Daily Times

The colonial powers had created divisions and breakup of colonies at the time of their independence and manipulated certain territorial and border disputes to remain unresolved, which could enable them to keep the neighbouring countries in a state of war. Old Arab states were crushed and new ones were created. Israel was created in the place of Palestine.

Congo was divided into Brazzaville and Leopoldville. Vietnam and Korea were divided into North and South. China was divided into Peoples’ Republic of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Thus, an organisation, like the CIA, was needed to implement rather advance the US’s imperialist agenda. They had thought that North Vietnam was an easy morsel, and on spacious grounds and patent lies, they took on the communist state. But they could not subdue it, and their satellite, South Vietnam, imploded into formidable popular resistance against them and their puppets. And the rest is history.

With the advent of the Arab Spring, the world had witnessed the events, leading to the fall of supposedly strongmen Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and company. Except for Muammar Gaddafi, all others had the backing and the support of the US and the West and were responsible for the tyranny unleashed by those dictatorships, whereby activists from all walks of life were imprisoned, tortured and murdered.

It was only when the US and European countries saw that the rulers of these Middle Eastern and North African countries had become unpopular, they disowned them. Of course, information technology played its part, but the disgruntled youth and public at large were disgusted with the tyranny, oppression and corruption in those societies. Once, Muammar Gaddafi was popular for his welfare policies, however, the US and the West were after his blood for supporting resistance movements.

Kashmir and Palestine are considered two flashpoints. In Kashmir, the human tragedy is in the making given the curfew that entered the fourth month, and Israel’s policy of settlements in West Bank is also fraught with dangers. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. On March 25, 2019, US President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation, recognising the highlands on the border with Syria as Israel’s territory. In April 2019, Turkey, Russia, and Iran condemned the US decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights, which was a blatant violation of international law, particularly the UNSC resolution 497. In a joint statement, the three guarantor countries of the Astana peace process in Syria reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The international community must resolve the disputes, including Kashmir, to achieve world peace, otherwise, the conflicts would be converted into war

President Bashar al Assad’s government survived because of Russia and Hizbullah’s support, and most of the nation is no longer involved in active fighting. Much of it is now under the Assad regime’s control. However, the US had supported the Kurdish-Arab faction in the East, which was seen as a hostile act by both Syria and Turkey. US President Donald Trump’s decision to cut off aid to anti-government rebels in Syria marked a victory for President Bashar al-Assad in his six-year civil war and its allies, Russia and Iran. It, indeed, means defeat for the US efforts to remove the Syrian dictator. Russia and the Assad regime are already fighting a war against Daesh rebels in Idlib in spite of claimed ceasefires. Anyhow, the international community must resolve the disputes, including Kashmir dispute, to achieve world peace, otherwise, the conflicts would be converted into war.

Since the September attack on Saudi oil facilities, Riyadh and the Houthis have taken a step back from an all-out war. Saudi leadership perhaps feels the continuation of the war in Yemen could be a costly affair as the US is likely to send a bill for additional troops and anti-missile system. Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government and UAE-backed separatists have signed a power-sharing deal to halt infighting.

The UAE supported its faction in Yemen because its ambitious leadership contended for the area of influence. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the agreement between the Yemeni government and southern separatists to end a power struggle in the country’s south. He described the “Riyadh Agreement” as a crucial step towards a political solution to end Yemen’s bloody four-year war. However, without a settlement with the Houthis, peace in Yemen would remain elusive.

Afghanistan’s twice-delayed presidential vote finally took place on September 28. But a declaration of victory by the two leading presidential candidates–incumbent Ashraf Ghani and his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah–have already claimed they’re leading the vote count, which poses challenges for long-lasting internal stability. Apart from the conflict between the Afghan government and the Taliban, two leading presidential candidates–the Special Representatives of Russia, China and the US–held their fourth consultation on the Afghan peace process in Moscow on October 25, 2019. Kabul is also looking east to Beijing for the revival of a stalled peace parley in the battle-weary country. On the heels of intense clashes between government forces and Taliban insurgents amid initiatives to reinvigorate peace talks in various world capitals, China’s bid to host the rival factions for a rare peace meeting has been well-received by Afghans.

The writer is a freelance columnist