West must stop double standards when dealing with Arab world

By Billow Kerrow

Nato is finally ending its mission in Libya this weekend, after helping the Libyan people oust the tyrant ruler. I salute them for a job well done. There was a time, six months into the war, that I thought Nato was running out of steam and may leave the wounded Gadaffi in power. Faced with political and economic crisis in the Eurozone, the military alliance leaders could ill afford an extended Iraq-type intervention.

It is appalling that there are leaders in Africa and the Arab world who think the West’s intervention in Libya was wrong and that they did so to protect their interest. The West often does so. However, in the Libyan case, it was an appeal by the masses in that country that they responded to, in addition to UN resolutions to that effect. The Gadaffi regime apologists never cease to eulogise the man who helped finance liberation struggles in several countries but failed to liberate his own.

Gadaffi ruled Libya oppressively for 42 years, denying his people freedom of conscience, expression and religion. When they finally demanded freedom and change, he bombed them with fighter aircraft and tanks. How could a leader indiscriminately fire missiles into his cities and villages to fight political dissent? Hundreds were rounded up and massacred simply because they agitated for his removal.

African Union buried its head in the sand and remained mute as the citizens of Libya cried for help. The feeble Arab League called for a no-fly zone across Libya but lacked the will to enforce it. Rulers in Africa and the Arab world still suffer the mind-set that they own the land and the masses they rule and find it preposterous that a popular uprising should oust them at all.

In the Libya mission, the West is on the right side of history. Having helped the Libyan people, they stand to benefit from economic and political ties in the oil and gas rich country. But it is a price the Libya people would gladly pay for the freedom from tyranny.

As is its tradition, the West plays double standards in dealing with different countries facing the Arab spring. For long, they supported these dictators in return for economic and strategic interests. When the youth revolution became unstoppable, they lived to the old adage: if you can’t beat them, join them. The US dumped Hosni Mubarak, their closest supporter in the Arab world. Europe also dumped Gaddafi with whom they had a cosy relationship. Nonetheless, the response to all countries was different, with other interests clearly at play.

The Syrian leader has ruthlessly attacked his people Gaddafi-style. Yet, only token sanctions have been imposed on him. That country has never known freedom and has had worse dictatorship than Libya’s. In Yemen, President Ali Abdallah Saleh is a demented, ruthless tyrant killing his impoverished people in much the same way using the military.

A close ally of the US in the anti-terrorism war, he has escaped sanctions and military intervention and continues to destroy the nation as the world defies cries for help.

Tunisia held its first free elections, seen globally as free and fair. Ennahda party, banned for long for being an ‘Islamist’ party won the election.

The EU departed from its practice and welcomed its victory. Such support for the popular will eliminates resentment against the West and erodes support for terrorism.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned too from elections, is now the most popular party in the forthcoming elections. Libya’s NTC too has announced it is leaning towards Islam in its rule. And the West has just realised its relation with the Muslims improves where freedom thrives, and the tyrants simply used terrorism fears to perpetuate

themselves in power. Now, Nato should turn its guns on Syria and Yemen.

— The writer is a former MP for Mandera Central and political economist