US President George W Bush hailed Saddam Hussein's execution as a milestone for Iraqi democracy. But the former Iraqi dictator's execution can in no way bring an end to the violence that's torn the nation apart.
Back in 1971, in the wake of the Bangladesh War, Saddam Hussein was the only leader to refuse OPECs demands to cut crude oil supplies to India. Then, he had commented that exporting Oil was a purely economic issue and that it had nothing to do with the Subcontinent's politics. Saddam Hussein's presence served as the counter-balance in Middle Eastern politics. His was the only voice that could silence a thousand guns!
Today, security analysts opine that America's interests in the country are not driven by Oil alone! According to them, controlling Iraq would provide the western world with the much needed stronghold in the Middle East.
The truth of the matter is that America has no plans of exiting Iraq in the next couple of years. It's also quite clear that the US is in no hurry to restore peace and order in the country. A unified Iraq would claim stake in the country's Oil reserves, preventing Oil companies from entering. A divided Iraq is more of use it seems!
Newsweek, in a report, had this to say - 'Despite Washington's claims about a quick US pullout from Iraq, the vast Balad Air Base, a 15-square-mile mini-city of thousands of trailers and vehicle depots located 43 miles north of Baghdad, is hard evidence that the Pentagon is planning to stay in Iraq for a long time-at least a decade or so, according to military strategists. With 27,500 landings and takeoffs a month, Balad (one of four 'superbases' where the Pentagon will consolidate US forces) is second only to London's Heathrow Airport in traffic worldwide.
'According to the Congressional Research Service, the Bush administration has asked for more than $1.1 billion for new military construction in Iraq, roughly double of what it plans to spend in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE combined. Of that, the single biggest share is intended for Balad ($231 million). There is ample evidence elsewhere of America's long-term plans. The $592 million US embassy being built at the heart of Baghdad's "international zone" is the largest embassy to date' - the report adds.
