On March 10th I wrote the following on this blog:
Russian TV has shown a statement of Foreign Minister Lavrov who declared that Russia opposes any type of military intervention in the Libyan conflict. The Eltsin years are over and I don’t think that Russia will back down from this. So no UNSC resolution authorizing any US/NATO military intervention will be passed.
Sadly, it turns out that I was wrong, very wrong. Yesterday evening the Russian representative at the UNSC, Vitalii Churkin made some excellent comments about the proposed resolution only to then proceed to abstain thereby letting the resolution pass!
It is absolutely mind boggling that Russia would revert to exactly the kind of spineless surrenders which used to characterize its foreign policy in the Eltsin years. Does the Kremlin really want another Bosnia only this time in the Maghreb?
The first worrying sign was Russia’s betrayal of Iran at the UNSC followed by a reneging on the committment to deliver S-300 air defense systems to Iran. The betrayal of Libya is arguably even worse, both in moral terms and in the severity of the consequences resulting from it:
a) The US and NATO have now a de-facto free reign to do whatever the hell they want not only over Libya, but also in Libya. The UNSC resolution speaks of “all necessary measures” to protect civilians. We know what that means – anything the Pentagon wants it to mean.
b) Given that the US and NATO have now an open-ended and unrestricted authority to do whatever they want, it is clear that whatever regime replaces Gaddafi will be vetted and approved by the USraelian Empire.
c) Just as in Bosnia, the Empire is now supporting the party which is loosing the conflict. No, not out of a deep sense of compassion, but because it is easy to make this party into a proxy for the Empire. In other words, what this resolution does is make the anti-Gaddafi forces fully dependent on the Empire.
d) This resolution will make very little difference on the ground, at least in its no-fly zone aspect. If the Empire is serious about regime change in Libya – and it is – it will have to wave the “all necessary measures” part to intervene militarily. Russia will then condemn and complain.
It is hard to imagine a more hypocritical stance than Russia’s. It would have been more honest to openly support the resolution. Needless to say, Russia’s credibility as an ally will suffer even further from this cowardly abstention.
You might ask ‘well, what about China?” To this I will answer that at least China does not lecture the US Empire like Russia does, neither does China pretend to be in any way an ‘alternative global power’. China’s stance has always been the same: oppose intervention on principle, keep a low profile on international issues, and deal with economic issues. That is, I think, far more honest and dignified than Russia’s disgraceful grandstanding.
The resolution itself is phenomenally hypocritical. The Gadaffi regime is blamed for using military force against its own people while Bahrain has been invaded by a an international gang of Wahabi stormtroopers who immediately proceeded to engage in an orgy of atrocities against the Bahraini people. But, of course, Bahrain is an Imperial colony so a bloodbath there does not matter to the UN. I won’t even mention the slow-motion genocide of the Palestinian people by the “Jewish state of Israel”. Only Libyan victims matter to the UNSC.
What is particularly appalling is that in the bad old days, the USSR and Libya had very close ties. Yes, the Soviet regime was in many ways loathesome, and so was Gadaffi’s Jamahiriya – but in spite of that many Russians and Libyans forged close ties and real friendships. Now that the Soviet regime is gone and Gadaffi is on his way out, I would have hoped that Russia would do the right thing and care for the Libyan people. Instead – Russia simply handed them over the the Empire.
To say that I am utterly disgusted would be an understatement.
The Saker
UPDATE1: According to RT, “Russia warns of “full-scale military action” following Security Council vote on Libya“. Oh yeah?! Then why the hell did you not veto this resolution Mr Churkin?! How utterly disgusting…
Is it true what I heard that Egypt is supporting the rebels with weapons. Would that not be an act of war of is that included in the UN resolution. ‘All necessary means’ would also be to overthrow the current government.
@Albert:Is it true what I heard that Egypt is supporting the rebels with weapons.
Dunno, but I sure hope they do.
‘All necessary means’ would also be to overthrow the current government.
Yes, most definitely. All you need is to say that this government is a threat to civilians (which it is) and then go ahead with overthrowing it by whatever means you want.
This resolution is *totally* open-ended.
Russia is clearly motivated solely by self interest when it comes to international relations and can be bought by the Empire if the price is right. This has been obvious ever since it sold Iran down the river over the S-300
The old Soviet Union had a messianic ideology but today’s Russian just wants to be respected as one of the world’s great powers and to be able to assert itself in the near abroad. The Empire on the over hand aspires to full spectrum dominance over the whole planet. Russia is not going to confront the Empire unless vital interests are involved and Libya isn’t a vital interest.
”To this I will answer that at least China does not lecture the US Empire like Russia does, neither does China pretend to be in any way an ‘alternative global power”
When have they said that?
They talk a lot about a multi-polar world but not Russia as an alternative global power.
And this is the issue you have a problem with Russia?
They have let the US, Britain, Turkey and others support Islamic terrorism and organised crime against Russia including the Beslan massacre with their plan to literally destroy the country already committing genocide of 6 million Russians, 3 million of which were child deaths of unnatural causes and said nothing not to mention everything else that is not even commented upon.
“Evidence mounts of the human cost of Russia’s social upheaval among the youngest members of Russia’s struggling populace. The plight of those least able to protect themselves is a source of growing concern to authorities of the Russian capital and other city centers. And it’s viewed with no less alarm by international observers charting a tide of humanity eaking out an existence on city streets. A decade of change destroying much of the fabric of social cohesion has taken a devastating toll of those growing up in Russia. Most shockingly, it has cost four million young lives, according to official figures just revealed at a Moscow news conference reported by information agency RIA-Novosti. Three-quarters of those children died unnatural deaths, according to Vera Lekareva, in charge of a State Duma commission for preventing child homelessness and neglect.
http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20090402064254/http://www.russians.org/orphans.htm
I don’t think there is a real comparison between Bosnia and Libya.
– Serbia is a long standing ally and cultural brother of Russia unlike Libya
– Libyan regime through the embassy in Turkey channelled money to Chechen fighters during the first Chechen war.
– Unlike Milosevic Gadaffi is a dictator with ideological baggage who probably does oppress his people.
– Rebels as far as I know do not have connections or supply financial and military assistance or recruits to Chechen terrorist groups unlike Bosnia and do not provide a geo-political pipeline that supports this terror network in Europe.
– Unlike the Balkans, Libya is not a vital transit route for future Caspian oil pipeline routes (when Dagestan is annexed) through Turkey that bypasses Russia.
Note that Richard Pearle who represented the Bosnian government at Dayton before Israel’s falling out with Turkey was advocating their inclusion into the EU under the Bush regime.
I think this pipeline agenda has been in the works for a very long time pre-dating the mostly British lead and supported Bolshevik revolution.
Here is Medvedev’s reward for recognising an independent Palestinian state.
Fighter Trained by Fatah Al-Islam Killed in Nalchik
“Investigators conclude that he was preparing to carry out a terror attack in Nalchik.
“From 2007 he underwent diversion-terror training in Lebanon and participated in fighting on the side of the radical Palestinian organization ‘Fatah Al-Islam,’ ” the NAK (National Anti-Terror Committee) told journalists today. According to the NAK, he was promoting the ideology of the organization in Kabardino-Balkaria (RIA Novosti).
http://retwa.com/home.cfm?articleId=11032
Islam = ?
@Robert
A sound foreign policy.
Russia knows that has little to no impact/influence outside its borders as with the case of Kosovo.
Given that Russia is confronted at all sides by hostile nations/organisations working with each other its options are very limited.
NATO to the West, Jihadists to the South and inside Russia itself and the US to the East.
The strangest thing is that Russia would win a lot economically if Gaddafi remains in power:
“”Our oil contracts will be given to Russian, Chinese and Indian companies. The West will be forgotten,” he [Gaddafi] said.”
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110315/163022311.html
This was 3 days ago. Now, even if he remains in power, he might seriously reconsider including Russia in the list.
Johnycomelately
Grandstanding does nothing, Russia is too weak to take on the Anglo Block, it must bide its time and pick the battles it can win.
We shouldn’t be expecting the Russians fight against the rest of the world on any occassion. Lybia means nothing for Russia to fight over it firstly, and secondly – the Russians wouldnt mind having the States involved in another military conflict in the middle east in particular. The more the merrier. The Empire might just need a little push to get rolling.
cheers
alibi
carlo:”The strangest thing is that Russia would win a lot economically if Gaddafi remains in power”
the Russians are really fed up with all Caddafy shit. They had just written off his old debts just to buy from him a few more promices. This time it should be enough even for the Russians.
At least I hope so.
alibi
Alibi: nice to hear from you again, there was some time already that you didn’t post any comment!
thanks Carlo, Ive been moving a lot lartely, always try to check the Saker’s blog when I can.
cheers
alibi