Juan Cole: Top 5 Ironies of U.S. Reaction to Egypt/UAE Bombing of Libya

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/top-5-ironies-us-reaction-egyptuae-bombing-libya-1409366704

The diplomatic angst issuing from Washington around the United Arab Emirates and Egypt bombing of weapons depots belonging to the Qatar-backed fundamentalist militia of Misrata holds many delicious ironies:

1. According to the BBC, “the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and the UK issued a joint statement denouncing “outside interference” in Libya.” Seriously, guys? Except for Germany, these are the NATO countries that intervened in Libya in the first place, in large part at the insistence of an Arab League led by Egypt and the UAE! It is true that the UAE and Egypt don’t have a U.N. Security Council Resolution, which authorized NATO involvement (I supported the then no fly zone on those grounds). But the newly elected Libyan House of Representatives has openly called for international intervention against Libya’s out-of-control militias and it is entirely possible that the Libyan government asked, behind the scenes for these air strikes. In any case, “outside interference” isn’t the issue!

2. The U.S. is said to have been “caught off guard” by the air strikes. But the U.S. bombed Tripoli in 1986 without coordinating with most of its Middle East allies. Or then there was that sudden invasion of Iraq for no good reason in 2003. The U.S. is always catching the Middle East off guard.

[geek tragedy]

1. For public consumption. nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Good stuff, Mr. Cole.