03 March 2011

So much for Chavez’s attempt to prop up his buddy

An attempt by Hugo Chavez to broker a peace deal between Ghaddafi and the Libyan rebels has failed. Unsorprisingly leader of the rebels have rejected any such approach out of hand.

"No one has told us a thing about it and we are not interested anyway," said the spokesman of the national committee in Benghazi, Abdul Hafif Goga. "We will never negotiate with him."

"Talk of peace is far too late," said a second member of the organising committee, Salwa Bogheiga. "A lot of people have died and there is no one to negotiate with. They lost that right when they started killing people on 17 February."

The rebel committee in Benghazi and the military leadership that jointly run the eastern side of the country insist that they are now too committed to consider any sort of ceasefire. They say that Gaddafi would use it to re-organise his loyalist troops for a major assault on rebel-held cities.

In Chavez’s mind he surely thinks he is doing something constructive. After all he is trying to help out an old friend and ally in the struggle to provide the best rhetoric against the USA.

As the rebel leaders say themselves it is far too late for talks – that time ended when Ghaddafi’s men opened fire. If Chavez is negotiating Ghaddafi’s departure, then fine I suppose. Negotiating anything more to Ghaddafi’s advantage can be forgotten.

7 comments:

susan said...

I think a number of people besides Chavez are worried about US Marines debarking on the shores of Tripoli.

jams o donnell said...

I doubt an invasion or a significant intervention is on the cards though Susan

Claude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Claude said...

Post my comment at the wrong place, Jams. Sorry!

jams o donnell said...

Ah! but still MSF does a great ob. One of the charities I have a standing order to

Claude said...

Yes! One of my friends (a doctor) asked me to volunteer years ago calling for medical supplies via phone. Pharmaceutical Companies are very generous with MSF in Emergency time. And the medical staff is fabulous. I just wish I would be younger and go with them to help in those places.

jams o donnell said...

MSF do a great job. If I had a medical background I would have considered working for them myself