Over the course of two days, the United States secretary of state, John Kerry, made unannounced visits to Iraq and Afghanistan. In both cases, he was there to provide political support and encouragement to politicians who are fighting for their political survival. In both cases, the forces ranged against them are US adversaries from the past.
Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen off the world’s agenda. The Syrian civil war and its fallout in the form of the rise of ISIL and the refugee crisis gripping the Middle East and Europe have absorbed most of the time and the minds of regional politicians. But the problems in both countries have not gone away – and in both cases, they can be traced back to America’s involvement.
That may seem a touch unfair. It was, certainly, America’s ill-conceived invasion of Iraq in 2003 that kicked off the fragmentation of that country. And America’s prolonged war in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks (that were planned there) did start the most recent round of Afghan instability. But Afghanistan was hardly a stable country before that.
Yet it says a great deal about US wars that, 15 years after going into Afghanistan and toppling the Taliban government, John Kerry is reduced to returning to Kabul to plead for the Taliban to enter into a peace process to try to end a wave of violence and protect the unity government in Kabul.
The same in Iraq. For years after the 2003 invasion, the Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr proved to be a thorn in the side of the occupation, leading demonstrations against the Americans. Yet he was too powerful to arrest. Now, Al Sadr is back, holding a sit-in inside the Green Zone itself to pressure Iraqi politicians – the very politicians that the US is keen to shore up.
Supporters may say that the complex politics of the region are always likely to throw up unexpected allies and situations. That may be true. But the US must also accept its responsibility for the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan today.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
Schedule
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