End the bombing of Libya now, for a peaceful solution not imperialist war

International Commission, Young Communist League of Canada

Tuesday, March 22st

Foreign bombing and invasion is dangerously worsening the situation in Libya, the Young Communist League’s International Commission said today, condemning U.N. resolution 1973, US “Operation Odyssey Dawn” and Canadian “Operation MOBILE.” Peace-loving youth and students must demand the Canadian Harper Conservative government immediately withdraw its troops and warships and support a peaceful, political solution to the crisis resolved by the Libyan people.

Resolution 1973 – the so-called no-fly zone banning civilian and military air travel – authorizes an act of war. The U.S. and NATO have a ‘free pass’ to not only enforce a terrible storm of air strikes, bombardment and a naval blockade but also to launch attacks on any Libyan military units that they claim threaten the population.

Whatever we think of the Ghadafi regime, imperialist intervention will be a disaster for the Libyan people. Widespread circulation of petitions by groups like “Avaaz.org” calling for such actions have confused some progressive youth, but the doctrine of “Humanitarian interventionism” by the past colonizers of Africa is hypocritical and must be opposed:

For a fraction of the government’s gigantic military budgets, Canada could supply vital medical aid to Africa;
The Canadian government is already implicated in the deaths of tens of thousands in the occupation of Afghanistan as well as anti-democratic 'regime-change' in Haiti, Honduras, and elsewhere;
The Harper Conservatives have not lifted a finger at the bloody suppression (by imperialism’s allies) of the uprisings in Yemen, or the protests in Bahrain, where Saudi troops have invaded, and they are staunch supporters of the Zionist apartheid state of Israel;
There is nothing “Humanitarian” about a war which violates a countries fundamental right to sovereignty;
‘Operation Noble Anvil’ (the 1999 illegal NATO war on the former Yugoslavia, using the same Canadian military aircraft) cluster bombed hospitals, trains and buses, towns and villages and columns of refugees – killing over a thousand civilians.
As we approach the bloody anniversary of NATO's illegal war in Yugoslavia on March 24th, history shows us that this new blitzkrieg is not about democracy but profits, natural resources, and geo-strategic interests. Calgary-based Suncor energy reportedly pumps over $5 million from Libyan oilfields, daily.

The Harper Conservative government’s actions are also crude chauvinistic electioneering on the eve of a Federal election campaign which could be fought on the question of billion-dollar military spending for new fighter jets, and the fact this anti-democratic government has been declared in contempt of parliament for drastically low-balling the price-tag of its war spending. Shame!

The Latin American ALBA block, the African Union, the World Federation of Democratic Youth, Peace forces, Communist and Worker's Parties, as well as China and Russia have condemned this new imperialist war. We call upon all peace-loving and progressive youth in Canada to chose this side of the picket line, petition the government and most importantly, organize and join demonstrations in the streets to end the bombing now.