Benghazi Holds Mirror Up to Arab Spring Frustration

It is difficult to separate fact from. propaganda right now in Libya, and especially in Benghazi, where the September 11 protests led to attacks on the US Embassy and the asassination of US Ambassador Chris Stevens. From reports coming out of Benghazi, it appears that there has been a citizen backlash against the assassination, prompting street marches. These deteriorated into attacks on numerous private militia and Islamist militia by citizens demanding that they be disarmed and disbanded. At least 4 protesters are dead, 70 are wounded, and today 6 government soldiers were found dead, shot in the head and hands bound in gang-style killings. The weak government in Tripoli has asked the citizens to stop attacking the militia because they are the only means of securing and protecting much of post-Qhadafi Libya, something the government admits it is incapable of doing. Benghazi citizens answer by demanding that the government do its job - including providing military and police to replace the heavily-armed militia, who often enforce charia law, carry out private killings and generally leave the frustrated Benghazi community feeling exposed to the kind of authoritarian rule they fought a revolution to eliminate. The militia include those which protect the main Benghazi hospital, which is often attacked, and the huge ammunition cache left over from Qhadafi days. The militia feel that they are the real revolutionary heroes, and ask to be supported. Benghazi citizens are not convinced. They say it is time for the Tripoli government, elected in May but still unable to form a working cabinet-level group, to eliminate all militia and create the democratic and peaceful Libya that they fought to bring to life by ousting Qhadafi. Dear readers, that is the everyday reality in the countries struggling in the aftermath of their Arab Spring revolutions. We need to remember that it is not possible to move from terrorized semi-slavery to fully functioning democracy in a matter of months. If we feel frustrated by the street anger, lack of democratic order and general confusion in these countries, remember Benghazi - where citizens want order, would like to be free of Islamist intimidation, and who support America in the form of a fallen Ambassador who had shown them that he cared about them.