On Libya and the
Unfolding Crises[/b]

Quote
Libya is rich in oil, and though the US and UK have often given quite
remarkable support to its cruel dictator, right to the present, he is not
reliable. They would much prefer a more obedient client. Furthermore, the
vast territory of Libya is mostly unexplored, and oil specialists believe it
may have rich untapped resources, which a more dependable government might
open to Western exploitation.
When a non-violent uprising began, Qaddafi crushed it violently, and a
rebellion broke out that liberated Benghazi....The US then joined in UN
Security Council resolution 1973 calling for a no-fly zone, to be
implemented by France, the UK, and the US, with the US supposed to move to a
supporting role.
There was no effort to institute a no-fly zone. The triumvirate at once
interpreted the resolution as authorizing direct participation on the side
of the rebels. A ceasefire was imposed by force on Qaddafi's forces, but not
on the rebels. On the contrary, they were given military support as they
advanced to the West, soon securing the major sources of Libya's oil
production, and poised to move on....
Some argue that oil cannot be a motive, because Western companies were
granted access to the prize under Qaddafi. That misconstrues US concerns.
The same could have been said about Iraq under Saddam, or Iran and Cuba for
many years, still today. What Washington seeks is what Bush announced:
[b]control, or at least dependable clients.
I think it is obvious : ever since World War II, The US choice
given to its "friends" : Be obedient, or else we will unleash
chaos on you.
The story is getting rather old.
Quote
US and British internal documents stress that "the virus of
nationalism" is their greatest fear, not just in the Middle East, but
everywhere. Nationalist regimes might conduct illegitimate exercises of
sovereignty, violating Grand Area principles. And they might seek to direct
resources to popular needs, as Nasser sometimes threatened....
In the case of Libya, it is likely that the goal is similar in at least one
respect: the hope that a reliable client regime will reliably support
Western goals and provide Western investors with privileged access to
Libya's rich oil wealth -- which, as noted, may go well beyond what is
currently known.
emphasis added


"The liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them."
Lenny Bruce

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month."
Dostoevsky