Batchelor: Rally the Tribals

John Batchelor writes on his blog:

Quaddafi’s language aims to rally the tribals against the Crusaders. It is skillful and inspiring. The more the CNN TV emphasizes the mechanical superiority of Western arms, the more the Ummah sees Q as the defender of the faith. Saddam Hussein did not use the crusader trope to any success; however Q is well-positioned.

“…the Libyan people will fight against this aggression…and the people of Latin America and Asia, stand with the Libya people in the fight against this aggression…now all the depots are going to be open to defend the armed people and its unity…”

The optimum for the so-called coalition — it lacks a name — is for the Q forces to quit within the first week. After that, I am told, the tribals will rally to the strength at Tripoli, the rebels at Benghazi will transform into bargainers with Italians, and the coalition will become the persecutor. Of note in Al Jazeera, the African Union joins China and Russia in condemning the violence.

5:37am

Add Russia to the list of those disapproving of military action in Libya. China has “expressed regret,” the African Union has called for an “immediate halt,” and now Moscow has “reacted ‘with regret’” to the air strikes, according to a report by CNN.

The Russian statement said that the UN Security Council resolution on Libya – which came more than a month after the regime began killing civilian protesters – was “hastily adopted”.

5:28am

The African Union has reportedly joined China in expressing disapproval of the coalition’s military action against Libya. The AU’s Libya committee met in Mauritania and released a statement on Sunday calling for an “immediate halt” to the attacks, the AFP news agency reported.

The AU was created in 1999 after a summit in Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown, and Libya has both funded the AU and established extensive economic interests throughout sub-Saharan Africa.