Tribal Rifts Threaten to Undermine Libya Uprising

[BackToThe60s]

Source: New York Times

TRIPOLI, Libya — Saddled with infighting and undermined by the occasionally ruthless and undisciplined behavior of its fighters, the six-month-old rebel uprising against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi is showing signs of sliding from a struggle to overthrow an autocrat into a murkier contest between factions and tribes.

The increase in discord and factionalism is undermining the effort to overthrow Colonel Qaddafi, and it comes immediately after recognition of the rebel government by the Western powers, including the United States, potentially giving the rebels access to billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets, and the chance to purchase more modern weaponry.

The infighting could also erode support for the rebels among members of the NATO alliance, which faces a September deadline for renewing its air campaign amid growing unease about the war’s costs and direction. That air support has been a factor in every significant rebel military goal, including fighting on Saturday in which rebel forces were challenging pro-Qaddafi forces in or near three critical towns: Brega, an oil port in the east, Zawiya, on the outskirts of Tripoli, and Gharyan, an important gateway to southern Libya. There were also clashes a few miles from the main border crossing into neighboring Tunisia, residents told Reuters.

While the rebels have sought to maintain a clean image and to portray themselves as fighting to establish a secular democracy, several recent acts of revenge have cast their ranks in a less favorable light. They have also raised the possibility that any rebel victory over Colonel Qaddafi could disintegrate into the sort of tribal tensions that have plagued Libya for centuries.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/world/africa/14libya.html?ref=global-home

[Tx4obama]

1. Breaking News on Twitter

BreakingNews Breaking News
Reuters reporter: Libyan rebels are in control of center of Zawiyah, about 30 miles west of capital
4 minutes ago via breakingnews.com

http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews/status/102655594544115712

[Emelina]

2. These rebels are no boy scouts.

I have seen pictures and read stories of atrocities committed by these thugs. Torture and rape of people suspected of being pro-Gadaffi, cutting the throats of prisoners they have taken, lynchings, etc. And mercenaries from places like Qatar, working with the rebels, and funded by who (?), shooting down unarmed civilians.

NATO is showing its true colors if it is unwilling to stop these crimes -- after all, NATO is acting as the rebel's air force.

[Dokkie]

3. So True

Watch and see the massacre they would unleash on black Libyans once they hit Tripoli. God protect the good people of Libya against these criminal, traitor thugs

[sabrina 1]

9. Yes, those kinds of reports have been around since almost

the second month. Which is why I stopped supporting that uprising. That country is going to be a bloodbath if Qaddafi goes. Very vicious people involved, and then there are Colonialists who want control of the oil who will most likely dispose of some of the more troublesome 'rebels' the same way they did in Iraq.

[malaise]

11. And they were warned from day one that the tribes

will end up fighting. Of course the West doesn't give a flying fuck as ling as they grab the oil.

[Diclotican]

4. BackToThe60s

BackToThe60s

This is not news... I can't figure why this was not in the open when NATO/US desided Gadaffi var to leave the power in the first place..Everyone who know Lybia know that the whole country for the most part is ruled by tribal leaders, and that different tribals is ruling the different parts of the country.. And specially to point out, the Tripoli and Benghazi tribals have been on eatch others troath for more than 500 year.. This is a no brainer, and have never been a no-brainer... Why could "educated" pepole who are in power understood it, when I who are not that "educated" understood it, and was writing about in the spring of 2011, this is something so obevius that everyone with more than high school should know and understood it... But the pepole with the big brain are obius not able to understand the concept, even it is so clearly know by most..

Colonel Gadaffis government was in many ways a structure where all tribals small and big, weaker and more powerfull more or less ruled their own small parts of the country - but where they stand by the shief leader, that be Muhamer Quaddfi, or before it, someone else...

I pointed that out, when NATO/US first attaced Libya, and was axcet becouse of it on a forum... Its allways "great" to be in the know, more than 5 mounts after I said it.. Long before NYT or any american news outlet desided to type anything of it...

Diclotican

[Karenina]

5. Bingo.

:hi: NATO/US had NO IDEA of who the "rebels" were and completely ignored the social dynamics of the region. Just make sure they promise none of them are those Al Quida guys! Now the place is awash with weapons. Great investment in the future.

Same thing in Yugoslavia...

[Suji to Seoul]

6. good points, but why so many spelling errors?

[Diclotican]

7. Suji to Seoul

Suji to Seoul

Mostly becouse I'm not good at english, and to lazy to use the spelling tool...

Diclotican

[bluestate10]

8. So keep a sadistic monster in power. Yeah right. nt

[sabrina 1]

10. That or put another sadistic, bigoted bunch of terrorists in power.

At least he wasn't killing Black Africans or raping their women, or killing them. Funny, they only had to fear for their lives after the NATO backed 'rebels' began their 'revolution'. And why is NATO not on a humanitarian mission in Syria, Bahrain?

When will people wake up. OIL is the answer, as always. And just months before this began, our own President, SOS and the Europeans were falling all over themselves to get their pictures taken with this 'sadistic monster'. The facts appear to be that whatever WE think of him, after six months with the help of the world's Super Powers, he's still there. What that says is that this 'rebellion' does not have popular support in Libya. It took 18 days without any outside help in Egypt and Tunisia. But apparently the Libyans like their sadistic monster except for a few, and how is this our business again?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Another war, another FUBAR.