Death of Gaddafi, a new dawn for Libya

The Libyan people were overjoyed when they heard the news of Muammar Gaddafi’s death, mainly because they were frustrated about the protracted war and the massive loss of life during the bloody eight-month uprising. However, the fact that Gaddafi was killed by one of the freedom fighters also disappointed the Libyan people. It had been expected that Gaddafi would be put on trial and respond to the charges against him. He was an invaluable source who could have provided information to the new Libyan government about which foreign countries supported him during his four decades in power. Unlike the situation in many other autocratic regimes, the death of Gaddafi cannot be regarded as the end of the battle to liberate the country. The tribes loyal to Gaddafi and his eldest son Saif al-Islam will most likely try to regroup and start a new battle against the government. This will have serious repercussions for Libya’s National Transitional Council. It also means that the traditional stronghold of Gaddafi loyalists in southern Libya cannot be regarded as fully liberated. The NTC will have to make a decision if the foreign forces do not disengage from the country. It was expected that NATO forces would cease their military operations as soon as the regime fell. However, the Western powers have begun talking about the instability and political turmoil in the country as a pretext to maintain a military presence in Libya. There is a plot to plunder the vast resources of Libya and to gain better control over regional developments. At this critical juncture, the fact that the revolution belongs to the people must be emphasized. And thus, the Libyan people must show their determination to neutralize this plot. Mohammad Ali Mohtadi is a journalist and Middle East expert based in Tehran.