Libya and Qatar's role in the Libyan Revolution - Essay Example

? 21 July, Libya and Qatar's role in the Libyan Revolution In the eastern of Benghazi, there are headquarters of the opposition forces whose fighters have stronghold in the Jebel Nafusa. These rebels took over the village of Gualish that stood at a distance of about 90 km from Tripoli. This takeover was followed by a deadly battle between hundreds of fighters. The forces of Col. Muammar Gaddafi have conventionally displayed strong determination to overpower the rebels. The government troops are equipped with a broad range of weapons which keep the rebels from advancing permanently. In Gualish, battles could be seen smouldering in the houses located on the battlefield that were abandoned by the local people. Looters entered the buildings and the rebel fighters siphoned petrol from the petrol filling stations. The rebels replaced the green flag of Gaddafi’s Libya with their own red, black, and green flag in several places which imitated their attempt to free Libya. Prior to the entrance of rebels in the area, Nato had bombed some of the heaviest weapons possessed by Col Gaddafi. A rebel fighter said, “The Gaddafi forces booby-trapped some of the houses with trip wires and explosives … We had to be very careful as we went through the town” (Doyle). Gualish is only at a distance of about 45 km from Gharian, that is the strategic garrison town controlled by Gaddafi’s soldiers. Rebels could not immediately reach Tripoli, but Gharian has remained a target for the uprising. The main north-south road that connects Tripoli to the Sahara desert is dominated by Gharian. According to the rebels, Col Gaddafi kept arms depots in the desert and also recruited fighters from other countries in the same desert. A young Libyan woman who was the member of the youth protest movement said, Now people are dying we’ve got nothing else to live for. What needs to happen is for the killing to stop. But that won’t happen until he [Gaddafi] is out. We just want to be able to live like human beings. Nothing will happen until protests really kick off in Tripoli, the capital. It’s like a pressure cooker. People are boiling up inside. I’m not even afraid any more. Once I wouldn’t have spoken at all by phone. Now I don’t care. Now enough is enough. … I’ve seen violent movies and video games that are nothing compared to this. I can hear gunshots, helicopters circling overhead, then I hear the voices screaming. I can hear the screeching of four-by-fours in the street. No one has that type of car except his [Gaddafi's] people. My brother went to get bread, he’s not back; we don’t know if he’ll get back. The family is up all night every night, keeping watch, no one can sleep. (Worthington). But such views of the public seemed to both Col Muammar Gaddafi seemed little. “I am a glory that will not be abandoned by Libya, the Arabs, the United States, and Latin America... revolution, revolution, let the attack begin,” Gaddafi cited in Ashour). Such a behavior is typical of the Dean of Arab leaders who has ruled Libya as a self-declared King for over 42 years. Gaddafi has made a large number of show-stopping appearances at various gatherings within the Arabian Peninsula and abroad (Asser). It is not only his outlandish clothing that makes him stand out, but is also his unconventional attitude and blunt speeches. Uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia resulted into immense bloodshed and became the cause of demise of Hosni Mubarak and Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, but Colonel Gaddafi would not relinquish authority without an intensely deadly encounter. One of his sons, Khamis led the uprising’s brutal suppression in Benghazi. Khamis is “the Russian-trained commander of an elite special forces unit” (Worthington). Gaddafi has also had full support of his other sons. However, the tactics used by Gaddafi have boxed him in. It will be difficult for him to face internal exile like Hosni Mubarak or else, seek refuge abroad like Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the former President of Tunisia in case he loses. It will also result in a very high cost in human lives. The regime’s tendency to commit wide-scale butcheries has already declined significantly. Gaddafi may resolve to use chemical weapons if circumstances go totally out of control like Saddam Hussein did in 1988. Gaddafi may also, like Hafez-al-Assad of Syria did in 1982, order a severe aerial bombardment campaign. In either of these cases, there was a lot of likelihood of international intervention. Already, Egyptians in Libya have exceeded one and a half million in number while people from many other countries like Britain are also rapidly growing in number in Libya. Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi has already felt the danger and expressed his insecurity with respect to Tunisians, Egyptians and other foreigners in his first speech. His speech played a big role in instigating violence against foreigners in Libya. There was also a possibility of the stern move by army against the colonel and his sons. But that could not materialize because of the fact that Libyan army, unlike the armed forces of Tunisia and Egypt has not behaved as a single unit since the time the protest commenced. Members from different levels of army have individually joined the protesters. When Gaddafi passed orders to destroy Benghazi with bombs, two air force pilots reached Malta in the fighter planes. There were about 20000 fighters in Gaddafi’s regime. No splits among the Revolutionary Committees have ever been reported. Likewise, Bab al-Aziziya was protected by the brigade led by Khamis al-Gaddafi. Nevertheless, the immense rivalry between the security and military apparatuses needed thoughtful planning to be dealt with as it could prove a cardinal factor in undermining the regime of Colonel Gaddafi. The tribal loyalty and tribal nature of the Libyan army have conventionally kept it from functioning as a single unit. Among Libya’s tribesmen, historic vendettas, rivalries and arms are quite widespread. This made the circumstances conducive for the breakout of an inter-tribal war after the demise of Gaddafi’s regime. Libya’s rebellion spread across more than six cities with Benghazi, being the centre of unrest. The second largest city of Libya, Benghazi accommodates up to 1 million people. Information regarding the uprising has mainly approached the audiences via interviews conducted over telephone as a result of the blackout of media. Alongside, several messages and videos were posted online. The exiled opposition activists have also been a great source of information. One of the protestors said to the press, “Everything is behind that (Mr Gadhafi) compound; hidden behind wall after wall. The doors open and close and soldiers and tanks just come out, always as a surprise, and mostly after dark.” (El Deeb). Gaddafi loyalists assaulted the rebels with rifles, knives and other weapons. The official agency of Libyan news said that hundreds of foreigners trained to destabilize Libya were arrested by the government forces. Gaddafi made all possible attempts to renounce terrorism in Libya and compensate the sufferers of bomb attacks. These actions increased his tendency to build better rapport with the West, though his regime was continually accused of violations of human rights. Residents received text messages over their cell phones in which they were warned not to take action against the Gaddafi regime. All of these measures were meant to discourage the people of Libya from participating in the revolution against the government. Tribal rivalries in the eastern Libya have been intense, though the extent of co-ordination and organization has always remained phenomenal. After the Hosni Mubarak’s government withdrew the police and set hundreds of convicts free on the 28th if January, medical, security and several committees were established on immediate basis. In an attempt to attack the East from the western desert of Egypt, Said Rashwan and Ahmed Qadhaf al-Dam made a visit to Egypt and tries to hire tribes. However, there attempt went awry as a result of the refusal of a generous offer by Awlad Ali and several tribes. The civil society in Libya is far less developed than that of Tunisia and Egypt, though this does not justify the breakout of tribal warfare if Col. Gaddafi is removed from power. A vast majority of the Arab world learned a lot of lessons from Iraq. This caused the youth from Egypt and Tunisia to be more dedicated and mature so as to become models of inspiration for hundreds of thousands of Arabs whose freedom was long sapped by the ruling dictators. Time has made Libyan public far more sophisticated and politically mature than the extent to which they are normally anticipated. The international community assumes a big legal responsibility for Libya. Coercive organizations are led by famous people that are fundamentally accountable for the assassinations which occurred in Libya lately. Had such colonels and generals as Abdullah Mansour, Abdulla al-Senussi, Gaddafi, and al-Tahumi Khaled been issued arrest warrants, they and their subordinates would have thought a hundred times before resolving to send the troops for bombing, shooting or creating unnecessary mayhem. No international inquiry has been held despite the awareness of the West regarding the terrorist plans staged by Col. Gaddafi and crimes against humanity. West was also aware of the Abu Salim massacre that occurred in June 1996 killing more than 1200 political prisoners who had raised their voice against the bad conditions prevailing in prison. Much of this ignorance of West can be attributed to its interest in the oil reserves in Arab. In Benghazi, in front of the courthouse, rebel headquarters that revolt against Muammar Gaddafi fly flags of different countries including Britain, France, European Union, US, NATO and Qatar. Addressing the Reuters, the rebel economy chief, Abdulla Shamia said, “Qatar, really, it's time to convey our gratitude to them … They really helped us a lot. It's a channel for transportation, for help, for everything” (Shamia cited in Reuters). Although the population of the Gulf monarchy is merely 1.7 million, yet she has long had her say in the political affairs. It has not only negotiated peace talks in Lebanon and Sudan, but is also the owner of the pan-Arab news channel Al Jazeera. Author of one of the programs of Al-Jazeera, Hugh Miles said, “Al-Jazeera were the first on to the events in Tunisia. Its reports from there were watched by the Egyptians. Then its reports from Egypt were watched by everyone else. It has been a very important catalyst” (Burke). Many analysts are of the view that the successive uprisings in the Arab countries have fundamentally been driven by Al-Jazeera. Recently, the nation rich in gas has placed a grand geopolitical bet in Libya by splattering many million dollars on the food, cash and fuel for the mutineers. The Emir’s representative refused to comment on the products Qatar gave to Libya. This is purely a gamble. Qatar would gain energy deals along with increased influence in North Africa if the rebels win, though Qatar may have to face separation from her neighbors in case of loss. According to Saket Vemprala, Qatar has been making an attempt to distort the Saudi-dominated status quo since the late 1990s with a view to improving its position. “At the moment I think it's more geopolitical, they want to broaden their (influence in the) region and become a more significant player ... And it certainly makes it easy for them to portray themselves as being on the right side of history” (Vemprala cited in Reuters). Qatar stood first among all Arab countries that offered planes to UN police for Libya. Qatar’s resolution to send the plans as well as the controversial role of Al-Jazeera find their roots in the size of Qatar, its location that is upon the Arabian peninsula’s spur, as well as the emir’s attempts to make Qatar independent of the influence of big neighboring powers including Saudi Arabia and Iran. From early March, hundreds of thousands of dollars have started to move from Doha to Benghazi. Hammad bin Jassim al-Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar said, “Qatar has pledged $400-500 million for a fund to help the cash-strapped Libyan revolutionary movement” (“Qatar pledges”). A western risk consultant expressed his views about Qatar’s investment in Libya in these words, Libya is not Iraq. You are unlikely to have a protracted civil war once it is over … So those investments are not like putting money at the bottom of a pit. It should pay back and also possibly give Qatar influence on what the LIA can invest money in. If we use takeover terminology, Qatar is exploring unrealised value. (“Special Report”). Creation of a special fund was announced by a NATO-backed coalition against the regime of Gaddafi in Libya with a view to assisting the revolutionary movement in Libya that was suffering from the lack of funds. Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister said, “I welcome the announcement… of the establishment of a special fund – known as the Temporary Financial Mechanism – that will permit funds to be channelled effectively and transparently to the Interim National Council” (“Qatar pledges”). A Qatari Foreign Ministry official said that Qatar understands the opposition council in Libya as the North African state’s legitimate representative. The Qatar News Agency expressed its opinion about the recognition in these words, “This recognition comes from a conviction that the council has become, practically, a representative of Libya and its brotherly people” (Arab Revolt). Cities that the revolutionary forces in Libya took hold of included Ras Lanuf, Ajdabiya, Ben Jawad, Brega, and Uqaylah. Libya’s revolutionary forces were also found to have advanced near Tripoli, the capital city which happens to be the heart of Gaddafi’s stronghold. Residential regions in the southern city Sabha were targeted by the western forces which resulted into a lot of civilian casualties. Foreigners from Tunisia and Egypt encouraged certain local communities of Libya to revolt against the government in order to get rid of the dictator, Gaddafi that had been ruling Libya for decades. Despite a very strong revolution, Gaddafi remained too composed to let go of his regime, and tried everything to make the attempts of the rebels go awry. Qatar’s role in the revolution in Libya is highly controversial and is understood by the critics as an attempt by the emir of Qatar to gain unusual power and influence by way of increased economic strength. Al-Jazeera is said to be used for the accomplishment of the emir’s strategy. The emir of Qatar wants to make Qatar a local mediator of choice. Thus, whatever financial aid Qatar has provided the revolutionary forces in Libya with have been understood as a way of achieving personal goals which are beyond the establishment of political stability in Libya. Royal United Services Institute’s deputy director, David Roberts said, “I can only account for this apparent discrepancy by suggesting that this policy is being heavily pushed by Qatar's elite” (Reuters). The biased interference of Qatar in the Libya’s political scenario has exposed Qatar to a lot of risks. Qatar’s image of a wealthy and stable partner has been shattered by the recent change of policies and activities which are coming into the notice of foreign majors. Works Cited: Arab Revolt. “Qatar recognizes Libyan opposition.” 28 Mar. 2011. Web 20 July 2011 . Ashour, Omar. “Libya revolution: Future scenarios and the West's role.” 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . Asser, Martin. “The Muammar Gaddafi story.” 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 July 2011. . Burke, Jason. “Qatar's decision to send planes to Libya is part of a high-stakes game.” 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . Doyle, Mark. “Libya rebels make most significant advance in the west.” 7 July 2011. Web. 21 July 2011. . El Deeb, Sarah. “Revolution in Libya.” 21 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . “Qatar pledges $400-500 mln to new revolutionary fund.” 5 May 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . Reuters, Thomson. “Qatar Seeks Major Voice In Libya's Uprising.” 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . “Special Report-Qatar’s big Libya adventure.” 9 June 2011. Web. 20 July 2011. . Worthington, Andy. “Revolution in Libya: Protestors Respond to Gaddafi’s Murderous Backlash with Remarkable Courage; US and UK Look Like the Hypocrites They Are.” 21 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 July 2011. . Read More