'UN decision, a blank check for NATO'

Libyan revolutionary forces

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172106.html

The Libyan revolution has reached a critical stage, with the westward advancement of revolutionaries which involves the recapturing of some key towns, including Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte.

Press TV talks with Bryan Dawning, a military and political analyst, who elaborates on the Libyan developments. The following is the rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: The resolution 1973 is indicated to be a combination of decade long effort to radically strengthen the bid of the UN to intervene in sovereign nations to what's been called "RtoP"... the responsibility to protect doctrine, and not surprisingly you have national security council advisors Samantha Powers and George Soros that are said to be behind this, if that is the case what is that show of the UN truly represents.

Bryan Dawning: I think the US is added a second clause in that act, which called for protection of civilians. That off course is incredibly ambiguous statement and I think it was intended to be incredibly ambiguous so it would strike fear into the Libyan Generals and Muammar Gaddafi. It is pretty close to a blank check for NATOs and key allies operating in there which it actually include the UAE and Kuwait now. If the members of the Security Council strongly and truly feel that what NATO and other powers doing is well beyond what is called for I think you see them introduce a new debate and perhaps the retraction.

Press TV: Bryan Dawning it is question of concern that is going to come out of the role of the UN in this case of point, might the UN also borrow the US and other western militaries in the future to impose its role on member states that it feels not living up to the role of the UN and idea's of states responsibilities...don't you think that in some ways under the pretext of humanitarian intervention it's going to violate the sovereignty of member states and other countries.

Bryan M Downing: I think there is so much borrowing the UN can do. The UN has borrowed troops for ... certainly Somalia come to mind,Côte-d'Ivoire might be up and coming, I believe in the Negev Desert, the border between Israel and Lebanon ... I do not sense any willingness on the part of American people or any American President who's plausibly is going to be in power for decade or so whose going to be willing to detach large numbers of American troops for peace keeping purposes under UN sanctions. I think the US finding that is little too expensive and little too counterproductive as well.

Press TV: Let me ask you what is wrong with the west, supporting regime change we can see if it is under humanitarian pretext of being some kind of intervention, but when we go in political side and see the US is reaching to the opposition having secret meetings that was held in London recently, and there is one that is going to be held tomorrow with the opposition... at this stage, is that right? Why don't we let the revolutionaries make their advances... and let them have their revolution happen and the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi, why would the West at this point do this political maneuvering by reaching out to the opposition?

Bryan M Downing: Perhaps...they are looking into a post Gaddafi Libya, or Libya that is partitioned between the Western area under Gaddafi, and eastern area under the revolutionary groups. But I think you have to be concern about just who is going to be in charge of Libya, either in the eastern part or in a post Gaddafi period.

Press TV: Why should the US not let the people do their voting, once they have a constitution they deemed proper and then continue to let their proper voting to take place...If the US is spending all this money, she is going to want back in return from Libya, it's not like the US is going to be hands off? Don't you think?

Bryan M Downing: I think the UN, NATO and just about everybody in the region would want to see some sort of transition regime to handle this sort of election, there is no one there to do it now. Remember Mubarak in Egypt was a dictator a rather brutal one, but he did allow the pretense of democracy there. There were trade association, political parties, and there were professional organizations. Things that are coming together now in Egypt, to build a representative government. There was absolutely nothing like that in Libya, because Gaddafi did not allow any semblance of democracy, neither did the monarchy before him, neither the Italian colonial power before that. But you cannot just leave Libya to its own devices once Gaddafi is gone.