Whither Al-Qa'ida After Osama?

US President Barack Obama announced to the nation and the world that Al-Qa'ida leader Osama Bin Ladin was killed in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad by US special force called Navy Seals and his remains were buried at sea. On 2 May evening, addressing his nation and the world, Obama said that today is a historic day for the United States. Referring to Osama as the guilty party in the 11 September 2001 attacks, he said that justice had been done.
US Mission Fulfilled
Again Obama said that the United States was not against Islam. In his statement telecast all over the world, Obama said: "Osama, for over two decades, has been the visible face of Al-Qa'ida. To defeat Al-Qa'ida, the death of Osama was very important for us."
After the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 9 September 2001, it took nearly 10 years to finish Osama. When Obama was addressing the nation outside the White House, the crowd was jubilant, waving the US flag and chanting "America, America!" After the WTC incident, Osama managed to flee the Tora Bora caves in the mountains and there was speculation that he was hiding in Pakistan. Obama said that the US special force had taken out Osama in a targeted killing and have taken possession of his body. He said that he had spoken to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari about the matter who said that this is a great achievement for the United States and Pakistan.
Impact of Osama's Death
Now that the US President himself has confirmed Osama's death, the question that arises is whether Al-Qa'ida is gong to be influenced by his death. Most probably this answer will be given in the negative, for after the attack on Afghanistan for practically 10 years Osama has been in hiding and as far as his video tapes are concerned that used to appear from time to time as the occasion demanded, the guiding force of Al-Qa'ida had become its No 2 leader Ayman-al Zawahiri. Therefore, there should be no two opinions about the efficacy of Al-Qa'ida continuing. Even Obama has expressed his apprehensions about it.
After his first term, former US President George W. Bush started provoking Afghanistan that had formed a government on Islamic lines. It should be kept in mind that Mullah Omar presented a model of a government on Islamic lines. Bush then immediately termed the destruction of the WTC a "crusade" (jihad) and without collecting any proof blamed Al-Qa'ida for the destruction and peremptorily asked the Afghan Government to hand over Osama in an aggressive manner without giving any proof and then started a reign of destruction in Afghanistan in the guise of wiping out Osama that still continues.
Here the question arises why the United States did not investigate the WTC destruction. And if it did so, why did not the United States reveal the proof. That is why the needle of suspicion points toward the United States, that it in the guise of fighting terrorism has actually declared war on Islam. It was during Bush's time that the United States turned its sights on Islam in the guise of fighting terrorism and actually declared a war on Islam. It was during Bush's tenure that the whole world started looking at Islam and Muslims with suspicion. Bush kept repeating that the United States was not against Islam but regardless of what he said the United States is very involved in a war with Islam. The scheme is to isolate Muslims in all parts of the world. Now that Osama has been killed, the purpose of the war has been served and it should announce its departure from Afghanistan, because the war it started was ostensibly for the purpose of handing over Osama. Now that Osama is dead it should have no concern with Afghanistan. But nothing of the sort will happen.
US, Western World's Domination
The United States and its allied Western nations want to dominate the world. This is their agenda. After the break-up of the Soviet Union and the wiping out of Communism from Eastern Europe, it is the Muslim countries that are in their sights. If Muslim leaders do not learn to dance to the US tune, there is no guarantee for their survival. What is the connection between Al-Qa'ida and terrorism? Leaders of Muslim countries should think about the matter long and hard, so that the campaign against Muslims in the guise of fighting terrorism comes to an end and the propaganda against Muslims stops.

Kyrgyzstan in Crisis

The situation in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan is quite similar. Both are faced with the same old problems of price hikes, unemployment and American bases. Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries in Central Asia, but the President House in this country is called the White House. The police and the army have been unable to control or contain the roaring flood of masses suffering from hunger and unemployment.

Like Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan is also an US ally. The greater part of its border is shared with China. Some parts of its border adjoin Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It has strategic importance for the United States because of its large common border with China. It, also, is home to a number of US military bases.

Background to Instability
According to the United States, these bases were established to support US and Allied forces in Afghanistan. Interestingly enough, Kyrgyzstan is a unique country by having both US and Russian military bases. It has become a sandwich between the two super powers. The leader of new opposition government, Roza Otunbayeva, claims control over four out of seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan. She intends to close US military bases in these provinces. Former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has fled the country. Public hatred against him is very high.

The Kyrgyzstan opposition party has accused the US administration of ignoring rigging in the general elections after getting the issue of military bases decided. But the new government has demanded the United States to close down its military bases in the country. Russia offered $2 billion to ex-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to close down the US military bases, but he bargained with the Americans and increased the rent for the US bases.

The situation is not very clear. I am still collecting information on it. The United States has established military bases to keep China in check. Strategically it is very important for the United States because from here it can easily oversee China.

Economically, people are ruined and their only source of survival is the money received through remittances by their labor working in Russia. The Russian economy itself is in bad shape. Instability in Kyrgyzstan will definitely affect the US interests in the region.

Pro-US or Anti-US
The opposition, being a coalition, is naturally anti-US. This is just the beginning. At this stage, their political affiliations and intentions are quite murky. The facilities provided to the common people by the old communist system are no more to be seen.

Now, the country is being run along capitalist lines, with the support of the United States. The capitalist system has increased the problems of the common people. In fact, it is an economic crisis.

Involvement of Religious Element
Unfortunately, whenever some thing happens in an Islamic country, the United States and anti-Muslim forces try to give it a religious flavor. The people want their basic needs of food, shelter and health provided, as it was under the communist system.

But the government is unable to do so. Since communism has been abolished, the next common factor is religion. This situation is being dubbed as an Islamic Revolution or as a form of extremism.

It is very difficult to say which country is supporting this crisis. But, there are many countries which have an interest at stake in Kyrgyzstan. They will support their interests. Neighboring countries definitely have their interests because they are sharing borders with Kyrgyzstan. It is just like the Pak-Afghan situation. Anything happening in Afghanistan casts its shadows on Pakistan. Changes in Kyrgyzstan will definitely cast their shadows on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan has expressed its concern over the situation in Kyrgyzstan. The Uzbek Government also smells changes within its own borders. Uzbekistan is adjacent to the Ferghana Valley and is primed for revolution. Central Asia is on the verge of a flash point.

Beginning of Another Cold War

The Cold War between Russia and the United States ended with the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Thereafter, the United States led a unipolar world, but now the Chinese economic surge in recent times has triggered another Cold War.

Although no such conflict between China and the United States has come to the fore so far that can be termed a cold war, in the wake of the supply of nuclear weapons to the Taliban and the meeting between the Dalai Lama and US President Barack Obama, thereby extending moral support to Tibet, China has started raising its eyebrows.

The island named Formosa was recognized as the real China until the middle of the decade of the eighties and it was only thereafter that China was recognized as a nation in the United Nations. Prior to this, the Taiwanese Government was recognized as the defector Chinese Government. Because of the arms supply to Taiwan by the United States in recent past it became difficult for China to capture Taiwan. This small island, by virtue of its technical revolution emerged as a strong country economically and owing to its growing strength it started browbeating China. Meanwhile, the Tibet issue became a burning topic recently and has become a headache for China.

Aggressive Communism
Ideologically, there is a vast difference between the cold war of today and that of the one in the 1980s. The Cold War between Russia and the United States was created due to the conflict between communism and capitalism. Then Russia regarded communism as a better system of governance for the welfare of the working class, whereas the United States emerged powerful as a country favoring social welfare through capitalism. The two countries were involved in proxy war in Korea, Afghanistan, Germany, and Vietnam and the nuclear bombs and guns were kept ready against each other, but these were not fired out of mutual fear.

Now, China is coming into the Russian position, but China does not have an ideological agenda that was available with Russia because it has isolated itself from the aggressive communism by converting itself as a pro-capitalism country. Its people, not enjoying civil liberties, are living in a captive society and its censorship continues to be a mystery for the rest of the world. Chinese products are being marketed at cheaper rates all across the world, but most of the countries have banned the import of the low-quality Chinese goods or consumers of the world are not attracted to them. Doubtless, China has beaten Germany in terms of exports, yet German companies are still popular throughout the world for the quality of its products and the number of their customers has not registered any decline.

Establishment of Chinese Bases
China is now poised to build a nexus with countries such as North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran that will compete with US companies in these countries. North Korea and Iran have marched forward in the sector of manufacture of nuclear bombs. Other countries have also followed suit. Since Venezuela and Cuba are located in the vicinity of the United States and despite being rival of the United States do not pick courage to face it and probably will not be able to do so in the future also, but they can pave way for the establishment of Chinese bases in their soil.

India can derive maximum benefit from the cold war between China and the United States, but it can suffer also. India is such a country in Asia that is situated close to China and is surrounded by opponent countries. In recent past, India has suffered in terms of image due to its weaknesses in its foreign policy. Nevertheless, India can avoid the loss by bringing about changes in its foreign policy and maintaining an appropriate balance in the newly created cold war. India also is in possession of enough military potential and arms strength.

New Strategy Needed
In order to surround India, China has made excessive use of Pakistan and it can continue to pursue such a strategy in the times ahead. That is why there exists such a class of politicians who do not favor cordial relations with India.

Under the circumstances, India will need to exercise extreme caution and prudence, and simultaneously while giving a befitting reply to the Chinese browbeating it will have to steer clear of the adverse effects of the Cold War.