Transcribed, edited by Carolyn Bennett
This is some of what trade unionist Bob Crow said Friday in responding to questions about the West’s (France-Britain-USA-led) invasion of Libya.
Why of a sudden is there such an escalation, expediency for a no-fly position over Libya? It is not the first time crimes have been committed against working people.
Why is it that when people were crying out in Zimbabwe, there was no position taken • Why is it when Turkey invaded Cyprus • Why is it when the crimes if Israel against Palestine • [What about] Sudan • Burma?
Why was it that [former British Prime Minister] Tony Blair while Middle East Envoy was cuddling Qaddafi only a few months ago? People should ask the question what [Blair’s] doing to resolve the problems in the Middle East… Perhaps he’s running Qaddafi’s camp in the desert.
Aggression to 'save civilians' from Qaddafi?
Why weren’t they saying this 12 months ago? Colonel Qaddafi was torturing people 12 months ago, 12 years ago, 24 years ago; and people were happy about it because, as far as they were concerned, he was their dictator. That’s the difference.
If you’re a dictator that supports the West, you’re fine.
Why not then, why not Israel, Bahrain?
What were you doing 25 years ago?
Why aren’t you bombing Israel? They are doing the exact same thing Qaddafi’s doing.
Invasion prompts homegrown retaliation — World War II “Germans,” contemporary “terrorists”
You start by calling Qaddafi a terrorist, [then invade], then you let him retaliate. In World War II, people in Briton were told — and my father told me — that if the Germans invade and you see them, eventually, throw a hand grenade through the window.
[Qaddafi] will be telling people now to take your retaliation back out on British and American people; and you’ve [Britain’s] got the Olympics next year…
Domination motive and the neglected
…Why has there been an escalation of militarization? Why is it that you can get aircraft carriers out to the Mediterranean, why you can get an army out to the Mediterranean — but there are Japanese people who can’t even get food or water. The first thing we should do is look after the Japanese people.
…What this is about is policy over control over Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Bahrain. It is about one thing and one thing only, it’s about oil.
Source and notes
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow appeared on BBC Radio 4’s March 25, 2011, edition of the “Any Questions” program broadcast from Kingston, Surrey. With Crow on the show’s panel were: London Mayor Boris Johnson, Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan, journalist Ann Leslie, with moderator Jonathan Dimbleby
Robert (Bob) Crow (b. 1961, Shadwell, London) is a British trade union leader, the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and a member of the General Council of the Trade Union Congress (TUC). During Crow’s tenure, “RMT’s membership increased from around 57,000 (2002) to more than 80,000 (2008), making it one of Britain’s fastest growing trade unions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Crow
Founded in 1868, the TUC is the national organization of British trade unions. Three related bodies are the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Wales Trade Union Council, and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (including the Northern Ireland Committee). Ref: Britannica.
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