Libya's Pre-1996 History Revisited: Part 4

A Wall Street Journal editorial recently proposed that the Democratic Obama-Clinton Administration consider the option of some kind of “humanitarian military intervention” in Libya in 2011 in response to the recent deadly attacks on demonstrators inside Libya by the current Libyan regime’s security forces. Yet most people in the United States know very little about the hidden history of Libya. Guy Arnold’s 1996 book, The Maverick State: Gaddafi and the New World Order, for example, observed:

“On 7 December 1969, came the first coup attempt against the new regime when two officers—Colonel Musa Ahmed, Minister of the Interior, and Lt.-Col. Adam el Hawaaz, Minister of Defense, the only two officers to be included in the new cabinet—conspired to seize power…Only in August 1970 were sentences announced…The discovery of a second plot that July [1970] was a factor in…demand for harsher sentences and these were eventually announced in October [1970]. Adam Hawaz and Musa Ahmed were sentenced to death, although the latter’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment…The fresh plot of that July was described by Gaddafi as a `reactionary imperialist plot’ whose object was to appoint Abdallah Abid Senussi (an uncle of the deposed king) as Prime Minister…

“…1975 was the year in which he faced real internal opposition, including serious student unrest…In June [1975]…one…report claimed that 39 military officers had been arrested in March [1975] for telling Gaddafi to change his policies and have his mental health checked. Anti-Gaddafi demonstrations in Benghazi were reported, two military camps there were closed down and another report suggested that a coup attempt had been discovered and quashed on the day it was supposed to take place…

“On 7 October 1982, Gaddafi stated that `the door of repentance was still open to exiles who wished to renounce their opposition to the regime and return home; otherwise, he said, `the Libyan Arab people will assume responsibility for their liquidation.’ In November of that year there was another unsuccessful army plot against Gaddafi who meanwhile was mounting a campaign against his opponents outside the country, some of whom were assassinated. At the end of April 1983, after attacking corruption in the army, especially among officers, Gaddafi announced the partial disbandment of the army and the formation of a `People’s Army’ which would include school and university students.

“There was an ugly turn to both the opposition to Gaddafi and its suppression during May 1984 when the National front for the Salvation of Libya (which was based in Sudan and had close links with the Muslim Brotherhood) carried out a series of shootings in Tripoli. There were immediate reprisals and during July suspected opponents of Gaddafi and the government were tried in special courts which had been convened by `popular committees’ and those found guilty were hanged…

“…In 1991 some 20 civilians were killed in clashes with the police in Benghazi when they protested at the executions of 32 dissidents on 7 June [1991] while opposition groups claimed that about 3000 dissidents had been arrested since 1989…

“Another coup attempt occurred in October 1993 and large numbers of arrests followed the rebellion of an army unit near Misurata to the south of Tripoli. Growing dissatisfaction was compounded by worsening economic conditions as a result of UN sanctions…The uprising which was substantial and involved about 3000 troops lasted three days but was suppressed by forces loyal to Gaddafi…

“…In September 1995 fighting broke out in Benghazi (which had become a centre of Islamic militancy) after a policeman shot dead a taxi driver. Clashes with the security forces led to five deaths…”