Libya, Nato and Regime Change

Tomahawk Missile on it's way to create carnage

A NATO Spokesman said on the BBC this morning that regime change is not on the agenda in Libya . This and the claim to be just ‘protecting civilians’ was clearly timed to chime with Obama’s speech spinning the same message some 8 hours before. There are some very obvious problems with this:

• The NATO bombers have already bombed Ghaddfi’s bunker in an attempt to kill him. This was widely reported when they wanted support for their bombing campaign. What is this but attempted regime change?
• Whereas the air-strikes have certainly slowed down the rate at which Ghaddfi’s armies could kill ‘rebels’ and civilians the NATO bombings themselves have killed civilians in the vicinities of the pro-Ghaddafi fighters they have killed.
• By killing hundreds, (if not thousands - they won’t be counting any more than they did in Iraq ) of Ghaddafi supporters, they are storing up more hatred of the west in Libya and beyond.
• These are western planes bombing Muslims (whoever they support). Just what the west needs for an image makeover in the light of the bloodbaths in Iraq and Afghanistan .
• There is no post-bombing strategy – do they or anybody really know who the ‘rebels’ are and what they represent?

In summary NATO do not know what they are doing in Libya any more than they do in Afghanistan (11 years on). Neither does Obama.