Praise is slow, but scorn is fast.

Image Courtesy of Nato. Pictured are... actually what the hell are those. They're not American. I think those are Dassault Mirages. Highly likely French. 

"If we succeed no one will remember, and if we fail no one will forget!" 

-  Captain Carrot from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. 

Ding dong the witch is dead cried the little Munchkins. And now Gaddafi lies dead a his corpse wrapped in a cheap blanket and stored in a vegetable cooler. Personally I think it is a fitting end, shot dead and dragged out battered, bloodied and terrified from a hiding hole. Much like the countless victims throughout his regime. Although some have decried that all this does is perpetuate the cycle of violence and hate, I doubt a prolonged trial would have done the new government any good. 

The United Nations has requested the circumstances of his death be looked into. Which I given the circumstances is trolololo. But, then again the organization does have its stated principles so they must adhere to them best as they can. And if that means calling for an investigation, then well, procedure must be followed. 

But this isn't the thrust of the post. The part I wonder is how much of NATO's involvement is going to be acknowledged as having done aided the Libyan people in their time of need suffering under a regime. Of course one could always that this is real-politik. NATO never intervened before. Why suddenly now if not for the prospect for oil? 

The oil cannot flow out of the country simply like that and Libya is not Iraq. Control of the country's resources still lies squarely within the tenuous grasp of the interim government. But of course, it is better to have an ally and influence in the region than not. And Gaddaffi was never really fond of the West. Nor the West of him. So we could argue intervention was done solely on real politik grounds. 

I would argue that even if the intervention was done because of real politik and not some overriding agenda to prevent genocide* it was a successful intervention that aided the Libyan people in their own self liberation. Even if the country then tears itself apart in civil war, they are doing it on their own choice. Which is a possible concern. However, many people in the West seem to forget that the birth of all democracies to some extent or another has been riven by strife and conflict. The American Civil War for example,and the widely circulated brawls in Taiwanese and Korean parliaments on youtube. 

I quote the above because I wonder how history will remember this intervention. Will it be remembered as a moment when NATO intervened on behalf of a beleagured people asking for help and actually aided in regime change? Or will it be remembered as the catalyst that triggered a even bigger cycle of uprising and repression? No idea, all I know is this, when you succeed, no one gives you any credit. And when you fail, no one will forget. I will confess when the situation was ongoing I thought Gaddaffi was going to win eventually. I thought NATO was committing to it half heartedly. But it seems since America didn't back out from using her sea and air power as she almost did I suppose the balance of power eventually rolled back in favour of the rebels. 

What is another curious thing to watch about that region is the flood of arms given by NATO. Ostensibly to aid the rebels. But concerns were raised by the African Union.** Well, with widespread arms available and the tribal factions that Gaddaffi had initially united under his rule free to pursue old grievances it might not be long before inter-tribal conflict breaks out. All these arms could further destabilize the region. 

Also this whole affair was an interesting litmus test for the UK's power projection and boy have they fallen short. Aircraft Carriers have been for some time the pride of a nation's navy. Demonstrating quite large area power projection. The UK decided to scrap its old carriers in a cost cutting move and is now waiting on replacements to be built. All which illustrates that military effectiveness cannot be built up over night. Cost cut one day, the next when forces are needed, they simply won't be available. 

*This whole post sparked by an article First Striker sent. And this article would argue that the American intervention at least was sparked by Obama's humanitarian concerns

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/inside-obamas-war-room-20111013?print=true

**http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/06/2011629234644934286.html