The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 150
Eighth Friday Semwn Jan II, 1991 can discern it today. Anyway, if the Muslim countries remained committed as they are now, then regardless of whether Iraq's existence remains intact or it goes under, the peace of this entire region would remain elusive forever. The Arabs will never regain their present position; Israel will emerge as an even greater power, and no Arab power would ever be able to even imagine that it can take any action against Israel. This situation would persist, at least, for a very long time if not in perpetuity. It would cause severe financial crises in the world, and since the developed countries of the world, are themselves beset with financial crunch, therefore the financial fiasco in the Third world countries would spawn such political fall-out and touch off such a chain of wars that the world-peace would diminish day by day. This is a summary of what tomorrow holds in store, if the Muslim countries did not set their own house in order now. The Western ideologists are repeatedly saying that the ball is now in Iraq's court, and it is up to President Saddam Hussein whether he hit the ball towards peace or war. But this is quite untrue. You have tied Saddam's hands and raised this issue in such a manner that it is no longer a case of Saddam Hussein being at crossroads: he, in fact, faces a cul-de-sac. A forward move spells doom and a retreat would be catastrophic. If he marches forward then his end would be speedy but the enemy would suffer heavy losses too. If he retreats he will be strangled to death. So, you have not left President Saddam Hussein at a cross-road; rather you have severed the second route from him. If you had left an honourable way open to him for settlement then he could have decided whether to opt for peace or war. As it stands now, the decision involves choosing a speedy but honourable death or the humiliation of being strangled to death. THE DUTY OF THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES IN THE PRESENT SITUATION But this proverbial ball, though not in President Saddam Hussein's court, is certainly in the court of Muslim countries. If they can correctly gauge the current situation with accuracy and think of tomorrow's historian, if not today's historiographer, and if they want to escape the reproachful verdict of history - then they would revise their current position and announce that we alone will deal with Iraq and the Western forces should withdraw from our countries. If you 150