A Resolution That Raises Endless Questions

On Mar 5, 2011

The UN General Assembly on March 2, 2011 adopted a resolution to suspend the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council. The Eritrean Foreign Ministry’s press release issued on the following day pointed out that the motion of suspension by the UN was: “legally and morally unjustified to pass a motion or a resolution without/ before conducting appropriate full and independent investigation on the matter”.
Peoples and countries where the recent uprisings are taking place or even others have the sovereign right to address their affairs on their own. This being the undeniable truth, the motion adopted by the UN raises an endless stream of questions when viewed from a legal and pragmatic perspective. Some of these questions include:

1. The Underlying Reason Behind Resolutions
What was the reason behind the UN’s swift move to suspend Libya’s membership from the Human Rights Council? When and how did Libya become a member of this Council in the first place? Why was it unanimously voted to be a member? Libya was even once the chair of the council- under what criteria? Why had it suddenly turned into a villain? What message is being forwarded through this resolution? To whom is this message meant for? What kind of process and procedures do UN resolutions go through first? Who drafts these resolutions and who finalizes them? Why were countries like Eritrea not given the opportunity to voice their opposition to such double standards? Is it merely a coincidence that the UN Secretary General traveled to the US on Monday and the resolution was adopted on Wednesday or that the Arab League and the AU made similar statements hours later? What prompted the AU and the Arab League to turn their backs on their members states? Under whose orders? A resolution of “No Fly Zone” is said to be being considered. Who is it that passes such resolution and by what authority? Based on which legal principles or charters? It is said that military intervention is also being contemplated, but for what objective? What is the reason behind the military interference on the internal affairs of peoples and countries? And who is it that decides on military interventions? On what authority? And who makes the actual intervention? Has not the world seen enough of the horrific consequences of the military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia? Is the US still capable of making such interventions now? Can its economy withstand another military adventure? How much power does the US exactly wield? Haven’t past failures exposed its true powers? How much truth is there in the new voices from Capitol Hill that bipartisanism is no longer working for the US? Is it bipartisanism or being out of touch with reality? Has a new world order unfolded? Who are the domestic forces in Libya or other countries that call for external military intervention? How much of the population do they represent? Why the hurry to freeze Libya’s monetary assets and what it is the objective? Legally speaking, does anyone have any right or mandate to freeze the assets of a people and country? Where are these assets to be frozen and where do they go from there? Who uses them eventually? What is the role of the banks that are in charge of these assets in the western stock market? The questions are endless.

2. The Issue of Accountability
A considerable number of people have died since the beginning of the uprising in North Africa and the Middle East. This being the fact, why was such particular focus given to Libya only? Many people have died in the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen. The world had witnessed people being shot and mowed down by vehicles in Egypt, why was Libya particularly targeted for accountability of the deaths that occurred amidst such chaos? Why was the ICC, which has thus far remained quiet, so quick to file a case against Libya? Why had the idea for an investigation of what really happened so swiftly disregarded? Why was the massacre in Gaza that claimed the lives of thousands not considered as crimes against humanity? Why hadn’t such a massacre prompted a member’s suspension motion or filing of a case in the ICC, even as a pretense? Why was the Goldstone Report which exposed the crimes in Gaza buried and by whom? The Wikileaks had exposed US troops wiping out an entire settlement and shooting at unarmed civilians. Why had the ICC chosen or to be exact, felt compelled to remain silent on the matter? On the contrary why are efforts being made to extradite to US the editor in chief of the website that exposed such realities? On the day that the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on Libya, US soldiers had killed ten children in Afghanistan. But this incident was waived by a mere apology, so why had it not been viewed in the same light as the deaths in Libya? If the issue is in the number of the death toll, then why was a commission established to investigate the assassination of Rafiq Hariri?

3. Astounding Incidents
European countries, particularly the UK and Italy had within a short time developed so-called positive relations with Libya, which took a dramatic downturn recently. What was the reason? Is it really because of concern for the people? In the wake of the ongoing popular uprisings why is the US making conflicting statements every day? Why does the US seem more concerned about these issues than everyone? What right does President Obama have to say that President Gaddafi needs to be removed from power? What are those of us to think that saw Secretary of State Hillary Clinton roll the red carpet in welcoming Gaddafi’s son, Saif-Al-Islam not so long ago? Isolated for the Lockerbie incident for such a long time, how is it that Libya was able to establish warm relations with western countries? Imprisoning innocent youth under the suspicion of terrorism for merely growing their beard, why had the US and Britain released the Libyan whom they implicated as the biggest terrorist in the Lockerbie attack. How was Libya able to buy ‘peace’? Was it just a coincidence that British Petroleum and US companies soon made investments in the country? It is to be recalled that the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Eritrea for refusing to recognize the unelected so-called transitional government in Somalia. On the contrary, going beyond refusing to recognize a government, the US called for the toppling of a government. What special rights does the US have to make such statements?

4. The Role Of The Media, Social Networks and Civil Society
Is media playing the right role of journalistic reporting in the recent uprisings or are there some hidden agendas? Why are media organizations adding fuel to the flames? Why aren’t they presenting the real picture on the ground so that people could make their own opinions? What is the agenda or motive behind each media organization? Why does Press-TV give more emphasis to the situation in Bahrain? Why does Al-Jazeera focus on Palestine or Al-Arabia prioritizes the issue in Libya? Is it all a coincidence or done on purpose? Are the think-tanks, civil societies, advocates for human rights or the rights of women and refugees, and other crisis traders of different names as well as social networking sites and the media playing the roles that they should? Is their respective approaches positive and for the good of the people? Why do they play up some issues while ignoring others?

5. The New World Order
From a general point of view there is no doubt that the developments around the world are leading towards a new world order. But considering the way things are being addressed will such a shift entail dangerous consequences? Will a new world order lead towards even more adventurism? Why are not people given the opportunity to address their own internal affairs and direct their own destinies? What is the reason behind the US military presence in different land and sea territories around the world? The Enterprise group was recently in the Red Sea- for what purpose? Why had it now moved to the Mediterranean Sea? Was it a coincidence that the military and security officials that now make up the transitional military council in Egypt were in the Pentagon on the day that the revolts erupted in the country? What is the role of the US organization, National Endowment for Democracy- which is serving an extension of the CIA- in the revolts in Arab countries? The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) had signed up 800, 000 Egyptian youth by its so-called Digitally Linked Mob philosophy through the Face book group “April 6” since 2009. What role has this played in the revolts?
It has become clear that the main targets of the NED are Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Sudan. Syria has in no way been affected by the current wave of revolts. Was is it because it had a better socio-economic justice or because it had avoided being subservient?

Wielding sole hegemonic power since the end of the Cold War, will the US stand aside for a new world order? How dangerous will the consequences of the US actions to prevent such a shift be? What nature will such actions assume? Will the US be able to direct current developments towards its interests? What is the role of big powers such as China and Russia be in directing the new world order? And what role should they play? What will be the fate of the countries thus far not affected by the wave of revolts?
The questions are endless. Viewing issues from the perspective of these questions, there is no doubt that peoples and governments around the world will need a broader awareness and outlook.
The truth can only be understood by looking at the bigger picture and all the colors and pixels that make it up.