BY:DONALD SEVILLA
THE DANGERS OF A PROTRACTED WAR
Even with the best of plans and execution, anything that can go wrong may go wrong.
The US- Israeli airstrikes on Iran though now on a ceasefire, intended to be a quick preemptive measure could escalate into a broader conflict with global implications.
As it is, many Gulf States have been dragged into the war though unwillingly, with Iran acting indiscriminately,firing ballistic missiles targeting it’s neighbors.
This is seen as a desperate attempt to pressure the international community to rein in the US and Israel from finishing what it started, to force regime change in the country.
Iran’s government is fighting for survival to preserve its radical revolutionary ideology that spanned several decades of autocratic rule.
The conflict in the Middle East has far-reaching ramifications in the world’s geopolitical stage. Other actors in regional flashpoints could take advantage of the situation to bolster their interests.
But apart from merely being a physically destructive conflagration, the war carries the weight of serious repercussions, in an already heavily-burdened global economy.
The choke point in the Strait of Hormuz through which an estimated 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through, as a result of the war is getting other nations jittery and on edge.
Countries such as China dependent largely on energy imports from the region to run it’s industrial economy could be forced to take whatever means necessary to protect its interests,
As we see it, things can easily get out of control and all hell can break loose in the name of national survival.
While the world’s attention is focused on the Middle East, Russia can further intensify it’s aggression in Ukraine and China could seize the opportunity to realize it’s long- time dream to reunify Taiwan with the Mainland.
Many catastrophic scenarios can arise as a result of this high stakes gamble by the US and Israel. Yet many see the events unfolding as inevitable, given the hard-line stance of the Iranians not to give up on their nuclear ambitions through diplomatic negotiations.
Although the US administration deemed the actions taken as necessary to protect its interests and that of the free world from a radical, religious autocracy whose primary aim is perceived to be the destruction of America and Israel, albeit Western civilization, the timing could have never been perfect as the Iranian government is at its lowest ebb, reeling from the effects of international sanctions.
Though many will question what gives America the right to act as the world”s police to preserve peace, who else will it be? Will it be Russia, China or any other, super power?
History has shown us time and again that brings lessons for our future generations to learn.
Caught between this complex web of conflicting ideologies and national interests, we can only hope and pray that humanity does not annihilate itself in the name of the greater good.