“I repeat, this all has nothing to do with promoting democracy. It is about promoting US interest, controlling and directing pro-democracy movements where they cannot be stopped, but more widely clamping down on them with brutal force in favour of US client tyrants.”

Craig Murray is right. Quid pro quo is a nice way of putting it: we’ll help you crush the Bahraini people is you help us crush the Libyan people.

Craig Murray’s Blog

18th March, 2011

I was much attacked, especially by “Liberal interventionists”, in comments across the blogosphere when I broke the news four days ago that:

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Subsequent events and revelations, by Thierry Meyssan and others, have, of course, shown this analysis to be completely wrong. This reflects both the effectiveness of propaganda at the time, notably that of Al Jazeera, and the appearance that the events in Libya were simply a response to the Arab Spring. We know now that the intervention in Libya was planned in advance of the Egyptian events suggesting the West may also have instigated those events too, a conclusion which certainly seemed most unlikely at the time. The West seems to have completely misread the Arab street and their various manipulations have not achieved their desired ends. Claims that Gaddafi attacked civilians also appear to false.

Cailean Bochanan

18th March, 2011

“We are concerned about the effects on freedom movements in north Africa and the Arab world. We admired the jasmine revolution in Tunisia … but we want these freedom movements to be strengthened, not weakened.”

Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, explaining his opposition to military intervention in Libya

These words by German foreign minister Westerwelle are striking. He implies that the UN backed mission is directed against the Arab revolution itself. I have to agree. At this moment ferocious repression is being directed against the people in Bahrain and Yemen without so much as a murmur coming from Washington or London. Are we really to believe that the latter are intent on promoting democracy in the Arab world? Of course, they are not. And yet the Libyan opposition appears to have agreed to, even insisted on, this measure. I say”appears” because what is going on in Libya is far from clear, the fog of war has never been denser and I find it difficult to believe that Libyan revolutionaries really believe they can find their own emancipation in the sickening spectacle of a NATO bombing of their own country. If they have done it can only be in despair before the murderous violence of Gaddafi’s counter attack.

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PressTV

17th March, 2011

“They are nowhere near Benghazi,” Reuters quoted spokesman for the February 17th coalition, Essam Gheriani, as saying on Thursday.

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“For days the US has held back, refusing to reveal its position – even to its allies”

Mark Mardell, BBC North American editor

They’ve been waiting to see which way the wind is blowing. Now we have reached what looks like a turning point: opposition are using helicopters, tanks and planes from forces which have defected. Aljazeera reports:

Medical sources in Misurata said that at least 80 members of Gaddafi’s forces were killed during yesterday’s fighting.

and that

in Benghazi, opposition protesters are buoyed by news that fighters in a nearby town have beaten back an offensive by Gaddafi’s forces. While some in the city are apprehensive that the war may still come to their door step, they remain defiant, vowing to fight on to defeat Gaddafi’s troops.

Major General Abdul-Fattah Younis has given an optimistic assessment of the revolution’s military position.

It doesn’t look at all certain, as most media have reported, that Gaddafi’s forces are winning.

Time then for the B plan,US/NATO intervention. Unfortunately, the revolutionary leadership. or part of it, has been calling for this move which will steal the thunder of the revolution’s triumph.

BBC

17th March, 2011

Libyan rebels have deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter for the first time to repel an attack by pro-Gaddafi forces on the key town of Ajdabiya, the BBC understands.

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So, which is it? Are Gaddafi’s forces bogged down or our they on an unstoppable course to retake Benghazi? My take is that they are bogged down and that time is not on their side. If this is true London and Washington will be worried- they want the Arab revolution crushed here and now right across the Arab world. On the other hand they want to prepare intervention if his demise is seen as inevitable in order to have some influence on the post-Gaddafi set up. The pretext for that would be an imminent Gaddafi victory. The media chorus announcing the collapse of the revolution could therefore mean the exact opposite.

Irish Sun

16th March, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi’s forces were bogged down in a battle for control of Libya’s northern cities, with little progress made Wednesday, despite the anti-government forces reporting a number of rebel casualties.

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