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This Libyan intervention must stop
Posted: 2011/04/05
From: Source Unite
Rather than pumping up a civil war, the British government should be pushing for a ceasefire and international mediation
Len McCluskey
The attack on Libya by British, French and US forces is wrong and should be halted without any further delay or futile loss of life. While holding no brief for Colonel Gaddafi and his regime, and strongly supporting the movements now developing for democracy and freedom across the Arab world, I believe the present military intervention is a mistake which shows the lessons of Iraq have still not been learned.
The war risks killing Libyan civilians while doing nothing to end hostilities on the ground. Indeed, prolonging the conflict will surely lead to more civilian deaths at the hands of troops on both sides, in addition to those directly caused by the bombing.
Rather than pumping up a civil war, our government should be joining others in pushing for a ceasefire followed by international, preferably Arab-led, assistance in negotiating a better future for Libyans. This could only lead to an extension of democracy in Libya at the very least, something that will be made harder by prolonged conflict.
The present action instead raises the alternative possibility of escalation, leading to military occupation of all or part of Libya. Similar occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown how disastrous and counter-productive such interventions are. Escalation and "boots on the ground" will cost British soldiers' lives and will once more stoke up hostility to Britain across the Middle East and the Muslim world.
This will do nothing to resolve Libya's problems. Some people may think "third time lucky" for foreign occupations of Muslim nations – I am not one of them. When you're in a hole, stop digging.
It is now clear that, despite the initial spin, the military action has little or no Arab involvement (Qatar aside). It is also opposed by, among others, Russia, China and India. This leaves it dependent on those western powers whose policies have already aroused deep hostility throughout the Middle East and will inevitably arouse memories of colonialism.
The bombing of Libya stands in contrast to the indulgence shown by the government to the autocrats in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who have been allowed to repress movements for democracy in their own countries with impunity. They are no better than Gaddafi and the kid-glove treatment of these despots adds a smell of hypocrisy to the whole enterprise.
Many trade unionists will also be wondering how a government which cannot find the money for the most basic services here at home can all of a sudden spend tens of millions of pounds bombing yet another Middle Eastern country. It seems like small wars are a habit the establishment here cannot kick.
Whether any of this would be being done for a country without huge oil reserves is another question members of Unite have been asking.
