Main focus of Monday, March 21, 2011

The West attacks Gaddafi

Western troops have been bombing targets in Libya since Saturday. The Gaddafi regime's air defences have been destroyed to such an extent that the planned no-fly zone is now a reality. The press approves of the attack but criticises the lack of a peace strategy.

Democratic goals must be clear

The military intervention in Libya must never fail to make clear that it is meant to support the democracy movement in the Arab World, writes the conservative daily ABC: "Systems that have for decades been corrupted by totalitarianism will not give up their old ways overnight. And other powers that are just as adverse to freedom will not just disappear. For that reason it is important that the West's military operation in Libya should be clearly defined as giving support to democrats in the entire Arab World. Governments in the region that support the military intervention, like Morocco, must know that this doesn't free them from the obligation to comply with the desire for openness in their own societies." (21/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Social movements, » Europe, » U.S., » Libya

This war is right

The war against Libyan head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi is justified despite all the criticism, writes the conservative daily Berlingske: "In Libya's case it had got to the point where it was impossible not to take action against the brutal behaviour of the dictator Gaddafi towards rebels and the civilian population. ... Two relevant points have been made in criticising the war against the Libyan regime: on the one had the operation lacks an exit strategy. ... No one knows how the intervention against Libya will end or what exactly the criterion for success is. ... On the other hand the attack against Gaddafi raises the question of how the world community should react to other Arab countries where regimes take a harsh line against the people. Bahrain is a good current example. The concerns are justified. But they must no longer overshadow the need for military intervention. The war against Gaddafi is right." (21/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » Libya

Attack without a peace strategy

The political leaders of the West started their military action without a clear concept for how to bring peace, writes Jacques Attali in his blog with the weekly L'Express: "Are they ready to address the question of peace? History teaches us that a war can only be won when peace has been prepared during the fighting. ... Do we have the first inkling about what will become of Libya after the war? A unified country? A federation? Will we see Cyrenaica [in eastern Libya] become independent and then retain its independence thanks only to the presence of foreign troops? And even if the dictator is ousted, will the liberating forces have the means to reconstruct the country? It's difficult to believe when you look at how little aid they are sending to Egypt and Tunisia." (20/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Global, » Libya, » North Africa
All available articles from » Jacques Attali

US double standard in Middle East

In view of the intervention in Libya by the US and other states, the daily Delo points to the suppression of democracy movements in other Arab countries and criticises the double standard of the United States: "Days ago US President Obama condemned the violence against civilians in the entire Middle East. But no one's getting hot in the collar about the despots in allied Bahrain - where the US Fifth Fleet is based - or in Yemen, a firm ally of Washington against global terrorism. It doesn't seem to bother anyone that the army of the worst dictatorship in the region, namely Saudi Arabia, has marched into a neighbouring country - very much in the style of the erstwhile Soviet escapade in Afghanistan. The people in Libya deserve more freedom. But the 'global justice fanatics' must also seek the same for those who continue to suffer under even more repressive dictators who are supposedly our friends." (21/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » U.S., » Middle East, » Libya
All available articles from » Boris Cibej

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