International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

A thoroughgoing popular revolution

A writer in Tripoli — 2011-09-24T09:30:08Z

This view of the revolution in Libya from "A writer in Tripoli" was published on the socialistworker.org site on 20 September, 2011.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

A retreat from previous positions?

Ken Hiebert — 2011-09-19T09:01:46Z

I was taken aback by the September 2nd SA statement on Libya Imperialist victory is no gain for Libyan revolt. l Previous coverage on Libya had made clear SA's sympathy for the revolt and had sought to propose a course of action for the struggle. This latest statement is a retreat from that.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

Will Libya be another disappointment after Iraq and Afghanistan?

Abdirahman Dirye — 2011-09-14T14:19:03Z

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

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

After Gaddafi

David Wearing, Gilbert Achcar — 2011-09-05T12:36:21Z

Gilbert Achar's recent interview with New Left Project, published in International Viewpoint in August 2011 elicited, like his previous articles, a lot of discussion. Here, NLP's David Wearing asks Achcar a series of follow-up questions on the criticisms of his position, and on the emerging situation in Libya.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

Imminent Victory in Libya – the struggle will continue

Socialist Resistance — 2011-09-04T16:17:27Z

The Executive Committee of Socialist Resistance (British section of the Fourth International) adopted this statement on 31 August 2011.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

Imperialist Victory Is No Gain For Libyan People

Jeff Mackler — 2011-09-04T16:09:50Z

This article by Jeff Mackler for the Political Committee of Socialist Action appears in the September 2011 edition of Socialist Action newspaper.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ

Popular rebellion & imperialist designs

Gilbert Achcar , Tom Mills — 2011-08-26T22:33:31Z

Gilbert Achcar spoke to Tom Mills of New Left Project, a British-based website, about the rebellion in Libya and the motives behind NATO's intervention on 25 August 2011.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Libya NFZ

NATO's "Conspiracy" against the Libyan revolution

Gilbert Achcar — 2011-08-19T00:12:35Z

In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal (19 July 2011), Max Bootâ€” the aptly named neoconservative author and military historian known for his support for “democracy promotion” at the point of a gun, and an ardent supporter of full-scale US military engagement in Libyaâ€”referred to a Financial Times article (15 June) that compared the current aerial bombing campaign over Libya and the Kosovo air war in 1999 in order to emphasize “the lack of firepower in the Libya operation.” Boot commented, dwelling on the same comparison with additional details:

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Libya NFZ

Imperialist intervention in Libya and the Left

Andreas Kloke — 2011-07-24T13:49:59Z

The Arab revolution continued with the fall of the third hated dictator, Saleh in Yemen, after months of bloody repression. In Bahrain and Syria, the regimes continue their efforts to stifle the popular resistance in blood. In Tunisia and Egypt, the ruling elites attempt to impose a “normalization” of their state and the exploitative system. The rebellion against the Gaddafi regime, which was until recently completely pro-Western, took a particularly tragic turn. The revolt itself was justified from the beginning and backed by the same layers â€” the laboring classes and youth â€” as in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries. Therefore the international labor movement and especially the internationalist left had to side with the insurgents despite the heterogeneity of the political forces involved and the relative weakness of the independent labor movement in Libya. The rebels managed to control Benghazi and the eastern part of the country, while Gaddafi prevailed in Tripoli and in western Libya. His troops proved clearly superior to the rebels in March, even threatening to invade Benghazi itself. Only the military intervention of the U.S., France, and Great Britain stopped the advance of the regime's forces and prevented the military defeat of the insurgents.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Libya NFZ

Libya: revolution, intervention and crisis

Solidarity National Committee — 2011-05-12T16:25:29Z

For socialists and for antiwar forces, the events in Libya have presented â€” and continue to present â€” agonizing political and ethical choices. It is entirely logical and inevitable that thoughtful activists find themselves in disagreement among each other, and indeed in internal conflict within themselves, over questions raised by the Libyan popular uprising and by the military intervention of the western powers. Recognizing the difficulties of the situation is the essential first step for the international left to work through them.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Debate section, Libya NFZ