Does Kuwait's refusal to allow US troops to launch strikes against Iran signal a decline in US prestige among friendly Arab countries?

Yes

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by V. Kumar

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It is a sign of the beginning of the end game!

After nearly a century of intense political manipulation that began in division of Turkey in early twentieth century, blossomed with the discovery and exploration of the black diamond from the heart of the Middle East, and went through numerous maneuvers that included a tussle on Suez, a coup in Iran, extensive rapport with certain non-democratic but benign dictators, and use of Jihad as the final tool in cold war, it is time to sum it up.

Oil reserves are dwindling while shooting demand jacks up the oil price. The storm of Anti-US sentiment in Muslim communities has actually gathered a momentum that can upset any friendly dictator's apple-cart any minute, and Kuwait leaders are not foolish enough to take that risk.

The world over, the unity of Muslim communities (not governments) has strengthened to a level incomprehensible a decade ago, and the biggest factor helping it is globalization. The Iraq war in 1990s was a small issue, but the Iraq war in the new millennium has become a turning point.

Suddenly, Al Qaida is no more dead, and it is not a coincident that almost every region in the world is facing a struggle that is violent, often separatist, has international linkages across the globe and centerers around use of Islam as the rallying point of dissenting forces. The world in 2007 is a very different world than it was in 60s and 70s, when the existence of the big bear made all right wingers cozy up to the liberal capitalist world.

The reason Kuwait will not agree to US request is not because it fears Iran, as many make the mistake to think. With US backing Kuwait, and waiting for Iran to make one false move, even the most stupid among leaders of Iran will not think of attacking Kuwait, unless of course the confrontation has already begun, and it is facing inevitable destruction. The real reason is its fear of being ostracized among the increasingly restless and anti-US Muslim community, which may make it their next target, and against whose tactics, not even the US can guarantee any protection. There is no doubt, Islamic terrorism and the failure of US to curb it in spite of its open efforts and rhetoric, has diminished the US prestige among friendly Arab countries.

The real challenge that US faces today is not exactly related with peace in Iraq, but to find ways to redeem its status as the world's unquestioned superpower, which is probably the only thing that can insure it against the growing clout of underground terrorist agencies expanding throughout the globe, at a speed many times that of the US influence. No liberal and democratic society can hold such threats away for long enough, and the more they fail to find a solution to it, more people will be willing to join ranks with its enemies.

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