Source: PBS Newshour
Speaking to Jeffrey Brown on PBS NewsHour, Carnegie’s Frederic Wehrey discussed the deteriorating situation in Libya, where violence has escalated between rival factions. The very complex web of dynamics and alliances has finally arrived to Tripoli, Wehrey said, where fighting has intensified over control of the airport.
Under Qaddafi, Libya didn’t have state institutions, an army, or police. It’s only gotten worst since the revolution, Wehrey said. “The militias are getting funding from Libya’s oil wealth and they’ve really mushroomed. They’ve become their own entities,” he argued. “The real story of Libya is that there’s no one faction that can really compel or coerce the others.”
In Washington, there’s a sense that there’s no partner on the other side, Wehrey explained. They want to help the Libyans but the Libyans first have to help themselves. “I do think the Libyans themselves need to step up to the plate before the outside community can help,” he argued.