Creative Destruction Part II:

Libya in Washington's Greater Middle East Project

By F. William Engdahl, March 26, 2011
For those who do not believe in coincidence, it's notable that on March 1, 2011 the !bama
"dministration ordered the military bombing attac# on $ibya, ostensibly to create a 'no %ly &one' to
'rotect innocent civilians and on March 1, 200(.
)he *o Fly stri#es were beg+n +nder ,- command with s+s'icio+s haste %ollowing the ,*
.esol+tion. )o date the attac#s have been led by ,-, British and French air %orces and warshi's. "
storm o% )omahaw# cr+ise missiles and /0-1g+ided bombs has rained down on +ndisclosed $ibyan
targets with re'orts o% many civilian deaths. *o end is in sight at 'resent.
Eight years earlier to the day, the B+sh "dministration began its !'eration -hoc# and "we, the
military destr+ction and occ+'ation o% 2ra3, allegedly to 'revent a threat o% wea'ons o% mass
destr+ction which never e4isted as was later con%irmed. )he 2ra3i invasion %ollowed more than a
decade o% illegal *o Fly 5one o'erations over 2ra3i airs'ace by the same trio6,-", Britain and
France.
Far more im'ortant than any 'ossible n+merology games a s+'erstitio+s 0entagon might or might
not be 'laying is the +ltimate agenda behind the domino series o% regime destabili&ations that
Washington has ignited +nder the banner o% democracy and h+man rights across the 2slamic world
since 7ecember 2010.
With Washington's e4erting o% enormo+s 'ress+re on other *")! member states to ta#e %ormal
command o% the ,-1led bombing o% $ibya, no matter +nder what name, in order to give
Washington a %ig lea% that wo+ld shi%t attention away %rom the 0entagon's central role via "F.28!M
in coordinating the military o'eration, the entire +'heaval swee'ing across *orth "%rican and
Middle East 2slamic co+ntries is loo#ing at this writing more li#e the early onset o% a World War 222,
one that some *")! members hint is e4'ected to last decades.
"s with World War 22 and World War 2, this one as well wo+ld be la+nched to e4'and what 7avid
.oc#e%eller and /eorge 9.W. B+sh in the 'ast have called a :new world order.:
Gaddafi's real 'crie'
,nli#e )+nisia or Egy't where a hal%way credible arg+ment co+ld be made that the 'o'+lation was
s+%%ering %rom e4'loding %ood 'rices and a vast wealth ga', /adda%i's $ibya, o%%icially called $ibyan
"rab ;amahiriya, is very di%%erent.
)here, according to "%ricans 2 have s'o#en to with direct #nowledge, $ibyans en<oyed the highest
living standard on the 8ontinent. /adda%i did not stay on to' %or =2 years witho+t ens+ring that his
'o'+lation had little room to com'lain. Most health services, ed+cation and %+el was state1
s+bsidi&ed. /adda%i's $ibya had the lowest in%ant mortality rate and highest li%e e4'ectancy o% all
"%rica. When he sie&ed 'ower %rom ailing >ing 2dris %o+r decades ago literacy was below 10? o%
the 'o'+lation. )oday it is above 0?, hardly the %oot'rint o% yo+r ty'ical tyrant. $ess than @? o%
the 'o'+lation is +nderno+rished, a %ig+re lower than in the ,nited -tates. 2n res'onse to the rising
%ood 'rices o% recent months, /adda%i too# care to abolish all ta4es on %ood. "nd a lower
'ercentage o% 'eo'le lived below the 'overty line than in the *etherlands. /adda%i calls his model a
%orm o% 2slamic socialism. 2t is sec+lar and not theocratic, des'ite its overwhelmingly -+nni base in
the 'o'+lation.
1
Why is the ,nited -tates so o''osed to /ada%%iA 8learly beca+se he is sim'ly :not with the
'rogram.: /adda%i has shown re'eatedly and not witho+t gro+nds that he dee'ly distr+sts
Washington. 9e has constantly tried to %orge an inde'endent voice %or an "%rica that is increasingly
being +s+r'ed by the 0entagon's "F.28!M. 2n 1 he initiated creation o% the "%rican ,nion,
based in "ddis "bbaba, to strengthen the international voice o% "%rica's %ormer colonial states. "t a
'an1"%rican s+mmit in 200 he a''ealed %or creation o% a ,nited -tates o% "%rica to combine the
economic strengths o% what is 'erha's the world's richest continent in terms o% +ne4'loited mineral
and agric+lt+ral 'otentials.
/ranted /adda%i doesn't have the best Western 0. agencies li#e -aatchi B -aatchi o% 9ill B
>nowlton to give his message the 'retty to+ches that 'oliticians li#e Barac# !bama or 7avid
8ameron or *i#olas -ar#o&y have. *or is he 'hotogenic li#e his Washington co+nter'art, ma#ing
his grisly %ace easy to demoni&e in the media as a #ind o% new 9itler.
/adda%i is a thorn in Washington's side %or other reasons tho+gh. 9e says that the C11 hi<ac#ers
were trained in the ,-, yet he also +rged $ibyans to donate blood to "mericans a%ter C11. /adda%i
has been wor#ing %or decades to b+ild an inde'endent voice %or "%rican states not controlled by
either the ,- or %ormer E+ro'ean colonial 'owers, his ,nited -tates o% "%rica.
When all the Western media demoni&ing is stri''ed away, /adda%i is the last o% a generation o%
moderate socialist 'an1"rabists still in 'ower, a%ter Egy't's *asser and 2ra3's -addam 9+ssein
have been eliminated, and -yria has aligned with 2ran.
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-o long as he remains, $ibya 'oses an embarrassing economic alternative to Washington's '%ree
mar#et' globali&ation tem'late which it is now des'erate to im'ose on the one billion 'eo'les o% the
2slamic world %rom Morocco across "%rica and the Middle East to "%ghanistan. For the 'owers
driving this s'reading war, it is a 3+estion o% s+rvival o% the "merican 8ent+ry, or what the 3+aint
neo1conservatives called the *ew "merican 8ent+ry, o% the %+t+re s+rvival o% a sole "merican
-+'er'ower thro+gh s'reading war and chaos as its own economy disintegrates more by the day.
!r Mousa and dubious "olitical gaes
)he la+nch o% !'eration !dyssey 7awn, the coordinated ,-1British1French military attac# on $ibya
%ollowing the ,* -ec+rity 8o+ncil resol+tion, was beg+n with shoc#ing s'eed once Egy'tian
di'lomat "mr Mo+sa, s'o#esman %or the "rab $eag+e, conveniently arm1twisted his nervo+s
brothers in -a+di "rabia, >+wait and other "rab states, clearly convincing them that by voting %or
the no1%ly they might remain in the good graces o% Washington and thereby avoid the %ate o%
Egy't's 9osni M+bara# or )+nisia's Ben "li. Washington had clearly 'lanned its military actions long
be%ore March 1.
Following wee#s o% di'lomatic dece'tion and what were clearly deliberately misleading signals %rom
,- 7e%ense -ecretary .obert /ates claiming to o''ose a no1%ly &one %or $ibya, -ecretary o% -tate
9illary 8linton claiming to s+''ort one, and a ,- 0resident a''earing to be wea# and vacillating,
the *obel 0eace 0resident !bama, the 0resident who ordered escalation o% the war in "%ghanistan
and de%ended the 82" tort+re 'rison at /+antanamo, ordered a de %acto declaration o% war against
a sovereign nation, $ibya, des'ite the %act that no ,- lives were endangered nor ,- territory
threatened by what was essentially an internal $ibyan armed tribal +'rising against an established
head o% state and government. Moreover, /adda%i's $ibya has never threatened an invasion o% a
neighboring state, an essential i% %orgotten 'recondition %or any ,* intervention.
"s e4'erience in Bosnia and in 2ra3 in the 10s clearly showed, a *o Fly 5one is not a ne+tral
minor event b+t a %+ll scale act o% war, a violent ta#ing control o% the airs'ace o% a sovereign
territory, incl+ding destroying the anti1aircra%t and air stri#e ca'acity o% the target co+ntry.
.ichard Fal#, a disting+ished 'ro%essor o% international law and ,* -'ecial .a''orte+r on
0alestinian 9+man .ights, noted the +tter lac# o% any basic criteria %or a ,* intervention in $ibyaD
What is immediately striking about the bipartisan call in Washington for a no-fly zone and air
strikes designed to help rebel forces in Libya is the absence of any concern with the relevance of
international law or the authority of the United Nations. None in authority take the trouble to
construct some kind of legal rationalisation. The realists in command! and echoed by the
mainstream media! do not feel any need to provide even a legal fig leaf before embarking on
aggressive warfare.
"t should be obvious that a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace is an act of war! as would be! of course!
contemplated air strikes on fortifications of the #addafi forces. The core legal obligation of the UN
$harter re%uires member states to refrain from any use of force unless it can be &ustified as self-
defence after a cross-border armed attack or mandated by a decision of the UN 'ecurity $ouncil.
Neither of these conditions authorising a legal use of force is remotely present! and yet the
discussion proceeds in the media and Washington circles as if the only %uestions worth discussing
pertain to feasibility! costs! risks! and a possible backlash in the (rab world.
(
Fal#, who has s'ent most o% the 'ast %ive decades de%ending the now1%orgotten notion that a r+le
o% law is 're%erable to a r+le o% barbarian 'might ma#es right,' adds, :8annot it not be arg+ed that
in sit+ations o% h+manitarian emergency 'a state o% e4ce'tion' e4ists allowing an intervention to be
carried o+t by a coalition o% the willing 'rovided it doesn't ma#e the sit+ation worseA: 9e answers
his rhetorical 3+estionD
With respect to Libya! we need to take account of the fact that the #addafi government! however
distasteful on humanitarian grounds! remains the lawful diplomatic representative of a sovereign
state! and any international use of force even by the UN! much less a state or group of states!
would constitute an unlawful intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state! prohibited by
(rticle )*+, of the UN $harter unless e-pressly authorised by the 'ecurity $ouncil as essential for
the sake of international peace and security.
.eyond this! there is no assurance that an intervention! if undertaken! would lessen the suffering
of the Libyan people or bring to power a regime more respectful of human rights and dedicated to
democratic participation.
What " am mainly decrying here in the Libyan debate are three kinds of policy failure/ The
e-clusion of international law and the United Nations from relevance to national debates about
international uses of force0 The absence of respect for the dynamics of self-determination in
societies of the 'outh0 The refusal to heed the ethics and politics appropriate for a post-colonial
world order that is being de-Westernised and is becoming increasingly multi-polar.
=
*otable in the latest Washington r+sh to war was the lac# o% any inde'endent veri%ication o% what
had become the +niversal image o% a /adda%i ordering his air %orce to shoot on what western media
claimed were innocent +narmed civilians. 8** staged camera shots don't 3+ali%y as ne+tral in this
instance, nor BB8. 2brahim -ahad, $ibyan o''osition %ig+re and *ational Front %or the -alvation o%
$ibya s'o#esman, made the charge against /adda%i literally while standing in %ront o% the ,- White
9o+se. *o one bothered to inde'endently con%irm i% it was acc+rate.
More notable, once the "rab $eag+e agreed to bac# a $ibyan *o Fly o'tion, o''osition within the
,* -ec+rity 8o+ncil colla'sed, giving Washington its desired cover o% 'la+sible international
s+''ort %or its desired military action.
)he -ec+rity 8o+ncil vote was 1010 with %ive ma<or co+ntries abstaining incl+ding .+ssia and
8hina, which have veto 'ower, along with 2ndia, /ermany and Bra&il. )he ,nited -tates, France
and Britain '+shed %or s'eedy a''roval. 8onveniently ignored in the ever so select mainstream
western media was the relevant %act that the direct neighbors o% $ibya, "lgeria and )+nisia and the
entire "%rican ,nion voted against the *o Fly 5oneD :2% yo+ ain't singing %rom o+r sheet o% m+sic,
yo+ don't e4ist, B+bba...:
*ominally, the resol+tion %or a no1%ly &one was re3+ested by the $ibyan rebels' )ransitional
*ational 8o+ncil and the "rab $eag+e. 2n reality, as %ormer 2ndian di'lomat M. >. Bhadra#+mar
noted, :)he 'lain tr+th is that the *orth "tlantic )reaty !rgani&ation and the E+ro'ean ,nion
commanded "rab $eag+e to s'ea# since they need a %ig lea% to a''roach the ,nited *ations
-ec+rity 8o+ncil. . .)he Western 'owers had earlier mentioned the "rab $eag+e and "%rican ,nion
in the same breath as re'resenting 'regional o'inion.' *ow it seems the "%rican ,nion isn't so
im'ortant6it has become an embarrassment. "%rican leaders are 'roving to be to+gh n+ts to crac#
com'ared to "rab 'layboy1r+lers.:
@
Bhadra#+mar, a %ormer ambassador to >+wait and )+r#ey, added, :)he "rab $eag+e resol+tion
was rammed thro+gh by "mr Mo+sa, -ecretary1/eneral o% the "rab $eag+e, who ho'es to s+cceed
9osni M+bara# as Egy't's ne4t 'resident. "rab leaders, who de'end +'on the ,- %or their
contin+ed e4istence, were not hard to 'ers+ade.:
6
Mo+sa, a savvy s+rvivor, #nows he stands no
chance to be 0resident i% he doesn't have Washington's bac#ing, covert or overt.
'Coalition of the un#illing'
)he entire Washington mani'+lation le%t its bac#ers, a de %acto 'coalition o% the +nwilling,' reali&ing
they had been do+ble1crossed by Washington. "s soon as the relentless bombing o% civilian as well
as military targets in )ri'oli and across $ibya became clear, "mr Mo+sa conveniently claimed that
#illing civilians had not been 'art o% the ,* deal, as i% he hadn't tho+ght o% that 'ossibility be%ore.
.+ssia's 0+tin called the ,- action a new :cr+sade: against $ibya and the 2slamic world, not
witho+t reason. 8hina deno+nced the ,- intervention. ,n%ort+nately, both co+ntries had been
silent when it co+ld have co+nted d+ring the ,* -ec+rity 8o+ncil voting when they abstained,
'erha's o+t o% %ear o% alienating the 'ower%+l oil 'rod+cer co+ntries o% the "rab $eag+e.
.eali&ing that they had been tric#ed big1time by Washington, $ondon and 0aris, all o% whom had
a''arently 'lanned the military action against $ibya long1be%ore any ,* or "rab $eag+e vote,
E+ro'ean *")! members and others incl+ding *")!1member )+r#ey immediately began
vehement 'rotest.
/ermany withdrew its military s+''ort e3+i'ment %rom the region over disagreement over the
cam'aign's lac# o% goals or direction as +nity within *")! cr+mbled. 2taly acc+sed France o%
bac#ing the *o Fly in order to grab $ibya's oil riches o+t %rom +nder 2taly's state1controlled
E*2C"/20. 2taly also threatened to revo#e ,-, ,>, and French rights to +se its bases +nless *")!
were %ormally '+t in charge. "s o% this writing Washington had even less tr+e international bac#ing
%or its military advent+re than even in the 200( 2ra3 invasion.
For its 'art British government ministers were calling %or assassination o% /adda%i, stating that the
Middle East and *orth "%rican war co+ld go on some :(0 years.:
E

!thers made the com'arison to the )wentieth 8ent+ry +'heavals and dismantling o% E+ro'ean
em'ires that made way +ltimately %or an "merican 8ent+ry. )hose +'heavals, which lasted %rom
11= thro+gh 1=@ were remembered in history boo#s as World War 2 and World War 226in reality
one long thirty years' war %or global hegemony.
"s the event+al :winner: o% that mammoth contest, ,nited -tates elites gro+'ed then aro+nd the
immensely 'ower%+l .oc#e%eller %amily and 'roclaimed what Time-Life '+blisher 9enry $+ce in a
1=1 editorial named an :"merican 8ent+ry.: )hat "merican 8ent+ry is now in dangero+s decline,
a 'rotracted death agony o% decay and sel%1destr+ction that began mani%estly in 1E1, symboli&ed
by 0resident .ichard *i4on's +nilateral decision to tear +' the Bretton Woods monetary treaty and
brea# the tie between the ,- dollar and gold, a %ate%+l t+rn.
!nother #ar for oil$
Fes, $ibya's oil is indeed a %actor behind the British, French and ,- war %ervor. "ccording to what
one highly1in%ormed Middle East oil services e4'ert %amiliar with the oil reso+rces o% the entire
region told me 'rivately in a recent disc+ssion, $ibya has vast +nta''ed oil wealth, by %ar "%rica's
largest, and :it is almost s+l%+r1%ree, the highest 3+ality cr+de yo+ %ind anywhere.: ,ntil now,
des'ite re'eated 82" co+' and assassination attem'ts to to''le /adda%i in the 'ast, the $ibyan
leader was care%+l to not s+rrender total control over his oil reso+rces to the "nglo1"merican oil
cartel interests b+t to retain control to b+ild the co+ntry, something de%initely not to Washington's
li#ing.
*otably, the center o% $ibyan oil in%rastr+ct+re is in the Bengha&i region in the east where the
Western1bac#ed rebellion started. Bengha&i is north o% $ibyaGs richest oil %ields, close to most o% its
oil and gas 'i'elines, re%ineries and $ibya's $*/ 'ort. )he *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil o% the
$ibyan .e'+blic led by M+sta%a "bd+l ;alil is based there.
B+t it wo+ld be a mista#e to red+ce what is in %act Washington's /reater Middle East 0ro<ect, as
/eorge W. B+sh called it at the time o% the 200( 2ra3 invasion, to merely a grab %or the oil.
.ather, regime change %rom /adda%i to a ,-1de'endent '+''et regime amo+nts to a critical 'iece
in a well1'lanned long1term ,- strategy to dismantle national instit+tions and a c+lt+re going bac#
well over one tho+sand years, in an attem't to %orce the entire 2slamic world into what /eorge
9.W. B+sh in 11 and 7avid .oc#e%eller in his a+tobiogra'hy more recently tri+m'hantly called a
:*ew World !rder.:
H
!thers call it an "merican1centered global im'eri+mD :Big Mac's, >F8 chic#en
wings and 8o#e 5ero %or everyoneI 0overty, chaos, #illings and !rwelian +ni%ormity6Welcome to
o+r new world where We give the orders and yo+ sna' yo+r heels...:
'%es"onsibility to "rotect&&&'
"s in the cases o% the ,-1instigated :s'ontaneo+s: and :democratic: revolts in Egy't and in
)+nisia earlier,

Washington is care%+lly orchestrating the /adda%i s+ccession %rom behind the

scenes. "s n+mero+s critics o% the Washington 'olicy 'ointed o+t, the ,- intervention in $ibya is
not a ne+tral act to 'rotect innocent civilians b+t rather a calc+lated attem't to %orce regime
change by militarily shi%ting the balance to the well1armed o''osition %orces in Bengha&i in the east
o% $ibya.
By sto''ing /adda%i government %orces %rom restoring control over their territory %rom an armed
+'rising that has %ostered a civil war, 'rinci'les o% international sovereignty have gingerly been
thrown o+t the window and re'laced by a vag+e and +ns+bstantiated notion o% :res'onsibility to
'rotect,: a 'recedent %or +se o% %orce that many governments %rom Berlin to .ome to Bei<ing and
Moscow now reali&e co+ld have horrendo+s %+t+re conse3+ences %or them as well.
!nce world o'inion acce'ts the %+&&y notion that something being called :res'onsibility to 'rotect,:
however vag+ely de%ined, tr+m's national sovereignty, what is to sto' Washington %rom im'osing
a *o Fly &one over 8hina or .+ssia or anywhere %or that matter, to 'revent :h+man rights ab+ses:A
Who de%ines that neb+lo+s :res'onsibility to 'rotect:A Washington, o% co+rse. Were there tr+th in
labelling in international 'olitics today, it wo+ld be named :res'onsibility to 'rotect Washington's
sel%1de%ined interests.:
Barac# !bama o'enly declared Washington bac#ing %or the $ibyan o''osition within ho+rs o% the
,* .esol+tion, leaving no do+bt that the ,- role was never intended to be one o% a ne+tral 'eace
mediator. 2n a 8** -'anish lang+age interview in -an -alvador on March 2(, !bama declared his
:ho'e: that $ibya's o''osition movement, given new 'rotection by the ,-1led military assa+lts, can
organi&e itsel% to o+st /adda%i %rom 'ower.
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.egime change is the name o% Washinton's game.
*ot s+r'risingly, it's also the name o% France's game. !n March 2@ French 0resident -ar#o&y +rged
Jadda%iGs %ollowers to abandon his Km+rdero+s waysL and <oin the o''osition. KWe m+st hasten the
decom'osition o% the system and the ento+rage o% Jadda%i by telling them thereGs a way to get
o+t,L -ar#o&y said. K)hose who abandon Jadda%i in his cra&y and m+rdero+s ways can <oin in the
reconstr+ction o% a new, democratic $ibya.L
)he ,* *o Fly .esol+tion is %ar more swee'ing than most media re'ort. 2t is a de %acto declaration
o% military, economic and %inancial war%are against a sovereign state and an established,
%+nctioning government. 2n addition to a+thori&ing the *o Fly 5one, the ,* .esol+tion establishes
a :ban on all %lights in the airs'ace o% the $ibyan "rab ;amahiriya in order to hel' 'rotect civilians,:
other than :h+manitarian: %lights and %lights sanctioned by the ,* and the "rab $eag+e.
2t orders member states o% the ,* to sto' any $ibyan owned, o'erated or registered aircra%t %rom
ta#ing o%%, landing or over%lying their territory witho+t 'rior a''roval %rom a ,* committee
monitoring sanctions. 2t allows member states :to ins'ect in their territory, incl+ding air'orts and
sea'orts, and on the high seas, vessels and aircra%t bo+nd to or %rom $ibya,: i% a co+ntry has
:reasonable gro+nds: to believe they contain military items or armed mercenaries.
)o '+t the nail in the $ibyan co%%in, it %ree&es assets o% %ive %inancial instit+tionsD $ibya's central
ban#, the $ibyan 2nvestment "+thority, the $ibyan Foreign Ban#, $ibyan "%rica 2nvestment
0ort%oilio, and the $ibyan *ational !il 8or'oration.
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'he curious Libya 'o""osition'
)he so1called $ibyan o''osition itsel% is a hodge1'odge mi4 o% 'olitical o''ort+nists, e4182"1trained
M+<ahideen g+erillas s+ch as "bdel 9a#im al19asidi o% the so1called $ibyan 2slamic Fighting /ro+',
who o'enly admits to close ties to al1Jaeda going bac# to "%ghanistan.
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)hat certainly raises the
level o% incredibility o% Washington's most bi&arre military cr+sade o% recent times.
"s well, the o''osition incl+des %ormer senior /adda%i regime members who saw greener grass on
the ,-, British and French1bac#ed o''osition side, and o+tright c+tthroats who, enco+raged by
Washington, $ondon or 0aris smelled the chance to grab control o% one o% the richest lands on
Earth.
)heir :o''osition,: +nli#e in )+nisia or elsewhere, was never :non1violent.: 2t was an armed revolt
%rom the git1go, a war o% tribe against tribe, not o% s+rging as'irations %or democracy. *")!
member co+ntries are being told by Washington to bac# one band o% tyrants to o+st another whose
agenda does not com'ly with what the 0entagon calls F+ll -'ectr+m 7ominance.
)he $ibyan :o''osition: %or most o% the world is still a vag+e 8** or BB8 image o% stone1throwing
yo+th crying o+t to the well1'ositioned cameras %or :%reedom, democracy.: 2n reality it is %ar
di%%erent. "s /eorge Friedman o% -trat%or 'ointed o+t, the :$ibyan +'rising consisted o% a cl+ster o%
tribes and 'ersonalities, some within the $ibyan government, some within the army and many
others longtime o''onents o% the regime.: 9e adds, :it wo+ld be an enormo+s mista#e to see what
has ha''ened in $ibya as a mass, liberal democratic +'rising. )he narrative has to be strained to
wor# in most co+ntries, b+t in $ibya, it brea#s down com'letely.:
1(
2t emerges that the main o''osition to /adda%i comes %rom two very c+rio+s organi&ations6the
*ational Front %or the -alvation o% $ibya and a bi&arre gro+' calling itsel% the 2slamic Emirate o%
Bar3a, the %ormer name o% the *orth1Western 'art o% $ibya. 2ts leadershi' claims the gro+' is
made +' o% %ormer al1Jaeda %ighters 'revio+sly released %rom <ail. )heir record o% bloodshed is
im'ressive to date.
)he main o''osition gro+' in $ibya now is the *ational Front %or the -alvation o% $ibya which is
re'orted to be %+nded by -a+di "rabia, the 82" and French 2ntelligence. )hey <oined with other
o''osition gro+'s to become the *ational 8on%erence %or the $ibyan !''osition. 2t was that
organi&ation that called %or the :7ay o% .age: that 'l+nged $ibya into chaos on Febr+ary 1E.
1=
)he #ey %ig+re in the *ational Front %or the -alvation o% $ibya is one 2brahim -ahad who
conveniently eno+gh lives in Washington. "ccording to the $ibrary o% 8ongress archives, -ahad is
the same man the 82" +sed in their %ailed attem't at a $ibyan co+' o% 1H=. )he $ibrary o%
8ongress con%irms that the 82" trained and s+''orted the *F-$ both be%ore and a%ter the %ailed
co+'.
!n March 11 the French government became the %irst nation to recogni&e the *ational Front %or the
-alvation MsicN o% $ibya, which is now o'erating +nder the amor'ho+s cover o% an +mbrella gro+'
calling itsel% the $ibyan *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil, which is little more than the old *F-$, a
gro+' %inanced %or years by the -a+dis, the French and the 82".
1@
)he new )ransitional 8o+ncil +mbrella gro+' is little more re'ortedly than the old *F-$ 11 an
+nelected gro+' o% aged monarchist b+siness e4iles and now de%ectors %rom /adda%i who smell
o''ort+nity to grab a giant 'iece o% the oil 'ie, and have -a+di, French and 82" bac#ing to drive
their dreams o% glory. )hese are the ones on whose behal% now *")! is %ighting.
)he *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil o% the $ibyan .e'+blic, led by M+sta%a "bd+l ;alil, is based in
Bengha&i and controls most o% the eastern hal% o% the co+ntry. France and 0ort+gal have so %ar
o%%icially recogni&ed the 8o+ncil as the sole :legitimate re'resentative: o% $ibya.
)he *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil also incl+des s+ch %ormer /adda%i regime insiders as e41$ibyan
;+stice Minister M+sta%a "bdel1;alil and %ormer 2nterior Minister /eneral "bdel Fattah Fo+nis, who
de%ected earlier %rom the /adda%i regime. )hey lobbied Washington and other Western
governments %or s+''ort soon a%ter their %ormation. )hey want to mo+nt an armed o%%ensive
against the government1controlled areas in the west to overthrow /adda%i. )hat is hardly an
innocent s'ontaneo+s )witter democracy revolt, tho+gh the revolts in )+nisia and Egy't and
elsewhere have been %ar %rom s'ontaneo+s either.
16

2n early March the )ransitional 8o+ncil sent their de %acto %oreign minister "li al1Essawi and "bdel1
;alil crony Mahmo+d ;ebril to 0aris where the French government, clearly smelling an o''ort+nity
to ta#e the inside trac# o% a %+t+re regime in )ri'oli, gave the %irst recognition o% the transitional
co+ncil as the :legitimate re'resentative: o% the $ibyan 'eo'le.
1E
2mmediately a%ter, France became
the leading advocate %or a French1led Mo% co+rseN military intervention on behal% o% their new1%o+nd
rebel %riends in Benga&i.
While the French seem to have an inside trac# with the di'lomatic wing o% the rag1tag Benga&i
rebels, the British seem to have %oc+sed their attention on the military wing, where %ormer /adda%i
2nterior Minister /eneral "bdel Fattah Fo+nis seems to be their man. Fo+nis is now in command o%
a *ational )ransitional 8o+ncil Karmy.L
1H
9illary 8linton also moved to %irm ,- ties to the ins+rgents. !n March 1( she re'ortedly met in
8airo6now a 'lace %irmly in command o% a 0entagon1de'endent Egy'tian military co+ncil a%ter the
)witter yo+th had served their '+r'ose o% de'osing M+bara#6with leaders o% the o''osition rebels.
"nno+ncing her meeting, she stated, KWe are reaching o+t to the o''osition inside and o+tside o%
$ibya. 2 will be meeting with some o% those %ig+res both here in the ,nited -tates and when 2 travel
ne4t wee# to disc+ss what more the ,nited -tates and others can do,L she said.
1
2n the western 'art o% $ibya, the contending o''osition is led by the second gro+' France has
recogni&ed, something calling itsel% ambitio+sly, the 2slamic Emirate o% Bar3a, a %ormer name %or
the northwestern 'art o% the co+ntry. )hat gro+' has been described as a gro+' o% :aged e4iles
and de%ectors %rom the %ormer /adda%i regime...waving the old >ing 2dris monarchist %lag.:
20
*ot
e4actly a revol+tionary yo+th )witter movement o% s+rging, demogra'hically1driven as'irations.
Conclusion
"s o% this writing, what is clear is that %ar more is at sta#e %or Washington and its :coalition o% the
+nwilling: in the la+nching o% a new war over $ibya than anyone is admitting. 2% this mar#s the %irst
shots in a new world war, or i% vario+s governments within and o+tside *")! have the strength to
resist the 'ers+asive 'ower o% the 0entagon war a''arat+s is +nclear. What is clear is that the
recent events that started in )+nisia at the end o% 2010 are b+t 'art o% a colossally large and
increasingly des'erate strategy o% ,-1orchestrated :creative destr+ction.: )o date it has been
anything b+t creative %or those living in the a%%ected region.
*otesD
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7aily Mail .e'orter, #ermans pull forces out of N(T7 as Libyan coalition falls apart, $ondon 7aily Mail,
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UN security council resolution ;<+= *)>;;, on Libya, re'rinted in )he /+ardian, March 1E, 2011,
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0raveen -wami, et al, Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-?aeda links, )he )elegra'h,
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/eorge Friedman, Libya! the West and the Narrative of 9emocracy, -trat%or, March 21, 2011, accessed
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7avid .othsc+m, o' cit.
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"nthony -hadid and >areem Fahim, 7pposition in Libya 'truggles to 5orm a United 5ront, )he *ew
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1E
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Matt 8hec#er, 8easons against @intervention@ in Libya, accessed in htt'DCCwww.s'iral1m.deCblog.html