If Gaddafi survives another day...

If Gaddafi does not go anytime soon, there could be a case for a humanitarian and military backed intervention. To avoid arriving at that stage the United Nations is duty bound to issue a clear warning to Gaddafi by referring him and anyone obeying his orders to a war crimes tribunal, impose sanctions on the ruling elite as well as asking all countries to freeze the regime's assets.

But if all this fails to depose the tyrant we have to prepare for the worst. Failure to protect the liberated zones from a counter attack by the Gaddafi militias could result in a catastrophe similar to that in Iraq in 1991 when a moribund and defeated regime suddenly found its strength to strangle the revolt by committing genocide. The institution of a no fly zone as requested by Libyan dissidents would be a step in the right direction. But lets be clear a no fly zone means shooting down any plane which violates it. Obviously I am not advocating bombarding Tripoli but ensuring that no military planes are allowed to bomb civilians. Surely this is risky as it could play in to the regime's hands but that is no excuse for allowing a bloodbath.

12 years ago faced with the genocide in Kosovo pacifists like the German Greens found themselves accepting the principle of humanitarian intervention. Fresh in their minds was the impotence of the west in the face of Srebrenica and Ruanda. We should never again find ourselves in these situations where thousands were massacred by war criminals as the world turned a blind eye. Neither should we turn a blind eye because Russia or China object.

PS: Tonight in parliament the government and the opposition condemned the violence and human rights violations in Libya. May I remind them that the violence is not happening in a vacuum. It has a mastermind. The PLPN is united in not mentioning the dictator's name.

Labour is making mockery of any progressive ideal by not condemning the regime. Condemning violence and human rights violations after six long days of complete silence, without condemning the perpetrator shows the low priority of human rights for the PL. Progressivi my foot! Even William Hague is a hundred times more progressive.

Other countries also have commercial interests in Libya. They are also doing their best to get their nationals out of Gaddafi's hell hole...But they did speak out and condemn the regime. Maybe they will increase the dose after evacuating their citizens but they have already condemned the regime.

The criticism these countries are facing is whether condemnation is enough. One of the reasons why the situation escalated is because Gaddafi thought he could buy everybody's silence. Probably he is still killing people because the reaction has not been forceful enough to instill fear in the regime and its lackeys. Prolonging the life of the regime even by a week can have tragic consequences.

The spineless foreign policy of the PLPN does not bode well for the future. They have offended our dignity as a free democratic nation. Their very recent past (which includes visits in the dictator's den) will return to haunt them. After all both parties had backed the pact between Libya and Italy through which migrants were sent back to Gaddafi's hell hole. When quizzed on this issue in September Labour leader Muscat replied that he had not seen any 'mainstream reports' about poor conditions of migrants in Libya.

Like dinosaurs from a by-gone age they cannot adapt to a world where change comes suddenly and where everything is literally possible...even the end of this bi-polar disorder.