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The Perils of Insubordination - Why Regime Change in Libya? By ISMAEL HOSSEIN-ZADEH http://bit.ly/kLUJxh

To the chagrin of US imperialism, Libya's Gaddafi also refused to join the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), designed to control valuable resources in Africa, safeguard trade and investment markets in the region, and contain or evict China from North Africa. "When the US formed AFRICOM in 2007, some 49 countries signed on to the US military charter for Africa but one country refused: Libya. Such a treacherous act by Libya's leader Moummar Qaddafi would only sow the seeds for a future conflict down the road in 2011" [5].

Once again, it's all abut insubordination. A lot of citizens around the world simply don't realize that the stakes for world domination has been increased due to the SURPRISING Arab Spring. BTW, this analysis is spot on...

By ISMAEL HOSSEIN-ZADEH

In their efforts to consolidate the reign of big capital worldwide, captains of global finance use a variety of methods. The preferred method is usually non-military, that is, the neoliberal strategies of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), carried out by representatives of big business disguised as elected officials, or by the multilateral institutions such as the IMF and the WTO. This is what is currently happening in the debt- and deficit-ridden economies of the United States and Europe. But if a country like Libya (or Venezuela or Iran or Cuba) does not go along with the neoliberal agenda of "structural adjustments," of outsourcing and privatization, and of allowing their financial system to be tied to the network of global banking cartel, then the military option is embarked upon to carry out the neoliberal agenda.

Folks, this is all about OIL & keeping China at bay from the Mediterranean. Whoever supports this ILLEGAL war is either a warmonger or a hypocrite. Why not fix Somalia, South Sudan, Bahrain, DRC & Yemen FIRST??? I'm still amazed how quickly the Big 3 jumped on this delicious OPPORTUNITY (Oil, having BILLION$ of Gadaffi's money frozen, pretending to be supporting Arab Spring, & getting rid of a non-compliant asset who dared to make Africa INDEPENDENT with its oil wealth).

Wise words indeed:

When Norway became a member state of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it was a defence organization against attack on one or more of the NATO member states. Norway needed the solidarity of NATO membership to protect the country from a hostile Soviet Union.Even though in a thousand years of history, Russia not once attacked Norway. It was the British (during their war against France)and the Germans who attacked us and killed our people.

The Norwegian people never signed up to membership in a defence alliance that conducts wars of aggression against states in Africa, that do not threaten the security of any Nato member. Which is the case in Libya.

http://heimdals.blogspot.com/2011/05/norway-and-nato-war-against-libya.html

I'm disappointed in Ocampo for this charade. The rebels have made deals with France for oil concessions. They have killed thousands of African migrant workers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The West only wants Libya's oil plus the fact that they lost BIG in Egypt & Tunisia. It's so bloody obvious. And shame on the Western press for not highlighting Libya's free education/health care plus citizens receive a monthly oil check so a lot of them don't bother to work. Hence the need for migrant workers!!

The people in Yemen truly want a new government. It's so obvious. These rebels don't have the masses behind them that we saw in Egypt & Tunisia. That alone should raise some eyebrows. Finally, I'm not a big Gadhafi fan either. But he's way better than those Wahibi Saudi/Bahraini rulers. He's not an islamist, and he's invested heavily in Africa (spreading the wealth). Yeah, he's a little eccentric, but nobody's perfect. This is no reason to invade his country under the pretense of 'humanitarian intervention' when DRC (Congo) has lost MILLIONS of African lives over the past 10 years due to INSTABILITY. Where's NATO for these folks??

Iran and its Revolutionary Guard Corps are under similar U.S. punishment. Officials said the new designation for the Revolutionary Guard would add another layer of penalties and make clear that Washington believes it is providing material support to help with the crackdown.

Oh, and the US 5th Fleet sitting in Bahrain's port is not providing arms to Bahrain & Saudi Arabia to CRUSH the Shia majority? I would have hoped that Japan Today would be more OBJECTIVE and shed light on these obvious similarities. Any reputable media organisation worth its salt would do so. Right?

The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim, but Assad and the ruling elite belong to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Islam’s Shiite branch that dominates in Iran, Iraq and Bahrain.

Lol. This is the complete opposite of Bahrain. There's the US 5th Fleet is at the harbour & not doing a thing to help the Shia majority. In Syria, it's the Sunni majority that's getting shafted. The irony though is hilarious if lives weren't being lost.

Yes, Syria is worse than Libya but the West won't go there because they know Gaddafi is MUCH WEAKER to deal with. And it's much easier to grab Libya's oil. I don't think Syria has any.

The company says he was key in building the Sony brand, especially working on design, as well as quality, to make products that looked attractive to consumers.

It's these type of passionate executives that are sorely lacking in the business world today. Everyone's a 'banker'/MBA straight jacket from fancy schools who don't teach anything worthwhile (and apparently without much ethics. lol) any more.

I've always been a fan of Japanese products -- cars, electronics, etc. Always first rate QUALITY. It's these types of exceptional Sony leaders that Japan needs -- in both business & government -- today now that South Korea & China are keen on dethroning this Asian tiger.

Rest in peace Mr. Ohgha! Ya did real good.

*White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. calls on the Syrian government “to cease and desist from the use of violence against peaceful protesters” and to “follow through on its promises and take action toward the kind of concrete reform that they’ve promised.”

In the U.K., Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the “unacceptable killing of demonstrators by the Syrian security forces.”

“I call on the Syrian security forces to exercise restraint instead of repression, and on the Syrian authorities to respect the Syrian people’s right to peaceful protest,” Hague said.*

AND what about some acknowledgement of the Shias in Bahrain looking for some PEACE & FREEDOM? Hypocrites!!

But WHEN is NATO gonna help out in Bahrain?? The Shia MAJORITY is waiting for them to stop the live bullets from the Sunni MINORITY sheik. Oh, but wait...the US 5th Fleet docks in Bahrain to protect the Sunni oil from Saudi Arabia et al. Now I get it!!! Qaddafi can't be controlled, so the West bombs him to get him outta there -- hoping that the 'rebels' will repay them with access to the oil fields. Well, I'm sure there'll be some unintended consequences for this hypocrisy. Mind you, King Qaddafi is no saint, but compared to the Saudis & other hardline oil states in the region, he's a SAVIOUR. Women in Libya have waaaaay more FREEDOM than in Wahabi kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You think the West would appreciate this.

Please DO NOT vote for Obama nor the GOP. The Prez fooled a lot of people ONCE...but hopefully not TWICE. Else shame on us all. And the GOP is CRAZY in a warped Christian-fundamentalist way. Forget em!

What we TRULY need is a viable 3rd PROGRESSIVE political party. It can be done. The focus should not be on ONE person to SAVE us, but on the WHOLE party itself - it's core values, it's promise to FOLLOW the Constitution to the letter, to END corporate lobbying IMMEDIATELY, to NOT bail out rich banks, etc. who caused this financial crises, etc.

Obomber (er President Obama) is a FLIP FLOPPER. He did NOT keep any of his main campaign promises. He brought SOCIALISM to Wall Street & BIG business. Yet they hardly pay any taxes & Joe Plumber & Sue Smith gets screwed every day. He's a disappointment to his wife's Afro American base.

Ok, look at it this way... WHAT was Venezuela like BEFORE Chavez came to power? Were the poor getting a share of the oil revenues for Health, Education, etc.? Yes, Chavez has done some stupid things, but I truly believe his heart is in the right place. He sends oil to Cuba in return for doctors & dentists, etc. Is this not noble?

So there's not a concerted movement of rich Venezuelans (like Neocons here in America) to roll back his social policies? Must CAPITALISM be the only SOLUTION? Do citizens have to suffer at the hands of GREEDY multinational corporations day in, day out? Is this actually VIABLE? Come on!

Also, look at the distortions we get in the corporate-owned mainstream press here in the US. They keep advocating WAR WAR WAR with Iran, etc. Where's the alternate voice? I feel this is probably the same thing happening in Venezuela. So can you blame Chavez for trying to reign in the press? Come on, the media also has to be RESPONSIBLE lest they lose their broadcasting license!

Again, Chavez has done some idiotic things, BUT he's not GREEDY nor is he raiding Venezuela's treasury. That's a fact!

WHEN is NATO gonna help Bahrain's Shia MAJORITY?? I'm not a big Qaddafi fan either -- he could've done things DIFFERENTLY 30 years ago & really made Libya a model country in Africa for development (even though it is the most modern country in Africa, development-wise thanks to OIL). There will be a lot of unintended consequences for intervening in Libya though. Why didn't any1 help out in Burma when all of those honourable Buddhist monks were getting KILLED?

What about the situation in Yemen & Bahrain where the MAJORITY of the people are fed up with the US puppets there??

Again, Qaddafi is no saint, but Libyans do enjoy FREE education, health care & modern facilities that are unparalleled in Africa. Why would you destroy a country in Africa when most of the other countries are relatively POOR? African Union leaders need to be more assertive & tell the West to back off, that colonial days have long past. But Qaddafi should HAVE seen this coming when Tunisia & Egypt fell. He should HAVE offered an olive branch & started a new era of power sharing.

Just my 2 cents.

Oh for heaven's sakes!! Just LEGALIZE the damn thing!!! This is a non-VIOLENT offence. Surely, they're more SERIOUS crimes the police should be pursuing. Right??

“You hear about this sort of thing happening at American schools and you think that’s a long way away,” said Rob Kuipers, 50, a project manager. “Now it’s happened here in the Netherlands.”

Woot?? This gun-happy MADNESS has reached Holland's shores? This is a huge EYE OPENER. I expect to see more of this stuff in other 'peaceful' European nations. With the video game industry raking in over $12+ BILLION a year, something's gotta give. Why? Too many 'shoot em up' games.

The shutdown would have closed national parks, tax-season help lines and other popular services, though the military would have stayed on duty and other essential efforts such as air traffic control would have continued in effect.

It's the MILITARY that needs serious funding CUTS!! Let the chopping begin. Quit feeding the (defence) ANIMALS! Chop chop!

hsr0601, I am not a big apologist for the 'Big Q' but if the 'allies' are so inclined to bomb Libya, they must also do the same to Bahrain where a Sunni minority is oppressing the Shia majority. Live bullets have been used & is the case with that Western stooge, Saleh. So where's the equality here? Clearly the people in Yemen HATE Saleh with a passion. Defections are everywhere.

*Saif Sadawi, a 20-year-old rebel fighter with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in his hands, said the city’s eastern gate fell late Friday and the western gate fell at dawn Saturday after airstrikes on both locations.

“All of Ajdabiya is free,” he said. *

FREE to be poor? I thought Libya had the highest standard of living in all of Africa!?! I find this whole situation fishy. I've heard of accounts that the Libyans are too LAZY to work doing typical jobs...that the typical student expects to be offered a high paying job with a car allowance, etc. Can some1 PLEASE verify this claim for me?? This is why, according to one source, that Qaddafi has to import labour from outside of Libya. I'm told Libyans enjoy FREE health care, education & other benefits.

Something smells fishy because Qaddafi (although eccentric) is NOT a fundamentalist. He does NOT keep women in the dark ages like other 'allies' such as the royalty in Saudi Arabia. Go figure!!

I sense the West where all of Libya's assets are frozen want the king of kings dead. Why? Then the new leadership won't have a clue how much money was in those banks & I'm sure a big chunk of it will disappear. This is the stupidity of Qaddafi...to put all of that money in Western banks & to think they (Blair, Bush, etc.) actually like him. How many BILLION$ of the Libyan people's money has he squandered by lax judgement?

@Nessie Chavez was elected by the MAJORITY of people in Venezuela. He had a much greater percentage of the national vote than George Bushfire ever had...even higher than Obama is now. You really need to THINK before you write, Nessie. It might do u some good.

If the US was not so hypocritical in all it's Oil despotic dealings around the world, Chavez would not have to bring this to light. I've said it before and I'll say it again, where was the no-fly zone in Egypt & Tunisia? Bahrain could use one too if the Shia MAJORITY cannot get a fair deal from the oil despot there supported by the US 5th Fleet. Right??

Fance should more concentrate on ousting Idriss Dembe in Chad. Oh wait...France controls the oil there so that dicktator is ok. This is the hypocrisy of the West. Will Germany also freeze BILLIONS of Bahrain's money? The MAJORITY Shia population is getting screwed there. Oh, but the US 5th Fleet is parked at Bahrain's port. More double speak.

What will happen to all these BILLION$ of Libyan dollar$ that has been frozen?? Who decides when to unfreeze them? What conditions must be met? This is sheer arrogance & manipulation! When will other countries FREEZE American assets for their illegal wars?? That would be a telling story.

Does speaking many computer languages help too?

After pleading from the uprising’s leaders, Britain and France began drafting a U.N. resolution for a no-fly zone in Libya that could balance the scales.

And where was the US when the Egyptians & Tunisians needed a nofly zone? This selective humanitarian imperailism is getting annoying & the entire non-Western world sees through this charade. Why is the US not being tough on the Bahrain government? The Shias are the majority yet the minority Sunnis treat them like crap. Oh, I get it...the US 5th Fleet is docked at Bahrain so it's okay for the Sheik there to brutalize his people. And US politicians wonder 'WHY THEY HATE US?' They hate your hypocrasy!

*“May I just say, personally I don’t think it’s `loose talk’ on the part of the people on the ground in Libya or the Arab League or others, including the prime minister of England, that this option should be given the strongest consideration,” McCain said.

Endorsing McCain’s remarks, Sen Joe Lieberman, an independent, said another option was to provide U.S. air defense weapons to the Libyan rebels and to train them in their use.*

Oh my GOD!!! The utter HYPOCRISY in the US...and it's above board for EVERYONE to SEE!! Hello?? What about Bahrain with a huge MAJORITY of Shia and the Sunni Sheik using live bullets on the PEOPLE?? Where's the call to have 'free & fair elections' in Bahrain? Hillary & King Obama are QUIETR as a lamb. Oh, I get it! The 5th Fleet is stationed there to protect the oil so they'd prefer dealing with despots than the PEOPLE who would ultimately tell the fleet to get the Hell out.

Also, where was the call from the US bureaucrats for Zine bin Ali (Tunisia) & Mubarak to leave when things were getting out of hand?? If the US thinks no one's watching this double speak & TAKING NOTES, they are WRONG.

Even when Libya becomes FREE, they will NOT want to be close allies to the US anyways. Ditto for the NEW Egypt & Tunisia. This is simply because the people see the real political/business motives of US Middle East policies.

And where's Ocampo to threaten Bahrain's rulers on the possibility of going to he Hague if they keep using live ammo? This is why the West is gradually fading away and new BRIC powers ascend.

He added that the instability in Libya constituted an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

And the US hasn't contributed to instability in the Middle East & North Africa over the past 40 years or so by supporting Israel & turning a blind eye to obedient dictators?? Utter hypocrisy from OBAMA (One Big Ass Mistake America). So what threat does this pose to US national security?? It's too late, invading Iraq & Afghanistan has done far worse damage to 'security' at home. Why did he not move quicker to freeze the assets of Bin Ali (Tunisia) & Mubarak??

More double standards.

“What we can tell you was that Boeing was a clear winner,” said Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn.

Excuse me?? It appears the American 'main street' citizen got screwed here. $35 billion could do a LOT in these depressed times. But, I forgot, the military budget is off limits. Why can't they pump this kind of money into alternative energy projects/contracts and encouraging the masses to grow hemp for industrial & medicinal use.

And that money is coming from the Chinese who seem happy buying our debt for some reason! So, we're borrowing money from the Chinese to fund the Defence department who is increasingly antagonistic to the rising power that is China. This is warped logic and is UNSUSTAINABLE in the long run.

As the 3 Weird Witchs said in MacBeth, "double double, toil & trouble, fire burn & cauldron bubble." The situation is in the Middle East is really getting desperate. People WANT to be FREE and MAJORITIES want a proportionate share in their governments. No doubt Bahrain is the most tricky since a minority (which is anti-Iran) is in power. Here's it's about oil, oil, oil. Egypt & Tunisia do not have that extra dimension. I think a LOT of people are gonna get killed here before any progress is made.

oops, I mean 'will kick us out'

You know the 5th Fleet commanders are probably telling Bahrain's rulers to "not loose this one like Tunisia & Egypt. The Shiites will kick out out to sea & we won't have a port to maintain our hegemony." :-)

Clinton suggested there were U.S. concerns over the possibility of the Brotherhood seizing direction of the movement. She warned against a takeover resembling the one in Iran, with a “small group that doesn’t represent the full diversity of Egyptian society” seizing control and imposing its ideological beliefs.

Ha ha ha ha ha...Hillary, u are truly hilarious! If your government DIDN'T overthrow the democratically elected government of Mohammed Mossadeq in 1953 (only because he wanted to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil company so his countrymen can have a bigger slice of the profits that were going OUTSIDE to the West), then Iran would be the BEST example of democracy that the Middle East would have ever seen. Oh the hypocrisy.