As the West celebrates the silver jubilee of the fall of Berlin wall, one is bound to question what the world got in return when the cold war came to an end — a unipolar world dominated by a triumphant superpower ready to poke its nose and intervene anywhere across the globe without fearing any backlash. Since 90s, West considered the rest of the world especially Asia as a green field to impose its agenda. The region saw two major conflicts, in Afghanistan and Iraq, which proved to be quagmire for the West. Irresponsible foreign polices played in the hands of religious militants who used the occupation of Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine as a rallying point to spread their message of hatred.
One would have presumed that the sole superpower will be able to solve the only teething problem in the Middle East – the Israeli-Palestine conflict; instead the whole region has now been turned into a flash point. Every other country in the Middle East is facing religious militants led civil wars. West’s occasionally siding with some of the militant groups for short term goals proved to be disastrous. It not only strengthened the militants but gave birth to far more fearless terrorists such as ISIS. West’s relationship with Russia is ringing the bell of a new cold war. After physically losing the East Europe, Russia is not ready to lose anymore, whether its influence or foreign lands populated by Russians.
Once the firework in Berlin is over, perhaps that will be the time for introspection where this unipolar world is headed to – more conflicts, wars, bloodbath and terrorism. Are we heading to square one?
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia