BY RAN MEIR Wed, March 2, 2016

The wave of 'Arab Spring' protests that erupted at the end of 2010 did not skip Libya. For the last five years, the country has been in total chaos.

The wave of protests under the banner of the Arab Spring that erupted at the end of 2010 did not skip Libya. For the last five years, the country has been in total chaos.

Let’s try to put some order to what’s happened in this North African state since then.

How Did It All Begin?

Protests began in Libyan in February 2011, particularly over economic and unemployment issues. The protests very quickly morphed into a civil war, claiming thousands of lives.

In the same month, anti-government rebels established the “National Transitional Council of Libya.” Surprisingly, the civil war ended speedily. In August 2011, the rebels managed to take over Tripoli, the capital. Two months later, then president Muammar Gaddafi was captured in his home town Sirte and was executed.

How did it happen so fast?

Western Intervention

Oil-rich Libya ranks number 10 (as of 2011) in revenues from black gold. With the start of the fighting, Western countries identified the financial potential of Libya’s two-million-barrels-per-day production rate.

In addition, the West had an debt to settle due to Libya’s decades-long support for terrorism. That’s why as early as March 2011, the rebels received NATO’s help with airstrikes. U.S., British and Canadian battleships also weighed in with Tomahawk missiles against areas under Gaddafi’s control. Several Arab states also lent a hand.

It is worth noting that Russia, which today actively backs Bashar al-Assad in Syria, was supportive of the National Transitional Council of Libya at the time.

So What’s Happened in Libya Post-Gadaffi?

Not much.
In August 2012, the National Transitional Council of Libya was dismantled and several attempts were made to establish a working government and parliament. These efforts have not succeeded in practice.

Eventually, and because of so many disagreements, two separate governments were established in the country. The Libyan Government in Tobruk is supported by the West and led by army General Khalifa Haftar. The Tripoli-based government is led by the forces of the Dawn of Libya, an Islamist militia, and is not recognized by the West.

The Best Time for Terror

Terror in Libya doesn’t rest for a single moment. There are dozens of jihadi organizations and militias fighting one another.

One of the most-feared militia is Ansar al-Sharia. Established during the civil war, it was responsible for the attack on the American Consulate in Bengazi in September 2012 in which the U.S. ambassador was killed, among other victims.

In November 2014, Ansar al-Sharia pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS,ISIL). The Islamic State became stronger in Libya during 2015, with Sirte serving as its main base. Early in 2015, ISIS published a clip documenting the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christian Copts on a Libyan beach.

Tribal loyalties and the interests of competing groups have made it easier for ISIS to get a foothold in the country. Nevertheless, they have yet to confront the numerous militias operating there.

What Next?

Libya can be characterized as an unstable place with two competing governments: ISIS and armed organizations serving numerous agendas.

The West’s efforts are concentrated predominantly against ISIS and other terror groups because of a fear of jihadists and their impact on oil prices. Even if the West removes ISIS from Libya, it won’t necessarily save the country from other jihadists.

Western powers see foreign intervention targeted at removing a dictator and establishing a democracy as just making matters worse.

It appears, in the case of Libya, that the West failed to learn from its mistakes in Iraq.


Just 300 Miles from Europe: The Story of Unstable Libya