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Will Libya be another disappointment after Iraq and Afghanistan?

Letter from a Reader

Wednesday 14 September 2011, by Abdirahman Dirye

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Abdirahman Dirye, an activist from Somaliland currently based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sent us this comment. He can be reached at: mrdirye@gmail.com

From Iraqi to Afghanistan invasions, Western powers’ instigation of deadly wars which claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people as well as the lives of NATO soldiers, are mainly, in my view, driven by energy insecurity anxieties rather than a purportedly terror or genocide —a lame excuse for invasion— NATO could not arm or fund a dubious rebellion, and eventually air strike Libya without oil ocean beneath Libyan soil. And that is the bottom line. Civilian’s protection in Libya is a good smokescreen for NATO strategic energy policy, if the story is protecting civilians; why not go to Somalia to protect Somalis co-devoured by various enemies of nature and other crises: civil wars, and Al-Shabab, and famine.

Nevertheless, the NATO was defensive until Yugoslavia , not offensive organization but as it seems now, marginalizing UN, Arab League, and African Union, NATO took the role of the UN body because of its global involvement in any major international issues such the ongoing air bombardment on the sovereign country of Libya.

Libya is not Tunisia or Egypt despite the fact of close geographical proximity. There are fundamental differences; ethnicity does not matter in Egypt but Libya is a country much like Somalia, where tribalism sets the entire agenda, so the removal of Kaddafi should not be an obsession for the western powers but they have to look post-Gaddafi era and the possible ensuing harsh realities of Somalia’s style over-fragmentation that many African analysts have looked Libyan critical conditions with jaundiced eye; Kaddafi might go alone but his tribe will fight and eventually, the country will slide into civil war that may put Somalia’s deadly conflict into shame . The ethno-national sentiments and ethnic rivalries are brewing in Libya before the rebels completely take over the capital. A Libya will give birth to a man similar to Mohamed Farah Aided, a notorious warlord yet hero, who will foil American hidden agenda, the former will emerge when Kaddafi is toppled, that would be the worst fatal blow for the alliance.

Omer Al-Farouq fought so many years against Italian occupation. The same scenario may develop against the collaborators or puppet government which NATO wants to rule Libya through it. Colonial techniques remained the same but only time has changed.

The western nationals had been not only a cynical about their leaders’ intentions but also unhappy with the outcomes of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. It a crystal clear that the main goal of invading Iraqi was oil, not WMD as media spoon-fed us, but hyper-greediness to grab the resources of other countries of the world will lead to resource-based World War Three.

NATO alliance must follow China’s non-military approach of securing Africa’s oil, more precisely; they have to stop making military coups in the African continent from Sudan to Zambia for the sake of energy security. Their motto “give me oil to grease my economy or I will topple you” is as bad as it can, and has to be replaced with lenient policy! However, by rephrasing Gandhi’s saying, Africa’s oil is enough for everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed.