What next for Libya

With the death of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, many Libyans who have engaged in a bitter fight with his brutal regime for many months are celebrating in the streets.

The Western leaders will be relieved that Gaddafi wasn’t taken alive. If he had been brought to trial, he would have been able to mention all the help he received from Western intelligence services.

The future for Libya’s long-suffering people is still far from certain. The leadership of the new government is closely tied with NATO. Western leaders will do everything in their power to block the radical change that the revolution in Libya first promised.

Many who have spent bitter months fighting Gaddafi’s regime are furious at the deals they see being made. Western companies that happily dealt with Gaddafi are rushing back to Tripoli to sign contracts with the new government.

Despite NATO’s bombs and its efforts to hijack the revolution, thousands of ordinary Libyans played a role in overthrowing Gaddafi, and this can still have the effect of inspiring others struggling in the region against repressive regimes.