Free Libya!

The unfolding events in our southern neighbour are as amazing and surprising as they are historic. Who would have guessed that Muammar Gaddafi's reign of terror had less than a year to go when his Jamahirya celebrated its anniversary last year? Who have guessed that Green Square would see the chants of people celebrating the end of the brutal Gaddafi regime last year as the Jamahirya celebrated its anniversary?

For 42 years Libya and its people was burdened by the tyrannical regime of Muammar Gaddafi. For 42 years it was illegal to speak to your mind in Libya. For 42 years criticism of the authorities meant torture and death in Libya. For 42 years Libya's resources were mere pawns in the hands of Muammar Gaddafi rather then the resources of the Libyan people. For 42 years Libyans knew no rights! For 42 years Libyans knew only one thing....Muammar Gaddafi was the unchangeable be all and do all.

The fact that this reign of brutality and terror has come to an end is historic as much as it is promising. Some have tried to dampen the true significance of what is happening in Libya by raising questions about the Transitional National Council. Whilst one is justified in asking questions about the Transitional National Council it would be somewhat pessimistic to assume the worst.

Still a long way to go

Libya still has a long way to go! Not only is 20% of Tripoli still occupied by forces loyal to Gaddafi but indeed the old mad dessert dog is still very much a free man. Arrestin Saif Al Islam Gaddafi was definitely a good start, but its going to take the old man himself to sink the Green Revolution once and for all. Yet this too still leaves Libya a long way to go. Libya needs to establish law and order, a judicial system which respects basic human rights and a constitution which respects the basic tenants of democracy. Libya indeed still has a long way to go; yet it would have no way to go had the Transitional National Council not started their rebellion back in February! That alone should serve to give all faith in the goodwill of the Transitional National Council.

The Shame of a nation

US President Barack Obama saw it as positive news....so did British Prime Minister David Cameron, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, EU Council President Herman von Rompuy, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and a whole host of other nations' leaders. Locally the Nationalist Party, the Labour Party and Alternattiva Demokratika all hailed the news as positive and welcoming. It would therefore take our dear former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici to go against the flow wouldn't it? For those of you who didn't read his comments on The Times click here to read what I'm talking about.

If I told you that I was surprised that KMB still had strong sympathies for the brutal tyrant next door I'd be lying. I had no doubt in my head that KMB would remain a supporter of Gaddafi and his brutal regime to the bitter end. My surprise was more in the form of KMB being daft enough to admit it publicly. Then again perhaps I was forgetting history for this is the man that warned Gaddafi of an imminent attack against Libya following comments by Libya justifying international terrorism thus saving his life and allowing his reign of terror to go on.

Its a darn good thing that this poor excuse for a politician is no longer our Prime Minister! One shudders to think what would have happened if he were at this time of great change for our neighbour...change hailed by many as the dawn of new hope for the Libyan people but feared by Gaddafi, his henchmen and it seems our very own Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.