After Gaddafi, Let’s Hope for the Best in Libya

After six months of fighting, Libyan rebels rallied for an enthusiastic entry into Tripoli. The images were reminiscent of early victories in Tunisia, Egypt and also Iraq, as rebels and other Libyans gathered in Green Square, destroying symbols of the previous regime. A few holdouts from the Gaddafi regime resist, and the task of rebuilding is daunting, but the Guardian’s Brian Whitaker suggests there are reasons to be optimistic. The real test, he notes, is building a government that serves Libyans. The diverse National Transitional Council has taken some promising steps with an interim constitution, and the country has the advantages of oil revenues and a sovereign fund, along with NATO support and technicall advice. “The difference in Libya is that the destruction of Gaddafi's army does at least open up the possibility of politicians, rather than the military, gaining the upper hand,” he writes. In building a government, compromise and patience will be required of Libyans and its new allies. – YaleGlobal