By Citizen M | Published: April 29, 2011
The Telegraph has published a piece by Russian reporter
Vladislav Vorobyov on his experiences during a trip to Cairo last month. Vorobyov’s article is important, and sheds some light on Russia’s persistent and loud denunciation of the UN’s activities in Libya. It makes perfect sense that Russia would want to stay out of any trouble in Arab League nations, not only because they are much closer neighbours than Britain and the US, but because any Middle Eastern animosity towards Russia would detract from their animosity against the West, which, in the long-term, serves Russian diplomacy well. There are some heavy implications brewing here. As tensions escalate over the UN’s poor handling of the Libya situation, which has thus far only served to escalate violence and perpetuate misery, what will be the effect on the global balance of power?
The barricades were removed two days before, but the city was still far from quiet. I got out of the car some 20 yards away from the Arab League building and just five yards away from a crowd of people shouting something in Arabic. European-looking reporters immediately attracted the demonstrators’ attention. “Beat them!” shouted one, and the crowd moved towards us.
Luckily, one of the protestors asked in English: “Where are you from?” When we said that we were Russians, the crowd stopped. “We won’t touch Russians,” one of the demonstrators explained to me. “We thought you were French or English, we’d kick their a*** for Libya.”
The full article is here.