I for one, will not be celebrating if Gaddafi falls. Mr. Serwer, as a member of the Middle East Institute, you should be profoundly ashamed to support this debacle. Have we learned nothing from history? Have we not bear witness to the current state Tunisia and Egypt? This "democracy" movement has borne nothing but radicalist movements and tighter restrictions on the rights of the citizens. The situation in Libya has been one that has been lopsided from the get-go -- mass media propaganda that shed the Gaddafi regime and continue to do so, as a mass killing machine. I've seen no reports of the mass graves they have found of mutilated government soldiers. I've seen no reports of the mass looting, vandalizing, and burning of "captured" towns by rebel forces. There's been heavy focus on the wrong doing of the Gaddafi government soldiers but little, if not none, done on the rebel's forefront.. If Gaddafi falls, tragedy will envelop Libya -- rebel groups, which represents various tribes, will fight each other to get what they want from their NATO backed victory. There will be no democracy -- just pure utter chaos. Gaddafi may have had a heavy hand in his ruling, but one must look back on Libya's history and recognize the accomplishments and prospering Libya experienced under his "dictatorship".

Professor Serwer, you and I draw different conclusions from our Iraq and Afghanistan experiences.

You conclude it's costly if we do nation building wrong.

I conclude we can't do it. The source of legitimacy in a nation is the people it contains, never outsiders. The more we "help," which is to say, prop up a regime, the less legitimacy there will be for it.

There is a real possibility in Libya of tribal strife following the fall of Gaddafi. The conventional wisdom at NATO and the UN Security Council is that such conflict must be constrained by force. But doing so lends negative legitimacy to every attempt by Libyans to govern themselves. It's not just too expensive, it's a failed policy.

In the end, Libyans themselves will determine their fate. Every effort by us to impose their fate on them will be money poured down a bottomless hole.

Or killing Qaddafi isn't the end, it's not even the beginning of the end. How soon we forget the Mujahadeen that became the Taliban.

It does show that - if Qaddafi can be removed from power - that will not end the tribulation for the people of Libya. And it is clear that Qaddafi is not beaten yet. In fact, he has already lasted longer than many thought he would. 40 years of Qaddafi will not be washed away quickly, no matter the outcome of the present civil war.

There are reportedly a substantial number of his supporters in Tripoli (70%?)who are not likely to go quietly into the night. The TNCs factionalism is already well established, and its recognition by the US and other countries is wishfulness - and perhaps premature. Nothing that has happened in Tunisia or Egypt thus far should engender any confidence that sustainable democracies with respect for individual rights are about to bloom in either of those states. It is just as likely that they might devolve into theocracies dominated by religious majorities that neither respect nor protect the rights of minorities. That outcome in Libya would hardly be an improvement over the slightly more secular Qaddafi regime.

The same can be said for other Arab states - Syria comes to mind. The calls for Assad to step down fail to account for who/what might take his place.

I think the most important thing to do after the Qaddafi regime falls is to get started making the movie. Along with the bin Laden film, it could be like a double October surprise!

This article is written in a way that suggests its author regards the transformation of Libya as to some degree our business. I hope nobody much agrees. The current conflict there has given the current US president a fairly cheap (to America, not to Libyans) lesson in the challengeability of the military as solvers of foreign nations' problems, and it's a good thing that it came cheaper than have those in Iraq and Afghanistan so far. The final butcher's bill is yet to be presented in those two other Muslim nations.

Likewise, the American civilians who have done their best to help Iraq and Afghanistan have not achieved much of what earlier was confidently predicted.

There is really a duty for the US to regard the development of Lybia 2.0 as the Libyans' business. Chances of helping out have been much damaged by recent policies that a) have persuaded many Muslims that Christian America hates them, and b) that all American actions will be aimed at grabbing Libyan oil. About poinr b, they might not be completely mistaken..

Let's repost this article and have a good laugh.

On what basis are any of you commenting? Do any of you know anything about Libya besides what you read?? I'm Libyan and yes there are tribes but tribalism
As you mention it does not exist!!! There will be no civil war! There will be a rocky road to recover post g but it will recover. And FYI whoever said g brought reform you're wrong! Pre g under the rule of the total family the country was a much more fwd country!! The streets were clean the education
System was amazing . All g did was export oil and keep the money for himself!!

And as to the comment re the rebels looting! That's not true at all! Yes criminals have been looting bu not the rebels!! Crimmals have been released from prison! And along with that g forces have been looting. If you're no Libyan don't know libyans have never been to Libya keep your negative opinions to
Yourself!!!

Typo royal not total family

Interesting article. Some good really good points made above, I agree with some of them. Thanks for the article. Kindest regards, Mad DJ Clive

Make no mistake: Qaddafi will be ousted, and probably sooner rather than later. That's why the hard work of rebuilding Libya must start now. This article is written in a way that suggests its author regards the transformation of Libya as to some degree our business. I hope nobody much agrees. The current conflict there has given the current US president a fairly cheap (to America, not to Libyans) lesson in the challengeability of the military as solvers of foreign nations' problems, and it's a good thing that it came cheaper than have diagnosis I for one, will not be celebrating if Gaddafi falls. Mr. Serwer, as a member of the Middle East Institute, you should be profoundly ashamed to support this debacle. Have we learned nothing from history? Have we not bear witness to the current state Tunisia and Egypt? This "democracy" movement has borne nothing but radicalist movements and tighter restrictions on the rights of the citizens. The sit.