Opinion: Libya's Swimming Militiamen
Written by : <
http://www.aawsat.net/author/ali-ibrahim> Ali Ibrahim
5th Sep, 2014
There is a video doing the rounds at the moment of armed militiamen inside a
residential compound belonging to the US embassy in Tripoli. The video shows
the militiamen jumping into a swimming pool from a balcony while other armed
fighters cheer them on. The circumstances surrounding this video are
illogical, as is the joy of these armed fighters as they dive into the pool.
Is this an expression of the state of chaos in Libya today, or is this group
seeking to send a political message to a specific party that is currently
not present on the ground?
The US embassy was evacuated recently, along with its entire staff,
following the eruption of clashes between militias who are fighting over the
Libyan capital. As for the US ambassador to Libya, she is monitoring the
situation from a distance in Malta. These militiamen-who call themselves
revolutionaries-are terrorizing Tripoli's civilian population. However, they
would never have even existed were it not for US and NATO assistance to
topple Muammar Gaddafi. This came after four decades of Gaddafi rule that
are, ultimately, largely to blame for the current situation in Libya. The
country is quickly sliding into the category of a failed state; and if the
problem is one of swimming pools, Libya has the natural resources and
capabilities to build a swimming pool for every citizen.
Away from the video's "novelty factor," and the evident skills of the young
fighters who are jumping into the swimming pool from the balcony, the video
also carries a political message. This message is one that we have
previously heard from the Libyan Dawn militia group (an alliance of Islamist
militias from Misrata seeking to take control of the capital, and claiming
to "protect" international embassies from other militias). This is a message
that is clearly aiming to reassure Washington and seeking to secure
legitimacy from the outside regarding the situation on the ground in Libya,
as well as seeking to secure the political situation.
There does not seem to be a clear strategy or international view on how to
help Libya and stop it from sliding into total chaos. The most that we are
witnessing are statements regarding concerns over security and attempts to
contain this chaos internally as much as possible, ensuring it does not
expand to affect Europe or beyond. However, evidence suggests proxy wars are
currently taking place on Libyan territory, involving these very same
militias. It is the ordinary Libyan people who are paying the price for this
crisis, which has practically divided the country on the ground.
What is strange is that what happened in Libya following Gaddafi's ouster
shares similarities with post-Saddam Iraq. There was no plan for the
post-war scene. Everybody withdrew and left the scene open for militias to
gather arms and secure control of the ground. Some extremist groups
exploited the political vacuum and this resulted in the destruction and
street battles that we see today. This is not to mention airports being
outside of state control, with foreign states refusing to receive flights
from them.
A sense of hope emerged in Libya following the election of the current
parliament, which is leading the battle from Tobruk to impose control over
the General National Congress (GNC) and the Islamist militias. However, in
light of the absence of a strong police force or military, they lost control
of Tripoli's ministries and government infrastructure. Civil servants were
unable to enter their ministries while western media reports from Tripoli
affirmed that a state of fear has taken hold among the general population.
Tripoli's residents find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place:
if they stay, they fear being viewed solely on the basis of their tribal
identity, which could link them to rival militias in other regions; if they
leave, their homes could be sacked and looted.
The reality is that the people of Tripoli have confronted these armed
militias on more than one occasion with demonstrations and protests.
However, as usual, those who have the weapons are able to impose their will
on others. There can be no solution in Libya without disarming and
dissolving these militias, supporting the official police and military, and
isolating the figures who are supporting these militias that have now
infiltrated Libya's state institutions. However, the most important step is
to put an end to the salaries currently being paid to these militiamen out
of Libya's own state treasury.
Received on Fri Sep 05 2014 - 16:35:21 EDT