YANKEE GREED IN “THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY”
T.G. JACOB
The typical American way of evolving strategies of international politics and economics does not depend on any single high level policy-making body being entrusted with the task of formulation. On the other hand, a variety of private think tanks, semi-government organisations and lobbies of sometimes even conflicting interests prepare their own reports and proposals on what is most desirable in their own and overall American interests. These proposals are then selectively leaked to big media like Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and New York Times. These “media coups” then invite further proposals from teams that may want to further develop or delete so that a stage comes when all possible angles in the US interest are elicited. Secret reports, private discussions, tips given out by unnamed official sources to the media are all part of this process.
This process is certainly not a democratic one because the people have absolutely no role in it. They are at the most considered as one variable in the finalised strategy. The present American drive for global hegemony is an eminent illustration of this sort of process of evolving a strategic policy.
George W. Bush assumed office in January 2001, but several months before this a group called “Project for the New American Century” prepared an exhaustive report titled “Rebuilding America’s Defences: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century”, which, as the title directly connotes, is nothing short of a grand strategy for the entire century. The composition of the group is clear evidence to the fact that this report indicates the intentions of those presently at the top of affairs. The PNAC was headed by Richard Perle, a key member of the Reagan administration and member of such extreme right wing think tanks like Hudson Institute and American Enterprise Institute. He is currently the head of the Defence Policy Board, the advisory group to Pentagon. Others include Dick Cheney, present Vice-President, Donald Rumsfield, Defence Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, Deputey Defence Secretary, lewis Libby, Chief of Staff of Vice-President, William Bennet, Reagan’s Education Secretary and Zalmay Khalilzad, who is American envoy to Afghanistan and widely considered to become the boss in post-Saddam Iraq. Jeb Bush, governor and George’s brother is also a founding member.
From what has come out in the media the following are the highlights of this “grand strategy.”
The US should be able to fight and win decisively several simultaneous major wars with or without allies. An annual increase in military spending by 48 billion dollars is necessary to ensure this.
Iraq provides a justification for permanent substantial deployment of US forces in the Gulf region and such deployment transcends the regime of Saddam Hussein. The existence of Iran provides a legitimate reason for the permanent deployment of US forces in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Nuclear weapons should become tactical weapons rather than remain strategic ones. “Bunker-buster” nuclear weapons which can be used for usual wars are necessary. Biological weapons should be developed to a higher stage and fights will take place in space, cyber space and the realm of microbes. Biological warfare should encompass targeting specific geno-types (i.e., selectively kill people based on race or ethnicity). The report calls for “transforming biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool.”
Star Wars Programme, otherwise called National Missile Defence should get top priority.
Escalation of US presence in Southeast Asia. China should have a clearly pro-American regime.
A “world-wide command and control system” should be put in place.
The “American Century” should be an American century only. The possibility of any emerging rival should be nipped in the bud itself. Allies like UK can be used to generate and maintain US hegemony across the world. Peace-keeping forces demands US political leadership, not UN.
For effectively unleashing this offensive process what is needed is a major event like a “new Pearl Harbour.”
Many of these highlights of the PNAC report have been implemented. Increase in military spending has occurred. The development of “bunker-buster” nuclear weapons and Star Wars programme is being accelerated. The targeting of Iraq is installing US troops in the Gulf. US bases in Southeast Asia are being enormously strengthened. North Korea and Iran are being clubbed with Iraq as the “axis of evil.” Most important, September 11, 2001 has become the new Pearl Harbour. We can expect that the other main points in the PNAC report will also be realised or at least serious efforts will be made to realise them at great speed.
What has become self-evident is that the invasion of Iraq is being visualised by the US as the opening shot in the invasion of the whole Gulf region. Several semi-official sources (Washington Post, 6/8/02) have confirmed this “grand strategy”.
A closely related aspect of this “grand strategy” is the expulsion of Palestinians to Jordan and consolidation of Israel as the command and control headquarters for the entire region. The continued aggression on Palestinians, which will certainly be put on a higher level once the war starts going, points at this course.
[written in 2003]