Endless Strife and War
Published: December 2012 By Abiodun Giwa
Concerned observers are saying it is a stupid fate
for society to be engulfed in endless cycle of violence. In Beowulf, a Middle Age Anglo Saxon Literature, Wergild- a word that means vengeance- compels relations of victims of murder, or a king that is killed, to haunt the killer or seek monetary reparation, as cause of endless wars in the Germanic society of that era. The same is applicable to the modern world despite increasing level of education and modernism. One war has ended in Libya with an outcome that isn't totally favorable to western countries.There is another war in Syria, which the western countries avoid involvement for presence of terrorists among the rebels. And the war between the civilized world and Al-Qaeda terrorists hasn’t come to an end.
Aside from the civilized world’s current cold feet over whether or not to intervene in the Syrian war to unseat Bashir al-Assad, there is an undeniable fact that the world has become more dangerous in spite of the deaths of Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Each of these men has
left behind hardened disciples who are creating additional launching pads from where they commit havocs against the civilized world. They have become ready danger to countries in close proximity to their new places of influence.
Before now, Somalia and Algeria were notable
Al-Qaeda's spheres of influence in Africa. But today Libya has joined the fray. Just as Somalia is an entry point for suicide attacks in the East of Africa, Libya has become an an extension of terror in Algeria and entry point for terror into countries like Mali and Nigeria.The United Nations is planning an intervention to stop the inhuman treatment being meted to Malians north of the country from Sharia,
introduced by Islamists who have assumed rulership there. Boko Haram is seeking to control Nigeria and plant Sharia. It has decimated governing in a large part of nothern Nigeria, where suicide
bombing has become an order.The Islamist in the throe of peace in Mali and Nigeria are
linked to Al-Quada in the Maghreb.
Rather than abate, terror and the war against terror have become endless debacles.
When Gaddafi got caught in the web of trouble that later consumed him, he cried to the
world that it wasn’t the Libyans who were against him but outsiders, and he specifically
mentioned Al-Qaeda as the cause of his woes. But no one was ready to listen to him; his
cry was regarded as a hoax embarked upon realizing he was in trouble. But after Gaddafi’s
death, some Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Benghazi has not only sacked the U.S Consulate in the
city, they killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens and have constituted
security risks to other consulates as well.
In the middle of the crisis in Syria, the Syrian rebels met in Morocco and chose a new
leader for the coalition against Assad’s leadership. But information quickly surfaces that
one of the groups at the Morocco’s meeting is affiliated to Al-Qaeda, confirming the
information that has been making a round that Al-Qaeda has infiltrated rebel’s ranks in Syria.
The US and Britain resultantly developed cold feet in their resolve to help the rebels in Syria.
But the rebels’ new leadership is imploring the civilized world to support its cause to unseat
Assad against standing by as the country and Syrians suffer destruction. It says all the rebel
groups in Syria share a common wish- to unseat Assad.
The situation in Syria shows that Al-Qaeda is still alive and strong. The West, having learns
a lesson from the Libyan experience, don’t want a repeat of using its resources to unwittingly
help establish another launching pad for terrorism. The west is avoiding establishing a new
launching pad for a worse enemy in bid to get rid of another bad guy. So far, all that America
and Britain have said are threats against Assad employing scud missiles against his own
people.
In addition, both countries have announced they will send patriot-missile-batteries to the
border between Syria and Turkey to guard Turkey against rounds of missiles crossing from
Syria.
The question is how long will the tit for tat and eye for an eye between the civilized world
and Al-Qaeda terrorists continue, as efforts to tackle terror with vengeance isn’t achieving
desirable results? Saddam Hussein was taken out for alleged Weapon of Mass Destruction
that didn’t exist. Ironically, today, Iran is walking the same path like Iraq before it. Accused
of enriching uranium, it says it is acquiring nuclear powers for peaceful purposes. Like Iraq,
it isn’t cooperating fully with the United Nations inspection agency. It means that by the time
the Syrian war is over, there is another major problem in the waiting between the civilized
world and Iran. This is apart from North Korea’s case of issuing long range missiles almost all
the time like Iran,and claiming it has launched one capable of reaching the United States.
for society to be engulfed in endless cycle of violence. In Beowulf, a Middle Age Anglo Saxon Literature, Wergild- a word that means vengeance- compels relations of victims of murder, or a king that is killed, to haunt the killer or seek monetary reparation, as cause of endless wars in the Germanic society of that era. The same is applicable to the modern world despite increasing level of education and modernism. One war has ended in Libya with an outcome that isn't totally favorable to western countries.There is another war in Syria, which the western countries avoid involvement for presence of terrorists among the rebels. And the war between the civilized world and Al-Qaeda terrorists hasn’t come to an end.
Aside from the civilized world’s current cold feet over whether or not to intervene in the Syrian war to unseat Bashir al-Assad, there is an undeniable fact that the world has become more dangerous in spite of the deaths of Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Each of these men has
left behind hardened disciples who are creating additional launching pads from where they commit havocs against the civilized world. They have become ready danger to countries in close proximity to their new places of influence.
Before now, Somalia and Algeria were notable
Al-Qaeda's spheres of influence in Africa. But today Libya has joined the fray. Just as Somalia is an entry point for suicide attacks in the East of Africa, Libya has become an an extension of terror in Algeria and entry point for terror into countries like Mali and Nigeria.The United Nations is planning an intervention to stop the inhuman treatment being meted to Malians north of the country from Sharia,
introduced by Islamists who have assumed rulership there. Boko Haram is seeking to control Nigeria and plant Sharia. It has decimated governing in a large part of nothern Nigeria, where suicide
bombing has become an order.The Islamist in the throe of peace in Mali and Nigeria are
linked to Al-Quada in the Maghreb.
Rather than abate, terror and the war against terror have become endless debacles.
When Gaddafi got caught in the web of trouble that later consumed him, he cried to the
world that it wasn’t the Libyans who were against him but outsiders, and he specifically
mentioned Al-Qaeda as the cause of his woes. But no one was ready to listen to him; his
cry was regarded as a hoax embarked upon realizing he was in trouble. But after Gaddafi’s
death, some Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Benghazi has not only sacked the U.S Consulate in the
city, they killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens and have constituted
security risks to other consulates as well.
In the middle of the crisis in Syria, the Syrian rebels met in Morocco and chose a new
leader for the coalition against Assad’s leadership. But information quickly surfaces that
one of the groups at the Morocco’s meeting is affiliated to Al-Qaeda, confirming the
information that has been making a round that Al-Qaeda has infiltrated rebel’s ranks in Syria.
The US and Britain resultantly developed cold feet in their resolve to help the rebels in Syria.
But the rebels’ new leadership is imploring the civilized world to support its cause to unseat
Assad against standing by as the country and Syrians suffer destruction. It says all the rebel
groups in Syria share a common wish- to unseat Assad.
The situation in Syria shows that Al-Qaeda is still alive and strong. The West, having learns
a lesson from the Libyan experience, don’t want a repeat of using its resources to unwittingly
help establish another launching pad for terrorism. The west is avoiding establishing a new
launching pad for a worse enemy in bid to get rid of another bad guy. So far, all that America
and Britain have said are threats against Assad employing scud missiles against his own
people.
In addition, both countries have announced they will send patriot-missile-batteries to the
border between Syria and Turkey to guard Turkey against rounds of missiles crossing from
Syria.
The question is how long will the tit for tat and eye for an eye between the civilized world
and Al-Qaeda terrorists continue, as efforts to tackle terror with vengeance isn’t achieving
desirable results? Saddam Hussein was taken out for alleged Weapon of Mass Destruction
that didn’t exist. Ironically, today, Iran is walking the same path like Iraq before it. Accused
of enriching uranium, it says it is acquiring nuclear powers for peaceful purposes. Like Iraq,
it isn’t cooperating fully with the United Nations inspection agency. It means that by the time
the Syrian war is over, there is another major problem in the waiting between the civilized
world and Iran. This is apart from North Korea’s case of issuing long range missiles almost all
the time like Iran,and claiming it has launched one capable of reaching the United States.