You gotta love the resolve:
Italy called for a suspension of hostilities in Libya on Wednesday in the latest sign of dissent within NATO as the civilian death toll mounts and Moamer Kadhafi shows no signs of quitting power.
“We have seen the effects of the crisis and therefore also of NATO action not only in eastern and southwestern regions but also in Tripoli,” Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told a parliamentary committee meeting.
“I believe an immediate humanitarian suspension of hostilities is required in order to create effective humanitarian corridors,” while negotiations should also continue on a more formal ceasefire and peace talks, he said.
“I think this is the most urgent and dramatic point,” Frattini continued.“I think it is legitimate to request ever more detailed information on the results” of the NATO mission, he added, condemning “the dramatic errors that hit civilians, which is clearly not an objective of the NATO mission.”
Did he say “hostilities”? That must be an error in translation, right? You can’t suspend something that isn’t going on. Oh, right. NATO is engaged in hostilities but the USA is not. Got it.
The French rejected Italy’s suggestion out of hand, and basically called them surrender monkeys. Bring on the Freedom Risotto.
This war was such an awesome idea.
It all depends on what exactly the US is doing, doesn’t it?
BTW, I think this is a gambit to get Italy talking with the powers-that-be in Tripoli. Just like I think the supposed rift with Russia over the no-fly zone was to preserve their ability to be an interlocutor with Gaddafi.
Italy has had “cold feet” from the beginning. Berscoloni threatened to resign over the UN declaration:
Berlusconi also said he was ready to resign last month when the United Nations approved a measure to bomb forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi with the aim of protecting civilians. Berlusconi had formed a close relationship with Gaddafi, even inviting him as a guest to the G-8 meeting of industrialised nations in 2009 in Aquila, Italy.
http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/English/Politics/Italy-Berlusconi-says-he-will-step-aside-in-2013-a
nd-almost-resigned-over-Libya_311902273408.html
You’re really straining with the “Toldja so’s” lately.
Berlesconi? Resign? It is to laugh.
When Berlesconi is out of office, the myriad prosecutions that swirl around him start to close in. No way will he resign as a gesture.
Wouldn’t that have been awesome?
NATO: “Oh, no, we’d better change our mind, so we can get the crazy, corrupt billionaire back! Oh, wait…”
Italy, as former colonial ruler of Libya, would more or less “have to” have cold feet, Berlusconi or not. I don’t know if Tarheel is right, but the kind of thinking he is doing is much more consonant with diplomatic reality than the ridiculously superficial, one-dimensional interpretations (on both sides) that usually come out in this debate. Diplomacy and politics are intricately intertwined, and in the one as in the other, appearance and reality are two very different things. However, there is a reality behind the appearance, and unless your efforts are directed towards trying to figure out what that reality is, you’re just batting around other peoples’ talking points according to your own emotional predispositions.
Oh, right. NATO is engaged in hostilities but the USA is not. Got it.
There’s actually nothing implausible about such a situation existing. There are plenty of NATO countries contributing to the operation that aren’t engaged in hostilities. There’s really no reason to treat this as a punch line.
The problem with the administration’s claim is that we, unlike those NATO countries, actually are engaged in the hostilities.
Obama is getting ready to disappoint us again.
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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."The Northern League apparently ignored the fact that the growing number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe was one of the factors that motivated European decisions to back intervention.
Of course those who have the most to gain politically from further refugees arriving as a result of the changes going on in North Africa are the Northern League in Italy, the National Front in France, the “Freedom” Party in Netherlands, the BNP in the UK, Jobbik in Hungary, the National Party in the Czech Republic, the Danish Peoples Party, the Sweden “Democrats” Party, and on and on. The cultural issue of immigration, inflamed by the poor global economy, has been brought to a boil with the influx of refugees. This is the weapon that Gaddafi is trying to use to retain his power–the domestic politics of European countries.
And this is why you are going to see increased NATO pressure, scrupulously within the limits of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. NATO tonight succeeded in destroying a major Gaddafi ammunition dump in western Libya south of Zintan, most likely receiving supplies from Algeria, which has not been scrupulous in its observance of the UN arms embargo.
It is now personal for Gaddafi. He went on about his children and grandchildren in a taped radio address and said that it would be better for him to die.
I would say that the Italian comments are for domestic consumption by Berlusconi’s base. “The Italian planes will not open fire”. Does this mean that they will fly sorties but not open fire? Or that they will no longer fly sorties, which they have been doing on a limited basis anyway.
Gaddafi’s radio address must have been his attempt to shut down any Italian attempt to start diplomacy to ease him out of power. Apparently each “friend” who comes to Tripoli to restart diplomacy and then goes to Benghazi has privately been telling Gaddafi that it’s over. Whether it be the African Union, South Africa, Russia, and now Libya. While the global media play up the “division” story.
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See my comment and link to an article Treating refugees as refuse which explains the Friendship Treaty between Berlusconi and Gaddafi signed in 2008. This treaty was all about blocking African migrants and asylum seekers crossing from Libya to Italy.
“Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi promised to provide $200m (£121m) a year over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects in Libya. Italy provided three patrol boats to Libya and has promised three more. Italy has also said that it will help construct a radar system to monitor Libya’s desert borders, using the Italian security company, Finmeccanica.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."The Northern League apparently ignored the fact that the growing number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe was one of the factors that motivated European decisions to back intervention.
Of course those who have the most to gain politically from further refugees arriving as a result of the changes going on in North Africa are the Northern League in Italy, the National Front in France, the “Freedom” Party in Netherlands, the BNP in the UK, Jobbik in Hungary, the National Party in the Czech Republic, the Danish Peoples Party, the Sweden “Democrats” Party, and on and on. The cultural issue of immigration, inflamed by the poor global economy, has been brought to a boil with the influx of refugees. This is the weapon that Gaddafi is trying to use to retain his power–the domestic politics of European countries.
And this is why you are going to see increased NATO pressure, scrupulously within the limits of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. NATO tonight succeeded in destroying a major Gaddafi ammunition dump in western Libya south of Zintan, most likely receiving supplies from Algeria, which has not been scrupulous in its observance of the UN arms embargo.
It is now personal for Gaddafi. He went on about his children and grandchildren in a taped radio address and said that it would be better for him to die.
I would say that the Italian comments are for domestic consumption by Berlusconi’s base. “The Italian planes will not open fire”. Does this mean that they will fly sorties but not open fire? Or that they will no longer fly sorties, which they have been doing on a limited basis anyway.
Gaddafi’s radio address must have been his attempt to shut down any Italian attempt to start diplomacy to ease him out of power. Apparently each “friend” who comes to Tripoli to restart diplomacy and then goes to Benghazi has privately been telling Gaddafi that it’s over. Whether it be the African Union, South Africa, Russia, and now Libya. While the global media play up the “division” story.
Sounds right to me.
Romano and Veneziano strike again.
/Hetalia reference.