Time to stop Western bullies

UN system to launch unwarranted air strikes on a sovereign country under the guise of the much-abused ‘‘responsibility to protect’.’
It was clear from the beginning of the so-called protests that westerners were itching for an excuse to attack Libya where the Tunisia and Egypt-style facebook uprisings had hit a brickwall.
This was evident in the pronouncements by Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicholas Sarkozy that Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi must go.
When Gaddafi stood his ground, in no time, placard-wielding protesters mutated into armed rebels. And faced with an armed insurrection, Gaddafi naturally met fire with fire, which was all the excuse the westerners wanted.
Despite the fact that the African Union Peace and Security Council met in Addis Ababa early this month and backed Gaddafi’s response to the armed insurrection, the westerners deodorised their wanton aggression by seeking a UN mandate to effect a no-fly zone over Libya.
The no-fly zone was agreed to because of unsubstantiated reports that Gaddafi was using warplanes against protesters.
The objective of the no-fly zone was to ensure the safety and security of citizens by ensuring Libyan jets did not take to the skies.
But what did the westerners do?
They abuse the resolution to launch air strikes against Libya overstepping the UNSC’s mandate.
And therein lies the scandal.
The Anglo-Saxon alliance stands in violation of a UN Resolution and international law by launching unilateral strikes against Libya.
The aggressors went into Libya under an operation code-named “Operation Odyssey Dawn” which began with the firing of more than 100 Tomahawk missiles at Libya’s air defences.
The next phase, I hear, is aimed at cutting off supply lines to Libya’s frontline troops and was expected to involve British Tornado ground attack jets.
The sheer scale of the western assault and reports of rising civilian casualties have drawn widespread condemnation from the African Union, progressive Arab states, China and Russia and even the naïve Arab League that has always cowered in the face of Western aggression.
The AU in particular called for an immediate stop to the Western assault with China expressing regret over the West’s violation of international law saying the western-coalition had over-stepped its mandate.
Fair and fine; this is all talk, its time for action. For how long shall the western coalition continue killing innocent Libyans while the world pontificates over clear violation of international law? How many countries have to be invaded without the blessing of the UN for the world body to find its voice?
The time has come for the African Union to justify its existence. The Peace and Security Council should mobilise the Standby Force to go and defend Libya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It is quite clear from the West’s haste that there is more at stake in Libya than the professed need to protect civilians.
Why were they in a rush to bomb instead of waiting for the UN and AU investigators to unravel the mystery of armed civilians?
Can one protect civilians by bombing them, including targeting non-military infrastructure like roads, bridges and hospitals?
Now we hear there are numerous civilian casualties, which the western media conveniently forget to report on, except to try to cover the aggressors by claiming ‘‘Gaddafi is using civilians as human shields”.
Africa has never interferred in western conflagrations outside UN parameters. What gives westerners the wherewithal to do as they please.
It’s time to look the bullies in the eyes.
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