The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 206
Elevemh Friday Semwn Feb OJ, 1991 The Americans, on the other hand are coarse politicians. The U. S. Vice President Mr. Quayle is visiting here (his mental and political capabilities are constantly the butt of jokes in the American press, but this is their internal matter and does not concern me). He does not have the knack of diplomatic language and can hardly conceal certain matters. He tried to project U. S beggary in such terms that it reminded me of a proverbial "Beggar with a Rod" in Punjab who would not beg for alms by beseeching in the name of God that please help me I am dying of hunger, please have some mercy on me. . . . Rather he would brandish his rod saying, "Give me the money or I will break open your head!. " Dan Quayle's plan of action is the same as that of the "Beggar with a rod". When asked by a correspondent as to what financial help the U. S. expects from the world, he replied by saying something like, 'What expectations? We have decided to levy so much from such and such country. We are not going to beg this of them. We are just going to ask them to pay so and so' The news correspondent interjected and asked what would he do if those countries refused to pay? Mr. Quayle delivered a veiled threat by saying that in that case those countries should never count on U. S. support. In other words, they are prepared to pay such a big price for this war. They have squandered whatever goodwill they had built in the Islamic world. Not long ago, there was a time when Pakistan had practically become an American satellite and the people of Pakistan had resigned themselves to this fact. Every politician would make a run to the U. S. to gain some measure of credibility and worth, and the people had ceased to resent this attitude. Now, within the past few days such a fire of hatred has sprung up that the word "American" has become a term of abuse there. Similarly, Britain has tom up the rapport it had established with the Muslim countries and whatever goodwill they had built up has been totally lost. THE NEED FOR A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION Why are they paying such a heavy price? Why did they not accept the principle of linkage and ask Israel to vacate the territories in question and secured the Iraqi withdrawal of the territory in question, and thus put a quick end to this matter? We need to have a more detailed perspective in our analysis of the motives at work in the current war. We would have lo investigate the charge that the alleged 206