The US has both the military might and the will to achieve its objectives, yet it is unable to force the outcome in Iraq. The international and domestic restrains on its power are driving the Bush administration into frenzy. This zeal for war has led both the US and UK to deploy tanks and other military equipment in their respective countries. Fear is being marketed in Washington by the sale of gas masks and other preventive “war kits” to prepare against a possible attack by Saddam sponsored WMD terrorism.    With every passing day the war clouds over the world are becoming thicker, engulfing not only peace but also many institutions, which had been assiduously built by the international community over many years.

The first victim of this war is democracy, a concept espoused by the US and UK. The end of Cold War had given an opportunity to the liberals to confidently pronounce that public opinion in democracies was the best protection against the use of force by regimes in these countries; therefore, democracies were better suited to preserve peace than totalitarian regimes. Despite, numerous protests within their countries and across the globe, Bush and Blair are paying no heed to it. Francis Fukuyama, the chief proponent of “end of history” and the final victory of liberal democracy would surely have to rewrite his hypothesis in view of recent developments in America. Because globalization, far from strengthening democracy in America, is pushing it towards greater intolerance and insularity. The curtailment of civil liberties and the creation of fear psychosis in the minds of the population through manipulation of their insecurities, neither augurs well for the American people nor adds any credence to American foreign policy based on freedom and liberty.

Increased reliance on exercising the military option to solve global problems would only create more chasms in the world, leading to greater polarization along racial and religious lines. How can people in Middle East trust America to lead them to democracy, when there are questions being raised about America’s commitment to liberty? It is indeed an irony that the US, which excoriated the totalitarian regimes in former Soviet Union and East Europe, is now trying to ape those regimes to discipline its own people; the only difference being, Soviets used repressive measures to wipe out “class enemies” while America doing likewise to eliminate “enemies of civilization,” making it difficult for people of Asian origin in the US to move about freely anywhere be it airports or educational institutions.

The second victim in this latest war on terrorism is the UN; from being vessel of peace during the Cold War and peace building after the Berlin wall collapse, it is now being compared to the League of Nations in terms of its effectiveness in dealing with international crisis.

The Iraq crisis has exposed the deep divisions among the five members of the Security Council. France, Russia and China are opposed to the use of force in Iraq, yet US and UK are going ahead positioning their militaries in the Gulf region. With this posture, it appears that US is not only aiming to change the regime in Iraq but is also targeting the basic structure of the UN.

If the war is declared without the consent of the UN, then new structures based on hegemonic stability theories are likely to gain salience. But the moot point is whether the other powerful players will accept this; Germany and France are already contesting growing US unilateralism and such opposition may not remain confined to verbal criticisms alone and could acquire a more dangerous military dimension. Such competitive polarization would spell doom for peace and stability in not only the Western world but also the developing world at large.

Ironically, it was only last year that the US advised India to show more restraint vis-à-vis Pakistan as war between two WMD-capable nations could be disastrous. Today, US has shown scant regard for calls from allies to restrain its power. After all, if suspicions are proven right, both Iraq and US are WMD-capable powers and war between them could be catastrophic than 9/11.