By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, August 31 -- As August turns to September and the Arab Fall, in the UN Security Council there has neither been proposed a draft resolution to lift sanctions on Libya nor to stop the NATO bombing.
Even on the day of Eid al Fitr, with the UN building closed, another country on Wednesday submitted an unfreezing request to the Libya Sanctions Committee. The request, referencing only the "international mechanism" still based in Qatar and not the Transitional National Council, was to be announced in Oslo on September 1.
(Germany's note verbale request announced August 29 referenced like the US the "relevant authorities," according to a self-described reliable source.)
Beyond South Africa's unfreezing standoff with the US last week, the blocks of Russia and China have been much discussed, with the former called principled and the latter, merely business related.
Why haven't the Western countries put forward a resolution to remove the sanctions in toto and unfreeze Gaddafi's money? The answer seems to be that with the situation on the ground, this would trigger a counter-request to get NATO to stop its bombing. And that NATO and the West don't want to do.
As various delegations conferred with Inner City Press about its "scoop" in obtaining and publishing the Ian Martin report, they described stealth outreach by the UN to non-NATO countries, while Al Khatib was still trying unsuccessfully to mediate. (The consensus seems to be that Al Khatib is now "finished.") This included the likes of Bangladesh -- which said no -- and non-NATO member Finland.
By 48 St Mission, Rebel flag & Gaddafi named sign, Aug 31, 2011 (c) MLee
After spotting Ibrahim Dabbashi on Second Avenue with a cell phone, Inner City Press noticed on the scaffolding in front of Libya's mission the sign of ownership, by the "Libyan Arab Jamahiriya." Since that was Gaddafi's name, one wonders when it will change. Watch this site.
