Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq? What

¶ … Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq? What would be one way that peace can be achieved?

The problems currently facing Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq are the most difficult and explosive global issues facing the international community. Their satisfactory resolution is imperative if we are to live in a peaceful world in the 21st century. This essay briefly describes the problems facing these three countries and outlines a possible solution for achieving peace in the troubled regions.

The Palestine Problem:

The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is rooted in the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel on Palestinian territory in 1948. The UN Partition Plan, announced in November 1947, proposed the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states with 55% of the land to be given to the Jews and the rest to Arabs. At that time, the Jewish population was just one-third of the total in Palestine, and Jews owned about 6% of the total land.

The Palestinians perceived the plan as grossly unfair and the declaration of the state of Israel resulted in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 and the expulsion of two-thirds of the Palestinian population from Israel who became refugees. In subsequent conflicts, the Israelis occupied more Arab territory, and its occupation of the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip captured during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war still continues. The Palestinian people are a people without a country and their struggle against Israel, often through terrorist tactics, is the crux of the Palestinian problem.

2. Afghanistan:

The present crisis in Afghanistan also has its roots in its recent history. The poor country West Asian country was invaded by the former Soviet Union in 1978. Its deeply conservative Muslim population started a guerilla war against the Soviet forces, and were supported by United States and neighboring Pakistan for their own strategic reasons. Islamic radicals from Arab countries, including Osama bin Laden, joined the Afghan's fight against the Soviets. When the Soviets withdrew ten years later in the face of mounting losses, the U.S. turned its back on the country and Afghanistan fell into chaos. The radical Talibans came to power and provided sanctuary to Bin Laden, who had by now turned against the U.S. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Talibans refused to hand-over Osama, and the U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Talibans. Most of the devastated country is now ruled by war-lords and despite claims of democracy; the country has degenerated into a lawless narco-state.

3. Iraq:

Iraq was invaded by the U.S. In March 2003 on the pretext that it possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction and was a direct threat to the U.S. The real aim was the implementation of a Neo-con plan to spread American style democracy in the Middle East and secure Israeli interests in the region. Three years later, no WMDs have been found, a violent insurgency in Iraq has taken more than 1500 American soldiers' lives, and the neo-con dream of spreading democracy is an illusion despite claims to the contrary by some right wing / neo-conservative journalists.

Possible Solution: