In addition to alarmed voices from Africa’s AU and even the Arab League, the recent UN Security Council resolution 1973 on Libya now draws increasing professional criticism: Firstly, the U.S.-led NATO member group is by far transgressing its mandate. Secondly, any military interference in the internal affairs of countries is illegal, unless that country poses a threat to other countries, which is definitely not the case here.

F16 jets with Danish insignia were spotted in the big air base close to the Northern Italian town of Grosseto, writes a local eye witness in a reader’s letter to the respected German conservative daily FAZ. His pastime chats with local friends working inside the base reportedly revealed, that the Danish were “training for service against Libya”. The eager reader had difficulties to make sense of this information, he recounts: The training flights occurred several days, before the uprising in Libya started. He adds: Now the very same jets are stationed in Sigonella and taking part in the air operation against Gaddhafi. His conclusion: “I can’t believe in coincidence.”
Even if this account proves incorrect, coincidence can be ruled out: In their “Greater Middle East” (2004) game planning, the U.S. has vowed to redesign the political map of the whole region, and already the infamous neo-conservative “Project of a New American Century” (PNAC, 1997) paper called for deep changes in the same area. The Libyan uprising is unusual in the present context, as it did not start with large demonstrations, but with a shoot-out in a little town outside Benghazi. The early withdrawals of Libyan diplomats from their official jobs, thus changing sides to the uprising, come under suspicion of having been prepared and staged.
All over the uprising CIA, SAS and other NATO partner’s intelligence and operations services can be found. A highly staged communications agenda keeps stating massacres and mass killings with little, or false, or no proof at all. Early secret weapons deliveries by Saudi Arabia were later followed by more open deliveries by Egypt’s ruling U.S.-trained military junta.
The use of Uranium weapons (as in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan – all inhabited by Muslims) with predictable effects on the genetic code of all living beings in the area, with high possibility of terrible deformities in new-born children and chromosome damages for the next generations, poisoning of arable land etc. stands in violation of Hague and Geneva conventions and other rules. Last not least the whole world unanimously holds a well-founded general suspicion, that countries rich in resources face hightened U.S. efforts in gaining influence.
This all is certainly not a suitable background for a UN Security Council resolution for a mandate to U.S.-ruled NATO “to protect civilians and civilian populated areas”. It stands in violation of the UN Charter, underlined by the present NATO practice of extending air support to advancing rebel troops.
China and Russia will need to call another urgency meeting of the Security Council, withholding implementation of resolution 1973 with immediate effect, calling both Libyan warring parties to the table under mutually agreed international mediation within three days. At that table a cease fire must be implemented within days, which must lead to peaceful negotiation among Libyans for a plan to safeguard Libyan unity and peaceful government. At the same time UN-led urgent inquiries in international involvement in planning and carrying out the Libyan uprising as well as in the use of Uranium weapons and its consequences have to be set up and start work as soon as possible. There must not be any alternative to playing by the rules.
*The author is a government and business consultant in Germany, multiple book author and expert since 25 years on issues of Central Asia, the Middle East and security-related question