Once upon a time — in 1942 actually — a child was born in a desert camp of a nomadic Bedouin family. His homeland had a history of being subjugated by one empire after another dating back to the Phoenicians in about 500 BCE. At the time of his birth, his country was a colony of Italy and the Second World War was being fought where he lived. When he was one year old, the Axis powers were defeated in Europe and Africa and his homeland came under the administrative control of Britain and France. When he was seven years old the United Nations granted his country independence — the first country so designated by the UN. It was established as a constitutional monarchy. The king`s family had been the leaders of the resistance against Italian rule dating back to the years of the First World War.
The country was an impoverished nation until he was 14 when oil was struck and extraction rights were granted to two American oil companies. His country and the royal family became rich almost overnight.
At about that time, he became enamoured with the political changes in Egypt where Gamal Abdel Nasser had deposed King Farouk. Nasser championed anti-imperialist and Arab nationalist foreign policies and egalitarian domestic reforms. He was expelled from secondary school for pro-Nasser political agitation. Nonetheless he was admitted to the University of Libya and at age 21 he joined the Benghazi Military Academy where he organized a secret revolutionary movement.
On Sept. 1, 1969, age 27, with the rank of Captain and as founder and president of the self -proclaimed Revolutionary Command Council he led a bloodless coup overthrowing King Idris and taking on the reins of national government.
Moammar Gadhafi has now been in power for 41 years. He began his rule with Nasser-like determination. He nationalized all foreign-owned petroleum assets and seized foreign banks. He closed down American and British military bases. He strove to create a true socialist economy where workers became ‘partners, not employees.’ He established a non-profit state-run distribution of goods and services. In his Green Book, he rejects capitalism and communism, seeking a ‘third way.’ His writings emphasize the role of families with equality for women in terms of dignity and rights. Throughout his tenure he has espoused himself as a devout Muslim, ardent nationalist and a missionary for Arab unity.
So what has gone wrong? Well, he ain`t perfect. Gadhafi’s foreign policy has until very recently been vitriolic and violently anti-Western and anti-Israeli, particularly in his opposition of U.S. influence in the Mediterranean region. He has participated in and supported international terrorism and guerrilla organizations and developed home-based revolutionary committees charged with assassinating his political opponents. His attempts to organize and harmonize the Arab and more recently the African nations under his leadership have failed for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his erratic, messianic and quixotic approach.
Yet he is a survivor. In the past decade Gadhafi abandoned his unconventional weapons programs. Foreign investment and private enterprise have been welcomed. Commercial and diplomatic ties have been strengthened with Europe and Russia. Diplomatic relations with the United States were back on track. And Gadhafi had become a supporter of the war on terrorism.
Yes, Gadhafi is a pain in the international neck. He is unpredictable. He is a master politician. He has also been the face of Libya since he was in his 20s. Libya is his life. So don’t expect him to cut and run just because, with the permission of President Barack Obama, we are sending a frigate and our government has ‘promised’ a couple of million dollars for unspecified humanitarian purposes. Ask Stephen Lewis about our promises of aid to Africa. Friends like us, Libyans don’t need.
Dr. Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
