Last Thursday Moammar Gadhafi was killed near his hometown of Sirte. It’s still unclear exactly what occurred that day. But a couple of things are certain. A badly wounded Gadhafi was put on display in the town square of Sirte. There after he stumbled, people pressed around him. It appears that he died in that square, but the cause of death isn’t known. However, what is known about Gadhafi’s death provides a good foundation to guide the discussion about what Libya will look like in the aftermath.
I would have liked to see a trial. Since that is impossible now, it would be the best-case scenario for the new government if he was indeed killed because of wounds sustained in a firefight. In that instance there is nothing they could have done to change the situation. Neither their soldiers nor their citizens would be responsible for any brutality or vengeance. The National Transitional Council could simply wash their hands of the whole situation and move on. The NTC is certainly asserting Gadhafi died of wounds inflicted during the battle. However, I get the feeling that simply isn’t the case. There are already calls for an investigation and a full autopsy from the international community, including American Secretary of State Clinton.
Problems arise if Gadhafi wasn’t killed in a battle. If on one hand, the people in the square killed Gadhafi, then it highlights the fact that the Libyans were more motivated by revenge and anger at Gadhafi than by a desire for reform. Think about it. If the people had cried out to keep him alive and make him face trial, then there would be an opportunity to list the grievances and abuses of Gadhafi and convict him, thus establishing a distinct line between Gadhafi’s regime and the new government. It’s similar to America’s Declaration of Independence. Besides the famous bit at the beginning, the Declaration was a list of “the abuses and usurpations” of King George. It was a foundational document establishing what America was for, not just what it was against. Gadhafi’s quick death robbed the people of that golden opportunity. If on the other hand the soldiers executed him, then it highlights how little control the new government has over these former rebels. With Libya as divided as it is, a lack of control over the guys with guns is a scary thing. The government must be sure to rein them in.
How Libya reacts to this will be very important. Now that Gadhafi is dead, the national search is over. The citizens of Libya no longer have an external threat to direct their ill wishes toward; they must now turn in on themselves and deal with the sticky business of developing a new nation under self-rule. This task will certainly be more difficult than hunting Gadhafi was. This task will be especially difficult considering that Libyan civil society is essentially being built from scratch. The one thing most people have in common in this country is Islam, which has the West worried. One should not be surprised to see Islam incorporated in new government. It is simply too much a part of their identity to expect anything else.
My last point is that NATO did its job. NATO came in with the clear objective of clearing out Gadhafi without putting troops on the ground and that’s exactly what happened. Clear objectives work very well. It makes a world of difference when the people who living in the nation ask for your help and are already fighting for themselves. However, NATO’s job isn’t done. If the West wants to keep radical Islam from taking over in Libya, they need to make it abundantly clear that it’s bad for business. Fortunately, this isn’t the Iranian revolution. The Libyans weren’t fueled by equal parts “death to America” and Islamic radicalism. The Libyans were more interested in removing a dictator and living freer lives than in establishing Islam and crushing infidels. The West can work with that.
These next few months will be crucial for Libya as they attempt to craft a new government with the eyes of the world watching their every move. With the West intimately involved and the same fervor that the Libyans had pursuing Gadhafi turned to crafting a new nation, Libya should have no problem beginning the long road of a democratic nation. That road will be long and Libya certainly won’t have a perfect democracy on their first try.
Tyler Holmes
Proverbs 14:15
