Libya: covert guerrilla war in Tripoli
Residents of the Libyan capital have spoken of an upsurge in drive-by shootings, attacks on security checkpoints and frequent gun-battles once darkness has fallen over the city.
Between Syria, Libya, political uncertainty in Egypt, pending elections in Tunisia and ongoing challenges to the Moroccan monarchy, it seems to me that the Arab world is a tinder box, part of which is already alight. Where will the flames jump next? The Iranian “revolutionaries” of old, now the firmly entrenched government, must be very worried. When Tehran catches cold, Hizb’ullah sneezes. Hizb’ullah, already shaken by the recent indictments over the Hariri slaying, deeply involved in (and worried about) the Assad crackdown in Syria, has been moving weapons from Syrian depots to Lebanese soil. Nasrallah must be dying to find an excuse to attack Israel to relieve pressure on Assad, deflect attention from the indictments, and provide a rallying point for regional Muslims across the political spectrum.
To my mind, the visible US and international (UN, EU, et al) response has been utterly insufficient. Is Clinton operating behind the scenes to enforce US and Western interests? The Secretary of State is in Peru, far away from the real action as she continues the President’s policy of trying to align South America more closely to US interests. Particularly with Chaves’ health failing. A fine initiative, but I wonder about the timing.
Well, this has been my daily ramble through the thicket of Arab/Middle East/North African foreign affairs.