It has been a while since I have written a post and I felt that it was time to at least submit something. For the next few weeks, I will try to post links to articles that I feel are important regarding current events in the Middle East and North Africa. Obviously, the news that the rebel forces of Libya captured and killed the more than four decades long dictator, Muammar al-Qadhafi, is very important news. I do not have the time to put in a lot of thought or give a detailed analysis of the situation and for the next few weeks that will be the same for all of my posts, but I hope you will follow the links I provide and inform yourseves of the major events that are affecting the region and will also affect the US and its involvement.
I will say a few quick things. I hope that the new Libyan government is stabilized quickly with free and open elections. The military forces of the rebellion will probably want to be a part of the governing body at first in order to provide stability, but it is clear from the situation in Egypt that the military does not provide stability when it is a part of the governing body, but it inflicts martial law on the people and becomes an entity that oppresses the voices and actions of the people because it wants to demonstrate who has the power. Egypt had a peaceful revolution to depose Hosni Mubarak, but the military has almost crushed the spirit of the people with its brutal attacks and its fabricated stories in an attempt to maintain the sectarianism between the Muslims and the Copts. I don't think all is lost in Egypt, but the military needs to be removed soon from its control before it reverts into the same nation the people sought to change. Because Egypt slipped so easily back into a militarized situation, I fear that the same thing will happen in Libya, especially since their regime change came through armed conflict. It will be vital to watch the developments in Libya in the coming weeks in order to see in what direction the new Libya will go.
Here is a link to an article from the New York Times about the circumstances surrounding the death of Muammar al-Qadhafi.
A potentially positive sign is that Libya's acting PM, Mahmoud Jibril, seems set to follow through on his promise to resign after Qadhafi's capture to make way for the formation of a new interim government.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Brad that this is a positive sign, but the Egyptian military also started out with promises of stepping down as soon as elections could be held, but in the meantime they have become oppressive and have stifled the voices and will of the Egyptian people. I actually think this is due to the peaceful way in which the Egyptians brought about change. The military doesn't have to fear the people. In Libya, the opposite may be true--because the people were not afraid to enter into armed combat to achieve their goals, it may work in their favor for the establishment of a stable government, since anyone in power will understand that the people are not against removing leaders by force. I hope this is the case and I also hope that the military in Egypt will be removed from its control of the country soon.
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