Chickens coming home to roost

An unmitigated disaster

The Eid message by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to the Muslim world to reject extremism and defeat the terrorists is somewhat ironic. Extremism and terrorism were encouraged and funded by various Muslim regimes in pursuit of their narrow interests or to please the US. The specter is now haunting them too. The attack by US and allies on Iraq and the ouster and killing of Saddam Hussain divided the country on sectarian and ethnic lines and created conditions where terrorist networks, kept at bay by the authoritarian Saddam, could flourish and multiply. It was in Iraq that ISIS first established a foothold, entering neighbouring Syria only when the Arab leaders joined hands with the US to remove Bashar al Asad. Now the ISIS casts an ominous shadow over the entire Gulf region. A great worry for the Saudi royals is al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has set up headquarters across the border in Yemen. The military coup against the government of deposed president Mohamed Morsi staged with the connivance of conservative Arab rulers is likely to strengthen forces like the ISIS and al Qaeda in Egypt right across the border.

Some of the Gulf regimes helped in the overthrow of Muammar Qadhafi. They too must bear the responsibility for turning Libya into a lawless country. On Monday, after two weeks of fighting around Tripoli airport, militants that included the banned Ansar al Sunnah, seized the key army base in Benghazi. The European countries which launched military action to ‘liberate’ Libya from the hold of Qadhafi had to ship out their citizens or close their embassies in Tripoli. In the absence of a strong and resourceful leader, militants have become active in a number of African countries. Boko Haram, which killed six people on Eid day outside two mosques, has extended the sphere of its terrorists attacks to Cameroon. Last year Shebabbased in Somaila took hostages in Nairobi, killing at least 67. Supporting militants might help in the short term. But in the long term it leads to unmitigated disaster.