The Permanent Fall of Gaddafi

I took a short break from the salt mines to discover a pretty huge piece of news. Muammar Gaddafi, the recently ousted dictator of Libya, died from gunshot wounds shortly after being discovered hiding in a sewer drain. It is a rather symbolic end for a man who has been known for his horrible treatment of his people and his constant support of several terrorist attacks on numerous countries. I'm not one to rejoice in the death of a man, but I also don't have a lot of good to say about this tyrant who is now dead.

I think his death in some ways may be even more significant than the death of Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden's death was a significant blow to Al-Qaeda, but the operation still moves along without him. While Gaddafi's death is the official end to his 42 year reign of terror in Libya, and I'm sure his supporters have lost a significant amount of momentum (because unless The Walking Dead is a documentary, I don't see him able to run the country anymore). I am not naive enough to say there isn't going to be insurgents, but I do feel this will be a pretty major victory for those fighting against the tyranny of Libya.

There is already talk about actively moving forward with democracy, and putting the policies in place that were desired back when Gaddafi was ousted in the summer. Canada (and other countries) has also frozen several Libyan assets, and many other actions are quickly being pushed forth. It looks like we'll be witnessing some major changes in that nation and we'll soon find out if they'll be good.

It has been a revolutionary year in the Middle East. Literally. There has been several uprising, and a few led to removals of leadership. The success in Libya may inspire even more to stand up, and start making radical changes. The end of a 42 year dictatorship is a massive thing, and shows that the Middle East is reaching a significant turning point in its history. Now, we just find out if it really will lead to democracy and liberty and freedoms.

I really hope this marks the end of massive bloodshed in Libya. The media has made it seem that Gaddafi was the major force for all the guerilla attacks and recent onslaughts. Now, we'll find out if he has enough followers that want to carry on even if their leader has been killed. It's a blow that will damage them significantly, and the talk points to a belief it is time to move forward.

I may or may not have more to say as the news comes out on this. I am sure this will have a far reaching impact beyond just Libya, and the days will show what type of impact that will be. For now, I'm going to return to the work that has consumed my last week or so. But I really wanted to chime in with my thoughts, because I believe this to be a pretty significant event.