Main focus of Friday, September 2, 2011

Libyans to get Gaddafi's billions

The Libyan Transitional Council will receive aid running into the billions from the assets of the fallen regime, the participants at the Libya conference decided on Thursday in Paris. Commentators say the international community must continue to shoulder responsibility for rebuilding the country to help avoid a bitter struggle for Gaddafi's political legacy.

Der Standard - Austria

The international community has a moral responsibility for the Libyan Transitional Council which includes not just trusting it blindly, the left-liberal daily Der Standard warns: "Humanitarian preoccupations must be given top priority. But that doesn't mean the Libyan cash that was frozen and has now been unfrozen should be dumped back into the country without any controls whatsoever. Yes, it belongs to the Libyans. And yes, most states have recognised the National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the people. But precisely because this legitimation came from abroad and not from inside the country, the international community cannot just leave it to its own devices. With all due respect for Libyan sovereignty: To a certain extent the international community bears a moral responsibility for this Council. Everything the Council does will reflect back on it." (02/09/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Libya
All available articles from » Gudrun Harrer

Corriere del Ticino - Switzerland

Two factors in particular pose a risk to the reconstruction of Libya, writes the liberal daily Corriere del Ticino: "The first is the political weakness of the divided National Transitional Council. The conditions that set the stage for the scenario in Iraq after Saddam's fall are not present but instead of the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites a bitter battle between the different factions could break out over Gaddafi's legacy, pitching the East of the country against Tripoli, the military against the civilian population and secular forces against Islamist fundamentalists. And this is where the second danger lies. Islamist fundamentalism has turned out to be the inferior force in the Arab revolts in Tunisia and Egypt. But in Libya it could gain the upper hand owing to the existence of the different camps that could take advantage of the chaos to start proselytising." (02/09/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Religion, » Libya
All available articles from » Gerardo Morina

Le Monde - France

The victory over the Gaddafi regime was anything but a European success story, the left-liberal daily Le Monde writes: "A twofold lesson can be learned from the Libya conflict: First, the operation carried out in Libya cannot be transposed. It was the product of a set of very specific circumstances. ... Secondly, the intervention was not a pan-European success. The political initiative was taken by the Elysée Palace and Downing Street, not the European Union. ... History will retain that Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime fell under the blows of the Libyan rebels in a victory they no doubt would not have achieved without the support of a heterogeneous coalition with four pillars: the US, France, the UK and Qatar, which supplied financial, political and military support. The last thing that looks like is a success for Europe." (02/09/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » EU Policy, » Politics, » Europe, » Libya
All available articles from » Alain Frachon

El País - Spain

The international community managed to avoid calling the military operations a success at the Libya conference, writes the left-liberal daily El País approvingly: "No premature declarations about the victory of the rebels and allies - the EU, US and Nato. The international community is thus distancing itself from the bad example set by George W. Bush when he prematurely announced the mission in Iraq as completed. The dictator Gaddafi is still fighting from an as yet unknown hideout and it can't be ruled out that he'll continue causing problems." (02/09/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » France, » Libya

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