World history is shaped by decisions taken by men thrust upon the global stage. Whether king, president, prime minister, or general - all are faced with political and military crises that, in their resolution, require vision, character, courage, and conviction.
Decisions taken to meet short-term goals in defusing or confronting a current threat or crisis may have unintended but far-reaching and long-lasting repercussions. Standing in the “now”, it is difficult to see down the street, much less around the next corner or far into the horizon. Trying to do so, it has been argued, can even induce a paralysis of indecision. Winston Churchill once advised, “It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”
Nevertheless, people look to their leaders to guide them safely through the shoals, to fairly weigh the facts, to act intelligently and responsibly and not take unnecessary risks, to not impair their judgment with issues of parochial politics or personal bias, and to anticipate the consequences of their actions. Poor decisions, it is recognized, lead often to poor results.
Hitler’s decision to invade Poland on September 1, 1939 was one such step. It ushered in World War II and, in effect, decimated the German generation of the 1930’s. The German people and leadership had little idea what lay ahead. In 6 years, the country was cut into 2 and occupied by foreign armies, and millions of its women ended up being raped, mostly by Russian troops.
The UN General Assembly Resolution (181) of November 29, 1947 calling for the partition of Palestine, which led to the creation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, was another act of epic consequence. It has, in its wake, bequeathed to the world an abiding legacy of endless strife.
The hanging of Bhutto by Zia on April 4, 1979 poisoned the polity of Pakistan and created fissures that have yet to be bridged.
Brezhnev’s decision to invade Afghanistan in December 1979 directly led to a chain of events that broke the back of the USSR.
Indira Gandhi’s decision to launch the Sikh leader Bhindranwale to undercut more temperate Akali leaders led to the storming of the Golden Temple at Amritsar in June 1984 - with its bloody aftermath perhaps causing permanent cleavage between Hindus and Sikhs.
Yahya’s decision to let Bengali leader Sh. Mujib contest the December 1970 Pakistan general elections under the secessionist platform of 6-points led to the bloody break-up of Pakistan with all its atrocities.
The decision by the CIA in 1953 to oust Iranian nationalist leader Dr.
Mossadegh precipitated - down the road - the Iranian Revolution of 1979 with ensuing negative consequences for US policy.
Finally, President Bush’s decision to unilaterally and, without casus belli, to invade and occupy Iraq foretells a cycle of lethal ramifications whose full global picture is yet to unfold. It may well be a case of another fatal decision.
