Dealing With The Devil

The Financial Times has published an article by the Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haas titled, "Libya Now Needs Boots on the Ground," in which he indicates that the Libyan rebels are incapable of rebuilding Libya and will need an "international force" to uphold order. Haas readily admits that the NATO intrusion to "protect civilians" was indeed NATO and the United States securing their own economic and strategic interests by bringing about regime change. Waving the banner of “human rights” - the most hypocritical and deceitful of all justifications for imperialist war - the United States, along with NATO have embraced this action against Libya as democracy but have actually used it as a cloak for their predatory interests.

During civil war humanitarian concerns are last on the list of objectives. Consequently, it was deceitful for the United States, NATO, France, England, Italy, and Germany, to foster armed rebellion to conceive civil war in order to facilitate the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi and create regime change. NATO has not spent the last five months conducting airstrikes on Libya to "protect civilians" with the anticipation of turning around and going home. The initial uprising was provided for in Washington and London where opposition leaders were given resources and a safe-haven to conduct their subversion. NATO and its members intend to rebuild Libya by; taking away the universal health care, free education and monthly stipend each Libyan was receiving, in order to make a profit for themselves at the expense of the Libyan people. 

Haas also explains that NATO's "success” are what require this international assistance in the form of an occupation force to deal with rioting, Gadhafi supporters, inter-tribal conflict. Haas also beseeches President Obama to rethink his decision not to put troops on the ground in Libya. What we are witnessing is a crumbling empire seeking to hold on to power by expanding its reach by colonizing another independent nation.  The American government has been lying since its inception, lying so that it may acquire other peoples land, wealth, and resources; this is no different. 

So what’s next? As soon as the Libyan rebels secure Libya one of two things will happen: either the rebels will be codified into a puppet regime or if they are unwilling to acquiesce to NATO and the United States the Western allies will claim that they were actually misled by the rebels and now have no choice but to remove them from power just as they did Gadhafi. Either way the Libyan people loose and Libya will be occupied by Western forces and NATO ground troops for the foreseeable future. 

The oil revenues that Col Gadhafi used to build hospitals with, provide every Libyan health care and an education, build water ways and public housing, will be siphoned out of the country and into the hands of Europe and the United States.  The lessons of history are clear in showing us that the outcome of this war will be in favor of the interests of the occupiers and certainly not in favor of democracy and self-determination for the people of Libya.

'Millions in Harlem March' Aims To Stop U.S. - NATO War Against Libya

Activists representing a broad coalition of anti-war organizations, the Nation of Islam, the political left, Islamic organizations and a plethora of grassroots community organizations have declared “all roads lead to Harlem” for the August 13th Millions in Harlem March to stop the bombing of Libya. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will be the keynote speaker at the Harlem march.  

Just as in other countries this war has been waged under the pretense of humanitarian intervention. Military intervention by the U.S. and its allies is being done for the benefit of the rich and powerful at the expense of working and oppressed people both here and in Libya. Countless civilians have died and will continue to die as a result of these attacks.  And countless dollars will be taken from over-stretched budgets and social programs to fund this imperialist aggression. The lessons of history are clear in showing us that the outcome of this war (if the United States, Britain and France have their way) will be in favor of the interests of the rich; not in favor of democracy and self-determination for the people of Libya.

 The U.S. and France started bombing “military targets,” but the damage done by the “peace effort,” according to some observers, has been more costly than what the Libyan leader had been accused of. Then came attacks on Gadhafi’s personal compounds that killed Libyan officials as well as a son of Col. Gadhafi and his grandchildren. NATO bombs hit the home of Libya's leader at least twice as Western nations declared he had to go, pushing a policy of regime change. The UN offered no proof that President Gadhafi’s was killing unarmed civilians, though he vowed to fight those who had taken up arms against the government.

Cynthia McKinney, a six-term former congresswoman from Georgia has traveled across the United States to report on what she has seen in Libya since the imperialistic war began. According to Ms. McKinney, “This [march] will galvanize public opinion, as people see this as being important to them. Obama certainly stumbled this time,” referring to the president's continued support for the NATO bombing of Libya. According to news outlets, the Obama administration is sending $10 million a day to NATO for the bombing of Libya. 

Since day one of this imperialist military action in Libya, the corporate media has been in motion, preparing public opinion for war with and on Libya. Likewise, since the beginning of the crisis, the western, imperialist powers have been maneuvering militarily to take advantage of the situation. It is clear that the rebels in Libya are not of one mind. Undoubtedly, war with Libya will mean the most reactionary forces among the rebels coming to power if Gaddafi’s government is defeated by the guns and bombs of the west. Progressive people in the Middle East and around the world want an independent Libya, not a new puppet government like those that exist under occupied Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some who voted for the initial resolutions have expressed reservation, if not outright regret for doing so. The African Union, in particular, has been working for a negotiated settlement but has been disregarded by western nation’s intent on putting a new Libyan government in place. The South African ambassador to the UN, Baso Sangqu, told Security Council that his country's delegation “echoes the African Union demand for an immediate pause in NATO bombing.”

Democracy in Libya is an urgent issue to solve, but it does not come by tanks and aircraft carriers from the U.S. and NATO. The democratic struggle is inseparable from national sovereignty and popular sovereignty. The world should not allow the U.S. and other western powers to make Libya another Iraq. The sovereign right of the Libyan people to resolve their internal conflict must be respected. 

To Find Out How You Can Support The March Go To: www.millionsmarchharlem.com.