Egyptian scholar and researcher Samir Amin spoke with Hassane Zerrouky on the Arab revolts that have broken out this year, for L'Humanite. The interview was translated by Yoshie Furuhashi for www.mrzine.org . Abridged version appears below.
What's happening in the Arab world six months after the fall of dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia?
Libya
Botswana has become the latest country to follow the Western powers in recognising the Benghazi-based Transitional National Council (TNC), set up by rebel forces opposed to Muammar Gaddafi's dictatorship, as the legitimate government of Libya, Mmegi said on August 12.
Meanwhile, the August 12 British Telegraph reported that Gaddafi鈥檚 regime in Tripoli was threatened by splits.
I firmly believe the left and progressive forces have made a serious error in viewing and equating Libya with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Libya is not the same situation; there has been a popular people's uprising.
Other Libya articles
The US-led military operation in Libya has morphed from the initial imposition of a 鈥渘o-fly zone鈥 鈥 ostensibly to prevent Muammar Gaddafi鈥檚 regime from carrying out a massacre 鈥 into an ongoing bombing campaign with no end in sight.
And now there鈥檚 increasing talk of the use of ground forces until Gaddafi is overthrown and a new government, no doubt Western-approved, takes his place.
Libya discussion
Two wars are being waged simultaneously in Libya. One has grown out of a revolutionary struggle for democracy. The other is an attempt by imperialism to strengthen its domination of the country.
Both wars appear to share the goal of 鈥渞egime change鈥, but they stand at opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The regime change that the revolutionary struggle seeks to achieve is the overthrow of the Muammar Gaddafi dictatorship and the establishment of a system of democratic rule.
The Euro-US attack on Libya has nothing to do with protecting anyone; only the terminally naive believe such nonsense.
It is the West鈥檚 response to popular uprisings in strategic, resource-rich regions of the world and the beginning of a war of attrition against the new imperial rival, China.
US President Barack Obama鈥檚 historical distinction is now guaranteed. He is the US鈥檚 first black president to invade Africa.
Richard Seymour (鈥淟ibya: Spring time for NATO鈥, GLW #876) has done an admirable job debunking justifications of 鈥渉umanitarian鈥 wars and its defenders. But his analysis of the internal dynamics of Libya leads him astray 鈥 so much so that bold assertions are taken as facts with nothing to back it up.
He says the co-option of the Libyan revolution by NATO is a victory for reaction. Then he says it is no good hoping that the militias will shake themselves free of such constraints if they take power.
We now know what Washington鈥檚 model is for the Middle East, in its most attractive guise.
In answer to Egypt鈥檚 Tahrir Square uprising, they have smoking craters filled with the charred remains of rebels, conscript soldiers, civilians and other blameless people who must have seen the joy in Egypt and Tunisia and wished it for themselves.
In answer to the turbulent, democratic republic, with its tumult of leftist, Nasserist, Islamist and liberal currents, they offer a prolonged civil war at best, culminating in a settlement with Muammar Gaddafi鈥檚 son Saif and his sibling.
The online journal is hosting a series of commentaries from left-wing groups and commentators from around the world on the crucial question of whether or not to support the US-NATO military intervention in Libya.
The hypocrisy, double standards and selectivity displayed in the Western military action in Libya defy enumeration.
In Yemen and Bahrain, Western-backed regimes are violently repressing the democracy movement the West claims to back in Libya.
In Iraq, a US-sponsored regime protected by 47,000 US troops is trying to do the same 鈥攕hooting demonstrators, detaining thousands and subjecting many to torture.
The US-NATO intervention in Libya, with United Nations Security Council cover, is part of an orchestrated response to show support for the movement against one dictator in particular.
In doing so, it aims to bring the Arab rebellions to an end by asserting Western control, confiscating their impetus and spontaneity and trying to restore the status quo.
It is absurd to think that the reasons for bombing Tripoli or for the French airforce鈥檚 鈥渢urkey shoot鈥 (the bombing of fleeing Libyan soldiers) outside Benghazi are designed to protect civilians.
The United Nations Security Council voted on March 19 to approve a military intervention into Libya, with 10 votes in favour and five abstentions.
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