Imperialism, Uprising & Civil War in Libya
The situation in Libya is getting clearer. The west have made themselves parties to the internal crisis of Libya. They have subsequently deplored their greatest weapon of war and domination - the international media -.in an aggressive propaganda war against the people of Libya and their sovereign and independent state. This is being done as a preparatory to a large scale military invasion as we have gathered from the recent utterances of the French, British and American government officials. I know that that the people of libya will resist this having learnt what it is to be a free country from Muammar Al Gaddafi since 1969.
Before the arrival of Muammar Al Gaddafi, Libya has been under one form of foreign domination or the other. From as early as 630 BC, the Ancients Greeks colonized Eastern Libya. Other empires that have directly colonized Libya include Persia, Egypt, Roman, Byzantines/Vandals, Caliph of Damascus, Ottoman Turks, Italy, Britain and France.
Libyan occupation and colonization came to an end on December 24, 1951, through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution on November 21, 1949, that stated that Libya should become independent before January 1, 1952. With the exit of the colonial masters, Libya declared its independence as the United Kingdom of Libya under a constitutional and hereditary monarchy. This independence was short-lived with the discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959. The subsequent national revenue from crude oil sales made this very poor desert country very rich and that attracted the interest of the Americans, British and Italians to begin a new web of neo-colonialism. Even the United States was maintaining a large Wheelus Air Base in Libya. Discontent over the inequitable distribution of the stupendous oil wealth and neo-imperialist exploitation and presence led to the rise of nationalism.
Consequently, on September1, 1969, a group of young military officers led by Muammar Al Gaddafi launched a revolution and overthrew King Idris. They finally put an end to all foreign controls in Libya and nationalized all the transnational corporations operating there and that began all the long battles with western imperialism.
The revolution gave birth to Revolutionary Leader, Gaddafi, 12-person Revolutionary Command Council and Revolutionary Committees.
Eight years later, Gaddafi handed over power to the people through the establishment of the Jamahiriya which comprises Basic People's Congresses in each of the 1,500 urban wards, 32 Sha'biyat People's Congresses for the regions, and the National General People's Congress. These legislative bodies are represented by corresponding executive bodies (Local People's Committees, Sha'biyat People's Committees and the National General People's Committee/Cabinet). Every four years, the membership of the Basic People's Congresses elects their own leaders and the secretaries for the People's Committees, sometimes after many debates and a critical vote. The leadership of the Local People's Congress represents the local congress at the People's Congress of the next level. The members of the National General People's Congress elect the members of the National General People's Committee (the Cabinet), which is headed by a Prime Minister, at their annual meeting. The Cabinet runs the government. Is this not democracy - government of the people, by the people and for the people?
All the oppressed peoples of the world must rise up and support the independence and sovereignty of the Libyan state and people. This has become imperative in face the face of this threat of foreign attack because revolutionary Libya has one of the highest GDP Per Capita in Africa of US$ 12,062.37 in year 2010 and is projected to be US$ 17,660.54 by year 2015 (IMF). The Literacy Rate is 82.6%; Life Expectancy at birth is 77.47 years and Infant Mortality rate is 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (IMF/World Bank). They have the largest proven crude oil reserve in Africa (OPEC). In fact, the World Bank defines Libya as an 'Upper Middle Income Economy' currently, along with only seven other African countries. In the early 1980s, Libya was one of the richest countries in the world; its GDP Per Capita was higher than that of developed countries like Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Spain, but years of western backed economic sanctions and blockade changed all of that.
It beats me hollow when I hear the propaganda machines of western imperialism, CNN, BBC and Aljazeera, reeling out falsehoods in the name of news and paid interviews from cheer leaders of western imperialism to the unsuspecting people of Libya and the world. They claim that the dissidents are innocent and unarmed civillians, but we see them displaying all sort of latest sophisticated rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, mortars, explosives and armoured tankers. As a man who have had access to a lot of weapons, I have never seen or heard about some of the arms I saw the so called protesters brandish on television and I doubt if the Libyan state can boast of such military hardwares. And they could only have gotten it from one source - their foreign backers.
The propaganda machines of western imperialism said the dissidents fought the Libyan security and military forces and they surrendered and defected. Did they do that with bare hands? Did they attack the police stations and military barracks and arsenals with clubs and stones? We can keep asking but, the only thing that is believable is that these so called protesters were fulling armed to the teeth from the beginning and their superior fire power made it possible for them to over-power and take the Libyan security and military forces by surprise.
Furthermore, military chiefs and diplomats from Benghazi and the eastern part of Libya have bowed to the almighty pressure of imperialism and have defected to join the dissidents in the belief that Gaddafi's revolutionary force will fall in a number of days. The scenario playing out now is that of a Civil War. The defections of military and security officers from Eastern Nigeria in 1967 was followed immediately by the exit of non-eastern military and security officer from Eastern Nigeria. The result was the Nigerian Civil War and its gory tales of massacre, genocide, progrom, displacements, cannibalism, rape, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Yet, no body is being investigated or facing trial for that in the International Criminal Court (ICC), because Gowon's Nigeria was a satelite state of western neo-imperialism.
Laughably, the US has hurriedly prompted the United Nations (UN) to order their prosecutors to start the fasted war crimes and crimes against humanity investigation in history even before the Libyan Civil War became established. Before any international investigation can be legitimately conducted in Libya, the UN must begin by ordering the investigation of crimes against humanity in the Vietnam War, Arab-Israeli War, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Nigerian Civil War. They are expecting Libya to bow to the authority of the ICC when the US that is alleging war crimes have not accepted the authority and jurisdiction of same. All countries as legal entities must be equal before the international law. International justice, just like national justice must be rooted in equity and "those who come to equity must do so with clean hands".
In the light of this, I call on the UN to stop forthwith, the investigation of the Libyan leadership for crimes against humanity and rather force the United States, China and Russia (all permanent members of the UN Security Council) to ratify and recognise the authority and jurisdiction of the ICC. If they fail in that, The UN General Asembly should as a matter of fairness equity and justice, dissolve the ICC.
On the bases of the principles above, I hereby call for the democratization of the UN Security Council. There should be no need for a permanent membership with veto powers.
In conclusion, I salute the courage of the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez for volunteering to mediate in the Libyan crisis in which the AU have not been bold enough to act and the UN, US, UK, EU and international media have made themselves parties to. I support his effort and wish him success in this noble and statesmanly endeavour which should make him the Man of the Year! The AU and Arab League should join him in forming a high-powered mediation panel that will negotiate a ceasefire before those who are fanning the embers of war burn down Libya. All the anti-imperialist states and movements and oppressed peoples all over the world, arise and speak out! For the time has come for you to be counted!! Viva Revolution!!! We must avoid falling into the throes of what Adaka Boro foresaw forty years ago. Let them call us terrorist, let them call us bandits but it is important and critical that we remain resolute in the pursuit of the ideals of our fallen heroes like Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken Saro Wiwa and a host of others........Dokubo-Asari
By DOKUBO-ASARI