Before President Barack Hussein Obama and a “coalition” of UN allies came riding to the rescue of the citizens of Libya, the U.S. President had the support, and possibly, a mandate from the League of Arab Nations.

Per thefreedictionary.com:

[The League of Arab Nations], popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. The original charter members were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan (now Jordan), Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. A representative of Palestinian Arabs, although he did not sign the charter because he represented no recognized government, was given full status and a vote in the Arab League. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was granted full membership in 1976. Other current members include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea (pending in 1999), Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.

When the state of Israel was created in 1948, the league countries jointly attacked it, but Israel resisted successfully. The league continued to maintain a boycott of Israel and of companies trading with Israel. The summit conferences of 1964–65 established a joint Arab military command, which proved unsuccessful in implementing a united strategy for the liberation of Palestine. Egypt’s membership was suspended from 1979 to 1989 because of its treaty with Israel, and the league’s headquarters were moved to Tunis. In 1988 the league endorsed the PLO’s plan for a negotiated settlement with Israel, and in 1991 Cairo once again became its headquarters. In 2002 the league for the first time offered Israel normal relations with Arab countries if it met certain conditions, but many of those conditions were not acceptable to Israel.

For many years, closer political unity among members was hampered by a division between pro-Western member countries and neutralist or pro-Soviet ones; more recently the division has been between militant Islamic fundamentalists and Arab moderates. The league ultimately supported Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War Iran-Iraq War, 1980–88, a protracted military conflict between Iran and Iraq. It officially began on Sept. 22, 1980, with an Iraqi land and air invasion of western Iran, although Iraqi spokespersons maintained that Iran had been engaging in artillery attacks on but was divided over the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 First Persian Gulf War, Jan.–Feb.  In 1993 the league issued a statement condemning all forms of terrorism. 

Now that the war against Kadhafi has begun, the League appears to be having second thoughts.

The League’s Secretary general, Amr Moussa, is now whining about the amount of bombing that the coalition forces are doing in Libya. He announced Sunday that he was going to call for a league meeting to possibly rescind their approval of the war.

According to Moussa, the Arab League’s March 12th approval of a no-fly zone was given in order to stop Kadhafi’s air force from attacking civilians. According to him, the heavy bombing and missile attacks, including on Tripoli, the capital, and on Libyan ground forces, were not part of the deal.

What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone. And what we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians.

Moussa issued his statement because some of the 22 Arab League members were apparently shocked by what they have seen and want to take back their approval. They don’t want to be seen as supporting the infidels by the rest of the Arab (Muslim) world. the leaders and people of the Middle East have always gone off at the first hint of Western intervention, even though, in this case, they all know that Kadhafi is a madman.

The removal of the League’s endorsement would be a serious blow against Obama and his coalition. They’ve been using the Arab League decision as a justification for obtaining a U.N. Security Council resolution two days before going to war with Kadhafi.

Most of the Arab nations are keeping their mouths shut as the prosecution of the war begins its second day.

The usual Peanut Gallery all expressed their displeasure with the war, including Arab Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Evo Morales of Bolivia and former Cuban president Fidel Castro. They, of course, claim that the coalition is attacking Libya in order to get their hands on Libya’s oil reserves.

Russia and China have also come out against the war.

I’m shocked.

Despite Obama’s announcement that all the Arab Nations are on board, Qatar is the only one that has announced that it would participate in the campaign.

Qatar’s prime minister, Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, told reporters that the kingdom made its decision in order to “stop the bloodbath” that he said Kahdafi was inflicting on rebel forces and civilians in opposition-controlled cities.

However, Qatar has not said exactly what their contribution will be to the coalition’s action.

But, hey, even if Obama’s support among the League of Arab Nations crumbles around him, he still has one Arab Leader who loves him:  The one he’s sent us to bomb.

In a letter, sent to Obama before the war began in earnest, Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi wrote:

To our son, his excellency, Mr Baracka Hussein Obama. I have said to you before, that even if Libya and the United States of America enter into a war, god forbid, you will always remain a son. Your picture will not be changed.”

Does  that have anything to do with the announcement that Admiral Mullen made yesterday, when he stated on Fox News that our goal was not to oust Kadhafi from power?

Naw, probably not.