by Renee Anna Craig

Staff Writer

Imagine living in a world where the government and the people are opposite warring factions. In this world,  soldiers kill and maim civilians. The government steals injured people and bodies from hospitals to hide death-tolls. Rebels armed with rocket propelled grenade launchers and government hired mercenaries walk the streets. People shoot at and out of ambulances and many neighborhoods had makeshift barricades surrounding them.

This is not the setting of a newly released post-apocaliptic movie; it is the state of affairs in Libya today, and the current rebellion is part of a long chain of events which started nearly fifty years ago.

In 1969, ironically, a revolution was led by a man we have all become familiar with in the past month, Muammar el-Qaddafi. He was the leader of the Revolutionary Council that overthrew King Idris I of Libya. Colonel Qaddafi then began his reign which at forty-two years is still ongoing.

These years have been filled with bizarre acts of terrorism and philanthropy, the starting of civil wars and the forging of peace treaties. Throughout these years, the U.S. and Libya have almost always been at odds. Qaddafi does something and we retaliate; we do something and Qaddafi retaliates.

However, in recent times, Qaddafi has been fighting with his own people.  The successful, peaceful rebellion in Egypt has ignited a lust for freedom in the Libyan people. In February, they joined together across the country in a Day of Rage over Qaddafi’s 42 year long rule. This led to weeks of, for the most part, unarmed protesters clashing violently with soldiers. On Feb. 25th shots from Qaddafi’s forces were fired at thousands of protesters leaving a mosque after prayer.

Rebel forces began to emerge, armed and ready to die for their freedom. Over the following months the rebels and Qaddafi’s forces have been engaged in heated battles in cities, deserts, and towns. Recently after much debate the United Nations Security Council  imposed a no-fly zone over Libya and American and European bombs have been dropped on Qaddafi’s forces.

On March 31st the Libyan foreign minister defected to London. He is just one of the many Libyan officials who have fled to other countries in protest of Colonel Qaddafi’s actions. Two of his sons even proposed recently that Qaddafi be put aside and a new constitutional democracy be erected with another son Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi

The rebels, with help from European and American forces continue to battle Qaddafi.

Libyan Rebels