Center for World Conflict and Peace

Center for World Conflict and Peace

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Oops.... (or analysis on Libya)

When is a good time for an analyst who tries to predict international events, to say "oops, I screwed up, I was wrong?" Having made an assertion few weeks ago that Qaddafi was doing himself no favor by bringing the mercenaries to the fray, I think people have the right to wonder, "If mercenaries are really not that useful, how come Qaddafi is still in power today?"

I will stand by my assertions that Qaddafi's decision to bring mercenaries into the fray is misguided, as he cannot rely on mercenaries to stay in power. The evidence is clear, that Qaddafi's use of mercenaries galvanized the oppositions and drove the population away from him.

The biggest problem facing Libyan rebels are their lack of organization. There is simply no unified command structure - that the rebels don't speak in one voice. Authority is fragmented and there is no united strategy and no vision, aside of their only goal, which is to kick Qaddafi out.

Worse, Libya's regular army, who defected to the rebels early in the unrest, are not that well-trained or well-armed. Most weapons are old, dated back from the Cold War and thus making them unreliable. On the other hand, Qaddafi still controls the air force and his loyal troops are decently trained, leading to stalemates that drags the conflict further.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Qaddafi is still in power, and until the rebels get their act together and create a strong command structure, that will also be helpful in shaping post-Qaddafi's Libya, the war will keep gong.

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