China Calls for Libya Ceasefire

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu responds to questions during a press briefing in Beijing where China reiterated its opposition to the use of force in Libya amid Western air strikes there and called for an immediate ceasefire in the country's conflict, March 22, 2011

CHINA, March 22, 2011 (KATAKAMI.COM) — China Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Libya, where a United Nations “no-fly zone” is being enforced.  After abstaining last week from the U.N. Security Council vote on military action, the Chinese government says it wants immediate talks to end the violence.

As reported by VOA on Tuesday, ever since it abstained from the U.N. Security Council vote on military action to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya, China has been voicing its disapproval of the bombing raids launched by the United States, Britain and France.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu says China is deeply concerned about civilian casualities caused by the air strikes and warns of a humanitarian disaster.

She says the original intent in passing the Security Council mandate was to protect the safety of the Libyan people.

But she says Beijing opposes was she describes as an abuse use of force and the unnecessary use of violence that could result in additional civilian casualities.

Jiang says the military action will cause a bigger humanitarian crisis and says China has serious reservations about parts of the U.N. resolution.

Western powers began strikes against Libya, last Saturday, in a U.N.-mandated campaign to target air defenses to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians from Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.

But the Chinese government, which abstained from the U.N. vote along with fellow permanent Security Council member Russia, has kept up a critical commentary of the military action.

China’s official state media accuses nations backing the strikes of breaking international rules and courting new turmoil in the Middle East.

When pressed by journalists, Jiang refused to say why exactly China did not use its veto power to block the U.N. mandate.

She said the Beijing government took into consideration concerns among Arab countries and what she described as the special conditions in Libya.

She refused to elaborate further and would not say if China views the military actions by the other Security Council members as a breach of the U.N. rules.

Jiang said China always opposes the use of force in international relations.

And, she said the United Nations is still considering what long-term actions to take on Libya.

China’s Middle East envoy, Wu Sike, is to visit the region later this week.  (*)

Britain does not have duty to intervene in unrest

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A protester holds a banner during a Stop the War coalition demonstration opposite 10 Downing Street in London on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies

London, March 22, 2011 (KATAKAMI.COM ) – The majority of British people believe Britain does not have a duty to intervene in Libya, according to a poll unveiled on Monday.

As reported by CHINA DAILY on Tuesday, fifty-eight percent say Britain is wrong to intervene in the civil war while only 30 percent say it does have the right, the poll conducted by Metro revealed.

Metro is one of the biggest newspapers in the UK. Every weekday morning some 1.3 million free copies are distributed across the country.

The survey polled 1,596 British urbanites and found that more than half (55 percent) said it would not be in Britain’s interests to use force against the Libya government compared with 29 percent who say it would.

Oliver Blears, a 21-year-old student from the University of Nottingham, told China Daily that the US, Britain and France’s military action against Libya is premature. The Arab League should be the only power to grant the use of military action, not the UN, Blears said.

Instead, blanket economic sanctions and embargos such as the ban on all Libyan oil exports would have been a preferred reaction, Blears added.

However, younger people are more likely to say Britain should take action against Libya, with 37 percent of people aged 18-24 backing intervention. The figure drops to 30 percent of people aged 25-34 and 26 percent of people aged 35-44.

Most of the respondents believe there are circumstances when it is legitimate for British troops to bring down a foreign government. Fifty-six percent think it is legitimate if there are clear human rights abuses, while only 11 percent believe it is never legitimate.

About 53 percent say it should be done when the UN requests military support, and 31 percent agree when allies request support. Just 18 percent say Britain should intervene when its financial interests are threatened.

British Tornado fighters, transporters and spy-planes joined US Stealth Bombers and French Mirage jets into action to stop Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi’s forces attacking the rebel-held city of Benghazi, and to reinforce a UN no-fly zone over the country.

There are particular concerns on the possible use of British ground troops and the doubts over the end game.

As the BBC reported, Downing Street has so far strenuously sought to dampen down any suggestion that there could be “boots on the grounds”, but it has carefully not ruled out the use of special forces.

Gary Li, a former researcher at the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, a leading think tank focusing on international security, told China Daily that the devastating air and sea attack is designed to destroy Gadhafi’s heavy weapon installations and tilt the balance of military power in favor of the rebels. At the same time, the military action will also aim to destroy the morale and confidence of pro-Gadhafi forces, Gary said.

He predicted that there is little possibility that the coalition forces will deploy ground troops in Libya.

“The US is struggling in two war bogs, Iraq and Afghanistan, so it is not possible that US will go into the third war. It can’t get enough political support. The UK and France both do not have enough forces to deploy ground troops in Libya,” Gary said.  (*)

Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov : Russia urges immediate Libya ceasefire

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Russia's Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov shake hands after their meeting in Moscow March 22, 2011. Photo : REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool

RUSSIA, March 22, 2011 (KATAKAMI.COM) — Russian Defense Dinister has called for immediate ceasefire in Libya as US-led military coalition forces escalates their aerial and sea attacks on the north African country, Iranian Television PRESS TV Channel reported on Tuesday.

“Russia wants to see an immediate ceasefire in Libya and the start of political negotiations,” Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told visiting US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday.

“We are convinced that the shortest path to the safety of peaceful civilians is through an immediate ceasefire and the start of dialogue,” Serdyukov added.

The call comes after Russia’s prime minister denounced a UN Security Council resolution authorizing a military offensive against Libya.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says the resolution is defective and flawed, and resembles “the medieval calls for crusades.”

The Russian premier also accused the US of acting without conscience or logic.

Russia abstained from last week’s vote in the UN Security Council authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya.

US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen has acknowledged that the US-led military invasion of Libya could lead to a deadlock in the country.

The top military commander said told CBS news on Sunday that the end-game of military action in Libya was “very uncertain.”

Dozens of civilians have been killed in Libya since the US, Britain, France and some other Western countries launched their attacks on the North African country.

Experts say the main motive behind the Western allies’ attack is the vast oil reserves in the North African country.

This is the biggest Western military intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.   (*)