Operation Oil Theft: Week 3. Day 7.

In Libya the conflict has ground into stalemate with neither side able to advance from positions around Brega. The only events of note are that on 6/4/11 the first tanker of rebel oil left Tobruk to be sold by the Qatari's in defiance of international sanctions. On 7/4/11 NATO aircraft destroyed a convoy of rebel tanks and heavy weapons as they were making their way to the front line killing at least three rebel fighters. The rebels then complained to NATO who explained that the attack was caused by confusion because they were not aware that the rebels were operating tanks but crucially refused to apologise.

This is quite right because there is no need for NATO to explain it's actions to the rebels let alone apologise for them. The UN mandate, resolution 1973(2011), authorises and compels NATO to destroy both military personnel and vehicles in order to protect civilians. As the UN cannot pass a resolution that supports one side of a civil war over another 1973(2011) makes no distinction between Libyan government forces and rebel forces. It merely states that if anyone on the ground in Libya continues to fight they must be destroyed. So NATO is actually in breach of the UN mandate by allowing the rebels to advance out of Benghazi and refusing to bomb them back to their positions when the resolution was passed.

With stalemate in place the most interesting things to come out of the Libya conflict in recent days have not been events in Libya itself but the effect the conflict is having in other parts of the world. Fuelled in no small part by American involvement in Libya the blood letting in Israel/Palestine has continued unabated with daily exchanges of heavy weapons fire between militants in Gaza and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). In the most significant of recent incidents on 7/4/11 a Katyusha style anti-tank rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel where it hit a school bus seriously injuring one passenger. In response the IDF launched a barrage of artillery fire and air strikes against Gaza killing an unspecified number of people. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu then promised to take all necessary measures to stop the rocket attacks. This prompted some well connected American Jews to speak up in protest in the form of an explosion at a Jewish centre in California. Apparently a build up of pressure caused an explosion that launched a missile shaped pipe into a neighbouring building. No-one was injured.

Sadly, along with the American government's rather childish decision to define the firing of Katyusha style anti-tank missiles as a defensive action in the Libyan rules of engagement, this type of protest is going to do little to reduce the pressure in the region that has been created by the passing of 1973(2011). It is fortunate then that by my assessment of the situation, which can be changed simply by talking about it, if America were to indicate that it would abstain from any vote the UNSC would quickly revoke 1973(2011), military action in Libya would cease and we need never speak of this terrible error ever again.