US hypocrisy in the Middle East

Vanguard October 2011 p. 7
Bill F.

The policies of US imperialism in relation to conflicts in the Middle East are riddled with hypocrisy.

Popular protest movements against dictatorial governments subservient to US interests are inevitably met with violent repression, while Obama and Clinton make their mealy-mouthed speeches urging “restraint” and “democratic reform”.

This has happened in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain, and is continuing in Yemen where hundreds are being slaughtered every day by the reactionary Saleh regime, another US puppet.

In Saudi Arabia, where clerical feudalism enforces its rule by trading oil for sophisticated US weaponry, any protests are quickly and violently suppressed.

Women have no democratic rights at all; not allowed to vote; not allowed to even drive a car!

The most brutal and sadistic punishments are handed out – whipping, amputations, beheading, and torture is rife in the prisons and police stations.

This all tolerated and ignored by the champions of ‘democracy’.

However, if the government is neutral or, heavens forbid, critical of US imperialism, all sorts of illegal sanctions, trade embargoes and restrictions are quickly imposed by the US and the smug gang of western countries that like to call themselves the “international community” – Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Australia always tagging along.

Syria is one country now facing internal conflict, but not on the scale seen in Tunisia, Egypt or Yemen.

Nevertheless, the US has lobbied for sanctions and has tried to isolate and demonise the Syrian regime.

No doubt there are a clutch of servile Syrian ‘dissidents’ waiting in the United States for their chance to step in when called upon, as has happened in Libya.

Speaking of Libya, speaking of hypocrisy!!

The so-called ‘no fly zone’ that US/NATO imposed on Libya was justified in the name of “protecting civilians”. It was loudly and enthusiastically promoted by Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and endorsed by the Gillard Labor government.

To their great shame, Russia and China allowed this imperialist manoeuvre to be approved by the United Nations Security Council, thus giving it a veneer of legitimacy. When, as predicted, it turned into aggressive, offensive air support for the anti-Gaddafi rebel forces, and resulted in many civilian casualties, not a murmur was raised, not by the complicit governments, or by Russia, China or Australia.

Palestine

Hypocrisy is too gentle a word for discussing US policies in regard to a Palestinian state.

For decades the US has promoted an endless round of on-again, off-again ‘negotiations’ between the Israeli government and Palestinian representatives. Meanwhile, Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinian land has been financed and even encouraged by US imperialism, which wants to maintain a foothold in the Middle East in its competition with European and Russian imperialisms.

Fearing growing pressure for unity between the Palestinian factions, the Obama government has worked hard to undermine and discredit the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to seek recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations. Among other threats, they have announced the intention to veto any Security Council vote or General Assembly recommendation.

Israel’s Netanyahu has celebrated his US support by announcing 1100 new settlement houses in occupied Jerusalem.

It leaves Abbas and the Palestinian Authority with nowhere to go. The Oslo Accord now lies in tatters, any prospect of a ‘two-state solution’ buried by the creeping rash of settlements in the occupied territories.