Human Wrongs Watch / International Socialist*
The reign of Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi seems to be coming to an end after anti-government fighters backed by NATO forces took control of Tripoli.
Image: Himasaram | Wikimedia Commons
Hatred of the dictatorship and a thirst for democracy and freedom drove the uprising against Qaddafi when it first arose in February, clearly inspired by the revolutions against tyrants in Tunisia to Libya’s west, and Egypt to its east.
But the character of Libya’s uprising has been twisted and transformed in the months since. The rebel forces that took over Tripoli operated in collaboration with U.S.-led NATO military forces that have no interest at all in Libyans’ desire for freedom.
Last March, the United Nations sanctioned a U.S.-led air campaign in Libya, with the justification that this was the only way to stop Qaddafi’s military from committing a massacre against the uprising.
The Western Reshape Libyan Opposition
But the air war continued and escalated. Meanwhile, Western governments were reshaping the anti-Qaddafi opposition to fit their needs–like ensuring the flow of oil from Libya for one, and even more importantly, creating a reliably pro-Western barrier against the tide of revolution that has swept through the region.
To do this, the U.S. and its European allies backed the most conservative elements among those who claimed to lead the struggle against Qaddafi. A few were already on the CIA payroll–others were former officials of the Qaddafi regime who decided to switch sides.
The new government that will form in place of the Qaddafi regime will be led by these elements. It will be beholden to the U.S. and Europe for its existence–and pliable to their interests.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 