For two weeks in Libya, I do not really understand what's going on. Not that really nothing enlightened, but it does not appear completely clear. But I understand why there is no. Shall explain why a few myths about Libya:.
MYTH ONE: THE BASIS OF THE OPPOSITION - ELITE BREEDING.
Everything seems to be true: the Libyan people is divided into different tribes, and in the midst of the offensive forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, in Benghazi (and before the NATO actually sided with the rebel ) leaders of the largest tribe east of Libya Varfalla said they are not enemies . It should be understood that until clarity on this issue was not. Moreover, in any serious book about the modern Libyan history is written, that Varfalla - traditional rival tribe Qaddafi, the man belongs to the leader of the Libyan Revolution Muammar al-Gaddafi. And in general, from the same books can be found that no Libyan people until recently was not, and had different Arabic-speaking tribes, and their first time in some semblance of a nation united King Idris I just in the middle of the twentieth century.
The cafe at the hotel ' Nuran ' in Benghazi, I talked with a man in glasses and a professorial ... It is really up to the revolution taught at Kar- Younis, the oldest university in Libya. And education in Britain. He explained to me the situation with the tribes.
Center of the uprising - the main city of eastern Libya, Benghazi. This is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country, belonging to the tribe here - just an excuse to ask his interlocutor, ... In fact, this tribal solidarity means nothing more than in Britain the fact that you're a Scot or a Welshman. Just an additional reason for the talks, the political significance of the fact of belonging to a tribe no longer has. Mohammad Hassan himself completely on the side of the rebels, and the question of podkovyrkoy ... I wonder how much will cost shirt with Gaddafi in this case?.
But not all the tribes that simple. Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King, 10 years struggled with tribalism in this period, say, from what tribe you are, it was simply a disgrace. The remnants of feudalism. But then he became the leader of the Libyan revolution, manipulated tribal competition, raising or lowering the representatives of various tribes, introducing a collective responsibility, seeking group loyalty. But ever the opposition deliberately refuse to Benghazi to play in the endless ...
Second Myth: Rebels MUCH FOR ...
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in Libya came some ideological vacuum. It turned out that socialism is not competitive and plays ... The resulting semantic Gaddafi tried to fill the void with something like the Islamic state, but very quickly discovered that political Islam is absolutely no control and that he had just created a new form of opposition to itself. Then in Libya and full-blown fight against all forms of Islamism. It looked about the same as in Russia: searches, arrests, thrown Literature, fabricated plots (like the assassination of Matvienko).
Since 2004, Muammar Gaddafi began to cooperate with the Americans in the field of combating terrorism ( funny that at one time it was he supported many terrorist organizations like the Muslim and leftist ). In Libya were made by representatives of U.S. intelligence, carried out the arrests of people that interest them and export them to prisons in countries where they could be interrogated, not bothered ...
Gaddafi himself an active Islamic opposition were cleaned. It is the Islamists in Libya are the main contingent of political prisoners. And almost all of Libyan human rights (including, and western orientation) are engaged in the struggle for the rights of predominantly Islamic. Legal Islamist movements are not here, but there is an underground group of volunteer veterans who participated in a variety of Jihad. Recently, for the most part against the United States, its European allies and collaborators in Iraq and Afghanistan. Absurdity of the situation in that now - veteran mujahideen were in one basket with yesterday's enemies: fighting with Gadhafi for them was more important than to fight ...
With representatives of the veterans I met at the front during the battle for Adzhdabiyu. Of course, they do not, ... The group, calling itself ... However, al -Qaida, they do not condemn too. Rather, they can be compared with our Cossack volunteers regularly ezdivshimi to Yugoslavia in the early 90s of last century to war for the Serb - bratushek.
Political leaders of the rebels are now extremely difficult to give up using ... But to the real politics were never admits. The National Transitional Council ( rebel government) there is no representative of this group. And in general, of the 30 council members, most of the names are kept secret - for the simple reason that they are on territory controlled by Gaddafi - only two people are positioned as representatives of Islam. Their names are also not disclosed, but the speaker of the council Abdulhafiz Gogh says that they do not represent any group, and included in the council as people with great personal spiritual authority.
MYTH THREE: Rebels Draw on Monarchists and the Sufi Order of.
SINUSSITOV, whose leader Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris I.
I went to a cafe near the port, took a video camera and started shooting antikaddafistskuyu agitation on the walls. The camera slowly crept to the very caricature of the leader of the Libyan Jamahiriya, his sons, yet the lens does not come across a portrait of handsome old man. King Idris, - said the guy behind the counter. I decided to chat with him about politics, while pulling a tiny cup of coffee.
- You are a Sufi?.
- No, just a Muslim.
- Can you - a monarchist, would like to, so instead of Gaddafi was once the king?.
- Is this even possible?.
- But you are above the entrance - the old monarchist flag, which has become the banner of the revolution, and the inside - a portrait of the king, it means something?.
- Simply everything good is associated with the old times: then built a university sports arena, yes, read the whole Benghazi, there were many cinemas. And when Gadhafi was just blah -blah-blah about that soon will begin a change for the better.
Leaving the cafe, I thought that if in 1991 some foreigner asked me, does the Russian tricolor as an alternative to the red flag that a Yeltsin are royalists, I would think that is crazy.
More seriously on this subject, I spoke with Mohammed Kablanom, director of the rebel press center. ... The dynasty of King Idris did not clean the Libyan, Moroccan origin, it is, and this is, of course, played back to the opponents of the royal family in any capacity other than as individuals. In addition, the Crown Prince Hassan al- sine ( grandson of King Idris ), who lives between Saudi Arabia and London, is not very suitable for the role of a leader just by personal qualities ... In short, although the people of the royal family have a very good reputation in the National Transitional Council is no one who would have insisted on some form of government than Republican.
MYTH FOUR: IN Gaddafi Libyans lived so GOOD, it's not clear what they want.
In Russia, like Gaddafi. Probably not so much like him, how many do not like those who are against it: the U.S., France and Britain - all that is in the national consciousness merges into the image of ... In this context, came a flood of articles praising life in Libya - the most prosperous in the social sense of the country in Africa. Looking Runet, I learned that there was unemployment benefits of $ 800, the nurse has received 1200, the newlyweds was granted interest-free loan for 20 years, 64 thousand dollars, free medical care and education, and rivers of milk, milk and honey.
Tatiana Zabizhko, anesthetist, worked 16 years in Libya. The press center of it has come to call for ... That's what she said about the ... We then also earned less. And the majority of Libyans and still $ 200 is considered normal income ...
