Few countries exemplify the tragedy of the Arab Spring like Libya. The United States and NATO allies that had backed the anti-Qaddafi uprising with a bombing campaign largely turned their backs after he fell, and past United Nations efforts to forge a government foundered in the chaos. Today, however, against all odds, Libyans have a chance to clamber out of the mess. The interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a billionaire who was a close associate of Colonel el-Qaddafi, stands accused of buying the votes that gave him the job. But if there’s to be any chance for peace, the foreign powers that have flooded Libya with weapons, drones and mercenaries — primarily Russia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — must be persuaded to let the political process play out.

Source: Libya Today March 08, 2021 22:52 UTC