The West involved in a seemingly unending war against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, sacrificing their youths sending them away from their homes in search of possible terrorists is about to start another war in Libya.
President Sarkozy finding himself low down in a popularity poll wanted to score points of popularity demanding arbitrarily, without consulting the partners of the “ game of using force to obtain peace”, a cease fire in Libya on threat of a military attack. Or is it Colonel Gaddafi’s threat that he will cut supply of “oil” to the West that hastened President Sarkozy’s demand to the International Community for a military intervention in Libya.?
Surprised by Sarkozy’s war cry, the UN Security council met to agree or not to agree with the President Sarkozy’s call to war. The security council did not give a unanimous vote to satisfy the war mongering West, with China, Germany, India and Russia abstaining in wise disagreement to a foolish method of seeking peace to aid the West’s secret agenda.
President Barrack Obama who has promised his people the withdrawal of the American Army from Iraq, not wanting to deceive the people and court their anger has said that America will not deploy its troops in Libya, as it would be the responsibility of France, Britain and Arab League who moved the UN Resolution 1973 adopted by the Security Council to enforce it. But nevertheless agreed on air raids not to disappoint the West, despite political and economic problems at home.
The West still thinks it has the “best solution” for world peace, despite the fact that it has not solved any problems in the world other than adding more to it. The worst about the West is that having taken a wrong decision it will not accept the error and retreat, but keeps on staggering on the selected path of action, until it finds a retreat almost impossible. We see it both in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
Apart from President Sarkozy, France also has its vociferous philosopher Bernard Levi, who seeks troubled spots to cry about the suffering into which the poor people have been put into, but instead of finding a solution to release those people from suffering he invites more suffering on them; even when the suffering from which he had sought to release them has been solved. He seems quite happy when one problem has been resolved, but having no solution for the next following the first, he seeks other troubled spots having no further solutions to the former.
This happened in Afghanistan under the Russian “occupation”. He spear headed many manifestations against the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. There were discussion in front of television cameras, lectures to packed elegant intellectuals in warm clean halls. But when finally the Russians left and Afghanistan was taken over by a savage crowd of Taliban terrorists the mourning philosopher evaporated in to the oblivion. And now we see him crying over the plight of the Libyan people.
In Libya it is not a foreign invader from whom the people are seeking liberation, but from their own leader who had been their benefactor until recently. The Libyan people may not have had the freedom it may have sought, but they were better off than the people of Tunisia, Egypt , Algeria , Yemen and yet other places, who were much poorer than them. The Libyan people were caught in the wave of peoples’ uprising in Tunisia and Egypt, and did like wise without having an economic situation similar to that of the Tunisians and the Egyptians.
Unfortunately for the people in Libya their leader Colonel Gaddafi is no” yes man” of the West. The West made of him a hard leader who kept his people under control not to be caught in the Western web of pacificators putting the people against a leader who would refuse to be their puppet. If he has turned out to be a Frankenstein it is because of the West.
It was the same with Iraq. Iraq had enough provision needed by the people who were economically better off until America with the UNO walked in to proclaim an embargo depriving the people of the much needed medical facilities when even the children died for want of medicine. That hardened Sadam Hussain and the situation deteriorated until the President Bush even without the approval of the UN Security Council bombed Iraq without foreseeing the consequences from which there still seem to be no way out.
Now they have bombed Libya.
The problem with the West is they think of immediate solutions without planning for the consequences. West is not popular in these countries. The President Sarkozy acted on the demand of the Libyans in France recognising a provisional Libyan Government in exile. He perhaps thinks he is wise as he has managed to bring the rest of the Nations of the West who precipitate to help the people of developing countries seeking liberation from their own leaders an easy game that could be baited to serve their own agenda, to keep leadersip of the World in the hands of the West.
These people of Libya the West defends now had been forgotten when Gaddaffi became “suddenly” respectable to be met on equal terms by the Leaders of the West. He addressed the world leaders in the UNO in September,2009. In 2004 Tony Blair met him in Libya and said Colonel Gaddafi would be a strong alley in the international war on terror.
In July,2009 President Sarkozy visited Colonel Gaddafi in Libya and signed several bilateral and multilateral contracts. In 2008 the American Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice met Colonel Gaddafi in Libya.
In the same year the Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi met Gaddafi in Benghazi to sign a Cooperation treaty.
In July 2009 the President Barrack Obama shook hands with Colonel Gaddafi at the G8 Summit in l’Aquilla.
On 12 December, 2007 President Sarkozy met Colonel Gaddafi again this time in Paris.
But in none of these meetings did these great leaders of the West had broached the subject of democratization of Libya and give more freedom to the Libyan people. These Western political Leaders were then more interested in the financial benefits that could be had from his contact rather than building a warm political relationship to change his political attitude towards development of Libya to improve the living conditions of the people.
In not doing so they lost the opportunity they had to change Gaddafi into a political leader acceptable by the International Community according to their norms.
Living conditions of the common people are no concern of these leaders of the West when they hobnob with the high and mighty of these petrol rich Arab States. But the problems of the ordinary people become their concern only when circumstances change and they intend to force political upheavals and change regimes, like in Iraq, Tunisia, , Egypt, and Libya, perhaps later on in Yemen, Syria etc.
At the moment the West is working hand in hand with the Arab League, but who knows what it would be “tomorrow” with the members of the Arab League- Saudi Arabia, for instance.
But today Gaddafi has become a “pariah”. And the International War Council met in Elysee Palace with the French President Sarkozy in the Chair.
It is reported that , « U.S. ships in the Mediterranean were preparing to bombard Libya’s air defenses and runways to clear the way for European and Arab forces to establish a no-fly zone throughout the country, according to U.S. and European officials. Fighter aircraft from France, Britain and the United Arab Emirates converged on bases in and around Italy to begin operations over Libya under the command and control of the United States at its naval base in Naples. »
« The U.S. military announced that Navy electronic warfare aircraft and Marine Corps attack jets joined the international assault early Sunday. Navy EA-18G Growlers launched from unspecified land bases to provide electronic warfare support over Libya. Marine AV-8B Harriers from the USS Kearsarge sailing in the Mediterranean conducted strikes against Gadhafi's ground forces and air defenses.
American officials are eager to confirm that damage from the multi-stage air campaign has been extensive enough to allow air patrols to protect civilians being targeted by Gadhafi. »
The International Community- arrests, it prosecutes and it punishes. Who dare question it ?
The West has now declared war in Libya, but have they a solution for Libya after Gaddafi ? Will it be satisfied with an uninterrupted supply of oil to the West ? Have it already a “puppet” of West to succeed Gaddafi ? Does the West care what ever happens to Libya thereafter ?
What lessons could we in Sri Lanka draw from this situation unfolding in Libya ?
Has the International Community gone too war with Libya, for the sake of the people of Benghasi or is the International Community making these complaining people of Benghasi e a reason to finish off with Gaddafi who said he would isolate the West ?
Colonel Moammar Gaddafi may be a “special” person with a hard physical appearance , but he would not kill his people for the pleasure of killing them. In the West they are making him out to be a barbar –a barbaric Savage .
It was only in Bengazi that there were a “people “ who came out against Gaddafi (spontaneously or sponsored by interested parties). There were also manifestation of people in many parts of Libya in favour of Colonel Gaddafi. He was disliked by the International Community but not so much by his people. Libya is bombed to oust Gaddafi, because he is an Arab political leader who would not bow to the West.
This would have been the scenario in Sri Lanka towards the last phase of the military operations by the Sri Lanka Government Armed Forces, if we had a weak President and we had no Defence Secretary who could have stood up against Kouchner, Milliband, Hillary Clinton, and Robert O’Blake.
The people of Benghasi will be the sufferors and there may already be civilian deaths the West will refuse to accept.
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