Arab League Splits From West Over Libya Bombing

Editor's NOTE:

Not even 24 hours after the UN sanctioned Strikes began on Libya, the Arab League has objected to what only one week ago it voted for unanymously.

Surely they were aware that it would be necessary to attack Libyan Air Defense batteries prior to erecting a no-fly zone and that this would involve the unwanted but unavoidable killing of civilians.

Such is the way of war in the 21st century and more the reason why the current attacks on Libya in the name of protecting rebel fighers is unwise and immoral whether the United Nations Security Council through SC resolution 1973 ordered it or not.

--Dr. J. P. Hubert


Arab League Splits From West Over Libya Bombing

Niall Paterson, defence correspondent, and Pete Norman
 Skynews
2:40pm UK, Sunday March 20, 2011

The Arab League has criticised the military strikes on Libya, a week after urging the United Nations to slap a no-fly zone on the oil-rich North African state.

The Arab League chief said that Arabs did not want military strikes by Western powers that hit civilians when the League called for a no-fly zone over Libya.

Secretary-General Amr Moussa said he was calling for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss the situation in the Arab world and particularly Libya.

"What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," Mr Moussa told Egypt's official state news agency.

The volte-face by the influential regional body raises uncertainty about the unity of Western and Muslim leaders to the UN-backed military campaign. MORE...