12 April 2011 — Stop NATO

• France, Britain: NATO Must Intensify Bombing Of Libya
• Washington Post: Use Ivorian Model In Libya, Assassinate Gaddafi
• Canada To Attend Libyan War Council, NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting
• Libya, Ivory Coast: NATO, AFRICOM Assault On African Sovereignty
• Ivory Coast Uncovered: The Untold Story
• Africa: Imperialism In The 21st Century

France, Britain: NATO Must Intensify Bombing Of Libya

www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/uk-libya-idUKLDE71Q0MP20110412

Reuters

April 12, 2011

France and Britain say NATO must step up Libya bombing

TRIPOLI: France and Britain, who first launched air attacks on Libya in coalition with the United States, said on Tuesday NATO must step up bombing of Muammar Gaddafi’s heavy weapons…

NATO took over air operations from the three nations on March 31…

Echoing rebel complaints, [French Foreign Minister Alain] Juppe told France Info radio, “It’s not enough.”

…

Foreign Secretary William Hague also said NATO must intensify attacks, calling on other alliance countries to match London’s supply of extra ground attack aircraft in Libya.

NATO, which stepped up air strikes around Misrata and the eastern battlefront city of Ajdabiyah…rejected the criticism.

“NATO is conducting its military operations in Libya with vigour within the current mandate. The pace of the operations is determined by the need to protect the population,” it said.

Libyan state television said on Tuesday a NATO strike on the town of Kikla, south of Tripoli, had killed civilians and members of the police force. It did not give details.

…

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Washington Post: Use Ivorian Model In Libya, Assassinate Gaddafi

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2011/04/07/AFUhc3MD_story.html

Washington Post

April 11, 2011

With Libya a stalemate, removing Gaddafi the fastest way to end the fighting

By Walter Pincus

-A former CIA director and longtime intelligence analyst, Gates suggested scenarios for ending Gaddafi’s reign that included, “A member of his own family kills him or one of his inner circle kills him…”

French forces may have set the pattern, arresting the errant Ivory Coast president, Laurent Gbagbo, in his bunker and turning him over to forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara…

-Ham had referred to the difficulty in locating Gaddafi in 1986 when, in response to a Libyan bombing of a German nightclub that killed American servicemen, the Reagan administration went after him. U.S. planes bombed Gaddafi’s home compound, killing one of his children, but the leader was not hit.

Regime change, removing Moammar Gaddafi and his family from power in Tripoli, is not the military mission of the United States, NATO and their other coalition partners. But, ironically, getting rid of the Libyan dictator would seem to be the only quick way to end what now appears to be a stalemate between the forces of the opposition and Gaddafi loyalists.

It’s time to be frank: The fastest way to end the fighting is to remove Gaddafi.

Gen. Carter F. Ham, the former U.S. commander of coalition Libyan operations, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that he would not recommend regime change be added to the military mission there.

“It would make the investment and extent of American involvement much more uncertain than it is today,” said Ham, who heads Africa Command. Adding regime change to the mission would also probably end support for Libyan operations from the U.N. Security Council, some NATO countries and the Arab League, he said.

However, in response to questions, Ham said, “[Gaddafi’s] removal by any means would end this relatively quickly.”

Ham frankly assessed as “a low likelihood” the opposition being able to get to Tripoli and replace Gaddafi by force. But he agreed with Sen. Lindsey Graham (D-S.C.) that the most likely scenario for success is that Gaddafi’s inner circle would force his departure, rather than the opposition forces gaining a military victory.

His testimony reflected statements made two weeks ago by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. A former CIA director and longtime intelligence analyst, Gates suggested scenarios for ending Gaddafi’s reign that included, “A member of his own family kills him or one of his inner circle kills him, or the military fractures, or the opposition, with the degradation of Gaddafi’s military, rises up again and is successful.”

French forces may have set the pattern, arresting the errant Ivory Coast president, Laurent Gbagbo, in his bunker and turning him over to forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara…

…

Asked by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) what would be needed if the mission were expanded to include getting rid of Gaddafi, [U.S. Africa Command commander General Carter] Ham responded that it would require a “pretty significant” increase in intelligence collection just to track him. He is “a difficult target .?.?. because this is a very practiced individual in terms of concealing movements,” the general said, and the human intelligence involved would probably require agents on the ground in Libya.

Ham also said it would require military forces “able to act on very, very short notice to intelligence” if Gaddafi were located. Sending in a team to grab Gaddafi was an option that would be “the most precise and the less likely to have civilian casualties or additional collateral damage, but very, very difficult to execute.”

Earlier, Ham had referred to the difficulty in locating Gaddafi in 1986 when, in response to a Libyan bombing of a German nightclub that killed American servicemen, the Reagan administration went after him. U.S. planes bombed Gaddafi’s home compound, killing one of his children, but the leader was not hit.

The hearing raised several other issues worth considering.

Ham confirmed reports that as many as 20,000 shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft rockets had been in Libyan military warehouses before the uprising began in February. “Many of those we know are now not accounted for, and that’s going to be a concern for some period of time,” he said, because some may have been taken to other countries.

One published source of the missing-rockets story was Idriss Deby Itno, the Chad president who is friendly to Gaddafi. He told the African weekly Jeune Afrique in late March that some were in the hands of al-Qaeda in Magreb, the North African terrorist group that supports Osama bin Laden. Itno did not know how many of the rockets were missing but told the publication he was “100 percent sure” of his assertion.

…

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Canada To Attend Libyan War Council, NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting

news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-04/12/c_13824206.htm

Xinhua News Agency

April 12, 2011

Canada to participate in meetings of Contact Group on Libya and NATO foreign ministers

-Canadian fighter jets have attacked targets in Libya in the first actual combat mission since 1999.

OTTAWA: Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon will lead a delegation to the inaugural meeting of the Contact Group on Libya in Doha on Wednesday, it was announced here on Monday.

He will also attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Berlin, which will be held on Thursday and Friday.

The Contact Group on Libya was established in London on March 29…

The Contact Group meeting in Doha will be co-chaired by Britain and Qatar.

The NATO meeting will be hosted by Guido Westerwelle, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, under the chairmanship of Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO secretary-general.

Participants will discuss Libya and Afghanistan, and review progress on decisions made at the Lisbon Summit in November 2010.

Canada has participated in the NATO-led mission to enforce a…no-fly zone in Libya by deploying some 570 members of the Canadian Forces in the Mediterranean. The country has also deployed a total of six CF-18s fighter jets, two CC-150 air-to-air refueling aircraft, one C-17 Globemaster strategic transportation aircraft and two C-130J Hercules tactical transportation aircraft, as well as its frigate HMCS Charlottetown.

Canadian fighter jets have attacked targets in Libya in the first actual combat mission since 1999.

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Libya, Ivory Coast: NATO, AFRICOM Assault On African Sovereignty

www.modernghana.com/news/324154/1/coalition-against-foreign-military-intervention-in.html

Modern Ghana

April 11, 2011

COALITION AGAINST FOREIGN MILITARY INTERVENTION IN AFRICA: HANDS OFF LIBYA! HANDS OFF COTE D’IVOIRE! HANDS OFF AFRICA!

By Humanitas Afrika

humanitasafrika.cz

We have come together as organizations and individuals to stand in support of the people of Libya, Cote d’Ivoire and all of Africa as we face an onslaught of foreign military aggression. We cannot remain silent while our people and our sovereignty are under attack.

We must let all those who chose the side of exploitation know that wherever there is oppression or aggression there will be resistance – this is just one form of that resistance. In this statement, we want to make it clear that all actions will have consequences and that we all have a role to play in defending the right to self-determination for Africa. We also want to make it clear that the people can see who the enemies of Africa are and those that are working in the interest of Africa.

I. Condemnation of Africa’s leaders and the African Union

To date, African leaders have shown that they do not represent the people of Africa. They must be held accountable to the people. African leaders must be made to understand that playing puppet to imperialist masters (as was the case in Tunisia and Egypt) will provide no security and no safe haven. It is only through their bond with the masses of the people that they have a chance to survive. It is only through this bond that they will have a chance to defend themselves and the people against the determined efforts of imperialism to control them.

To date, the performance of most African leaders has been nothing less than shameful. Their lack of honesty, courage, political will, and insight, has revealed them to most of the people as mere caretakers for foreign interests; as caretakers who are willing to sell out their people and their resources for personal gain and undeserved wealth.

The impotence of the African Union today is a reflection of this lack of commitment on the part of these puppet African leaders. The African Union and the present African leaders bear no resemblance to the African leadership of the immediate post colonial era and the plan for a United States of Africa as envisioned by Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, and others. We know that it is only this political union of Africa that will bring about true peace, security and development for the people of the continent.

II. Condemnation of NATO intervention in Africa

The military attack on Libya by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization represents a blatant attack on Africa’s sovereignty. Under no circumstances should these or any foreign powers have the right to impose their will on Africa through military force. NATO has not been given any authority by the peoples of the world to defend any so-called “international interests.” Their actions have been and are consistently to the detriment of the people of Africa.

III. Interventions in Ivory Coast and Libya must stop

Imperialist meddling in African affairs must stop. Solutions to African problems, even when they are fueled and instigated by foreign interests, must be solved internally – by Africans. The interventions in the internal affairs of African nations are attacks on our right to self-determination. We are not slaves! We are not colonies! We must and will make our own decisions and in our own interests. We must resist any effort to dictate who our leaders should be or what type of political and economic system we use.

It is only through the development and implementation of internal and sovereign systems of democracy that true peace and stability can be attained – and protected. Although the imperialists would try to make us believe otherwise, the struggle is not about personalities. We are not fooled by imperialist attempts to demonize this or that leader. The real struggle is about resources and who will control them. Imperialism will stop at no end to gain control of resources for their own benefit – be they oil, cocoa, diamonds, gold or rubber. There are indisputable records of their role in staging coups, committing assassinations, decimating economies, all with the intention of gaining control of African resources and its people.

The report of the ECOWAS observer mission to the Cote d’Ivoire elections has never been released. This is just another example of the manipulation of information that is used to justify the actions of foreign interests in Africa. This manipulation of information has been as consistent and vicious as the military attacks. There is an incessant bombardment from imperialist controlled media outlets that seeks to confuse the people and hide the truth behind the motives for these attacks on Africa. This media attack is further propagated by regurgitated stories and images carried by media outlets across the continent.

IV. AFRICOM, the American tool for the re-colonization of Africa must be dismantled

AFRICOM offers no benefit to Africa or its people. It is simply the guise through which America can further collaborate with puppet African leaders to intervene and meddle in African affairs, and in neo-colonial fashion, consolidate the control of African resources. Had AFRICOM not been successfully resisted by the people of Africa, the military forces being unleashed on the Government and people of Libya today would be coming from bases within Africa itself rather than from those in Germany. Why would African countries provide safe haven for an American military that will launch attacks on other African nations?

V. Stop United Nations Interventions in Africa

The examples of the blatant use of the UN to further imperialist interests are many. It has proven to be a tool for political coercion against the legitimate aspirations of African people.

The UN Security Council has become simply a method to try to legitimize imperialist military actions. This is evidenced in their role in the Congo with the attack on the legitimate government of Patrice Lumumba, as well as the invasions of Iraq and now Libya.

The UN system is completely bankrupt as the General Assembly, which in theory represents all the people of the world, is totally sidelined to the advantage of the so-called “permanent members” of the Security Council. These self-interested imperialist forces then use the Security Council to create or represent a so-called “international community” or “international opinion” that then justifies their selfish military and economic interventions.

At this point in time, we are calling for the mobilization of all African people and peoples’ organizations to denounce the foreign military attack on Africa. This expression of resistance will give resolve to those fighting to defend our sovereignty in Libya and in Cote d’Ivoire. At the same time, our resistance must lead us to higher levels of organization. It is only through the full and complete organization of the people that we can defend our interests against foreign intervention and against corrupt and puppet leaders.

Join us as we move to make a clear and profound statement of our resolve when we hold a public demonstration on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. The demonstration will start with a rally at the Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle at 7.30 am.

It is proposed that all demonstrators should endeavor display something red in the dress code, but if you possible you are still welcome.

It will end at the Hearts Park on the High Street in Accra. We urge all African patriots, Pan Africanist and progressives to join this manifestation of resistance against re-colonization.

Thank you very much for coming and you may now ask questions.

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Ivory Coast Uncovered: The Untold Story

www.modernghana.com/news/323991/1/ivory-coast-uncovered-the-untold-story.html

Modern Ghana

April 11, 2011

Ivory Coast uncovered – The untold story

Dr. Kwame Osei

-Francophone countries in Afrika have huge mineral resources like enriched uranium, gold, diamonds, bauxite, chrome, oil and gas that are crucial for French industry.

-Those Francophone states like Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara who resisted this draconian legislation were severely dealt with in the form of economic sanctions and/or military coups d’état.

Gbagbo who is a student of history knows of this diabolical arrangement that has had an adverse effect on the economic emancipation and development of Francophone states and vowed to reverse this arrangement – he also wanted to nationalize key industries free from French control.

-When as it appears that Mr. Ouattara assumes overall control of the country it will mean that French and western imperialism has won the day and Ivorian and Afrikan economic emancipation been dealt a severe blow.

With the ongoing civil war in Ivory Coast seemingly close to an end it is appropriate to tell the REAL untold story of the crisis in Ivory Coast and inform our readers of the REAL issue(s) behind the situation in the country.

I have heard many commentators on this subject and the bulk of them rant about the fact that the situation in the Ivory Coast is about elections that were supposedly won by Alassane Ouattara and that he is “the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast” and that Laurent Gbagbo refuses to stand down because he thinks he won the elections – this in itself is flawed because according to a report from a US senate committee that went to Ivory Coast to monitor the elections complained of voter irregularities in areas that were pro-Ouattara.

However the deception about the elections is the line that the western media is peddling and experience informs us that when it comes to the western media and Afrika we must be very circumspect of the agenda of the western media who have nothing but disdain for Afrikan people.

That said it is very simplistic to say that the situation in Ivory Coast is solely as a result of undisputed elections and is giving the public a much skewed view of the actual situation.

The REAL issue behind the current impasse in the Ivory Coast is a battle relating to French imperialism and control of the Ivory Coast. What this actually means in reality is that on one hand you have Gbagbo who is against French imperialism in Ivory Coast and championing the cause of Pan-Afrikanism and on the other hand you have Ouattara who one could say is very accommodating to safeguarding French interests in Ivory Coast.

This history lesson dates back to the late 1950s when the winds of change were beginning to sweep across the Afrikan continent as a result of Ghana gaining independence and the momentum of the Afrikan liberation movement.

Charles De Gaulle who was French president at the time knew that the winds of change sweeping across Afrika would also strike those countries that were under French colonial/imperial rule.

Therefore recognizing this De Gaulle made an insidious move by insisting that he would only grant Francophone countries their independence from France if they ceded up to 90% of ALL their revenue to the French Treasury in Paris and also that the CFA Franc must be fixed to the French currency, the French Franc making it easier for French companies to conduct business in Francophone Afrika.

The readership must be reminded that the Francophone countries in Afrika have huge mineral resources like enriched uranium, gold, diamonds, bauxite, chrome, oil and gas that are crucial for French industry.

Since the Francophone countries were eager for their political independence from Paris, some of their leaders naively signed up to this draconian measure and others who knew of the consequences of this reluctantly signed up to this measure.

Therefore once they had put their signature to it the newly “independent” Francophone states in Afrika were forever enslaved to French economic interests.

These interests meant that French companies operating in Francophone states had free access to these markets, had easy access to government contracts and perhaps more shrewdly these French companies did not pay any taxation to the respective Francophone states and repatriated their vast earnings back to Paris.

Those Francophone states like Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara who resisted this draconian legislation were severely dealt with in the form of economic sanctions and/or military coups d’état.

Gbagbo who is a student of history knows of this diabolical arrangement that has had an adverse effect on the economic emancipation and development of Francophone states and vowed to reverse this arrangement – he also wanted to nationalize key industries free from French control.

It is also important to recognize that Ivory Coast is THE world’s biggest producer of cocoa which is the main ingredient for confectionery goods like chocolate and pastries and the French confectionery industry is worth billions of Euro’s a year – making control of the cocoa industry a key target of French imperialism.

The French political elite knows of Gbagbo’s agenda and has used any means at its disposal including influencing national elections to deny Gbagbo from implementing his agenda which if he had succeeded would have a catastrophic effect on the French economy.

This would manifest itself in that other Francophone states in Afrika would follow Gbagbo’s lead and demand economic emancipation which would send the French economy into permanent recession since the massive revenue that Paris receives to fund its social and economic programmes would no longer be available and that is why the French and their western allies are supporting Ouattara.

Proof of this French support for Ouattara manifests itself with French helicopters bombing Gbagbo’s forces (circa France TV 24-hour news cable channel) and more blatantly that the so-called rebels that are attacking the presidential palace are in fact White French mercenaries (circa you-tube video footage).

The question one must ask is why are the French supporting Ouattara.

Well, Ouattara is a former employee of the IMF/World Bank, is western educated and trained and therefore is seen as a safe pair of hands by the French and their western cousins’.

When as it appears that Mr. Ouattara assumes overall control of the country it will mean that French and western imperialism has won the day and Ivorian and Afrikan economic emancipation been dealt a severe blow.

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Africa: Imperialism In The 21st Century

www.mediacentre.go.ug/details.php?catId=5&item=1264

Uganda Media Centre

April 11, 2011

Imperialism in the 21st Century

By Stephen Asiimwe

[Edited]

The world has watched in horror as the world’s evil trinity (America, Britain and France) descend on Libya under the guise that on February 26th the United Nations Security Council (which they own) voted unanimously to impose an arms embargo on Libya, and urged member nations to freeze assets owned by Col. Maummar Gadhafi and his family [and refer them] to the International Criminal Court.

What is interesting is all those are non-members of the International Criminal Court. In fact the former and current president, Francois Mitterand and Nicolas Sarkozy qualify for the ICC.

In the case of the United States of America and Britain, George Bush and Tony Blair could not have missed ICC; the world knows the so-called weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

…

In the 21st century, imperialism has metamorphosed from the scramble and partition of the late 19th century and early 20th century to resolutions of the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court.

The only challenge is whether the African continent is ready consciously to intervene. I want to assure leaders that can longer have direct missionaries, explorers and traders. The resolution authorizes UN member states (read Western war hawks, currently teetering on the brink of financial ruin) to take “all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian populated areas” while “excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.”

It is not rare that African leaders have committed mistakes, but apparently in this “accident” in Libya, “I don’t believe a cat to intervene with an ambulance to take a rat to the hospital.”

The imperialists Western war hawks salivating with an appetite to pillage and plunder Libyan oil are framing their arguments in terms of what Catholic theology calls the just wars doctrine, arguing deceitfully that it is a moral imperative on the “international community” to institute democracy and secure “human rights” by destroying Libya like they did Iraq, advertise for reconstruction and their companies take the tenders and use the money from frozen assets as donations. What hypocrisy.

But can plunder, murder and general destruction by anybody serve a higher good? The Libyan rebels are continuing to lose because they abandoned the script of non-violence that had worked so well in Tunisia and Egypt. They miscalculated by entering directly in the ambit of the colonial hangover of imperialists like France, who recognized them as a legitimate opposition. Unfortunately it has not been easy and even their Western backers are now on a roundtable trying to re-adjust their imperialist mission.

It is therefore important to understand how imperialism has changed its face from Iraq to Libya; the journey is still long, my only worry is how prepared are we to challenge the journey to the south. Historians remember very well Dr. Livingstone’s journey and even Vasco Da Gama. The use of violence is totally unacceptable unless it meets the strict conditions for legitimate defense. This also serves as an eye-opener to most African countries to sort out their internal contradictions and work for the people and the people will be able to consciously defend what belongs to them. I am not yet convinced that we have done enough to make sure that we don’t attract imperialists.

[W]hat I am saying is that the African Union should try to be independent and safeguard the continent. I expect a communiqué from the east African community and urge fellow Pan Africanists to enlighten our people on the cause to resist, if we all still have the energy.

As Sekou Toure said “I rather be free in poverty than rich in slavery.”

The author is a pan-Africanist.