Libya`s Triumph
The fruit of the Arab Spring is proving to be unpalatably bitter. Bringing up the rear on all fronts in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Libya, in Syria, not to mention Somalia and Yemen and other North African Muslim states, have been the ferociously fanatic Salafists. Whose venomous hatred of non-Muslims and the West make the Muslim Brotherhood look downright avuncular by comparison.Isn`t it the ultimate irony that the United States which, though it was responsible for the original shelling under the "free skies" UN order in Libya, and then withdrew, allowing other NATO countries to fly their warplanes in ostensible protection of the Libyan civilian population and by extension the rebel militias, has now borne the brunt of the Salafist murderous assault on the West?
Even more to the point, the American Ambassador who was killed was a man committed and helpful to the Libyan revolution. There is also the issue that among all Arab-Muslim countries, the one where the United States is held in highest regard for whatever that`s worth, is Libya.
Yet it was in Libya that a plot was put together to celebrate the 11th anniversary of 9-11 by attacking the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
The U.S. administration is firmly of the belief that the attack by a frenzied mob against the U.S. Embassy in Cairo had as its impetus rage over an American-produced short film insulting to Islam. An esteemed cleric at Egypt`s Al-Azhar mosque stimulated anger over the obscure film, hitherto unheard of, and the mob responded.
Not so in Benghazi, where gunmen clashed briefly with Libyan security forces, before the forces fled before the superior numbers, out-gunned by mortars and weaponry that was not assembled on the fly. Fires were set in the U.S. Benghazi consulate, and looters entered at will to carry away computers, desks, even washing machines.
There is gross disorder in Libyan society, with the current administration incapable of persuading the tribal militias to lay down their arms so the country can be reliant upon government forces solely for order and security. Killing, looting, abductions, destruction of sectarian monuments have become part of everyday life in some parts of the country.
And now the Salafists, whose contempt for Muslims insufficiently pious, and whose hatred for infidels is legendary, can view with huge satisfaction the coup they planned and executed, shattering the illusion that all is well in Libya, their Arab Spring, aided by Western intervention, a huge success.
Labels: Islamism, Libya, Political Realities, Terrorism, Traditions, Troublespots, United States
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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