Benny Avni: Libya ... foolish to stay out
[Benny Avni is a New York Post contributor.]
With the Libyan unrest now a full-fledged civil war watched by the entire world, idly standing by is no longer an option.
The war between an all-powerful dictator and a ragtag group of rebels, whose motives range from tribal loyalties and religious fervor to dreams of democracy, is fast becoming the Mideast's equivalent of last century's civil war in Spain.
Remember that? There were good reasons for America to stay out of the Spanish conflict, including the fear that if Gen. Francisco Franco lost, the communists would take over Spain. In hindsight, Franco's victory clearly emboldened his allies, Hitler and Mussolini, and helped to usher in the bloodiest decade in human history, which ended only with the defeat of Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan -- and with half of Europe in Communist hands.
As in Spain, both sides in today's Libyan war are pulling in foreign sponsors. The Arab press is full of reports on Saudi arms deliveries to Libyan rebels and Syrian weapons sent to Khadafy's loyalists. Even Egypt, despite its own turmoil, is rumored to have sent troops in to aid the war against Khadafy, a longtime rival.
Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh deny those reports, but the region's sympathies are undeniable and the lines in the sand are drawn: Are you with Khadafy or against him?
Read entire article at New York Post
With the Libyan unrest now a full-fledged civil war watched by the entire world, idly standing by is no longer an option.
The war between an all-powerful dictator and a ragtag group of rebels, whose motives range from tribal loyalties and religious fervor to dreams of democracy, is fast becoming the Mideast's equivalent of last century's civil war in Spain.
Remember that? There were good reasons for America to stay out of the Spanish conflict, including the fear that if Gen. Francisco Franco lost, the communists would take over Spain. In hindsight, Franco's victory clearly emboldened his allies, Hitler and Mussolini, and helped to usher in the bloodiest decade in human history, which ended only with the defeat of Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan -- and with half of Europe in Communist hands.
As in Spain, both sides in today's Libyan war are pulling in foreign sponsors. The Arab press is full of reports on Saudi arms deliveries to Libyan rebels and Syrian weapons sent to Khadafy's loyalists. Even Egypt, despite its own turmoil, is rumored to have sent troops in to aid the war against Khadafy, a longtime rival.
Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh deny those reports, but the region's sympathies are undeniable and the lines in the sand are drawn: Are you with Khadafy or against him?