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Is there an alternative to fighting Gaddafi?
Opinion: Not sure that there is.....
On Friday March 18th 2011, UN security took a life altering vote for civilians in Lybia. A no-fly zone was implemented and France, the US, Britain and several other members of the UN committed to take "all action necessary, including military action".
This action was meet by chilling threats from Gaddafi, who informed the international stage that they would ”regret it if you dare to intervene in our country.” This threat was then counter-acted by a pretend ceasefire. He even went so far as to invite Germany and China to witness the ceasefire. But it was a dark and desperate ruse to prevent the Lybian civil war becoming an international war. Soon after this, there were reports from the city of Benicazi of shots being fired by Gaddaffi. His unnerving threat to “search every house…” once again became a reality for the civilians in Benicazzi. Some began to flee towards Egypt in fear.
On Saturday 19th, France fired the first shot in the war against Gaddafi. It's the largest international military invasion since Iraq begun and is nicknamed Odyssey Damn. The US, in their limited involvement to impose a no-fly zone, shot over 110 Tomahawk missiles at more than 20 Libyan targets.
Still not fazed, Gaddafi continued to send in his troops to persecute his nation. David Cameron supported the UK’s efforts by justifying the action as “necessary, legal and right” and he suggested that we should put our thoughts with the UK forces who are putting their life at risk.
It’s at this point that we have to ask - how can this be right? Is Gaddafi right, should the world mind their own business? Is there even a fight to be had? Is there a peaceful solution to all this?
Well, first off, it is everyone’s fight. Being brave has consequences. Standing up to the bully in the playground is hard and is bound to be met with a punch or a deathly glare. It would be a sin to stand by and allow Gaddafi to slay innocent people day by day. Civil war or no civil war.
Nonetheless, the UN (an organisation committed to peace), has given the go ahead for war. People are going to die. Ten, twenty, a hundred; maybe even a million. No one knows where this will end. So why did the UN permit this action?
The UN could have issued economic sanctions or a warrant for Gaddafi’s arrest for war crimes. When I started this article, my aim was to criticize the UN for its measures and to condemn war, but, with every word I wrote, I found it even harder to reprimand the action taken. In the background now, Sky news is on, a rebel is begging the world to help, there are images of cars trying to flee and children dancing because the world has come to help.
Yes people will die, the cost will be huge and lives will be destroyed. But they were dying and tortured under Gaddafi anyhow, and we have no idea where, or when, he would stop.
Sometimes it’s hard. With every news report and image plastered on our screens we get that nervous feeling in the pit of our stomach, as we wonder about the consequences and the depth of what awaits the world. Wondering how our lives will be affected, why we can’t just ignore it and go back to our daily, peaceful lives. Because, sometimes the bully has to be stopped.
We just have to pray and live in hope that this will bring peace to the people of Lybia and that the death toll can be justified for future generations.
If no one fought Hitler…
By: Claire Finnegan
