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Fake news war-mongering and the war in Ukraine - EDITORIAL
War, armed struggle or individuals resorting to fisticuffs, as a means to finding solutions to problems, is not an acceptable means of problem solving. Such bellicose actions rather than ending differences only exacerbate existing grievances.
A solid example of this type of mistake backfiring was the action taken by late President Jayewardene when he sent in the military to crush what was an incipient demand for a separate state by sections of the Tamil population in the north and east. The Tamils’ demands arose against perceived racially discriminative actions of the government against the community.
The attempt to militarily crush protests ballooned into a near thirty-year war, which laid waste the whole country and the created a situation where external forces were able to interfere in what was a purely domestic Lankan problem.
It is in this light that right-thinking people find it difficult not to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the grounds of its security concerns; while at the same time recognising the danger Russia feels exposed to by the possibility of NATO troops and missiles in its back yard.
In like manner, those who promote and encourage Ukraine to join the NATO alliance, without reference to Russian fears, are equally responsible for the creation of a situation that led to Russia initially annexing Crimea and has now led to a full-blown war between the two states.
Even more sad has been the fact the US and its NATO allies in Europe, instead of attempting to negotiate a settlement are escalating tensions by providing millions of dollars’ worth armaments to Ukraine to continue the war.
Russia demands Ukraine not to be a partner of the NATO alliance as it brings US and NATO troops to Russia’s door. Unfortunately, rather than negotiate, both the US and its West European allies continue pouring more modern and destructive weapons into Ukraine.
Today the war in Ukraine is in danger of spreading beyond the European theatre and into the Middle East by design rather than accident.
In its 20 October (2022) issue, UK’s ‘The Telegraph’ -a mouth-piece of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party reported in banner headlines “Iran has declared war on Britain and the West. The mischievous column claims Iran is playing an active role in the conflict and siding openly with Putin”.
As proof of “Iran’s declaration of war against Britain and the West” the article blames Iran for not condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. It also condemns Iran for blaming the US and West for disregarding Russia’s security concerns. Finally it describes Iran’s sale of ‘killer drones’ to Russia as the ultimate proof that Iran has declared war on Britain and the West!
Either the writer is ignorant of history, or chooses to ignore it. Russia still holds what were earlier Iranian territories in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia -seized by Russia during in the 19th century. It would be as difficult for Pakistan and India to regard each other as friends as it would be for Iran to look at Russia as a friendly power.
A mistake people in the West make is, as the late South African leader -Nelson Mandela put it, is their (West’s) belief that their enemies “should be our enemies...”.
The US and Britain funded a coup in Iran (1953) which overthrew the elected prime minister of that country and imposed the Shah as Iran’s leader, to protect Britain’s hold on Iranian oil resources which were threatened with nationalisation by the then Iranian premier. The Shah ran a brutally repressive regime, enforced by the notorious Savak secret police. He was backed all the way by the British and American governments
That Iranians do not look with sympathy at either Russia or the US and its western alliance is therefore not surprising
This column has at all times been critical of war and/or aggression as a means of settling differences. Equally guilty however, are those nations, and business interests who promote war-mongering and use of hate-speech as a means to promote war and crises to take forward their own agendas.
The spurious charge that Iran has declared war on Britain and the West is a classic example of raising false alarms and attempting to extending the war beyond its present borders.
It is in reality, another effort to control Iranian oil resources and impose still more sanctions against a nation which has taken stands independent of big-power politics.
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