By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: Western countries should focus on providing humanitarian assistance in turbulent Libya instead of contemplating military intervention in the country, a leading United Arab Emirates newspaper has said.
Libya belongs to the Libyans. They have the right to reshape their country. While the West is weighing the option of using force to stop Gaddafi’s atrocities on his people they should remember the common man in Libya has not done too badly in protecting his own interests so far, Gulf News said in an editorial Thursday.
“The benefit to the Libyans is paramount. The resolution to topple Gaddafi and elect a government that caters to their welfare is theirs alone. Libyans had initially opted for a peaceful means of protest. It is Gaddafi who failed to read the writing on the wall. He now knows that violence begets violence”, the daily said.
Military intervention would be counter-productive to the Libyan cause. Moreover, the track record of the US and its allies, in terms of resorting to military strikes, has not been too effective. Iraq and Afghanistan are cases in point with no logical end in sight, the paper added.
“Moreover, there is always the notion of a hidden agenda like oil, the resource that makes Libya valuable to the world. At the most, the West should focus on humanitarian assistance.”
Libya has been witnessing mass protests against the Muammar Gaddafi regime since Feb 14.