Mustafa Gheraini is the media organizer at the Benghazi courthouse, the symbolic center of the rebellion. ...
In Benghazi, the opposition National Council held its first formal meeting Saturday. As the makeshift group tries to consolidate control of governance in the east, it is also expected to renew the call for limited international military help against Colonel Gadhafi.
"As a Libyan, we are united not to have any foot soldiers on our land," added Gheraini. "However, we welcome a no-fly zone. We welcome precision, strategic bombings of his strongholds. This guy has already had defections within his own groups and I think something like that would speed up the process and just lessens the bloodshed that may take place."(1)
Who knows what factions this guy speaks for. But the battle tested members of the Left, the Chavez's and Castro's have been wary about this uprising from the beginning. While I am critical of their 'friendship' with a despot like Gaddafi, they do have a sense for political maneuvering that bloggers don't.
As Robert Gates said, a no-fly zone means knocking out the Libyan anti-aircraft systems and a major offensive, taking more than the resources of an aircraft carrier. It also may force the hand of China, who would oppose any such intervention. Either that, or Gaddafi may actively seek their support if the US starts arming opposition factions, for instance, through Saudi Arabia. Within the week he has mentioned replacing Western oil firms with those from BRIC .(2)
If the West starts actively arming reactionary factions within the Libyan opposition, it may trigger something far broader than its dimwitted functionaries can imagine.
Remembering that the Balkans, at a time of US supremacy, ended in the Pristina airport stand off, and General Jackson blocking Wesley Clark from starting a 'World War 3'.(3)
----
1'Libyan Opposition Claims Gains in Westward Push' - VOA
2'Gaddafi ‘will invite India & China’ - Daily Mail
3'Confrontation over Pristina airport' - BBC News
No comments:
Post a Comment