The Devil You Know is Better Than the Angel You Don’t Know

Dear  Editor,

Gaddafi is dead. He is no more.  Libyans celebrated his death.   For them, tyranny and dictatorship have come to an end.  
Ahmed Addarrat is a Libyan exile living in the United States. He said there was overwhelming jubilation about Gaddafi being killed. He stated that he thought it was a collective sigh of relief, because even though much of Libya has been enjoying freedom, there still wasn’t clear-cut freedom until Gaddafi either got captured or killed, because he was still causing a lot of chaos.
He posited that it was very hard to explain, after 42 years under his rule, and then to see him reduced to a dead corpse.
“Words can’t really describe the feeling of Libyans. It has been a long time coming, but everybody is happy to see this thing,” he said.
He added that it was better that Gaddafi was dead and out of the way.
Ali Aujali is the Libyan ambassador to U.S on behalf of the National Transitional Council (NTC).
This is what he had to say: “It is a great day for the Libyans and for the international community to put an end for the dictatorship of Gaddafi’s regime. This is the day of the end of terror, of oppression, and of dictatorship in Libya. Libya now is a free country.”
He went on to say that Libyans now are free people, and they are looking forward to building a new Libya.
He further said that Libya and U.S share the same feeling, the same celebration.
“Gaddafi hurt not only the Libyans, but his criminal act is all over the world. The Americans suffered more than any other nation. I think this is a cheerful day for humanity all over the world,” he stated.
He said further that leaders who supported the democracy and the struggle of the people for their future, for their destiny to get rid of the brutal regime that had been taking Libya for granted are celebrating.
He concluded: “The main thing for me is that Gaddafi is out. This is a man that only understands the words of revenge. He knows that he is involved in many criminal acts against the Libyans, against the international community, and he knows that there is no chance for him to survive. I always liked to see him dead.”
But The Gambia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Liberia, Congo and Mali have benefited from Gaddafi’s regime.
Many African nationals who were residing in Libya before the fight were working there and sending remittances to their families back home.
In March the UN Security Council voted to authorise all necessary measures to protect civilians in the fight in Libya, invoking UN Resolution 1973.
The UN have succeeded. Now Gaddafi is dead. It is the same UN that have declared that there would be an investigation into the death of Gaddafi. Is this not a double standard?
Mustapha Abdul Jalil, head of the National Transitional Council, has declared Libya liberated.
Is Libya really liberated?
We have seen many African revolutionaries who took over power and promised to change the lives of their people. They promised to adhere to the principles of democracy, respect the rule of law and to associate themselves with good governance, only to disappoint them.
The fighters with the National Transitional Council in Libya felt that they have been disappointed. They have protested that the new Libyan authorities have not fulfilled their promises. They felt disillusioned.
Probably they are beginning to realise that the National Transitional Council authorities are not better than Gaddafi.
The Libyan people should act with caution.