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| Sunday, 5 September 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Globescan : GOP confirms Bush nomination by P. Muthiah
The Republican Convention has nominated President George W. Bush to run for the second term at the November 2 US Presidential election. He has again reiterated his commitment to war against terrorism and extremism. However, in an interview broadcast on NBC's Today show, his slip of tongue explicitly showed his thoughts on the fight against terrorism. He said the `war on terror was not winnable'. But, he was to convince the Convention that what he had meant was `the war on terror would not end with a conventional peace-making'. This is the first Presidential election in the United States since the attack on World Trade Centre, the citadel of capitalism, on September 11, 2001, the third anniversary of which falls on Saturday. President Bush, at first declared a `crusade', but later changed his word as `war on terrorism'. During these three years of war, American soldiers and thousands of innocent lives were victims of American bombings in Afghanistan, Iraq and Middle East. The war unleashed by Bush never subdued but escalates day by day and engulfing new areas of the world. It also gave birth to new extremist organisations targeting Americans and their interests. Bush is directed towards countering extremism and terrorism and advancing the value system he believes, holds the key to peace, stability and prosperity. On one hand, he unleashes a war and on the other hand tries to win the hearts and minds of Arabs, Muslims and others.The bombing of sacred city of Najaf had considerably increased the anti-American sentiments among Arabs, Muslims and others. Bush overthrew Saddam Hussein, but still limping to have a foothold in Iraq. The anti-American sentiments also caused the loss of lives of 12 innocent Nepali civilians who were taken hostage in Iraq. Ansar al-Sunna, the extremist organisation that executed Nepalis, says this was done due to the United States' `vicious crusade against Muslims'. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who supported Bush after the WTC bombing, also faces the same problems in his country. He attributed Chechen links to Al-Qaeda for last week blowing of two Russian planes. The Black Widows were said to have bombed these airlines. The disease of hostage-taking has spread to Southern Russia and more than 1,000 school children and teachers were under seige of rebels since September 1, 'the Day of Knowledge in Russia', a day of celebration when children began their new school. Seventeen Boeviki, or fighters, demanded that rebels who were captured in Ingushetia in June, be released. At the end of 53-hour ordeal, more than 200 lives were lost and 650 hospitalised with wounds. President Putin made a surprise visit to Belsan yesterday. Putin, as his friend Bush, said he would take all possible action to thwart the attempts of rebels. However, he could not save the lives of most of the hostages without bloodshed. This was the same with Israeli Prime Minister Aerial Sharon, another ally of President Bush. Sharon has ordered to continue the building of the fence in the West Bank. He went further than Bush and Putin, and destroyed the house of two suicide bombers who blew themselves and killed 16 people in Jerusalem last week. This was the first suicide bombing in five months. He had also ordered to eliminate Hamas leaders in the West Bank which would trigger further violence there and Gaza, as Sharon said that he would fight this terror with all his might. There are signs that violence could engulf West Africa. General Charles Wald, Deputy Commander of the United States European Command (EUCOM) who recently visited Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Sao Tome and Cameroon has urged oil producing West African countries to step up their defence against terrorism. He was accompanied by Republican Chuck Hagel of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This region, the Gulf of Guinea, now provides about 15 per cent of US oil supplies that is expected to grow. Last week incidents clearly show that violence had erupted sans frontiers, and the situation may be worst if Bush is re-elected. |
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