America's
debacle in Paris the other day has eclipsed all its 'achievements' during the
past few months such as the killing of key terrorists and the ouster of the
Gaddafi regime.
The conferment of full UNESCO membership on
Palestine has come as a diplomatic knuckle sandwich for the US-led western bloc
on an aggressive campaign to shore up its international image and reassert its
global dominance.
The kneejerk reaction of the US to the UNESCO
fiasco was to strike back. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland threw
up her arms in horror at the UNESCO vote. Calling it regrettable, she claimed
it undermined "our shared goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace
in the Middle East".
The Obama administration lost no time in
cutting US funds to UNESCO to the tune of USD 60 million immediately. Citing a
legal barrier to funding any UN agency which recognises Palestine as a full
member, Washington has warned of a cascade effect should other UN outfits
follow suit.
Its ignominious defeat in Paris is the least
of America's worries. Palestine's resolute bid to attain nation status by
mustering the support of UN members is a worrisome proposition for Washington,
which seems to fear that the outcome of the UNESCO vote will not only boost the
morale of Palestine's friends but also serve to change world opinion in favour
of the Palestinian cause. The US may be able to use its power of veto to help
Israel defeat the Palestinian move at the Security Council level but such
action is bound to cause Washington to incur a great deal of international
opprobrium.
No sooner had Palestine won in Paris than its
phone network in the West Bank and Gaza came under a massive attack by hackers.
That act of cyber terrorism is believed to be part of a retaliatory attack.
Those who are targeting Palestine in this dastardly manner are only doing it a
big favour by generating sympathy for its cause across the globe.
While opposing Palestine's statehood bid, the
US is busy creating new states elsewhere. It was only a few moons ago that Sudan
was cut in two at the behest of the US and other western powers which
successfully manipulated the UN for that purpose. President Barack Obama, who
has seen red over Palestine securing a seat at UNESCO, had no qualms about
turning over Libya's UN seat to the Transitional National Council, while its
militiamen including al-Qaeda terrorists were resorting to savage terror in the
name of a revolution. Today, even the pro-western human rights groups which
kept mum during the Libyan war have had to highlight the TNC rebels' heinous
crimes like massacres, rape, looting and torture.
The US has taken upon itself the task of
democratising the world. It is pontificating to other countries about the
virtues of elections and the tolerance of dissent. But, it cannot stomach the
outcome of the UNESCO vote!
Washington's fund cut is sure to plunge UNESCO
into dire financial straits at least in the short term as the US funds account
for about 22 per cent of its annual budget. But, UNESCO certainly has the
resilience to square up to such challenges and difficulties. In fact, it has
proved it can do without US funds. It did not come crashing down when the US
withdrew on President Ronald Regan's watch in a huff. (America rejoined UNESCO
during President George W. Bush's tenure.)
Now that the US has stopped funding UNESCO and
thrown down the gauntlet it is up to the powerful friends of Palestine to pick
it up instead of bellowing anti-Israeli rhetoric tainted with venom, racism and
threats. Whether the oil rich Arabs and others will turn their verbal backing
for Palestine into much needed dollars for UNESCO to keep it afloat at this
crucial juncture remains to be seen.
News Desk in Colombo/The Island
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment