On October 16, Libya was elected by an overwhelming majority to the world’s premier security body. Claiming 178 out of a possible 192 votes from United Nations members, the former state sponsor of terrorism joined Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and Croatia as one of the five rotating members due to take their seats on Jan. 1, 2008.
These five nations will join five others that have another year on the council as well as its five permanent members: the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom.
This appointment is the latest in a string of ludicrous decisions made by the body intended to regulate international peace and security. Earlier this year, Syria was elected as recording secretary of the UN Disarmament Commission, and also as deputy chairman of the General Conference of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, just as its own nuclear ambitions started coming under close scrutiny. Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe was appointed to the chair of the Commission for Sustainable Development even when his government had all but destroyed the country’s sustainable wealth in the course of a single generation. And Iran was re-elected to the senior office of vice chairman of the UN Disarmament Commission just as Tehran was outwardly discussing and engaging in enhancing its own nuclear ability.
Now Libya is on the UN council responsible for maintaining international peace and security when less than 20 years ago Libyan agents orchestrated the infamous Lockerbie bombing, which saw 270 people killed as Pan-Am Flight 103 went down over northern Scotland.
Such appointments would be laughable if they were not so fraught with potential disaster.
In Libya’s case, Tripoli has tried desperately to clean up the stain on its reputation created by the bombing, and its election is seen by some as a reward for good behavior. Following Lockerbie, the UN-imposed sanctions, and Libya eventually admitted civil responsibility and promised to pay reparations to the families of the victims.
Sanctions were lifted entirely in 2003 when long-standing Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi announced to the world that Libya would abandon its nuclear program. Since then, the West has cozied up to Libya: Britain promised Security Council action if Libya was attacked with certain weapons; France entered a $405 million weapons contract with the North African country; the U.S. looks to send Condoleezza Rice to Libya as the first top U.S. diplomat to visit in over 30 years, following a meeting in September with the Libyan leader’s son.
However, though its face has changed, Libya’s heart has not. While Tripoli now looks north for company, the Bible prophesies that ultimately it will look east—and embrace radical Islam. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in May of last year: “Look for Libya to become more aligned with Iran in the near future. It gave up its weapons of mass destruction as it leaned toward the West. But that foreign policy is going to change.”