If you follow the news lately, you feel like you are watching fictional action movies with recurrent disasters and calamities. Recently, several countries have gone mad as they got engulfed in chaos, wars, and internal and external conflicts. This is not pure coincidence, as the situation is getting worse with no restrictions whatsoever.
Conflicts and tensions are the new norm worldwide; no continent is spared. They are raging in the heart of Europe,notably through the Russian-Ukrainian war and the protests in the French streets. In Asia, several countries, such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Israel, are witnessing internal conflicts and instability, while other countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, North and South Korea, China and Taiwan, are on the brink of war. Not to mention the civil wars in Sudan and other African countries; even the United States, the most powerful country in the world, is threatened by insecurity.
These countries represent the peak of the global conflict that risks spreading to other countries and regions as part of the struggle for control and international influence. The war between Russia and Ukraine is almost a global war by proxy between two camps, where all kinds of weapons have been used so far except biological and nuclear weapons.
In the First and Second World Wars, the conflict between different camps led to the emergence of influential powers that created a new reality based on suppressing others and controlling weak countries at all levels. We are now witnessing a new era of international conflict, almost similar to the conditions that led to the First and Second World Wars, with comparable goals even though the means differ.
Ongoing conflicts use innovative methods that conceal the true intentions through deception and misleading. The weapons used are not only military, but they also include instigating conflicts and hotspots of ethnic, sectarian, tribal, ideological, and civil tensions. Economic weapons also lead to the impoverishment and starvation of populations, driving them to emigrate, which would pave the way to implement dubious schemes made possible through the chaos of creative immigration.
These wars have dire consequences all over the world, especially in the European countries whose logistic, military and economic resources are being depleted, which leads to their weakening and highly endangers their existence and the lives of their citizens. Wars have also a heavy toll on the global economy and created a food crisis that affected everyone on this planet.
In light of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the confrontation in Africa, it can be easily concluded that there is a connection between the wars led by major powers for control. Conflicts are spreading throughout the continents, and states are competing over control. Roles change as new powers emerge while others are eclipsed. Meanwhile, the populations of those African countries are intentionally driven to head towards European countries in a massive wave of legal and illegal immigration.
In my opinion, the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from wars is an imminent threat. For example, the systematized immigration from unstable countries to Europe made the Old Continent reel under the burden of refugees who wreaked havoc in the European countries. Those states are unable to expel them out of fear of the reactions of human rights organizations and other international bodies.
Chaos is being nurtured to achieve mischievous aims. This is the case in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Israel and Iran, where instability reigns. As for Lebanon,which suffers from major crises as well as insecurity and economic instability, the Syrian refugee flow has gotten out of control, posing an unprecedented existential threat to the country. Major powers also have their share of chaos and instability; the protests in France can attest to that.
In the face of such chaos worldwide and old and new conflicts, I, as a GCC citizen, cannot but sound the alarm to warn of chaos and conflicts spreading to our countries. What are we planning to do? Will we sit by idly without taking any preventive or defensive measures?
Complacency is not an option. We should be careful and on the alert to protect our land and existence. At some point, wars risk to over-spill due to conflict between states over global power. This would lead to a new world war.
Amid all these conflicts, the GCC countries might face security, military, humanitarian, and even economic challenges. Are we ready to deal with these risks if they occur, God forbid?
Prevention is the best treatment. I do not want to spread fear; I just urge you to take the necessary steps to limit the damage and consequences of any disaster that might take place in the world. We should rely on ourselves to face all challenges without waiting for help neither from the East nor from the West. God helps those who help themselves. In addition, these countries are vulnerable, and they will only care about saving themselves.
In this article, I wanted to shed light on the conspiracy looming over our region, and that would sweep us away in a vicious circle of conflicts and confrontations engulfing countries and continents and paving the way for a new era of conflicts and power sharing.
Therefore, I call upon the GCC countries to establish a consolidated crisis unit to closely monitor the developments and put plans to defend our existence, security, and stability.I fear conflict and chaos would reach the Arab Gulf, which would face the greatest risk of random and illegal immigration by Africans, Asians and others to our countries.
Over the years, I warned in my articles published in my book “Would anyone listen?” of things that happened later. Today, I am trying to anticipate the events in all transparency and realism. Let’s work to protect ourselves and our societies by providing them with means of defense and prevention to be ready for emergencies and to undercut all parties trying to implement agendas that are harmful to our Arab region. We will not tolerate any infringement on our lands.
By Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor
UAE businessman
