9. The West Knows No Restraint; Its Path is wherever the Elephant treads…

Surrounded by rebels wielding guns and rifles, a man, gripped by the natural fear of death, hid in a roadside culvert. Eventually, the rebels dragged him out of the culvert roughly, forcing him to stand in the middle of the road. They slapped his cheeks, struck his head, and knocked him to the ground, beating him mercilessly while taking grotesque pleasure in their actions. Even as the man, lying on the ground, pleaded, “Please don’t beat me. What harm have I done to you?” they paid no heed and continued to beat him until he bled. At that moment, one of the rebels, overcome by frenzy, fired his gun. Despite the man’s desperate cries of “Don’t kill me,” they relentlessly fired bullet after bullet, ending his life. Not only did they succeed in killing him, but they also celebrated his death with joy. The person who was brutally killed in this barbaric manner was none other than Muammar Gaddafi. They rejoiced in his death, proclaiming they would build a new nation. But did they truly build a new nation? Did they bring about any renewal in Libya? Not at all! On the contrary, from the very day of Gaddafi’s murder, Libya descended into decline. The flourishing Libya shattered and reached a point beyond repair. The once-glimmering Libya was broken into fragments by the so-called great powers. Shame on them! If they had even a speck of gratitude for the salt of Gaddafi’s rule, would they have done this?

Another Similar Incident, But Slightly Different. This one unfolded in an Iraqi courtroom. It was six o’clock in the morning. That day, the final verdict in Saddam Hussein’s case was to be announced. Saddam stood inside the cell, unwavering and composed, showing not the slightest sign of agitation. The judge began reading the pre-determined final verdict of the death sentence against Saddam Hussein. Fully aware of what the decision would be, Saddam, filled with rage, shouted, "You American dog! You wretched beast! You will be a slave to Israelis! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!" Even as the verdict was read, Saddam’s defiance did not waver. After the verdict was declared, he was escorted to the execution chamber. Even then, Saddam walked to the death chamber with the same boldness he had always displayed, without a trace of fear. He was placed in front of the gallows. A couple of masked American soldiers stood nearby, along with a few Iraqi prison officials. Recognizing the masked figures, Saddam mocked them with biting remarks. At that point, the prison officials asked him, “What is your final wish?” To which he replied, “Give this Quran, which I hold in my hands, to my friend’s son.” Ironically, it had already been decided that Saddam’s friend would also face execution. Before the noose tightened around his neck, Saddam shouted: “Long live the nation! Long live the people! Long live the Palestinians!” But did Iraq regain its former glory after his death? Not at all. It too joined the list of shattered empires, standing as another example of a nation torn apart. These two incidents leave no one unmoved. These two events make it clear how global superpowers eliminate those who oppose them and destroy flourishing nations. They also expose how the media conceals the truth and convinces the world to believe lies as truth.

I visited Libya in late October 2007. Just ten months prior, on December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein had been executed in Iraq. His execution was a major global headline. Every newspaper carried his story, and TV media portrayed him as a villain. We too believed this narrative as the truth. However, when I arrived in Libya in 2007, I met four Iraqi professors working with me at my college. Upon seeing them, I immediately asked, “Was Saddam Hussein really so cruel? Did he truly exploit you? How did you endure his atrocities?” While a couple of them fell silent with blank expressions, others broke down in tears. Shocked, I asked them what had happened. They subtly revealed that the narrative pushed by America was a lie. They explained the manipulations America undertook to plunder Iraq's oil wealth and how Saddam Hussein was, in fact, a benevolent leader. They vividly described how Saddam had transformed Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, into a city three times more developed than Singapore. They also hinted that Libya might soon face a similar fate. At the time, I couldn’t believe them. However, when the revolution began in Libya in 2011, and the global media started portraying Gaddafi and his Libya in a negative light, their words hit me like a painful truth. It became evident how far America would go to achieve its interests, and the realization left me deeply saddened.

Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, though autocratic leaders of our time, were always dedicated to the progress of their respective nations. While Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq, Gaddafi was the de facto ruler of Libya. Both consolidated power as authoritarian leaders by maintaining strict control over their governments and militaries. However, in reality, both were socialists. Additionally, they were close friends. Both came to power through bloodless revolutions. Colonel Gaddafi deposed King Idris in 1969 through a bloodless revolution and assumed leadership of the country. At the time, he was a junior officer in the military. After serving as the Prime Minister for eight years, from 1977 onwards, he controlled the nation without holding any formal office. Gaddafi ruled Libya effectively for 42 years, placing the country at the forefront of the African continent. He utilized Libya's oil resources for the nation's progress. On the other hand, Saddam Hussein came to power through his role in the Ba'ath Party, which relied heavily on military and party structures. He also utilized the profits from oil for the welfare of the people. Both leaders fostered strong personality cults, projecting themselves as indispensable to their nations. Their images and speeches were prominently displayed and broadcast. Both were fierce critics of Western imperialism, particularly the United States. They often portrayed themselves as leaders defending Arab nationalism and safeguarding freedom. Both engaged in aggressive foreign policies. In 1965, when the people of Chad revolted against their monarch, Libya's first ruler, King Idris, supported the rebels by supplying arms. However, France came to the monarch's aid. This conflict lasted for four years. In Libya, Gaddafi ousted King Idris in 1969 and took over. Upon assuming power, he occupied northern Chad with Russia's assistance and established a Libyan military base there, continuing to supply arms to the rebels. Similarly, Saddam Hussein initiated the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 by attacking Iran and later invaded Kuwait in 1990. Both followed anti-Israel policies. They supported the struggle of the Palestinians, who were traditional enemies of the Jews, by providing financial aid. On two or three occasions, Saddam Hussein himself tried to retaliate against the Israelis, who were fierce enemies of Muslims, by launching rockets. This made him a target of Western powers. Thus, despite being authoritarian leaders, both Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein worked tirelessly for the development of their nations. Both leaders encouraged women's participation in education and employment. Women in their countries enjoyed more rights compared to those in many other Muslim nations. Both leaders used the profits from oil for the welfare of their countries. They were both secular and emphasized education, healthcare, development, and housing. Despite corruption and economic misuse being prevalent during their regimes, they nationalized major industries and redistributed wealth to garner popular support. Both pursued ambitious weapons programs, including attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Saddam Hussein was accused of possessing WMDs, which served as a pretext for the 2003 Iraq War. Gaddafi, on the other hand, had a nuclear weapons program but dismantled it in 2003 due to international pressure. Despite a report from the United Nations confirming the absence of WMDs in Iraq, George Bush Sr. and British leader Margaret Thatcher, acting in their own interests, carried out carpet bombings on Iraq, devastating the country. Their primary concern was to secure control over oil-producing regions and protect their military bases in Kuwait. Both leaders attempted to establish secularism in their administrations. They introduced laws and policies to reduce the influence of religion in governance, which was in stark contrast to many Islamic regimes in the region and angered several fundamentalists. Both emphasized agriculture, redistributing land, and providing subsidies to farmers to increase agricultural productivity. This included offering irrigation systems and agricultural tools. Gaddafi even constructed a man-made river in Libya to provide irrigation to farmers in desert regions. Both were strong supporters of Palestinians, providing them with consistent financial assistance. This anti-Israel stance led to their tragic ends. The U.S. invaded Iraq, capturing Saddam Hussein alive, and later executed him by hanging. Similarly, the U.S. orchestrated Gaddafi's downfall by ensuring his brutal killing at the hands of his own people, marking the end of his regime. Gaddafi supported liberation movements and was also known for sponsoring rebel movements in countries like Palestine, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and others. During the Reagan era in the 1980s, tensions between Libya and the West reached their peak. In the 1990s, due to the Pan Am flight disaster, Libya faced economic sanctions from the West, gradually leading to its inclusion on the list of terrorist states. In 2003, after Saddam was captured, Gaddafi agreed to destroy the weapons of mass destruction in his country and pledged to allow UN inspectors to dismantle them. Saddam nationalized banks and placed Sunnis in positions of power to consolidate his authority. From 1980 to 1988, Iraq was at war with Iran. Saddam also had to suppress Kurdish and Shia uprisings. In 1990, he gained international attention for invading Kuwait. The 1991 Gulf War, led by the United States, liberated Kuwait from Iraq but allowed Saddam to remain in power in Iraq. Saddam was a popular leader in Iraq, but in 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq on suspicions that it was involved in a weapons of mass destruction program. Saddam was captured in December 2003 and convicted for the killing of 148 Shia civilians. He was eventually executed by hanging on December 30, 2006. Both Gaddafi and Saddam were close allies, united in their criticism of U.S. imperialist policies, which ultimately made them enemies of the West and led to their downfall. Both faced allegations of human rights violations and used their countries' oil resources to strengthen their regimes. Gaddafi nationalized Libya's oil industry, while Saddam used Iraq's oil revenues for military expansion and domestic projects. Neither leader possessed the diplomatic finesse or strategic understanding to deal with the United States effectively. As a result, they were regarded as heroes in the eyes of their own people but as villains by the rest of the world. The nations they once ruled have now become failed states. They have transformed into broken nations. Iraq has descended into sectarian violence, while Libya has fallen into political chaos and is engulfed in civil conflict. Recently, Syria, which was said to have been liberated from Bashar al-Assad, has also joined this list of broken nations. Meanwhile, Western countries continue their pursuits as usual, with no one to hold them accountable... (Today is December 30. It has been exactly eighteen years since Saddam Hussein was executed. On this occasion, I present this article to you.) Kannada Original: Uday Itagi English Translation: Uday Itagi