The Russians are correct: Russia decries French arms drop to Libya rebels

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13979632
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Russia has strongly criticised France for dropping weapons to Libyan rebels and demanded an explanation from Paris.

"If this is confirmed, it is a very crude violation of UN Security Council resolution 1970," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The African Union has also criticised the move, saying it risks causing a "Somalia-sation" of Libya.

Mr Lavrov said Russia had formally requested information from France about the move, to check that it "corresponds with reality".

Moscow abstained from the UN Security Council vote in March that authorised an international mission in Libya to protect civilians.

Russia and China have both criticised the Nato campaign in recent weeks, saying it had gone beyond the remit of UN resolution 1973.
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The UN is a tool of Western imperialism

sp.

...annoyed that they didn't get to deliver the 4 billion weapons order Gaddafi placed just before the baloon went up.

:sarcasm:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/04/2011428134937111186.html



Look at the map of this region, there are monarchies all around," you said. "What do you think they are - Danish-style democracies? No. There are monarchies everywhere, and this basically corresponds with the mentality of the people, as well as long-standing practice." How right you are to affirm our "long-standing practice" of despotic rule. And how convenient that you chose to disregard the "mentality" of millions of people throughout the Arab world who have demonstrated for democracy, human rights, dignity - and for an end to these "monarchies". To say nothing of the thousands who have paid for these calls with their lives speaks volumes.

You expressed concern that the intervention violated Libya's sovereignty, and that it went against the wishes of the Libyan people. But who are you, Mr Putin, to speak about the wishes of the Libyan people? And at what cost should this notion of "national sovereignty" be defended? I highly doubt that most Libyans subscribe to the twisted logic that regards the sovereignty of an illegitimate ruler as sacrosanct, particularly after your said "sovereign" decides to exterminate large numbers of his own population.

"I do not like it," you said of the intervention. In that case, please accept our sincerest apologies. Perhaps the Libyan people and the international community should have considered your feelings when deciding how to react to the gunning down of protesters from Tripoli to Benghazi; and to the massacre at Az Zawiya, the bombardment of Misurata, and the positioning of Gaddafi's tanks on Benghazi's doorstep.

No reasonable person is suggesting that Western nations aren't motivated to some extent by selfish interests in Libya, but please do not pretend that you have the interests of the Libyan people at heart, or that your opposition to international action against the Libyan regime is not equally motivated by Russian economic interests in the country. Weeks ago, your ambassador to Libya, Vladimir Chamov, called the impending intervention, "a betrayal of Russian interests". While Sergei Chemezov, director of the Russian state company in charge of weapons exports, warned that Russian companies stood to lose billions of dollars in cancelled weapons contracts.