a man shown in his true colours

COMMENT

One of the most heartwarming aspects of the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia was the refusal of the armed forces to fire on their own people. Fearing the same thing might happen in Libya, Gaddafi has ordered attacks from the air on demonstrators, while on the ground armed bands of mercenaries from sub-Saharan Africa have been seen roaming the streets, firing at random into the crowds. It was too much for 2 airforce colonels: they flew their warplanes to nearby Malta (where we are bound in a few days)announcing that they could not bring themselves to bomb their own people.

In the past I have always been sceptical of the rabid attacks on Gaddafi by the "Western" media. Now it seems they were right all along. Gaddafi is indeed an evil man, willing to hold on to his power by any means necessary, up to and including the extermination of his own people. This puts him on a par with Hitler, who, at the end of World War 2, disgusted with the German people's inability to win the war, was quite happy to sacrifice them en masse. In a supreme act of hubris he prepared plans to completely destroy every part of Germany's infrastructure. And like Hitler, Gaddafi is now emerging as a twisted, embittered old man whose time has passed but refuses to accept the truth.

The solution? Speaking on Al Jazeera this morning, David Owen suggested that as a first step the West could enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. This would at least prevent any further air attacks on the people from what is sounding increasingly like a rump of Gaddafi loyalists in the airforce. But it would be a huge step. And as for a land invasion,(and these are my words) this should be left for the Arab league to sort out.

STOP THE SLAUGHTER NOW!
FREEDOM FOR THE LIBYAN PEOPLE!