Patrick Henningsen
21st Century Wire
October 28, 2011
It seems that Libya’s US-backed Rebels don’t quite possess the stomach for regime change that their bosses in Washington DC and London have.
The west’s new vichy-style government in Libya, aka the ‘National Transitional Council’ (NTC) have now asked NATO to stay until 2012, this allegedly in order ‘to stop Gaddafi loyalists fleeing’.
It’s more likely, however, that the rebels are fearing reprisals from the thousands of innocent Libyans who have been maimed, raped and whose family members have been killed in the name of NATO’s liberation of Libya. The list of atrocities done in their name seems to be endless, with new reports of Rebel mass graves and executions coming out daily.
Of course, nothing defines NTC’s barbaric nature better than the brutal execution of Moammar Gaddafi, beaten and shot to death, along with members of his family in Sirte.
Yes, these are the violent animals that US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and British PM David Cameron have backed and fought alongside of in the war for Libya’s riches.
Call it mission creep, or call it 21st century imperialism, but it’s very easy to gather from this latest move that the NTC were never stable enough to facilitate numerous US and European multinational companies who are currently being lined up for hundreds of new ‘reconstruction projects’ and contracts in the country.
NATO and US have long-range plans for Libya
Far from being in control of the country and able to govern, it appears that NATO’s NTC rag-tag band of international al-Qaida mercenaries and tribal paramilitary gangs do not have anything near a mandate by the people to rule Libya, as western TV audiences have been led to believe for the last 9 months.
The London Guardian reported this week on this latest bombshell, announced at a meeting with the US brokered military alliance in Qatar on Wednesday, where NTC interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil announced:
“We look forward to Nato continuing its operations until the end of the year,” said Jalil, adding that stopping the flight of Gaddafi supporters to other countries was a priority. “We seek technical and logistics help from neighbouring and friendly countries,”
Among other illegalities which contravene the UN’s flimsy Resolution 1973, which only allowed for a no-fly zone over Libya, Qatar stood in for the US as far back as March 2011, when it recognised the NTC as the legitimate authority in Libya. Writing its own rules, Qatar then went ahead to supply NATO-Rebel fighters with military provisions, heavy weaponry and more than $400m (£250m) in cash towards regime change.
Worse yet, it was revealed today that the Qatari government has provided boots on the ground in support of the US and NATO’s plan for regime change in Libya. According to Ahram Online:
For the first time, Qatar reveals that it had soldiers on the ground across Libya assisting in the fight against Gaddafi’s regime, with the country to play a major role in integrating the rebels into the Libyan military…
“We were among them and the numbers of Qataris on the ground were hundreds in every region,” said Qatari chief of staff Major General Hamad bin Ali Al-Atiya.
Under international law, this move by long-time US puppet Qatar is a flagrant violation of UN 1973, and other international laws, a crime of opportunity which should place Qatar firmly in international court.
The US agenda in Libya was always to exact regime change- but without getting its hands dirty by being caught in public with troops on the ground. In this twisted operation, it assigned the job of fall guy to its chief partner in the Middle East, Qatar.
But now it appears that the US and Britain are both reported to have had special forces troops on the ground in Libya in the run-up to Gaddafi’s assassination last week.
Israeli intelligence news service DEBKA quoted US sources who admit that American drones kept Gaddafi’s home in Sirte under surveillance, while it was surrounded by US and British forces.
American sources are willing to admit that US drones operated by pilots from Las Vegas pinpointed the fugitive ruler’s hideout in Sirte and kept the building under surveillance for two weeks, surrounded by US and British forces.
Both therefore had boots on the ground in breach of the UN mandate which limited NATO military intervention in Libya to air strikes.
In addition, US emirate puppet Qatar put its hands in the cookie jar very early on, providing the marketing and facilitating the selling of rebel-controlled Libyan oil exports beginning in March – oil which, under Gaddafi, was used to pay government salaries and state benefits on which most families depend. That system is now in chaos, as NTC Rebels and assorted western companies scramble to carve up the country’s state-owned assets and natural resources.
The UK was then next to join in the party, when on Oct 4th, independent oil and gas explorer Heritage Oil became the first foreign firm to pump Libyan oil thanks to its acquisition of a Benghazi-based oil company.
Qatar has stated yesterday that it will remain in Libya as the US proxy. Military commander Atiya said yesterday, that following the eventual departure of NATO troops in 2012, a new “international coalition”, led by Qatar would oversee “military training, collecting weapons, and integrating the rebels in newly established military institutions.” What is not mentioned here, is that any Qatari military operation will be accompanied by its numerous US advisers, as well as US military equipment, and CIA intelligence support.
And so it begins. “The liberation of Libya”, to be divided up by a series of multinational companies, along with a permanent attachment of US and European military specialists.
In a few months time, internal struggles will be rife and naturally, NATO will still be there- along with UN blue helmets. Whatever is left of the original NTC and their CIA contracted al-Qaida freedom fighters, will likely have ripped each other to pieces fighting over the scraps of wealth that are left by the US, Europe and Qatar.
Surprised?
This writer is not, as it was easily predicted on Oct 4th that NATO would be staying in Libya, and that there would be boots on the ground in 2012:
By that time, all the horrors and atrocities which have been carried out by NATO and its Rebels will have been flushed out, and with any luck, people in the west might realize who brought real brutality and tragedy to the country of Libya.
Let the rebuilding commence.
READ MORE LIBYA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Libya Files
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