Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Could Hizbullah Save the Libyan Revolution?


A COMMENT
By Tony Sayegh

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It is clear by now that a no-fly zone over Libya, supported by the Arab League, will not be imposed real soon. The reason is simple: The Arab regimes themselves, who are capable of imposing such ban are not going to do it. Instead the Arab League decision will only be used by the US/NATO if and when their narrow calculations would indicate possible imperial gains. On the other hand, if the imperialists sense that their reformed despot is gaining ground, as he is, then they will give him time and would continue to do business with him after they shed a few crocodile tears for the tens of thousands of slaughtered Libyans.

The new Egypt is too timid and preoccupied with its internal situation to contemplate a bold move to impose a no-fly zone on Libya and to come to the aid of the Libyan revolutionaries, as Azmi Bishara has been wistfully wishing. Besides, restrictions imposed on the Egyptian military by its US arms suppliers would prevent such step.

Notice the timidity towards aiding the Libyan revolution as contrasted with the aggressive and outrageous invasion of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia and its cohorts in the Gulf Cooperation Council to crush the peaceful uprising by the majority in Bahrain.

The Libyan revolution lacks a good leadership and I am very afraid that this critical lack of leadership could prove fatal. After relaxing and betting on Western intervention and a no-fly zone as a done deal, the Libyan revolutionaries now see almost all their gains are being reversed by the tyrant's troops. Benghazi itself will soon be under attack.

It is pathetic to see the provisional revolutionary council in Libya reduced to begging the West to assassinate Gaddafi as the solution! It smacks of desperation.

Here is a bold and crazy idea. Just as Saudi Arabia, at the behest of Washington, sent its US-supplied tanks into Bahrain, to protect their fellow puppet regime of Al-Khalifa, Hizbullah can boldly declare that it has a moral authority to help the Libyan revolutionaries at a critical time of need.

There is self-interest, in addition. Some believe that the Lebanese Imam Sadr, who was kidnapped and disappeared by the Libyan dictator, is still alive in Libya. What could be a more noble mission for Hizbullah than to find his whereabouts and to rescue Imam Sadr, if he is alive?

Iran would throw a major monkey wrench into the imperial works and support this Hizbullah mission. It would be Iran's answer to the imperial challenge in Bahrain.

I have no doubt that as few as a thousand disciplined and well-trained Hizbullah fighters could turn the tide and send the Libyan tyrant running.

Who knows, the reward could be a live Imam Sadr kept in a dungeon in Tripoli.

What a coup would that be for Hizbullah (and for Iran) throughout the Arab world.

I urge Sayyed Nasrallah to consider this bold idea. These are critical times which are full of potentialities and the courageous and bold decisions would be immensely rewarded.

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