HIBAPRESS – Yassin Damiri
It seems that the winds in the land of "the striking force" have finally blown from the opposite direction. After years of fiery speeches that shook the microphones about "absolute sovereignty," "national dignity," and "not bowing to anyone but God," we are surprised today that the head they promoted as never and will never bow… has begun to sway with the breezes of Washington.
Yes, America has intervened, and now "the country that doesn't yield" is discovering that the word "no" is not useful when it comes from a country that sells gas by the barrel and buys positions in a diplomatic certificate. The generals who were sleeping on a pillow of slogans and covering themselves with a blanket of "self-determination" suddenly woke up to a diplomatic slap that made them discover that "Polisario" is no longer a winning card, but a political burden that costs more than it benefits. America did not send missiles or aircraft carriers; it only sent a "warm call" and some economic, political, and security hints, and the balances were reversed. Those who were bragging yesterday that nothing was dictated to them are now discussing how, when, and in what "respectable" form they can recognize the Moroccan Sahara without the scene appearing as an official surrender. The official Algerian media is trying to patch up the situation with phrases like "strategic understanding" and "comprehensive regional approach," but the truth is as clear as the sun of Hassi Messaoud: "The country that was proud that it would not bow its head… has begun to look for a comfortable position to bow." The satirists on social media today call it "the land of gas… when the gas went out," because every political breath is now tied to an export pipe towards Europe, and every sovereign decision passes through energy bills and White House accounts. And so, after half a century of supporting the "cause" that never grew, it seems that Algeria, willingly or under the pressure of events, will be forced, despite its "pride," to bid farewell to the "comrades" in Tindouf, and discover that the world has changed, and that the "striking force" has indeed been struck, but by the grip of "the one with the scissors" whose sharpness was softened by the gentleness of Uncle Sam.
