Fifty years ago, Malcolm X correctly spoke of the signifcance Foreign Policy had on the lives of ordinary Americans. In his "chickens come home to roost" answer to a question on race in America, Malcolm saw the consequences of ignoring violence and deaths on people of color in the U.S. and across the world. He understood that grievances no matter how small could not be overlooked or forgotten let alone forgiven. Soon or later, harming others would come back to strike you in a physical sense. Fifty years ago, the Untied States was safe from the boomerang effects of wars and supporting proxy rebels in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin Americas. Pearl Harbor was the only time prior to 1993, that the U.S. had been attacked by a foreign power or group.
From the CIA Archives: Algeria and France the war for independence
Americans were taught that the oceans protected the country from foreign threats and retaliation for American military/intelligence interference in local conflicts across the world. Western European countries including France couldn't turn a blind eye so easily to the consequences. For fifty years, terror attacks from both right and left wing groups pompelled Paris and other European capitals. Algeria's independence in 1962 from France's long 130 year colonial rule nearly caused a coup in Paris against Charles De Gualle. Pied noir secret terrorist organization OAS bombed theaters and other public places in Algiers and Paris to protest France's withdrawal from occupying Algeria which was seen as part of France (it was referred to officially as a department) and not an independent African country. The OAS felt the French government had given in too easily (in light of one of the bloodiest and violent colonization and rule in African history) to Algerian freedom fighters and FLN militants fighting for independence. Even after 1962, France continued to support the use of military force to halt independence and freedom for other countries ie Vietnam, D.R. Congo, providing support for brutal paramilitary groups in Rwanda. backing Israel during the Suez Canal Crisis, at times siding with Israel on Palestine. Often following the United States on aggressive foreign police ventures in many African countries or Asia. Both countries supplying advanced military weapons and tactics to corrupt and authoritarian governments in Middle East and Arabian Peninsula who abused and murdered their own citizens. Than turning around to condemn popular groups who unlike ISIS are genuinely fighting for marginalized and abused people for fighting against Western allies no matter how oppressive. In more recent times French academic BHL, Sarkozy and half French literati supporting NATO bombings that have destroyed Libya and applauding Libyan rebel groups and revolutionaries who use excessive force on non political fellow Libyans and ethnic cleansing against dark skinned Libyans and African migrants to avenge their fallen comrades or purge the Libyan government of even slightly pro Gaddhafi supporters. Former president Jacque Chirac opposed the Anglo American invasion of Iraq that has turned the once stable Iraqi society into a fragmented and weak nation that acts as though superficial divisions along ethnicity and religious sects have always been part of Iraqi national identity.
Le contreterrorisme en Algerie: The death of French Algeria
Now the same sectarian jack in the box has been unleashed in Syria one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East. Syrian's diverse identity from cultural to ethnic and historic heritage came as a surprise to policy makers, mainstream media pundits and journalists who discovered they couldn't easily frame Syria's war between rebels, civilians and Syrian national army into cliches of Sunni vs Shia or Christian vs Muslim. So ISIS has become the official existential terrorist threat to Syria and the wider world. ISIS is rightfully regarded as a threat to all governments. France's long history of intervening in the Middle East and than claiming political amnesia has made it a huge target second only to the United States. ISIS has taken full advantage of the multiple injustices to receive supporters from near and far who have lived the experiences and been traumatized by NATO and Western interventions in both Middle East and Africa. Boko Haram too has build it's small supporter base around western military complex vices and caricaturing as the Nigerian government as puppets of the West. This is how Algeria's local terrorist groups FIS and Armed Islamic Group or GIA and now Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb have vowed to avenge the previous and current roosting chickens. GIA was one of the first terror groups who attempted to fly a passenger plane full of innocent civilians into a major national symbol the Eiffel Tower. French intelligence and government were able to halt the hijacking of Air France flight 8969 in what would've been the first 9/11 style terror attacks in a major Western capital. Terror attacks of epic proportion always brings media attention to groups who carryout the attacks. As history has shown, terrorism towards western targets brings to surface mantra of us vs them the worthy victims and collateral damages. Downplaying the successive French governments and media pundits have preached equality, democracy and peace not recognizing the double standards in mourning and praising victims of terror attacks by ISIS and Al Qaeda but footnoting the victims of terror attacks by Western allies or state counterterrorist actions.
Comments
Post a Comment