Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Someone Explain: What the Fuck the UN is Doing in Libya??!!

 
On Friday, the U.N. passed a resolution that would refer Mu'ammar Qaddafi to the international criminal courts for his crimes against the Libyan people. In a historic 15 to 0 vote, the United Nations gleefully condemned the atrocities taking place in Libya, and placed sanctions on the Al-Gaddafi family. Resolutions that require some time to resonate on the ground, yet they are actions that can bragged about in the international community.


However, it is referral to the ICC that bears the largest degree of quixotic ideals. The ICC has no jurisdiction inside of Libya as long as Qaddafi retains power. Until Qaddafi loses control of Libya, or is exiled from country and lands in one of the few countries that are ICC member states, the ICC can do nothing.

What this U.N. Resolution has effectively done is place its bets with the people; that Qaddafi will not be able retain control and the people will overthrow him. However, the UNSC did not hedge their bets; as no one would place a no fly zone over Libya, nor did they make any attempt to discourage or to punish any of the hired mercenaries terrorizing Libya. (The US actually demanded a non negotiable clause in to the resolution that prevents the mercenaries from appearing before the ICC.)


So when Barack Obama goes on television and demands that Qaddafi leave his country, what does he expect Qaddafi to do? Leave Libya and face charges from the ICC? Or for him to go back to one of his palaces and sit idly, waiting for the Libyan people or the ICC to come and seek justice? NO, they are attempting to corner an already rabid dog, Qaddafi will take the only course of action he sees -- Fighting until the last drop of blood is split. If there is no going back for the pro-democracy reformists, then there is definitely no going back for Qaddafi and his sons.


If Qaddafi is unable to forcibly retake Libya, the question becomes: If Qaddafi is captured by his own people, what is their reason to hand him over to the ICC instead of putting Qaddafi on trial themselves? Once the people of finally captured the man responsible for the past two weeks of chaos, what is their motivation for turning him over to an international community that would not look to punish the hired mercenaries flown into country. It seems like the West and the international community have seized the massacres in Libya as an opportunity to remove a dictator which they found uncomfortable working with.

2 comments:

  1. You make a good point. I think the hate felt by the backers of the pertinent #UN resolutions, made the idea of allowing Gaddafi sanctuary & immunity somewhere too sickening to stomach & at the time it seemed to the outside world like revolutionaries had the upper-hand. Now Libya is paying the price and their aren't enough #UN P5 members who hate Gaddafi enough or love the Libyan people enough to take more assertive action and actually back the removal of Gaddafi. Now only option is for Libyans to find a way to end Gaddafi themselves. It's the new Obama 'no unilateral action' philosophy combined with the ghastly failure of the Iraq adventure and the worthlessness of Russia & China who, by their behavior, demonstrate a total lack of interest in promoting human rights.

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  2. Agreed... I don't think the UN as morally to feel sick to the stomach with allowing gaddafi a refuge... Like in Saudi Arabia with Ben Ali & Saleh....

    But your correct about 98%

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