Above is an outline map of Africa, 1914, showing the breadth of colonial conquest. Note two-thirds of Libya is colored "Italian" and one-third "British." That would be "French West Africa" where Cote D'Ivoire is today.
Above is an outline map of Libya between the Second World War and independence. It has been seized from Italy and split up between France and Great Britain.
The following headlines are from April 2011:
"3 Western Powers Sending Military Advisors to Libya...France, Italy and Britain." — LA Times
"Ivory Coast Fighting Worsens; France, UN Bomb Gbagbo Forces" — Bloomberg
"A More Assertive France in Africa" — CSM
Here's a tidbit from an article entitled "Italian oil giant suspends supply from Libya": "Italy is Libya's biggest trade partner and imports 25 per cent of its oil and around 10 per cent of its gas from the North African country." — Telegraph
And here's some statistics about Cote D'Ivoire from Wikipedia: "Export goods: cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish
Main export partners: Netherlands 13.92%, France 10.75%, US 7.79%..."
Somehow it's all starting to add up, isn't it.
Granted, Proyect has posted some really nice pieces on Qaddafi supporters:
ReplyDeletehttp://louisproyect.wordpress.com/category/libya/
Which is unfortunate considering he's defended Charles Taylor and Milosevic in the past:
http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/war-don-don/
Hey Jenny. I really like Proyect's posts on Libya.
ReplyDeleteI wish he would restate the fact that he's against the US/NATO bombing a little more often, but I think he's 100% right to pillory Qaddafi and the misguided leftists who support him.
Didn't French Algeria exist at the time of this map?
ReplyDeleteYup SWboy, French Algeria AND French Tunisia and French West Africa surrounded Fezzan.
ReplyDeleteOf course--
ReplyDeleteI was looking at a tiny screen.