Join The Community

Premium WordPress Themes

Sabtu, 13 Agustus 2011

Tribal Divisions Threaten To Undermine Libya Uprising

Tripoli, Libya - Faced with infighting and undermined by the unruly behavior and cruel at times, his fighters, the rebel uprising in six months against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, is showing signs of slippage of a struggle to overthrow a dictator a more competition problems between factions and tribes.

Discord and growing factionalism undermines efforts to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi, and will immediately recognize the rebel government to the Council by the Western powers, including the U.S., potentially giving access to billions of dollars to the rebels in frozen Libyan assets, and the chance to buy most modern weapons.

The power struggle may also weaken support for the rebels among the members of the NATO alliance, facing due September 1 to renew its air campaign in order of increasing average costs of war and directional. Air support was a factor in all the major military objectives of the rebels, including the fight Saturday, when rebel forces were difficult pro-Gaddafi forces in three cities or near critical Brega, an oil port in the is zawiya, a suburb of Tripoli, and Gharyan, an important input for the south of Libya. There were also clashes a few miles from the border crossing leading Tunisia to neighboring countries, residents said.

While the rebels have tried to keep a clean image and presented as the struggle to establish a secular democracy, several recent acts of revenge launched its ranks in a less favorable. Also raised the possibility that any rebel victory over Colonel Gaddafi could disintegrate into the kind of tribal tensions that have plagued Libya centuries.

In recent weeks, rebel fighters in the mountains of western Libya and around the coastal city of Misurata have targeted civilians, because of their tribe, supported by Colonel Gaddafi, the mountain villages, looting and draining of the residential quarter. In the temporary capital of the rebels, Benghazi, the rebel soldiers murdered their commander in chief of the military, General Abdul Fattah Younes, apparently in retaliation for his previous role as head of security for Colonel Qaddafi.

In response, threatened the overall lead Younes powerful tribe in retaliation against those responsible, triggering a crisis of rebels of the Board, whose members were fired en masse last week.

Western supporters of the rebels are concerned about the growing rift between the supporters of a number of rebels, who have merged into a relatively integrated army, and others who are actually in the band civilian militia.

In the short term, compensation serve to strengthen the power of Colonel Gaddafi, reinforcing fears of a rebel victory would lead to reprisals against the many people who participated in the political machine of the colonel, and enjoyed his patronage. In a broader sense, the moral clarity of six months ago, when Colonel Gaddafi's forces were hanging over Benghazi, and threatened to kill anyone who dared opposed him were obscured.

In an interview, Jeffrey D. Feltman, Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said that concern for the rebels may be exaggerated. He acknowledged that there were some "disturbing reports" of Benghazi and the rebel front lines, but accredited by the rebels of the National Board of transition with quick action to address the concerns. He said the rebel leaders - an unorthodox mix recent defectors and former enemies for a long time - had been ordered to end abuses loyal tribes in the mountains, and described the new design of the board as a movement to establish a level of transparency and accountability unprecedented in Libya.

After some opening shots of the fighters of the family of General Younes, the Council seems to have convinced his tribe, Obeidi, to put their faith in an investigation by the rebel authorities said Feltman. "They were able to avoid a real cycle of violence," he said. "I would give them a passing grade, they are given from." He added: "They have committed to us he would never leave Gaddafi."

However, questions remain about the rebel leaders have control over his warriors. "I think it's a question they ask," Feltman said, noting recent initiatives of the Council to curb various rebel militias coasting, often formed along the lines of city, district or tribal .

But the Obama administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly, acknowledged some doubt. "I think that shows how the unified command," the official said.

Just two weeks before the mysterious murder of General Younes highlight these problems in the United States has officially recognized the rebels of the transitional National Assembly of the Council of Libya to the legitimate government, and allows the use of approximately $ 3.5 billion dollars of liquidity and long term, the rest of the government $ 30 billion frozen investment Gaddafi.

U.S. officials say the rebel leaders have pledged the money in a way that is "transparent" and "inclusive" and that the United States by promoting its use for health care, electricity and of other services in the territory held by rebels. But some funds could also be used to buy weapons for the rebel forces poorly trained and equipped.

Libya before the revolt was in many ways a social powder keg. Country, a former Italian colony has long dominated the rural Bedouin tribes had little experience with the national unity government before Colonel Gaddafi came to power 42 years ago. Many Libyans relied on tribal connections to the civil courts for justice and security.

Colonel Qaddafi is the centralized state and the oil economy deepened many divisions, reward or punish individuals and are primarily based on their loyalty to the government.

The first rebellion erupted across the country, even to lead the police on the streets of Tripoli city. But Colonel Gaddafi and his son, Seif al-Islam, immediately promised to end the "rats", they are responsible to predict from the first night that the insurgency would be a "civil war". Then the militia led by two son of Gaddafi, Muatassim and Khamis, restored control over the capital with live ammunition on the unarmed crowd, the International Criminal Court has confirmed the first step towards the fulfillment of the prophecy of Gaddafi about a civil war between the east west.

Many supporters of the rebels are now talking about asking for revenge against the clan Colonel Gaddafi.

Outside Tripoli, Gaddafi's strength, about 500 civilian refugees from the advancing rebels gathered at a makeshift camp that once housed the Chinese construction workers. "If you like Yafran Gaddafi, will kill you," said Omar Abdel Kareem, 25, a dental student Mashaashia tribe village near this city rebels in the western mountains.

"The rebels stole our furniture, our food, our animals and burned our houses," he said and promised he would take up arms. "To protect my people," he said.

In a recent debate, the two journalists, a man from the western mountains, said his neighbors often spoke to capture al-Seif el-Islam Gadhafi to survive, so you can cut your fingers. And low-level rebel leaders to speak openly deny the supporters of Colonel Gaddafi to return to their homes in rebel-held land.

Gangs and rebel fighters suspected of being faithful around Benghazi Qaddafi for months before the killing of General Younes. And the front lines, the seaside town of Misurata rebels have vowed to avenge the black leather of Libyan Tawergha, accusing them of atrocities, and to drive them out of their neighborhood.

In the mountains of western Libya, the local men are penkoivat and burned the houses of at least five villages or towns, where residents have been supported by Colonel Qaddafi and his forces. Many of the victims were members of pro-Gaddafi Mashaashia tribes who rebelled openly hate.

Fear hold together the pro-Gaddafi is palpable. Asked in an unguarded moment of his plans, Musa Ibrahim, a member of the tribe of Colonel Gaddafi and a spokesman for his government, has published "If I'm alive, you mean?"

The leaders of the rebels in Benghazi still insists that it can reconcile the differences between the factions and Libyan tribes. The Board calls a "transition" and promised to form a national unity government broad-based in Tripoli, where Colonel Gaddafi leaves office.

Gaddafi challenge the rebels to reach a comprehensive political machine.

"In a dictatorship, a period of 42 years, it is almost inevitable that almost everyone to some degree necessary to participate in the" revolution "- where else can a family have a job, etc.?" Diederik Vandewalle, an expert on Libya at Dartmouth College wrote in an e-mail. "It is in a sense is the real tragedy in the way Gaddafi system involved everyone. And it leaves almost all are open to retaliation."

Members of the tribe near the Gaddafi - as his own tribe, Qaddafi, or most Maghrahi, and small tribes associated with them - may be at greater risk of "tribal revenge," George Joffe, an expert on Libya University of Cambridge, wrote in another e-mail. "And, of course, as this struggle continues, and most likely will become bitter."

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar