The Situation in Libya

Libya is a small country in the northern part of Africa. Its official name is known as Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, where Tripoli is its capital, situated in the north western of Libya. Since Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi became the chief of Libya state in September 1, 1969, he based his power in Tripoli. He ruled Libya with a unique form of “direct democracy”, a system that combined of socialism and Islamic believes. Al-Qadhafi earliest internationally impression was a revolutionary figure with great ambition, where he wanted to form a United States of Africa.

With the escalating situation in the Middle East, Libya is witnessing a revolt against their ruler Muammar Qaddafi, and because of that a civil war began between the government and the people, Muammar Qaddafi decided to bring mercenaries from various countries of Africa to fight under his commands. Other countries felt that the matter began to turn into a massacre of the Libyan people and they don’t like what is going over, some countries might have some benefits if an intervention happens to stop Qaddafi’s power. So should other countries do something about it or not? Is it going to help the Libyan people? Or is it going to put Libya in some dark years like what happen in Iraq? Recently the United Nations has voted on establishing a no fly zone over the country and peacekeeping forces have been sent to the country. The French Military as well as the United States have also fired missiles on targets of the country. Many people are criticizing these countries decisions to get involved with the attack and the rebels even voice that they just want to fight and win. On the other hand some experts believe that if these rebels do win the fight for leadership, they might be a form of terrorism.

Ahmed Aljabber, a Libyan civilian

Hi I’m Ahmed Aljabber a resigned secretary who used to work in the ministry of defense, and a Libyan civilian who revolt against Col. Qaddafi .I think that if other countries decided to make an intervention to stop Qaddafi’s army, it could the beginning of a war on Libya, which might stop Qaddafi, but it also gonna effect Libyan people and hundreds of thousands are going to die, and the Libyan people don’t want that to happen, because if it does it’s just another crisis beside Qaddafi’s, maybe an Arab country intervention might help more than a western country, specially that Libya is an important source of oil, and that might lead to scenario similar to Iraqi scenario. A couple of weeks ago a meeting held place in Europe to decide whether an action is going to be taken against Qaddafi’s forces or not, a couple of hours after the meeting France started sending air crafts to air strike to hit loyal forces for Muammar Qaddafi. When other countries start sending air crafts to air strike a country's leader forces; even if the people are revolting against him; that is the beginning of a war and Libyan people will be massacre from both sides; the government(Qaddafi) and countries who may intervene . I ask myself why do all these western countries pretend trying to help us( the Libyan people), but they never said anything about what happened in the Kingdom of Bahrain, or is it actually they want something else than helping the people, especially since Libya is one of the biggest oil producers in this modern day world (Chossudovsky).

Michael Brandt, a poltical scientist

Hi my name is Michael Brandt I have a B.S. degree in political science from George Washington University at Washington, DC. After studying and researching the situation in the U.S., I think that the United states of America can’t afford a third war on another Arab country(Doyle). On Saturday Feb 26. 2011 Barack Obama said that Col. Muammar Al-Qaddafi should step down from his presidency, because Qaddafi has lost his legitimacy to command and rule Libya. A couple of days later attacks from the American army were made by firing missiles from ships sitting in the Mediterranean Sea, now this is counts as a step forward to war. The U.S. has just came from a the Iraqi, in fact they just started pulling out the army from Iraq, the country was effected in different ways form the war, first the U.S. is bankrupt, second we can’t keep losing young Americans in wars that we shouldn’t be there in the first place. Barack Obama says the he wants Qaddafi to step down, but Qaddafi will not just give up his country that he ruled and helped for more than forty years, so it will require a force to make Qaddafi leave the country, the exact same happen when George W. bush was the president of the U.S., and he decided to go to Iraq and take Saddam Hussain from Iraq. After Saddam Hussain was hanged, the US military didn’t leave Iraq, In fact more Iraqis kept dying. From the first day war in Iraq till now around 100,000 people were killed and murdered, around 5,000 of them were American soldiers, we don’t want to see that in Libya, Libyan people don’t want to see that happen to them. An intervention should not be made from any western country, I think that if an Arab decide to make an intervention in Libya it would help more because they would care more about the people and less about the oil.

Ali Aujali, former Libyan ambassador

Hi I’m Ali Aujali, a former Libyan ambassador, I worked with Al-Qadhafi for more than five years. This is not a sudden broke of civil war, the people of Libya has been living under suppression for too long. Al-Qadhafi has always been worldly known as a dictator. When the rebels finally took action to protest his iron rules on February 2011, loyalties of al-Qadhafi counterattacked the rebels by artilleries, tanks, and even air craft. They bombed unarmed villages and also fired on peaceful protesters. Thousands of innocent civilians were killed and injured. Other than that, Al-Qadhafi also cut off the supplies of water, electric, and gas to the rebels ground, forcing them to surrender. He even openly clarified that he is ready and willing to bloodbath Libya until his status is unquestioned and the rebels surrendered. Therefore, I urged for the must to ouster al-Qadhafi. There is no negotiation and Qadhafi must leave the country, for there is no way for a change with him still around. The rebels in Libya are seeking for an international intervention to stop al-Qadhafi from progressing further into destroying innocent villages and important petrol sources. They do not expect United Nation to send army to help them fighting on ground. They wish for NATO’s help in logistical support and military training.

Muhammad Khalifah, undergraduate student

Hi I’m Muhammad Khalifah, a Libyan who currently pursuing his Master in Human Rights in West Virginia University, I express my gratefulness that The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) finally decided to intervene the civil war by announcing military forces and imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.A no-fly zone is the best way to prevent al-Qadhafi from killing more innocent Libyan. Al-Qadhafi has launched war in Tripoli and Benghali on March 18, 2011, when these innocent villagers marching out from the mosque after praying. Many had died, that is a terrific day. I prayed to god to protect my family every night since the war began. I know exactly how Colonel al-Qadhafi will do until he regain his power. Still, my father had injured. He is now laying the hospital in a critic situation. There is no way he can recover when Colonel al-Qadhafi blocked the supply of water, electric, and gas to these places.

Other than that, I also conveyed my desire for a change of regime in his country. After experiencing the anti-democratic in Libya and freedom of democracy in the United States, I will appreciate the opportunity for having democratic system in my own country. I am looking forward for the change once al-Qadhafi no longer in power. As I am studying the Master of Human Rights, I am thirst for the knowledge of it. There is so much that I absorb every day. If the rebels leader, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, won in the civil war, I will be more than happy to return to my country with my knowledge to help him to built a new country with air of freedom and democracy.

Amy Wilson, officer of NATO

My name is Amy Wilson, and I’m an officer of the NATO ,many members of the NATO were furious on the cruelty of al-Qadhafi. It is ridiculous that he does not care about human life but his own power. Therefore, I will definitely say yes for the NATO to intervene in this war. I will say the same like Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of the United States, nothing is off the table as long as the Libyan Government continues to threaten and kills Libyans. The dictatorship of al-Qadhafi has definitely raised the concerns of the United Nations on the humanitarian in Libya. After all, the aim of forming the United Nation Security Council was to maintain international peace and security. Amy Wilson recalled that rebels from Libya who found that they are losing their war with Al-Qadhafi and others abroad Libyan had seek for an international helping hand to rescue them from an upcoming humanitarian crisis on March 9, 2011. The rebel leader, Mustafa Abdul Jalil pleaded for help from the nation again on March 14, 2011. Consequently, it is time for the NATO to answer their call, to react, and to protect the people. President Obama quoted that the aim of building an international community will seemed hollow if we ignore the helps from innocent Libyan. British Prime Minister, David Cameron, also said that “If Colonel Qadhafi uses military force against his own people, the world cannot stand by.” Brookings Institute’s “Libya’s Test of the New International Order” analyzed that civil war in Libya has also become a war for world government. It is a test for the international community. If the NATO failed, the goals of establishing international order and importance of international law will seem meaningless.

Hassan Jamal, a Libyan civilian

Hi my name is Hassan Jamal, I’m Libyan civilian, I work as a math teacher in an elementary school in Benghazi, a couple days ago I witnessed a US military jet fighter crashing near to my house, but thank god that it landed in a big open field. The war didn’t star yet and airplane’s are crashing on our heads, who knows, the war might start tomorrow and will see hundred’s of those Jets and helicopters are hovering above us, and who knows they might be shooting at us at the same time. As you know Libya is one of the biggest oil producer and cheapest, an oil barrel becomes so cheap in some field as cheap as 1$ per barrel, Libya oil reserves are one of the biggest in Africa and it’s the ninth over the world, some countries from the western society might be targeting the oil reserves that Libya has, Russia has notified that NATO that this might be the case, and some members of NATO are agreeing with Russia. And as you know since Barack Obama promised the American society to fix the mistakes that was done by the former president George W. Bush, one of his promises were to pull out the army from Iraq, if he actually pulled the army from Iraq and then sent it to Libya he’s making the same mistake that had been made before and which might lead the country to a really weak economy, specially that the NATO don’t know what kind of air defense does Libya has, so they don’t what actually they are facing. I don’t agree with a western intervention, because it might harm us more than it could help us.