PressTV has interviewed Mohammed Abdulmalik, chairman of Libya Watch in London to discuss the issue furthermore.
PressTV: It seems that a no-fly zone has been implemented in Libya. I want to look at the reasons Western powers have got involved in this.
Abdulmalik: I think it will make a difference to see the Arab countries and the Muslim countries take the initiative and enforce this no-fly zone but the reality is that the Arab countries are divided among themselves. They themselves fear an uprising within their own countries. They are so weak that they are unable to act on such scale. I'm afraid that so are the Islamic countries. The only option left was the West and the West has a moral obligation to stop the onslaught on the Libyan people. If colonel Gadddafi did not use such an extensive force, maybe the West would have turned a blind eye. But the extent of the people who are being murdered and killed meant that the West cannot just stand by and do nothing.
PressTV: But we know that throughout recent history there are many countries that the West had basically not reacted. First of all let's look at Bosnia and so many other countries. What makes Libya different from other countries?
Abdulmalik: Well I don't see the West as one body. I see it made up of different bodies. There are non-governmental organizations. There are the people. There is the media. I work with a lot of non-governmental organizations, human rights organizations, civil organizations and they are all in favor of Libyan people. They are surprised by the amount of brutality that being used. The decision makers and the government cannot ignore the demand of their own people. There is a demand and maybe that is making the Western governments react the way they do.
PressTV: Supposedly Western governments are involved in the Libyan issue to protect the civilians, but what about the reality. Do you think that as the bombing escalates, more civilian lives won't be lost and that if there is no contingency plan implemented, it could also be very devastating for the Libyan people?
Abdulmalik: I think if Colonel Gaddafi is left to do what he wants to do by himself without being stopped, the atrocities will be much worse. I think Gaddafi would not stop at killing a hundred thousand even two hundred thousand with no shame and no regret and no merci at all. Colonel Gaddafi is so vicious and he uses brutal force beyond beliefs that this intervention is a necessity. There is no way to stop an air force, except through a no-fly zone.
However, I do believe that even without a no-fly zone, the Libyan people eventually would topple Colonel Gaddafi. But bear in mind that Gaddafi is also using foreign help. He is using mercenaries specifically from the Balkans, Serbians who have participated in the atrocities in Bosnia. He is using mercenaries from the Arab countries; he is using other European mercenaries and mercenaries from Africa. He is using PR (Public Relations) companies and experts that are helping him. And that's why he's been able to achieve what he has achieved. Even though I believe that he had plenty of time to do it but failed to achieve the objectives within the time that the West would have accepted. I think he took too long to reach Benghazi. So far he has not been able to take Misurata and therefore the intervention is imminent and so is the force form Western aircraft. We have been informed that the French had already taken out some few tanks on the ground and they will continue to do more. As long as Colonel Gaddafi threatens the cities of Benghazi and Misurata and other cities, the West will take them out on the ground.
PressTV: What is the difference between Libya and Yemen and Bahrain. We know that the West with the UN has implemented a no-fly zone. What about Yemen. Many, many people are being killed every day. What about Bahrain where there are foreign forces involved as you said that Gaddafi has mercenaries from foreign countries. What's the difference?
Abdulmalik: Well the difference is that the escalation of atrocities committed in Libya is high. So much has happened in so few days. Gaddafi resorted to anti-aircraft machine gun against his people from the beginning of the protests. He uses snipers. He started using aircrafts against his people a few days after the uprising began. All these things have not been used by the Yemeni government yet. The fact is that the number of casualties in Yemen are not near Libya. In Libya we are talking about tens of thousands of casualties. We are talking about tens of thousands of people being arrested and detained and taken to unknown places. The crimes that Gaddafi has committed have not been committed in Yemen yet.
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