The Real Libya Model

Here is the real story on Libya. A country which the US announced this week has been removed from its list of 'terror states'. Kaddafi cut his deal in 2003 only after the British and Americans assured him that Bush would settle for "policy change"—that is, giving up his nukes—rather than regime change.




Significantly, the agreement went forward only after the British, who took the real lead in the negotiations, insisted to the White House that Bush administration hard-liner John Bolton be barred from the talks.

Bolton, who was then U.S. under secretary of State for arms control, had wanted to add Libya to the "axis of evil," but Jack Straw, British foreign secretary at the time, and David Manning, a top adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, prevailed on Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell not to do so. Bolton also refused to reassure Tripoli that the United States did not intend regime change—in other words, he sought to take essentially the same uncompromising tack the administration is now pursuing with Iran and North Korea.

The British again resisted, and the White House, which was then (as now) consumed with Iraq, didn't care enough to defy Blair on this one. Reason, for once, prevailed over ideology.

Read the full article here.

Maybe I should rename this article : We have found a formula for how to stop countries like Libya trying to build Nukes and supporting terrorism.

The answer is not hard to work out.

(a) Dump John Bolton along with anyone else who believes they can solve the worlds problems by simply speaking without listening.
(b) Talk to them.
(c) Remember to keep the man named in (a) well away from any such talks.
(d) Cut out all the rhetoric , That includes fictional concepts like 'axis of evil'
(e) Work with the country towards finding a joint solution.
(f) Remember the wise words of Theodore Roosevelt when he said "Speak softly and carry a big stick".

Finally try to remember that you are supposed to be representing freedom, maturity and justice. Not showing the same childish anger as the very countries you want to try and calm down. Such behaviour simply makes you another child and leads us all to a world of rogue nations where being the bully of today is no guarantee that you won't become the bullied of tomorrow. The method that has worked with Libya could work just as well with Iran if we stopped behaving almost as badly as they do.

Of course force is sometimes needed and that is why we have the 'big stick' but you will find the world much more willing to support and join in any such action if your behaviour up to that point is one of a civilized desire for democratic process.

Saying that, we could always revert back to the John Bolton method. Which is to act like the bully boy college kid who has had too much to drink at the party. Shout your mouth of all over the place and then complain the next morning that the party(United Nations) was pointless because nobody ever listens to you and does exactly what you want. (which seems to consist of wanting permission to go round beating up and threatening everyone else at the party).