Operation Iraqi Freedom and the New Middle East

In honor of this occasion, when the wind of change began blowing in the Middle East and when the long aspiration for freedom and dignity started its path into reality despite all huge sacrifices and costs in Iraq, I am reposting excerpts from my previous article, "Iraq Victory: Middle East Salvation, International necessity", which tries to change the approach of perceiving the Operation Iraqi Freedom through a realistic perspective based on international and regional facts and goals.



IRAQ VICTORY: MIDDLE EAST SALVATION, INTERNATIONAL NECESSITY

By Nassim Yaziji


The U.S. will not abandon Iraq. To me, it means that the U.S. will not abandon the Middle East. Abandoning Iraq means abandoning the new Middle East, a moderate, stable, civilized, modern and prosperous Middle East, and the nascent Middle East democratization movement, for Iranian regime's Islamic Middle East dominated by the Middle East totalitarian axis consisting of Syria's Baath, Hezbullah, Hamas and led by the Iranian regime. And this would be a disastrous blow to the U.S., Europe, the Middle East itself and the post-Cold War international order.

I definitely look positively at any deliberate prospective troops reduction, but setting a timetable of withdrawal, such as U.S. giving up, would blow up the reform movement and the liberal renaissance in the Middle East after Iraq and Lebanon's liberation. Furthermore, that would also blow up the American interests and credibility in the region and would open the door to the Iranian extremist regional project.

Furthermore, we must clearly know that the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom is a requisite for ensuring international peace and security based on global democracy in the 21st century through a post-9/11 international order. The post-Cold War chaotic international order is dying because it is no more able to tackle world problems and the new dangers and serious threats endangering the entire world, especially since 9/11. Pre-empting those dangers and threats, adapting to the changing geopolitics of the world and reacting to it, and creating the foundations of a new consistent and competent international order are requisites for future international peace and stability through a new world order based on global democratic values.

What has been done after the world war ΙΙ is something alike, so what is happening now after 9/11. When Europe was geopolitically the heart of the world, the U.S. moved to Europe and fought there with ideas and forces to restore and maintain peace and stability. Europe is no longer the heart of the world; the strategic center is moving eastward to the Middle East. The Middle East now is a key region to security, energy and world geopolitics – as a strategic location to approach the rising powers and future rivals, China and India.

Iraq has become the base of transforming the Middle East and eliminating the authoritarianism and totalitarianism with the democratic shine and the western support. Furthermore, Iraq is becoming the real base of changing the geopolitics of the region and replacing the old Middle East regional system with a new one, more modern, transparent, democratic and integrated with the world, ending the Cold War era and the Soviet late legacy in the region.

The war in Iraq is the war of the Middle East. It is a war of ideas and powers. The fearful Middle East totalitarian axis is fighting the United States and the world in Iraq as a symbol of fighting and intimidating the spreading free world after the Cold War to destroy the democratic perspective and to surround freedom in their countries.

The freedom and democracy in the Middle East is worthy of all the sacrifices that have been made, and it would eventually prevail. And the consequent new Middle East is a key factor in the process of development of the new world order, which would cope with the issues of world stability, security and progress. Then, we are facing a historic challenge and task, so we should apply a relevant and responsible approach. So, let us get our freedom dream in the Middle East a reality, which is turning into international objective and necessity.




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Some related articles of mine:

- The Neo-Internationalism after 9/11 and Middle East Democratization

- The Conflict over the New Middle East

- Defining the Iraqi Question

- Totalitarianism, Violence and Terror

- The End of International Isolationism


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Nassim Yaziji's Neo-Internationalism

Nassim Yaziji's Articles

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