Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:12:53 +0200
The Uncertain Fate of the U.S.-NATO Installed Libyan Regime
Massacre in Benghazi illustrates failure of West's regime-change strategy
By <http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/abayomi-azikiwe> Abayomi Azikiwe
Global Research, June 12, 2013
After more than two years of a full-fledged Pentagon and NATO-led war
against the North African state of Libya, the installed General National
Congress regime is now requesting assistance from their neo-colonial
masters. In a press release issued by the Secretary General of NATO, Anders
Fogh Rasmussen, the chief of this military alliance of the imperialist world
indicated that the western-backed government in Tripoli had requested
assistance on security matters.
A team of so-called "experts" is expected to leave as soon as possible and
report back to NATO by the end of June "so we can decide on the way ahead,"
Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said. The NATO official also said that three principles
would guide any help NATO provides.
According to the statement issued by NATO on June 4, it says that these
principles would "include strong Libyan ownership, providing advice in areas
where NATO has an expertise, such as building security institutions. And
thirdly let me stress this is not about deploying troops to Libya. If we are
to engage in training activities such activities could take place outside
Libya," said the Secretary General. (NATO press release, June 4)
These statements are taking place within the context of a worsening security
situation both inside Libya and throughout North and West Africa. The
security and social stability of Libya and both regions of Africa are a
direct result of Pentagon and NATO military actions beginning in February
and March of 2011.
During the course of the imperialist war against Libya, some 26,000 sorties
were flown by the U.S., the NATO countries and their allies in the region
and 9,600 airstrikes hit the oil-rich state. An arms embargo was imposed by
the United Nations Security Council against the Libyan government under
Gaddafi but the western trained and supported rebels were armed to carry out
attacks against supporters of the Jamahiriya, civilians and patriotic
forces.
In addition to the U.S. and NATO's military actions against this country of
approximately 7 million people, $US160 billion in Libyan-owned foreign
assets were seized by the western banks. Concerted mob violence was leveled
against dark-skinned Libyans and Africans from other parts of the continent.
The entire foreign policy and public affairs apparatus of the western states
and their surrogates were mobilized to demonize Libya and its leadership.
Corporate media outlets parroted the false claims by the imperialist
governments in order to sway public opinion in favor of the war of
regime-change against Col. Muammar Gaddafi and his supporters inside the
country and internationally.
Consequences of U.S. and NATO's War Against Libya
At present in Libya thousands of Africans and dozens foreign nationals from
Eastern Europe remain in detention by the GNC regime. Seif al-Islam, the son
of the martyred former leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, is imprisoned by a
militia group which is, along with the GNC leaders, are refusing to turn him
over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC played a role in the isolation of Libya during 2011 as well. The
Hague prosecutors at the time claimed, alongside the imperialists, that
human rights violations were carried out by the Jamahiriya under Gaddafi.
Consequently, indictments and warrants were issued by the ICC against
Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam and other leading patriotic Libyan officials.
Today there is a battle taking place between the GNC regime, which the ICC
was instrumental in creating the conditions for its installation, and the
Libyan rebels who say that they are capable of providing Seif al-Islam with
a so-called "fair trial." Yet if the regime in Libya cannot provide an
adequate security situation for ordinary citizens and regime officials, then
how will they be able to carry out an impartial judicial proceeding for
others who are victims of the current political crises.
The NATO leaders, the ICC, as well as select putative "human rights groups"
have refrained from commenting and analyzing the disastrous consequences of
the imperialist war against Libya. A manifestation of this denial is
reflective of the current efforts to extradite Seif al-Islam to The Hague to
stand trial within a court system, the ICC, which has been condemned by the
African Union (AU) as biased against the leaders and peoples of the
continent.
Perhaps the most outrageous statement in regard to the situation in Libya
was made by NATO Secretary General Rasmussen when he audaciously uttered in
relationship to the delegation being sent to the North African state to
establish a training program that "I believe this would be a fitting way to
continue our cooperation with Libya, after we successfully took action to
protect the Libyan people two years ago."
The situation of the people in Libya is more precarious than it has ever
been since the period of colonial war of conquest carried out by Italy
between 1911 and 1931 when hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered
by the imperialists and the fascists, who after 1923 were led by Benito
Mussolini. Even after the country gained nominal independence under a
monarchy in 1951, it would take the September 1 Revolution of 1969 that was
led by Col. Gaddafi and the Revolutionary Command Council to unify the state
and set it upon a path of development and national reconstruction.
Massacre in Benghazi Reflects Devolution of Libyan Society
On June 8, militia members in Benghazi-which was the birthplace of the
counter-revolution against the Jamahiriya in February 2011-massacred
demonstrators who were demanding that armed groups terrorizing the
population be either arrested or neutralized. There have been disputed
reports over the number of people killed and wounded in this latest assault
on the Libyan people, but it clearly demonstrates the degree of lawlessness
prevailing inside the country.
In an article published by the Associated Press it reported that "Clashes
between protesters and militias aligned with the military in Libya's eastern
city of Benghazi left 27 people killed and dozens wounded, a health official
said Sunday. The violence broke out Saturday after protesters stormed a base
belonging to Libya Shield, a grouping of militias with roots in the rebel
groups that fought in the country's 2011 civil war who are tasked with
maintaining security." (June 9)
Inside Libya the country's militias have been attempting to partition the
state into three regions in the East, West and South. In a recent law passed
by the GNC legislature, former members of the Gaddafi government-even if
they had turned against the Jamahiriya in favor of imperialism-were banned
from public service.
Prior to the announcement by NATO that they would be sending a delegation to
Libya, France-which is occupying Mali and spreading its war in West Africa
into neighboring Niger-had called for military intervention into the south
of Libya. France claims that Libya's south, which has never been brought
under the control of the rebel GNC, is the source of resistance to its
military efforts in West Africa.
Developments in Libya and Mali indicate clearly that imperialist
intervention in Africa and other geo-political regions of the world will
only destabilize these areas and provide rationales for further military
occupations. Despite efforts to contain and pacify the peoples of these
regions, resistance will escalate and create even deeper crises within the
industrialized states already suffering from escalating levels of
unemployment, poverty, austerity and political repression.
Abayomi Azikiwe Editor, Pan-African News Wire
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