Democratic Palestine : 32 (ص 32)
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- Democratic Palestine : 32 (ص 32)
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known for his avid support of the
Palestinian cause and his anti-Zionist,
anti-Israel stances, as well as being
anti-Camp David and anti-reaction.
Qaddaffi is also known for his support
to national liberation movements in
other parts of the world. Libya also has
close relations with the Soviet Union
and other socialist countries. Addi-
tionally, Qaddaffi’s declared commit-
ment to fight imperialism on all levels
makes him an enemy of the US.
In this period of resolving regional
conflicts, the US has only made itself
look worse in front of positive over-
tures by the socialist countries, by
resorting to its historical use of direct
military action. This military act was
clearly a continuation of US imperialist
aggression exercised against’ those who
are in conflict with US interests. It is a
documented fact that the US has for
years been training anti-Qaddaffi
forces, trying to prop up pro-western
substitutes, employing neighboring
states such as Chad and Egypt against
Libya, and working to cut Libya’s
connections with Europe. Without a
shadow of a doubt, the US wants Qad-
daffi dead, as exemplified by the 1986
assassination attempt by bombing his
home injuring his wife and sons, and
killing his 16-month-old daughter.
It was also apparent that the US
wanted to make a show of force with its
extensive military build-up in_ the
Mediterranean, including nuclear ships
carrying nuclear weapons, to make its
presence felt. Not only that, the US was
seriously considering attacking the
Rabta plant had the international reac-
tion been different.
REACTIONS
Moscow called the US action
«murder in cold blood» (Newsweek,
Janauary 16th). The Soviet Union
warned the US that any military strike
against Libya «would deal a serious
blow to the current improvement in the
international situation» (Guardian,
January Sth). Of course, the US ar-
rogantly dismissed this warning. The
Soviet Union charged the US of engag-
ing in «political adventurism and state
terrorism,» using the harshest language
in two years towards the US (Time,
January 16th). The Soviet Union,
China and seven non-aligned members
30
WI
of the Security Council made it plain
that they would support a resolution
condemning the US for aggression
against Libya. Mali called it «a
premeditated act,» saying «nothing
justifies the American campaign
against Libya» (Guardian, January
7th).
European reservations about US
military action against the Libyan plant
were quite strongly expressed, even by
states that supported the US claims
about the plant’s function. The Euro-
pean states have observed the ineffec-
tiveness of other US moves, such as
earlier attacks on Libya and the recent
decision to deny Yasir Arafat a visa to
address the UN. Europe has, moreover,
begun exerting efforts in the peace
process in the Middle East, and views
disruptive moves with disfavor. Thus,
the Italian government urged the US to
accept Libya’s offer of an inspection of
the plant by international experts. The
US spurned Libya’s offer for the one-
time inspection. Italian foreign
ministry officials said, «Libya exists
and the US cannot change the fact»
(Newsweek, January 16th). Meanwhile,
Margaret Thatcher had called for
restraint. On January Ist, Thatcher
said, «There must be no eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth» revenge mission
against any countries like the US bom-
bing raid against Libya, although Bri-
tain supported the US assertion that
Rabta is intended for weapons produc-
tion.
In the light of this position, the US
did not use British bases to launch their
attack, nor did it receive a green light
from NATO allies. There are concrete
reasons for Europe’s views, aside from
the previously mentioned ones. Euro-
pean NATO members are Libya’s big-
gest customers for crude oil due to low
transportation costs and all-around
lower cost. European countries refused
an economic boycott of Libya in 1986
for this very reason, as well as their
profits from exports to Libya.
Moreover, there are 40,000 Europeans
currently living in Libya. And lastly,
they realize that not all that the US
wants is in their interests because
Europe has its own interests to think of
as well.
The Arab reaction to the latest US
aggression was relatively, or at least
symbolically strong. Arab states lined
up in the UN to denounce the US’s
brutal aggression. The Arab League
called it an extremely serious aggression
prejudicial to Middle East peace ef-
forts.
PARIS CONFERENCE
Relevant to this article is the five-day
international conference in January,
hosted by France; 142 nations par-
ticipated in an attempt to work on a
new international convention banning
the production, stockpiling and use of
chemical weapons, which according to
French Foreign Minister Roland
Dumas could be signed as early as 1990.
The most interesting note that occurred
at the conference was the Arab world’s
insisting that prohibitions on chemical
warfare should be linked with prohibi-
tions on all weapons of mass destruc-
tion, calling particular attention to the
Israeli nuclear arsenal. Over the past 63
years, 131 nations have signed the 1925
Geneva Protocol which outlaws the use
of poison gases. According to the
Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute, at least 17 countries
are believed to possess. chemical
weapons.
US HYPOCRISY
While the US and Israel lead the
world in calling for action against
Libya, they maintain their own
stockpiles of such weapons. This
hypocrisy is exposed by the US’s
widespread use of napalm in Vietnam,
the phosphorous bombs used by Israel
in 1982 in Lebanon and the
phosphorous bombs used by the US in
their 1986 attack on Libya! Reagan’s
final $315.2 billion defense budget
reveals a sharp increase in US spending
on chemical warfare technology and
delivery systems.
While Reagan closed the Libyan
People’s Bureau in Washington, Libya
was returning the body of a US captain
from the 1986 attack as a humanitarian
initiative. Even after the aggression,
Qaddaffi proposed direct talks with the
US to resolve the dispute. Once again,
we reiterate our support to the Libyan
government and people and _ their
sovereign rights, and condemn US ag-
gressive violations of these rights. e
Democratic Palestine, March 1989 - هو جزء من
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