Russia, Arab League, Hoodwinked On Libya?

Amr Moussa, secretary general of The Arab League has now criticized the attacks–said Arab League might reconsider the approval

[Operation Odyssey Dawn]

Russia which abstained from the United Nations vote that approved the imposition of a no-fly zone has condemned the Western coalition’s bombing and missile attacks on Libya as excessive–separately the Arab League now wants to reconsider its endorsement of the mission.

A top Russian official called for “an end to indiscriminate force” and also said 48 Libyan civilians had been killed in the attacks by France, the U.K. and the U.S., which included airforce jets, cruise missiles and bombers.

“We believe a mandate given by the UN security council resolution – a controversial move in itself – should not be used to achieve goals outside its provisions, which only see measures necessary to protect civilian population,” Alexander Lukashevich, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman, said.

At the same time, Amr Moussa, secretary general of The Arab League has now criticized the attacks, even though he had been instrumental in getting the organization on March 12 to endorse a no-fly zone paving the way for the Western powers to get the UN Resolution 1973. The UN Security Council approved “all measures necessary” to protect civilians in Libya from attacks by Muammar al-Qathafi’s forces in the civil war in the North African country.

Moussa, who is also running for president in Egypt’s September presidential vote said: “What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone and what we want is the protection of civilians and not bombing other civilians.”

Moussa may have been rattled by images broadcast around North Africa and the Middle East said to show funeral services for dead Libyan civilians. Libyan television also showed hospital images of people said to have been wounded in the coalition attacks.

Moussa said he will call an Arab League meeting to reconsider Arab approval of the Western coalition military intervention in Libya.

“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

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