A recent hot topic in the news has been the widespread unrest in North Africa and the Middle East. Some revolutions have progressed relatively peacefully while others have not. So far the most violent uprisings have taken place in the nation of Libya, where civilians and certain units of the military have taken up arms against the entrenched leader Moammar Gadhafi.
In retaliation to the uprising, Gadhafi killed many protesters in the streets of Tripoli and has sent his forces to smash the resistance. Last month, the situation appeared dire for the rebels as Gadhafi’s ground forces advanced on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and his air forces pounded rebels caught in the open.
However, in March, in order to avoid a potential genocide, NATO launched a massive air and missile campaign against the regime. These attacks led by the United States, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were initiated to avoid a potential massacre like those of Rwanda or Kosovo.
Critics of the intervention claim that it will become the United States’ third war.
Speaking from Brazil, President Barack Obama assured the nation that the U.S. would not become involved on the ground in Libya. In response to the attacks on his forces, Gadhafi renounced what he calls U.S. imperialism and a ploy to gain control of the nation’s oil fields.
Recently, the U.S. ceded control of the air campaign to NATO, and now it is NATO’s task to enforce the current no-fly zone. It is unclear what the West will do now, and many hope that the rebel forces will be able to use the counterattack as momentum to capture the capital of Tripoli and establish a democracy.
One thing is certain: Libya will remain in the world’s spotlight for months until the conflict resolves.