Cuba Condemns Foreign Military Intervention in Libya*
2011-03-21
The Cuban government issued a statement here Sunday night expressing its "strong condemnation" of the foreign military intervention in Libya's internal conflict.
The statement also pushed for dialogue and negotiation, and supported the "inalienable right of the Libyan people to exercise self-determination without external interference."
The Cuban Foreign Ministry accused the Western powers of "creating the conditions conducive to this military aggression."
The Cuban authorities said the intervention "constitutes a gross manipulation" of the United Nations (UN) Charter and of the authority of the UN Security Council, and shows the "double standards which characterize its behavior."
"UN Resolution 1973 adopted last Thursday by the Security Council does not authorize in any way these attacks on Libyan territory, which constitutes a violation of the international law," the statement said.
"Cuba supports the inalienable right of the Libyan people to exercise its self-determination without foreign interference, condemns the killing of civilians in Libya and in any other places, and supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty over the resources of this nation," the statement said.
Moreover, the Cuban government said the Western powers carrying out the military attacks against Libyan territory "are causing death, injury and suffering to innocent civilians."
The official statement added that those powers "are specifically responsible for the deaths of over a million civilians in Iraq and more than 70,000 in Afghanistan, which are called collateral damage."
Arab media reported Sunday that the Western coalition forces had suspended attacks on Muammar Gaddafi's defenses in the Libyan territory, including areas surrounding the two largest cities of Tripoli and Benghazi
According to the reports, coalition bombs and rockets destroyed roads, bridges and a heart clinic, leaving 65 civilians dead and over 150 injured.
* Url:http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/03/21/2021s627569.htm
