Edward Snowden is a world hero for exposing America’s forked tongue on democracy and liberty. But no country, including India, is willing to give him protection
There is a traditional saying that what is good for America is good for the world. In its effort to strengthen its surveillance over not only competing countries but even its allies, the US administration has revealed its forked tongue on the principles of freedom and democracy. Over the past year, the intrusive penetration of secrets even of allies has become brazen. But on the other hand those striving to expose US surveillance have been more and more effective.
After Wikileaks and Julian Assange, the expose by Edward Snowden has made the US spying spree notorious. As a price of their commitment to the liberty of sovereign nations who could exercise an option on their own autonomy, a massive furor has erupted. It is clear now that Great Britain is not prepared to provide shelter to even the right of seeking shelter in a third country. This reminds us of the great writer John le Carre who warned of America’s impending domination over Britain. As expected, from that characterisation Britain has refused to
provide any immunity to Assange, who is hiding in the Ecuador Embassy and all airlines doing business with its airports have been forewarned not to transport Snowden from wherever he is to london or elsewhere.
Snowden, who has exposed precious American secrets and has defended his act on the valid principle of sovereignty of nations, is clearly a hunted man. He has exposed the American intent to have an intelligence and defense hegemony over all other countries including its closest allies. His contribution to world peace and liberty cannot be overstated. Yet, America thinks he must be locked away.
President Obama’s brazen defense of this espionage makes it clear that there will be more to come. Typically there was barely a squeak out of India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has consciously evaded comment on the matter. There was no concerted criticism of America’s illegal spying on Indian telephony, internet traffic and cyber secrets by the Indian Government though India is the fifth largest country to be so penetrated.
India has intelligence difficulties and threats. Apart from its antagonisms with Pakistan it also has had suffered numerous terrorist attacks. There is no evidence that the US has alerted India to any such dangers. Further, the US and their allies are retreating from Afghanistan in which India has a stake. But has the US provided any security information to India and Pakistan who are likely to come under attack once the Americans leaveIJ
There is another imperial problem. This intelligence, President Obama would have us believe, is “necessary” for the US. If this is the case why don’t American troops withdraw from where they are not wantedIJ There will be no Afghan threat to the US if it leaves the Afghans in peace. But the US argument is circular and self serving. According to their model, Afghanistan poses a threat to the US. To overcome that threat without too many American casualties, the US has brought in NATO and other allies.
But the US’ perceived threat is a clear and presents danger to Afghanistan and its neighbours. Moreover, the validity of American intelligence is questioned. The US claimed through its alleged intelligence that Iraq had a bomb. Other allies like Tony Blair claimed that Saddam Hussein could strike in forty-five minutes. Iran is next on the hit lit. So, America’s understanding of its own actions is based on misstatements, untruths and paranoia of resurgent imperialism.
For example, the US has decided that Iran and Syria are “threats”. The recent elections in Iran and the victory of a reformer is only half the story. No one has proved that Iran has any nuclear weapons. The same happened in Iraq where the big American lie about “chemical weapons” was exposed. But nobody has any doubts that Israel possesses nuclear weapons.
Instead of the stability promised in Iraq, it is caught in internecine conflicts between Shias and Sunnis. The real story is that the US wants to establish worldwide hegemony to further its imperial aims. Moreover the US has consistently linked its national security doctrine to its attempt to dominate the world. Other allies have fallen in line, like Britain, which dares not give Assange asylum in london.
So the issue is not America’s protection and its national security interests but the fact that theoretically the Americans rarely accept national borders as inviolable. These questions have not been debated adequately in India. Apart from the mild statement by the PM which is notable for its reluctance not to criticise American intrusion into Indian cyberspace, official internet, etc. there has been hardly any criticism by the Government of India of the US.
Dr Manmohan Singh’s great admiration for economic theories emanating from America has failed to protect India’s cyberspace and other modern communications from American intrusion. Most of the opposition has also not had much to say on this issue. It seems that they have gotten closer to the maxim dear to the Americans: There are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends.
What Wikileaks and Snowden’s revelations have emphasised is that there are no impenetrable walls which can protect India intellectual assets from the intrusive US and its allies. The brazen way in which President Obama has defended his new expanded and intrusive surveillance regime would, if anything, indicate that whatever the US wants in terms of intelligence from other countries, it is not only free to get, but in fact that it is the USA’s right.
If this imperial doctrine becomes a rule among the NATO allies, not to speak of others, there may be a huge security race. After all if security is good for the US it is also good for Iran, Iraq and medium level powers like India, Australia, etc. Just as India joined the arms race, lied about its nuclear weapons because of its perception that nuclear weapons are indispensable leading to a very dangerous arms race, it can also be forced to expand its defense efforts to protect itself from superior espionage.
President Eisenhower had at the end of his term in office warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex. It is a grave pity for the world community that these wise words were forgotten by a President who directed the allies’ efforts in World War II. If the US cannot listen to its war heroes, will any other countries criticism and fear of accentuated use of force make any impactIJ
(The writer is Professor, Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, JawaharlalNehru University)