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Lions_fan

(174 posts) Sat Jun 30, 2012, 01:56 PM Jun 2012

Libya in Chaos

Rajan Menon | June 27, 2012

Zintan is but one of Libya’s towns and cities with militias that act as free agents—statelets within a state. There is a plethora of such armed groups, and according to the UN they hold more than eight thousand prisoners in some sixty clandestine prisons, meting out rough justice, which, says Doctors without Borders, includes torture.

The NTC is unable to take on the militias. The post-Qaddafi military is still a work in progress and, in a country awash in weaponry (much of it looted from Qaddafi’s armories), the militias have abundant firepower with which to resist. When the government seeks to restore order following clashes among tribes and rival militias—something that occurs with dismaying regularity—it has been forced to turn to the militias for help. A program to demobilize and disarm them by disbursing cash to fighters and inducting them into the military or providing job training was put on hold when it was discovered that corrupt officials were diverting money from the billion-dollar fund.

So the militias live on. They won’t relinquish their arms or cashier their fighters, particularly given the parliamentary election, which was scheduled for June 19 but, given the chaotic state of Libyan politics, has been delayed until July 7. The parliament not only will elect a government, it also will start drafting a constitution, and the militias doubtless intend to use their power to shape the new political order. The government that emerges after the vote will have to contend with them, just as the NTC has. There is little reason to assume that it will be any more successful in bringing them to heel.

http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/libya-in-chaos-7096

4 replies

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Highlight:

Libya in Chaos (Original Post) Lions_fan Jun 2012 OP

False tabatha Jun 2012 #1

"They had not finished preparations. . . . The voters hardly know who is running." Igel Jun 2012 #3

Who could have predicted this? sabrina 1 Jun 2012 #2

Very informative cheers (nt) MichaelMcGuire Jun 2012 #4

tabatha

(18,795 posts)

1. False

Reply to Lions_fan (Original post)

Sat Jun 30, 2012, 02:15 PM

Jun 2012

"particularly given the parliamentary election, which was scheduled for June 19 but, given the chaotic state of Libyan politics, has been delayed until July 7.

The election was delayed because, being the first election in 40 years, they had not finished preparations. Most people think it is a good idea to have had the elections delayed. The voters hardly know who is running.

Libyans are thankful to be rid of Gaddafi. More people have registered to vote than in the US - by a large factor.

Hysterical nonsense.

EDIT

Very transparent publication. NOT. "About us" does not say who they are.

Igel

(35,393 posts)

3. "They had not finished preparations. . . . The voters hardly know who is running."

Reply to tabatha (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 30, 2012, 04:52 PM

Jun 2012

And that's not chaotic?

Chaos can come not from sabotage and internecinse strife but also from unwise rushing. It makes it no less chaotic. In fact, I've heard of local elections in the US described in the same terms--"chaos" and "chaotic"--for precisely the same reason.

In this case the delay was merely provided as justification for some groups' retaining their arms and jockeying for power. I didn't detect condemnation of this chaos in the article. If there were, I'd suspect it was thinking that the elections could be held so quickly (and I'd follow it up by asking why 4 weeks makes that stunning a difference).

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

2. Who could have predicted this?

Reply to Lions_fan (Original post)

Sat Jun 30, 2012, 04:04 PM

Jun 2012

From early on the human rights abuses being committed by the 'rebels' turned many former supporters away and the war crimes, including the horrific murder of Gadaffi and the mass murders of Gadaffi supporters, still have to be dealt with. No country founded on these grotesque crimes, has much of a chance of turning into a democratic state where everyone will be treated fairly.

And UN reports confirm this:

Leaked UN report reveals torture, lynchings and abuse in post-Gaddafi Libya

Thousands of people, including women and children, are being illegally detained by rebel militias in Libya, according to a report by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Many of the prisoners are suffering torture and systematic mistreatment while being held in private jails outside the control of the country's new government.

“There have also been reports of women held in detention in the absence of female guards and under male supervision, and of children detained alongside adults,” says the report.

A number of black Africans were lynched following the revolution following claims, often false, that they were hired guns for the Gaddafi regime. The city of Tawerga, mainly comprised of residents originally from sub-Saharan countries, was largely destroyed by rebel fighters from neighbouring Misrata. The port city had withstood a prolonged and brutal siege in the hands of the regime forces during which, it is claimed, fighters from Tawerga were particularly aggressive and brutal.

The report says that ”sub-Saharan Africans, in some cases accused or suspected of being mercenaries, constitute a large number of the detainees. Some detainees have reportedly been subjected to torture and ill treatment. Cases have been reported of individuals being targeted because of the colour of their skin.”

In order to get to the oil, NATO intervened, on the pretext of protecting innocent civilians. As soon as their mission was accomplished, they left civilians to the barbarism of the militias, completely exposing the lie as to why they got involved.

Libya's first post-Gaddafi vote may face delay

Senior poll official quits, saying June 19 date is "mission impossible", though Election Commission remains confident.

Libya's former deputy election commissioner says he quit his post because he does not believe the country is ready for next month's elections.

Sghair Majeri has told Al Jazeera that "holding elections by June 19 is a mission impossible" as it is a time-consuming process.

It's a tragedy. Pushing elections for appearances' sake is to be expected. I wonder what troops are protecting the Oil Fields. We use proxy armies now so I'm guessing Blackwater and/or Qatari troops who were in Libya during the so-called people's uprising.

MichaelMcGuire

(1,684 posts)

4. Very informative cheers (nt)

Reply to sabrina 1 (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 30, 2012, 04:59 PM

Jun 2012

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