After Qaddafi, Libya’s Daunting Path

The death of Libya’s Muammar al-Qaddafi (NYT) at the hands of rebel forces finally ended four decades of autocratic rule following an insurgency that toppled his regime two months ago. But the end of Qaddafi’s power creates new questions about the future of the country, say CFR experts.

Council President Richard Haass notes that the struggle for Libya continues, and that ousting a regime still leaves the task of installing “a viable entity in its place.” Ed Husain sees infighting among rebels, the rage of Qaddafi supporters, and the presence of massive weapons caches around the country as possibly contributing to a volatile transition. And Ray Takeyh writes that the demise of an “eccentric” and brutal despot creates an opening for Libyans to be at peace with each other and with their region.

Richard N. Haass, President

More than four decades after he seized power, and more than seven months after the civil war began that led to his ouster, Muammar al-Qaddafi is apparently dead, forever removed from Libya’s politics.

Ray Takeyh

The news of Muammar al-Qaddafi’s death will generate its own share of headlines and obituaries. However, the stark aspect of his four-decades of despotic rule is how little impact he will have on the future of Libya. Qaddafi was a product of post-colonial nationalism, and the Arab military class’ quest to reclaim the Middle East from complacent and corrupt monarchical order.

Ed Husain, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

The chaotic manner in which Muammar al-Qaddafi was allegedly captured, injured, and then killed is emblematic of the mismanagement and blunders of the Libyan National Transition Council. Worse, the barbaric manner in which--at least according to several photographs--the killers surrounded his blood-soaked corpse does not bode well for the emergence of a democratic culture inside Libya soon.