After forty-two years of ruling over the Libyan people with an iron fist, Colonel Qaddafi has finally met his demise at the hands of revolutionaries. Libya is free from a vile regime that tormented its own people and supported terrorist networks.
Colonel Gaddafi’s fall was also good news for David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, who have been criticized for their approaches to the Libyan civil war since the beginning of NATO operations in Libya.
Although the fall of Sirte signifies that virtually all of Libya is in the hands of the rebels, there are still pockets of resistance. It could take some time before all of the pro-Qaddafi fighters are defeated and rounded up. In addition, there are already many rivalries that are beginning to ferment: rivalries between Islamists and secular-minded people, between tribesman and urbanites, between east and west, etc.
Nonetheless, the fall of Qaddafi marks the beginning of a new and potentially bright future for Libyans. Ultimately, it will be up to the new ruling authorities to lead Libya down the “right” path.
Although the Libyan people have succeeded in freeing themselves from Gaddafi’s brutal regime, in regards to achieving democracy, the rest of the Middle East still has a long way to go.
Andrew Elam
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