When it finally came to be, it was harsher than originally expected and gives licence to wider measures which can be taken against the Gaddafi regime.
While the general consensus is “better late than never”, the West must surely ask itself why it took so long to implement the no-fly zone. While the United Nations has all of a sudden become relevant again after years of stagnation, people keep asking the same thing. Why was this not done weeks ago? When the opposition still had momentum.
Old warhorses spoke up, including Baroness Thatcher, who made a point of saying that while the West dithered she “bombed him”. Even the morning after the no-fly zone and additional measures were announced, Gaddafi continued to pound the town of Misurata with heavy weapons. Later, Libya’s Foreign Minister declared a ceasefire. Nothing can stop the madman apart from the use of clear force. This was the case all along, and it is the case now.
But while the UK and France were racing to outdo each other in trying to garner support for the no-fly zone (Cameron was the first to mention it while France was the first state to recognise the opposition), there are ulterior motives.
The opposition has already stated that it will adjust its oil policies according to the attitude taken towards it by other nations. In addition, BP has made huge investments in Libya while Total also has a stake there.
On the other hand, Russia and China were reluctant to commit to the resolution. The formal reason given is that it could set a dangerous precedent, but there are other reasons. Gaddafi had recently invited both nations to invest in Libya after being “betrayed” by his European friends.
The politics in this intervention are not simple. It is obvious that all countries which are dependent on oil have something to gain from intervening in the crisis. The UK’s Cameron is desperately trying to revive the UK’s international standing while France’s Sarkozy is using the incident to revive his desperate poll ratings.
The US, on the other hand has deliberately held back in an attempt to shake off the reputation it was gaining as an aggressor under the Bush administrations. But while the world vowed to never have another Bosnia, the situation in Libya is desperate. Gaddafi’s forces continue to pound the opposition in the West as well as the East. God only knows what he has done in the North mountain region where Berbers are allegedly being wiped out.
The action needs to be swift and it needs to be precise. The coalition must strike Gaddafi where it hurts, and that is his heavy weapons and his aircraft. While armies and air forces are built on foundations of caution, action against Gaddafi needs to come fast and hard. If his air, land and sea capabilities are neutralised, his army will dissolve. Once that happens, his iron grip on power will melt away and the citizens of Libya will quickly reveal their true colours and join the rebellion.
Many western allies are already mobilising their aircraft and moving them towards places where they can strike at Gaddafi. Malta’s position is now clear. It will not be used as a military base to enforce the no-fly zone. The government has, however, reiterated its pledge to fulfil all humanitarian obligations.