At the NATO summit, we can expect more threats to countries which do not comply with the NATO powers' wishes, more determination to continue the failed war in Afghanistan, and more contempt for the lives of those who suffer in wars and the opinions of the majority of people who regularly oppose them.
Stop the War Coalition
14 May 2012
It's the Libyans' country, said a NATO spokeswoman on the BBC4 Today programme.
She was justifying NATO's refusal to investigate civilian deaths on the ground in Libya caused by Nato bombing last year.
She claimed that NATO had no mandate to go into Libya to investigate.
Some people might wonder at the sheer brass neck of this statement.
Others might question how strange it is that the organisation finds it so difficult get a mandate to investigate the effects of its bombs, but how easy it is to get a mandate to carry out bombing in the first place.
The statement came in response to a report by Human Rights Watch, published today, which criticises the military organisation for failing to acknowledge the consequences of its air strikes.
It finds that at least 72 civilians, including 20 women and 24 children, died as a result of eight air strikes into which it conducted field investigations. In seven of those cases, HRW could find no obvious military target for the bombings.
The report, Unacknowledged Deaths: Civilian Casualties in NATO's Air Campaign in Libya, reinforces the view that far from protecting civilians in the bombing campaign, Nato was responsible for the deaths of many.
Its refusal to now investigate or compensate the victims' families further indicates the lack of genuine concern for human rights - a point made last year by many of us who believed the war was about regime change.
Since that was achieved last year the US, Britain and France, who led the Libya intervention, have threatened similar attacks on Iran and Syria. Maybe they should remember the words of their spokeswoman: It's not NATO's business.
Unlikely, given that this weekend NATO has a summit with world leaders in Chicago. We can expect more threats to countries which do not comply with the NATO powers' wishes, more determination to continue the failed war in Afghanistan, and more contempt for the lives of those who suffer in wars and the opinions of the majority of people who regularly oppose them.
That's why we're demonstrating on Saturday 19 May outside the US embassy at 1pm. Come and join us.
SEE ALSO:
• Joe Glenton: Why I'll join the NO TO NATO protest on 19 May by the soldier who said no to Afghanistan
• Sami Ramadani, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation: Why I'll join the NO TO NATO protest on 19 May
