded its first atomic bomb in the Atlantic in September 1979. The experiment had been done off South Africa. Today an almost impregnable wall made by the United States preserves the atomic arsenal of Israel. In fact it is not the question of tiny Israel. It is the gigantic but unreasonable America that has failed to come up to the popular Muslim expectations.
The popular Muslim feeling in this regard is that in all fairness Israel should also destroy its huge nuclear arsenal. Washington would do well to exert pressure on Tel Aviv.
The interesting breast-beating of Israel is the first significant sign of isolation of Israel and rapprochement between Iran and the west.
GAINS OF AGREEMENT
The gains of the interim accord are:
To an extent the top level confabulations banished the spectre of a Mid-East war or an Israeli-American confrontation which in fact was likely to be an American invasion on Iran. Israel has been itching for it since long and similar sentiments are said to have been in the mind of the Saudi leadership.
Some critics have expressed optimism about the ultimate Shia-Sunni rapprochement, resulting in trustworthy neighbourhoods of Shias and Sunnis. By completing a permanent deal after six months, Iran may push its claim for a permanent seat in the Security Council.
TANTRUM DIPLOMACY
The Arab states, it looks, believe in only “tantrum diplomacy”, shorn of substance and ideas. It is really regrettable that the Arabs as a whole have failed to realise the importance of nuclear power. Nobody is prepared to shower honours on you, however pious you may be, if you have no might at your beck and call. Now they are likely to groove over their defencelessness when Iran would automatically become a regional power.
As a logical consequence of amicable ties with the United States, the two-state solution of Palestine – Palestine and Israel – is likely to come up. The other six western states would be happy to go with America in this regard.
It goes without saying that Iran has committed to abstain from increasing stockpiles of low enrichment uranium. It has also agreed to freeze its enrichment capacity by not installing any more centrifuges, leaving more than half of its existing 16,000 centrifuges inoperable. It will also not fuel or commission the heavy water reactor in Arak or build a reprocessing plant that could produce plutonium from the spent fuel. Add to it the daily visits of energy experts and inspections by the international atomic energy.
KEY ISSUE
Iran’s right to enrich uranium is the key issue of discord. Though agreement has been reached on the subject, interpretations differ. But a leeway has been left for Iran. But much depends upon Iran’s compliance with the interim agreement – to the American satisfaction.