THE WORLD AND LEADERS-INDUCED TERRORISM

Terrorism has become the world’s nightmare. Every nation on earth today is prone to terrorist attack. While nations are still grappling with how to deal with this monster, some world leaders constitute themselves into terrors to their immediate environment and the world at large. The North Korean leader in recent time has shown himself to be an unrepentant terrorist. He has been building and developing nuclear missiles against the UN injunction and recently boasted after a nuclear test that he has developed a missile that can hit the US mainland. Like a loose mad dog, he seems not to care about the implications of his actions as it affects the rights of other nations. He wants North Korea to be seen as a nuclear superpower. The impulsive American leader, Donald Trump, would take none of that. He has actually threatened that if war breaks out, he will reduce North Korea to rumbles. While these two world leaders gallivant over their powers, the world is held in bated breath, unsure of what would happen next. While two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. That is while the UN must call Pyongyang and Trump to order, otherwise, these two are capable of throwing the world into a third world war. Pyongyang must respect the territorial integrity of other nations even with their nuclear tests. In a show of military force, the US and South Korea flew their joint military war jets around the South’s airspace. May war never break out! The way it is going, if these two nations decide to fight, Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be a child’s play. We must save the world from these two men.

Donald Trump’s foreign policy on the Arab and far North nations is not helping matters. He is a master of his own trade and brooks no opposition. A liberal American leader would have been better for the world. While it is condemnable for Pyongyang to believe in terrorising other neighbouring nations, it would have taken a liberal American leader to douse such threats. But not Donald Trump who acts unilaterally and impulsively, just as he has declared Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This decision on its own has outraged the world and sparked off protests in the disputed territory. A man must have apologies for his wrong actions but not Donald Trump who believes that all his actions are in the best interest of America. He clearly said so before and after his election as president that America comes first in all his actions. America first is not a bad policy, but it must not jeopardise peace around the world. His recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is without the backing of the UN and will greatly affect negatively the peace efforts around the Middle East. Both Pyongyang and Donald Trump behave like drunken sailors and demented spirits and are in need of deliverance by staunch actions of the UN and prayers. Prayers do work wonders particularly on men who have a third force working inside of them.

My serious worry is that the UN appears helpless where these two leaders are involved. The UN has been severally described as a toothless bulldog. The UN must look for teeth and be ready to bite. Those era of describing UN resolution as a mere opinion not backed by law must be over. International law must be separated from international politics. Pyongyang’s actions of nuclear armament and Trumps’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital must be seen as a breach of international norms that require sanctions. It is time the world rises up against these two men before they plunge it into avoidable war. These two men must not be allowed to become law unto themselves, else the world is finished. These men are only pursuing their parochial interests, not minding the negative effect on the rest of the world. Pyongyang and Donald Trump must follow the rules of the game. If terrorism must be stamped out or reduced drastically around the world, world leaders must recognise the rights of the ordinary citizens and must be seen as working together in areas of their foreign policy which will be to cultivate international relations that would build trade, investment, provide aid, reduce clash of cultures which in turn will engender peace around the world. If North Korea and America continue this way under their leaders, we may be saying goodbye to a peaceful world.

Chimezie Elemuo, Port Harcourt