Wrong Focus in Libya

Every day, newspaper headlines are full of stories regarding the rebellion in Libya. Today, the major headline was that rebels were stuggling to advance towards Bani Walid, one of Gaddafi's last loyalist strongholds. Yes, that might sound like good news, but the next day, newspapers will probably be reporting that loyalists are pushing back rebels in town XYZ. Day by day, the media make it sound like the situation in Libya is drastically changing.

Anti-Gaddafi graffiti in Libya 

However, Gaddafi has been ousted, a significant part of his army has fled across the desert, and it is really only a matter of time until the last remnants of his regime are either gone or completely suppressed. So why is the media still bent on reporting rumored hideouts of Gaddafi and his family members? Even though Libya's National Transitional Council has already been recognized by most countries and now has an official U.N. seat, it seems that little attention has been devoted to Libya's reconstruction. Right now, Libyans are united under the common goal of getting rid of their former dictator. But, now that their government has been recognized and that Gaddafi is essentially gone, we should be very concerned about Libya's reconstruction. Libya has a unique population, with a diverse group of trial ties, many of whom are loyal to the former regime. It will be impossible to install a stable government that can satisfy the needs of the entire country. Ethnic tensions will flare and it is vital that both Libya and foreign countries help ensure that this transition to a more stable government occurs with as little violence as possible.

My point is, we shouldn't be celebrating just yet. I know that once Gaddafi is finally found, the same type of fervor that occurred once Bin Laden was killed will sweep the world. But this kind of perspective is completely useless and ignores the most important question at hand: How can we ensure that Libya manage to transition to a stable and free country?