Libya

What struck me most strongly about the military action against Libya, and from what I heard many had the same question, is why did it come so late? The entire region has been experiencing protests, calls for democracy, long before the protests in Libya started. The protests in Libya went on for some time before the nation divided into armed factions. All this should have been anticipated and plans in place for how to deal with turmoil in Libya.

Who are the protesters? That is one concern, but they can be predominantly described as the youth of their nations. Young people who generally make up half the population of their nations. And though groups we consider our enemies may be involved, we have to trust in the inherent goodness of our fellow man. If we can't, we have already lost. These groups we call enemies, I do not believe speak for the majority of the younger generation.

And then there is Qaddafi. Decades of terror as his political opponents have disappeared or been outright killed. His hit squads openly killed protesters in the streets leading to the armed division. A man who brought order to a land of brutal tribal warfare, the current divisions based on these tribal divisions. And a man who has spent massive resources to build infrastructure for his nation, of which all benefited. Who is known for providing other African nations with large amounts of economic support. A missionary from our church who was formerly in Sao Tome mentioned to me that Qaddafi gave dozens of tractors to the people there.

Still ...a murderous tyrant. But one who can be shaped, as the assault against his family substantially severed his ties to international terrorism in the past. If he were the worst of the worst in the world, we could believe in the aggressive use of force as a diplomatic tool to bring a truly prosperous world for all. Unfortunately their are those far more evil than Qaddafi in the world.

The west is confused and conflicted in their assault on Libya. If they had acted quicker they could have kept the 'military' hostilities from breaking out. The best they can do, and what they should do now, is to tell everyone to return to their corners, the towns who support them. Then guarantee protection for all sides including Qadaffi. You have a nation of cities and towns that have vast open spaces between them. It would be easy to keep each party from moving against the other with a no fly zone. Unfortunately the too much too late approach has led to great loss of life. Loss that could have been avoided.

After separating the parties involved, you lead them in a diplomatic process to form political parties, platforms, and eventually free elections. Even if it includes negotiations with enemy groups such as Al Quida, Hamas and groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, only good can come about. No one thought peace would come quickly to Northern Ireland, but as soon as a diplomatic wing of the IRA was formed, the terrorist activities soon subsided. Using these nations in turmoil, to bring the various groups together to form something better for the nations involved can only be productive. Everyone wants to live a life of accomplishment. Accomplishing these great tasks, bringing freedom and democracy, together with those we consider enemies, and you pull the rug out from under motives and intentions of darkness.