So the last time I posted, it was about the situation developing in North Africa, particularly the situation surrounding Tunisia and Egypt. Since my hard drive threw a hissy fit, what have we seen?
Well…
Tunisia, having got rid of a president has now seen a Prime Minister leave his post while elections are expected… at some point. Egypt has seen Mubarak deposed, only to be replaced by the same anonymous military types who initially installed Mubarak as Egyptian President 30 years ago. Elections are promised… at some point… probably in September. Anyone see a trend here.
Thankfully along has come Libya. I say thankfully because at least the facade of change is something that is not going to happen. If the Gadaffi regime falls, then change is a going to come. Unfortunately we are going to have the sight of an incredibly bloody, bitter and violent civil war before we get to the end of Gadaffi’s reign. We have already seen the beginings of that war, as it dominated the news cycle up until the tectonic plates violently jolted just off the coast of Japan.
The most distressing sight though is not the humanitarian crisis, as the aging dictator turns on his own people, but the view expressed by the USA, the UK and France that they can stick their oar where it is not wanted. It’s as if Iraq and Afghanistan never happened. Those countries would not be interested, were Libya not oil rich and run by the American’s favourite pantomime dictator. The sight of Cameron floating the idea of “no-fly zones” at a time of economic hardship warrant's another asking of the question. Exactly what planet are these people on.
Any intervention in Libya must be strictly confined to aid. We have no right to any military involvement there. After all, after Iraq our name is still various shade’s of mud in parts of the World. Our, and the American’s, rehabilitation has barely started.
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