National Transitional Council, or Transitional National Council ? And should there be a regional one of the kind ? With respect to Libya it seems difficult to decide which form would be the most representative of the political actualities.
To emphasize the “National” aspect is problematic after ousting a government that has managed to spread the wealth that was accumulated by natural resources and the ingenuity of a visionary revolutionary leader who used the Libyan oil wealth on the nations infrastructure, social services, health services, education.
A visionary revolutionary leader who was proud of Libya being African, and who was about to turn the Libyan desert into an open air green house that was readying the nations agriculture to compete with the agriculture of any of the E.U. countries or of that of the Mediterranean Basin Alliance member states.
Oil resources – which Ghadafi planned to “nationalize – what a bad, bad word” are still firmly in the hands of foreign nations, and the “National Council” does not seem to have any plans of changing that soon either. “Nationalize” – one can almost feel the cold sweat and shivers which such a taboo laden word can evoke among such humanitarian avatars of “freedom and democracy” as Dick Cheney.
Maybe better calling it the “Transitional” National Council before sleepy readers of main stream news awake to the obvious irony ?
But here comes the next problem. How transitional is the not so national council ? Does anybody here remember Jalil`s promises of “democracy within 20 months ” ? The council is still there. Jalil has more or less gone, and can be happy that he has not been tared and feathered.
Belhadj is still there and is eagerly spreading NATO´s new found form of Democracy to Syria. Al Qaeda is still there, and there seems to be nothing “transitional” about the council other than the regular exchange of it`s core members while the puppet masters remain.
So – because things are going so well with these Councils let`s have some more of them ? Regional ones this time, just to make certain that the new collective of modo-colonial Caesars have a “joker” to play if the unlikely but dangerous situation should arise, that Libya develops a really “National and Transitional” Council.
After all, after all those murders, massacres, genocide on the Tawergha, and all the other hard work, one has to make sure that all the hard work for freedom, democracy and human rights was not in vain.
So, what model to use ? The majority of Libya`s tribal leaders will hardly play along with the further destruction of Libya, with the destruction of national unity under respect for tribal, cultural and regional factors. In fact, the tribes still do have a well functioning political system that is at the core of the national resistance against the NATO/GCC war against the people of Libya.
What better choice for modo-colonialists, than to regress back to the good old days of pre national unity Libya. The good old days of Kings and clans, with a “Cyrennaica” as the bastion for the divide and conquer strategy.
After all, the Roman Caesars were successful with that strategy. A G.W. Bush would probably have compensated for his lack of historical know how with “shock and awe”, but Sarkozy, Clegg, and Obama have probably been awake during their 5th grade history lessons about the good old Roman Empire.
Let`s drive a secession debate. Let`s find some self serving jokes of want to be Vice Roys and back their plans of establishing a “Council of Cyrennaica” under the pretext of democracy and regional self determination. Find a self serving joke and make him Caesars Joker to be played when ever needed.
The setting could hardly have been more ironic. A minority of Al Qaeda and associates, aligned with old Cyrennaeican royalty lobbyists want to make the world believe that the people of Misurata were celebrating the one year anniversary of their first “victory” over the legitimate Libyan government.
A press conference in Bengazi, on Tuesday, was then set up to lend Western Corporate and GCC media with an opportunity to convey the impression of public support for a grand new idea, without having to manufacture a new fake Tripoli Green Square in Doha, Qatar, as during the NATO led invasion of the city.
And what good news are “the people” presenting ? The establishment of the “Council of Cyrennaica“, and the demand to return to the good old federal system. The most wonderful aspect of it all is that the want to be federal state would be covering more or less one third of Libya, in the east – that is where the oil is.
The criminal energy that is attracted by the sale out of Libya is astounding, but the cast of characters is not surprising. After all, when one has the possibility to make a good sum of money plus gain a good part of oh so attractive power by selling out on the national interests and solidarity with the not so resource privileged citizens and regions, criminal energy and corruption is a valuable trait. So whom do we see at this new divide and conquer council ?
Ahmed Zubair AL-Senoussi is one very “representative” representative. A member of the NTC that is neither National nor Transitional who is eager to serve his people. After all, Al-Senoussi is used to serving. Like serving long prison terms for terrorism, corruption and other activities that are a sign of nobility among Libya`s new public servants.
Creativity and political finesse or education is a far less important attribute. Rather than developing a new Libya after the so called revolution, one can simply pull off a counter revolution, re-use the 1951 constitution, and call oneself regional president. Yes, AL-Senoussi, this is what normally would be called a counter revolution.
Sarkozy, Clegg and Obama must have been celebrating and Cheney and his likes feel much more comfortable than if they have had to deal with madmen like Ghadafi, who use the word “nationalize” in the same sentence as oil resources.
The national resistance of Libya should, however, fare lightly with Al-Senoussi and may be be grateful. Obvious nepotism, corruption and criminal behavior Al-Senoussi style can not do other than making it more obvious for the people of Libya who is in fact representing their interests. After all, how ridiculous can things become.
A member of a National Transitional Council that is neither national nor transitional, is arguing for the establishment of a federal council with himself a regional president ? Ok, with sufficient help from Al Jazeera, corporate Western Media, and their co-opted progressive humanist press colleagues it may actually be sold as a good idea for democracy. Media makes it possible. That`s why media matters.
By Dr. Christof Lehmann