The stalemate and the escalation

The above two terms describe the world in general nowadays. For the first decade of the 21st century, events have unfolded in such a way that there seems to be no definite solution. The freezing of the Peace process by Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas against the Israelis and the escalation of regional tensions regarding FARC and Colombia are two instances. They have been in the news for some time to come, and this follows a line of disasters by which the west has to cope with.

As mentioned Ad Nauseam, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has always kept the Middle East on the boil. Any negative overturn there could affect the whole region. With Iraq still in ruins and with Iran still unpredictable, this comes as an unfortunate irritant or Deja Vu, whatever may be applicable. All the "gains" that were made in Annapolis now lie in ruins, and both sides are so distrustful,that one side just cannot compromise. The spark this time was the turmoil in Gaza, where Hamas rule has decimated the social setup of the city, already ruined by the Western and Israeli blockade.

This tension is manifested in a different form in Colombia. The FARC and the Colombian government, led by Alvaro Uribe, have intensified their Proxy war over the last 4-5 years. The recent killing of FARC members on the Colombia-Ecuador border have escalated tensions. Now, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered tanks up its borders with Colombia, thus straining the already strained relationship between Colombia and Venezuela. The US views this very carefully, for Colombia is an ally of the US, while Hugo Chavez is its biggest critique.

Now, they say that one man's terrorist is another man's revolutionary. This situation perfectly characterizes Chavez's attitude towards the FARC and the Colombian administration. He has been in negotiations with FARC to secure the release of hostages taken by the group. So far, six have been released. This latest tension may put a speed breaker on his plans, while the US may take steps to ensure that FARC is taken out as quickly as possible.

The US cannot have that attitude in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If this tension has to be resolved, then some hard tough decisions have to be taken. The world has seen that the situation will be a bloody stalemate unless Hamas is not bought to the negotiating table. It is about time that Hamas is bought into the peace talks, for they WERE DEMOCRATICALLY elected by the Palestinian people. Only if this step is taken, that tensions can be simmered down.

These two events have symbolized the trend that political relations will be based on for the following decades. Only if concrete and tough decisions are taken can there be a resolution. Otherwise, the world will be polarized even more than the Cold war years.