# CEREDD / Kornel SAWINSKI : ELAC (EURO-LIBYAN ACTION COMMITTEES) AS A NETWORK-CENTRIC ORGANIZATION. Part 2

Publié le 2013/02/18 par Luc MICHEL

 

 
* IV – ELAC – ideology and practice
* BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
Analysis of Kornel Sawinski / Part 2 /
English version for the CEREDD / 2013 02 14 /
Centre Européen de Recherche et d’Etude sur la Démocratie Directe /
European Centre for Research and Studies on Direct Democracy/
Translation: Maria Walczak /
 
Published in Journal of Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia (in Colloquium of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) /
Report originally presented to the “Congress of Polish Geopoliticians” in November 2011.
 
 
ELAC – IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE
           
The analysis of over 150 statements (in a few languages, however always in French and English) in the pages of the press connected with ELAC  having been led chronologically since the beginning of the conflict in Libya allowed to distinguish some categories which, being part of geopolitical codes, form a clear, coherent whole.
In the plane of ideology they create an axiological grid which expresses the ideology of National-European communitarism. The support for the system of Libyan Direct democracy and Gaddafian socialism are an important line in the PCN’s political practice .
On 1st September 2011, exactly on the 42nd anniversary of the seizure of power by Gaddafi, two articles on this topic were published . (38)
The events of 1969 were briefly recalled as well as ideological assumptions of the Libyan Jamahiriya.  It was stressed that the ‘Third Universal Theory’ referring to both pan–Arab heritage of Nasser, Direct democracy,  anti-fundamentalistic reformist Islam, revolutionary nationalism put in the ‘Green Book’ by Muammar Gaddafi,  is still relevant. The author emphasized exceptional solidity of the system created by Gaddafi.  Far from the tinsel of ‘petro-monarchists’  allies of Washington, far from the misery of The Arab people, the money from the sale of oil going directly to the Libyan people. In the world where presidents, dictators, marshals are changing constantly, colonel Gaddafi is still the same. His revolutionary “Third Universal Theory” has been still an inspiration for revolutionists on the four continents . (39)
Addressing western societies and systems, ELAC uses some expressions like ‘parliamentary bourgeois democracy’, ‘homo economicus’ , ‘new Carthage’. It often refers to the anti-colonial discourse and anti-imperialistic heritage of Nasserism or Ba’ath party. The mondialistic project under the auspices of the USA and NATO is fiercely criticized. In the geopolitical context, they emphasized Gaddafi’s services for the project of ‘United States of Africa’, after the failure of enterprises designed to unite the Arab world.
It is often stressed that there is a need to unmask the ‘Greater Middle East Project' (40) aiming to remodel the strip of Muslim countries, i.e. ‘from Marrakesh to Bangladesh’, in a maximalistic plan in the fashion of liberal democracy, in the minimalistic plan –turning this area  into a zone of  small, balkanized, powerless countries, with no charismatic leadership, deep in chaos and controlled by the West.
 
Geopolitical codes in ELAC discours remain the most important. Libya is presented as a bridge connecting Africa and Europe. Libya under Gaddafi created a system which opens a way to an equal dialogue between cultures and civilizations. (41) So Libya is seen as an obstacle on the way to unipolar world under the leadership of the USA. Libya is a bridge between European consolidation and African consolidation. It is a peace bridge. Gaddafi’s vision is not a vision of a war between civilizations but a vision of a dialogue with nations and cultures. In the world, where America wants to impose its laws, this vision is unacceptable. (42)
According to ELAC , a very long and complex process led to the beginning of the civil war in Libya. Fabrice Beaur explains: what has been going on since 2011, is being used by imperialists from the USA, NATO, and Francafrica. The crisis in the circles of Libyan elite started in 2003. Then Jamahirija began a diplomatic offensive which was to become the main unifying power of the African Union. One of their goals was to break embargo in the process of complex diplomatic and political relationships, also by paying huge sums to the victims of the bombing, which Libya did not bear the blame for. As a result of some events after 11th September, which were used by Bush’s regime and neocons,, there was an offensive against Iraq and Afghanistan. At that time, it became clear that the Americans’ target is Arab revolutionary nationalism, i.e. , Baathist Iraq, Syria and Libya. Then, Luc MICHEL wrote a long article for  Al. Jazeera which was also published in some Libyan RCM books, (43) (K.Sawiński’s note)… It helps to understand what happened later. Libya had, gathered during years of embargo, huge foreign exchange reserves (it could neither import nor invest). The awareness of the fact that Libya might be attacked like Iraq brought searching for diplomatic solutions in order to avoid this threat. The minority wing of the Libyan Jamahirija appeared to be clearly pro-Western. A particularly  important figure was Moussa Koussa, the chief of Intelligence, who emerged as a traitor, a double agent of Western Special Services in 2011 . (44)
 
ELAC ideological axioms come from two sources: the Libyan RCM policy and PCN policy. On the ground of geopolitics, PCN’s vision (iniciated by Jean Thiriart) was largely consistent with Gaddafi’s line. The main assumptions concern: a consolidation of the continents of Africa and Europe on equal principles, overcoming the colonial heritage and closure the access to the Mediterranean for talasocratic (Angloamerican) forces, making it Marenostrum. (45)Fabrice Beaur says that “Gaddafi is not <the only man> who watched ideas and where the world is going to. He was surrounded by a group of intellectuals who were called << la Main>> (<<Hand>>) and who led search on ideas. It is almost certain that the topics we suggest, were analyzed and studied, and adapted to the Libyan reality . (46)
 
The idea to establish ELAC was born after the last (for now) MEDD-RCM Conference in Zawia in February 2011. When in the West they were preparing an attack on Libya, ELAC was creating its network in the whole ‘Greater Europe’ (as the geopolitical space from the Atlantic to the Pacific they call so). The ELAC Initial Manifesto was written; it was translated into four foreign languages.  Its offices in Brussels, Paris and in Russia, Turkey, Moldova and also in Quebec (47)started working.
ELAC is a transnational structure ( as it defines itself ), as well as most enterprises organized by PCN. This means that they do not recognize, by principle, existing borders of small countries or even continents (e.g. Europe which does not end with the Urals ). Despite its network nature, ELAC has been integrated thanks to its only leadership,  uniform press organs and one policy.
ELAC pays special attention to organization in order to distinguish themselves from amorphous, inert masses of Europeans supporting Gaddafi. According to ELAC’s estimate of April 2011, the number of Libyan Jamahirija supporters is from a quarter to half a million people. (48)ELAC often compares the civil war in Libya to the civil war in Spain in 1936 -1939. They point out the similarities between the coup organized by fascist-monarchist factions in Spain and  Islamic monarchists  from Benghazi. (49) The Islamism, controlled by West is shown as a Libyan version of fascism. The analogy between support of fascist powers of Italy and Nazi Third Reich and support given by NATO and the USA to the Islamists from Benghazi is presented as well. The anti-fascist rhetoric was, as Fabrice Beaur says, quickly taken over by the authorities in Tripoli. “At the beginning it was rather uneasy and hard to understand for the Libyans and in the neighbouring countries too. When Ibrahim Mussa became a spokesman of the Libyan leadership, they started using more and more anti-fascist nomenclature,  they started talking about “NATO fascism”, “Islamo-monarchist faction from Benghazi” . (50)
 
The result of recognizing the Libyan civil war as “ a new Spanish civil war” was Luc MICHEL’s statement that European volunteers may take part in it on the loyalists’ side. This offer was made by MICHEL publicly at the very beginning of the war in Libya, in his interview to French media, STREET PRESS on 21st February 2011. (51)Afterwards, many Europeans, who declared their readiness to fight, were in touch with Luc MICHEL. They were mostly from countries of the former Commonwealth of Independent States.
That offer was repeated during a conference co-organized by ELAC in April 2011 in Tripoli (we discuss this important event in the further part of this article). Luc MICHEL’s suggestion was recorded by the Libyan TV. Inanc Kutlu describes the initiative as follows:  “Luc MICHEL did not joke, he came to Tripoli with full documentation, including all the legal aspects of the case, the status of European fighters who were to be organized under one leadership, their own banner, ready to take part in the civil war”. (52)
This is an example of re-adjustment of Jean Thiriart’s idea; i.e., creating in 1968 the ‘European Brigades’ supporting the Palestinians. (53)
However, the idea was not introduced because of the objection of Moscow. (54)
New ‘European Brigades’ ( like those of the ’60s) were to be a specific ‘investment for future’ to struggle in other flashpoints in the world, particularly in Europe. The Libyan turned down that suggestion, though. The authorities in Tripoli were afraid of internationalization of the armed struggle itself; they tried as much as possible to close the conflict within the country. Besides, they were just afraid that the project would turn out to be unworkable.
Introducing the idea of ‘European Brigades’ meant a confrontation with the West, which at the beginning of the conflict, the Libyan leadership wanted to avoid by all means.
 
Undoubtedly, the biggest success in not a long history of ELAC was an international conference on 17-18th April under the banner “Remove your hands away from Libya”. (55)The conference took place in the rooms of a hotel situated by the sea, Bab al Bahr. The conference was organized by ELAC Committees, War Foundation, National Organization for Libyan Youth, Economic, Social and Cultural Council at the African Union, Arab and African Youth Union, African Youth Forum for Peace and African Youth Union. (56) It is worth noting that all the European contacts with the Libyan authorities were possible thanks to ELAC.
At the meeting, there were representatives of many ELAC factions from France, Wallonia, Brussels, Moldava, Poland (with a letter from former deputy-prime minister Andrzej Lepper with the support for Gaddafist Libya) (57), the Balcans,  Hungary, Russia, Turkey. They were representatives of anti-war, anti-imperialist environments from three continents. The organization of this venture was difficult, first of all, for logistical reasons. It should be remembered that at that time the flight ban took effect in Libya, neither the Internet nor the mobile phone service worked.
A major contribution made Luc MICHEL who led direct negotiations with the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the entry and visas for African delegates. (58)
The most important figures who took part in the conference were: Dr Ibrahim Mussa (59) (who has known the ELAC leadership since the VIth  MEDD-RCM Convention in Zawia,  mentioned before), he was the spokesman of the Libyan government ) and Dr Khaled Kaim, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The conference took place assisted by exploding bombs: the bombardment of Tripoli had already lasted for almost a month.
 
From ELAC activists’ point of view, the conference was certainly a success. Luc MICHEL was appointed president of the “International Commission of contacts with organizations supporting Libya” by the secretary-general of the Libyan’s youth Union.
The name was, of course, not accidental and it was aimed at building parallel structures in the NATO member countries which supported the ‘National Transitional Council’.(60).It is worth stressing that Luc MICHEL has been the only non-Libyan who was entrusted with such a function. The nomination took place after the speech of the  Secretary-General of the Libyan Youth Union.(61) Delegates from African countries found themselves under the direction of MICHEL. The whole event was recorded not only by the Libyan media but also by a few foreign TV stations.
 
The April conference was a prestigious event for ELAC. It showed capabilities of mobilization of this structure. A few projects were not set up because of the accelerated course of events. After capturing Tripoli the structure changed its name from the ELAC Committees into ELAC-RESISTANCE (62) which has been the main network organization supporting the Libyan resistance.
It is also worth paying attention to the African branch of the structure: ALAC (African-Libyan Action Committees). (63) It is animated by people earlier connected with MEDD-RCM. The origins of the PCN cooperation with African emigrants in Europe and socialist and progressive organizations in Africa lie deep. Particularly close to PCN  was Dr Djimadoun Ley-Gnardigal, who cooperated with Revolutionary Committees of Chad and some activists of ACTUS, i.e., Chadian socialist movement. (64) In contrast to ELAC, the African structure has not been surrounded by a wall of silence in the mainstream media. At present, ELAC goes far beyond its original purpose.
 
At present Support for SYRIA COMMITTEES are promoted (65) and support for Algeria has been organized.(66) As Jean Pierre Vandermissen claims: “many African politicians and activists realized that NATO constitutes a hazard to safety of Africa. Africa is not out of the way, on the contrary: it is an equally important side of PCN international activity”.(67)
 
KS
 
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NOTES / Part 2 :
 
(38) 42d Anniversary Of The Libyan Revolution Of “Fateh Of September 1ST” /With The Libyan People And Muammar Gaddafi: Libyan Resistance To US/NATO Conquest Continues! 42e Anniversaire De La Revolution Libyenne Du “Fateh Du 1er Septembre“/ Avec Le Peuple Libyen Et Moammar Kadhafi: La Resistance Libyenne A La Conquete US/OTAN Continue, the typescript in the possession of the Author.
 
(39) Ibidem.
 
(40) See. T. A. Kisielewski, Wojna Imperium. Większy Bliski Wschód w amerykańskiej wojnie z terroryzmem, Elbląg 2008.
 
(41) 42d Anniversary Of The Libyan Revolution Of “Fateh…
 
(42) Ibidem.
 
(43)http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2003%20Opinion%20Editorial/October /31%20o/The%20US-Israeli%20War%20against%20Arab%20Nationalism%20Luc%20Michel.htm (2011.10.27.).
 
(44) Quoted in : REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts Avec Fabrice Beaur PARTIE II…, p. 8.
 
(45) Convention III of the RCM, Libya, September 2004, Unification of the network of the revolutionary committees in Europe…
 
(46) Quoted in: REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts Avec Fabrice Beaur PARTIE …, p.7.
 
(47) Ibidem.
 
(48)http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2003%20Opinion%20Editorial/October /31%20o/The%20US-Israeli%20War%20against%20Arab%20Nationalism%20Luc%20Michel.htm  (2011.10.27.).
 
(49) Quoted  in : REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts avec Fabrice Beaur PARTIE II…, p. 8.
 
(50) Convention III of the RCM, Libya, September 2004, Unification of the network of the revolutionary committees in Europe…
 
(51) Quoted in: REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts avec Fabrice Beaur PARTIE …, p. 7.
 
(52) Ibidem.
 
(53) Ibrahim Boudia & Fabrice Beaur, maszynopis w posiadaniu autora, Luc Michel Publié originellement dans Conscience Europeenne en 1985 DE "JEUNE EUROPE" AUX "BRIGADES ROUGES". ANTI-AMERICANISME ET LOGIQUE DE L'ENGAGEMENT REVOLUTIONNAIRE, Le Sacrifice de Roger Coudroy, /w/ LA NATION EUROPEENNE en 1968.
 
(54) Luc Michel publié originellement dans CONSCIENCE EUROPEENNE en 1985 : De "Jeune Europe»- no page numbers.
 
(55) Euro-Libyan Action Committees Press Release of Luc Michel, April 21, 2011, The Support To Libya Is Organized In Tripoli: United Front In Europe And Africa To Defend The Libyan Jamahirya,the typescript in the possession of the Author.
 
 
 
(57) http://www.samoobrona.org.pl/pages/02.Partia/00.Aktualnosci/index.php? document=/330.html  (2011.10.09.).
 
(58) REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts Avec Inanc Kutlu PARTIE I…, p. 6.
 
 
(60) Libyan Action Committees Press Release of Luc Michel, April 21, 2011, The Support To Libya Is Organized In Tripoli…
 
 
(62) ELAC-Resistance /Libya – Launch Of The Libyan Resistance Radio “Local Radio Tripoli» https://www.elac-committees.org/2011/11/22/elac-resistance-libya-launch-of-the-libyan-resistance-radio-%E2%80%9Clocal-radio-tripoli/  (2011.12.15.).
 
 
(64) REGARDS SUR 50 ANS… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts Avec J. P. Vandermissen PARTIE I …, p. 11. http://www.lnr-dz.com/index.php?page=details&id=7236  (2011.12.05.).
 
(65) http://comites.syrie.free.fr/  (2011.11.30.)
 
 
(67) Quoted in: Regards Sur 50 Ans… Entretien de Karel Huybrechts avec J. P. Vandermissen PARTIE I…, p. 12.
____________________________
 
# BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS ( in the possession of the Author):
 
[1] Discours, au nom des Délégations du Continent européen, au Meeting d’ouverture de la Première Assemblée mondiale de l’ «Association Internationale des Partisans du Livre Vert» (Tripoli, Libye, 25 octobre 2009), typescript.
[2] Entretien de Luc MICHEL avec Kornel Sawinski: JEAN THIRIART, LE P.C.N., LA GEOPOLITIQUE ET L’EURASIE, Les 50 Questions de l’Entretien Notes & Renvois, typescript.
[3] INTERVIEW DE LUC MICHEL PAR FABRICE BEAUR PCN-TV Moscou (14 octobre 2011), A bâtons rompus sur: PCN, idéologie, praxis, perspectives – Communautarisme européen – Résistance  libyenne
– Comités ELAC & ALAC – MEDD-MCR – Russie – Belarus
– Transniestrie – Abkhazie – Grande-Europe – Eurasie – OTAN
– «Révolutions de couleur» – «printemps arabe» … En marge d’une Conférence régionale du MEDD-MCR et d’ELAC-RUSSIA organisée à Moscou le 14 octobre 2011, typescript.
[4] Sebha (Libya) – 28 February To 1st March 2007: Luc MICHEL Lecturer To The 6th International Reunion On “Direct Democracy And The Thought Of Muammar Al-Gathafi” typescript.
[5] SOLIDARITE MILOSEVIC, Bulletin d’ information Comité International pour la Défense de  Slobodan Milosevic, nr 1, decembre 2001. Leaflet – vignette.
[6]42d Anniversary Of The Libyan Revolution Of “Fateh Of September 1ST” / With The Libyan People And Muammar Gaddafi: Libyan Resistance To US/NATO Conquest Continues.
 
BOOKS
 
[7] Al.- Gaddafi M., Green Book, Tripoli with the cooperation of the publishing house ‘Fabuła’, 1991.
[8] Dugin A. (editorial office), Sietiewyje wojny: Ugroza nowogo pokolenija, Moscow 2009.
[9] Fryzeł T. Arabska Myśl Socjalistyczna, Warsaw 1985.
[10] Kisielewski T. A., Wojna Imperium. Większy Bliski Wschód w amerykańskiej wojnie z terroryzmem, Elbląg 2008.
[11] Lacoste Y., Geopolityka Śródziemnomorza, Warsaw 2010.
[12] Leclerq J., Dictionnaire de la mouvance droitiste et nationale de 1945 à nos jours, Paris, 2008.
[13]MICHEL L., Le Parti Historique Revolutionnaire, Généalogie idéologique du Concept de Parti dans le Communautarisme européen, Charleroi 1986.
 
SERIALS
 
[4] "Al Ba'ath Al Iraqi"
[15 ]“Conscience Européenne”
[16] "Geopolitika”
[17] “La Cause Des Peuples”
[18] “La Libre Belgique”
[19]“La Nation Européenne/ The European Nation/ La Nazione Europea”
[20]“L’Europe Communautaire”
[21] “Memri”
[22]“PCN-Info Hebdo”
 
WEB PAGES:
 
[32] http://www.mcrlebye.org/ (closed in September 2011, after the fall of Tripoli)
 
_____________________________
 
Pics : Poster de ELAC RESISTANCE (septembre 2011), en référence aux Brigades Internationales de la Guerre d’Espagne.
Ibrahim Moussa, porte-parole du Leadership libyen, et Luc MICHEL, Conférence internationale « Hands off Libya » (Tripoli, 17-18 avril 2011).
 
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