Photo: Xinhua

After Libya: West has Syria and Iran in its sights

1st December 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

Despite claims it was supporting the ‘Arab Spring’, NATO bombed Libya for its own time-honoured reasons – to depose a regime that was unreliable for Western interests, a frequent nuisance in OPEC, and sometime supporter of various anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggles.

Photo: teleSUR

No imperialist intervention in Syria

11th October 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

As the imperialist intervention in Libya moves into its endgame with the NATO pounding of Sirte, the West’s attention is moving more decisively towards the situation in Syria.

So far the imperialists have drawn back from openly threatening military intervention. This is not because it is not on their agenda, but because a number of factors have temporarily stayed their hand.

Photo: yourbdnews.com

Counterfire and counterrevolution in Libya

1st September 2011 Socialist Action 0

By David Fennell

As NATO launched its final air bombardment and military assault on Tripoli (because of course the entire coordination of the attack was done with total NATO involvement) every major imperialist of the world cheered. The Interim Transitional National Council (ITNC), having already been feted in Washington, London, Paris and other imperialist capitals, was then summoned for a new round of ‘consultations’ – that is to work out with the imperialists how their joint interests might be further advanced. In short imperialism was victorious in the war in Libya. Regrettably the British political organisations Counterfire and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) had been on the same side in this war as the imperialists despite it being clear what was occurring.

Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

What can the Libyans expect

22nd August 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Tom O’Donnell

The precise details of the imperialists’ victory in Libya are not yet clear. Their degree of direct involvement in any post-Gaddafi regime is similarly unclear, with some influential voices calling for a ‘peacekeeping’ role for Western armies. This would be an imperial invasion, having successfully suborned one side in the Libyan civil war.

MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP/Getty Images

Libya: Bombing steps up to try to break deadlock

15th July 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Andrew Williams

Despite almost four months of bombing Libya, NATO has still not succeeded in installing the regime it backs in Tripoli. Although the aerial campaign initially helped opposition forces maintain control of towns in the east of Libya, and Misrata, the capital Tripoli in the west of the country remains under Libyan government control – with NATO backed forces unable to significantly advance towards it for weeks. Whilst its lack of progress leads to some frustration and tensions within imperialism’s ranks, it remains determined to break the stalemate, so NATO has ramped up the air raids on western Libya since the beginning of July.