In the month of August, rebel forces in Libya backed by NATO firepower took control of the capital city of Tripoli.
In the month of August, rebel forces in Libya backed by NATO firepower took control of the capital city of Tripoli. All indications before this showed that the people of the US, Britain and other countries were rapidly turning against the intervention in Libya, and that pressure on those governments was mounting. Now, with the military thrust into Tripoli under the cover of unprecedented bombing, the bloody and brutal NATO intervention in Libya was immediately declared “successful” and justified by the US, British and French governments.
Although fighting is still going on between the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the rebel forces organised as the “National Transitional Council” (NTC), NATO states have hastened to recognise the NTC as the new government of Libya and have declared the end of Gaddafi’s government.
At the same time, British Prime Minister Cameron declared that NATO will continue its operations in Libya and refused to set any timeline for ending its role.
Throughout the six months campaign to unseat Gaddafi, the US, Britain, France and other countries illegally froze the assets of the Libyan government in their countries. Now they have already declared that the money will be made available to the NTC.
A mad race has begun to seize control of the oil resources and installations of Libya – one of the richest in the world. These include a very well-developed infrastructure of oil refineries, pumping stations, gas lines, ports and pipelines leading directly to Europe.
Also coveted by foreign monopolies are huge contracts to “rebuild” Libya after NATO bombing has reduced it to ruins. In the conditions of deep economic recession in the developed capitalist countries, such contracts are extremely significant. The NTC has declared that contracts will go first to those states that have helped it – meaning the US, UK and France in particular.
Before this year, Libya was listed by the UN as having the best indices in the whole of Africa, in terms of human development criteria like life expectancy, low maternal and infant mortality, education, housing, and so on. The experience of what happened in Iraq after the American occupation indicates that Libya’s rich resources will now be drained away by profiteers and foreign monopolies; and not be invested in the wellbeing of its people.
French President Sarkozy has the audacity to proclaim that the NATO intervention will help Libya build a “new tomorrow”. Deciding the destiny of Libya and her people is not the business of France, Britain, United States or any other foreign power. The Libyan people and they alone have the right to settle their affairs free of foreign dictate, and utilise their resources as they see best.
Libya is the latest case of blatant violation of the principle of sovereignty of independent states. The NATO aggression, carried out in the name of “humanitarian assistance”, is a grave crime against humanity. The imperialist powers have illegally occupied Libya with their armed forces, and are propping up an illegitimate puppet regime under their control. Their program of “regime change” to secure and advance their own rapacious interests has resulted in massive destruction in Libya. It is leading to rising tension and instability in the entire region of North Africa.