Syria -Taking Sides vs. Imperialist Intervention

Consider: isn't Israel a criminally repressive regime against the Palestinian population? Aren't Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan repressive regimes, military dictatorships and/or corrupt monarchies? All of these brutally repressive regimes have killed of thousands of their own population and could not survive one day without decades of U.S. military, economic, diplomatic and political support. Is the U.S., with the largest prison population in the world and more weapons than the rest of the world put together, a repressive regime? It is the source of repression, destabilization, dictatorships and wars. It is within this context that progressives must view the demonstrations that have been taking place for two months against the Bashir Assad government in Syria. The regime has both acknowledged that reforms are essential and responded with force. The actual character and the social forces involved in these demonstrations remains unclear, as does the political direction of the Syrian opposition. The attitude of the U.S. government towards these upheavals has varied widely. When the U.S. supports the government, it takes a hands-off or even a hostile approach to the uprising, as in Bahrain and Yemen. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia made every effort to save the Saleh dictatorship in the face of a massive uprising. But when the country has taken an independent course from that desired by the U.S., Washington supports peoples genuine grievances with intense military, political, diplomatic support, new sanctions, sabotage teams, covert actions and extensive media coverage. All focused to further destabilize and inflame the situation. The corporate media and the U.S. State Department give the impression that most of Syria has taken to the streets against Assad. Unlike her benign attitude toward the monarchy in Bahrain, and the 32 year dictatorship in Yemen, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton constantly criticizes and attacks the Syrian government. Anyone trying to understand the developments in that region has to ask, “Why the difference?” It is clear that the U.S. and its allies are trying to use these protests in Syria to their own advantage. This has nothing to do with any demands raised by Syrian workers, who are suffering from an austerity plan imposed by the International Monetary Fund in 2006.

EUobserver / EU keen to build post-Gaddafi Libya

EU keen to build post-Gaddafi Libya

Cameron (l) and Sarkozy: the two men led calls for the special summit and spelled out their ideas in a joint letter on Thursday (Photo: The Prime Minister's Office)

ANDREW RETTMAN

11.03.2011 @ 09:26 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders will in a joint declaration on Friday (11 March) tell Gaddafi that he must step down and pledge to help build a new post-war Libya.

The latest draft of the declaration, seen by EUobserver, voices solidarity with victims of violence and says: "Colonel Gaddafi must relinquish power immediately." It adds: "The EU stands ready to engage with the Libyan authorities in order to help Libya build a constitutional state and develop the rule of law."

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UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a joint letter to European Council head Herman Van Rompuy on Thursday added that Colonel Gaddafi should end up in a jail cell in the Hague.

"These acts may amount to crimes against humanity ... We support the investigation announced by the International Criminal Court Prosecutor, and the message this sends that the regime will be held to account for its actions," they said.

The letter is softer than separate French statements on Thursday on how to handle anti-Gaddafi rebels and on military intervention.

"We should send the clear political signal that we consider the [rebel] Council to be valid political interlocutors," it notes. "We support continued planning to be ready to provide support for all possible contingencies as the situation evolves on the basis of demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and firm regional support."

The Elysee on Thursday upset EU allies by unilaterally recognising the rebel council as the legitimate government of Libya and by saying Nato jets should hit three Gaddafi military targets.

The Elysee statements were made by spokesmen rather than by President Sarkozy himself, however. The controversy means Mr Sarkozy is likely to take centre stage at the Friday summit, but the ambiguity leaves room for him to row back on the unpopular ideas.

Friday's summit will also look at a recent European Commission proposal on how to overhaul EU policy on north Africa. But the Franco-British letter says: "Today's priority is to cope with the political and security situation."

Southern EU states will meanwhile seek assurances the bloc will help them deal with the flow of migrants generated by the upheaval.

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