Juicy indeed, but have things changed? This is the arms embargo, outlined in paragraph 9 of UN Resolution 1970:
[The United Nations] Decides that all Member States shall immediately take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from or through their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types […].The relevant exceptions here are ‘other sales or supply of arms and related materiel, or provision of assistance or personnel, as approved in advance by the Committee.’
No one in the UN is to supply arms to anyone in Libya or allow any arms into the country, asides from those Member States who have been approved by the UN to do so. However, UN Resolution 1973:
Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya […] (my emphasis).Here all necessary measures can be taken, in spite of paragraph 9’s description of the arms embargo. Though admittedly there are reports that the ‘notwithstanding’ bit came from a US representative pushing for a loophole; they wanted to make sure that American forces could enter Libya with weapons if they needed to rescue a downed pilot.
Whatever the reasons, it is my interpretation that, having previously covered every permutation of ‘there should be no arms getting into Libya from any source, unless we’ve authorized it,’ thus suggesting that arming people in Libya was a dangerous policy, the UN now says: ‘meh,’ forget about that; Gaddafi’s not complying. Once we’ve okayed your operation in Libya we may as well rubber stamp your choice of how and whom you arm in there. If nothing else it is a conspicuously sloppy part of the text.
Oh, what does it matter; Gaddafi is evil and murderous and a despot, his people are rebelling and we’re offering them protection and some. Let’s have a bit of fiction:
UK: Air strikes hit Cameraman constituency
Coalition air raids have hit UK Prime Minister David Cameraman’s Witnit constituency, a key target for south-eastward-advancing NO UK, NO CUT rebels fighting government cuts in public spending.
Members of Cameraman’s government claim that an allied missile hit a phone box, killing thirty civilians inside.
Russian intelligence services have so far been unable to find any evidence of civilian casualties resulting from the allied air strikes in England, which began a fortnight ago.
Colonel Noammo Baddy-Gadaffy of Libya, whose armed forces have been leading the coalition, has said Cameraman must go.
Reports that anti-cuts rebels had taken Witnit caused celebrations in the NO UK, NO CUT stronghold in Sheffield.
Earlier this month France recognized NO UK, NO CUT as the only legitimate representative of the British people.
The air strikes began after the UN backed ‘all necessary measures, short of a definition, to protect British civilians.’ Cameraman’s forces had been kettling anti-cuts rebel positions in Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham and Oxford, leaving about 30 to 40 people killed in un-relatable incidents and largely destroying many university buildings and union offices.
Since the coalition air strikes began Cameraman’s forces have been increasingly on the retreat, coming under devastating attacks from the allied planes. Tonyhawk missiles have obliterated almost all of their stocks of firearms and unlicensed police tasers.
The attacks on Witnit came as LATO finally announced it would be taking full command of the UK campaign. The coalition had previously been lead by Libya M40 Corridor Command, the force responsible for Libya’s military operations in England’s Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire regions.
Colonel Baddy-Gadaffy’s administration has been keen to downplay Libya’s role in the military operation, stressing from the outset that his forces would take a back seat as LATO took over.
The UK government claim that coalition planes have attacked police forces trying to protect bystanders from violent anti-cuts activities. Libyan military press officers deny this, saying that their quick action has saved ‘countless’ lives:
“Our jets have only attacked police forces where they have evidently been kettling peaceful civilians. If we have hit officers on other duties it is because we have been unable to distinguish units whose shoulder identification has been removed or obscured, or else fallen off.”There has been criticism of how Libya and the coalition forces have interpreted the UN I♥1970 resolution authorising a no fly zone over the UK. US Secretary of Defence Clint Hilarity asked: “why are coalition forces bombing Cameraman’s ground troops? I know his police do a lot of things, but pigs can’t fly.”
UK airlines RiskyJet and Picket Airways have described the coalition’s enforcement of the no fly zone as ‘colonial imperialism.’ They accuse the allies of taking British airspace exclusively for their own airlines, securing all routes in and out of the UK ahead of the 2012 Olympics.
Baddy-Gadaffy has faced criticism within Libya over his handling of the UK, and for failing to consult with the General People's Congress concerning the intervention in England. The Secretary General said: “Libyan military resources have been committed to war, and we would like to have it clearly explained: What is the mission in England, and what is Libya’s role in achieving that mission?”
The Libyan leader has said that removing Cameraman by force would be a mistake, but he has called for the UK leader to go: “it’s impossible to imagine him still being there for the 2012 Olympics. It would be abhorrent for us to allow the aspirations of the British people, rising up against their own government’s economic policy, to be crushed.”
Advance on London
Heavy explosions were heard in the capital, London, late on Sunday. Over the weekend nearly half a million anti-cuts rebels demonstrated in the centre of the city. Union leaders and Cameraman’s political opposition gave speeches in Hyde Park.
There were cheers as the speakers attacked the Cameraman regime’s brutal crack down on UK civilians, condemning the hard-hitting cuts and budgetary restrictions on education, healthcare and the jobs market.
Demonstrators spoke to foreign news agencies of their fears of unemployment, prohibitive rises in education fees and cuts to health services and allowances they rely on to survive. A smaller group attacked pro-Cameraman businesses in Oxford Street and daubed anti-government slogans on monuments in Trafalgar Square.
London Mayor Sorry Johnston, a Cameraman ally and twit, has announced that he is opening the capital’s armouries to the masses: “it is the responsibility of the Big Society [a small group of civilians still loyal to Cameraman] to defend their city from aggressive crusties and Lefties.”
The ‘armouries’ appear to be police stations offering scores of weapons collected during gun amnesties and ‘Operation Blunt,’ an earlier police campaign that confiscated knives from poorer citizens.
Reports came in this evening that the UK Defence Secretary Leanne Vixen has defected to Libya ‘for the weather.’
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