Article: The (in)convenient truth about Muammar Gaddafi

Original Article written for Passive Observers by Petros Iliadis - March 2, 2011, 16:20

On September the 1st, 1969, a group of military officers led by Muammar Gaddafi staged a bloodless coup d'état against King Idris. Revolutionaries had abolished monarchy, proclaiming the new Libyan Arab Republic, and the 27 year old Gaddafi, was now, the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (State of the masses).

It only makes sense that after being in power for over 41 years, many question his ways of leading the Libyan people. He has been accused of various things by Western media: From the family corporation type of his political leadership and his eccentric clothing, to the reports by media corporations about bombing and murdering his own people, during the current political unrest.

Some observers believe Gaddafi’s regime will fall in a matter of days, some remain sceptical. While other fallen dictators have essentially been disconnected from the average citizen, Gaddafi mingles with them. Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo was hiding in his palace afraid to come out; Mubarak was behind closed doors and left at nightfall, Ben Ali fled the wrath of Tunisians on a private jet . Not Gaddafi. He seems to be
determined to fight fire with fire. Some claim, that Gaddafi's dictatorship has kept many Libyans in poverty despite the country's wealth, so one wonders why would impoverished people remain loyal to him and his regime.

The current situation should be seen in a wider context. Economies need oil, it is idle to support otherwise, and Libya has plenty. Gaddafi's administration is accused of mass genocide, sponsoring terrorism and spreading conflict in Africa. If there is sufficient evidence the International Community has been slow to respond. Gaddafi, during his reign has attempted to unite both African and Arab countries through the Islamic Legion, and the United States of Africa in 1972 and 2007respectively. In a symbolic ceremony in 2008 he was crowned 'King of Kings' by over 200 African cultural leaders. If Gaddafi is indeed a 'lunatic dictator' (Times magazine), who is shooting his own people like 'rats' and 'cockroaches' (The Economist) why did world leaders embraced him in the G8 summit in L' Aquila two years ago, and why Tony Blair signed a gas contract with him, representing Shell, for £120 million back in 2004?

With the possibility of a civil war outbreak and at the same time U.S. military forces moving nearer to Libya, the odds seem to be, not against Gaddafi and his regime, nor American interests in the region, but against the Libyan people. And there is no telling how this will end.