Not every UN nation locked step

Re-reporting, editing, comment by Carolyn Bennett
Military action in Libya is ill conceived, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Risks and dangers of a military intervention in Libya are too great,” said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

“We will not take part with German soldiers in such a military combat mission in Libya,” Westerwelle said.

In another act of madness, the United Nations Security Council — dominated and browbeat by the imperial West [U.S.-Britain-France] — has acted to compound acts of violence and migration pressures on the Libyan people and to further inflame and destabilize the Mediterranean region.

Ten ayes on the UN Security Council yesterday adopted a resolution authorizing force against the people of Libya. As with Iraq and Saddam Hussein, the thought, if accurately this can be called \"thought,\" is to kill the Libyans to stop Colonel Muammar Al- Qaddafi, their president, from killing them. However, China, Russia, Brazil, Germany and India refused to join the madness.

The current UN Security Council is made up of powerful China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, permanent members; and virtually powerless Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011), Germany (2012), Portugal (2012), Brazil (2011), India (2012), South Africa (2012), Colombia (2012) Lebanon (2011), Gabon (2011), Nigeria (2011), non-permanent members.

“We oppose the use of force in international relations and have some serious reservations with part of the resolution,” said China’s Foreign Ministry representative Jiang Yu.

“The current crisis in Libya,” she said, “should be resolved through dialogue and by other peaceful means.”

In a press conference on Tuesday before the UNSC vote, the Chinese foreign minister said, “We believe the internal affairs of Libya should be decided independently by the Libyan people themselves; and that the international community [should] push relevant parties in Libya to settle the current crisis through dialogue and other peaceful means.”

Westerwelle takes the last word: “We remain eminently skeptical on the option of military intervention.”

Sources and notes
“German troops will not take part in any military intervention in Libya as there are ‘considerable risks and dangers,’ Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Friday, after Berlin abstained in the UN vote to impose a no-fly zone. ‘We remain eminently skeptical on the option of military intervention... anticipated in this resolution. We see in it considerable risks and dangers. That is why we could not approve this part of the text,’ a statement said,” March 18, 2011, http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14922018,00.html

“Security Council authorizes ‘all necessary measures’ to protect civilians in Libya,” March 17, 2011,
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37808&Cr=libya&Cr1=

“UN no-fly zone over Libya draws mixed world reaction,” March 18, 2011, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/18/c_13786704.htm

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu’s Regular Press Conference on March 15, 2011 — On the afternoon of March 15, 2011, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu held a regular press conference,
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw/s2510/2511/t807669.htm

UN SECURITY COUNCIL 2011 — Membership in 2011
The Council is composed of five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — and ten non-permanent members (with year of term's end):
Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011) Germany (2012) Portugal (2012)
Brazil (2011)
India (2012) South Africa (2012)
Colombia (2012) Lebanon (2011)
Gabon (2011) Nigeria (2011)

The General Assembly elected Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting on January 1, 2011. The newly elected countries have replaced Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda, http://www.un.org/sc/members.asp

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