The late Libyan leader may have been rotten through, not to mention bordering on mad, but his barbaric execution doesn't bode well for Libya's future. The whole point of a revolution is change; hopefully change for the better. Summary executions, torture and beatings were the way Gaddafi and his brood handled their foes, which is why the Libyan people have rightly rejected the weird man and his cruel, egotistical, big-spending clan.
Gaddafi's capture was supposed to signify a new day, a new dawn; an era of democracy and the rule of law. The National Transitional Council (NTC) wants Libya to take its rightful place within the international community sans the stench of the rogue state the country once was.
Frankly, it was sickening to watch the footage of Gaddafi, bloodied and dazed, being hauled off the bonnet of a vehicle before being dragged through the streets, clearly very much alive if not very well. As the video proves, he was then bundled into an ambulance en route to Misrata and was seen to be fully conscious. From there on the picture becomes murky. Initial reports from the NTC indicated that he was caught in the crossfire when a bullet entered his head, inside an ambulance! Forensic experts say he was executed at close range.
It's worrying that one of the NTC's senior members, Mohammad Sayeh, said, "Even if he was killed intentionally, I think he deserves this." He should be setting an example. It's one thing for fighters to take revenge in the atmosphere of war and quite another for a political figure to bless such barbarity.
Most Libyans are simply overjoyed to get rid of him and aren't too bothered as to how he met his demise. They say he merited worse than death for all the crimes he had committed against the Libyan people. They may be right but there's a greater principle involved. By resorting to the same low methods as your enemy you risk becoming the very enemy you're battling.
The International Criminal Court which had issued an international warrant for his arrest, the United Nations and various human rights groups, however, are not amused. The UN and Amnesty International have called for an investigation into the killing, suggesting it may have breached international law. The NTC was reluctant to conduct a post mortem on the body but eventually gave in to pressure. The US is also urging a probe which smacks of Washington's usual hypocrisy. When Osama Bin Laden was shot by a Navy SEAL in Pakistan and his body disposed of at sea, I didn't hear the UN demanding an investigation into that execution.
The problem with bumping off such monsters is that their secrets die with them. Bin Laden could have been a treasure trove of intelligence on Al Qaida and an authority on 9/11; Gaddafi could have spilled the beans on the Lockerbie disaster, in particular Libya's role in downing the Pan Am passenger jet. Or perhaps that's the real reason why they were peremptorily silenced. Take your mind back to the kangaroo trial of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain. He, too, was a fountain of knowledge; in particular as to whether or not the US gave him the green light to invade Kuwait but with the cameras rolling, each time he tried to speak the judge either told him to keep quiet or the broadcast was cut.
In reality, the greatest punishment men such as Bin Laden and Gaddafi — men who believe they're invincible — could endure would be incarceration and humiliation. There is an argument that says locking up former leaders incites their followers to cause trouble but as history tells us that holds little water. They are people who all their lives have sought martyrdom — and martyrs usually have more influence than the mighty being reduced to an isolation cell awaiting trial. Just as deplorable is the way the NTC is mistreating Gaddafi's body.
According to Islamic custom, Gaddafi should have been buried on the day of his death or as soon as possible thereafter. His family has asked that the body be immediately transported to his hometown Sirte and handed over to members of his tribe for burial. Instead, his lifeless corpse with naked torso is on public display in a cold locker inside Misrata's vegetable market, held as a gruesome trophy for all and sundry to ‘enjoy' and capture for posterity on their mobile phone cameras. According to the NTC it was destined to rest in an unmarked grave in a secret location but they have now agreed to hand it over to Gaddafi's family.
Contrast this with the way Egyptians are treating their own former dictator Hosni Mubarak. I don't know if his crimes can be compared to Gaddafi's; he was certainly just as corrupt and he did ruthlessly oppress his people. However, ever since he was forced to step down from office in February this year after 30 years of rule, he has been treated in a hospital for his illness and is being judged by a court of law rather than the mob. Egypt has shown the way it should be done and earned the world's respect.
The route Libya is taking will alienate the fledgling democracy from decent countries leaving it to dance with salivating wolves that have picked up the scent of oil and who care not one jot about the morals of those in charge of its distribution. The Libyan people who say Gaddafi got what he deserved should remember that, in the end, so will they.
Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at lheard@gulfnews.com. Some of the comments may be considered for publication.
