Who armed Libya? – VOR

Laaska News  Sept. 28,2011
 Igor Siletsky

Photo: RIA Novosti   

Countries of the Western coalition have not only loosely interpreted UN resolutions on Libya but also openly violated the embargo on weapon supplies to that North African country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel. According to him, Washington and NATO have thus seriously damaged the Security Council’s authority.

No one has ever dared to violate UN decisions so roughly and explicitly, the Russian diplomat emphasized.

“It has already been said openly that Resolution 1970, which was adopted by consensus and stipulated a full embargo on arms trade with Libya, has been violated. Arms have been supplied from a number of European countries, as well as from several countries in the Arab region. Foreign instructors are at work on the Libyan territory. There are data in Western media, which no one has yet denied, that besides instructors, special forces – namely people who planned and participated in military operations – were also working [in Libya],” Mr. Lavrov said.

Just a reminder: NATO as leader of the Operation United Defender should have ensured the UN arms supplies embargo in Libya. Last week, however, saw Brussels deciding to partially lift its own ban introduced earlier by the European Union and bring armaments meant to “ensure security” to Libya. The West said these weapons would be used by UN personnel and humanitarian organizations staff. This turned out to be also true for the Alliance’s military specialists, even though NATO has so far failed to recognize that it carries out a secret ground mission in defiance of all the UN resolutions.

However, Libya is scarcely suffering from weapon shortages even without new supplies. Reports have already emerged about the discovered storages of chemical warfare agents and nuclear materials. The UN Security Council urged Libya’s National Transitional Council to take all necessary measures to prevent these reserves from falling into the hands of extremists. The UN especially fears that the latter obtain chemical weapons and surface-to-air missiles.

In the meantime, NTC troops assumed control of eastern Sirte, the native town of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, whose whereabouts are still unknown, although the Al Libya TV channel broadcast another address of his to the nation on September 27th . The Colonel confirmed that he was still in the country, ready to die a martyr, adding that “an unexpected shock” was in store for the National Transitional Council. Analysts worldwide are therefore recollecting their predictions: no early end to war in Libya should be expected.

 VOR.
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