This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Embassies in Tripoli evacuated, as Libya sinks into tribal war
- Generational timeline for Libya
- United Arab Emirates to launch a space program to reach Mars
Embassies in Tripoli evacuated, as Libya sinks into tribal war
The United States, Britain, Turkey, and other countries are closingtheir embassies in Tripoli, Libya, and asking their employees to fleeas quickly as possible to the safety of neighboring Tunisia. Libya’sgovernment, such as it is, appears to have completely lost control ofthe country, and tribal battles are becoming more violent, especiallyin Tripoli and Benghazi. Over 150 people have died in clashesin and around the two cities during the last two weeks. This isthe deadliest violence in Libya since the 2011 Libyan war.
Three years after the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, the countryis becoming polarized between two main militia factions.
In the chaos that followed the end of the war, the Islamist militiascentered in the city of Misurata led an effort to eliminate allpoliticians who had supported Gaddafi. This resulted in the politicalelimination of many moderate politicians, leaving the Islamists incharge.
Until two months ago, Islamist militias linked to the MuslimBrotherhood were in control of Tripoli, Benghazi, and other cities.These included the Misurata militias and other militias that joinedas allies. One of these is Ansar al-Sharia, operating in Benghazi,which is believed responsible for the September 11, 2012, attack inBenghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three otherAmericans. The political wing of the Islamist militias is the Justiceand Construction Party, which is affiliated with the MuslimBrotherhood and controls the parliament, known as the GeneralNational Congress (GNC).
In May, an anti-Islamist military action was launched by othermilitias that opposed the Islamist militias. These militias,sometimes called “nationalist militias,” are headed by 71-year oldKhalifa Hifter (or Hafter). Hifter was an ally of Muammar Gaddafi inthe 1969 Libyan revolution, but he turned against Gaddafi in the1980s and fled to the U.S. where he apparently became a citizenliving in Virginia. He returned to Libya after the 2011 war and isnow leading the military operation to overthrow the Islamists.
Hifter leads the Libyan National Army and is backed by many formermilitary officers as well as militias tied to the cities of Benghazi,Tobruk, and Ajdabiya in the east and Zintan in the west. Reuters and LA Times
Generational timeline for Libya
Libya, showing the three historic divisions: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica
Developing a generational timeline for Libya has been a very difficulttask because of the paucity of information about the tribal wars thatoccurred during Libya’s colonial period. However, during the 2011Libyan war, correspondence with several web site readers led to theconclusion that Libya’s last generational crisis war began in 1911when the Italians defeated the Ottoman empire in Tripolitania. In the1920s, there were a series of extremely bloody, brutal massacres ofLibyan tribes, first in Cyrenaica and then in Fezzan, wiping out alarge percentage of the Libyan population. This analysis has to betempered by the observation that Libya is a large country with manytribes, and some portions of the country may be on separategenerational timelines. However, for the populated northern regions,the last generational crisis war appears to have been the Italianconquests, climaxing in 1934.
This analysis implies that Libya is deep into a generational crisisera. As we pointed out at the conclusion of the 2011 war, it’s highlylikely that the war will be resumed, and some of the tribal wars ofthe 1930s will probably be re-fought. Fighting between the two majorgroups of militias has been steadily increasing since May, and it’spossible that we’re seeing the start of that now.
United Arab Emirates to launch a space program to reach Mars
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is developing a space program with theintention of eventually landing human beings on Mars. It’s felt thatthe space program could also inspire thousands of Emiratis to pursuecareers in the space industry, opening the door to new research bodiesand university courses in aerospace engineering, resulting in
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Libya, Tripoli, Benghazi, Muammar Gaddafi,Misurati, Ansar al-Sharia, Chris Stevens,Justice and Construction Party,Muslim Brotherhood, Generational National Congress, GNC,Khalifa Hifter, Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Fezzan, Italy,United Arab Emirates, Mars
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.