the man has hollowed out the Libyan state, eviscerated all opposition in Libyan society, and, in effect, created a political tabula rasa on which a newly free people will now have to scratch out a future.
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Can Libya Rebuild Itself After 40 Years of Gaddafi? - 0 views
www.newsweek.com/f-after-40-years-gaddafi-68601
Gaddafi libya Arab Nationalism recontruction political tabula rasa Revolution politics middle east
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Jamahiriya, a political system that is run directly by tribesmen without the intermediation of state institutions
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the problem is, of course, that much like in the former Soviet satellites in Eastern Europe, virtually everyone at one point or another had to deal with the regime to survive.
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the disastrous Italian legacy in Libya, has been a constant element in Gaddafi’s speeches since he took power
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inspired by Gamal Abdel Nasser, neighboring Egypt’s president, whose ideas of Arab nationalism and of the possibility of restoring glory to the Arab world, would fuel the first decade of Gaddafi’s revolution.
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In a brilliant move that co-opted tribal elders, many of whom were also military commanders, he created the Social Leadership People’s Committee, through which he could simultaneously control the tribes and segments of the country’s military.
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When it turned out that Libya, which was still a decentralized society in 1969, had little appetite for his centralizing political vision and remained largely indifferent to his proposals, the young idealist quickly turned activist.
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Green Book, a set of slim volumes published in the mid-1970s that contain Gaddafi’s political philosophy, a blueprint is offered for a dramatic restructuring of Libya’s economy, politics, and society. In principle, Libya would become an experiment in democracy. In reality, it became a police state where every move of its citizens was carefully watched by a growing number of security apparatuses and revolutionary committees that owed loyalty directly to Gaddafi.
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Having crushed all opposition by the mid-1970s, the regime systematically snuffed out any group that could potentially oppose it—any activity that could be construed as political opposition was punishable by death, which is one reason why a post-Gaddafi Libya, unlike a post-Mubarak Egypt, can have no ready-made opposition in a position to fill the vacuum.
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The tribes—the Warfalla, the Awlad Busayf, the Magharha, the Zuwaya, the Barasa, and the smallest of them all, the Gadafa, to which he belonged—offered a natural form of political affiliation, a tribal ethos that could be tapped into for support. And perhaps, in the aftermath of Gaddafi, they could serve as a nucleus around which to build a new political system.
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Gaddafi feared they might coalesce into groups opposing his rule. So, during the first two decades after the 1969 coup, he tried to erase their influence, arguing that they were an archaic element in a modern society.
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comprehensive reconstruction of everything civic, political, legal, and moral that makes up a society and its government.
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After systematically destroying local society, after using the tribes to cancel each other out, after aborting methodically the emergence of a younger generation that could take over Libya’s political life—all compounded by the general incoherence of the country’s administrative and bureaucratic institutions—Gaddafi will have left a new Libya with severe and longstanding challenges.
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while the regime still had the coercive power to put down any uprisings that took place in the 1990s, it became clear to Gaddafi’s closest advisers that the potential for unrest had reached unprecedented levels.
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way out was to come to an agreement with the West that would end the sanctions, allow Libya to refurbish an aging oil infrastructure, and provide a safety valve by permitting Libyans to travel abroad once more.
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intent to renounce weapons of mass destruction in December 2003—after a long process of behind-the-scenes diplomacy initially spearheaded by Britain
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“The Revolution Everlasting” was one of the enduring slogans of his Libya, inscribed everywhere from bridges to water bottles.
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country was split in half, with eastern Cyrenaica and its main city Benghazi effectively independent—a demonstration of the kind of people’s power Gaddafi had always advocated. Reality, in effect, outgrew the caricature.
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used a set of divide-and-rule policies that not only kept his opponents sundered from each other, but had also completely enfeebled any social or political institution in the country.
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Beyond Gaddafi, there exists only a great political emptiness, a void that Libya somehow will need to fill.
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the creation of a modern state where Libyans become true citizens, with all the rights and duties this entails.
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Regimes can use oil revenues strategically to provide patronage that effectively keeps them in power.
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This article from News Week basically paints a picture of Libyan history and how Gaddafi's reign devastated the state economically, socially, and politically. Author Dirk Vandewalle uses the phrase "a political tabula rasa" which in Latin means a blank slate, to describe the fate of Libya after Gaddafi's rule and convey the extent to which the country has to literally reconstruct every component that makes up a society and its government. He highlights major events that led to the downfall of both the Gaddafi regime and the Libyan state as a whole such as Arab nationalism, Jamahiriya, the Green Book, security apparatuses snuffing all opposition, terrorist incidents, isolation and international sanctions, the Lockerbie bombing, weapons of mass destruction, human right violations, divide and rule policies, and his use of oil revenue to fuel his insurgency. Vandewalle concludes the article with uncertain ideas thoughts towards Libya's future and the way the state is going to literally rebuild themselves from this "blank slate" that Gaddafi left behind.
Conflict Kitchen Forced to Temporarily Close Due to Death Threats - 0 views
kitchenette.jezebel.com/ly-close-due-to-dea-1656681104
conflict kitchen cosmopolitanism globalization
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Twitter, terror and free speech: Should Twitter block Islamic snuff videos? | The Econo... - 0 views
www.economist.com/...twitter-terror-and-free-speech
ISIS free speech Social Media twitter censorship
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YouTube removed one version of the video, citing a violation of their policy on violent content. On Tuesday, Twitter announced a new policy that it would remove images and video of the deceased at the request of family member
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The logical incoherence of this statement aside, is disseminating offensive material the same thing as promoting it? It is conceivable that the video could incite potential terrorists and others harboring anti-American sentiments to copycat acts of violence. But it is equally true that content of this kind wakes people up t
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Should platforms like YouTube and Twitter really have the power to censor what content we can or cannot see? At least in America, the suppression of disturbing or offensive content, if it does not incite violence, is a direct violation of our principles of free speech. Especially in this instance, it seems deeply inappropriate to respond to authoritarianism with authoritarian action.
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It’s completely understandable that family members don’t want footage of a loved one’s death to spread, but it’s not clear that that’s their decision to make.
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It’s really not Twitter’s decision either—unless we want to grant tech giants the power to control public knowledge and discourse, a dangerous precedent indeed.
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The author of this article strongly opposes Social Media companies, specifically Twitter censoring ISIS related materials on their website. The author argues it violates free speech and the democratic principles associated with the website, arguing censoring a beheading video would be a slippery slope for future content.
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Mapping Libya's armed groups - Middle East - Al Jazeera English - 0 views
www.aljazeera.com/...lained-201452293619773132.html
libya armed groups middle east Revolution recontruction war militias
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Haftar accuses Congress of allowing "terrorists" to flourish in Libya and has vowed to "wipe them out", gaining support from much of the regular armed forces and nationalist militias. Other militias have lined up to oppose him, insisting his attacks amount to a "coup".
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Haftar used it to launch Operation Libyan Dignity on May 16, saying his mission was to dissolve the General National Congress, which he labelled Islamist, and to destroy "terrorists" he said Congress had allowed to establish bases in Libya.
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National Army is a nationalist armed group controlled by Khalifa Haftar, rather than Libya’s national army.
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small army and air force have mostly defected to Haftar. Libya’s armed forces fought on both Gaddafi and the rebel side in the 2011 uprising. Since then, the army has been rebuilding, with most of its units in training.
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Zintan's militias are the second most powerful armed force in Libya, after Misrata, and based in the Nafusa mountains 144km southwest of Tripoli.
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Zintan formed one of the three fronts in the uprising and by the end of that uprising, Zintan brigades surged into Tripoli, with several maintaining bases in the city and holding the international airport.
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Libyan Revolutionary Operations Room was formed in 2013 as the headquarters of the Libya Shield, an alliance of pro-Congress militias.
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With strong affiliations with the Muslim Brotherhood’s Justice and Construction Party, LROR will have much to lose if Haftar takes power.
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The US blamed Ansar al-Sharia for the assault on the US consulate in Benghazi that saw the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens in 2012.
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On May 18, two days after Hiftar’s forces attacked Benghazi, two Zintan militias stormed the national congress building in Tripoli.
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Misrata’s 235 militia brigades are collectively the most powerful single force in Libya, fighting through a six-month siege during the uprising.
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They are equipped with heavy weapons, tanks and truck-launched rockets and have the power to be a decisive force in any struggle between Haftar and Islamist forces.
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Many Misratan leaders back the Islamists in Congress, and Misratan brigades once formed a key part of the Libya Shield force in Tripoli.
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After the ousting of the Gaddafi regime the country pivoted into civil chaos. Because of the deficiency of structure and state autonomy, armed militias have become the dominant force in determining Libya's future governmental system. While the UN has internationally recognized the NTC as the interim government to ultimately turn the country into a democratic one, militias have taken things into their own hands tipping the country towards the brink of civil war. General Khalifa Haftar launched his Operation Dignity campaign accusing congress of allowing terrorists flourish in Libya and vowed to wipe them out, gaining much support from the regular armed forces and nationalist militias. The opposition to Haftar insist that his attacks are aiming for a military coup. This article was helpful in highlighting the armed groups and dividing them by Pro-Haftar and Pro-Congress sections.
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3 Survivors Reveal the Brutal Reality of Female Genital Mutilation - 0 views
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According to the AHA Foundation, up to 228,000 girls and women in the U.S. are vulnerable to what's called "vacation cutting," when parents send their daughters to stay with their families abroad and to endure female genital mutilation (FGM)
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"Most women won't share their stories because they are afraid of what will happen to them, what will happen to their parents."
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The shame runs so deep that girls are taught to never look at or touch their genitals, and most of them have never been to a gynecologist
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don't even know they have been mutilated until they attempt to have sex, at which time they often need to be cut open again to consummate a marriage.
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We went into a home, and immediately women grabbed and blindfolded us and tied us to some thick bushes.
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Three other women were holding down my arms and legs, and another was sitting right on my chest, covering my mouth
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t. What the cutter does is hold on to your clitoris to make sure she gets that and scrapes everything else that comes along with it — all of the labia,
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We were also taught, every day, that if we ever talked about this, if we even mentioned it, they would kill us.
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I learned two of them later died in childbirth, which was too difficult for them because of FGM. They bled to death.
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Move to UAE has increased knowledge of Islam, say expats | The National - 0 views
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ABU DHABI // Expatriates have embraced the UAE's culture and traditions, and increased their understanding of Islam since they moved here. Most western expatriates (94 per cent) say they have embraced the culture, followed by Arab expatriates (93 per cent) and Asian expatriates (89 per cent). Wow, so according to this source people moving into the UAE from Western culture have apparently started embracing that culture. This article sounds really good on the surface, but recalling that UAE is like one of the countries that actually still enforces possibility of death penalty for homosexual activity and prison sentences or beatings for adultery...
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Did Obama's Drone War Help Cause Yemen's Collapse? - 1 views
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in the time since the drone campaign was launched, al-Qaida has only grown in size, two pro-American governments have been overthrown, and the country is on the brink of splitting in two.
Stop U.S. support for the repressive regime in Egypt - The Washington Post - 0 views
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BBC News - Egypt's battle to end female genital mutilation - 0 views
Crackdown On Student Protesters In Egypt - NYTimes.com - 0 views
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BBC News - Egypt: Deadly risks, but female genital mutilation persists - 0 views
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"It's perceived as being safer, but no-one learns how to do this at medical school. We should definitely assume more girls are dying as Suhair did,
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"The case has started a debate among the liberal-minded," said Mohamed Ismail, who works for a local women's rights organisation.
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Campaigners warn that it will take more than one prosecution to spare other girls. More on This Story
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"It's an irreversible act. There are mental and physical scars that stay with the girl for a lifetime."
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"It's a very bad thing for girls," said Amira. "There's no need for it. It's wrong because it's dangerous."
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Egypt minister calls for killing 400,000 Brotherhood members and supporters - 0 views
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Al Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Declares War on ISIS 'Caliph' Al-Baghdadi - 0 views
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In a recent audio message put out by Al Qaeda leader Al-Zawahiri, he blasts the Isis Islamic group, saying that they have no control over all muslims. Also Al-Zawahiri goes on to say that Al Qaeda is in all out war with the new terrorist group that has no customs or beliefs other than death of others who oppose them.
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Al-Qaeda hasn't gone away, and is gaining - 0 views
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Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood condemns Sinai attacks - 5 views
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The Muslim Brotherhood says it is a peaceful movement and has consistently denied links to Islamist militant attacks against security forces, which have increased since the movement was removed from power.
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"The Muslim Brotherhood believes the shedding of blood of any Egyptian is forbidden. The group holds the junta and its leaders responsible for the continued failure in the security, economic and social fields, as experienced by all the people, especially the people of the Sinai," the statement said.
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The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden."
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The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden."
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The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden."
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On October 25th, 33 security personnel were killed in Sinai by Islamist militants. According to this article, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi was responsible for the security failures that resulted in the deaths. Sisi was quick to blame the Muslim Brotherhood for the attack, despite the Brotherhoods insistent denial.
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What's become of Egypt's Morsi? - BBC News - 0 views
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This article talks about where Morsi stands as of now in trial. Mohammad Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president. This article is interesting because it also gives the perspective of those that are on Mori's side.
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A court in Egypt has put Ex President Morsi on a death sentence for the murder and torture of many protestors, for Prison Break and espionage. Morsi was democratically elected but failed to solve any social or economic problems and was overthrown soon after.
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The newly elected Saudi king is throwing cash at his citizens - 0 views
www.businessinsider.com/ng-cash-at-his-citizens-2015-2
Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud new king
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