LIBYA AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS

By Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
August 06, 2011

Pravda

Humanity is at a crossroads in Libya. 

It has been coming for a long time 

and in Libya, it has arrived.

Finally, the greyish mists which have been clouding our skies have lifted and what is happening is crystal clear...and humankind has a decision to make, and fast. The situation demands not voyeurism and comments, but action. Now!

Where NATO was and is, now becomes apparent. It was originally a defensive organization, fuelled by a collective fear of the Soviet Union (whose armed forces were essentially defensive).

NATO then ran out of steam, and lost its reason to be, in the early 1990s, when the USSR entered into voluntary dissolution (not "collapse") and after the Warsaw Pact was voluntarily dissolved. After all, what justification did a "defensive" organism have to exist after its "enemy" was no more?

It didn't take long for corporatism to supplant market economy capitalism, the same time it took the new NATO to supplant the old.

The tried and tested Socialist model had proved its worth; bringing societies into the front line of development, through excellent programs of education and free public services.

Its job done, its societies decided to try out the new market economy model. What happened?

In ten years, the freedom to own your own business, the street corner merchant, the butcher, the baker, the market stall-holder have become, by and large, an anachronism.

Where is your greengrocer,

where is your butcher,

where is your baker,

where is your grocer,

where is your fishmonger?

The answer is:

the big space has destroyed them and the communities they served.

Out went the human touch.

And as far as NATO is concerned, out went human values, because exactly the same thing happened at a higher and more sinister level.

Those of us who covered the Iraq war knew by 2003 that NATO had already deployed Depleted Uranium (war crime) in Kosovo and in Iraq, causing the death or mutilation of hundreds of thousands of children.

Those of us who covered the Iraq war were also privy to NATO's tissues of lies.

For a start, the causus belli did not exist (Weapons of Mass Destruction).

Secondly, there had been efforts by NATO countries to create such a justification for war (yellowcake uranium imported from Nigeria ~ when Niger is the producer; Colin Powell's address to the UNO about Iraq's weapons, when none existed; the UK's evidence about the same, a thesis copied and pasted from the Net).

Thirdly, NATO's modus operandi inside Iraq served as a window on the true nature of the organization this clique of nations had morphed into.

Iraq: What really did it for me was the discovery that on the desk of Richard (also known as Dick) Cheney, a shopping list had been dropped, containing artifacts from Baghdad museums, drawn up by his cronies.

Then we discovered that the Afghanistan war was in fact nothing to do with the Taliban (who are being paid off handsomely not to attack by the way, and where NATO troops have been photographed guarding opium poppy plantations) but rather connected to the Central Asian energy resources.

So, we are confronted with a stark reality: either our dearly beloved and elected politicians walk hand-in-hand with the corporations which rule our planet (in which case they lose all legitimacy to govern) or else, there is a sinister and invisible echelon of controllers behind the political class which serves the interests of the lobbies, controlling our dearly beloved and elected politicians (in which case they lose all legitimacy to govern). 

Supporters of Qaddafi take part in a rally in al-Aziziyah. By Maluud Turkia (AFP)

In Libya, we see that this is the case. Instead of western powers and news agencies praising Muammar al-Qathafi for his wonderful human rights record, namely:

Women's rights - against Islamic law stoning women;

Homophobia - against the murder of homosexuals;

The veil - he called it a "tent";

The UN report for which he was to receive a humanitarian prize in 2011: 

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/16session/A-HRC-16-15.pdf 

We see that in Libya, these invisible cliques serving the interests of the lobbies are active, and more than this, are controlling western governments. From the outset it was obvious that the entire rebellion was stage-managed from outside (where did those flags come from?) and it becomes increasingly obvious that NATO countries and their allies are arming the terrorists (sorry, "rebels").

The British dynamic duo, Cameron and Hague, started off by saying, quote: "This has nothing to do with Gaddafi staying", then "It is up to the Libyan people but it would be better if he went" then" He has to go". Lines on maps, "This is ours and that is yours, what?" and how about remembering what the BLACK AND TANS DID IN IRELAND??

So do not, Cameron or Hague, DARE to speak about terrorism... or Obama, for the IRA was funded primarily by NORAID in New York.

Libya: Then we have the bombing of handicapped children's centres, the bombing of the Libyan water supply system, the bombing of the factory which produces the pipes to repair the system, the bombing of hospitals, and recently, the bombing of a children's facility...and we can hear the corporate interests behind the scenes.

As in Iraq "bring me the statue of..." we see in Libya the entire campaign is based upon 

"PHASE 1: Destroy the telecommunications systems (contracts already lined up); 

PHASE 2: "...need I say more?

Ladies and gentlemen,

we are witnessing a clique of nations

committing an illegal act of butchery.

Victim of NATO

 

It was obvious from the start that NATO had armed the Libyan terrorists (sorry, "rebels", sorry, "unarmed civilians"), it was obvious from the start that Muammar al-Qaddafi's African Union was up for grabs, because it meant that the energy lobby lost out, the banking lobby lost out, the arms lobby lost out, the telecoms lobby lost out...so instead of Africans paying BILLIONS of dollars to western corporations, they paid nothing for the same services. 

This hurt.

NATO swung into action.

So now we see, NATO is nothing more or less than the military arm of the mega-corporations that rule the western world.

Humankind has a choice:

Accept:

Yes or no?

If no, then there are things we can do:

1). In any court of international law, NATO's acts in Libya violate the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions. Therefore any State which does NOT bring a case against NATO is a sniveling coward and as such deserves the utter derision of the international community;

2). Given that the Governments of our planet have failed to implement international law, then let the people of the world take up the cause, now that our leaders have failed us;

3). The following countries have taken part in NATO's act of butchery in Libya: Belgium: six fighter jets; Britain: 17 jets and two vessels; Bulgaria: one vessel; Canada: 11 jets and one vessel; Denmark: four jets; France: 33 jets and one vessel; Greece: two jets and one vessel; Italy: 16 jets and four vessels; Netherlands: seven jets and one vessel; Norway: six jets; Romania: one vessel; Spain: six jets and two vessels; Turkey: seven jets and six vessels; United States: 90 jets and one vessel. Qatar?

4). Renegotiate contracts with these countries, do not travel with their airlines and do not visit them, cut their companies out of your home country;

5). Civilian non-violent conduct: disseminate music and lyrics for our youth to sing, ridiculing NATO; T-shirts with the motto: NATO TARGET

 A pro-Libya rally in the Ukraine

If humankind does not rise to the challenge 

and does not right what is clearly wrong, 

then there is a clear legitimacy 

for those of us who care, 

to take the matter up into our own hands.

Let us hope this isn't necessary.

We are going to sit back and watch?

Or take up the flame which from time to time marked where we are and where we are going?

If we do not, then future generations will judge us as that which allowed itself to be taken over by corporatism,

The generation that bent over, lowered its pants and took it waaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy up there where the Sun doesn't shine.

The sad thing is, however, that this is no joke.