Found the above quote somewhere on the Internet. No idea who came up with it or why, but is very relevant to current situation in Libya. The Internet has even made a appropriate image to go with the saying
People rising up against tyrants to build a future for themselves is always good news, and successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt are commendable. They are good examples of how democracy should come to a country.
But Libya situation is unique and things are not as black and white as they are made out to be.
Libya is Africa 3rd largest oil exporter. But stands head and shoulder above everybody else in Africa when it comes to quality of life. In a neighborhood where some countries prohibit women from driving or traveling alone, Libyan women have thrived, even scoring larger percentage of secondary education than males of their country. This and many many other facts point to Libya being a soft dictatorship, dictatorship nonetheless, but a progressive and relatively liberal dictatorship.
While many in the country fought to get rid of Qaddafi, the type of mass uprisings seen in Tunisia, Egypt or even Syria or Yemen was not to be found. Considering the state of affairs in other resource rich African countries, it is not surprising many in Libya preferred a known devil like Qaddafi over a unknown future. This state of affairs had let Qaddafi almost crush the revolt, until US and Europe decided the oil rich state was ripe for “Project Democracy”
What we’ve seen since is a UN resolution being passed on responsibility to protect based on unproven claims. And the resolution being stretched and distorted to facilitate a regime change through violence. Curiously, the countries which participated most eagerly in this regime change venture are those where Libya’s wealth is most invested. Remains to seen if Libyans will get the money back or will see it being written off as expenses of imposing democracy through force.
The easier part of this venture, trouncing the regime, is almost through. One should not be surprised to see the relatively underarmed Libyan Army lose battles, but that they held on for so long should have surprised many.
Even before “rebels” are done fighting for democracy, they are exercising their new found freedom to start killing people not in their good books, as General Younes found in a undesirable manner. Libya’s native and foreign black population is fleeing even refugee camps to escape Libyan “rebels” expressing their opinion through guns.
And then there are fundamentalists. USA’s considerable military and institutional might could not stabilize Iraq and has failed miserably in “rebuilding” Afghanistan. Libya has joined this list of nations that need democracy lessons at a time when Europe is couple of years away from deep recession with USA close behind. When this “Protectors of Civilians” leave to fix their own mess, expect local power players to step up and grab the opportunity in these incubated democracies.
Fundamentalists, with their networks of devoted followers are waiting in the wings to retake Afghanistan. Iraq is destined to be the deadly playground for fundamentalists in power play between Iran and Saudi. Libya has a bigger problem.
Battalions of “democratic” rebels groups, including ones that took over Tripoli were commanded by known fundamentalists with past associations to Al-Qaeda and other networks. News reports of these fundamentalists “cleaning” the capital of its “sinful” practices have started to trickle out. With its massive oil reserves and huge but sparsely populated deserts, Libya can quickly and easily turn into training grounds and launchpads for violent “holy” missions.
From strategic perspective, Libya may well be the waterloo for Western powers. In Arabian way of doing business, perception is everything. If you appear weak, you have lost already. When high priests of democracy turn a blind or capitulate to one fundamentalist leader to keep the “democracy’ running, others will begin building or strengthening their networks to become important enough to be ignored. And importance in middle east comes through willing followers, guns and bombs
If democracy can come through bombs, can’t bombs come through democracy?
Pakistan with all its faults, is a democracy too! Libya seems well set to give Pakistan some good competition in this bombs from a democracy business.
