Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Who Armed Libya?
The question is prompted by a two month-old post called "Who Armed Egypt?" My answer then was: America. But, regarding Libya, there's no clear answer.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database, Libya imported next to no foreign arms recently (Ukraine sold $145 million worth in both 2001 and 2003, but the numbers since then -- from France and Italy -- are trivial). Yet, Russian-made SA-24 Grinch anti-aircraft missiles were spotted on the battlefield last month -- despite "no mention of it in official sources, such as the United Nations Arms Registry." Wired magazine's Adam Rawnsley speculates that the weapons flowed through Venezuela, which re-sold them to Gadhafi.
For his part, Venezuelan despot-for-life Hugo Chavez certainly has supported Gadhafi. He also condemned the coalition actions in Libya. But so did professional crank Andrew Sullivan. Wait a minute--perhaps a conspiracy?. . .
So, in sum, I don't know who armed Libya. Other than it wasn't the United States--a decade ago, President Bush persuaded them to abandon nukes and President Obama's now trying to disarm Gadhafi.
(via reader Warren)
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database, Libya imported next to no foreign arms recently (Ukraine sold $145 million worth in both 2001 and 2003, but the numbers since then -- from France and Italy -- are trivial). Yet, Russian-made SA-24 Grinch anti-aircraft missiles were spotted on the battlefield last month -- despite "no mention of it in official sources, such as the United Nations Arms Registry." Wired magazine's Adam Rawnsley speculates that the weapons flowed through Venezuela, which re-sold them to Gadhafi.
For his part, Venezuelan despot-for-life Hugo Chavez certainly has supported Gadhafi. He also condemned the coalition actions in Libya. But so did professional crank Andrew Sullivan. Wait a minute--perhaps a conspiracy?. . .
So, in sum, I don't know who armed Libya. Other than it wasn't the United States--a decade ago, President Bush persuaded them to abandon nukes and President Obama's now trying to disarm Gadhafi.
(via reader Warren)
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