Backlash for West's cocky Libya gamble
The West has hailed the defections of Libya's foreign minister along with other senior officials as being a body blow to the embattled regime, casting the image of Gaddafi as being abandoned by his allies and more isolated by the day.
However, many Western media are pointing out that the chance for a quick resolution to the Libyan civil war from inside is looking tricky. The departure of his inner clique has painted Gaddafi into a corner, and the window for political negations is fast closing.
On Thursday, Gaddafi once again appealed for a cease-fire but vowed to "fight until the last drop of his blood." This defiant stance seems to be the only genuine card Gaddafi feels he has left to play.
Fact can often be a far crueler mistress than fiction. Loyalists and rebels, with their polar allegiances to Gaddafi and to the West, have stabbed at each other. When seeing the rebels losing ground, the West took the field, encouraging the rebels to topple the regime.
It is irresponsible for the West to abandon all political solutions but to adopt a life-and-death attitude toward the Libyan people. The West is waging a war by proxy, uncaring about the loss of civilian lives.
Libya has fallen under the influence of political conflict, marching in lockstep to the beat of Western drums. Western media spare no effort to paint Gaddafi as a consummate villain. Treacherous reports, including some barely more than rumors, are reported and spread rapidly. The only place for Gaddafi to flex his muscles is on the battlefield.
Despite being blessed by oil and awash with subsequent riches, the Middle East remains politically entrenched. As a result, its nations lack the experience to deal with drastic social changes. The disturbance in Libya has turned into a war, threatening to do harm to the whole region.
When observing the situation, outsiders usually have a clearer mind than the Libyans themselves. The Allies have sacrificed the interests of local people to secure their share of the loot, both politically and economically.
For example, Robert Kaplan, a senior fellow at the Center for New American Security, wrote in the Wall Street Journal last week that, from the US' standpoint, the spread of democracy in the Middle East was second to the power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
One thing is for certain, the street battles seen across Libya are nobody's first choice. This leads to heightened body counts and prolonged conflict. The West will find out soon: Following such a policy can only result in sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind.
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