The political unrest, protests and rebel forces that have mounted in Libya do not seem to be having the same swift effects that similar regime change stands have had in Egypt and Tunisia. As the bloodshed and atrocities mount, the international community are scrambling to put together a response to the Gaddafi put down efforts of his own people.
However, the lack of coherence and a unified, intelligent approach from the international powers that be indicates the distinct lack of operational toolsets we have in place to deal with state led atrocities. With murmurs of arming the rebels from the US and the UK Governments recent attempts to expel Libyan politicians, it’s clear that when it comes to situations like this we are woefully under-equipped to react quickly and effectively.
While the U.N. approved no fly zone has prevented airstrikes that would have given Gaddafi a free reign to quell the uprising more swiftly than he seems to be doing right now, the lack on-the-ground U.N. and multinational policing has meant that many peaceful men that want nothing more than democracy (something that all too many of us take for granted in the western world) have lost their lives.
The fact that the UN has also authorised international action to counteract the Gaddafi regime is also a step in the right direction, however, it still pits a coalition force based on aerial might against the Libyan government, which itself pits country against country in a traditional war like stance. If the duty of conflict resolution was taken up by a UN police force with multinational inclusion then it would make action seem less like the US versus the world stance that is often the perception, and more like a united global front against non-democratic regimes. It would also move intervention into the realms of policing incidents as opposed to war efforts.
A solution to this problem is never going to be easy to come by; putting together an international, interstate police force under the auspices of the United Nations will take time to iron out. However, with the vast budgets that countries around the world apportion to military funding, surely some of this can be diverted into the coffers for a more effective and unified approach to global peace, as opposed to the unilateral, war like standpoint that is the norm?
