Libya Again: Who Makes America Do Such Silly Things?
Saeed Naqvi Recent events in Libya remind me of my first assignment in that country. But first let us recapitulate the latest American adventure.
The world’s greatest power enters a sovereign country, Libya and picks up
Al Qaeda’s Abu Anas al-Liby, allegedly a fugitive from justice. Apparently he
had been indicted in 2000 for the 1998 bombing of American embassies in Kenya
and Tanzania.
As soon as Secretary of State John Kerry announces that the Libyan
government knew of the dramatic kidnapping, a handful of local militias, who
stand in as the new nation’s army, are so enraged that they capture the
nation’s Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan. They are angry because Zeidan helped the
Americans in capturing Liby.
The group which captures Zeidan explains their action to Al Jazeera TV: “in
the light of the deterioration in security and damage to the country’s
sovereignty by foreign intelligence bodies”, “we have arrested Zeidan.”
The operation appears to have been botched up in the sense that the more
important target of American anger, Ahmad Abu Khattala, escaped. He is believed
to have been involved in September 2012 attack in Benghazi which killed US
ambassador Chris Stevens.
What really happened is something we shall know only after Pulitzer Prize
winning journalist, Seymour Hersh publishes his book next year. Hersh told
London’s Guardian newspaper that the 2011 US Navy Seals raid that resulted in
the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden is “one big lie”. He added for
emphasis: “Not one word of it is true”.
Yes, he said, “the Pakistanis did put out a report, don’t get me going on
it. Let’s put it this way: it was done with considerable American input. It’s a
bullshit report.” Hersh’s book on National Security will have a chapter on the
Abbotabad raid. Now one can expect reams of stuff on how the Americans
delivered Libya into the new dawn of freedom.
It is now ofcourse fashionable for everyone to badmouth Muammar Qaddafi,
the Libyan strongman. But time was when he had his admirers even in South
Block. That was when I first interviewed him.
In fact when President Ronald Reagan decided to bomb Tripoli and Benghazi
in 1987, Non Aligned Foreign Ministers were in conference in New Delhi. As soon
as news of the bombing came, the Foreign Ministers formed a delegation under
the leadership of India’s Foreign Minister, Baliram Bhagat, a great cricket
enthusiast among other things. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi thought it was a
brilliant idea to show solidarity with a fellow non aligned leader.
As theatre, Qaddafi was never less than riveting. But what left a great
impression on Bhagat, his secretary, N.P. Jain (even the Yugoslav Foreign
Minister shook his head in admiration) was the extraordinary position women had
in his regime. The Qaddafi melodrama began even as you were escorted to his
presence: two stunning female bodyguards, one chiseled ebony, the other white
marble, always flanking him. Outside, there was an equal mix of men and women,
carrying firearms. The world’s first military academy for women was in Libya.
Women drove cars, worked in offices, schools, colleges, hospitals. There were
no mullahs in the country. The most educated person in the neighbourhood could
lead the Friday prayers. Playing on popular superstition, Voodoo or other forms
of African magic, was a criminal offence.
A cradle to grave welfare system covered everything – food, housing, cars,
medical help, total expenditure for higher education abroad. He had the oil
wealth and could afford to foot the bill. How did that bother anybody?
Little wonder Baliram Bhagat was impressed. But no sooner had he returned
after his discovery of Libya, than Bhagat learnt a thing or two about power in
world affairs. As Bhagat entered his office in South Block, he found Jain
standing there, looking pale. So angry had Reagan been with Rajiv, already
smarting under the Bofors scandal, that he relieved Bhagat from the foreign
office.
That was many moons ago. Recently, why Americans blundered into Libya
remains a mystery. So badly had American fingers been burnt in Afghanistan and
Iraq, that Obama looked statesman like, shunning any foreign interventions.
Then, despite themselves, Americans were pushed into leadership roles in Libya,
Syria and now, once again, in Somalia and this badly planned kidnapping in
Tripoli. Just when America was beginning to refurbish its image in the Middle
East, comes this shocking misadventure.
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