Lots of people thought that Libya’s government would be overthrown in a few days. We had just seen Mubarak disappear from Egypt. He was a strong, sane man and a close ally of Saudi Arabia, the richest nation in the area. He had a powerful, modern army, and a solid establishment. No one thought that Mubarak would be blown away like a puff of smoke.
Compared with Mubarak’s undoubted strengths, most people concluded that getting rid of the comparatively crazy Khaddafi would be a piece of cake.
Conclusions are there to be jumped to, and that one certainly didn’t provide a safe place to land. Lots of Khaddafi’s top assistants looked at how quickly Mubarak was overthrown in Egypt, thought they knew which way the wind was blowing, and joined the rebels. “Things will be a lot easier for us than for the Egyptians who overthrew their government, because the whole world knows that Khaddafi is utterly insane. The world will give us lots of help in getting rid of him quickly!”
It didn’t turn out that way. None of the rebels thought Khaddafi would fight because none of them asked “What else could Khaddafi do except fight?” If he let himself be driven from office, where would he go? Where would his assets be safe? He just saw Baby Doc Duvalier return to Haiti and be arrested. He saw Mubarak criticized for taking tons of gold out of Egypt. Khaddafi knew that he was at risk of jail and death, just like Saddam Hussein. He also realized that all his assets would be stripped from him and his family in the name of “fairness”. Khaddafi understood better than anyone that the same thing would happen to him that happened to other unpopular heads of state who put down their arms.
So, irrational, insane, crazy Khaddafi did the exact opposite of rational, sane, sober Mubarak. He decided to fight to the death to stay in power.
So far, the man thought to be a lunatic is winning. Even odder, no one seems overly concerned. The beaten rebels are crying out with each new, agonizing slaughter of their fellow rebels, “Why didn’t the world come and help us?” They are crying so loudly and plaintively that they don’t hear the many Europeans and others saying, “As long as they’re busy killing each other, they aren’t killing us!”
The Saudi’s seem to have things quieted down in the small kingdoms on their periphery. In a few more days, barring a successful assassination, Libya will be purged of those who wanted to become rich dictators like Khaddafi.
Then, things in the Middle East will be back to normal, with Jews and Christians again reestablished as the preferred targets for killing and looting.
Are there international regrets about Khaddafi staying in charge of Libya? There seem to be none. Even Berlusconi of Italy is happy. “As long as Khaddafi stays in power, I’m not the craziest old goat in government.” Lots of people thought that Libya’s government would be overthrown in a few days. We had just seen Mubarak disappear from Egypt. He was a strong, sane man and a close ally of Saudi Arabia, the richest nation in the area. He had a powerful, modern army, and a solid establishment. No one thought that Mubarak would be blown away like a puff of smoke.
Compared with Mubarak’s undoubted strengths, most people concluded that getting rid of the comparatively crazy Khaddafi would be a piece of cake.
Conclusions are there to be jumped to, and that one certainly didn’t provide a safe place to land. Lots of Khaddafi’s top assistants looked at how quickly Mubarak was overthrown in Egypt, thought they knew which way the wind was blowing, and joined the rebels. “Things will be a lot easier for us than for the Egyptians who overthrew their government, because the whole world knows that Khaddafi is utterly insane. The world will give us lots of help in getting rid of him quickly!”
It didn’t turn out that way. None of the rebels thought Khaddafi would fight because none of them asked “What else could Khaddafi do except fight?” If he let himself be driven from office, where would he go? Where would his assets be safe? He just saw Baby Doc Duvalier return to Haiti and be arrested. He saw Mubarak criticized for taking tons of gold out of Egypt. Khaddafi knew that he was at risk of jail and death, just like Saddam Hussein. He also realized that all his assets would be stripped from him and his family in the name of “fairness”. Khaddafi understood better than anyone that the same thing would happen to him that happened to other unpopular heads of state who put down their arms.
So, irrational, insane, crazy Khaddafi did the exact opposite of rational, sane, sober Mubarak. He decided to fight to the death to stay in power.
So far, the man thought to be a lunatic is winning. Even odder, no one seems overly concerned. The beaten rebels are crying out with each new, agonizing slaughter of their fellow rebels, “Why didn’t the world come and help us?” They are crying so loudly and plaintively that they don’t hear the many Europeans and others saying, “As long as they’re busy killing each other, they aren’t killing us!”
The Saudi’s seem to have things quieted down in the small kingdoms on their periphery. In a few more days, barring a successful assassination, Libya will be purged of those who wanted to become rich dictators like Khaddafi.
Then, things in the Middle East will be back to normal, with Jews and Christians again reestablished as the preferred targets for killing and looting.
Are there international regrets about Khaddafi staying in charge of Libya? There seem to be none. Even Berlusconi of Italy is happy. “As long as Khaddafi stays in power, I’m not the craziest old goat in government.”
