Time for a new doctrine

Washington had confessed that there was nothing like al Qaeda or WMD in Iraq during Saddam's time: occupation has invited Al Qaeda for a killing feast.

Seven years of pounding on possible and suspected Al Qaeda connections has led to nowhere. The elusive Bin Laden and his terror outfit are still expanding from their hideouts. 'Either with us or against us' had forced Pakistan to be a reluctant partner and anti-American feeling is intense. Frequent bombing from North Africa to the Philippines, in Europe and elsewhere tell us the Bush doctrine is neither working nor taking the people along. There should be a search for a new strategy that will keep people engaged not by force or threat but by shared values and gains. The new doctrine must make nations partners, not the collaborators of the strategy.

From the Red Mosque siege to the latest attempt on the Prime Minister Yousuf Jilani, the capital of Islamabad is incrementally becoming a battlefront. Al Qaeda may be the brain but it is mostly Taliban - the of-spring of Pakistan that is sucking it dry. Events suggest the boundary between Taliban and Al Qaeda is losing its identity more and more like the Durand line between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was overplay by Pakistan beyond her capability in the Afghan inferno that is turning back on Pakistan now. When Pakistan is failing to save her own capital and the leaders, her handle on the Taliban does not appear to be convincingly anyone including her neighbour India who alleged Pakistan’s’ complicity in the recent bombing of her embassy in Kabul. Unfortunately pointing finger at the neighbours is the cheapest ballgame of the lazy brains. The latest bombing in New Delhi suggests terror management is an international concern and needs proactive regional strategy and cooperation.

In the global context the first realization is that Muslims must be the part of the civilization, not the opposing force. It is time for Prof Huntington to write against his own antithesis to save the world from the curse of 'The Clash of Civilization'. The new strategy needs to inject pride and honour among the players to eliminate conflict. Religions do not fight; religionists may, on perceptions of their own. Like blaming the neighbour in the subcontinent, blaming the religion or color of the opponent has become the cheapest way to hide the failure. Terrorism is the wrong means and methodology of job orientation. Hindu Tamils of northern Sri Lanka are jihadist of their kind, more dreaded than many terrorist groups of international acclaim.

Obama and McCain are fighting a war of words for the White House that is metaphorically putting lipstick on the pig. We are watching the effects of these personalized, philosophized and tactical attacks to gain mileage on their voters. Where words fail guns take hold. Modern civilization does not allow guns as a means of conflict resolution. Let Muslims be a positive social force of change; not collaborators or opponents in the gun-barrel strategy. It is time to tell how much Muslims have lost since 9/11 and with compassion and how much they can gain through parlays and accommodation.

Muslims have taken a century of bashing since World War I. The more they suffer; more they miss their heritage and desperately look towards religion for salvation. Unlike vigorous attempts by Japan and Germany following the devastations of World War II, Muslim society was paralyzed by the defeat in the First World War. A new strategy must encourage them to walk out of the melancholia. Democracy is the fulfillment of desires and aspirations; it must be the strategy of those who want to see poor societies move forward on the highway of civilization. Let the benefits of democracy slowly but surely percolate through the barriers and prejudices.

The ground reality of the Arab- Israeli conflict is very far from where it started. Israel is as much a reality today as an independent Palestine. The long struggle and suffering has crystallized the realities for all sides. The boundaries in disputed areas can wait, duly managed by the UN forces; Palestinians must be immediately offered sovereignty over the undisputed land. A sovereign Palestine will have higher stake in going into clash with stronger Israel for fear of the loss. At the same time Israel will have difficulty in crossing international boundary on one pretext or the other. Palestinians might have lost everything during the last sixty years Israel is also tired of winning without an end in sight.

It is too late for President Bush for a strategic shift. The Wall Street collapse will take its toll on the economy and bad news from subprime meltdown will continue. In a free market greed and competition are the twin track of occasional bubble burst. It does not matter whether Obama or McCain becomes the next president, they will have to get the economy in shape and bring the world closer.