In the fourth gathering of International Contact Group for Libya in Istanbul, the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council (TNC) has been able to gain recognition as the legitimate government of Libya from the United States and other world powers on Friday. It has been almost five month since the rebels have been fighting for unseating Muammar Gaddafi, who has been ruling the country for about 41 years. Only knowing the duration for which Muammar Gaddafi has been governing the country is enough to consider his regime an autocratic one.
The anti-regime protests in Libya have to be perceived in the perspective of the uprising of the people in the region who have been fed-up of their autocratic regimes – Egypt, Syria and Yemen can be named as the most prominent ones in this regard along with Libya. The people, in all these countries have given considerable sacrifices in order to put an end to the suffocations under the autocratic governments. U.S. and the European countries have been showing great concern and interest in the changes taking place in the mentioned countries.
They have been providing support, even military, to help the rebels win against their governments. Libya in this regard is the most prominent one. NATO has been militarily involved, though with many controversies, in pressurizing Gaddafi to come to political compromise. But Gaddafi, so far, has been standing firm, at least in his public comments, against any sort of compromise with West and calls himself the legitimate head of the country. In his last reported statement he has said, ""I will fight until the end," "The end of NATO will be in Libya." But on the other hand there is information that he is ready for peace negotiations.
Russia and China have been very reluctant in putting any emphasis for military solution of the situation in Libya; both have been urging the international community and Muammar Gaddafi for peaceful settlements. These two countries were also invited in the International Contact Group meeting on Libya on Friday, July 15, 2011, but they decided to remain uninvolved. Their softer attitude shows that they want to maintain their own stand in the issue, separating themselves from others in their perception of Middle East politics. These differences in perceptions of the international powers must not turn into rifts and clashes, which can only deteriorate the situation to a further extent instead of providing a lasting solution.
The recognition of TNC by U.S. can really open the ways for unblocking $34 billion Libyan assets in United States. These assets, when transferred can be very helpful for TNC in order to bear the cost of the war and taking the country towards a democratic system, which will be the most important part of the process, if Gaddafi is somehow defeated or he decides to quit. In Friday's meeting it has been decided that political solution of the issue will be demanded as earnestly as possible but on the other hand military pressures will be further increased on Gaddafi.
Moreover, the roadmap to the transition process that may make the country be able to form a democratic government was also discussed, but it must be kept in consideration that all the possibilities of such a transition must be gauged with careful calculations. Further, every possible step must be ensured to end this episode of the people's movement for a free and just society. It must not turn out to be another battle ground for different countries to display their power and resolves their controversies in. All the people of the world have the right to have a government that can guarantee a better life for its people.