The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 205
The Gulf Crisis & The New World Order Iraq had decided to occupy Kuwait to capture its oil-wealth. So where does "linkage" enter into this picture? The issues are unrelated. . . . But as I have pointed out, there is a deep-seated link. He said that ifyou are against aggression then you should undo the aggression that has already occurred in this area, then I would undo my aggression in response. This would have put an end to this matter. But the Western powers would have none of it. But why didn't they? What is the reason behind it, what are the relationships with Israel and why are they so sensitive? Why is it so imperative to serve its interests that such high price is readily being entertained for this? Such high cost is bard to encompass by common people of modest means like us, for instance the amount of a billion dollars. For us even a billion rupees is a huge sum but of course a billion dollars is bigger still. The facts and figures of this war that have so far been made public indicate that the war is costing one billion U. S. dollars a day! This expense will stretch along with this war. In addition to the U. S. , the British and the French are spending too, and it has reached a state where they are making rounds with a beggar's bat in their band, before the international community. The British are much more sophisticated in the art of diplomacy compared to the Americans and that is on account of the former being possessed of the diplomatic finesse which comes from centuries of training. So when our Forei gn Secretary visited Germany and received six or seven hundred million dollar aid, the remark be made concerning this aid was 'look, I did not come here with a beggar's hat in my band, see for yourselfl have none; I did not even have any sum of money in my mind that I could have thought of asking for. Germans are our kind brothers, they are a great nation, they sensed that it was their duty to help their brothers in their difficult hour by taking part in the war-effort. So we accept this aid gratefully. . . ' Last night, Edward Heath who took part in this debate said that your lies and duplicity have reached their limits now; you have disgraced the nation before the entire world by running around with a beggar's bowl in your hand. Why did you get involved in a problem that you could not handle and for which you have besmirched the honour and dignity of Britain by acting like a beggar. 205