Libya

Libya is experiencing a state of unrest, having existed under the absolute dictatorship of Qadhafi since 1969. Prior to this, Libya had been a primitive country, formed of various tribes. Qadhafi, through the use of oil wealth, had attempted to improve the society, and change its nature. However the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few elite, led to corruption. Qadhafi’s erratic and unpredictable behavior, and his association with terrorists, undermined his efforts. With the increased turmoil in many Arab states; Libyan rebels have attempted to overthrow the Qadhafi regime. NATO has intervened sporadically in the conflict. Officially NATO is trying to protect civilians, but there is also an agenda of toppling Qadhafi, efforts have been made to transfer some of Qadhafi’s assets (which he looted from Libya). Many refugees have tried to escape by ships. There is a mixed reaction among the Mediterranean countries to these refugees, by trying to distinguish between “economic immigrants seeking work in Europe, and refugees seeking asylum”. A team led by a Libyan- American telecom executive, has established their own communications network, to help the civilians, and rebels. They were helped by various Arab governments supplying millions of dollars of telecommunications network. This assistance highlights the hypocrisy of repressive Arab leaders, helping to overthrow Qadhafi. Libya’s liberation war could turn into a prolonged bloody stalemate, without foreign intervention. Qadhafi asked Obama to assist him in fighting against the rebels whom he characterizes as “Al Qaeda gangs”. It is not clear if the fight in Libya is a democratic opposition attempting to overthrow a brutal dictator, or is it a tribal civil war.