The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 141
The Gulf Crisis & The New World Order DOUBLE STANDARDS OF WESTERN POWERS In addition to this what Britain did to India and Africa is too long a story to permit me to even outline it here. But let me stress that when you make something a matter of principle or invoke high standards of morality then you must know that higher principles and standards of morality are timeless entities. They do not change with the passage of time. For instance, now there is much talk of U. N. sanctions against Iraq. In the recent past there have been U. N. sanctions against South African government, which took years and years to table. Now, they have not been effectively enforced and they have not made much difference yet. But as a result, we have not heard a single voice of concern that the sanctions against South Africa are not working and the time is running out; so there is need for the whole world to invade South Africa. And the Western countries, including Britain, did not support those sanctions on many occasions. Even when the British public opinion criticised their own government in this matter, the public opinion was disregarded by the British government. These are not the forgotten tales from an ancient history; these are matters of contemporary history. No country suggested that those countries who are not actively supporting the anti-South African sanctions must be militarily forced to comply with these sanctions. There was not even a hint that since South African sanctions are not proving effective, let us do something else about it. Yet, in the case of Iraq, both these views were strongly propagated. First, the economic-boycott must be so comprehensive that even food and medicine are not to be allowed into Iraq. And secondly, these sanctions were so strictly and forcibly enforced that Iraq was in a state of siege from all directions - even Jordan had to share in this misery, for it was feared that the sanctions may be violated through this route. Notice the persistence of the Israeli occupation of Jordan's West Bank - in the same neighbourhood - but there are no sanctions against it. No protest was made against the atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinians. The argument that is being used against Iraq now, if it had also applied to Israel, then the current problems would have been resolved long ago. An analysis of American history - even that which is compiled by American historians themselves - and some reference books containing 141