Arab League Splits From West Over Libya Bombing

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
I heard a rumor on the news last night that the Arab league were only supporting the strikes on Libya if the West agreed to turn a blind eye to the protests in Bahrain, Saudi and other oil producing nations. Just a rumor, but you could see it happening.

From another thread:

The revolts in Bahrain and Yemen are Shia revolts against a Sunni elite most likely sponsored, or at the least egged on, by Iran.

Saudi Arabia will not tolerate the al-Khalifa's to fall in Bahrain as it would also agitate their own oppressed Shia minority.

Any successful shia uprising in Bahrain or Yemen would likely lead to a pro-Iranian Government being installed and in the case of Bahrian, that would not only give them land either side of the Straights of Hormuz, but also influence over the Home of the US 5th Fleet, which would be unacceptable.

Add into all this that Saudi has the West by the gonads (Oil) and we can do nothing about it. Whereas we can actually do something about Libya and it is in the EU's backyard. The EU do not want a failed state on it's southern border which already is a launch pad for illegal immigration and is a security risk.

That's geo-politics for you.

I hope people read this because I have said it many times on ATS the past couple of days and people still ask "What about Bahrian?".

As for the Arab Leagues apparent U-turn, it seems it was a mis-quote. He has since clarified his statement to mean he hopes there will be no civilian deaths as a result of the NFZ but they still support it.

Also, remember that the UAE, Qatar and Jordan are actively taking part in the NFZ and have contributed fighter jets, so don't assume that this is a split against the NFZ, but rather it seems the Arab League is confuised within itself, which isn't surprising because to be honest they are hardly a coherent bunch at the best of times.

Originally posted by blackcat99
The Arab league leader is now saying he was misquoted earlier on and the comments were translated incorrectly

on Sky news live at the moment

yeah I heard that breaking whilst out smoking a death stick (wireless headphones)

They also added that they believe the correction of the statement to still carry the message that France over stepped what they determine as a no fly zone by attacking a column of tanks yesterday

reply to post by Flying Sorcerer


They're playing games. They requested this, apparently (unless that was all made up, a theory i have seen no evidence of, since their statements were quite public) and now they are pretending as they didn't read the fine print, despite the full extent of a 'no fly zone' being pretty well explained.

Dont trust the arabs. They're trying to save face.

Originally posted by TriForce
The only reason that the west is going into Libya, is because Kadaffi has lost control of the situation and the west wants to be there to protect their interests, just in case Kadaffis is beaten.
They want to have a say so on who steps into the power vacuum.

That's the best explanation of the motivation behind the situation I have seen Except that weren't the 'rebels' about to be wiped off the map by Gadaffi's far superior fire-power? Still, it's a bs situation and I hope this 'no fly zone' ends as soon as it started.

Originally posted by Ferris.Bueller.II
This is what Obama gets for attacking a non-threatening sovereign nation with only a ruling from the U.N. which isn't even worth the toilet paper it's written on. Well, looks like he now has his own little oil war on his resume. Any predictions when our ground forces are going to be deployed, and the first U.S. bases pop up in Libya?

Obama? This is a multi-national UN-approved, Arab-requested military action. This is not what Bush did in Iraq.

Originally posted by Aggie Man

Honestly, I don't think anyone should be meddling in Libya's business, aside from possibly providing arms to those that have none. It's a freaking civil war...Imagine if we were to have another civil war here in the U.S. and the UN intervened....you had better hope you are fighting on the side that the UN backs.

Or not providing arms if the people that have none are a bunch of paid yahoos hired by interested corporate entities to make a presence there and pretend to be nationals "protesting." Which is what seems to be happening in the middle east.

Why should we provide arms to mercenaries hired to come in and disrupt a country?

But Im with you all the way on the second half of that statement. All the world needs to sit up and take note. This will not end in the mid east. If their current method of subverting our democracy using the media and propaganda ever fails this is what we can expect too.

They did not disarm most of the worlds people for nothing.

Wait, so there was no request for action from the Arab League after all? Sounds like the old bait and switch routine. Reminds of the never ending WMD in Iraq debate. Ooops! We just delivered $65 + million in Tomahawks to their final resting place.

I read and hear plenty of talk about how the US is just acting in a supporting role. For Now!. How long can the UK and France keep up the pressure before the US is left holding the bag of !@#$? They don't have the resources for an extended operation. Especially, France. I expect them to cut and run any day now.

This is not good!! Let's hope that we do not have to put boots in the sand. If so, Iraq will have to be left in the dust.

ETA
As I understand it, the Arab League only wanted the No Fly Zone and not the attacks that followed. Hmmm. Was someone left out of the loop or is it just a bad case of 20/20 hindsight? No Fly Zone establishment is often accompanied by offensive strikes to ensure the safety of allied pilots when there is an enemy on the ground determined to take you out.


www.washingtonpost.com...

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I've been saying for a few days now that it seems odd we don't do anything about say Yemen or Bahrain, or even the Ivory Coast. Perhaps a deal WAS struck.

reply to post by jibeho


Supporting role? We've fired 122 of the 124 Tomahawks into Libya. We poured the concrete, put up the beams, and installed the rafters. All the coalition did was stick a couple of shingles on top.

So far, anyway.

Get ready, it is about to get UGLY! They may put a halt on oil. The US will have to drill it's own.

reply to post by thorazineshuffle


Israel is aching to DO Iran..It wants to cut off the head of the snake.If the Chaos continues It might just go for it.Then it will be game on.!!!

Leave them to deal with their own problems and maniac representatives we try to help and get stick why are we bothering ???

Its all a plot to wipe out muslims ....Yeah they'll kill each other within a generation.

Originally posted by notsofunnyguy
reply to post by jibeho

 

Supporting role? We've fired 122 of the 124 Tomahawks into Libya. We poured the concrete, put up the beams, and installed the rafters. All the coalition did was stick a couple of shingles on top.

So far, anyway.

No, we didn't do it all. We've shot a bunch of missiles. For your analogy to be correct, no one would be 'building' anything at all. Just demolition. By several different parties.

America shot a bunch of missiles. Other governments have shot stuff from planes. There are at French and Canadian aircraft in the air. The US is most certainly not playing a dominant roll in this. They are participating, as are several other countries. Canada even sent over several fighter. Does the US even have any wings in the air?

Believe it or not, there ARE other military in the world beside the us.

Originally posted by blackcat99
The Arab league leader is now saying he was misquoted earlier on and the comments were translated incorrectly

on Sky news live at the moment

MmmHmmm. And I've got a bridge to sell, cheap.

They asked the UN for this directly, and now are pretending they didn't read the fine print. They are not out of the loop. They know what a 'no fly zone' entails. And it isn't just issuing a proclamation telling Gaddafi he cant fly planes. Its all public record. How anyone can take their claims seriously is beyond me.

They are engaging in damage control, because they know that many in the Arab world don't have access to western media sources that would allow them to see they did indeed ask for this. They don't want to be seen as siding with the West, but they did. Don't be a pawn in their pathetically transparent game.

""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.""

Absurd. He's basically saying he expected a no-fly zone to be enforced without taking out key infrastructure that is the basis for no fly zone. You cant say you want to go to war and then say you are shocked that people die. IF you dont want people dying, asking for war is not a good idea.

Originally posted by Aggie Man
What the hell did the Arab League think a "no-fly-zone" consist of, shaking our finger at Gadaffi and telling him to pretty please promise to keep his jets on the ground?

That appears to be EXACTLY what John McCain thought:

"We spend $500 billion on defense and we can't take down Libyan air defenses?" Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told the Washington Post. "You tell those Libyan pilots that there is a no-fly zone, and they are not going to fly."

reply to post by Flying Sorcerer


You may want to revisit the news article. It would appear that they've updated it since you posted this. Or, you shamelessly skewed the context of the information. Either way, see below:
source

Earlier in the day, the Arab League criticised the military action, with the group's chief speaking out just a week after urging the United Nations to operate a no-fly zone on the North African state.

However, Foreign Secretary William Hague later made it clear he believed the group fully backed the action taken by the coalition.

Arriving at Downing Street for the National Security Council meeting, he confirmed he had spoken to the group's Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

A statement from the Foreign Office supported Mr Hague's comments, saying that they would "continue to work with our Arab partners to enforce the resolution for the good of the Libyan people."

Of the Arab states, only Qatar has openly supported the Western-led campaign and their planes are now moving into position near Libya.

Sky sources confirm the United Arab Emirates is offering help but does not seek to publicise it.

arab league,

doesn't that say it all?


not surprised 1 bit.

let em do it themselves.

then we patrol them.


getting tired of waiting for ww3.

Anybody over there who has fired one round of depleted uranium amunition is guilty of using aWMD. Also crimes against humanity. The United Nations know this and are condoning it.

I'd have to assume this is nothing more than a miss- qoute/translation of what was acually said. I can't see the super Arab friends acually supporting the murder of tons of civilians and "rebels". On another note this won't take long as gadaffi's MIGs are easily out flown and gunned by French mirages. With that said mirages are crop dusters compared to raptors, which I would assume are chomping at the bit for a little air to air "fun".

Didn't they say that most of the tomahawks fired were old ones. They would have ended up on the scrap bin because the new ones are programmable in route and can loiter around before seeking target.

reply to post by stumason


Couldn't have said it better myself. Star for you.