Author: Arthur
Comment: (on Egyptian thread)
Former UK Foreign Secretary David Owen has come out with a clear demand for UN Security Council to immediately enforce a no fly zone over Libyan to prevent air force attacks on opposition.
All previous commentary has been hand-wringing. Al Jazeera interviewer uncomprehending asked inane question about whether regime would take any notice and was given clear explanation that the point was not to influence them but to shoot them down.
Immediately available forces mentioned were NATO UK, Cyprus, and Egypt.
Qatar also called for (unspecified) Security Council action.
Meanwhile US still dithering and editorialists blathering about “dilemma” in Bahrain.
And from D.C. Exile:
Former British Foreign Minister David Owen today called for a UN No-Fly Zone to be adopted and imposed on Libya. Owen’s call came in the wake of the defection of two senior Libyan air force pilots and reports of the state’s use of airstrikes against protesters in Tripoli. Along with the defection of the two pilots, several Libyan diplomats resigned in protest over the state’s use of force against protesters. At the same time, protesters in Benghazi have declared their city liberated from the regime.
Twitter feed #libya
Still no military intervention. Latest reports suggest security council “action” will be sanctions and US unilateral action ditto.
Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, this time the regime did resort to massacre. While that will not save it, there is still a clear possibility of protracted civil war between regime forces based in Tripoli and the West (with support from mercenaries and possibly from Algerian regime) against revolutionary (and tribal and islamist) forces based in East.
Such a war would kill tens of thousands, perhaps more.
Desertion of military could result in regime collapse before full scale civil war, but clear threat of international military action would make that collapse far more likely and if necessary actual intervention could nip civil war in the bud with far less casualties.
As usual the bourgeoisie prefers dithering and speeches in support of “moderation” instead of resolute armed support for democratic revolution.
At least there is no question of them intervening on the side of the regimes. But there ought to be more public outrage at the failure to intervene on the side of the people.
No fly zone might not settle anything but it would be a simple first step towards overt intervention.