These days the media is reporting the confusion that characterizes this issue. The United Nations is, as usual, stuck in its own structural flaws, based on member's veto powers and the body's regulations about military intervention.
As on many past occasions, the UN is demonstrating its inefficiency in urgent situations like the present North African one. This void has to be filled and corrected, otherwise the international community would never develop into a fair and democratically structured order. As in the Balkans events in the late 90's, NATO is likely to take the UN's place and correct the latter's lack of power (or even political will).
In this specific situation the UN Security Council is probably going to stand still because Russia will want to let the Libyans solve their own problems. American pressure for some kinds of intervention is not going to succeed quickly, if at all. In addition the current Secretary General of NATO, Rasmussen, is expressing an ambiguous point of view about a likely military intervention operated by NATO forces, hoping to make some efficient political pressure. The international community is really divided about the Libyan issue because it is a crucial decision which could potentially have important consequences for the MENA area.
The UN's lack of power could be substituted by NATO, but NATO is not willing to act without an official UN resolution. Moreover there are two other important actors capable to deal with this international scenario: the Arab League and the African Union.
Every international actor is waiting for someome else to make the first move, and the result is really weak pressure that can neither stop Gaddafi and nor the civil war that is occurring in Libya. I think that in the next few hours a significant shift could happen. If the North African dictator is not going to compromise with the rebelling population, the international community is more likely to agree on a common form of intervention. Right now, it seems this is most likely going to be a no fly zone.
The ultimate point is that violence is still going on and international community remains trapped by its own nature. This structural inefficiency should be a starting point for the UN's viscous model renovation, which in my opinion is a necessary step for creating a truly integrated international community; one based on cooperation and capable of overcoming the bilateralism disease.
What should the international community do? Wait for someone else to act? Is Russia right? Should Libya be left to solve its own problems without any international support?
Check out what do some libyans think about international intervention:
2 comments:
I think you're asking some really great questions here. I had a small comments conversation on someone else's post that was similar to this. The situation in Libya is so different from what happen in the other countries that revolted. Do you have any guesses as to why that might be? What made Libya different? More prone to such violence? You mention Russia's idea of what to do with Libya, I'm on the fence with this question as much as many nations seem to be as well. Libya's been left to its own devices thus far and things are very ugly. But did they cause that themselves? Did their early violent protests hurt their cause? Part of me wants to agree with Russia and allow Libya to grow and fight it's own battles, but another part of me is slightly worried that Libya will blow itself off the map.
I think that the events occurring in Libya are really influenced by Muammar Gaddafi’s behavior. The cruelty of the situation is mostly the result of violence and a strong reaction to the uprising operated by the Libyan dictator. Another important aspect is the role of the army. During an uprising, many times a country’s army plays a fundamental role. The fact that the army is mostly staying at Gaddafi's side implies more confidence in managing the situation and keeping the power.
In my opinion, self-determination is a really complex concept: it doesn't apply to every kind of situation. In this case it is clear that Libyan population can't withstand against the dictator's army, they have no chance against the huge military resources that Gaddafi has.
The international community is divided just as you are, and even if it chooses to act, the countries involved would also have to choose how to act...just think about applying a UN's resolution without a coordination medium such as NATO. Pure CHAOS.
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