The US State Department issued a statement, signed by Britain, France, Germany and Italy, condemning the air strikes. It said: "We believe outside interference in Libya exacerbates current divisions and undermines Libya's democratic transition."
from
[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/11055436/Egypt-and-UAE-launched-air-strikes-against-Libyan-Islamists.html ]Telegraph[/url]
Erm... I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement, really sounds like a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing! You would think that we are for Arab nations actively engaging against Islamist threats but I suppose the US are afraid of it moving beyond their control.
What I think is interesting is that the strikes where reportedly carried out by the UAE using air bases in Egypt. The US are concerned as it is a condition of their arms sales to the UAE that they seek permission before using the weapons.
OP yes I too see the irony given Gadaffi was toppled after interference from the UK and France (directly) and the US (indirectly).
Are we still desperately clinging onto the notion of the 'Arab Spring' as a springboard to democracy and liberal society?
I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement, really sounds like a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing!
I'm sure that the ability of western governments to engage in hypocrisy can't be new to you.
On the same day that the US was condemning alleged outside interference in Libya it was stating that it might carry out airstrikes at targets in a sovereign state thousands of miles away, without seeking anyone's approval. Not even the UN's apparently.
[i]Syria's government on Monday demanded the Obama administration seek permission before launching any airstrikes on its territory against Islamic State targets, while the State Department indicated it had no intention of seeking "the approval of the Syrian regime."[/i]
On the same day that the US was condemning alleged outside interference in Libya it was stating that it might carry out airstrikes at targets in a sovereign state thousands of miles away, without seeking anyone's approval.
Sovereign state of IS ? Syrian government has lost control of large parts of what used to be it's country.
....what used to be it's country.
It's still Syria. The Islamic State isn't recognised by anyone, certainly not the UN.
Or the US for that matter.
I don't disagree, politically the US is not going to be seen assisting Assad however so they will do as they please.
I wonder if the UAE was invited to strike in Libya by the government ? Quite a surprise to me to see them getting involved.
Proxy wars being fought all over the middle east, we(the west, Russia etc) seem to be happy to take the oil and then sell them weapons but objecting or not, when they use them to defend themselves/brutalise civilians , see Israel levelling gaza, Saudi helping Bahrain, egypts mass trial and death sentence of muslim brotherhood, sending weapons to ,saddam, assad, gadaffi, Syrian rebels,Libyan rebels etc etc. Of course we spent several years recently, bombing Iraq, Afghanistan, ****stan?
Someone will always sell nasty people what they want (look at Mugabe's latest trade trip to China) but I really do think that our state subsidised arms industry is a national shame
I also would like to hear what the Hawks who were so up for supporting the rebels in Syria and bombing Assad think now that the rebels have morphed into IS , I remember reports of Gove having to be restrained by fellow Tories after they lost the vote