Libya—Gateway to African Recolonisation
Courtenay Barnett
When
the US and NATO “liberate” Libya – who then liberates Libya from the US
and NATO?
The attacks
on Libya are no more or less than criminal – and I do not use the word
lightly, but literally mean it for good reason. UN Resolution 1973 does not
anywhere in it permit:-
· Support of a faction within Libya to overthrow the
government
· Arming of a faction within Libya to overthrow the
government
· Bombing in support of a faction within Libya to
overthrow the government
For those on
this blog who are not historians I recall the following.
I quote from an
article entitled, Libya's Finest Hour....As NATO Presses Conquest,
from the Black
Star News Editorial.
“The
newspapers of the day including The New York Times celebrated
"Italy's Great Victory" in Africa, saying the defeat of the
Abyssinians meant "civilization" had prevailed over
"barbarity." Africa would now be opened up to profitable Western
commerce, the Times opined.
Then in 1896 Menelik II, together with his wife Empress Taytu leading the
charges, struck with ferocious power and courage. Menelik II destroyed an
entire Italian army of an original 10,000 troops, vanquishing nearly half,
including most of the leading officers and capturing half of the army.
That was Ethiopia's greatest hour and indeed Africa's finest moment against
European imperial aggression.”
Moving forward to what is actually happening in Libya, I quote from the
web site,
|
Massive bombing of residential areas in Tripoli
over the last three days Nearly 20,000 sorties, and 7459 strike sorties
since March 31st |
|
|
Global Research,
August 22, 2011 |
|
|
"Since the beginning of the NATO operation (31
March 2011, 06.00GMT) a total of 19,751 sorties,
including 7,459 strike sorties, have been conducted. These figures do not include the extensive bombing raids directed
against civilian targets conducted on the 21st and 22nd of August. The bombing
is part of NATO's mandate to "protect the lives of civilians" |
|
While some
on this thread may see the events that are unfolding in Libya as some
sort of “liberation”, for my part I beg to differ. The issue here is not
whether one wants to gloss and excuse any transgressions of Gadaffi, but
whether one wants to adhere to the most fundamental principles of international
law and the conduct of international relations in a “civilized” and humane
manner.
The
questions to my mind are these:-
1. When the ANC opposed Apartheid there were well
established voices in leadership, such as Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela.
These men were termed “terrorists” by the white racists and by the West.
The likes of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan wanted to prolong the
“civilized” rule of Apartheid while Mandela and Sisulu wanted to ensure that
the people’s rights were recognised and the benefits of the economy reached the
majority. These men had a history of leadership and commitment to a political
cause when they had pursued a political path for
the betterment of their country. Question 1 – where is the recognised
leadership in the NTC in Libya with a record of dedicated opposition and a
political or any vision of where Libya will be taken post-Gadaffi?
2. When Menelik 11 defeated the Italians and when the
Italians had their prior incursion into Libya one could discern a colonialist mission
of occupation and domination of the foreign territory. Question 2 – By way of
the US and NATO’s violation of Resolution 1973 in its pursuit of
a war aggression and directing the war of aggression against a
sovereign government – does anyone not discern the colonialist and imperial
design of the whole operation, that bears comparison to the historical record
in Ethiopia and previously in Libya?
3. When the models of the results in Afghanistan and
Iraq beam in one’s eyes – is it that we are brain-dead in not
discerning in Libya and or the future of Africa - the process afoot:-
i)
Breach international law and
become an active participant in a war of aggression against Libya by supporting
the rebels with bombing and supply of arms.
ii)
Use a fig-leaf of “democracy” and
“freedom” to cover naked aggression.
iii)
Commandeer Libyan funds in the
billions and use same to fund the rebellion.
iv)
Steal Libyan resources once the
Gadaffi government is ousted and enjoy the stolen fruits of oil, gold and water
in abundance. If anyone complains about the mayhem that will undoubtedly
unfold, then simply blame it all on Libyan ineptitude.
v)
Post-rebellion – send in contracted
parties to rape Libya’s resources with contracted security officers;
consultants; a manipulated grab of the oil, the gold bullion, the water
resources and use all t he Libyan national resources to repay for the “aid” and
“help” that the benevolent is giving. Recall the process with Mossadeque in
Iran and where that finally led to?
Maybe the
wheel of history and the whole cycle it turning gain from Libya to Syria
to Iran – yet again.
Question 3 –
If I am not right in all I have stated – only subsequent events will assuredly
prove me wrong – are all agreed on that?
When
this process is all over – tell the Libyan people, as has been told to
the Iraqis – “ you are liberated and free to choose your leader”, but continue
to occupy to ensure that they make the right choice for leader.
Anyone ever
read the AU roadmap to peace? Anyone ever questioned that if the people did not
want Gadaffi as a leader –then by permitting a Western style election
which Gadaffi is agreed to – then the result just might be that the people
freely choose Gadaffi? But, the US and NATO won’t permit that process to
operate, because it must install its own puppets to control the Libyan
political process.
I am simply
saying that before our eyes this is hypocrisy, criminality and banditry at the
highest levels in the world, involving the UK, France, the US and the
perpetrators of crimes against the Libyan people done and yet to be done by
Cameron, Sarkozy and Obama.
Gadaffi
provided money for his people, health care, housing, educated women and has
a highly educated population, water via the aquifer in abundance, gold in
abundance for the nation’s on-going development, infrastructure – and of course
the US/NATO having bombed the said infrastructure, the West will now be
providing the consultants, road builders, engineers, security officers
and a wonderfully sound and democratic government compliments of a truly
“civilized” process of rebuilding a Libya destroyed by the bombing and
overthrow of established government. My – isn’t “democracy” in these
circumstances a wonderfully violent and desirable process?
Of course,
there will be those who disagree with my views – but I am only too happy to
hear their facts and reasoned argument – why Libya will be better post-Gadaffi?
CB ( www.globaljusticeonline.com)