U.S. Hands Off Libya!

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VOL. 29, NO. 3, MARCH 2011 WWW.SOCIALISTACTION.ORG U.S. / CANADA $1 In late February the masses of Libya revolted against the regime of Muammar el-Qaddafi. As we go to press, the opposition controls the country’s second largest city, Benghazi, and other cities in the oil-rich eastern part of the country as well as many towns in the west. Qaddafi maintains control in the capital, Tripoli, and is trying to retake other cities. Pro-Qaddafi army, militia, and mercenary units have inflicted high casualities on the civilian population—often using tanks and warplanes in their strikes.

The political character of the opposition seems to be as mixed as in other Arab countries in revolt. But whereas in Egypt and Tunisia the military forced out the dictators before a full-scale confrontation with enraged masses could begin—a confrontation that could have meant a split in the army and defection of soldiers to the revolution—in Libya significant sections of the military (and diplomatic) hierarchy split from Qaddafi almost immediately, sensing correctly that Qaddafi would not go so quietly.

In towns liberated from Qaddafi’s regime, the same kind of self-organization by the masses seen in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, and elsewhere is taking place, as people’s committees have taken over provision of basic services and maintenance of order, including keeping oil flowing. A layer of middle-class professionals—doctors, lawyers, academics, etc.—appear to have appointed themselves heads of these committees and of a coordinating group called the Libyan National Council. Alongside them are military committees created by defecting officers.

Smelling a chance to intervene and set up a new puppet government, world powers got the UN Security Council to vote for sanctions against the regime, arranged for the International Criminal Court to indict Qaddafi (the same Court which has repeatedly refused to indict Zionist war criminals), and began threatening use of military force.

Within the resistance, defectors from Qaddafi’s regime and the middle-class forces who have appointed themselves leaders are calling for Western intervention, most commonly in the form of “no-fly zones,” while claiming to be opposed to the introduction of ground troops. The rank and file of the popular committees, in contrast, appear willing and eager to use their mass armed power to finish the battle with Qaddafi.

It is important to stand with the workers, peasants, Kevin Frayer / AP (Above) Egyptians demonstrate in Cairo’s Tahrir Sq. in solidarity with Libyan revolt, Feb. 25. and youth of Libya in their fight to finish off the tyrannical, capitalist Qaddafi regime. We must also give them our political support in their fight against the quislings who would turn over Libya to imperialist intervention. Such pleas are sometimes made for “humanitarian” reasons (protecting refugees or preventing mass slaughter) and sometimes out of supposed military necessity—ignoring the ability of the armed masses to do the job.

Proof of the need to mobilize against intervention is manifold. U.S. warships are on the way, and Obama has (continued on page 4, in “Cracks in the Empire D espite what talking heads in corporate media”)

Emmanuel Dunand / AFP / Getty Images

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