Maravi

(HERALD) Bring NATO to account over civilian deaths: US lawmaker

Bring NATO to account over civilian deaths: US lawmaker
Wednesday, 24 August 2011 02:00
Saif al-Islam

A US lawmaker fiercely opposed to NATO's role in the Libya conflict called yesterday for the alliance's military chiefs to be held to account under international law for the death of Libyan civilians. This follows two nights of uncertainty over the goings on in Libya - who was winning and the whereabouts of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his family.

There were unconfirmed reports yesterday that at 4:35pm, rebels had stormed Gaddafi's main Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli. Gaddafi's compound covers a large area in the centre of Tripoli.

Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich, said of NATO's role in Libya: "Otherwise we will have witnessed the triumph of a new international gangsterism."

He said NATO forces had flouted UN Security Council resolutions in acting as "the air force for the rebels, who could not have succeeded but for NATO's attacks" and had "illegally pursued regime change."

"NATO's top commanders may have acted under colour of international law, but they are not exempt from international law," he said.

"If members of the Gaddafi regime are to be held accountable, NATO's top commanders must also be held accountable through the International Criminal Court for all civilian deaths resulting from bombing."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed alarm at the number of civilian casualties in the conflict, including those inflicted in NATO air strikes.
The air attacks have drawn harsh criticism from members of the UN Security Council, including Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa, who say the action goes beyond UN resolutions.

Gaddafi's whereabouts were still unknown, although Russian chess federation chief Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said he spoke to the Libyan leader yesterday by phone.

Gaddafi said he was still in Libya, and was in the company of his son Mohammed, who reportedly escaped from house arrest by the rebels yesterday.

One of his sons, Saif al Islam, who was earlier reported to have been arrested made a surprise appearance in Tripoli and met foreign journalists early yesterday morning.
"I am here to refute the lies (that he had been arrested)," he said.

BBC described Saif al-Islam as "confident and full of adrenalin". He said the rebels had fallen into "a trap" and would be defeated.

"You have seen how the Libyan people rose up together, men and women, to break the backbone of the rebels, rats and gangs yesterday and today," he was reported to have said.

He then took reporters on a drive in an armoured convoy through areas of the city still under the regime's control including the Gaddafi family compound and military barracks where scores of men waited to receive guns to join the fighting.

"We are going to hit the hottest spots in Tripoli," he said.

NATO ambassadors meeting in Brussels yesterday to discuss the way forward said the alliance's warplanes would continue airstrikes over Tripoli.

According to an RT report, Britain's MI6 officers have been engaged in drilling Libyan rebels, helping them to establish a proper military plan for an assault on Tripoli.

Yesterday, British newspapers revealed that the UK not only detached spies and former SAS gurus to train militants, but was also providing them with ammunition and night-vision goggles, advanced communication equipment and no less than 1 000 sets of body armor.

The Telegraph published an article about MI6 consultants working in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi "for weeks", culminating in the raid on the Libyan capital.
Needless to say, the technical military capabilities of the British air force were supposed to take the most active part in these plans, which they actually did on Saturday night, bombing out four Libyan communications centres and destroying artillery positions and tanks on the streets of the Libyan capital.

Even British warfare professionals were surprised at the speed with which the rebel forces were advancing deep into Gaddafi's defences, only to find out later they have been lured into a trap.

The rebels had actually smuggled guns and ammunitions, as well as fighters, into Tripoli beforehand, so when the hour came they just rolled through the streets in increasing numbers and met practically no resistance at all.

Meanwhile, local political observers say the Nato-led bombardment of Tripoli and debate in the international media as to which country will have greater control of the country's oil exposed the greedy nature of the West and its allies.

Political analyst Mr Alexander Kanengoni last night said this explained why NATO is at the forefront of the battle for Libya today.

"They (NATO) are fighting on the side of the rebels and want to get the rebels in power. NATO is putting 60-70 percent effort and the rebels the remainder," Mr Kanengoni said.

He said the frenzy in the international media on Libyan oil has exposed Europe invaded that country to siphon its resources.

"If you listen to news from international media channels today, all they talk about is oil. They talk of rebels getting control of oil. They talk of rebels exporting oil to Europe and nothing else," Mr Kanengoni said.

He said it was now clear to everyone that in the event that Gaddafi was toppled, Europe and its allies, would run Libya through a puppet regime.

"The West will run Libya on behalf of the rebels just like what they are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan," Mr Kanengoni said.

Another political analyst, Dr Maxwell Hove said the West had always wanted Gaddafi out of power for that reason.

"They think they have won the prize. It is not a secret. They want the oil. They want to take over and make sure they get the oil," he said.

Europe, said Dr Hove, believed Libyan oil was "some kind of sweet oil easy to process unlike what they get from Saudi Arabia".

He said even if the rebels were to take over, they "do not have the capacity to run Libya on their own without foreign backing.

"It would suit Europe even better if the rebels are unable to run Libya. They will literally take over and suck all the oil," said Dr Hove.

This, he said, was tantamount to the re-colonisation of Libya and took a swipe at those African countries that voted for the 1973 UN resolution that paved the way for an invasion by NATO on the pretext of protecting civilians.

"It will haunt them forever now that there is a new movement to recolonise Africa," said Dr Hove.

Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said it was apparent that the toppling of Gaddafi would not mean the end of NATO participation in Libya.

"NATO'S objective goes beyond that. The ouster of Gaddafi will see them taking control of Libyan oil. There is already a scramble for that oil by the US, UK and France," he said. --- Herald Reporter-The Guardian-RT- AFP.

Labels: ALEXANDER KANENGONI, MUAMMAR AL-GADDAFI, NATO

posted by MrK @ 3:36 AM