So the Libyan revolution has stalled – or has it? As in every major conflict, Western correspondents are finding it hard to separate fact from fiction – even more so in Libya, however, as they are not “embedded” with either side, and this spells danger for them, big time.
Often finding themselves stranded in no man’s land, these seasoned war correspondents are having to pick up what crumbs of information they are given from either side.
Twenty-four-hour news means that they must report that Muammar Gaddafi’s regime appears to have made major successes in its struggle to recover lost territory, while at the same time they must tell the world that Gaddafi has appealed for talks to negotiate his safe passage into exile. Having done that, they then add the caveat that these reports have been denied, so may not be true.
You can sense the frustration in their voices.
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What has become clear, however, is that so far the Libyan rebels are not seeking outside help. Far from it: former Libyan justice minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who heads a transitional rebel council in Benghazi, has made it clear that “we will never accept any foreign intervention and any foreigners who try to do so will face the same fate as Gaddafi’s mercenaries”. So what did the Foreign Office expect to achieve by sending in the SAS on that bungled mission? If it was a publicity stunt for the coalition government, then resignations are in order, for the mission could have ended in bloodshed. If, on the other hand, a genuine attempt was made to contact rebel leaders, then it was misguided: when the rebels want British help they will no doubt ask for it. In any case, after the Iraq fiasco, it is doubtful that potential leaders of a reshaped Arab world will want to be seen consorting with US or British officers, even if they want to. It is worth remembering that Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak begged the US and Britain not to invade Iraq because of the extra pressures it would put on him internally, by an Egyptian populace that would see the invasion as an attack on the Arab and Muslim world, especially in view of the unresolved Palestinian question. I doubt anyone will be saluting Gaddafi’s indefatigability for having survived 41 years in power by means of an intelligence network that is inwardly focused and ruthlessly efficient in rooting out his enemies. Even so, loose talk of a no-fly zone, enforced humanitarian aid or a military presence of any kind other than to evacuate foreign residents could upset Libyan sensibilities. There may have been some calls for Western intervention, but if so they have not been very vociferous. It is entirely possible that this particular Arab revolution might have decidedly nationalist rather than democratic undertones; on the other hand, the country could fragment. Libya was once two countries, and is made up of many tribes pulling different ways. In that sense, at least, Gaddafi’s son, Seif al-Islam, may not have been that far off the mark when he said (in his now infamous televised address) that Libya is not Egypt, that Libya is not Tunisia. Who told William Hague that Gaddafi had fled to Venezuela? What faction within the revolution thought it pertinent to make a fool of the foreign secretary? Or was Hague misled by the same British diplomats who failed to see the Libyan revolution coming and prepare in time for the evacuation of British ex-pats? Were they too busy sipping gin tonics around the pool? Britain’s scramble to ingratiate itself with the rebel leadership is unseemly – after all, Gaddafi was our reconciled friend until just the other day, and at this stage we don’t have a clear idea who the opposition is or claims to represent. In this, British intelligence and diplomats seem to have failed in their duties. The sharp rebuke by the rebels to any suggestion of outside military help should serve as a reminder that the internal affairs of any country are best left internal. At least until the smoke clears, and the world can see what Libyans really want.Donate to us: support independent, intelligent, in-depth Scottish journalism from just 3p a day
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