By Hassan Tantaki from Al-Hayat, translated for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Libya Business News.
I am afraid it is too late for Libya. The situation is beyond dangerous and is set to explode at any moment. What the government is saying matches the aspirations of extremists. The agenda of every party — namely, the authorities and jihadists or the remnants of al-Qaeda — has become extreme.
Weapons are now rife as everyone has turned a deaf ear to dialogue. Be it in good or bad faith, these parties are paving the way for the implementation of foreign agendas. There is no doubt that these national and foreign agendas will contradict each other. The former seeks stability while the latter looks after its own interests, with oil at the top of the list.
Oil is to be acquired through stability or war. What happened in Egypt is a stark example. What is the meaning behind the United States' failure to acknowledge the revolution waged by 30 million Egyptians taking to the streets? The United States is solely looking after its interests, regardless of how much they violate our rights. This is why the United States was upset with the speech by Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs [Marta Dassu] delivered before parliament, in which she said: “Someone is looking for a foreign intervention in Libya.”
I believe that foreign intervention will prove to be devastating for Libya and neighboring countries. This intervention will be accompanied by popular opposition. Warlords, advocates of terrorism and al-Qaeda supporters, however, will seek to exploit this stance to their favor. They will raise the flag of jihad and will definitely find a welcoming environment to subsequently bolster their power.
