Rebels' Success 'Makes Mockery' of German Foreign Policy

While reports of Gadhafi's downfall started to look a tad premature on Tuesday, the assumption that his regime is in its death throes still seems credible. German media commentators said on Tuesday that the rebels' likely victory had exposed the failure of Germany to stand by its Western allies in March, when Berlin abstained, together with China and Russia, in the UN Security Council vote authorizing military intervention in Libya.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle defended Berlin's position on Tuesday, claiming that Germany's policy of calling for sanctions against Gadhafi's regime had helped bring about his downfall.
Asked if the NATO mission was right after all, Westerwelle told Bild newspaper: "Above all it is right that the people took to the streets for freedom and democracy -- Germany was on their side from the start. And evidently the targeted policy of sanctions supported by us had the effect that the dictator ran out of funds to be able to continue his war against his own people. The dictator must go now."
Asked if Germany's abstention in the UN vote had, with hindsight, been wise, Westerwelle said: "Germany decided not to take part with combat troops in the intervention in Libya. This decision was right. We supported the changeover with other, political, means." He said Germany would take part in the reconstruction of Libya and in the establishment of "democratic structures."
In separate comments to Deutschlandfunk radio, Westerwelle called for Gadhafi and his sons to be given a fair trial and said that such a trial should take place at the ICC in The Hague. He added that fair legal proceedings were important for a new political beginning in Libya.
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