Pan-African News Wire 
Published Jun 6, 2011 8:50 PM 
South African President Jacob Zuma paid a state visit to Libya on May 30 that 
proved to be a fruitless effort to bring about a ceasefire in the war launched 
by Western-backed rebels and NATO forces, which have intensified their bombing 
of the capital of Tripoli and other areas of the country. Zuma was acting on 
behalf of the African Union, which held an extraordinary meeting on May 25 aimed 
at bringing an end to the war against Libya.
Although South Africa was one of the countries whose government voted in favor 
of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which has served as the pseudo-legal 
basis for an all-out military onslaught against the North African state, Zuma 
has spoken out against the bombing and regime-change strategy that was the real 
motive behind the resolution. NATO has admitted that since March 19 nearly 4,000 
bombing missions have been carried out against the Libyan people by the U.S., 
Britain, France, Italy, Canada and other imperialist states and their allies.
The NATO forces, which are providing arms, logistics, economic and political 
support for the rebel Transitional National Council, have stepped up airstrikes 
against Tripoli. At the same time the British and French governments have 
announced the deployment of Tiger and Apache helicopters, which will inevitably 
kill and injure more civilians.
U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron held a 
joint press conference in London on May 24 calling for the overthrow of the 
government of Moammar Gadhafi. Obama at first had said the war against Libya was 
limited, but he is now demanding immediate regime change. He faces growing 
opposition to the war inside the United States.
The U.S. Congress is being prodded to vote on whether the Pentagon should 
continue with the war in North Africa. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is 
submitting a resolution in the House of Representatives challenging the legality 
of the war against Libya.
 
