Is Western Involvement in Libya Coming to an End, or Just Beginning?

In the meantime, the people of Libya and the Transitional National Counsel (TNC) will have little room for error in dealing with its near-term problems. The late July killing of Abdel Fatah Younis, a high-profile Ghaddafi aide who defected to the rebels, raised many concerns in the international community about how Ghaddafi’s supporters will be dealt with, lest NATO be seen as supporting the mass killings of old regime officials. Another issue is if and how the TNC will integrate the various rebel groups, particularly Berber tribes, in a united front. There is also the potential looming security problem posed by the unchecked proliferation of weapons from raided Libyan Army bases and Ghaddafi’s own extensive stockpiles. One expert on the ground commented that, “if Gadhafi loyalists decide to mount an Iraqi-style insurgency, they have access to a thousand times the explosives that the insurgents in Iraq had.” Any missteps by the TNC will likely be used to justify more international involvement in the country.Western countries, including the United States, now exert a greater influence over Libyan policy than ever before, which could damage the long-term success of a democratic Libya and further reinforce the regional image of the United States as the master manipulator of Middle Eastern politics. Thus, it is disconcerting to see the Obama administration’s satisfaction with its approach to Libya. Marwan Bishara, Al-Jazeera’s chief political analyst, probably offers the best antidote to western hubris: First and foremost Western leaders need to wipe that smug look from their faces and make sure not to gloat about doing the Arabs any favors.