The West is trapped between hypocrisy and a hard place
Regime change in Libya is not mandated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1973, it only authorises the member states to take all necessary measures to protect civilians. And it is under the guise of protecting the civilians that Western powers seem to have stretched the resolution 1973 since the military action of Gaddafi against the rebels is causing civilian deaths, protection of civilians cannot be insured without the removal of Gaddafi.
This new resolve comes despite the fact that the UNSC resolution firmly negates the possibility of foreign ground forces, excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.
According to media reports, CIA operatives and British Special Forces are already supporting the rebels inside Libya. President Obama has insisted that no American military ground troops participate in the Libyan campaign, [but] small groups of CIA operatives have been working in Libya for several weeks as part of a shadow force of westerners, reports The New York Times.
Western powers are clearly overstepping a line; the bombing may have some justification but the presence of ground forces is in complete contravention of the UNSC mandate. The UN resolution emphatically excludes the possibility of foreign occupation force of any form; the emphasis on any form effectively closes even the option of foreign intelligence operatives or Special Forces. The UNSC resolution evidently is only a fig leaf for a broader agenda of regime change in Libya.
So far this plan has seemed hard to implement with badly fragmented rag-tag bands of rebels finding it difficult to dislodge Gaddafis regime. With Gaddafi now digging in his heels, the Western powers may perhaps not hesitate to dismember Libya to carry out their larger intent. Nobody favours the continuation of a murderous despotic regime like that of Gaddafis; the debate is only about the legality of actions and how easily western powers can subvert UN resolutions to suit their goals.
The pro-democracy charade of the West has fully exposed their double standards. While Libya is pounded recklessly, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa in Bahrain and Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh have been allowed to murder civilians at will.
Though continued unrest in Yemen may have forced America to rethink its support for Ali Saleh till recently considered a critical ally in fighting the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda change in Bahrain, headquarter of United States Navys Fifth Fleet, seems more difficult to come. And its not only the presence of US military which is prolonging the rule of Khalifa. Bahrain has become a hotspot for a larger battle of regional dominance between two regional powers: Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.
The revolt in Bahrain is led by the Shiite majority, who form 70 per cent of the population; while the ruling family belongs to the 30 per cent Sunni minority. An arrival of democracy and a change of regime in Bahrain, as happened in the case of Iraq, will empower the Shiite majority, ultimately leading to the rise of Iranian influence in the region. Saudi Arabia is also apprehensive of a revolt by the Shiite population in its oil rich eastern part of the country.
Meanwhile, guns of Pakistan are on hire to protect the despotic rulers. In the last week of February, the Fauji Foundation subsidiary of Pakistans army organised the recruitment of over 1,000 ex-army personnel for service in Bahrains National Guard.
In retaliation, on March 15, Bahraini protestors attacked Pakistani residences and killed four Pakistanis, including two policemen of Pakistani descent.Saudi Prince and secretary general of the National Security Council Prince Bandar Bin Sultan recently visited Pakistan; on his request, the Pakistani army has decided to keep two army divisions on standby for deployment to Saudi Arabia in the event of trouble there.
It seems America is paying a price for its misadventures. America considers Iran an adversary and is eager to constrict Iranian influence in the region. But American military intervention in Iraq only proved beneficial for Iran.
Ouster of Saddam Hussein not only removed Irans sworn enemy, it also empowered the long suppressed Shiite majority, eventually enhancing Irans influence in Iraq. Irans staunch support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine helps Iran build its image as a pro-resistance anti-Israel state on the Arab Street.
America, the self-avowed champion of democracy, not only sides with the despots to protect its geopolitical interests, but also protects hard regimes like those of Saudi Arabia. Ironically theocratic Iran appears to be standing with the pro-democracy movement of the Arab world.
The West is trapped between hypocrisy and a hard place - World - DNA