The United States and the Collapse of Gaddafi Regime.
ABSTRACT
The uprising and revolt against authoritarian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa spearheaded and inspired protests among Libyans demanding for greater freedom which led to the collapse and overthrown of Gaddafi’s 42-year regime. The U.S. – NATO led military and humanitarian involvement and campaign gave much support to the rebel fighters and the NTC.
This study x-rays the role(s) played by U.S in the Libyan revolution, and how it led to the demise of Gaddafi’s regime. To achieve the objective of this study, we raised the following research questions. Firstly, what motivated U.S. interest in the Libyan crisis. Secondly, to what extent did U.S involvement led to the collapse of Gaddafi’s regime? Finally, what has been the impact of the collapse of Gaddafi regime on the political economy of the Libyan state?
This study will rely on qualitative method of data collection which involves the use of secondary sources of data, and adopts the political economy approach for its theoretical analysis. This gives primacy to material and economic condition as the main determinant of political and organizational process of a society.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
On December 17, 2010 a disenfranchised 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire to protest the repression and corruption of the Tunisian government. This act of desperation cost the young man his life, ignited the passion and frustration of millions, and set into action a course of events that inevitably resulted in the overthrow of Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi.
Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation inspired protests demanding greater freedom throughout the Middle East, which led many Libyans to organize and openly defy the iron fist of their despotic leader for the first time in 42 years. Over forty years ago, Muammar Gaddafi led a revolt against the Libyan monarchy in the name of nationalism, self-determination, and popular sovereignty.
Blanchard (2011) argues that it was these same principles that led the Opposition group to revolt against Gaddafi to bring an end to the authoritarian political system he has controlled in Libya for the past four decades. For protesting 42 years of oppression endured under the boot of Gaddafi’s regime, the Libyan people were attacked with helicopter gunships and extrajudicial killings by Libyan military forces and African mercenaries.
The crisis reached a flashpoint in February 2011 when military attempts to suppress protests turned violent and sparked open rebellion against the brutality of Gaddafi’s regime. The rebellion surged toward Libya’s capital city of Tripoli, only to be repulsed by military air strikes and superior firepower. The Libyan government’s use of force against civilians and opposition forces seeking Gaddafi’s overthrow sparked international outcry in February and early March 2011.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.