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I'm not so optimistic as Bob seems to be about the Obama
administration's "commitment to international law."<br>
<br>
The primary purpose of the USG in the context of the Arab revolts is
to secure biddable governments in MENA (Mideast/North Africa).
These governments cannot be democratic because the general opinion
in the region is that by far the greatest danger comes not from
terrorism, jihadism, or Iran, but from the US/Israel. (A majority
in the Arab world approve of an Iranian nuclear weapons program
because it's seen as a defense against US/Israeli nuclear hegemony.)
Therefore democratic governments would necessarily oppose USG
interests in the region. <br>
<br>
The US thus prefers a strong-man who can keep democratic tendencies
under control - or, failing that, a non-democratic regime under the
color of democracy, so long as it falls in with US goals and
interests. <br>
<br>
Therefore the rest of this comment (excerpted below) is particularly
important. "Any foreign military action outside the framework of the
UN resolution ... will be prosecutable as a war crime." And we know
how anxious the USG are to avoid those. --CGE<br>
<br>
<br>
On 3/18/11 1:36 PM, Robert Naiman wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:AANLkTimUC2kyUvUmjJLscb66-bqu5vG71KHYUuWqV12y@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div class="gmail_quote"><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://my.firedoglake.com/robertnaiman/2011/03/18/the-un-security-council-has-not-authorized-regime-change-in-libya/"
target="_blank">http://my.firedoglake.com/robertnaiman/2011/03/18/the-un-security-council-has-not-authorized-regime-change-in-libya/</a><br>
<br>
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<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://my.firedoglake.com/robertnaiman/2011/03/18/the-un-security-council-has-not-authorized-regime-change-in-libya/"
rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The UN
Security Council Has Not Authorized Regime
Change in Libya" style="padding: 0px; margin:
0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px;
font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;
background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 51,
102); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The
UN Security Council Has Not Authorized Regime
Change in Libya</a></h2>
</td>
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By: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://my.firedoglake.com/members/robertnaiman/"
title="Robert Naiman" style="padding: 0px; margin:
0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px;
font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;
background-color: transparent; color: rgb(15, 102,
145); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Robert
Naiman</a> Friday March 18, 2011 10:30 am</td>
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href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmy.firedoglake.com%2Frobertnaiman%2F2011%2F03%2F18%2Fthe-un-security-council-has-not-authorized-regime-change-in-libya%2F&title=The+UN+Security+Council+Has+Not+Authorized+Regime+Change+in+Libya"
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border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 1em;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;
color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">...Some of the reporting on the
Security Council resolution has been misleading. The
Security Council has not authorized military action for
any purpose. The Security Council has authorized <i
style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px;
outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align:
baseline; background-color: transparent;">military
action necessary to protect civilians</i>. It has not
authorized military action to overthrow the Libyan
government. Clearly, some people do want foreign military
action to assist in the overthrow of the Libyan
government, but such action has not been approved by the
Security Council.
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
The text of the UN Security Council resolution can be
found <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/un-security-council-resolution"
style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px;
outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align:
baseline; background-color: transparent; color:
rgb(15, 102, 145); text-decoration: none;"
target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
Here is the first action item:</p>
<blockquote style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em;
border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; font-family:
sans-serif; font-style: italic; color: rgb(67, 98,
129);">
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13px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
1. Demands the immediate establishment of a
cease-fire and a complete end to violence and all
attacks against, and abuses of, civilians;</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
The Libyan government has <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19libya.html"
style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px;
outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align:
baseline; background-color: transparent; color:
rgb(15, 102, 145); text-decoration: none;"
target="_blank">announced a cease-fire</a>. It is
certainly true, as Western leaders have noted, that
announcing a cease-fire is not at all the same thing as
implementing one. But before Western military forces
start bombing Libya, efforts to achieve a cease-fire
must be exhausted. To do otherwise would be to make a
mockery of the Security Council.</p>
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
It is crucial that the goal of protecting civilians,
which the Security Council has endorsed, and the goal of
overthrowing the Libyan government, which it has most
certainly not endorsed, be kept distinct. There is a
clear effort by some actors – especially the French
government – to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19libya.html"
style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px;
outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align:
baseline; background-color: transparent; color:
rgb(15, 102, 145); text-decoration: none;"
target="_blank">conflate these goals</a>:</p>
<blockquote style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em;
border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; font-family:
sans-serif; font-style: italic; color: rgb(67, 98,
129);">
<div style="padding: 3px 30px 2px; margin: 0px;
border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size:
13px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
Earlier François Baroin, a French government
spokesman, told RTL radio that action would come
“rapidly,” perhaps within hours, after the United
Nations resolution authorized “all necessary
measures” to protect civilians.</p>
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
But he insisted the military action was “not an
occupation of Libyan territory.” <strong
style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">Rather, he said, it was intended to
protect the Libyan people and “allow them to go
all the way in their drive, which means bringing
down the Qaddafi regime.”</strong> [my emphasis].</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="padding: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; border-width:
0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 13px;
vertical-align: baseline; background-color:
transparent;">
There is no doubt that some actors want a foreign
military intervention to assist in the overthrow of the
Libyan government. But there should also be no doubt
that this goal has never been endorsed by the United
Nations Security Council. Any foreign military action
beyond what is necessary to protect civilians would be a
military action that was not approved by the Security
Council, and therefore, would be a military action that
violates the United Nations Charter. Any foreign
military action outside the framework of the UN
resolution – in particular, any action that kills
civilians – will be prosecutable as a war crime.</p>
<i>###</i><br>
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