Interview with Michel Chossudovsky, Director of Centre for Research on Globalization.
While Libyan revolutionaries have not yet won the war
in the oil-rich country, Western powers are already discussing the
post-Gaddafi period on such issues as how the interim government there
needs to honor its oil contracts.
In case of internal fighting in Libyan crisis, will
the US and its coalition NATO allies deploy boots on the ground to
protect their oil interests?
In a Press TV interview, Michel Chossudovsky,
Director of Center for Research on Globalization, shed more light into
the development. The following is a rush transcription of the interview:
Press TV: Western powers have said the international
community will support the political transition to a free and
democratic Libya: In what form will this "support" come? A "Western"
democracy imposed on Libyans? What is that going to means for the
Libyans? They used the same language when they attacked Afghanistan 10
years ago and Iraq 8 years ago. The US still insists it soldiers should
have immunity in these countries. How will it be in Libya?
Chossudovsky: Well I think we have to understand both
the nature of this military operation, the covert intelligence behind
the rebels, as well as the extensive bombings of civilians
infrastructure, residential areas, as well as schools, universities,
hospitals which has taken place in the course of the last few months.
And particularly virtually continuous bombings, at
night in Tripoli in the course of last few days. We are talking about
20,000 sorties, 8,000 strike sorties, In another words what has happened
in the course of these last months, particularly in a last few weeks,
is the destruction of an entire country, its infrastructure,
institutions, very targeted, involving a lot of civilian casualties.
In other words, the Western "pro democracy" NATO
supported rebels, as well as the NATO supported heads of states and
heads of governments, they have blood on their hands, they have a lot
of blood on their hands, because they have killed a lot of women and
children.
Our correspondent has been reporting form the Rixos
Hotel, just a few hours ago, he and several other Journalists, were
extracted from the hotel, they were liberated from the Hotel, which they
were held for several days, and they are safe now.
Chossudovsky. But I can tell you, my understanding
is, first of all this is not a revolution. These are NATO trained
gunman, and they are Al Qaeda related paramilitaries, mercenaries.
They have very little support within civil society in
Libya. Whether we like the Gaddafi regime or not, I do not think that
this is the issue. The large majority of the population are against the
rebellion, and the only thing that sustains the rebellion, are the NATO
bombings. And these are criminal bombings; let's say what they are. They
are in derogation of international law, actions that are criminal in
terms of their consequences: the killings of children, the killing of
people in their own homes, and this has been well documented.
And what is criminal in this process, is the fact that this war is presented to the media as a humanitarian operation,
Realities are turned upside down. We are told, that
war is peace, The lie becomes the truth, essentially that is what has
happened.
Press TV: But the way this operation is going on
Professor, many Western countries including France, they talked about
the success of this operation and its knock off effect in the region.
Doesn't that pose the threat of abuse of what is called RTP, the Right
to Protect under humanitarian motives for their own gains, and in terms
of RTP of other countries, such as Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia? If that
is the way to go about it why don't they mention those countries? Why
mentions only Syria, as French President Sarkozy said in his meeting
with NTC?
Chossudovsky: Well you know, I have been studying dictatorship for more than 30 years, I've lived in Latin America.
The US has never been concerned with the actions of
dictators. In fact it was the US which installed the dictators. As long
as the dictators follow their orders, and establish a proxy state and
serve US interests, they will continue their support..
That was the situation with the Pinochet regime in
Chile, and that was the case in Argentina and Brazil, and in Central
America.
Now we must understand the nature of this military operation in Libya.
The rebellion does not exist without NATO. Militarily and politically, it does not exist without NATO.
We must understand that NATO Special Forces are
already operating within the rebellion, off course covertly, on the
ground. They are experienced armed forces. There are also mercenaries
and paramilitaries and gunman.
Were NATO to withdraw, the rebellion would not last very long. I think any military analyst would confirm that.
But now the more fundamental question which is being
raised, and it has been raised in the US, and it is already on the
drawing board of Pentagon and NATO is... are they going to have boots on
the ground?
The boots on the ground are already there, the
question is whether it is going to be official? The Apache helicopters
are there, The Special Forces are there.
We have massive deployment of Naval Marines in the
Mediterranean, particularly the USS George Bush Sr. aircraft carrier,
which is sort of high tech, and it just been released, it has positioned
itself in the Mediterranean.
And in case of ground war, then we would see allied forces landing on the beaches in Libya.
If you look at the scenarios, I don't think that the rebellions would last very long on its own.
It does not have military capabilities; it does not even have the institutional capabilities to create a real government.
So what is going to happen is... NATO Special Forces
are going to remain, others are going to come in, perhaps not
officially, boots on the ground, and eventually they are going to
establish, as they did in Iraq in 2003, some kind of proxy Libyan
government, with people whom they can trust, they might contemplate,
modeling Libya, on the sheikhdoms, as in Saudi Arabia, or in the Persian
Gulf states.
In any even, neo-colonial, re-conquest of not only
Libya, but the whole continent of Africa is contemplated. This implies
the militarization of the African Continent with AFRICOM [United States
Africa Command]. This is an integral part of the agenda.
Press TV: Go ahead Professor.
Chossudovsky: Several years ago, I was asked the
said... this was in regards to Iraq... they said Professor I was in
public lecture, they said Professor we need that oil. Okay that is the
Western positions, “We need that oil.”
My answer to them is trade, don't steal it. That is
what the Western oil companies are there for, they have already position
themselves.
The Libyan Oil Company was a very important state
entity, which was there to serve the Libyan people. It was used to
finance economic development. It is slated to be taken over and
privatised, handed it over to Total, which is the French Oil company and
other Western oil companies.
What I said, when I was asked that question: "if you
need oil, well, you should buy it on the market. And accept the fact
that the large share of oil resources [reserves] are in Muslim
countries, it is more that 60 percent, and it belong the people of those
countries.
