The Current Crisis in Libya and its Role in Creating Armed Groups and Militias (2011) OMAR A. ABDALAZIZ GARBI Pre Doctoral Researcher Associate Fellow Institute for Middle East Studies Canada Working Papers Series January 2015 ISSN 2291-322X (Print) ISSN 2291-3238 (Online) ISBN: 978-0-9918971-6-2
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Abstract The revolution in Libya has witnessed the turning of the peaceful uprising to militarization in order to decide the war in favor of the Revolutionaries, and the language of weapons becomes the only dialogue between involving adversaries. This has created a tendency towards reintroducing new Libya to the world, and for the Libyans have tasted freedom, they have fought bitterly for it. In fact, the Libyans have been forced to fight to obtain their freedom, and the most fighters in the front lines were civilians of different ages and professions (e.g., teachers, employees, students, workers, unemployed, etc.). This paper discusses the consequences of carrying the weapons by civilians and their involvement into the Libyan revolution and its impact on the future of Libya, and suggests precautionary measures to avoid these consequences. The Libyan crisis Here after the crisis has begun to come to end, the researcher inquires what will happen to all those young men who found themselves in armed confrontation, despite they are not professional and they are not made by any ideology. Those young men have something in common and that is the love of homeland and also their insisting on preventing oppression and getting freedom. All of this happened because of their integration and belonging their homeland. The proof for this is that if there were any form of armed organizations or militias before the uprising, the young fighters would not take several months to be well-organized as infantries, battalions, militias... etc to win the battle. Owing to remaining in the front lines for more than seven months in the form of militias and nonorganized military groups, those young fighters get obsessed in holding weapons and this appears in IMESC 1
their moving to more dangerous sites on the front line where they pass time carelessly and add to this the feeling of power and control as well as some political and military leaders become men of power and clergymen this spiritual power enables them to dominate young men concerning blind obedience during danger or undergoing ideological principles and attitudes of those leaders. Here the researcher fears that this influence might lead to reduction in the young men's abilities and being unaware of what's going on. In other words, young men are being unaware of the crucial events that draw the new outlines of Libya which they are dying for. This situation might lead them to be unable to evaluate, be less daring to make decision and be hastier to agree with others all these negative points are due to their concentration on only war. More over such situation may lead to state of breaking off the normal surrounding and limiting the personal relationship. Limiting the personal relationship may increase the absent mindedness of the armed young man. Being away from family, one could be of obstinate and hardheaded with those who don't belong to their group or militia and this with no doubt results in extremism. What drives me as a researcher to inquire here is that lots of young fighters will find opportunities to integrate or join the society through returning to their jobs as doctors, engineers, and teachers. The national transitional council (NTC) has announced that the revolutionary fighters can join the national Army or the national security, but groups of fighters will not accept for the following reasons: Group (1): The ones who are physically unfit due to handicapping or serious injuries during military actions or fighting. Here the young handicapped or disabled will find him-self between conflicts and psychic shocks and he will also realize that he has achieved nothing. He has wasted his life without performing any positive work to improve his human ability. IMESC 2
Group (2) : The ones who are unfit for health conditions or reasons such as catching diseases or age factor such as early teen-age (adolescence). Group (3) : The ones who is unable to carry out any organized work. Group (4) : The ones who is incapacitated such as criminals or drug addicted who take part in fighting after escaping from prisons as well as the non-convicted or sentenced persons who can't join the new government bodies because they must be sent to prison for pervious judgment. Those young people have discovered that the NTC doesn t sort out their problems on the contrary the NTC has suspended them. The NTC has also made promises but broken them like the past regime did. The NTC has promised to grant amounts of money to back up or support families during the month of Ramadan. This behavior of the NTC may make fighters flamed up with rage at any time particularly when fighting or withdrawal from the frontlines come to an end As you know, the instinct for survival dominates all the other instincts. Those young fighters are aggressive and this aggressive behavior could be directed against the society. We have to remember that those fighters have been convinced that they are heroes, rescuers, and saints; and they have been given promises to be awarded for doing well in battles. If they found themselves nobody or ignored, they would be as a fertile land for crime and a suitable nucleus for making organized groups or militias, therefore they would declare war against their society. These armed gangs will be a source of post-war danger as well as they will be one of the major factors that will threaten the social security. As a researcher I'm worried about spreading fear complex of law-this fear or worry makes some people suspend the law or even insisting on breaking the law for self-interest. We have to remind that social security and law are correlated. In other words, demanding social security requires readiness to undergo the principles of law which protect this security. IMESC 3
The social security as defined by Nabulsi is that " a set of laws that provides atmospheres that respect the individual's idealty, sacred places, life, future, freedom and human demands " (4). Returning to law is a basic condition to achieve the social security and practicing law must be convinced and logic in order to avoid ( fear complex) so that we can avoid absolute control of the (ego) and the desire of revenge towards the others who are considered as a source of threat to his security. This 'go' contributes to social paralysis, as it were, and aggression appearance that Induces. Civil wars as it happened in Ireland, Lebanon, Iraq, and Somalia; this produces ' sectarian security ' that struggles for survival and finally turns to dominance or obsession of death instinct. Recommendations Establishing veneration for law by creating real representatives in addition to creating trust between the citizens and the law. Organizing the judicial system as well as activating this system to be trusted by citizens. Preparing social, human and medical statistics for post-war period to determine the most important resentments to put them in priorities. Doing accurate psychological studies and encouraging such studies add to this ensuring the psycho-therapy to the ones who have post-war disabilities. Establishing comprehensive social study to create a means of dialogue to persuade young people through developing ways of entertainment within the limits of customs and tradition. Encouraging investments and the home tourism in all regions so that the youth take the opportunity to recognize their homeland. Making use of other countries experiments and experience, countries such as Japan and Germany which both made progress in the economic field. Encouraging the youth to establish social charitable and human societies or associations. IMESC 4
The NTC must take care of the injured and the wounded, and support them psychologically and socially. Paying attention to the educational curricula and contracting with the best scientific institutions in the world to develop these curricula and encouraging post-graduate studies and selecting the best universities before sending any post-graduate. The members of the NTC and the executive board must not make promises that cannot keep or perform in front of media. Establishing clubs for youth in different fields (scientific, sport, entertainment clubs) and encouraging youth to technical works. Calling youth to take part in human and social activities. Increase educational and knowledge workshop. Retrieving weapons from the young fighters even if they ask for high prices or overcharge for the weapons. Encouraging tribes to retrieve weapons from their members otherwise these tribes will be punished morally. Giving opportunities to the youth to accede leading positions as new blood. Eliminating the past leadership to avoid any reaction resentment from the armed youth because this might produce military disobedience or rebellion against the NTC. We have to bear in mind that the armed youth still have considerable forces. IMESC 5
References 1. Crises of young fighters by Muhammad Ahmed Al Nabulsi. 2. Military garments for militias. 3. Young fighters and the future crisis an essay in Abu Dhabai Union Magazine 1990. 4. Psychological education Magazine 1992. 5. Priniciples of psychomatics and its classifications (Marti-stura Nabulsi, 1988 ). 6. Psychology of political terrorism by khalil Fadil, 1991 First edition, Cairo. 7. Psychology of ternorism and crimes of violence Kuwait, 1988 by Azzat Ismael. 8. Political terrorism Kuwait, 2006 by Abdulmajeed Gharbit. IMESC 6