Friday, March 11, 2011

Gadhafi: Leave

Both leaders of Britain and France have stated vociferously and forcefully that in their considered opinion, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, the lion of Libya, Africa's King of Kings "must leave". French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron echo the thoughts of many, indeed. However, Col. Gadhafi doesn't much care. He is not listening. He has no intention of leaving.

The European Union Council is not quite so certain. But they are prepared to 'help'. When that help would be forthcoming is anyone's and no one's guess. Time is fleeting. The rebellion which in its early days of audacious determination seemed so much on the highway to success, has suffered some real set-backs.

For one thing, passion in the belief of human rights and wishing some for oneself does not counter-balance well-armed and -trained and -funded government armed forces. With the artillery, the armaments, the attack helicopters, the tanks and warplanes and rockets that can make quick work of rebellion. Perhaps not-so-quick work, but thorough and mechanical.

The advantage that not so long ago seemed to be theirs, is quickly ebbing, as the government troops have advanced, and the rebellious "thugs", "drug addicts", and "al-Qaeda" types have fallen back. In their wake destroyed towns with collapsed hospitals, mosques, municipal buildings, infrastructure.

And shell-shocked citizens. Who, with the absence of the rebels in their midst have re-discovered their loyalty to Moammar Gadhafi.

Europe may be feeling very insecure about how they feel, and what they intend to do, while constantly muttering 'no fly zone', but the Gulf States claim the current Libyan regime has "lost its legitimacy". The Arab League is not quite so certain, although they would be more than glad to rid themselves of the irritating presence of the erratic, verbose and nasty Libyan gadfly.

Turkey is unequivocally against 'interference'. And the African Union has no interest whatever in taking steps to remove a generous sponsor of African affairs. The UN Security Council is mired in its usual minority report with China and Russia, nervously eyeing their own restive empires, refusing to permit the imposition of a no-fly zone.

NATO has no wish to become intrepidly embroiled. The United States appears to have lost its impulsive reaction to act first, explain later, burned too frequently in the affairs of the Middle East and rather more than a trifle hesitant to offend Arab/Muslim sensibilities again while still stuck in Iraq's affairs and with boots on the ground in Afghanistan.

Ideally, everyone involved on a peripheral 'responsibility to protect' basis would be immensely relieved were the Arab League to take responsibility and effect measures to bring a halt to the Libyan bloodshed. "It must be Arab-led", EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton declared decisively.

While the rebels, hanging in there, determined to give better than they're getting, wonder why they've been left to roost or roast.

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posted by Pieface @ Friday, March 11, 2011

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