AFP: China regrets multinational air strikes in Libya

[dkf]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gsMGTXDFWbd2pGgZVLVrGHXgJ7UQ?docId=CNG.1411cd01df64d8f14a45e3962493fb9a.571

BEIJING — China expressed regret on Sunday over the multinational air strikes in Libya, saying in a foreign ministry statement that it opposed the use of force in international relations.

"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya," the statement said.

Russia also issued a similarly worded statement in which it called for a ceasefire as soon as possible.

[Codeine]

1. They're not big on preventing governments from massacring

their own citizenry.

[meow mix]

3. +rec

[LAGC]

2. Maybe they're a little concerned about such justfication being used to attack them in the future?

After all, what would have happened if the international community responded in kind after Tianenmen Square?

[malaise]

11. Because only Western powers have the right to

slaughter the citizens of the world.

[joshcryer]

14. Yes, that's likely one reason they sank Burma in 2007.

[msongs]

4. So regretful that they chose not to block the attacks with their UN veto?

[old mark]

5. Well, wait till the UN goes into North Korea-they will REALLY regret that!

China and Russia abstained from voting on this issue, when either or both could have blocked any UN action...they are both playing politics now and they are both full of shit.

mark

[xchrom]

6. Hmmmmph. Isn't that special. Nt

[OHdem10]

7. They just do not want any Group to be calling them out on Human

Rights or anything else. Naturally they see this as
a slippery slope and one day the UN could come down
on them.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. So does the Arab League.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110320/wl_nm/us_libya

[Catherina]

9. "serious diplomatic setback as the Arab League chief condemned the "bombardment of civilians.""

From your article

West's strikes on Libya hit Arab League criticism
By Maria Golovnina and Michael Georgy – 21 mins ago

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Western forces pounded Libya's air defenses and patrolled its skies on Sunday, but their day-old intervention hit a serious diplomatic setback as the Arab League chief condemned the "bombardment of civilians."

...


Arab League chief Amr Moussa called for an emergency meeting of the group of 22 states to discuss Libya. He requested a report into the bombardment which he said had "led to the deaths and injuries of many Libyan civilians."

"What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," Egypt's official state news agency quoted Moussa as saying.

...

A senior U.S. official rebuffed Moussa's comments.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110320/wl_nm/us_libya

[dkf]

10. The list of those opposed will only get longer as more people die.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. However, that little tidbit was overlooked in the OP.

I also like the conflation of 10 votes in the Security Council to "The UN".

[leftstreet]

18. But, but it's a coalition!!

Did the United States win legitimacy through the vote at the UN? Hardly. Five huge world powers abstained: India, Brazil, Germany, China and Russia. Using its enormous clout as the world’s last, if declining, hyperpower, the United States had to dragoon tiny little countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Portugal to vote yes, or it couldn’t have won the nine votes it needed to pass the resolution. At one point, Susan Rice had to scurry out to find the South African ambassador, who’s apparently tried to avoid the vote. The vote almost didn’t pass, since the United States, the UK and France ended up with only ten votes in the UNSC.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/159346/obamas-women-advisers-pushed-war-against-libya

If this wasn't so :cry: it'd be :rofl:

[malaise]

15. Good

Just like in Iraq, the gang is killing more people than the dictator and then capturing the oil fields - if you believe the West ever gave a damn about human beings go and study the Atlantic slave trade.

[malaise]

13. Thank you China and Russia

and thank you Germany for refusing to participate in this damn madness.

[Arkana]

16. Bull. China backed down because their human rights record

is almost as shitty as Libya's and they didn't want to draw attention to it.

[Ikonoklast]

17. Then they should have blocked it by voting "Nay:"

I guess they'd rather be called hypocrites instead.


OK.