No defence of Benghazi

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Saturday April 02, 2011 15:52 by Gerry Downing

Gerry Downing of 'Socialist Fight' believes the anti-Gaddafi rebellion is totally reactionary. This article is published in the Weekly Worker but does not reflect the views of the CPGB.

Eddie Ford’s article ‘Imperialism out, down with the Gaddafi regime’, makes a number of serious political errors and omissions (Weekly Worker March 24).

The most important ones are to fail to take into account: (1) Libya’s history of struggle against colonialism and imperialism; (2) the tribal nature of its society; (3) the nature of the leadership of the Libyan rebels; (4) the role of the working class in the struggle; (5) the role of al-Qa’eda in Libya; and (6) to light-mindedly assume that this was just a continuation of the ‘Arab revolution’ or ‘Arab spring’ begun in Tunisia and then developed in Egypt and throughout the region. I will take these points in order.

1. In the course of the struggle against imperialism Libya suffered the genocide of up to 50% of its population by Italian colonialism in the 1920s and early 30s. Italian ‘pacification’ after the execution of Omar Mukhtar, a Senussi sheikh, in 1931 resulted in 30,000 Libyan troops fighting for Italy in World War II. Post-war saw the reinstallation of king Idris, the emir of Cyrenaica (capital Benghazi) under the Italians, who had fled to Egypt after Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922. He marshalled big numbers from Cyrenaica to fight for the Allies during the war.

Gaddafi deposed him in 1969 and nationalised the oil companies in 1970. He redistributed wealth to Libyans, so that it is still the most egalitarian country in Africa, with the highest GDP per capita. Gaddafi has adopted far more pro-imperialist policies since 2006, privatising and allowing the penetration of finance capital, which has resulted in 20% unemployment. He has always been a brutal dictator, justifiably so against pro-imperialist elements, who are often funded by the US, British and French intelligence secret services; unjustifiably against liberals and the working class. Strikes and trade unions are illegal and all opposition from the left is crushed.

2. Gaddafi has worked since 1969 to balance between the different tribes in Libya. The biggest tribe, the Warfallah, were reported to be backing the rebels, but now back Gaddafi. His own tribe, the Gaddafa, is allied with the far larger Megarha tribe. The Tarhuna tribe is supporting the regime. Of significance also is the religion of the eastern region. It is dominated by the Senussi, a Muslim political-religious order. King Idris was the grandson of the founder of this Senussi Muslim sufi order, to which Omar Mukhtar also belonged.

3. The rebel leaders are an alliance of former ministers in Gaddafi’s regime; CIA-sponsored and -funded, pro-imperialist opportunists; monarchists; and al-Qa’eda Islamists. This could easily have been discovered by every leftist by simple Googling - these reactionaries have not hidden their politics from anyone apart from the most politically naive. To political idiots they stood for ‘freedom, justice and democracy’ - don’t we all?