FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD
Turbulent events in SYRIA, the
international community is closely watching, deflect attention from the
situation in LIBYA. In this circumstances, the fourth anniversary of the murder
of the LIBYAN leader MUAMMAR GADDAFI (October 20, 2011) went by virtually
unnoticed. It dotted the ‘i’s and crossed the ’t’s in the internal LIBYAN
conflict that commenced in February 2011.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON LIBYA
BOTH
SIDES OF THE LIBYAN POLITICAL DIVIDE ARE SUPPORTED BY EXTERNAL POLITICAL
ENTITIES
ISLAM
– A CONVENIENT TOOL FOR AMERICA’S GEO -STRATEGIC POLICIES?
Had it not been for the powerful
NATO airstrikes sweeping through LIBYA destroying its military facilities and
killing personnel, the situation could have been quite different. Back then,
they were harping that GADDAFI was allegedly the main obstacle in the way of
the “nation rebelling against oppression” and that once he was ousted, the
blood shedding would stop, and peace, prosperity and democracy would blossom.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON LIBYA
THE
BALKANIZATION OF LIBYA Part 1
THE
BALKANIZATION OF LIBYA Part 2
THE
BALKANIZATION OF LIBYA Part 3
LIBYA
PLUNGED INTO A DIARCHY
But life proved these statements
wrong. After GADDAFI’S death, colonel’s weak opposition fell apart and former
military elite jumped to each other’s throats in a fight for a “piece” of the
“authority pie.”
In the summer of 2014, LIBYA was
plunged into a diarchy with two centers of power: one — in TRIPOLI, the other —
in TOBRUK (in the eastern part of LIBYA), each one with its parliament,
government and armed forces.
Since that time, combat
operations between the two factions continue in some regions in the east, west
and south of the country. And these exchanges of fire have transformed into a
trench war over time. About 3.5 thousand LIBYAN military personnel and civilians
were killed in the combat operations in the period from January 2014 to the end
of April this year.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON LIBYA
THE
POST-GADDAFI LIBYA IS NOT REAL
BE
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
LIBYA’S
INSTABILITY IS ALREADY SPILLING OVER INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN
The country is experiencing
economic stagnation. Production of oil — the main natural assets of the country
— has dropped almost fourfold in comparison with the times of GADDAFI’S rule,
from 1.6 ml down to 440 thousand barrels per day.
UN’s mediation to bring the two
conflicting LIBYAN blocs to a dialogue and peace talks have proven to be
ineffective. For over a year there have been numerous attempts to reconcile the
parties. There have been different venues used for reconciliation meetings held
under the auspices of a special envoy of UN, BERNARDINO LEON, ranging from EUROPE
to MOROCCO, EGYPT and ALGERIA. During the meeting of representatives of the
conflicting parties held on October 9, 2015 in MOROCCO, Mr. BERNARDINO announced
the names of the government of the LIBYAN national unity, which the parties had
allegedly coordinated. But proposals of the UN mediator were rejected by both
the internationally recognized parliament of TOBRUK and the government in TRIPOLI.
LIBYA
IS A MAGNET ATTRACTING DESTRUCTIVE REGIONAL ISLAMIST ELEMENTS
All those who tried to help LIBYA
to untie this knot had to face its harsh reality — an overwhelming power
crisis. It expectedly broke out after the former system of government and the
balance of powers, which had existed in LIBYA for the last 40 years, collapsed
after the massive external intervention.
Disagreements (earlier contained
by the regime) between tribes and regions incited by ambitions of politicians,
between the center and socially disadvantaged rural areas, etc., instigated a
wave of violence.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON LIBYA
LIBYA
- A FAILED STATE
LIBYA
- THE WILD WEST OF NORTHERN AFRICA
Groups of mujahedeen have also
been engaged in the turmoil in DERNA and SERT, the towns, which took an oath of
allegiance to ISIS. From time to time, they show on TV footages depicting how ISLAMISTS
behead CHRISTIANS and other “heretics” in these towns.
At the end of 2011, hundreds of
insurgents from LIBYA went to SYRIA to help ASSAD’S foes. Later, some of them
joined ISIS in SYRIA and IRAQ. In 2014, some of them returned home.
More than ever before, LIBYA is
being perceived as a magnet attracting all sorts of destructive regional
Islamist elements and as a source of threat for the neighboring countries of NORTH
AFRICA and the MIDDLE EAST.
A grim lesson we can learn from
the LIBYAN phenomenon (which resulted from the scenario devised and implemented
according to the western instructions) is how an internal strife can devastate
a rich country and challenge its territorial integrity and unity.
LIBYAN people suffered hefty
losses twice. After GADDAFI’S overthrow, when the society divided into the
“winners and losers,” and the second time, when the winners divided into two
feuding groups and started fighting against each other.
This lesson is a warning for
other countries, including SYRIA. In this context, RUSSIA’S efforts to counter
expansion of ISIS and its support of DAMASCUS are dictated by common interests
of the two countries and peoples in their struggle against this world’s evil.
That inspires hopes that situation in the SYRIAN ARAB Republic will advance along
a different developmental trajectory than it did in LIBYA.
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