West Asia

By Andrew Williams

Despite the overwhelming military superiority of the alliance of states participating in the assault on Libya, three weeks into the intervention it has become bogged down. Clearly the Gaddafi regime has a base of support that has allowed it to retain control of the west of the country. At the same time, the imperialist-backed opposition have held on to their base in the east but have not been able to extend beyond that. The situation on the ground has become an extended stalemate, with each side making advances followed by equivalent retreats.

By Jane West

Twelve days into its bombing campaign on Libya, imperialism’s air offensive has intensified, military coordination tightened and the US and Britain are openly discussing greater involvement in the ground offensive.

Those who argue that the war represents the majority of the world can do so only by falsely claiming that UN Security Council reflects world opinion. Yet the combined population of the 10 members who voted FOR the UN Security Council resolution is only 700m people – just 10% of the world’s population. In contrast, there has been opposition to the current bombing of Libya and/or calls for an immediate ceasefire by China, Russia, India, the African Union, Brazil, Argentina and many other Latin American countries. Together these countries make up the majority of the world’s population. Below is a selection of those opposing the bombing:

By David Fennell

The events in Libya are already revealing the hypocrisy and lies in the British, US and French governments’ claims about why they have launched their military campaign in Libya.

By Jane West

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.