The imperialist bombing campaign of Libya is a violent attempt to reassert the position of Western imperialism in the Arab world and break the momentum of the uprisings that have swept through the region since January.
By Andrew Williams
The uprisings that have spread across the Middle East have alarmed the US and its regional allies as a series of autocratic pro-Western regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Yemen, have become vulnerable. As the pro-democracy mobilisations have continued their momentum, the US is determined that the ground it has already had to cede in Egypt and Tunisia will not spread further – and is, of course, working hard behind the scenes to limit the extent of the reforms in Egypt and Tunisia.
By Brian Clark
Socialist Action has constantly pointed out that US administration claims that its policy is to support democracy in the Middle East is a straightforward lie and characteristic of imperialist hypocrisy. Of interest, therefore, is that the Wall Street Journal, the most authoritative journal of US business, has now carried a long detailed front page analysis of US attempts to suppress democracy when confronted with the uprisings in the Arab countries.
A deceit currently being promoted by the US and British governments is that any western intervention into Libya is in order to defend human rights. As Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out in his statement to the UN Human Rights Council, these are not imperialism's real concerns. The principle human right – the right to life – is denied by these same powers, whose invasions of countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan have left hundreds of thousands dead. Alongside that there is the well-established use by the US of torture at Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib, plus Britain’s involvement in the US abduction programme. That indicates the real view these states take on human rights.
Fidel Castro has been warning about the dangers of imperialist intervention in Libya. In the following article by him, which appeared on the Cuban website Granma, Fidel also cautions that time is needed to establish what is truth or lies in the current media coverage.
By Andrew Williams
As the revolutionary process has continued to unfold across the Middle East there is much cant being espoused by the US and its allies. Whilst publicly calling in the region for democracy, human rights and peace, a completely contrary agenda is actually being pursued. This is being consolidated through imperialist intervention into Libya.
The extraordinary and completely heroic actions of the Egyptian people have driven Mubarak from power. After thirty years of brutalism and torture, the US and Israeli backed dictator has been ousted. At a cost of hundreds of martyrs who gave their lives, after last week's defeat of Mubarak’s thugs in two days of street fighting, after the movement began to spread to working class strikes, after a final attempt by Mubarak at defiance yesterday night, after the gigantic outpouring of the people in answer today, the dictator has been driven out.
By Alan Davis
The outpouring of popular rebellion in Egypt has inspired progressive people throughout the world. Literally millions were on the streets. The mass mobilisations are continuing despite the killing of hundreds of people by the security services and then the assaults on the protestors by state security thugs.
But in the last few days the various manoeuvrings at the top in Egypt and internationally have intensified.
The Egyptian regime is attempting to suppress Al Jazeera’s reporting from the country. It has already closed down the Al Jazeera Arabic service in Egypt. Now it is attacking the English language service as well. On 31 January it arrested six Al Jazeera journalists. It was forced to release them after international protests but it detained all their equipment – TV cameras, recording equipment, laptops.
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