Following President Bush’s tenure, there was a genuine realization and desire amongst the American people for a change to undo their image in the world. To prove such a desire to the world, they elected a Black American for the first time in their history. The Nobel Committee award for peace to Mr. Obama may have been in a hurry but the decision will strongly support the American choice for a “Change”. I am writing this letter in the same spirit in the hope that the implementation of the contents of my letter will bring a global “Change” for peace that will also add credence to his Noble award.
If we look into the history of peace and development, it took its birth from the ashes of wars. The Second World War and Vietnam can be good examples to quote. South West Asia has been in a grip of war since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It is now high time that South West Asia should rise from the ashes of its regional war. A slow birth of peace has taken place from Iraq and a move towards such a goal should be contemplated in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is important to understand that so far a divided strategic interest of the regional and major powers are pursuing more destabilization, blood bath and drain on resources.
Unfortunately there is no coherent movement on the horizon that will change the direction in the region towards peace and development. The situation has become so precarious that a US withdrawal will spell a disaster for the region by giving Al Qaeda and Taliban a safe region to permit every global evil. Pakistan has already become a target of such an evil. On the other hand a prolong occupation of US / NATO troops will continue to transform public opinion against occupation forces. This will further strengthen Al Qaeda and Taliban in gorilla warfare.
What message is being spelled out from all the above. US / NATO have to bring a big change in their regional objectives of China containment and monitoring that was originally conceived. Mr. Obama has to think far beyond Kerry/Lugar bill and “SURGE” proposed by the US commander in Afghanistan. I am aware that President Obama and his advisors are at logger head to find a solution.
The whole mindset has to be revotionalized to contemplate on a Marshal Plan that will contribute to a creation of an economic block of South West Asia. A collective regional union of countries to include the subcontinent, China, Iran and Afghanistan with US investment will be a very powerful message for the insurgents to survive. It will also provide an opportunity to US/NATO forces to pull out of the region. A regional assault on the insurgents will be considered indigenous and public opinion will remain with assault forces resulting in further weakening of insurgency.
The Marshal plan I referred to earlier will reflect a US, NATO and Russian investment in the region. There is also a global need to provide alternate option of economy (in consumers) to the US that heavily depends on its military hardware for its economy to run. The emerging economy will convert the region into peace protected by three nuclear powers. Once Iran will come under the union umbrella, there will be automatic pressure in stopping Iran to go nuclear as such a protection will be available to them within the union. Once the global economic union will cement, there may not be any need to keep nuclear weapons in future. The smaller deprived nations in the region will also be given a proportionate opportunity to rise economically. South West Asia with its population of 3.5 billion people will become a global epic centre of world economy. The enormous money that is being wasted in fighting the war and the human losses will be spared and converted into an era of peace with a global income for every one. South West Asia economic union can be regionally extended unto Turkey, Jordon and Israel and this will further open the door towards Israel/ Palestine peace that cannot be covered in this paper.
To bring the final curtain on Al Qaeda and Taliban, a global security council resolution has to be passed in condemnation to send a clear message that there is now no future for them.
Mr. President you would have ushered a new global era of peace for the first time in the world. The Noble Committee would be proud that they did not make any mistake in giving you the award. Global economy will also generate a new era towards destruction and against proliferation of nuclear weapons. I am sure it must be conceded that a plan can best be implemented by the one who conceived it.
Sikander H Shah
P O Box 4277 Sharjah UAE Mobile (97150) 5396967)
0 comments:
Post a Comment