Having been instrumental in pushing the UN to approve the resolution authorizing the no-fly zone over Libya, the Arab League has found itself quickly regretting its Faustian bargain. Now, with reports of civilian casualties on the rise, they are condemning the massive air strikes by the US, France and Britain.
“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians,” insisted Arab League chief and Egyptian presidential hopeful Amr Moussa.
The split comes at a time when Western officials are trying to claim broad Arab support for the action. The escalation of the Western intervention has come much faster than anyone imagined, from a Thursday approval of a no-fly zone to mass air strikes on Saturday. Still, with Saturday also serving as the eight-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the notion that such a resolution would fall victim to “mission creep” should not come as a surprise.
In addition to the Arab League, the African Union has also called for an immediate attack on all the strikes against Libya, saying it feared “serious humanitarian consequences.” Though the figures cannot be confirmed on the ground (particularly with the US warning journalists away from Libya), the reports as of late Sunday morning are that as many as 64 people have been killed in the air strikes and hundreds wounded. US commander Admiral Michael Mullen insists he has seen no reports of any civilian casualties at all.
Look out, the spin machine is going on overdrive to claim that only Gadhafi's forces have been affected.
Looks like they had it all planned in advance. Perhaps the Libyan "rebels" were played for suckers.
I wasn't aware that pro-Gadhafi Libyan civilians were manning the anti-aircraft defenses that were to be the focus of the enforcement of the NFZ . If sounds to me like somebody is getting a little trigger-happy out there, itching to show they're just as unable to identify military targets as are the 'NATO' forces in Afghanistan.
As for the reports of Mullen not seeing reports of civilian deaths? He's lying. Even if he hasn't seen a hard copy of a report, he knows it's happening.
I believe Mullen when he says that he has not seen reports of civilian deaths. He certainly does not care as it is current policy of the US army not to count civilian deaths. Instructions say: talk about "collateral damage" as some people is a bit sensitive about killing unarmed civilians.
Mr Moussa to say the least a very stupid human the brits/french/US love to shed blood as long as it is from others.This is a civil war everyone should stay out of it These mealy mouth western politicans will get a full scale conflict with which they cannot handle.Another "IRAQ "in the making.
I am not sure if Mr Moussa and is stupid, an idiot, a total moron or simply has been paid to act like he did.
If I give a juicy bone to a hungry dog, I cannot complain later if the dog eats it.
That guy is a presidential candidate???
Egypt is doomed too.
Confusion reigns already?
Don't tell the neighbour to sic his dog on some other guy! Collateral biting may occur.
"Faustian bargain" by the Arab League – pretty much sums up the situation.
To author: you are writing in the third paragraph of this article "In addition to the Arab League, the African Union has also called for an immediate attack on all the strikes against Libya". Did you join mainstream media lately? The sentence should read: "In addition to the Arab League, the African Union has also called for an immediate STOP of attacks and all the strikes against Libya"
Anything they say now is irrelevant. The UN has already declared war and combat has begun. But the Arab League was for the war before they were against it.
Maybe Egypt (which borders Libya) will send in a few legions of troops to back the rebellion and take control of libya.
Arab League-when you lay down with dogs you're going to get up with fleas.
What a joke…the A.L. must be inhabited by idiots if they didn't see this coming…
An extended civil war probably means Libyan oil stays off the market for a very long time. Keeps prices higher than they otherwise would be. I smell a self-interest rat here in the Arab League.
AL not bunch of idiots , they bunch of well paid satraps and vassals of the Axis of Terror.
Pacts with the devil seldom end well. What did the Arab League expect from arms dealers and manufacturers?
Are they really that dumb? Don't they know anything about modern warfare? A "no-fly zone" always requires the bombing of all air defense systems, period. They didn't understand this?
No they're not that dumb. But like our politicians they have to play to more than one audience.
Mike, I'm with you. These guys sound like they phoned it in or had their camels speak in their place. A bunch of figure heads with nothing between the ears, constantly trying to be relevant by constantly trying to have it both ways. They don't seem to understand why the latter behavior defeats the goal they are after.
Does anyone take this organization seriously in any matters of any importance? Hell, of any matters of unimportance? Why do they still exist?
Israel must be dancing in the dark in its back alleys.
Hope all those interventionist Lefties are satisfied. Playing the role of useful idiots, as usual.
Hey Man Watch the shit hit the fan.
Hillary its time to start saying that only BAD Arabs have been killed.
After all the good ones are the dead ones.
cannot have it both ways, the toothpaste won't go back in the tube, look out wankers you are next.
Once more the Arabs been played and fooled by the western politicians, once again the US and EU using Muslims.., this time Muslim brotherhood to create a war destroying another Arab nation, once again Netanyahu and rest of the Zionism brotherhood are happy laughing that how stupid one can be.., Look we said that from the beginning.., the Libyan uprising was and is not about democracy the Libyan Council are nothing but a Islamic fundamentalism and are linked to Muslims brotherhood in Egypt.., yet there are people think that Muslims brotherhood regime is better then democracy.., yet there are people who once have used the same tactic in starting Balkan wars and now doing the same in Libya diving it.., how can you trust Hillary Clinton or for that matter Sarkozi or the British government.., what did the Muslims brotherhood promised Hillary Clinton when they meet in Paris.., what did Hillary Clinton promised Saudis attacking people in Bahrain.., how stupid can one be.., cant you see that they are after Libyan oil and or after dividing Libya into East and West thanks to Muslim Brotherhood.
There is no way that experienced heads of state (mostly dictators) are that stupid. They know exactly what they are doing, and are taking both sides of the issue just for show. I just have a hard time understanding why they called for intervention in the first place? Perhaps their intention is to bog the USA down in another expensive quagmire. Or perhaps they want extended conflict in Libya to keep Libyan oil off the market for a long time. There is usually a self-interest angle to everything the Arab League does.
As US and EU bombing campaign continues killing civilians in Libya and Afghanistan, is not about people but rather what kind of people is out there that they are bombing, is simply about “ANOTHER KIND OF PEOPLE“ that they are bombing.
The issue simply is about EU and US falsified democracy and foreign policy. If people uprising is about a functioning democracy forget about it, if is about independent forget about it, if is about self reliant for get about it, but if is about US and EU interest they will use Muslims to kill Muslims and they will support Kingdome family in Saudi Arabia which support the Muslims Brotherhood financialy.., they have and they will use Muslims to kill another Muslims while US or EU providing the weapon they can kill with.., like in Israel.., all the weapons are given to Israelis.., not to kill Israelis off course but to Kill Palestinians whom are Arabs. Here Saudis are stupid and pay for weapons to kill another Muslim in Bahrain.
"Sure, we'll join the coalition, but only on the condition that nobody gets hurt."
“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians”
facepalm.jpg
Oh COME ON! How do you enforce a no-fly zone without doing exactly this? You CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!
Arab League once again demonstrates how absolutely worthless it is, and embarrassingly stupid to boot
US commander Admiral Michael Mullen insists he has seen no reports of any civilian casualties at all. So the question one has to ask is. After warning journalists to stay away from Libya, who exactly does he expect to get his reports from?
The American military machine is usually blind to the collateral death of civilians when it comes to their agressions. In Afghanistan, Iraq and now Libya, they initially deny any humanitarian harm done by their actions and only later tell of a much lesser number of casualties. Disinformation is a major part of the story of occupation armies and agressors. So you can believe what you want but why the US Congress is not required to approve war measures in other countries is beyond my understanding of the constitution. I guess we can thank George W. Bush for this new policy.
If the Arab League is so upset about civilian casualties then they should be the ones to enforce the no-fly zone which they called for.
Let them show the west how its done.
But of course they won`t – they want the west to take all the risks why the complain from the sidelines. typical!
What is the ‘Arab League’ anyway ? A bunch of US Western client state puppets oppressing their own people and the very people who are trying to liberate themselves from domestic and foreign explotation and domination. They have never ever made any move against the Zionist oppression of their brethern in the West Bank and Gaza. Why has the Arab League never demanded a no-fly zone over Gaza during the 2008 slaughter of civilians in the strip ?
DUH, the Arab League is upset about casualties ? DUH, am I reading this correctly ?
Were'nt they the idiots who pushed for the bombing campaign in the first place ? DUH !
Maybe they still believe the fairy story of pin point targeting, and that bombs and missiles are intelligent. DUH.
Seriously, how stupid do the Arabs look AGAIN, when the call on the U.S. and the Western powers to bomb their own people ? MORONS.
I don't support the actions of the war mongers in the M.E., but seriously, I need to lay much of the blame for the butchery being enacted there today, at the feet of the Arabs themselves.
If they haven't yet worked out, THEY HAVE NO FRIENDS IN THE WEST, they're doomed.
The West has demonstrated, time after time, what they think of Arab nations, and if they haven't seen the light yet, I guess they never will.
Good on you Iran, the ONLY SHINNING BEACON in the middle east today.
It is interesting to see that we are back in 1955 when British and French forces along with their new best friend Israel attacked an arab nation. I feel much better knowing that the same people who created the mess when they decided to destroy the ottoman empire and create a new empire for the rich of England and France. I wonder if they will decide to create another homeland for a group who do not live in the area. The British and French record on making peace is not very good for the last 500 years. Lets hope the british do not have to face another zulu army. The british have a very long record of defeats and I feel another would be bad for the royal wedding.