Creative Destruction Part II

8/11/2019 Creative Destruction Part II

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Creative Destruction Part II:

Libya in Washington's Greater Middle East Project

By F. William Engdahl, March 26, 2011

For those who do not believe in coincidence, it's notable that on March 1, 2011 the !bama

"dministration ordered the military bombing attac# on $ibya, ostensibly to create a 'no %ly &one' to

rotect innocent civilians and on March 1, 200(.

)he *o Fly stri#es were beg+n +nder - command with s+sicio+s haste %ollowing the *

esol+tion. )o date the attac#s have been led by -, British and French air %orces and warshis. "

storm o% )omahaw# cr+ise missiles and /-g+ided bombs has rained down on +ndisclosed $ibyan

targets with reorts o% many civilian deaths. *o end is in sight at resent.

Eight years earlier to the day, the B+sh "dministration began its !eration -hoc# and "we, the

military destr+ction and occ+ation o% ra3, allegedly to revent a threat o% weaons o% mass

destr+ction which never e4isted as was later con%irmed. )he ra3i invasion %ollowed more than a

decade o% illegal *o Fly 5one oerations over ra3i airsace by the same trio-", Britain and

France.

Far more imortant than any ossible n+merology games a s+erstitio+s entagon might or might

not be laying is the +ltimate agenda behind the domino series o% regime destabili&ations that

Washington has ignited +nder the banner o% democracy and h+man rights across the slamic world

since 7ecember 2010.

With Washington's e4erting o% enormo+s ress+re on other *")! member states to ta#e %ormal

command o% the -led bombing o% $ibya, no matter +nder what name, in order to give

Washington a %ig lea% that wo+ld shi%t attention away %rom the entagon's central role via "F8!M

in coordinating the military oeration, the entire +heaval sweeing across *orth "%rican and

Middle East slamic co+ntries is loo#ing at this writing more li#e the early onset o% a World War ,

one that some *")! members hint is e4ected to last decades.

"s with World War and World War , this one as well wo+ld be la+nched to e4and what 7avid

oc#e%eller and /eorge 9.W. B+sh in the ast have called a :new world order.:

Gaddafi's real 'crie'

nli#e )+nisia or Egyt where a hal%way credible arg+ment co+ld be made that the o+lation was

s+%%ering %rom e4loding %ood rices and a vast wealth ga, /adda%i's $ibya, o%%icially called $ibyan

"rab ;amahiriya, is very di%%erent.

)here, according to "%ricans have so#en to with direct #nowledge, $ibyans en


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"%rica. When he sie&ed ower %rom ailing >ing dris %o+r decades ago literacy was below 10? o%

the o+lation. )oday it is above 0?, hardly the %ootrint o% yo+r tyical tyrant. $ess than @? o%

the o+lation is +nderno+rished, a %ig+re lower than in the nited -tates. n resonse to the rising

%ood rices o% recent months, /adda%i too# care to abolish all ta4es on %ood. "nd a lower

ercentage o% eole lived below the overty line than in the *etherlands. /adda%i calls his model a

%orm o% slamic socialism. t is sec+lar and not theocratic, desite its overwhelmingly -+nni base in

the o+lation.1

Why is the nited -tates so oosed to /ada%%iA 8learly beca+se he is simly :not with the

rogram.: /adda%i has shown reeatedly and not witho+t gro+nds that he deely distr+sts

Washington. 9e has constantly tried to %orge an indeendent voice %or an "%rica that is increasingly

being +s+red by the entagon's "F8!M. n 1 he initiated creation o% the "%rican nion,

based in "ddis "bbaba, to strengthen the international voice o% "%rica's %ormer colonial states. "t a

an"%rican s+mmit in 200 he aealed %or creation o% a nited -tates o% "%rica to combine the

economic strengths o% what is erhas the world's richest continent in terms o% +ne4loited mineral

and agric+lt+ral otentials.

/ranted /adda%i doesn't have the best Western agencies li#e -aatchi -aatchi o% 9ill

>nowlton to give his message the retty to+ches that oliticians li#e Barac# !bama or 7avid

8ameron or *i#olas -ar#o&y have. *or is he hotogenic li#e his Washington co+nterart, ma#ing

his grisly %ace easy to demoni&e in the media as a #ind o% new 9itler.

/adda%i is a thorn in Washington's side %or other reasons tho+gh. 9e says that the C11 hi


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be%ore March 1.

Following wee#s o% dilomatic decetion and what were clearly deliberately misleading signals %rom

- 7e%ense -ecretary obert /ates claiming to oose a no%ly &one %or $ibya, -ecretary o% -tate

9illary 8linton claiming to s+ort one, and a - resident aearing to be wea# and vacillating,

the *obel eace resident !bama, the resident who ordered escalation o% the war in "%ghanistan

and de%ended the 8" tort+re rison at /+antanamo, ordered a de %acto declaration o% war against

a sovereign nation, $ibya, desite the %act that no - lives were endangered nor - territory

threatened by what was essentially an internal $ibyan armed tribal +rising against an established

head o% state and government. Moreover, /adda%i's $ibya has never threatened an invasion o% a

neighboring state, an essential i% %orgotten recondition %or any * intervention.

"s e4erience in Bosnia and in ra3 in the 10s clearly showed, a *o Fly 5one is not a ne+tral

minor event b+t a %+ll scale act o% war, a violent ta#ing control o% the airsace o% a sovereign

territory, incl+ding destroying the antiaircra%t and air stri#e caacity o% the target co+ntry.

ichard Fal#, a disting+ished ro%essor o% international law and * -ecial aorte+r on

alestinian 9+man ights, noted the +tter lac# o% any basic criteria %or a * intervention in $ibyaD

What is immediately striking about the bipartisan call in Washington for a no-fly zone and air

strikes designed to help rebel forces in Libya is the absence of any concern with the relevance of

international law or the authority of the United Nations. None in authority take the trouble to

construct some kind of legal rationalisation. The realists in command! and echoed by the

mainstream media! do not feel any need to provide even a legal fig leaf before embarking on

aggressive warfare.

"t should be obvious that a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace is an act of war! as would be! of course!

contemplated air strikes on fortifications of the #addafi forces. The core legal obligation of the UN

$harter re%uires member states to refrain from any use of force unless it can be &ustified as self-

defence after a cross-border armed attack or mandated by a decision of the UN 'ecurity $ouncil.

Neither of these conditions authorising a legal use of force is remotely present! and yet the

discussion proceeds in the media and Washington circles as if the only %uestions worth discussing

pertain to feasibility! costs! risks! and a possible backlash in the (rab world.(

Fal#, who has sent most o% the ast %ive decades de%ending the now%orgotten notion that a r+le

o% law is re%erable to a r+le o% barbarian 'might ma#es right,' adds, :8annot it not be arg+ed that

in sit+ations o% h+manitarian emergency 'a state o% e4cetion' e4ists allowing an intervention to be

carried o+t by a coalition o% the willing rovided it doesn't ma#e the sit+ation worseA: 9e answers

his rhetorical 3+estionD

With respect to Libya! we need to take account of the fact that the #addafi government! however

distasteful on humanitarian grounds! remains the lawful diplomatic representative of a sovereign

state! and any international use of force even by the UN! much less a state or group of states!

would constitute an unlawful intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state! prohibited by

(rticle )*+, of the UN $harter unless epressly authorised by the 'ecurity $ouncil as essential for

the sake of international peace and security.


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eyond this! there is no assurance that an intervention! if undertaken! would lessen the suffering

of the Libyan people or bring to power a regime more respectful of human rights and dedicated to

democratic participation.

What " am mainly decrying here in the Libyan debate are three kinds of policy failure/ The

eclusion of international law and the United Nations from relevance to national debates about

international uses of force0 The absence of respect for the dynamics of self-determination in

societies of the 'outh0 The refusal to heed the ethics and politics appropriate for a post-colonial

world order that is being de-Westernised and is becoming increasingly multi-polar.=

*otable in the latest Washington r+sh to war was the lac# o% any indeendent veri%ication o% what

had become the +niversal image o% a /adda%i ordering his air %orce to shoot on what western media

claimed were innocent +narmed civilians. 8** staged camera shots don't 3+ali%y as ne+tral in this

instance, nor BB8. brahim -ahad, $ibyan oosition %ig+re and *ational Front %or the -alvation o%

$ibya so#esman, made the charge against /adda%i literally while standing in %ront o% the - White9o+se. *o one bothered to indeendently con%irm i% it was acc+rate.

More notable, once the "rab $eag+e agreed to bac# a $ibyan *o Fly otion, oosition within the

* -ec+rity 8o+ncil collased, giving Washington its desired cover o% la+sible international

s+ort %or its desired military action.

)he -ec+rity 8o+ncil vote was 100 with %ive ma+wait and )+r#ey, added, :)he "rab $eag+e resol+tion

was rammed thro+gh by "mr Mo+sa, -ecretary/eneral o% the "rab $eag+e, who hoes to s+cceed

9osni M+bara# as Egyt's ne4t resident. "rab leaders, who deend +on the - %or their

contin+ed e4istence, were not hard to ers+ade.: 6Mo+sa, a savvy s+rvivor, #nows he stands no

chance to be resident i% he doesn't have Washington's bac#ing, covert or overt.

'Coalition of the un#illing'

)he entire Washington mani+lation le%t its bac#ers, a de %acto 'coalition o% the +nwilling,' reali&ing

they had been do+blecrossed by Washington. "s soon as the relentless bombing o% civilian as well


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as military targets in )rioli and across $ibya became clear, "mr Mo+sa conveniently claimed that

#illing civilians had not been art o% the * deal, as i% he hadn't tho+ght o% that ossibility be%ore.

+ssia's +tin called the - action a new :cr+sade: against $ibya and the slamic world, not

witho+t reason. 8hina deno+nced the - intervention. n%ort+nately, both co+ntries had been

silent when it co+ld have co+nted d+ring the * -ec+rity 8o+ncil voting when they abstained,

erhas o+t o% %ear o% alienating the ower%+l oil rod+cer co+ntries o% the "rab $eag+e.

eali&ing that they had been tric#ed bigtime by Washington, $ondon and aris, all o% whom had

aarently lanned the military action against $ibya longbe%ore any * or "rab $eag+e vote,

E+roean *")! members and others incl+ding *")!member )+r#ey immediately began

vehement rotest.

/ermany withdrew its military s+ort e3+iment %rom the region over disagreement over the

camaign's lac# o% goals or direction as +nity within *")! cr+mbled. taly acc+sed France o%

bac#ing the *o Fly in order to grab $ibya's oil riches o+t %rom +nder taly's statecontrolled

E*C"/. taly also threatened to revo#e -, >, and French rights to +se its bases +nless *")!

were %ormally +t in charge. "s o% this writing Washington had even less tr+e international bac#ing

%or its military advent+re than even in the 200( ra3 invasion.

For its art British government ministers were calling %or assassination o% /adda%i, stating that the

Middle East and *orth "%rican war co+ld go on some :(0 years.:

!thers made the comarison to the )wentieth 8ent+ry +heavals and dismantling o% E+roean

emires that made way +ltimately %or an "merican 8ent+ry. )hose +heavals, which lasted %rom

11= thro+gh 1=@ were remembered in history boo#s as World War and World War in reality

one long thirty years' war %or global hegemony.

"s the event+al :winner: o% that mammoth contest, nited -tates elites gro+ed then aro+nd the

immensely ower%+l oc#e%eller %amily and roclaimed what Time-Life+blisher 9enry $+ce in a

1=1 editorial named an :"merican 8ent+ry.: )hat "merican 8ent+ry is now in dangero+s decline,

a rotracted death agony o% decay and sel%destr+ction that began mani%estly in 11, symboli&ed

by resident ichard *i4on's +nilateral decision to tear + the Bretton Woods monetary treaty and

brea# the tie between the - dollar and gold, a %ate%+l t+rn.

!nother #ar for oil$

es, $ibya's oil is indeed a %actor behind the British, French and - war %ervor. "ccording to what

one highlyin%ormed Middle East oil services e4ert %amiliar with the oil reso+rces o% the entire

region told me rivately in a recent disc+ssion, $ibya has vast +ntaed oil wealth, by %ar "%rica's

largest, and :it is almost s+l%+r%ree, the highest 3+ality cr+de yo+ %ind anywhere.: ntil now,

desite reeated 8" co+ and assassination attemts to tole /adda%i in the ast, the $ibyan

leader was care%+l to not s+rrender total control over his oil reso+rces to the "nglo"merican oil

cartel interests b+t to retain control to b+ild the co+ntry, something de%initely not to Washington's

li#ing.

*otably, the center o% $ibyan oil in%rastr+ct+re is in the Bengha&i region in the east where the


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Westernbac#ed rebellion started. Bengha&i is north o% $ibyaGs richest oil %ields, close to most o% its

oil and gas ielines, re%ineries and $ibya's $*/ ort. )he *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil o% the

$ibyan e+blic led by M+sta%a "bd+l ;alil is based there.

B+t it wo+ld be a mista#e to red+ce what is in %act Washington's /reater Middle East ro


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o+t,L -ar#o&y said. K)hose who abandon Jadda%i in his cra&y and m+rdero+s ways can


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made + o% %ormer alJaeda %ighters revio+sly released %rom


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9illary 8linton also moved to %irm - ties to the ins+rgents. !n March 1( she reortedly met in

8aironow a lace %irmly in command o% a entagondeendent Egytian military co+ncil a%ter the

)witter yo+th had served their +rose o% deosing M+bara#with leaders o% the oosition rebels.

"nno+ncing her meeting, she stated, KWe are reaching o+t to the oosition inside and o+tside o%

$ibya. will be meeting with some o% those %ig+res both here in the nited -tates and when travel

ne4t wee# to disc+ss what more the nited -tates and others can do,L she said. 1

n the western art o% $ibya, the contending oosition is led by the second gro+ France has

recogni&ed, something calling itsel% ambitio+sly, the slamic Emirate o% Bar3a, a %ormer name %or

the northwestern art o% the co+ntry. )hat gro+ has been described as a gro+ o% :aged e4iles

and de%ectors %rom the %ormer /adda%i regime...waving the old >ing dris monarchist %lag.: 20*ot

e4actly a revol+tionary yo+th )witter movement o% s+rging, demograhicallydriven asirations.

Conclusion

"s o% this writing, what is clear is that %ar more is at sta#e %or Washington and its :coalition o% the

+nwilling: in the la+nching o% a new war over $ibya than anyone is admitting. % this mar#s the %irst

shots in a new world war, or i% vario+s governments within and o+tside *")! have the strength to

resist the ers+asive ower o% the entagon war aarat+s is +nclear. What is clear is that the

recent events that started in )+nisia at the end o% 2010 are b+t art o% a colossally large and

increasingly deserate strategy o% -orchestrated :creative destr+ction.: )o date it has been

anything b+t creative %or those living in the a%%ected region.

*otesD


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17avid othsc+m, The World $heers as the $"( 1lunges Libya "nto $haos, /lobal esearch, March 2,2011, accessed in httDCCglobalresearch.caCinde4.hAconte4tOvaaidO2(==.

2bid.

(ichard Fal#, 2icking the intervention habit/ 'hould talks of intervention in Libya turn into action! it

would be illegal! immoral and hypocritical, 10 March, 2011, accessed inhttDCCenglish.al Bhadra#+mar,(mericas man in 3gypt (mr 4oussa pushes No 5ly 6one call through (rab Leaguewith 'audi help but (frican Union re&ects it, "sia )imes, March 1@, 2011, accessed inhttDCCwww.atimes.comCatimesCMiddlePEastCM81@"#02.html.

6bid.

7aily Mail eorter, #ermans pull forces out of N(T7 as Libyan coalition falls apart, $ondon 7aily Mail,

2( March, 2011.

H7avid oc#e%eller, 4emoirs, *ew or#, andom 9o+se, 2002, . =0@.

F. William Engdahl, 3gypts 8evolution/ $reative 9estruction for a #reater 4iddle 3ast:, Febr+ary @,2011, accessed in www.engdahl.oilgeoolitics.net.

108** Wire -ta%%, 7bama hopes resurgent Libyan opposition can topple #adhafi, 8**, March 2(, 2011,accessed in httDCCedition.cnn.comC2011C!$)8-C0(C22Cobama.cnn.interviewCinde4.html.

11UN security council resolution ;;;, on Libya, rerinted in )he /+ardian, March 1, 2011,accessed in httDCCwww.g+ardian.co.+#CworldC2011CmarC1C+nsec+rityco+ncilresol+tion.

12raveen -wami, et al, Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-?aeda links, )he )elegrah,$ondon, March 26, 2011.

1(/eorge Friedman, Libya! the West and the Narrative of 9emocracy, -trat%or, March 21, 2011, accessedin httDCCwww.strat%or.comCwee#lyC%riedmanPonPgeoolitics.

1=7avid othsc+m, o cit.

1@bid.

16"nthony -hadid and >areem Fahim, 7pposition in Libya 'truggles to 5orm a United 5ront, )he *ewor# )imes, March H, 2011.

1-trat%or, Libyas 7pposition Leadership $omes into 5ocus, March 20, 2011, accessed inhttDCCwww.strat%or.comCanalysisC20110(0libyasoositionleadershicomes%oc+s.

1Hbid.

1obert 7rey%+s, Will the World 8ecognize the Libyan 7pposition:, )he *ation, March 10, 2011,

accessed in httDCCwww.thenation.comCblogC1@1(HCwillworldrecogni&elibyanoosition.

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Creative Destruction Part II

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