Libya following the arab spring remains a work in progress. Vijay prashad explores the recent history of the qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the united nations, nato, and the rest of the worlds superpowers in the bloody civil war that ensued. The youth bulge and arab unemployment the arab world has been facing a demographic trap for nearly three decades. Beginning about three years ago in tunisia, and spreading to a number of other arab countries thereafter, what has become known unfortunately1 as the arab spring took experts, locals and media observers of all stripes by surprise. Feb 16, 2015 libyas arab spring was a bloody affair, ending with the killing of gaddafi, one of the worlds most ruthless dictators.
Roots and causes of the arab uprisings there is a consensu s among politica l analysts regardin g the cocktai l of major factors that, when combined, created the socia l explosio n known as the 2011 arab uprisings. Instead, a new arab political identity with an antidespotic, pluralis t and democracyseekin g approach is dawning. Youth frustration and the arab spring 5 spring will require the participation of youth, as well as policies and programs that address the concerns of youth in both the short and longterm. First, what were the security patterns in libya within the middle east security complex before the arab spring. It seemed as if all the authoritarian states would finally be freed, even those of the arabian peninsula. Demystifying the arab spring university of california, san. Libya, syria, and yemen in the context of the arab springs revolutions. Thi s researc h articl e attempts to scrutinize the nature and cause s of the ara b uprising s which too k people by surpris e globall y throughou t 2011 and int o 2012. This paper focuses on the nature and development of these arab spring uprisings in libya and syria, centering on civil war concerns in the two.
Libyas uprising began in february 2011 after security forces in the eastern city of benghazi opened fire on a protest. The country is grappling with civil war, humanitarian crises and the threat from isil. Arab spring research guide and notes sheet introduction. A bumpy road ahead pdf by hassan hakimian, director of the london middle east institute and reader, economics department, soas underscores the underlying importance of the economic conditions facing the new republics, such as egypt and tunisia, which are emerging as a result of the arab spring. This paper focuses on the nature and development of these arab spring uprisings in libya and syria, centering on civil war concerns in the two nations. The purpose of the arab spring was to bring democracy, freedom and a better life for people. It was a huge mistake and i think both libyans and the world is paying for it, says hafed alghwell, a columnist at arab news and former senior fellow at the atlantic council. Irans role in the arab spring of libya iakovos alhadeff. The arab spring was a series of prodemocracy uprisings that enveloped several largely muslim countries, including tunisia, morocco, syria, libya, egypt and. Jun 20, 2016 saudi arabia was the aggressor in the arab spring of syria and oman, and saudi arabia was the defender in the arab spring of tunisia, egypt and bahrain. East experts to assess the past and future of the arab spring. Briefly after the revolution, libya experienced a period of calm before it was plunged yet again into another conflict. His death saw the rebel militias turn on each other in a mosaic of turf.
Demonstrations also took place in morocco, bahrain, algeria, iran and sudan to name a few. Meanwhile, egyptians rose in revolt as strikes across the country brought daily life to a halt and toppled the government. Vijay prashad explores the recent history of the qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the united nations, nato, and the rest of the worlds superpowers in the. From revolution to civil war 78 zones and does not tightly define civil war versus other intrastate conflict. The debate has focused on democracy, federalism, decentralisation and localisation, the role of religion, women in politics as well as ethnic minorities. The protests grew large by midfebruary and were especially large in tripoli. Keywords united nations, human rights, military intervention, peace restoration, arab countries, democracy.
The libyan revolution began as did most revolutions in the arab world, with protests against a cruel dictator. Real gdp growth 2010, 2015 fffi fffi6% fffi4% fffi2% fffi 0% ff 2% ff 4% ff algeria libya morocco tunisia 2010 2015 source. On 29 september 1911, italy declared war against the ottoman empire saying they want to protect italian citizens in tripolitania and cyrenaica but their primary aim was to take over libya. Analysis and background of the arab spring in libya article pdf available in european researcher 3912. They also wanted more democracy, and end to corruption, and economic opportunity. This pdf document is a list of the arabic materials that are available at the university of illinois in regards to libyas role in the arab spring. The arab spring and its unintended effects in syria. Pdf analysis and background of the arab spring in libya. Things were very complicated in the libyan arab spring. First, the study shows that it is possible to formulate a more detailed and accurate explanation of the civil wars through the usage of the three theories causal mechanisms. Islamism, the arab spring, and the failure of americas donothing policy in the middle east it was nice to think the regions uprisings werent about the united states, or didnt have to be. Libya and the arab spring the american conservative. Causes of the arab spring causes of the arab spring may be described as following. These movements collectively came to be dubbed the arab spring, the arab revolution or the arab awakening souza and lipietz 2011.
The arab springs impact on the middle east has been profound, even if in many places its final outcome might not become clear for at least a generation. Prashad does not buy the bunkum that nato bombed libya for moral motives but that it wanted to take control of the arab spring dynamic that was threatening to unravel western hegemony in the region. A year of revolution a year ago, a tunisian fruitseller set himself on fire after being humiliated by a police officer. Libya and the arab spring on 15 february 2011, demonstrations in the city of benghazi took place against longtime leader colonel muammar gaddafi before quickly developing into an armed uprising. The armed forces played a decisive role in many of the arab uprisings, particularly the early ones. Apr 03, 2011 the libyan revolution began as did most revolutions in the arab world, with protests against a cruel dictator. However, this outcome is unlikely, and the most likely scenario is that the arab world will continue to be governed by authoritarian governme nts. Arab spring violence continues in libya, syria while media attention focused on the killing of osama bin laden, the arab spring and violent government responses. It was a civil war between two sides of libya in 2011. The impact of the arab spring concerns protests or by the way attempts to organize growing protest movements that were inspired by or similar to the arab spring in the arabmajority states of north africa and the middle east, according to commentators, organisers, and critics. This brief, timely analysis situates the assault on libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the middle east in the spring of 2011. If this experiment collapses then the rise of another gaddafistyle strongman or the permanent fragmentation of the country between its east and west are likely to be its longest lasting legacy. The common slogan of the protesters throughout arab spring was the people want to bring down the regime aissa, 2012. Arab spring yields different outcomes in bahrain, egypt and libya.
Two of tnis fellows and experts on the middle east debate the underlying causes and consequences of the libya military intervention. Unemployment rates 2010, 2015 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% algeria libya morocco tunisia 2010 2015 source. The event set off uprisings across north africa and the. How has military intervention in libya shaped the arab spring. Hundreds of thousands of tunisians took to the streets calling for an end to authoritarian rule. Feb 18, 2018 was the 2011 foreign intervention into libya a mistake. Khamis and vaughn, cyberactivitism in the egyptian. Analysis of the arab spring 3 blunders in state response, in particular using a heavyhanded approach and trying to crush opposition, had the reverse effect of galvanising more people to join the protests icg, 2011b and 2011d. The 2011 libyan uprisings and the struggle for the postqadhafi future, new york. Arab spring revisitedthe battle for democracy in egypt the economist duration. Egypt and then libya, jordan, morocco, bahrain, syria, and beyond. The influence of displeasure explosion against governments in tunisia, libya and egypt, known as arab spring, on the situation in syria was described. Arab spring, libyan winter is less about predicting the future and more about showing us how the atlantic powers insinuated themselves into the arab spring, to attempt to create a libyan winter to the advantage of their national interests, the interest of the multinational oil firms and the neoliberal reformers within libya.
Oct 01, 2012 cbs news indepth look at the arab spring. By examining libyas security architecture before and after the north atlantic treaty organization nato intervention in 2011, this book aims to answer three questions. The arab spring was a loosely related group of protests that ultimately resulted in regime changes in countries such as tunisia, egypt and libya. Abstractthere was great hope that the arab spring in 2011 would usher in an era of democratic change throughout the arab world. Development of conflict in arab spring libya and syria. Aug 22, 2011 the arab spring has been possible because of the people, not because of any forces in the west.
Of the four major arab spring protests analyzedtunisia, egypt, libya, and bahrain. A rebel fighter holds a kingdom of libya flag and a knife during shelling by soldiers loyal to libyan leader muammar gaddafi in a battle near ras lanuf, march 4, 2011. It began in response to oppressive regimes and a low standard of living, starting with protests in tunisia noueihed, 2011. New media and conflict after the arab spring united states. In libya things were very complicated, and i discuss libya in the next chapter. Libya revolt of 2011, popular uprising in libya inspired by the arab spring revolutions in egypt and tunisia.
Arab spring, wave of prodemocracy protests and uprisings that took place in the middle east and north africa beginning in 2010, challenging some of the regions entrenched authoritarian regimes. The impact of the arab spring concerns protests or by the way attempts to organize growing protest movements that were inspired by or similar to the arab spring in the arab majority states of north africa and the middle east, according to commentators, organisers, and critics. The basic difference, of course, is that libya has a relatively small population about 6. The lasting armed conflict in libya began in february 2011 as part of the socalled arab spring protests that flared up in the libyan provinces with the people demanding the resignation of muammar gaddafi who had ruled the libyan arab republic for over 40 years. In the early 1900s libya was still part of ottoman empire. The most violent incidents occurred between tebu and arab tribes. Six years later, little remains of the hopes that the west saw in the arab spring. Mass action overthrew tunisias ben ali and egypts hosni mubarak.
The reason is that the arab world in the modern, postindependence era, had. Peoples power had produced this wave, and continued to ride it out. Mar 05, 2015 libyas chaos among arab springs failures cnn. A t the dawn of the first winter after the arab spring, bahrain is an island of sadness. This brief analysis situates the assault on libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the middle east in the spring of 2011.
He argues that natos institution of the nofly zone and support for qaddafis indictment before the international criminal court eviscerated the. The regime of muammar alqaddafi, however, violently resisted the uprising, leading to civil war and international military intervention. How to think about the middle east before the arab spring. Libyas arab spring was a bloody affair, ending with the killing of gaddafi, one of the worlds most ruthless dictators. Parsing the differences between tunisia, egypt, and libya article pdf available in foreign affairs council on foreign relations 903.
Demonstrators expressing political and economic grievances faced violent crackdowns by. Even before the fall of tripoli and the last act of the february 17 revolution, dissensions had chronically plagued the libyan uprising painting. Causes of the libyan revolution and the arab spring. The gaddafi archives libya before the arab spring view gallery an exhibition of photographs, documents and artefacts from the human rights watch archive paints a portrait of libya in the four decades prior to the arab spring. The arab spring in historical perspective mohammadmahmoud ould mohamedou 7 over the past few years have similarly emerged in libya. Arab spring used their powers vehemently to crush the demonstrators and consequently the peaceful protesters also became violent. The subject headings are linked to the university of illinois library so that you may find the materials easily. Libya arab spring libguides at university of illinois. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. These demonstrations and protest efforts have all been critical of the government in their respective countries. The roots and causes of the 2011 arab uprisings kamal eldin osman salih abstract. Protests that spread across the region in early 2011 started a longterm process of political and social transformation, marked in the initial stages primarily by political turbulence, economic difficulties, and even conflict. Libya in the arab spring from revolution to insecurity. The events that began in tunisia in january 2011 and spread to.
The revolutionary wave spread to the far corners of the arab world, from morocco to bahrain. The arab spring which first broke out in tunisia and disseminated to many countries in the arab world has become one of the most actual topics of the international political agenda in the recent years. As it revolutionizes the middle east, power changes hands in tunisia, libya and egypt. In december 2010, protests began against the autocratic government in the northern african country of tunisia.
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