As trouble in the Middle East continues to spread like wildfire, Libya remains a hotbed of instability.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi maintained control of the country’s capital of Tripoli, but the fate of other cities within the country remain up in the air. Opposition leaders are hell bent on overthrowing Gadhafi without international assistance, and are pulling out all stops to remove the violent dictator from power. But Gadhafi himself remains delusional that the people all love him dearly and any opposition toward his leadership is foreign led. Still, the Gadhafi family, led by the eldest son, remain steadfast they will not leave and will meet any resistance with brutal force. Gadhafi, who has used Mustard Gas on his own people in the past, vowed that he would rather die in Libya than surrender.
Although Tripoli remains currently under the control of Gadhafi’s regime, opposition forces have taken control of the eastern city of Benghazi and other cities amid weeks-long protests. And they are advancing. Meanwhile, international efforts to persuade Gadhafi to step down have increased, with world leaders moving against him on financial and political fronts while moving military might into the region.
On Tuesday, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution to suspend Libya from its seat on the 47-member chamber Human Rights Council, which is the first time the assembly had suspended a member of the council. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly that he welcomed the decision and urged the international community to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Libya. “The world has spoken with one voice,” he said. “We demand an immediate end to the violence toward civilians and full respect for their fundamental human rights, including those of peaceful assembly and free speech.”
