Strikes will 'antagonise' many in Arab world, says Chomsky

[Jefferson23]

Noam Chomsky interviewed by Saundra Satterlee

The Irish Times, March 21, 2011

Military intervention in Libya is a serious mistake, activist Noam Chomsky tells SAUNDRA SATTERLEE

NOAM CHOMSKY wrote about the Spanish Civil War at the age of 10 for his school newspaper, was briefly jailed with Norman Mailer in 1967 for an anti-Vietnam protest at the Pentagon, and last May was detained by the Israelis when he tried to enter the West Bank via Jordan.

A world-renowned scholar and retired professor of linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he remains, at age 82, a robust political activist and a stinging critic of US foreign policy.

Chomsky warns that direct military intervention in Libya will turn out to be a serious mistake.

"When the United States, Britain and France opt for military intervention, we have to bear in mind that these countries are hated in the region for very good reasons. The rich and powerful can say history is bunk but victims don't have that luxury," he says.

"Threatening moves, I'm sure, evoke all sorts of terrible thoughts and memories in the region Ð and many people across Africa and the Arab world will be seriously antagonised by military intervention."

Chomsky adds that in Egypt public opinion polls have shown about 90 per cent of the population thinks the US is the worst threat they face.


remainder: http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/20110321.htm

[Deep13]

1. That train has already left the station.

If this antagonizes Arabs, then they were already antagonized from Iraq, Afghanistan (a Muslim country, though not Arab) and American support for Israel.

[Jefferson23]

2. I don't believe there is a suggestion the antagonism is new. n/t

[aranthus]

3. Not that he's wrong, but

what do you think the reaction would be if we responded to the Arab League call for a no fly zone by saying, "no?"

[Jefferson23]

4. They certainly added pressure for the US, true. But consider their incentives, motives:

They don't appreciate upheaval by the masses, of which there has been quite a bit shaking their status quo.
This measure may have been more about appearing to take the side of the people, thus sacrifice Ghadfi, yet,
they also began to backtrack on their support pretty quickly too.

[shira]

9. So the US was damned if they do, damned if they don't - right? n/t

[Jefferson23]

10. No, not really, they just don't know what to do when people react

unpredictably.

[azurnoir]

5. Arab League 'condemns air strike'

The Arab League has reportedly condemned yesterday's air strikes in Libya, despite the organisation appealing to the international community to enforce a no-fly zone.

Secretary general Amr Mussa was quoted as saying: “What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone.

“What we want is the protection of civilians and not bombing other civilians.”

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/arab-league-condemns-air-strike-497980.html#ixzz1HXk3VnzO

[King_David]

6. Why did you post this in this forum ?

[azurnoir]

7. why did you reply? n/t

[King_David]

8. Why did you post this in this forum ?