The international community bombs Libya: is this war?

The missiles were fired over the weekend when we were probably out having food with friends and good company. They were aimed at Libya after the United Nations Security Counsel passed a resolution that enabled a ‘no fly zone’ over Libya and also permitted member nations to use ‘all necessary measures’ to protect civilians in the country.

A quick refresh will explain why: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi (the spelling of his name differs and you may choose to use whichever suits) has ruled Libya with an idiosyncratic iron fist for more than 40 years. He has been at once bizarrely kind to (some of) the people and awfully cruel. The East of the North African country (which neighbours Egypt) has been long suffering at his hands and this explains why the ‘rebel’ (read: anti Gaddafi) forces amassed there first before attempting to move across the country. Remember our cheat sheet? You can refresh on some of the earlier stuff right there to get your head around it.

Operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’ began over the weekend. Here is how the SMH has reported it:

“The US, Britain and France pounded Libya with Tomahawk missiles and air strikes into the early hours of Sunday, sparking fury from Moamer Kadhafi who declared the Mediterranean to be a “battlefield”.

In the West’s biggest intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, launched exactly eight years earlier, US warships and a British submarine fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya on Saturday, the US military said.

A defiant Kadhafi said on Sunday in a radio address that all Libyans were armed and ready to fight until victory to defeat what Libya has branded a “barbaric aggression.”

Those missiles, by the way, cost anywhere between $600,000 and $1.5 million a pop so this doesn’t appear to be a frivolous exercise in making symbolic moves to counter an anti-humane Government. It was the real deal. Having said that, many have criticised the United Nations for acting too slowly when civilians in Libya where dying at the hands of or held by the Gaddafi regime.

The uprising against Gaddafi began on February 15 and has been growing in intensity with the regime invoking bloody retaliation measures against the rebels. The increasingly violent clashes and brutality of the regime finally prompted the United Nations Security Counsel to vote on measures to halt the violence. That vote carried 10-0 with member states. There were five absentions, notably from China and Russia which both have veto powers.

The BBC detailed some of the Operation in Libya:

“Cruise missiles hit at least 20 air-defence sites in the capital, Tripoli, and the western city of Misrata, Western military officials said.

Libyan TV has broadcast footage it says showed some of the 150 people wounded in the attacks. It said 48 people had been killed.

Gaddafi made this comment yesterday on Libyan state television in reference to the West: “We promise you a long, drawn out war with no limits. We will fight you inch by inch.”

Forces involved in the military strikes against Libya, the United States included, have said they will not be sending ground troops into Libya. At this stage the operation is simply one by air, targeting and attempting to dismantle facilities and infrastructure that are helping Gaddafi’s troops to shut down the rebel uprising.

With increasing volatility in the Middle East – don’t forget there have been vicious clashes in Bahrain and Yemen – the move against Libya runs the risk of being seen as ignoring the violence elsewhere in favour of the focus on Gaddafi.

Have you been following the situation? Do you think this is too little too late, or not enough?

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