War on Iraq
www.GlobalAware.org
Bush’s Coalition of the Willing?
by Dr.Leslie Jermyn
March 20, 2003
Once again, I couldn’t watch him, but once again I forced myself
to choke down the text of his speech. I don’t have the energy to
refute all the - my web editor says I mustn’t use the word ‘lies’
so pretend I didn’t - claims of soon-to-be Emperor George, but I
think we have to consider one of his most damaging pieces of propaganda.
Bush: "More than 35 countries are giving crucial support from
the use of naval and air bases to help with intelligence and logistics
to deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen
to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense.”
This group of nations is disingenuously named the ‘Coalition of
the Willing.’ To begin with, only 30 cuntries have allowed their
names to be taken in vain by the State Department, there are another 15
"who for one reason or another do not yet wish to be publicly named
but will be supporting the coalition," according to Mr. Colin Powell.
Now I ask you, if they refuse to be publicly allied with the Coalition,
what kind of support are they providing; how willing are they? My guess
is that they wish to be in on the pillaging and looting of Iraq’s
resources later on, but can’t face their own citizens or their neighbours
if they admit that now. We’ll have to wait and see who crawls out
from under rocks when the dust settles.
As to those who have nobly enlisted in the Coalition, let’s consider
what coalition they have actually signed up for. The list includes: Afghanistan,
Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua,
the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom
and Uzbekistan.
Summary of who’s in what coalition:
The Coalition of the Willing includes Blair, Aznar and Berlusconi,
but not most of the citizens of the UK, Spain or Italy (Total = 3)
The Coalition of the Bribed or Really Wanting to be Bribed
includes Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, El Salvador,
Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Nicaragua, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia and Uzbekistan (Total = 16)
The Coalition of Those Who Need Help Squashing Resistance in Their
Own Countries includes Colombia, The Philippines and Turkey (Total
= 3)
The Coalition of Instrumental Friendship includes Eritrea
and Ethiopia (Total = 2)
The Coalition of Those Who Benefited From the Last Regime Change
Crusade and Therefore Don’t Have Any Choice includes Afghanistan
(Total = 1)
The Coalition of Those Hoping to Look Really Good Fixing Up the
Mess (and who may get some preferential trade deals on oil though
they wouldn’t admit this was at all important) includes Japan, Denmark
and The Netherlands (Total = 3)
The Coalition of We Like Americans includes Australians
but not all of them (Total = 1)
The Coalition of We Hate Americans but Are Virtually an American
Occupied Territory includes South Korea (Total = 1)
The Coalition of Those Opposed to the Young Emperor For One Reason
or Another includes everyone else, about 160 governments –
not counting the 15 secret friends Powell claims to have drummed up –
and the citizens of many ‘coalition’ nations. All in all,
I think this is the biggest Coalition on the list (Total = billions)
Further Explanation of the Coalitions:
Turkey’s on the list but only just squeaked in.
They decided the chance to squelch the Kurds at home and abroad once and
for all was worth it (see an explanation of this at Our
Ally Turkey and their Kurdish problem.
Romania and the Czech Republic have
committed chemical and demining specialists for non-combat roles.
Poland is sending a whopping 200 soldiers and Albania
has committed a further 70 but not for combat.
Australia is serious, they’re sending 2000 troops
but not without some fuss at home. We don’t hear much about this,
but the Australians are not of a mind on this war.
'New' Europe (Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Macedonia, Slovakia) is committing no troops but is offering
basing rights. US bases are known to be a sure source of greenbacks for
struggling economies and since the Germans are not on the current list
of ‘best friends,’ the US has offered to permanently relocate
some of its European forces out of pacifist Germany. To give you some
idea what this may be worth, the Americans were willing to pay Turkey
US$15 billion in rental fees and another US$6 billion in direct aid to
land 62,000 troops in the south of that country for a ‘short’
war. Having permanent bases is a wet dream for new market economies like
Poland. Estonia, Bulgaria, Latvia and
Lithuania are actively seeking US military and financial
support. Uzbekistan and The Philippines,
though not in Europe, can be added to the contingent of those at the US
Military Base Banquet. Oh, and The Philippines, like
Colombia, is getting US military aid to fight troublesome
rebels at home.
That brings me to Spain and Italy, two
powers of ‘Old Europe’ who appear on Bush’s dance card.
The leaders of these two countries may be committing an even more dramatic
political suicide than has been predicted for Blair. Only 34% of Italians
view the US favourably, while Aznar in Spain commands the support of a
full 14% of his population. Perhaps we’ll be seeing a little less
democracy in these countries in the future if Bush pays back his debts.
No, I’m not predicting the invasion of southern Europe, all Bush
has to do is lend them the services of American voter list scrubbers and
companies selling electronic, touch-screen voting computers – that
way there are no messy bits of paper proof in the way of declaring the
Emperor’s choice for regional governor in the New Bush Order of
Things. Oh, and by the way, neither of these countries has committed troops.
Colombia, El Salvador and Nicaragua
said they’d help, but one wonders how? They aren’t sending
soldiers because, at least in the case of Colombia, the army is too busy
‘containing’ rebellious peasants at home. They are all receiving
money and arms from the US in the now nearly forgotten ‘War Against
Drugs.’ You may remember that one as the first effort to justify
continued US military might when the Russians started to be likeable under
Gorbachev. Perhaps they’re opening their beaches and brothels when
the allies need a little R&R, a little Latin rhythm to ease the strain
of regime change…
Azerbaijan was supported by the US in its war against
Armenia and may be holding out hope for an oil pipeline to bring Caspian
oil to the Mediterranean and the American soldiers and businessmen who
will follow.
Afghanistan proudly stands in line, but since Karzai
is only alive at the whim and fancy of the US, this is hardly a principled
stance.
Eritrea and Ethiopia are the only African
nations present and they’re both hoping the US will prefer their
version of the border they share. I wonder how the Emperor is going to
solve this one when payback time comes… Perhaps the wisdom of Solomon
will prevail and he’ll threaten to bomb the disputed territory and
see who gives in first.
I don’t think South Korea needs much explanation.
They host the largest US force in Asia and have a potential nuclear situation
developing on their northern border. That said, a surprisingly large contingent
of South Koreans fear Bush more than Kim Jong Il and wish the Americans
would leave their peninsula to work out its own problems. In what the
New York Times considered to be an expression of 'restrained praise,'
President Roh Moo-hyun said, "We will make diplomatic efforts to
ensure that this war does not worsen our relations with North Korea."
Restrained indeed, and that from a 'willing' partner!
Japan is committed to fund post-Saddam reconstruction
only and so, one imagines, are Denmark and The
Netherlands.
The UK everyone knows about and in terms of real commitment,
they may be Bush’s only real friend – well, if you ignore
the fact that they recently witnessed the largest public demonstration
in UK history last February 15th, Peace March Day.
So in the end, there are not 30, much less 35 or 45, countries who have
freely chosen to do their duty and ‘share the honour’ with
Bush on this one. (I do not name the US as a country in honour of all
those American citizens who also haven’t chosen this crusade and
will risk arrest and public censure for saying so in the coming days.)
There are a few individual leaders who claim to be supporting Bush out
of ‘duty,’ but mostly there are a lot of governments (not
countries) who see that they have much to gain by being the first to kow-tow
to the Emperor as he marches resolutely forward in the New American Century.
Since we’re still recovering from the social, economic and political
wreckage of the First American Century, I shudder to think what awaits
us post-Saddam, post-UN, and post-Democracy in the new one.
© Dr. Leslie Jermyn leslie@globalaware.org
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