Scrutiny-NATO: HISTORICAL MISTAKES
A Comprehensive Journey through The History of The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Libya will Convincingly Demonstrate that The World has more to fear from NATO than from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi!
NATO’s second mistake was getting itself into the 1999 Yugoslavia war. By doing so, it not only violated its own rules but also the international order. According to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, the organisation as a collective defence force is permitted to use force only if any of its members is attacked – and no NATO countries were invaded in that war. Also, Article 53 of the UN Charter says that no collective defence alliance has the right to bomb a nation without prior approval of the UN Security Council. NATO didn’t bother to ask UNSC. NATO’s involvement led to more deaths than those resulting from Yugoslavia’s ground attack on Kosovo.
NATO has also failed to redefine its role outside Europe. It was primarily formed with American influence and support; firstly, to combat Russia, and secondly, to keep American interests alive in Europe. However, 9/11 changed the course of history. It gave the US a chance to misuse Article 5 of the NATO treaty and that too, outside Europe in Afghanistan. NATO’s engagement in the Afghan war was carried out on the grounds that there was mutual consensus that NATO will not be used in the far east. But NATO later refused to have made any such claim. Under the leadership of US, NATO attacked a nation – Afghanistan – in the name of fighting terrorism. NATO operations killed thousands of innocent Afghans. While it may be argued that NATO’s Afghan moves reduced terrorist activities, what cannot be denied is the collateral damage being caused by NATO due to its gunslinger behaviour.
Now, NATO is committing the same mistake in Libya. The liberation that Libya needs is not what NATO can give and certainly not using the extreme methods that it has employed. Gaddafi, in a letter to President Obama, wrote that “democracy and building of civil society can’t be achieved by means of missiles and aircraft or by backing armed members of Al-Qaeda in Benghazi.”
It’s hard to disagree on that point. But NATO with 28 member states, an estimated 70% of the world’s combined military spending, is definitely not going to learn any lessons from Gaddafi. The West always wanted Libya at their feet for its vast oil reserves (Libya has the largest reserves in Africa and ranks 9th in the world with 41.5 billion barrels as of 2007) – and to defeat an erstwhile ally Gaddafi, the cherry on the cake. Undoubtedly, Gaddafi should seriously consider allowing democracy within the nation. And if NATO seriously wishes to prove a point, why not start with Saudi Arabia?
NATO has also failed to redefine its role outside Europe. It was primarily formed with American influence and support; firstly, to combat Russia, and secondly, to keep American interests alive in Europe. However, 9/11 changed the course of history. It gave the US a chance to misuse Article 5 of the NATO treaty and that too, outside Europe in Afghanistan. NATO’s engagement in the Afghan war was carried out on the grounds that there was mutual consensus that NATO will not be used in the far east. But NATO later refused to have made any such claim. Under the leadership of US, NATO attacked a nation – Afghanistan – in the name of fighting terrorism. NATO operations killed thousands of innocent Afghans. While it may be argued that NATO’s Afghan moves reduced terrorist activities, what cannot be denied is the collateral damage being caused by NATO due to its gunslinger behaviour.
Now, NATO is committing the same mistake in Libya. The liberation that Libya needs is not what NATO can give and certainly not using the extreme methods that it has employed. Gaddafi, in a letter to President Obama, wrote that “democracy and building of civil society can’t be achieved by means of missiles and aircraft or by backing armed members of Al-Qaeda in Benghazi.”
It’s hard to disagree on that point. But NATO with 28 member states, an estimated 70% of the world’s combined military spending, is definitely not going to learn any lessons from Gaddafi. The West always wanted Libya at their feet for its vast oil reserves (Libya has the largest reserves in Africa and ranks 9th in the world with 41.5 billion barrels as of 2007) – and to defeat an erstwhile ally Gaddafi, the cherry on the cake. Undoubtedly, Gaddafi should seriously consider allowing democracy within the nation. And if NATO seriously wishes to prove a point, why not start with Saudi Arabia?
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age WomanIIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Labels: Afghanistan, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, Gaddafi, IIPM, IIPM Admission Detail, IIPM Alumni, IIPM Best B School, IIPM EDITORIAL, IIPM INDIA, NATO, Saudi Arabia, UN Charter, UN Security Council
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