Friday, April 01, 2011

Libya: time for a real armistice

Now that the weather is bad for air attacks, the rebels are retreating again and the US has announced to restrict its part in the attacks it seems time for a bit of humility on the side of the rebels. Unfortunately we don't see much of it yet. The rebels have finally asked for a cease-fire, but their conditions sound completely unrealistic. What to think of their demand that Gaddafi should allow demonstrations? That is something for a peace agreement, not for an armistice: in a war you don't allow demonstrations.

I presume that the rebels can't do much better. They are highly divided and that is not situation in which an organization can make big concessions. So I think it time that some international leader steps in and takes up a mediating role. It is a pity that until now we haven't seen anybody who travelled both to Tripoli and Benghazi and tried to broker some armistice.

The big question in this is the role of the US. As long as Obama aims for regime change it is unlikely that the rebels will go beyond seeking delays in which they can rearm and seeking propaganda coups.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like your main sympathy lies with the fascist dictator, and not with the Libyans.

The "demands" made of the dictator are very reasonable. Demonstrations? These should have been legal for the last 40 years.