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UN Resolution pass “unprecedented” No Fly Zone on Gaddafi
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Friday March 25, 2011 11:38 by Soundmigration - WSM, Seomra Spraoi
Gaddafi
Tonight at 22.45 GMT the United Nations passed resolution 1973/211, which imposes a no-fly zone across Libya, as well as restricting the asset movements from Libyan national companies. Amid celebratory scenes in Benghazi with lots of fireworks and lots of automatic weapons fire , China, India, Russia and Brazil (sometimes as a block called BRIC) all abstained along with Germany. (Thank to @pettybooshwah for clarifyfing this)
Related Links:
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UN Resolution passed on libyan No Fly Zone |
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Tonight at 22.45 GMT the United Nations passed resolution 1973/211, which imposes a no-fly zone across Libya, as well as restricting the asset movements from Libyan national companies. Amid celebratory scenes in Benghazi with lots of fireworks and lots of automatic weapons fire , China, India, Russia and Brazil (sometimes as a block called BRIC) all abstained along with Germany. (Thank to @pettybooshwah for clarifyfing this)
Members of the Security Council explained what the individual positions of each government would be and it is still unclear exactly how this no-fly zone will be implemented. It also speaks of potential military intervention. Al Jazeera mentioned that this is the first time in the history of UN that the Security Council has passed a resolution on the basis of the protections of civilians and that this sets a precedent. What the fuck have they been doing before? Making decisions on the basis of of other things like profit, neoliberal expansion of capitalism at all costs, or some other self serving programme against the majority of people on the plantet??****
(**** @kyrah very helpfully pointed out that there is a dimplomatic evolution of norms within the UN owing to pressure from human right and other NGOs and that this incorporated a relatively new legalisitic concept of the Respondsibility to Protect or R2P. Its odd how intuitive concepts such as love and care and compassion require the continual resolve of advocacy and pressure from below before the suited elite take on ideas most of us consider common sense)
So there is a flights embargo, an arms embargo and assets freezing. But given the given the history of sanctions against Libya,and how experienced Gadaffi is at circumnavigating them one wonder what other military actions have already been meticulously planned. The guy is clearly a socio-path. A socio-path that until recently the US and UK amongst others have been happy to prop up. In the midst of war, let not forget that Tony Blair met with him,on behalf of UK industry and Royal Dutch Shell. Shell even drafted his letter for him.
Italy has made an announcement making its military bases and its ports around Sicily available for implementation of the resolution. I can imagine that this puts Italy in the middle as Berlusconi has been a close personal friend of Gaddafi, expressing his support publically and Italy is one of Libya’s closest trading partners and very dependent on Libyan oil. However its unlikely that Berlusconi was attrached by Gadaffi himself even though he was a useful ally for the EU. Gadaffi has for a long time played a role in supporting the racist policy of Fortess Europe with mass detention centers used as a physical valve to stop human beings trying to escape poverty by coming to wealthy Europe. Indeed whilst the EU ‘officially’ dithered as the Egyptian people rose up to overthrow Mubarak, the EU foreign minsters did find common cause amongst themselves and Pact in unison very quickly. What did they do? Perhaps offer immediate, practical support to people across North Africa?
Emmmm well no…. They actually threw lots of resources at Frontex, the private company used to militarise, arrest, harass and shoot migrants at Europe borders. Essentially the EU elites have pulled up a drawbridge to stop people of color, people escaping poverty, people seeking security from entering. And i write this as someone who is living in a country, Ireland, where many thousands are leaving to escape the same things. Insecurity, precariousness and the desire to have control over our future, leaving where we are to go somewhere else that we hope offers hope. Why is it that money can move freely across borders but people cannot. Borders that most of us have no part in making, but they define our lives? Its the recognition that it is also hope that defines our lives we can build build hopeful movements against precarity, see our struggles as common. The present struggles in North Africa and in the Middle East have reclaimed the idea of revolution from academia and from history, and placed in the now. Placed it in a place of where its now possible to imagine what large scale reimagining can do.
If anything has been held apparent to the many people across the the world both with the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East as well as the horrific situation that the population of Japan find themselves, it is the centrality of our shared humanness. The expressions of the majority across social medias have been finding voices across new mediums as we talk to each other like this. I find it almost impossible to believe that there has not even the pretence that previous security council resolutions where bases ‘officially’ on the protection of “civilians”. Though it is really nice that the power elites have a special category for us arent in the armies they build or own weapons they make. ‘Civilians’ are the vast vast majority of people on the planet. However right now that is the world we live in, and our struggles for direct democracy continue.
For this resolution to have popular support across the region, not just Benghazi, its clear the US needs the involvement from the Arab League as the US is both an ongoing occupying force in Afghanistan and Iraq and also understandably held by many as anti Muslim and anti Arab given the propensity of the US state for war, occupation and neo colonialism. And before I come across as a smug US basher, my ‘own’ country is complicit as yet another Irish prime minister visits the US president on St Patricks Day, and we get to hear Obama thank Enda Kenny, the Irish prime minister, for the continued use of Shannon Airport as part of the US global military infrastructure of war and resource/wealth extraction. The fact is that people in this country have not made it politically/socially unacceptable for an Irish government to continue this policy. However as i have written here a Wikileaks cable showed how close we came and we can do it again.
The United Nations resolution has been supported by Lebanon. Their permanent member of the UN security council said “We understand that the provision of the actions of resolution cannot guarantee peace in Libya and for this reason we reaffirm the importance of the idea of peaceful solution to the situation. We backed measures the secretary general’s envoy taken to stop the atrocities”
The resolution comes amid Gaddafi’s call for those seeking to end his regime to give up and he will ‘show leniency’. So the psyco killer who has been blaming drugs, crazy kids, Al Quadi and the US for the uprising whilst sending mercenary armies around is willing to ‘show leniency’ Well this sat alongside his announcement earlier today that he will attack Benghazi and ‘show no mercy‘. Al Jazeera is showing footage of thousands of people are in a square in Benghazi dancing and singing after the votes where announced.
The US’ UN ambassador speaking said “ the US supports the UN special envoy in order that grossly and systematically abusing is fundamental human rights of Libya’s people …. the Security Council resolution establishs a no-fly zone and [lets us] take other measures to protect civilians. Today’s resolution is a powerful response: and the urgent needs of the ground this resolution demands an immediate ceasefire and a complete end to violence and attacks against the the Libyan people. The league of Arab States and the Security Council has authorised use of force including enforcement of a no-fly zone to protect civilians and civilian areas targeted by Col Gaddafi, his intelligence and security forces and his mercenaries. The resolution also enforces an arms embargo and bars all international flights are being owned or operated by Libya.”
I can imagine that going to piss of a lot of US companies, amongst others based in France, UK, Russia and China since they all made a lot of cash selling arms that have been used right across MENA to suppress popular uprisings and revolution.
The resolution freezes the assets of seven other individuals and entities, that includes the state owns leading companies. The resolution works alongs side an established Libyan sanctions committee finally, the Council established a panel of experts monitoring short and long-term implementation of the sanctions on Libya.
India’s UN ambassador has “been following with serious concern developments in Libya last numerous life and injuries and we are very concerned with the death the civilian population and forms in Libya. We deplore these last this is totally unacceptable and must not be resorted”
Following the vote there was a press conference from Gaddafi’s regime which ended very abruptly when a journalist asked about the joyous scenes in Benghazi…. I wonder why! The tone was completely different that one adopted earlier today. Only time willl tell wether this is a real change from the “no mercy” tone earlier or if it is part of the schizophrenic regime playing its role for world media.
“We are very grateful for the five countries that abstained, namely China, Russia, India, Brazil and Germany. What a surprise! Ha ha ha [this is real I didnt add it - ed] Libya has been in contact with a number of European countries regarding the resolution of Security Council despite reservations on the text and so yesterday but here I have to focus on two elements from the previous text. The first one is the protection of civilians. We will. And also we will [something inaudible] the other other elements of the resolution which is regarding their integrity and unity of Libya the territorial unity of Libya, which is very important but I think the challenge tonight before the international community that you make sure that the separatists and the rebels, they will not get any support by arming them. Which if countries do that means they are inviting Libyians to kill each other and finally we will deal positively with resolution and we will reaffirm our intention through the protection of civilians everywhere in the country and the intentions of the Libyan armed forces and the police is to protect the civilians and guarantee the medical and food supplies. We will cooperate as we have informed yesterday and the day before the special envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations last very of Lebanon and we also this morning sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to give assurances that the international community that we care about our people and we care about the territorial unity of the country. Thank you very much regarding the ceasefire. We told the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the Armed Forces that we are ready immediately to do that but we need to talk to someone to agree on the technicalities of this will because there is a lot of technical details such a decision thank you”
Im very sceptical of US or UN military ‘interventions’ generally, but in reality my scepticsim is a luxury people in Libya dont have. And im both confused and glad that this resolution is based upon the defense of civilians. Lets hope that the self determination and desire of people to have control over their own lives is assisted by it. Lets keep our critical eyes on Libya, and more importantly lets make sure what Libyans themselves want is vocalised and amplified as we speak of the situation. We cannot pretend that UN resolutions have not consistently been used to further the ends of vested interests and of neoliberalism. But lets us be hopeful that the vices and powers within Libya working for a particpatory democracy will win out in the very near future
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12The above is posted in personal capacity. Ive updated with more info and embebbed links for background info at
http://soundmigration.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/un-resol...dafi/
Can that be interpreted to insist Gaza become a no-fly zone?
While nothing can be said to justify the brutality exercised by the Gadhafi regime, this civil war is not in the best interests of the people of Libya. The West will use this opportunity to destroy a state that has lay outside of the IMF - World Bank - NATO apparatus of dependence. The most likely result in the weeks (or months) to come is the breaking up of Libya, as it has existed to date. Benghazi city will become the capital of a new state encompassing the old province of Cyrenica (How to pronounce the name of the new state in former east half of Libya - http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?ggcyre0...naica). This new state will be called maybe Al Barqa - what the Arabs call this region or possibly it may be called Bengaza (after the city). This geo-engineering will facilitate the Western agenda of breaking up the Arab world into Bantustans – small, weakened statelets with compliant ruling classes.
In the news coverage accompanying these changes much will be made of the bad points of the Al Jamahiriya (Gadhafi’s state) but the likely ruler of the new state is a puppet in the mould of Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. Sayyid Idris bin Sayyid Abdullah al-Senussi (Idris al-Senussi to me and you) coming from the royal family that Gadhafi ousted has a long history as a Company man. On his CV is his tenure as a Director of Washington Investment Partners and China Sciences Conservational Power Ltd, as well a consultant in the oil and gas industry. He has worked for Condotte, Ansaldo Energia, Eni and its subsidiary Snamprogetti.
Whatever money has been salted away by the Gadafi dynasty will pale compared to the outright pillaging about to commence in Libya. Idris al-Senussi on one business deal alone al-Senussi once earned $80m in commission (Source:
http://www.groupsrv.com/hobby/about145909.html)
Notice the difference in response by the ruling classes and the media to the popular unrest in Libya – one of the bad guys from the Cold War – and in Bahrain – a Western puppet government.
It broke the hearts of the Western Military-Industrial Complex that the Moscow-centric empire was defeated without the firing of a shot. So they settled for second best and engineered the destruction of the last collectivist regime in Europe: Yugoslavia. A lot of bloodshed, a lot of military expenditure and a lot of breast-beating. Likewise that the Abdel Gamal Nasser-inspired United Arab Republic - which threatened western interests - never reached its potential was a anti-climax for the Generals; now they can retrospectively claim victory by crushing its rump successor Gadhafi’s Libya.
to use their own term. The 'shock doctrine' as Naoimi Klein called it in her excellent outline of the program and its background. Here's another slice of the blowback that never stops giving:-
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23741
It is hard to sit and watch all the circus like broadcasting that we are receiving though the media. This is clearly another chapter of the numerous criminal attacks perpetrated by the West on Arab nations, of which Israel itself or the war in Irak are part.
Since when caring for civilians translates as bombing the hell out of them.
I wonder how many people out there really believe that perpetrator countries like Britain, France or the US have any kind of authority to decide whether other countries respect or not human rights, what a joke.
Gadaffi's main fault is not handing his oil to the West, refusing to become a puppet like the rest of arab leaders, and on top of that, having a version of socialism (his Green Book) that could provide the ideological principles of the revolutionary masses that are rising all across the middle east. What a shame, a man and an administration that dares to stand against the West and its ongoing colonialist enterprises, ah?
My heart goes out to the people of Lybia, as I contemplate with grief one more criminal operation of the West to which I belong.
It is quite interesting how disinformed we are kept about the so called "revels".
Who are they?
They also torture the fighters they capture, you know?
More importantely: What do they want? Yeah, get rid of Gaddafi, AND??????
May be.... they are Islamits. May be they are more trained in gorilla warfare than you and me think of. May be they are more organised than the media tell us.
It is a bit hypocritical of the mainstream media to have an anti Taliban stand in relation to Afghanistan, and yet have a pro-Islamist fundamentalism attitude in relation to the conflict in Lybia. Oi, oi, oi.... oil, oil, oil.
And how do Jewish people feel in America and elsewhere when they see on TV a wall picture made by the revels depicting a hung Gaddafi with a star of David painted on his chest?
I'd love to know.
Gadaffi is a wanker who syphons off the wealth of his country to feather his own nest and that of his friends whilst espousing a fake leftie propaganda. His secret police have engaged in torture. He was armed by the west and creeps like tony blair etc who were happy to sell him their wares. I think we owe it to the libyan people to at least disable the weaponry we are responsible for giving to gadaffi so they have a fighting chance of deposing him and using the oil wealth to improve infrastructure and share it out more fairly among the Libyan people. I'm no fan of US interventions but as long as they stay off the ground and just give naval and air support and some humanitarian aid, I'm in favour of this and quite clearly, the people of Benghazi are too. Lets not get confused here. Gadaffi is clever and is exploiting the uncertanties of the left but it is quite clear from his bizarre broadcasts that he is happy to blatantly tell lies if it furthers his position.
Anyone who believes that the Anglo-Saxons are bombing Libya for the sake of "democracy" needs their heads examined. This is an oil war between the Anglos and China.
in response.....
I am under no illusions as to US past behaviour and it's likely motivations for getting involved in middle eastern countries to do with oil supply control, lucrative weapon sales to the pentagon and others and associated political kickbacks and then lucrative corporate rebuilding contracts. Apparently military and other corporations don't really want anyone to win quickly (they don't actually give a shit who wins really). They prefer a messy never ending chaos which profits them and their friends handsomely over a longer period of time.
However I am also aware that if they hadn't gone in to Libya when they did, the very likely consequence would have been a massacre in Benghazi. Now that that has been averted, the danger is that because the two sides are not matched, there will be a long civil war stalemate between east and west. Perhaps arming the rebels will end this conflict quicker with less loss of life and as long as the statements about "no boots on the ground" are adhered to by the international community then there is at least some hope for the Libyan people of getting a better deal..
No easy solutions here though. How do you assess it if you can't know how many will suffer and die in both scenarios?
(1) We leave them be then look on as the corrupt dictator armed by the west's corporations using stolen oil money eventually wins and wreaks bloody revenge on the rebels after restoring himself to power, then gets his sweet revenge on the rest of the world for forsaking him afterwards using oil money sponsored terrorism. Not to mention a serious fleeing rebel refugee crisis for Europe.
(2) Alternatively, go in and help the rag tag disorganised rebels to oust Gadaffi at the risk of US puppet involvement and all that goes with it. Plus ca change.
CIA boots are already on the ground alas.
I still believe the protection of Benghazi was the better of two rotten options. So apparently do the thousands of people living there who were crying out for intervention in the form of a no fly zone. It's their country so I defer to them.
A ‘US Marines with boots on the ground’ Zone - http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news%2Flocal&...39326 – wasn’t the plan all along?
This one has a certain Strangelovian echo of just what the Doctor might order
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24049
Just read today's editorial in the Oirish Times. Seems Madam is concerned about China's defence spending.
Now if I was responsible for a billion or so population, and saw the rampant ramping of NATO and western missile shields, naval manoeuvres, attacks escalating all round the borders, and the robotic collapse of Obama's 'change and peace' campaign into a Bushy wooden delivery of obviously preprepared ultimatums all round, I'd be inclined to slip a cartridge into the breech, and order a few fresh magazines. It smells to me like a propaganda softner for pending PRE-EMPTION. Madam as compliant Skibbereen Eagle.
Read it, someone, and convince me the paranoia is on mission-creep. This one I'll be happy to eat the hat on.
If I were in Teheran I'd be digging like fuck, or tanking up and driving for the border. So WHO then is the terrorist, here. Sabre-rattling never was a peace strategy. I'd write madam another letter, but its not fair to be always clogging her wastebasket. After all, she'll need the dollars for the pending retirement. Snugly embedded.
And its after mid-day, so I aint joking.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24033