American power is on the decline

January 12, 2006

By Abdulkhaleq Abdullah

US President George W. Bush has found himself in an unenviable situation following the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain.

It seems that the hangman's noose is getting tighter around Bush's neck with the increasing death toll of American soldiers, which surpassed 3,000, in addition to more than 23,000 injuries and disabilities.

December was the bloodiest month of 2006 for the United States, while the cost of the war has so far exceeded $500 billion, which is 10 times the cost of the Vietnam War in 20 years.

Bush may have felt satisfied after Saddam was executed but he will wail over his misfortune until the end of his political life. He will remain in endless confusion, searching for the reasons behind the collapse of the American project in Iraq.

Bush is now living in a state of self- conflict, looking for solutions to get out of the Iraqi quagmire.

Bush's idea of Democracy Iraq Style

As a president of the world's sole superpower, Bush is now wondering how to save his prestige and his country's position. Many questions arise while he was trying to find the way out. Is it possible to draw up a new strategy or would it be better to increase the number of US troops?

Would it be better to announce an immediate withdrawal as called for by the Democrats who seized control of the US Congress under the leadership of an iron lady - Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives?

And would it be better to support Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki who unveiled his sectarian face during the execution procedure and lost the faith of Iraqis or would it be better to replace the current government with a stronger one?

Can the US preserve the unity of Iraq or is it time to admit that Iraq has already been divided into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish states?

Strategic dialogue

What is better for Iraq? Is it to open a strategic dialogue with neighbouring countries as recommended by the James Baker report or to step up the political tension with Iran and turn it into a military confrontation as recommended by the neoconservatives in the Bush administration?

Suddenly, all Bush's choices have become extremely difficult and painful while his strategies are unrealistic. Bush's decisions are unconvincing while the Democratic Congress's proposals are inapplicable.

Although the recommendations of veteran diplomat Baker are not obligatory, 80 per cent of the Americans support his call for withdrawing US troops by 2008. More than 70 per cent of the Americans call on the new Congress to apply more pressure on Bush to set a pullout timetable within six months.

On the Iraqi side, 95 per cent of Iraqis believe that Iraq is worse off now under the US occupation than it was during Saddam's era.

Bush, however, had no other choice except to sacrifice some of his administration's symbols, change some security and military commanders and send 20,000 more troops to Iraq, to cover up his political and military failure and regain his prestige.

Opinion polls showed that 86 per cent of Americans do not trust their president anymore and hold him responsible for the catastrophic consequences of the Iraq war.

Apart from its defeat in Iraq, the US is facing the Latin American rebellion led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, North Korea's nuclear challenge, the growing Chinese economy, Russia's growing political role and Darfur issue, which all together have added to Bush's burdens.
While the world's sole superpower lives in a state of defeat and confusion after its president lost his sense of direction, the entire world is definitely in extreme danger.

There is nothing worse than an arrogant superpower but a confused superpower led by a lost president, and this is the case in Washington.

The world can no longer trust such a confused superpower and can no longer respect a president who doesn't know what to do.

Poor performance

The US is losing respect in the world due to the poor performance in Iraq and the excessive use of force after the September 11 attacks.

As respect for America declines, fear of its power is diminishing too. The US defeat in Iraq indicates that it is not the absolute power and hence its threats are not convincing anymore and can simply be ignored. Washington can be ignored exactly as North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Sudan and Syria do.

Even resistance parties, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas movement, as well as individuals such as Ayman Al Zawahiri, Al Qaida's second man, do ignore the US.
Confusion, failure and delusion have reached their highest levels in the US, and respect, faith and fear from the superpower have reached the lowest.

Such a country is not dangerous to itself but more harmful to the world which looks for security and stability.

Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdullah is Professor of Political Science at UAE University, Al Ain.