History, it is said, repeats itself, because
no one listens. Surely, the 1983 bombing of the US Marine
headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, should have served as a
reality check for the current batch of American war hawks
intent on regime change in Iraq.
The American marines came to Lebanon as
"peacekeepers" but soon realized that they were involved in a
civil war where family feuds and tribal politics were the order
of the day.
There would be no typical American quick-fix
solution to this problem. Instead, the Americans would get an
education they never really bargained for.
Just after dawn on October 23, a suicide
bomber driving a stolen yellow Mercedes Benz truck filled with
12,000 pounds of dynamite slammed into the marine headquarters
blowing up 241 American servicemen
President George W. Bush is delusional if he
thinks that after ousting Saddam he will set the foundations
for democracy in the Arab world.
The Arab world is a world of tribe, clan,
religious sects and village groups. Tribal bonds are honoured
before all other obligations.
A Bedouin Arabic proverb best illustrates
this point- "Me and my brother against our cousin. Me, my
brother, and my cousin against the stranger."
If democracy is to come to Iraq it has to
come from the Iraqi people, not on the backs of American
marines. Bush can ignore this lesson and become embroiled again
in another regional war. This time, however, we will all pay a
steep price.
Brian Oliver
Sudbury