Thread: Libyan War, American Power, Decline of Petrodollar Sys

The Libyan War, American Power and the Decline of the Petrodollar System



by Prof. Peter Dale Scott
Global Research, April 29, 2011
The Asia-Pacific Journal

The present NATO campaign against Gaddafi in Libya has given rise to great confusion, both among those waging this ineffective campaign, and among those observing it. Many whose opinions I normally respect see this as a necessary war against a villain – though some choose to see Gaddafi as the villain, and others point to Obama.

My own take on this war, on the other hand, is that it is both ill-conceived and dangerous -- a threat to the interests of Libyans, Americans, the Middle East and conceivably the entire world. Beneath the professed concern about the safety of Libyan civilians lies a deeper concern that is barely acknowledged: the West’s defense of the present global petrodollar economy, now in decline..

The confusion in Washington, matched by the absence of discussion of an overriding strategic motive for American involvement, is symptomatic of the fact that the American century is ending, and ending in a way that is both predictable in the long run, and simultaneously erratic and out of control in its details.

Confusion in Washington and in NATO

With respect to Libya’s upheaval itself, opinions in Washington range from that of John McCain, who has allegedly called on NATO to provide “every apparent means of assistance, minus ground troops,â€

THE INVASION OF LIBYA: Behind the US-NATO Attack are Strategies of Economic Warfare



by Manlio Dinucci
Global Research, May 1, 2011
Il Manifesto (translated from Italian)

Global Research extends its thanks and appreciation to John Catalinotto for the translation of this article.


Despite what is being reported, the invasion of Libya has already begun. Units operating on Libyan territory for a long time have prepared the war and are carrying out the assault: they are the powerful oil companies and U.S. and European investment banks.

What interests are at stake emerged from an article in the Wall Street Journal, the influential business and finance daily newspaper (“For West's Oil Firms, No Love Lost in Libyaâ€

US, Russian and Chinese Weapons: Both of Libya's fighting camps are taking delivery of weapons shipments

Global Research, April 24, 2011
DEBKA

We bring to the attention of our readers an excerpt from a report by Debka, a website linked to Israeli intelligence on arms shipments to the Libya war zone.

Two US drones for Misratah vs Russian arms, Chinese intel for Qaddafi

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report April 22, 2011, 5:33 PM (GMT+02:00)

Read the complet report at:
http://www.debka.com/article/20862/

Both of Libya's fighting camps are taking delivery of a surging influx of weapons shipments and military personnel – each hoping to use the extra aid for breaking the military standoff in its own favor, DEBKAfile's military sources report.

Thursday, April 21, President Barack Obama authorized a pair of armed Predator drones to help the rebels break breaking the siege of Misratah, while British, French and Italian military officers headed for rebel headquarters in Benghazi, part of a package of arms and military equipment from the US, Britain, France, Italy and Qatar.

On the other side of the Libyan divide, China, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Serbia are keeping the pro-Qaddafi camp's arsenals stocked with new hardware along with combat personnel from Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia.

Building up in Libya is a confrontation that recalls the 1999 war in Yugoslavia (Serbia today) when NATO's four-month Operation Noble Anvil hammered Yugoslav forces to force their retreat from Kosovo. The Serbs too were backed then by clandestine Chinese-Russian support in tactical advice, intelligence, fighting men and arms.

Just like 12 years ago, our military sources report that from mid-March, hundreds of "volunteers" - professional soldiers ranking from colonel down to corporal - have joined the army loyal to Qaddafi. Calling themselves "nationalists" operating in paramilitary organizations without the knowledge of their governments, these foreigners claim they have come "to repulse the Western-Muslim onslaught on Qaddafi's regime."


http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php? ... &aid=24482