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Libya: Liberation or Re-Colonization?

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NASEER ARURI, naruri at aol.com
Aruri is chancellor professor emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and chair of the Trans-Arab Research Institute. He said today: “The impending collapse of the Qaddafi regime is part and parcel of an ongoing re-colonization of the Arab world by the United States and the major European countries. The attempted re-penetration of the Arab world was stepped up with the sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s, the installation of a compliant Iraqi regime and Obama’s call on Qaddafi and Bashar Assad to step aside. Meanwhile Washington continues to protect Israel from the international scrutiny in the UN Security Council and uses NATO bombs to advance against an Arab tyrant (Qaddafi) on the premise that this western intervention is intended to protect Libyan civilians. Thus, Saddam Hussein, Qaddafi and Bashar Assad have served as facilitators of this western recolonization and control of Arab petroleum resources.” Aruri’s books include Dishonest Broker: America’s Role in Israel and Palestine and Revising Culture, Reinventing Peace: The Influence of Edward W. Said (co-editor).

PEPE ESCOBAR, [in Brazil] pepeusa at mac.com
Escobar’s books include Obama Does Globalistan. His recent pieces include The Big GaddafiThe House of Saud Paranoia and Have Lobby, Will Travel about “the ‘rebel’ government — which is now named, after numerous permutations, the Interim Transitional National Council of Libya … hiring [lobbying firm] Patton Boggs.” His recent writings for the Asia Times.

Escobar noted in early April: “A full Arab League endorsement of a no-fly zone is a myth. Of the 22 full members, only 11 were present at the voting. Six of them were GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] members, the U.S.-supported club of Gulf kingdoms/sheikhdoms, of which Saudi Arabia is the top dog. Syria and Algeria were against it. Saudi Arabia only had to ‘seduce’ three other members to get the vote. Translation: only nine out of 22 members of the Arab League voted for the no-fly zone. The vote was essentially a House of Saud-led operation, with Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa keen to polish his CV with Washington with an eye to becoming the next Egyptian President.”
Escobar added today: “It was a GCC-controlled vote. And note the Qatari special forces which were essential in coordinating the pincer assault on Tripoli this Saturday, and the Qatari selling of Libyan oil.” Al-Jazeera, which many are depending on for news from Libya, is ultimately controlled by the Qatari monarchy.

GILBERT ACHCAR,  ga3 at soas.ac.uk
Achcar is professor of development studies and international relations at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies. He recently wrote a piece titled “NATO’s ‘Conspiracy’ Against the Libyan Revolution” for Jadaliyya magazine.