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Robert Halfon MP: What are the lessons to be learned from Libya?
Robert Halfon MP discusses some of the lessons to be taken from Libya; from the ills of appeasing dictators through to the universal desire for freedom.
First: the free world must stop appeasing dictators. It may work in the short term but never in the long.
The last government, some of our universities and businesses, lost their moral compass when it came to dealing with the Libyan regime. Whilst senior new Labour Government figures hob-nobbed with Gadaffi and his family, our academic institutions accepted millions in blood money, whilst companies rushed to Libya to sign commercial deals. The release of Lockerbie murderer Al Megrahi marked the high point (or low point) of this appeasement by the establishment.
Let's undo this wrong by ensuring Al Megrahi returns to the UK to prison or spend the rest of his life rotting in a Libyan jail. Similarly there should be no 'exile' for Gadaffi and his family: only the international criminal court.
Sadly the appeasement of Gadaffi isn't isolated: the West did the same with Saddam - for a while - and with the Assad family in Syria. The results are always the same: bloodshed.
Second: the yearning for freedom is deep in every human breast and should be nurtured and supported. The realist school of Foreign Policy has argued for years that the 'Middle East' is not ready for democracy; that you can't drop democracy from a B52 bomber'. Actually you can, (the NATO planes showed that - as they provided cover as the rebels advanced on Tripoli) - though that is not the only way to do it.
Liberty is a human right. Sometimes it requires military intervention, other times it requires hearts and minds. Rather than appeasement, our foreign policy should be directed at supporting resistance groups to dictators, funding radio, TV stations, and the internet, in the same way the CIA did in the Cold War to undermine Communism. Where is the Middle East equivalent to Radio Free Europe?
Third: just because you have got rid of a tyrant, does not mean you have got rid of tyranny. The experience of Iraq shows that the first steps after dictatorship are the most important. NATO and Western Governments, need to continue to nurture genuinely democratic forces in post-Gadaffi Libya and help to rebuild the country. Any prospect of extreme Islamists/Al Qaeda et al must be ruthlessly crushed. To those who say it may take a few years, they may be right. But so did democracy in Japan and Germany after the Second World War.
Fourth: this relates to the first lesson about appeasement. For months now the Syrian regime has been murdering its way through the country. Just as with the Libyan tragedy, there has barely been a peep from the A List celebs, politicians who so readily criticise Israel for the slightest infringement. No demonstrations. No Trafalgar Square rallies against Assad and Gadaffi bloodshed. No call for UN resolutions. Zilch. Nothing. But, there was of course a rally for Hezbollah over the weekend.
In the past few days there have been terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, and a barrage of missiles fired on to Israeli towns. Israel reacts and there is already outrage from usual suspects. The message here is get a sense of proportion, regain our moral compass and actually support those countries in the Middle East that are genuinely democratic and are fighting the battle against terrorism and dictatorship on a daily basis.
Finally, let those who love freedom enjoy this special moment of the demise of a dictator and the celebration of the now free people of Libya. It is a tribute to David Cameron, that he had the courage to see this through, even when the armchair generals were urging retreat - when the going got tough. Britain shouldered a huge burden in dealing with Gadaffi - righting the wrongs of the past.
My father and Grandfather came from Libya. I hope now I will be able to go to Tripoli and retrace their footsteps.
Robert Halfon MP is the Member of the UK Parliament for Harlow. He tweets at: @halfon4harlowMP.
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Fantastic article, thank you Robert Halfon. It is pleasing to see that neoconservatism (or at least something approaching it) is a concept alive and well in some of our statesmen. Realism didn't work. Ignoring these crackpot dictators will be our own downfall.
Thank you for this article. And please remember that Europe is not free until Belarus is free. It's the last dictatorship in Europe and we in the Belarusian opposition ask all freedom loving people to support us to topple Lukashenko and bring liberty to our people. Thank you Mr Halfon. Please take up our cause.
I would disagree that freedom can be dropped from a bomber. The best a military solution can achieve is a leveling of a political playing field, but this is not a solution in itself. Promotion of liberty is a duty of a democratic state, however attempting to do this in a state that lacks cohesion (as pointed out by EnglishPensioner) may prove to be extremely difficult. How NATO chooses to posture itself following the end of hostilities to maintain positive influence, without alienating the Libyan people will to be vital. While deposing tyrants is unquestionably a good thing, what has to be considered is what will follow them.
STFU Free Belarus, we the people of Belarus, are not with you, neither with the natural born liar Mr. Halfon. We r with those innocently murdered and wounded by english, american and french bombs dropped down 4 the sake of crude oil. Those of U who so enthusiastically support the liars should remember that those bombs will sooner or later be back.
Call me a pessimist, but even though i am deeply fond of the "arab spring" i fear the consequences for those who think secular & democratic. They ( majority in arab countries) never learned what democracy stands for - but islam & traditions are tightly rooted in these societies. I hope history proves me wrong.
With regard to the obscene remarks (by STFU Free Belarus) about Mr Halfon MP and the free people of Belarus who voted overwhelmingly against the murderer President of Belarus Lukashenko (just check the evidence online), just remember that when your dictatorship falls, so will you. Tick tock, tick tock... time's running out.. and you know it.. and it's running out for you.. you will be judged, and you WILL LOSE EVERYTHING... Be very afraid....Dictators of the world AND YOUR FRIENDS.. it's just a matter of time...
You suggest Israel is "genuinely democratic ???? tell that to " Israeli Arabs" and other non Jews As for the allegation that Magreeb is responsible for the Lockerbie outrage then why did an authority on international terrorism (recently deceased) and even many of those who lost loved ones belief it was Iran who organised it not Libia afte the shooting down of an Iranian plane "accidentally" by USA warship? The whole trial was ridiculous and evidence similar - especially that of the main witness who to have a remarkable memory of everyone buying clothes from his shop - which seemed btw to be a good money earner as he was able to shut it and retire / disappear
Hulligan are you a friend of Adolf Hitler? All your dictator friends (including the murderer Lukashenko in Belarus) are going down. Oh, and just leave yr Protocols of Zion Jew hatred out of it...
I don't know how Israel got into these comments but the problem with Israel is that it is too democratic. As the old saying goes, two Jews, three opinions. Unfortunately the Israeli system of extreme proportional representation prevents the formation of strong governments.
The main lesson to be learned is oil, the common denominator in the intervention in Iraq & now Libya. Why dont we see them intervening in Syria, Zimbabwe, North Korea and other tyrannical regimes around the world? Probably because they dont have oil in the same quantitites of Libya & Iraq. Though indeed NATO did poke the nose in the Balkans but that was to do more with strategic policy rather than economic one. I mean Croatia, Bosnia are ideal places to put NATO bases to counter the so called Russian threat which NATO still percieves as a military and now economic one due to its burgeoning economy. Oh and Russia has large oil, gas & mineral reserves so I suggest they better watch their backs because Uncle Sam and his poodle Blighty might just mug you.
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Libya, Chess, Life, Risk, Analysis
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Libya may be on the brink, but danger of Arab Spring turning against Israel is very real
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Libya may be on the brink, but danger of Arab Spring turning against Israel is very real
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Bring back Bush to sort out Libya
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Er, what about after Gaddafi. Anyone?
By George Grant
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The Theatre of Life: Remapping the Middle East at the LSE (“Libyan School of Extremism”?)
Libya is an "artificial" country made by merging the countries of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica after WW2. These countries broadly covered the tribal areas of the main two tribes in the region who hated each other. Only a dictator like Gaddafi, using force, could keep the country together (the same applied to Iraq under Saddam). Libya should now be split into the two original parts, which will reduce the internal tensions and largely remove the need for a "Strong Man" to hold it together. Otherwise I suspect we will be back to square one an about ten years or so.