Obama's speech at the UN
US President Obama addressed the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2013. This address was nothing less than an arrogant justification for the US imperialist drive to establish its unquestioned domination over the whole world, through military aggression and blackmail.
Obama's speech at the UN
US President Obama addressed the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2013. This address was nothing less than an arrogant justification for the US imperialist drive to establish its unquestioned domination over the whole world, through military aggression and blackmail. Obama openly declared that nothing would be allowed to come in the way of this drive.
Arrogance and bluster, combined with demagogy and deceit were the hallmarks of this speech. However, Obama could not hide the fact that in recent weeks, his plans to attack Syria and carry out regime change, had received a setback. This setback was a result of the opposition of the peoples and countries of the world, as well as the opposition of the American people to this blatantly unjust war against the Syrian people.
While claiming that the evidence that the Syrian Government had used chemical weapons was “overwhelming,” Obama offered no explanation of why it has refused to present its proof to the United Nations. Both the Syrian regime and Russia have charged that US-backed “rebels” staged the attack in order to blame it on the regime and provoke a US military invasion. Russia had earlier presented proof of the use of Chemical weapons by the so called rebels. It has been widely felt that it was the US which had encouraged the "rebels" to use chemical weapons, to provide justification for military intervention.
Obama declared that the US would not hesitate to go to war in West Asia and Africa, as it has done in the past, in defence of what he defined as its "core interests".
“The United States of America is prepared to use all elements of our power, including military force, to secure our core interests in the region,” he said. First and foremost among these interests was “the free flow of energy from the region.” He also listed terrorism and weapons of mass destruction—the phony pretexts for the US invasion of Iraq—adding that “wherever possible” Washington would “respect the sovereignty of nations,” and wherever not, “we will take direct action.”
What does Obama mean by saying that it is the core interest of the US to ensure the "free flow of energy from the region" of West Asia and North Africa? The US put into place a crippling blocade on oil and gas export from Iraq before overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussain. It has put a blocade on Iranian oil and gas, blackmailing all countries of the world, not to buy energy from Iran. It has sabotaged the building of the Iran Pakistan India gas pipeline. Far from working a "free flow of energy" from this oil and gas region, US imperialism wants to establish its complete control over all the energy resources of the region. This is part of their plans to strangulate and starve various countries of energy, weaken them, and make them incapable of challenging the US drive for world domination. In other words, the "core interests" of the US is to establish its unrivalled domination over the world.
Such a policy, stated so openly before the United Nations, at a time when the US policy stands more isolated and discredited than ever before in front of the world's peoples, shows that the US imperialism will go to any extent including war to establish its domination over the oil rich and strategic West Asia and North Africa. These are clear indications that the US threats against Syria and Iran could turn into a regional war and the prelude to a new world war. Obama declared in no uncertain terms that all the conditions he laid down as justification for unilateral military intervention are ripe in Syria at present.
Obama declared that while multilateral intervention in other countries within the framework of the UN is preferable, if that option is not available, the US is prepared to act outside of this framework.
Justifying bloody military intervention and regime change in Syria, Libya and other countries, Obama declared "…increasingly we face the challenge of preventing slaughter within states… I have made it clear that even when America’s core interests are not directly threatened, we stand ready to do our part to prevent mass atrocities and protect human rights.” Further on, that "… sovereignty cannot be a shield for tyrants to commit wanton murder, or an excuse for the international community to turn a blind eye to slaughter….. the international community will need to acknowledge that the multilateral use of military force may be required to prevent the very worst from occurring.”
Obama's declaration that US imperialism will intervene militarily in countries in the name of "preventing" "slaughter within states" is a naked declaration that the US will violate the UN charter. Thus sinister statement must be seen in the backdrop of the fact that increasingly, US imperialism and its closest allies — Britain and France — have been actively organizing fratricidal civil war in various states of Asia and Africa. They have been arming and inciting various groups to carry out regime change, inciting ethnic, religious, national, and other differences. The states that came into being in Asia and Africa as part of the decolonization process, many of whom are multinational, multi ethnic, multi religious, etc are the special targets of US imperialism and its allies. This is what they have done in Libya and Syria, and are planning to do in other countries as well. There is great danger for all peoples of the world, including the people of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and so on.
At the same time, Obama's speech highlighted the fact that US imperialism would collaborate with fascist anti people regimes that carry out the slaughter of peoples, in order to achieve its "core interests". Obama declared as much, while speaking of working with the military regime of Egypt "that the United States will at times work with governments that do not meet the highest international expectations, but who work with us on our core interests.” In other words, this is the justification for the collaboration of US imperialism with various regimes like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc which have used massive repression to crusgh the striving of the peoples for their rights.
The target of US imperialism is not just Syria or Iran. Right after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US came out with the plan to take over various countries which were earlier under Soviet influence, before any new power emerged to challenge US domination. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and other states declared to be the "axis of evil" and put on the hit list of US imperialism at that time. US imperialism wants to bring all the energy resources of West Asia and North Africa, as well as the oil and gas routes from Central Asia and Russia to the rest of world, under its control so as to strangle any potential rival.
Obama demagogically claimed that he was ending a ten year period of war. This is the most monstrous lie. The withdrawal of US troops from Iraq has been forced by the Iraq government's refusal to sign an agreement granting immunity to US forces for war crimes. In Afghanistan, the US is leaving upto 20,000 troops as well as plans to maintain permanent military bases.
Obama lied saying his regime had used drones only to target those who pose a continuing imminent threat” and to where “there’s a near-certainty of no civilian casualties.” In Pakistan alone, it is estimated that more than 2,500 people have been killed in drone strikes, most of them civilians and the vast majority under Obama's direct orders.
Obama's speech reflects the desperation of US imperialism to use its present military superiority to establish its unquestioned domination over the whole world. Like the colonialists who invoked the concept of the "white man's burden" to justify the colonization, slaughter and plunder of the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the Nazi doctrine of superior race, used to justify the most barbaric crimes against humanity, Obama has invoked the concept of its " right" to violate the sovereignty of all peoples and countries.
The activities of US imperialism, and the speech of US President Obama have naturally evoked condemnation from a range of countries around the world, as well as from the people of the US. Russia and China are showing increasing willingness to confront the US. Many countries, including Iran and several Latin American countries, showed in the UN their opposition to the US war mongering policy and their desire to build an alliance for peace against war.
Great dangers confront all the peoples of the world, with the US openly declaring that it will violate the sovereignty of any nation, if its interests demand this. This means that the danger of more terrorist attacks, more fratricidal civil wars, organized by the Anglo American imperialists to justify their interventions. At the same time, the opposition of the world's peoples to this war mongering course, is mounting. The movement to oppose imperialist war, and establish international relations on the principles on which the United Nations was founded at the end of the Second World War, is growing. More and more countries are actively working together to block the fascist war mongering drive of US imperialism.
Stepping up the struggle against imperialism and imperialist war and preparing for the victory of revolution, is the way forward to block the US imperialism's war plans and safeguard peace.