US – IN ITS PATH OF WORLD HEGEMONY
The US President Donald
Trump’s announcement of his
decision to pull out the US troops
from Syria has created some
confusions, apprehensions and
dissentions among the ruling circles
in US and criticisms from the US
allies like France and Britain. The
US President also announced to
withdraw half of US troops from
Afghanistan.
The US Defense Secretary
General Jim Mattis and the US
Special envoy to the anti-Islamic
State Coalition Brett Mc Gurk have
resigned in protest against the
decision. Trump’s fellow Republicans
too have strongly criticized Trump
and complained that Russia and
Iran may take advantage of it. The
French President Macron expressed
deep regret at Trump’s decision
and complained that US was
showing a lack of reliability towards
its allies. Going out of the way, he
paid tribute to General Mattis for his
‘bold’ resignation.
Trump claimed that US troops
were no longer needed in Syria as
the US had defeated the Islamic
State.
One more interesting statement
also came in this context.
Addressing a group of Army men
in Iraq on Dec 25 th , 2018, Trump
said: “The US cannot continue to
be the policeman of the world. It is
not fair when the burden is all on
us, the US.” “We don’t want to be
taken advantage of any more by
the Countries that use our
incredible military to protect them.
They don’t pay for it and they are
going to have to.”
A superficial reading of these
statements may lead one to
conclude that the US leadership is
proposing to abandon its thrust for
8
world hegemony because, firstly,
they are disappointed by not so
commendable results from this
policy, and, secondly, they are very
much frustrated by the failure of the
allies in sharing the burden of
imperialist actions in the world. But
a deep study of realities will make
one realize that these statements
are utterly false and misleading.
The imperialists are imperialists.
They pursue the tactics based on
their assessment of concrete
situations and make the necessary
changes in them in the light of
changes in the situations and thus
seek to achieve better results in
their aims.
In the immediate post-
September 11 episode, the US
President George W. Bush had
resorted to offensive policy to
assert the US as a world hegemonic
power. The US had unleashed the
wars of invasion against Afghanistan
and Iraq under the banner of global
war against terrorism. Bush
declared that the US has every right
to unleash a war against any
country if it is found or felt that the
US interests are threatened by a
country or a force it shelters.
Virtually, it was an open declaration
of war on the world people.
Much water had flown in the
Ganges in the last nearly two
decades’ time. The US led invading
forces could overwhelm Taliban
militarily, occupy Afghanistan and
install a puppet regime there. But
the Afghan people led by Taliban
rose in powerful armed resistance
against the US and the regime
protected by it. Now, two regimes –
one protected by the US and other
led by Taliban- had come to stay in
Afghanistan with Taliban led by
forces continuously expanding their
areas of operation and control.
Saddam Hussein had died a heroic
death and a puppet regime was
installed in Iraq. But the US had
encountered powerful resistance
and opposition from the Iraq people.
Decades of Wars had cost the
US much and further intensified the
economic crisis in US. Installing and
managing a puppet regime in Iraq
was not an easy walk for US.
Because, the US had to depend in
Iraq on the political forces which are
under a great influence of Iran. Iran
was and continues to be at
loggerheads with the US. The US
was compelled to give a prominent
place to the pro-Iran forces in the
regime. In the later period, the ISIS
– a creation of US itself – came to
the fore as a problem as it sought
to take control of Iraq. The US had
to deal with it. So from the beginning,
the US attempts to dominate Iraq
were riddled with endless crises
and problems. In Syria, the problem
arose only because US wanted to
install a regime of its own choice by
overthrowing the Syrian President
Bashar al – Assad who is popular
and well rooted among the people.
It used every foul method including
armed attacks to realize its aim.
Syrian President’s refusal to bow
down to US and its allies and his
association with Russia and Iran
are the causes of US ire against
him.
The imperialist powers of
Europe like France and Britain were
tailing behind all US actions in the
world. However, they have grown
more assertive in the course of
time. The US being entangled in
ever intensifying competitions and
contradictions with Russia, China
and Iran had boosted their courage.
While striving for a better share in
Class Struggle