Egypt and Libya can help Libya build a modern state
Palm Beach Gardens:
(Pulished in Palm Beach Post March 1, 2011)
Will Libya follow Tunisia and Egypt in forcing tyrants out? Moammar Gadhafi's days are numbered, as his people inch their way to depose him and the United Nations Security Council deliberates charging him with crimes against humanity. Historians will explain that the Libyan dictator abandoned reality long before he left power.
When a popular uprising is born, the ruler defends himself with old methods of oppression. When he discovers that old tactics do not work, he improvises with a series of new tactics, which bring him to the edge of a cliff. The longer the autocratic regime is stretched, the slower the reaction time to protest.
As the regime is about to collapse, American experts rush to tell us what will happen next. These experts are often off the mark. Pundits who have predicted that the Libyan leader will drag out this tragedy should think again. The mood of the region is contagious; the will of the protesters is formidable.
Some observers rush to judgment with cynical theories about the inability of the Libyan people to make political progress. On MSNBC's Morning Joe, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass opined that Libya is rapidly turning into a Somalia-like failed state. He argued that the U.S. soon must station troops in Libya, to prevent terrorism. When asked if the U.S. should work with Europe to help Libya, he was hesitant. While Mr. Haass did not expressly advocate a significant U.S. military presence, his unilateral approach and narrow outlook on the future of Libya are questionable.
American military intervention in Libya would be a spoiler. The Arab street is highly suspicious of additional U.S. military missions in the region. A U.N.- approved, European/Egyptian surgical intervention would hasten the ouster of Gadhafi, reduce bloodshed and set the stage for Libyan-led, externally supported political renewal.
Commentary on Libya's political vacuum after the downfall of the dictator is sobering. Transition to democracy will take years in a country with a deep tribal structure. But asserting that post-Gadhafi Libya is heading to tribal rule is not helpful. Libya has an educated diaspora and a middle class eager to lay the foundation of a modern state.
Not only is there ambiguity on Libya's fate after the departure of its iron-fisted ruler, there is a paternalistic view on how to rebuild this fragile country. Could Arabs help one another through cross-border partnership? Why not think of new ways to empower this oil-rich Arab state, with language, culture and geography in mind. Libya borders Egypt and Tunisia, two countries that have just finished largely peaceful uprisings. These two already are engaged with state-building and reform. They are strategically positioned to help this small, endowed and vulnerable state.
In Libya, a vast and rich land of roughly 1 million square miles - more than three times the size of France - there are only 6 million inhabitants. In contrast, the 80 million Egyptians live in an area of about 600,000 square miles, 5 percent of which is cultivable. Egyptians are skilled; they would welcome the opportunity to work in Libya as advisers, legal consultants, engineers, teachers, doctors and social workers.
The ratio of land to people is also very favorable in Tunisia. Most of the 10 million Tunisians are educated. They have experience in civil society. They would be willing to share their knowledge with their neighbors. The West could offer Libya advanced technical assistance. At the same time, it could encourage and support Libya's neighbors to provide the lion's share of empowerment.
Three North African Arab countries have started a hopeful new era. Working together, they could serve as liberation models for the rest of the region.
Ghassan Michel Rubeiz, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, has written for The Christian Science Monitor and the Arab-American News Services.
(Pulished in Palm Beach Post March 1, 2011)
Will Libya follow Tunisia and Egypt in forcing tyrants out? Moammar Gadhafi's days are numbered, as his people inch their way to depose him and the United Nations Security Council deliberates charging him with crimes against humanity. Historians will explain that the Libyan dictator abandoned reality long before he left power.
When a popular uprising is born, the ruler defends himself with old methods of oppression. When he discovers that old tactics do not work, he improvises with a series of new tactics, which bring him to the edge of a cliff. The longer the autocratic regime is stretched, the slower the reaction time to protest.
As the regime is about to collapse, American experts rush to tell us what will happen next. These experts are often off the mark. Pundits who have predicted that the Libyan leader will drag out this tragedy should think again. The mood of the region is contagious; the will of the protesters is formidable.
Some observers rush to judgment with cynical theories about the inability of the Libyan people to make political progress. On MSNBC's Morning Joe, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass opined that Libya is rapidly turning into a Somalia-like failed state. He argued that the U.S. soon must station troops in Libya, to prevent terrorism. When asked if the U.S. should work with Europe to help Libya, he was hesitant. While Mr. Haass did not expressly advocate a significant U.S. military presence, his unilateral approach and narrow outlook on the future of Libya are questionable.
American military intervention in Libya would be a spoiler. The Arab street is highly suspicious of additional U.S. military missions in the region. A U.N.- approved, European/Egyptian surgical intervention would hasten the ouster of Gadhafi, reduce bloodshed and set the stage for Libyan-led, externally supported political renewal.
Commentary on Libya's political vacuum after the downfall of the dictator is sobering. Transition to democracy will take years in a country with a deep tribal structure. But asserting that post-Gadhafi Libya is heading to tribal rule is not helpful. Libya has an educated diaspora and a middle class eager to lay the foundation of a modern state.
Not only is there ambiguity on Libya's fate after the departure of its iron-fisted ruler, there is a paternalistic view on how to rebuild this fragile country. Could Arabs help one another through cross-border partnership? Why not think of new ways to empower this oil-rich Arab state, with language, culture and geography in mind. Libya borders Egypt and Tunisia, two countries that have just finished largely peaceful uprisings. These two already are engaged with state-building and reform. They are strategically positioned to help this small, endowed and vulnerable state.
In Libya, a vast and rich land of roughly 1 million square miles - more than three times the size of France - there are only 6 million inhabitants. In contrast, the 80 million Egyptians live in an area of about 600,000 square miles, 5 percent of which is cultivable. Egyptians are skilled; they would welcome the opportunity to work in Libya as advisers, legal consultants, engineers, teachers, doctors and social workers.
The ratio of land to people is also very favorable in Tunisia. Most of the 10 million Tunisians are educated. They have experience in civil society. They would be willing to share their knowledge with their neighbors. The West could offer Libya advanced technical assistance. At the same time, it could encourage and support Libya's neighbors to provide the lion's share of empowerment.
Three North African Arab countries have started a hopeful new era. Working together, they could serve as liberation models for the rest of the region.
Ghassan Michel Rubeiz, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, has written for The Christian Science Monitor and the Arab-American News Services.
posted by Ghassan Rubeiz at 8:05 PM
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