THE Association for Community and Dialogue (ACID) condemns the drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.

Such an assassination has no moral grounds and has violated the Article 8 of Rome Statute on war crimes, which happens when there is an intentional killing or wounding treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army.

It is obvious that such a killing will only intensify hostile situations and intensify proxy wars in the Middle East, which Iran is also guilty.

US President Donald Trump, who has ordered the assasination of Soleimani, has also threatened strikes on 52 Iranian sites which includes its cultural heritage. Such threats are against the Geneva convention that is explicitly stated in the Rome statute.

The Trump administration has not provided any cogent evidence of imminent threat of this individual to the US. Furthermore, the US is an alien power in West Asia. It has no moral authority in that region. It is sad that war crimes come from a nation that prides itself as an icon of freedom, justice and human rights.

Such a drastic act of assassination has raised the price of crude oil in the international markets and this comes at a time of uncertain global economic conditions due to the US-China trade war. The people who benefit from high oil prices are from those oil cartels, and the people who suffer the most are the poor, who have to put up with oil induced inflation. This will create global instability, where nation states suffer budget deficits in subsidising its population for oil price increase, and this will in turn reduce the quality of social services to the people.

The issues in the Middle East will not be resolved until the US and Israel give up its hegemonic design in wanting to control the resources and the direction of the region. Israel’s obsession with security will not be resolved until it provides a credible home land to the Palestinians. War and assassination intensify hatred and empower extremists.

Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are basically opposing the hegemonic design of the US, which tends to dictate the course of these nations. The peace process in the Middle East needs a new momentum that explicitly describes and spells out the hegemonic design of the US in West Asia.

It is hoped that the international community will stand together against war and destruction and bring the US to account for its reckless policies and actions in the Middle East. – January 7, 2020.

* Ronald Benjamin is ACID secretary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.