ID :
208186
Tue, 09/20/2011 - 08:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/208186
The shortlink copeid
Sarkozy and Cameron looking for dividends in Libya
TEHRAN, Sept. 20 (MNA) -- From the very beginning of Libya’s war of liberation, France and Britain were the leading interventionist forces in the country.
The two major European allies were the first governments to launch military operations after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
The decision was immediately supported by the United States, which soon joined the military campaign, although Washington had initially sought to play a less prominent role.
Now that the freedom fighters have liberated the country and the forces loyal to the former dictator are out of power, France and Britain expect to gain greater influence over the new governing system.
To fulfill this expectation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron were the first foreign leaders to visit Libya after Muammar Gaddafi was ousted.
As an oil-rich country, Libya has always attracted the attention of the European powers, but now it is viewed as an even greater prize due to the current economic situation, in which France and Britain are struggling to stay afloat.
Italy is also one of the traditional stakeholders in the Libyan oil industry, and the decision makers in Rome are looking for better opportunities too.
In addition to dispensing with the formality of recognizing the Libyan National Transitional Council as the only governing body of the new Libya, Sarkozy and Cameron also made the trip to Tripoli to try to convince the new leaders that France and Britain played an indispensable role in their historic victory.
Along with the economic incentives, the French president had some political objectives he was seeking to realize during his trip to Tripoli.
Sarkozy is trying to rehabilitate the tarnished image of his government in the months ahead of the French presidential election. Along those lines, he is trying to convince the world, and especially French voters, that without his support, the Libyan people would not have been able to depose Gaddafi, although he cannot prove this argument.
In other words, he went to Libya to put his alleged prowess in foreign policy in the spotlight.
If he is successful in the maneuver, the embattled Sarkozy can increase his chances of victory in the upcoming presidential election.
The two major European allies were the first governments to launch military operations after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
The decision was immediately supported by the United States, which soon joined the military campaign, although Washington had initially sought to play a less prominent role.
Now that the freedom fighters have liberated the country and the forces loyal to the former dictator are out of power, France and Britain expect to gain greater influence over the new governing system.
To fulfill this expectation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron were the first foreign leaders to visit Libya after Muammar Gaddafi was ousted.
As an oil-rich country, Libya has always attracted the attention of the European powers, but now it is viewed as an even greater prize due to the current economic situation, in which France and Britain are struggling to stay afloat.
Italy is also one of the traditional stakeholders in the Libyan oil industry, and the decision makers in Rome are looking for better opportunities too.
In addition to dispensing with the formality of recognizing the Libyan National Transitional Council as the only governing body of the new Libya, Sarkozy and Cameron also made the trip to Tripoli to try to convince the new leaders that France and Britain played an indispensable role in their historic victory.
Along with the economic incentives, the French president had some political objectives he was seeking to realize during his trip to Tripoli.
Sarkozy is trying to rehabilitate the tarnished image of his government in the months ahead of the French presidential election. Along those lines, he is trying to convince the world, and especially French voters, that without his support, the Libyan people would not have been able to depose Gaddafi, although he cannot prove this argument.
In other words, he went to Libya to put his alleged prowess in foreign policy in the spotlight.
If he is successful in the maneuver, the embattled Sarkozy can increase his chances of victory in the upcoming presidential election.
