September 06, 2007 (the date of publication in Russian)

Alexander Rublev

LONDON-ISLAMABAD: THE GRINDSTONES OF TERROR

Civil war in Pakistan as a menace for Britain

Russia's President Vladimir Putin recently urged Great Britain to realize that it is no longer a colonial power, proposing the British to "change brains". Colonialist thinking is really a serious problem of the official London, which is unable to reconcile itself with the loss of the global imperial status. The "stump neuralgia" of imperial greatness has inspired Britain for sheltering all kinds of radical warlords and conspiracy-makers from the whole Arabic world, primarily originating from former British colonies and protectorates. Countries like Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, and Sudan, have managed to get rid of dependence from the "Mistress of the Seas" and to find new allies across the globe. In particular, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have long established strategic links with the United States, while Egypt and Southern Yemen were USSR's partners until 1980s, when the US influence prevailed; the post-monarchic Iraq was in close partnership with both USSR and France, while Sudan, earlier cooperating both with USSR and the United States, eventually became a strategic political and economic partner of China.

Beyond all the differences of the mentioned nations, all of them were unified with a strong commitment to get rid of any traces of dependence from London. Among the whole Arabic community, only Oman and Jordan remained loyal to the British "home".

Still, the British ruling class never regarded the Arabic nations as "lost territories", hoping to re-establish imperial influence under more favorable circumstances. For this very reason, London has been providing shelter to leaders of any Islamic movements, parties and gangs whose intention was to crush the pro-American, pro-French and pro-Chinese regimes. However, this favor was not sufficient for the megalomaniac radicals, who viewed themselves as great historical figures, while London was treating them as chieftains of tribes of the times when a British merchant would buy an Ivory Coast for a sack of glass beads. Eventually, the Arabic radicals found common language with the British Moslem community, mostly comprised of former citizens of Pakistan. This upsurge of Moslem self-identification was especially visible from the new tradition to give Islamic names to children. By 2006, the most popular name among the newborn citizens of Britain was Mohammad, outstripping the traditional George and Joseph.

This political diffusion has gone out of control of British officials. In the game, once started by British special services, the initiative is now overtaken by Moslems. The attempt of British authorities to impose pressure on "dissidents" after September 2001 echoed with a series of bloody terrorist acts. The situation even more exacerbated after Britain's decision to join the United States in the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the intensifying civil conflict in Pakistan.

The Pakistani radicals and the British Islamic community resemble a U-tube. The latest upsurge of Moslem terrorism in Britain coincided with the massacre in Islamabad's Red Mosque.

The British authorities are now facing a very serious challenge. On the one hand, they realize the necessity of undertaking most serious measures against the extremist underground which has built up a powerful base in England. The same necessity is dictated by the priorities of Britain's domestic security, as well as compliance with international obligations, not speaking of considerations of national prestige.

Demonstratively glorifying a rabidly anti-Islamic author like Salman Rushdie, London delivered a political message, expressing the reluctance of the Kingdom to continue serving as a safe haven for Moslem radicals. In their turn, Islamic radicals are also reluctant to give up the conquered stronghold, and blackmail the authorities with new terrorist activities, playing on most painful problems and selecting most sensitive targets. Quite symptomatically, the attack on the Glasgow Airport coincided with the triumph of secessionist parties in the elections to the Parliament of Scotland.

This secessionist sentiment is fueled up with the desire of the Scots to monopolize the oil and gas deposits on the shelf of the North Sea. At the same time, an increasing share of England's population believes that Scotland's secession would reduce the expenses of the Crown for support of the poorer developed neighbors. However, what is seen as a benefit by the man of the street promises a catastrophe to the British political class. In case Scotland declares independence, the global status of the House of Windsors will be shaken across the globe, with inevitable effects across the British Commonwealth.

UK's looming disintegration could be also viewed as a side effect of Britain's involvement in the psychological and intelligence warfare against the USSR and the United Yugoslavia. The precedent of disintegration of the Eastern and Southern Slavonic communities serves today as a powerful temptation for the Anglo-Saxon peoples.

The new Labourist government is now fulfilling its pre-election promise to pull out British troops from Southern Iraq. At the same time, Gordon Brown caves in to Washington's demand to expand British military presence in Afghanistan. This compromise is now criticized by Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of Britain’s General Staff. He recently declared that the British nation is now exposed to all kinds of inside and outside calamities, as the most capable potential of the British Armed Forces is engaged in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The relevance of this warning was confirmed with a new rise of unrest among the British Moslem population in the background of a series of massive terrorist attacks, performed by radical forces against the army of Pakistan in the vicinity of the Ravalpindi-Islamabad urban agglomeration. While the looming civil conflict in the only Islamic nuclear state is electrifying the atmosphere in the Moslem community of London, the most unpleasant surprise emerges from Washington. Britain's senior ally may shift its major target in Central Asia from Iran to Pakistan. This possibility was acknowledged in latest statements of leading Democratic and Republican contenders for the US Presidency – Barack Obama and Rudolph Giuliani.

As a result, Britain may acquire a new theater of war – this time, on the home territory. The boomerang of colonial policies, pursued by London during centuries, is returning today. The plans of imperial revenge in the Middle East have made Britain a hostage of its own ambitions.

Number of shows: 1201

(no votes)