Middle East: Spiraling Escalation of Violence
By Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com 
New York, United States

There is an upheaval unfolding in the Middle East; It is an unraveling of a region.

There are renewed upsurges of violence and civil wars in the Middles East. These civil wars and internecine crises and battles are escalating on almost daily basis. These  warring parties are a result of failures of American and Western polices in the Middle East. From the debacle and quagmire of American invasion and occupation of Iraq, to the American bolstering of the pro-American government in Lebanon and now, the glaringly undermined Palestinian government led by Hamas in Gaza and West Bank.

The world is already thoroughly familiar with the invasion and occupation of Iraq by the Americans, just as the world is keenly aware of the consequences and unintended consequences of the Americans’ presence in Iraq, the Straits of Hormuz and the entire Persian Gulf region of the Middle East. Iraq has since degenerated into deaths and destructions of horrible and brutal civil war, between Shiites and Sunnis Arabs Iraqis.

That the conflicts in Iraq is gorily bloody, is beyond dispute. The goriness of the details filtering out of Iraq, hour by hour, defies human comprehension, just as it defies, every spin-doctoring efforts that the American government have employed without success, to make it appear as if things were looking better than things are, in actuality, on the ground in Iraq. The mere presence of the Americans in Iraq, is an added combustible ingredient.

According to the Americans, Iraq is supposed to be a beacon of democracy in the Middle Eastern region; America therefore expected its invasion and occupation of Iraq, to positively influence events in the region, but, it has not quite turned out that way. There has been influence alright, but very negative influences. From implosion to implosion!

American Middle East policies, has always been suspect, to the average Arab or Middle Easterners. American presence in Iraq and the Middle East region, to some Arabs, is actually an added impetus, and motivation, for the escalating and spiraling violence, that are currently occurring in the Persian Gulf and neighboring regions.

In Lebanon, the pro-American government in Beirut, has been confronted by Hezbollah, a group that was accused and battled by Israel for several weeks last year. The United States exacerbated the frictions and tensions in Lebanon that was already very high, when America decided to supply a plethora of arms and ammunitions, in plane loads after plane loads, in more than twelve giant aircrafts. The US argued that it was supporting the Lebanese government, to enable Beirut dislodge Palestinian militants in Palestinian refugee camps inside Lebanon.

This is against the background of the hardships and hopelessness of Palestinians refugees, who have been in that Lebanese encamp for sixty-years of limbo. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are forbidden and prohibited by Lebanese laws, from seeking memberships in the professions, or for becoming a member of any trade or business. Palestinians refugees therefore are condemned to their endless limbo and equally endless abject poverty in the camps. America and others, are have not addressed the festered and festering abject conditions in the Palestinians refugees camps, but, instead, the Americans classifies the palpable discontent in the refugees camps, are just another front, in America’s grand scheme of things, in its so-called war on terror in the Middle East, and perhaps worldwide

The world is similarly familiar with America’s jettisoning of former President Bill Clinton negotiated peace settlement between Palestine and Israel. America, under the administration of President George W. Bush, had abandoned the Oslo Peace Accord. It equally undermined and then ignored Yasser Arafat until he died under barricade and isolation by Israel, as Israel acted with America’s approvals, winks and nods.

Upon Arafat’s passing, America actively sought to impose a Palestinian leadership of America’s choosing, a Palestinian leadership that is or would be amenable to the whims and desires of America’s overall Middle East policies. Hamas, the political opponents of Fattah, competed in elections, that were judged to be free and fair. Mr. Haniyah of Hamas became the prime minister of Palestine, while Abbas of Fattah, remained president of Palestine.

America, the owner and sole exporter of democracy, sought to undermine Mr. Haniyah and his government, formed, after Hamas victorious ascension at the polls. The Americans, supported by the Israelis, engaged in financial blackmails, against the Hamas led government of Palestine. Israel for instance, denied and withheld from Palestine, taxes and customs fees, which Israel collects on the behalf of Palestine, Israel, being the colonial administrator, of Palestine, sort of. Indeed, Israeli UN ambassador, said today, on American television, that America and Israel, made a mistake in "allowing" elections in Palestine, with Hamas participation in it. Imagine that! "allowing elections"! Whatever happened to the avowals and vouched export of democracy to the Arab world? Must democracy mean the election of only those we like and prefer? How about the electorate?

America and Israel collaborated in convincing the Europeans, to withhold financial aids and loans, from Palestine. Denying these crucial financial muscle, have dire consequences, such as, general discontent, arising from unpaid workers, literarily meant unfed families in the Palestinian territories, including, a rise in the crime rates and general lawlessness. This, clearly could  have, and must have been anticipated.

Well, it came to pass, after a couple of years of undermining Prime Minister Haniyah of Palestine, strangling his government with financial deprivations, as choreographed by the Americans, Israelis and their European allies, Palestine has now reached a boiling point! But, how did Palestine get here? How did Palestine’s affairs get the way they are now?

Palestine is boiling and boiling over its seams! As I write this, Palestinians armed men, of opposing camps of Hamas and Fattah, the presidency and prime minister, respectively, are blowing each other up! Meanwhile, America has announced its support, to a side to the conflict between the factions, of Hamas and Fattah. The US joins the fray, instead being peace-broker?

America is once again, indulging in short term convenient approach. America is bolstering the Fattah’s Abbas to diminish Hamas’s Haniyah, even promising to lift the financial strangulation against Palestinians immediately. Perhaps this was the American expectation all along? The plan was to cause extreme hardships and suffering resulting in general discontent. The unraveling of the Hamas led government? Are the events we now see, merely as results of carefully orchestrated and choreographed implosions? Are these carefully cataclysm intended for the degeneration and disintegration of Palestine?

Perhaps, this was the plan all along? A sort of planned obsolescence? Is this the planned expectations of opponents of Palestinians, to make them hungry and deprived, long and sufficiently famished enough, they will struggle for crumbs, literarily start to devour one another and start a civil war to kill off, themselves? The civil has started in earnest, and perhaps this will now leave Palestinians to do the dirty work, of killing themselves, as the worthy cause of Palestinian statehood is derailed and non-Palestinians, or opponent of Palestine’s work for statehood would have accomplished their goals, their work is done, as Palestine is finally undone, by Palestinians themselves. Oh, poor Palestine!

Robot  Villager

# 1 Palestine is boiling and boiling over its seams! As I write this, Palestin...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 16.06.2007 07:11

Oguguo Yakere  Villager

# 2 Paul Adujie, You are very correct according to your first paragraph. In that same fashion I see a common string linking the following relationships: America & Fatah movement in Palestine as apparent to the world. Obasanjo & Andy Uba in Anambra State as known to truthful Nigerian citizens. And, Obasanjo & ILN in Nigeria Village Square as apparent to villagers. Posted by Oguguo Yakere| 16.06.2007 19:43

nigeria we hail thee!  Villager

# 3 This is the best article i have read from Paul Adujie! Congrats brother for 'deviating' from your area of expertise (defending the indefensible Obasanjo regime, his errand boys and the Nigerian establishment) which makes some of us suspect that it is either something is wrong somewhere or you are been paid for all those PR jobs. I appreciate your patriotism which i want to presume to be authentic. We are patriotic and passionate about Nigeria too and this explains why we are critical of the status quo because we believe that Nigeria(ns) deserve a better deal. The truth is that objectivity should not be sacrificed in the altar of patriotism. There is room for some balance. That's by the way, permit my digression, let me talk about your current article. I still don't comprehend what democracy means. I thought they told us that demeocracy means government of the people for the people and by the people? Its a crazy world we are living in. I have a feeling that the WEST benefits from the instability in the middle east with their divide and rule style. At least their arms/defence companies can do some business and their oil interest will be protected. What is democracy if people cannot be allowed to choose or elect their leaders? America did not recognise the man that won the election in Iraq before this current Iraqi president that was a child of compromise. Some other fellow won the election but the Americans felt the guy will not be their stooge and he was replaced. Is this democracy? Again in Palestine, Hamas won a free and fair election but the almighty and omniscience Americans in their characteristic fashion, refused to recognise Hamas government. They went ahead to starve them of funds in connivance with their european partners. What then is democracy? Imagine the Isaraeli's saying they made a mistake by allowing Hamas to partake in the last election. What an insult! No wonder the Americans and their european counterparts are comfortable doing business with the Pakistani government even though it is dictatorship because any day an election is held in that country, Islamic fundamentalists will hold sway. At the risk of being branded an anti-semite, i will say that the Israeli's are not helping issues too. They are been buoyed by their American and european god-fathers so what do you expect. There is an Igbo saying that posits that an armed robber that has his dad's blessings, is more vehement. There will be peace in the middle east if the Americans and their european collaborators call Israel to order and allow countries that choose their leaders without interference. I cannot help sympatising with the Iranians for wanting to have their own nuke because the world those not respect the weak. Posted by nigeria we hail thee!| 18.06.2007 04:25

Jah Guda  Villager

# 4 The current state of affairs in this part of the world is proof that humans, though significantly advanced technologically, have actually taken several steps back as far as our ability to live together is concerned. The two State solution, Israel/Palestine? has finally been achieved; Palestine Hamas state and Palestine Fatah state. Posted by Jah Guda| 20.06.2007 09:49

I Love Nigeria  Villager

# 5 former American President Jimmy Carter, a gentle-giant, and a perfect gentleman, a man that I have always admired and continue to admire, is forthrightly honest. A couple of days ago, he described current American Middle East policies as CRIMINAL! AND, this was in essence, the essence... of what I had said in this article above.... President Carter's comments are pasted below -ILN Carter slams U.S. policy on Palestinians FORMER United States (U.S.) President Jimmy Carter has accused his country, Israel and the European Union (EU) of seeking to divide the Palestinian people by reopening aid to President Mahmoud Abbas' new government in the West Bank while denying the same to the HAMAS-controlled Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israel has agreed to allow a number of Palestinians who have been trying to flee the Gaza Strip to enter Israel for urgent medical treatment. They are among dozens of people stranded at the Erez border crossing for days - some in a desperate state. They have been trying to flee Gaza after it was taken last week by Hamas militants from their rivals Fatah. The United Nations (UN) said food supplies in Gaza will be exhausted in seven to 10 days unless Israel allows normal shipments through. It has 100 container loads with supplies ready at the Karni border crossing. Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was addressing a human rights conference in Ireland, according to the Associated Press (AP), also said the Bush administration's refusal to accept HAMAS' 2006 election victory was "criminal." He said HAMAS, besides winning a fair and democratic mandate that should have entitled it to lead the Palestinian government, had proven itself to be far more organised in its political and military showdowns with Abbas' moderate FATAH movement. HAMAS fighters routed FATAH in their violent take-over of the Gaza Strip last week. The split prompted Abbas to dissolve the power-sharing government with his rivals in HAMAS and set up a FATAH-led administration to govern the West Bank. Carter said the consensus of the U.S., Israel and the EU to start funnelling aid to Abbas' new government in the West Bank but continue blocking HAMAS in the Gaza Strip represented an "effort to divide Palestinians into two peoples." "All efforts of the international community should be to reconcile the two, but there's no effort from the outside to bring the two together," he said. The U.S. and European countries cut off the HAMAS-led government last year because of the Islamic militant group's refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel. They have continued to send humanitarian aid to Gaza through the United Nations and other organisations. In the latest crisis, the U.S., Israel and much of the West have been trying to shore up Abbas in hopes that the West Bank can be made into a democratic example that would bring along Gaza. During his speech to Ireland's yearly Forum on Human Rights, the 83-year-old former president said monitors from his Carter Centre observed the 2006 election that HAMAS won. He said the vote was "orderly and fair" and HAMAS triumphed, in part, because it was "shrewd in selecting candidates," whereas a divided, corrupt FATAH ran multiple candidates for single seats. Far from encouraging HAMAS' move into parliamentary politics, Carter said the U.S. and Israel, with European Union acquiescence, sought to subvert the outcome by shunning HAMAS and helping Abbas to keep the reins of political and military power. "That action was criminal," he said in a news conference after his speech. "The United States and Israel decided to punish all the people in Palestine and did everything they could to deter a compromise between HAMAS and FATAH," he said. Carter said the U.S. and others supplied the FATAH-controlled security forces in Gaza with vastly superior weaponry in hopes they would "conquer HAMAS in Gaza" - but HAMAS routed FATAH in the fighting last week because of its "superior skills and discipline." Ran Yaron, a doctor with the Physicians for Human Rights, told Israel Radio Wednesday that 15 Palestinians' lives were in danger and that the necessary treatment was not available in the Gaza Strip. Israel had allowed in two Palestinians wounded in a shootout at the terminal, the army and medical officials said. Three other people wounded in the Palestinian infighting last week also were allowed to pass. The army did not provide details of the identities of the wounded, who were taken to Israeli hospitals. As the stand-off stretched on, the scene inside the tunnel grew increasingly desperate Tuesday. Women, children and young men sat between two high concrete walls, about 10 yards apart, looking tired and grimy. Suitcases and trash were strewn on the ground. Some families sat on mats, others on bare asphalt, including several men with bloody bandages on their legs. A breeze barely stirred between the walls, and the tunnel, which has no toilets, reeked of urine and sweat. In Washington, President George W. Bush and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to bolster Abbas in his battle with HAMAS, calling him a moderate voice and the only true leader of the Palestinian people. "I am going to make every possible effort to co-operate with him," the Israeli prime minister said. Bush called Abbas "the president of all the Palestinians" and "a reasonable voice among the extremists." Talking to reporters in Washington, Olmert pledged to free tax money Israel has collected for the Palestinians but has frozen since HAMAS took power. He did not give an amount, but the total is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Olmert also said he would act to ease travel restrictions in the West Bank and also would consider releasing Palestinian prisoners and shoring Abbas' security forces. In the Israeli incursion into southern Gaza, the troops exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing two of them, the army and militant groups said. Another three Palestinians were wounded in the shootout, HAMAS, Palestinian Resistance Committees and Islamic Jihad said. One soldier was moderately wounded, the army said. Troops acting undercover in the village of Karara were discovered by the gunmen who fired at them, prompting the army to send six tanks, two armoured personnel carriers and a bulldozer to the area, HAMAS and the Palestinian Resistance Committees said. The army said the entrance of the troops had been planned, was not a broad operation, and was meant to counter militant activity, including arms smuggling. Posted by I Love Nigeria| 21.06.2007 08:04