Sarkozy: zij die het voorbeeld van Kaddafi opvolgen, mogen dezelfde reactie van de internationale gemeenschap en Europa verwachten
Sarkozy warns Arab rulers about Libya precedent
ANDREW RETTMAN
25.03.2011 @ 09:52 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned all Arab rulers that they risk Libya-type intervention if they cross a certain line of violence against their own people.
The president told press at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday (24 March) that UN Security Council resolution 1973 authorising air strikes on Libya has created a legal and political precedent on the "responsibility to protect."
Sarkozy (c) in Brussels on Thursday. The hawkish rhetoric comes ahead of French presidential elections next year (Photo: consilium.europa.eu)
Referring to deadly violence in Syria, he explained: "Every ruler should understand, and especially every Arab ruler should understand that the reaction of the international community and of Europe will from this moment on each time be the same: we will be on the side of peaceful protesters who must not be repressed with violence."
Sarkozy indicated that he is ready to tolerate a certain level of violence, but that any country which orders its army to open fire on crowds will cross a red line.
"In any democracy there can be demonstrations which can turn violent. But no democracy can accept that the army shoots live ammunition at protesters. This is the position of France and it does not change no matter what the country concerned."
He drew a difference between Egypt, Tunisia and even Yemen, where dozens have been killed but where the armed forces have begun to defect, versus Libya, where Colonel Gaddafi's tanks and planes have waged open war on rebels.
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Is dit het einde van de hypocriete politiek van twee maten en gewichten ?
Is dit wel haalbaar ?
Bluf ?