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FOS Editor Exchange with Gary Keenan Canadian Arab Justice Committee (ADALA) Activist on the Events in Libya February 25, 2010 Don Currie, Editor FOS Dear Friends: The editor of Focus on Socialism (FOS) received a press release from the Canadian Arab Justice Committee (ADALA) on the events in Libya[i], over the name of Rafeh Hulays Ph.D. forwarded by Gary Keenan a well known activist on behalf of the just struggle of the Palestinian people. The FOS editor posed a number of comments and questions to Gary Keenan arising from the demands contained in the ADALA release in particular its call upon the Canadian government to impose a no-fly zone over the territory of Libya. Focus on Socialism readers can read the questions posed and the answers provided by Hulays and Keenan. Our concern remains the possibility of a US-NATO imperialist fomented war in Libya that would compound immeasurably the struggle of the Libyan people for a progressive outcome to their struggle for economic democratic struggle and increase suffering and misery for the Libyan people. Both Hulays and Keenan have dismissed such concerns. They declare those who express such concerns are “mad”, “ill-informed” and if they have not lived in the middles east, poorly educated and living in a fantasy world. Canadians for Peace and Socialism (CPS) have issued a brief statement in addition to what we have said in our discussion with Hulays and Keenan. We have shared this email string with an email list of Communists, peace activists and youth. In a separate item Focus is publishing responses from Focus readers on this issue. In Solidarity Don Currie, Editor, Focus on Socialism Original Message----- Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 9:09
AM Hundreds of innocent people have been killed and thousands wounded. He must be stopped and made to pay for his crimes. ADALA calls on the Canadian government and the international community to:
We demand the Canadian government and the international community to immediately move to assist the people of Libya. Any delay will cause more suffering and death. This is a mad man that in one day in 1996 murdered over 1200 prisoners. He will not hesitate to kill thousands more. The time for Action is now.
From:
editor@focusonsocialism.ca What will be said if it is NATO under the terms of its Mediterranean Dialogue http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-0DD5D358-A8DC43B1/natolive/topics_60021.htm that includes such democracies" as Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, that acts to impose a no fly zone over Libya? The mounting hysteria in the privately owned and controlled corporate media now include unsubstantiated reports of the "possible" use by Gaddafi of chemical and biological warfare, reminiscent of the weapons of mass destruction frenzy preceding the US invasion of Iraq. Far-fetched? NATO General Secretary Rasmussen met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on February 8-9 2011 just a week prior to events in Egypt speaking of "security" in the region meaning of course continued Israeli dominance. To imagine it was a courtesy call is for the gullible not for serious observers of events in the Middle East. The US-NATO-Israel planners in the Middle East are alarmed at the popular uprisings there and have contingency plans to intervene with massive military presence if it is deemed necessary to "protect their vital interests" (code for oil and the unrestricted passage of oil through the Suez Canal) and all other oil routes to markets in Europe and the USA. They will be seeking kinder and gentler despots to replace those who have fled. Serious observers of unfolding events in the region besides reacting to news reports need to begin to include the monitoring of the movements of the US naval fleet in the area as well as AFRICOM and the NATO-EU-US military presence in the region. Let us not forget that the USA maintains 800 military bases world-wide. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=5564 Canada's middle-eastern and Mediterranean foreign policy is made at NATO. Go to the NATO website and witness the difference in tone used by Rasmussen in dealing with Mubarak and Gaddafi...it is identical to the statements of Harper and Cannon that used kid gloves on Mubarak and now the mailed fist for Gaddafi. The difference in tone is due to the fact that Libya is not and was not a willing tool of the US-NATO-Israeli imperial vision of perpetual dominance of big big oil, big US-Israeli military dominance in the region. Libya exports 1.5 million bbls/daily. The US-Israel investors covet control of that business. Egypt has no oil. Egypt has the Suez Canal that events in that country have thus far not threatened. However, Britain and Israel have long memories and would welcome the opportunity, after being kicked out by Nasser, to once again be more directly involved in the control of that vital passage. Imperialists learn nothing from their defeats except to harbor a thirst for revenge. Since when has Rasmussen, Harper, Cannon, Netanyahu, Hillary Clinton cared a damn for democracy and human rights in Libya or for that matter anywhere in North Africa and the Middle East. They care for human rights and democracy for the people of Libya as much as they care for human rights and democracy for the people of Palestine ...not at all... How quickly we have forgotten that Reagan bombed Libya at the behest of Israel and in the course of doing so killed Gaddafi's children. Castro is warning to exercise some restraint before rushing to judgment on events in Libya. I consider that advice worth considering. Don Currie, Editor Focus On Socialism Original Message----- Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 11:45
AM Hi Don Here's a reply to you from Rafeh Hulays of Adala. BTW, I concur with Mr. Hulays. Gadaffi is and has always been a demented murderous thug. I look forward to seeing him and his cohorts hung in Tripoli's main square. Gary Hi Gary Thank you for forwarding the email. Don neglects the fact that Gaddafi gave the Europeans and Americans all they wanted: Access to the oil and gas wealth of Libya. The US and Europe had nothing to do with the revolt. The Libyans have had it with the lunatic who destroyed their country. Gaddafi did not build a country that can be an real actor anywhere. He built a state of chaos where medical, educational and job opportunities were dismal for Libyans. People who like to get fooled by Gaddafi's purported revolutionary rhetoric should ask themselves: What is the duty of a government? It is to serve its people. Did he do a good job? Anyone who says "yes" is as mad as he is. Rafeh From:
editor@focusonsocialism.ca Subject: RE: Adala Press Release re
Libya Dear Gary Keenan and Mr. Hulays The questions posed in my response to your email related to the role of US-NATO-Israeli planners in responding to the popular uprisings erupting in the region of North Africa and the Middle East and specifically Libya. I presented you with ample evidence of meetings that have taken place in this regard. To pretend that US-NATO-Israeli military planners are basing their plans by observing events on BBC television are infantile. NATO planners are busy at Brussels with contingency planning to intervene. I would be more inclined to consider Mr. Hulays’s and your response had you not evaded comment on the disparity between the statements of the Government of Canada, NATO, the USA and Israel in responding on the one hand to events in Egypt and on the other to events in Libya. These states and organizations are all on the same page in support of Israel and ignore the UN resolutions that uphold the struggle of the Palestinian people. These states that support Israel now share the same standpoint on events in Libya. Should that not cause us to consider more deeply what is unfolding on the level of diplomacy, foreign policyand military strategy and in particular the motivation of our own government to events unfolding in Libya? Should we not be concerned about another US-NATO-Israeli fomented war, this time against Libya or is that an acceptable option? The issue could very well be US-NATO-Israeli military intervention and war. I am not predicting it and neither did many observers who supported the deposing of Hussein. Had the people of Iraq been permitted to settle accounts with their own autocrats without US-UN interference, Hussein and his regime would have been deposed and millions of Iraqis would be alive. Everyone who is not a dupe of the privately-owned and controlled corporate mass media is aware that talk of Hussein possessing weapons of mass destruction were CIA lies and a pretext for Bush launching a war. Were we all wrong to oppose US intervention into the affairs of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and should we be welcoming it now in Libya? Anyone who was on the streets in those days will recall being accused of being supporters of Hussein because we opposed US military intervention in Iraq and supporters of the Taliban because we opposed the war in Afghanistan. I do not know better about the moment to moment events on the ground in Libya than Mr. Hulay nor do I doubt that terrible events are unfolding there. What I know is the perfidy of my own government and its uncritical support for the foreign and military policy of NATO-the USA and Israel. In case I missed it, please inform me of Israel's warm relations with Gaddafi. Israel did have warm relations with Mubarak. Don't you and Mr. Hulay think there is just a bit of double standard in all of this? What I am hearing on the CBC news are reports by Canadian correspondents about anonymous cries for help from inside Libya to the "west" and "unconfirmed reports of the use of chemical and biological weapons" accompanying appeals to the "international community" code for calling for EU-US-NATO military intervention. Who are the forces inside Libya calling upon the USA and presumably Israel to liberate them? The people of Egypt when they rose up did not call upon US imperialism to come and rescue them. There were no US flags and no Muslim Brotherhood symbols. Do you not find that significant in contrast to the outcry to "rescue" Libya? The Libyan people will decide the course of developments in their country. When you and Mr. Hulay include in your appeals, a stern warning against US imperialist interference into the internal affairs of Libya, I will consider your standpoint as consistently democratic and in accord with the principles you claim to uphold. As to Mr. Hulays's question as to what is the duty of government and then answers his own question with the reply > that it is to serve its people, I can only say that question is not answered in the abstract but concretely. Which people is he speaking about? My long experience with government is in Canada and what I have learned is that it exists to serve some class interest. In our country that class interest invariably is the class of wealth and privilege and those who live well from the labour of those who are not wealthy nor privileged. I do not believe it is possible to separate domestic from foreign policy. That Canadian government speaks for vested interests domestically and globally. To paraphrase Mr. Hulays anyone who believes that a right wing minority Conservative government of Prime Minister Harper is doing a good job for the people of Canada is not mad but I assert is gullible and in denial. Those who call for hangings in the square are motivated more by emotionalism than common sense. The people of Libya, given the opportunity will decide on what justice should be accorded to their tormentors. It is my opinion that it is inappropriate for us Canadians to suggest how that should be done. Don Currie, Chair Canadians for Peace
and Socialism PS I do not have Mr. Hulay's email address and I would appreciate it if you will forward the above. Original Message----- As with those in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan and other Arab states, the uprising/revolution in Libya is indigenous and has been brewing for years. I suspect you have not resided in the Middle East, i.e.,for months or years. Gary From:
editor@focusonsocialism.ca <editor@focusonsocialism.ca> So are you. Don Currie Original Message----- Setting aside the fact that you have offered no credible evidence that a NATO invasion of Libya is in the offing, what makes you think I am on the side of Harper, Sarkozi, Clinton, Netanyahu and NATO? It seems you have not
understood a word I've written or you are a victim of a warped ideology. The
world is much more complicated than you appear to believe Mr. Currie. I suggest
you expand your horizons and get educated. [i] The formal name of Libya is the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah as Shabiyah asl Ishtirakiyah al Uzma) |