Qaddafi and the Conflict in Libya - Assignment Example

Qaddafi and the Conflict in Libya The world has revolutionized and there have been many changesall around the world. The human mind has developed and people have started to understand the importance of free choice and free will. The human beings are now aware of their rights of freedom and speech. Gone are the times when people were oppressed and forced to follow the rules of their rulers. Revolutions and rebels against the authorities have been a significant part of the history of the world. A major revolution that has started in the twenty first century is the revolution in many Arab countries where people have come to the streets to fight for their rights. The Egyptian conflict was the first example where the protestors of the country fought for justice and freedom and forced their leader, Hosni Mubarak to resign. These protests were followed in other countries where the citizens wished to revolutionize their countries and attain liberal governments that would fulfill their demands and recognize the importance of the citizens of the country. The most prominent amongst these is the Libyan Conflict which began in the month of February in the year 2011. The conflict is still in progress and rebels have taken to the streets to force the step down of their leader Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi who has been in power since almost 42 years. Qaddafi has not given up and does not intend to give in to the demands of the people and has resorted to severe measures which include oppression and killings of the masses. The conflict has met with criticism from international countries and allies of Libya have also requested Qaddafi to step down and abide by the wants and wishes of the people (Libya — Protests and Revolt 2011). Libya is an Arab nation which is located on the map in North Africa. The country like many other Arab countries contains very high reservoirs of oil. The country has been under the rule of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi from the year 1969 who has proved to be a very strict and harsh ruler for the country. Qaddafi has always been a ruler who has followed the policy of dictatorship and has tried to keep all the powers of authority in his hands. Qaddafi is an intelligent man who has used all his powers to keep the country divided so that there could be no united strong appraisal against his oppressions. He did not create any strong national organizations and at the same time, he also did not form a nationalized army so that no revolt to overthrow him could be very strong. He has been criticized on the international level owing to his oppressive acts which have resulted in the expulsion of Libya as a member from the United Nations Security Council. There was an internal unrest in the country but the actual conflict resulted due to the wave of revolution that started in the neighboring countries of Egypt and Tunisia and led to the freedom of these countries. It was followed by the Libyans who started their revolt against the government and initiated a mass protest demanding the resignation of their leader (Fahim et al 2011; Libya — Protests and Revolt 2011). The revolt against the government started in the city of Benghazi and spread across the country and rebels were seen to be operating in different cities of Libya against the four decade old rule. It was expected by many that Qaddafi would opt for resignation but these hopes vanished when he chose for fighting against the people of his own country. He used threatening and derogatory remarks against the rebels terming them as “cockroaches” in his speech and threatened to kill all of them. It seemed that the revolt would not last long and the protesters would be crushed but international intervention and military assistance and strikes from the United States and United Kingdom in the month of March served to increase the revolt and the side of the rebels became stronger again. The NATO forces also came to the assistance of the rebels and assisted them to fight back the forces of Colonel Qaddafi. The conflict has intensified owing to the refusal of Qaddafi to step down and he has issued a statement that he would not give up and fight the people till he wins (Fahim et al 2011; Libya — Protests and Revolt 2011). Colonel Qaddafi has acted as a tyrant ruler and has utilized all his skills to uphold his rule. He has stayed in power for a very long time and his current acts highlight the fact that he does not wish to give in easily to the demands of the protestors. As an initial response to the protestors, Qaddafi openly declared that he would not resign and claimed that the protestors were foreign conspirators working against Libya to destabilize the country. He gathered his forces to fight back against the protestors and issued clear orders to shoot all of them. This shows his tyranny and his breech of the human rights. Qaddafi was very determined to outnumber the protestors and crush them and it was analyzed that he ordered “foreign mercenaries” from other African nations to kill the protestors. Thus, he wills to stay in power irrespective of the criminal acts that he may have to perform. He has denied any negotiations and has strongly presented his opinion of fighting against the rebels (Dubai 2011; Fahim et al 2011; Libya — Protests and Revolt 2011). The state of Libya is in the middle of a civil war and crisis. The country is in strong need of help and aid from the international agencies and the powers of the world. Humanitarian aid and international intervention for the country is important and needs to be carried out until the conflict is resolved (Pape 2011). In my opinion, Libya is in a state of chaos and the responsibility mainly lies on the shoulders of Colonel Qaddafi. He should consider the rights of the people and step down for the maintenance of peace and stability in his country. Being the ruler, the responsibility of the country lies on his shoulders. The economic state of the country will suffer due to this unstable condition. I believe that the revolution that has started in the country will succeed and that the power of the people will result in their ultimate success and achievement of freedom. Qaddafi will leave the country and seek asylum in another Arab country. The state of Libya will achieved liberation and freedom and the citizen will achieve their rights. Works Cited Dubai. “Gaddafi recruits “African mercenaries” to quell protests.” AL ARABIYA NEWS. 19 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 June 2011. Fahim, Kareem and Kirkpatrick, David D. Qaddafi’s. “Grip on the Capital Tightens as Revolt Grows.” The New York Times. 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 June 2011. “Libya — Protests and Revolt (2011).” The New York Times. 7 June 2011. Web. 8 June 2011. Pape, Robert. “A Plan for Libya.” Time Magazine. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 8 June 2011. Read More