Thursday, July 07, 2011

South Africa Should Have Seen NATO Blitz Coming, Says ANCYL Leader

SA should have seen Nato blitz coming, says Malema

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Jul 06 2011 15:05

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has blasted South Africa's initial decision to support a UN resolution that has been used to justify Nato airstrikes on Libya, saying the country should have realised Nato would overstep its mandate.

He was speaking at a rally outside the US embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday, where more than 1 000 South Africans demonstrated, calling for an end to Nato's bombing campaign in Libya.

President Jacob Zuma has faced criticism at home for supporting the United Nations resolution, intended to protect civilians in Libya, that has driven Nato's interventions in that country.

Zuma has accused Nato of overstepping the resolution's mandate, and is now leading the African Union's mediation efforts to secure a peaceful, negotiated and political settlement to the conflict.

Wednesday's union-organised rally ended with the handing over of a memorandum to US officials, saying the air strikes were undermining the AU's efforts to negotiate a solution to the conflict. -- Sapa-AP

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-07-06-sa-should-have-seen-nato-blitz-coming-says-malema


Malema: 'America, you bloodthirsty imperialists!'

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Jul 06 2011 16:12

ANC Youth League President Julius Malema on Wednesday labelled the United States as "bloodthirsty imperialists" for bombing Libya with its Nato allies, the SABC reported.

"We want to ask a simple question to the imperialists. Are you not tired of seeing blood every year? You bloodthirsty imperialists," Malema said.

He was speaking at a protest by hundreds of members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, at the US Embassy in Pretoria.

"Every year you are bombing this or that nation, because of your thirstiness for blood. We should all agree that South Africa should not have voted for the resolution ...," said Malema.

It was recently reported that President Jacob Zuma had said that South Africa reiterated its concerns at the misinterpretation of a United Nations resolution.

The resolution authorises a no-fly zone over Libya, which Nato had used to "justify its bombing campaign".

"They [the United States] can't think. They don't know politics."

Malema also called the war in Libya "sponsored violence".

He said it was sponsored by countries such as the US, France and Britain. -- Sapa

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-07-06-malema-america-you-bloodthirsty-imperialists

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