The History Book Club discussion

This thread was requested by a group member (Tom).

This thread is focused on the discussion of the 2011 Libyan Conflict and any topics related to this military initiative.

Here are some links for further reading on this subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_c...

http://www.historyguy.com/libyan_war_...

Here is a recent book for further reading.

Arab Spring, Libyan Winter

byVijay Prashad(no photo)

Synopsis

The Arab Spring captivated the planet. Mass action overthrew Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The revolutionary wave spread to the far corners of the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain. It seemed as if all the authoritarian states would finally be freed, even those of the Arabian Peninsula. People’s power had produced this wave, and continued to ride it out.

In Libya, though, the new world order had different ideas. Social forces opposed to Muammar Qaddafi had begun to rebel, but they were weak. In came the French and the United States, with promises of glory. A deal followed with the Saudis, who then sent in their own forces to cut down the Bahraini revolution, and NATO began its assault, ushering in a Libyan Winter that cast its shadow over the Arab Spring.

This brief, timely analysis situates the assault on Libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the Middle East in the Spring of 2011. Vijay Prashad explores the recent history of the Qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the United Nations, NATO, and the rest of the world's superpowers in the bloody civil war that ensued.

Vijay Prashad is the George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History, and professor and director of international studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including Karma of Brown Folk and, most recently, The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World.

by Ethan Chorin

Synopsis

In Exit the Colonel, Ethan Chorin, a longtime Middle East scholar and one of the first American diplomats posted to Libya after the lifting of international sanctions, goes well beyond recent reporting on the Arab Spring to link the Libyan uprising to a flawed reform process, egregious human rights abuses, regional disparities, and inconsistent stories spun by Libya and the West to justify the Gaddafi regime's "rehabilitation." Exit the Colonel is based upon extensive interviews with senior US, EU, and Libyan officials, and with rebels and loyalists; a deep reading of local and international media; and significant on-the-ground experience pre- and post-revolution.

The book provides rare and often startling glimpses into the strategies and machinations that brought Gaddafi in from the cold, while encouraging ordinary Libyans to "break the barrier of fear." Chorin also assesses the possibilities and perils for Libya going forward, politically and economically.

Thanks Jerome. My take is that a trend to current event books by various authors rich with research skills, will quickly fill the void left by leading newspaper and magazine journalists, who fail to inform the public.

Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO's War on Libya and Africa

by Maximilian Forte

Synopsis

A comprehensive analysis, this book examines all the justifications and myths about the war on Libya and methodically dismantles them. It delineates the documentary history of events, processes, and decisions that led up to the war while underscoring its resulting consequences. Arguing that NATO’s war is part of a larger process of militarizing U.S. relations with Africa—which sees the development of the Pentagon’s AFRICOM as being in competition with Pan-African initiative—this account shows that Western relations with a “rehabilitated” Libya were shaky at best, mired in distrust, and exhibiting a preference for regime change.

Thanks, Jerome.

This comes out next month:

The RAF's Air War in Libya: New Conflicts in the Era of Austerity

by Dave Sloggett

Synopsis

The uprising in Libya in the spring of 2011 took the world by surprise. The Gaddafi regime's brutal attempts at suppressing the uprising, however, soon prompted the international community to respond. NATO agreed to impose a no-fly zone across Libya, which was led by Britain, France and the USA.For the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the deployment of RAF and Royal Navy assets in support of UN Resolution 1973, came at a time when severe cuts to the UK's defense spending were in the process of being enacted. With the Royal Navy aircraft carriers and their Harrier jets no longer available, would the UK be able to mount operations 3,000 miles away?In this, the first book to analyze the Libyan campaign, David Sloggett details the causes of the uprising, and examines each stage of the war through to its termination with the death of Colonel Gaddafi.In conclusion, Dr. Sloggett considers the future prospects for a post-Gaddafi Libya and, more significantly, how NATO in general and Britain in particular, will respond to similar events in the future.

Benghazi: The Definitive Report

by Brandon Webb (no photo)

Synopsis:

Written by the team of former Special Operations warriors who run SOFREP.com, here is the definitive account of what happened before, during, and after the deadly Benghazi attack.


On September 12th, 2012, Brandon Webb learned Glen Doherty, one of his closest friends and his former Navy SEAL teammate, was killed alongside Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and two other Americans when the U.S. State Department and CIA headquarters in Benghazi, Libya, were sieged in a shocking terrorist attack. For the next four months, Webb and his team at SOFREP.com, the world's premier Special Ops website, embarked on a relentless investigation to understand exactly what happened to their countrymen, as well as the roles played by the Obama administration, State Department, and CIA. Drawing on unmatched sources, they spoke to individuals who would talk to no one else, including fellow Special Operations team members familiar with the African theatre, and well-placed contacts in the Washington intelligence community. This is their report--an unforgettably gripping minute-by-minute narrative of the events and their aftermath as they really unfolded on that terrible day in Libya.

Under Fire: A Night of Terror and Courage in Benghazi

by Fred Burton (no photo)

Synopsis:

The explosive inside account of the attack against the U.S. diplomatic and intelligence outposts in Benghazi, Libya

On the night of September 11, 2012, the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, Libya, came under ferocious attack by a heavily armed group of Islamic terrorists. The prolonged firefight, and the attack hours later on a nearby CIA outpost, resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the American ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, the Information Officer, Sean Smith, and two former Navy SEALs, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, working for the Central Intelligence Agency.

After the fall of Qaddafi, Benghazi was transformed into a hotbed of fundamentalist fervor and a den of spies for the northern half of the African continent. Moreover, it became the center of gravity for terrorist groups strategically situated in the violent whirlwinds of the Arab Spring. On the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, a group of heavily armed Islamic terrorists had their sights set on the U.S. diplomatic and intelligence presence in the city.

Based on the exclusive cooperation of eyewitnesses and confidential sources within the intelligence, diplomatic, and military communities, Fred Burton and Samuel M. Katz reveal for the first time the terrifying twelve-hour ordeal confronted by Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, his Diplomatic Security (DS) contingent, and the CIA security specialists who raced to rescue them.

More than just the minute-by-minute narrative of a desperate last stand in the midst of an anarchic rebellion, Under Fire is an inspiring testament to the bravery and selflessness of the men and women who put their country first while serving in one of the most dangerous regions in the world.

Thanks for the adds Jerome

An upcoming book:
Release date: June 3, 2014

Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels

by Andrei Netto (no photo)

Synopsis:

In February 2011, Andrei Netto, a reporter for O Estado de São Paulo , one of Brazil’s main newspapers, traveled without permission into a region of Libya controlled by the regime, aiming to cover the first armed revolution of the Arab Spring. One of the first foreigners to reveal to the world the extent of the uprisings, he spoke to hundreds of Libyans, including many of the students, shopkeepers, doctors, teachers, and intellectuals who armed themselves with rifles, grenades, and anti-aircraft guns to attack the armored vehicles of an illegitimate regime responsible for 42 years of torture, murder, and terrorism. This is their story. A unique and memorable account of a revolutionary war, Bringing Down Gaddafi provides previously unpublished information about the Libyan conflict, including the circumstances of Gaddafi’s death, behind the scenes diplomacy at the UN Security Council, and the supply of weapons to the Libyan rebels from abroad. Andrei Netto’s testimony alerts the world to the atrocities committed by both sides in the conflict ended with Muammar Gaddafi’s summary execution on the outskirts of his home city. Netto provides a powerful journalistic narrative with the spirit of a road movie and the elements of suspense worthy of a thriller.

Another upcoming book on Benghazi:
Release date: June 24, 2014

Dark Forces: The Truth about What Happened in Benghazi

by Ken Timmerman (no photo)

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Warriors investigates the tragedy of Benghazi to answer the questions: what really happened--and why?

We know the Obama administration's story, of a demonstration caused by an Internet movie that went out of control. But what actually did happen in Benghazi on the night of September 11, 2012?

Dark Forces is the story of clandestine arms deliveries by the United States and its allies to Libya that wound up in the hands of Islamist guerrillas. It's a story of a romantic diplomat, in love with the Middle East and with a mystical version of Islam. It's a story of bald-faced lies, heroic acts, and the deepest corruption.

But Dark Forces is not only a retelling of events. It puts those events into the larger context of Obama administration policy toward the Middle East. It will examine the administration's record of systematically supporting Muslim Brotherhood and extremist groups in their efforts to overthrow pro-U.S. autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.

It shows how President Obama's obsessive outreach to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran led the Iranian regime to dismiss him as a weak, ineffective leader who would not fight back. And it shows why and how this deadly combination cost the lives of four Americans on Sept. 11, 2012.

There has been a patch of them - thanks Jerome.

Another on the same subject:
Release date: September 30, 2014

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi

by Mitchell Zuckoff

Synopsis:

13 Hours presents, for the first time ever, the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there. Those men went beyond the call of duty, performing extraordinary acts of courage and heroism, to avert tragedy on a much larger scale. This is their personal account, never before told, of what happened during the thirteen hours of that now-infamous attack.

13 Hours sets the record straight on what happened during a night that has been shrouded in mystery and controversy. Written by New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff, this riveting book takes readers into the action-packed story of heroes who laid their lives on the line for one another, for their countrymen, and for their country.

13 Hours is a stunning, eye-opening, and intense book--but most importantly, it is the truth. The story of what happened to these men--and what they accomplished--is unforgettable.

I think I will have to read this one, Jerome.

by Mitchell Zuckoff

Another book on this conflict:
Release date: February 1, 2015

The Libyan Revolution and Its Aftermath

by Peter Cole (no photo)

Synopsis:

This book offers a novel, incisive and wide-ranging account of Libya's '17 February Revolution' by tracing how critical towns, communities and political groups helped to shape its course. Each community, whether geographical (e.g. Misrata, Zintan), tribal/communal (e.g. Beni Walid) or political (e.g. the Muslim Brotherhood) took its own path into the uprisings and subsequent conflict of 2011, according to their own histories and relationship to Muammar Qadhafi's regime.

The story of each group is told by the authors, based on reportage and expert analysis, from the outbreak of protests in Benghazi in February 2011 through to the transitional period following the end of fighting in October 2011. They describe the emergence of Libya's new politics through the unique stories of those who made it happen, or those who fought against it.

The Libyan Revolution and its Aftermath brings together leading journalists, academics, and specialists, each with extensive field experience amidst the constituencies they depict, drawing on interviews with fighters, politicians and civil society leaders who have contributed their own account of events to this volume.

Some good offerings Jerome

An amazing eye-witness history of the Libyan Revolution.

Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution

by Lindsey Hilsum (no photo)

Synopsis:

Over a quarter century, the renowned British international correspondent Lindsey Hilsum has covered crisis and conflict around the world. In February 2011, at the first stirrings of revolt, she went to Libya, and began to chronicle the personal stories of people living through a time of unprecedented danger and opportunity. She reported the progress of the revolution on the ground, from the conflict of the early months, through the toppling of Gaddafi’s regime and his savage death in the desert. In Sandstorm, she tells the full story of the events of the revolution within a rich context of Libya’s history of colonialism, monarchy and dictatorship, and explores what the future of Libya holds.

Sandstorm follows the stories of six individuals, taking us inside Gaddafi’s Libya as events unfold, change accelerates, and those who had never before dared to speak, tell their stories for the first time. We see the dynamics of the insurrection both from inside the regime and through the eyes of the men and women who found themselves starting a revolution. Woven into her account is a revelatory exposé of the dysfunctional Gaddafi family, the scale of whose excesses almost surpasses belief. She tells the stories of Libyans who lived in the United States or Europe, but went home to risk everything to provide secret intelligence, or commit daring acts of civil disobedience, to bring the regime down, knowing that the punishment if caught would be torture and death.

The fall of Gaddafi, who was for forty-two years the great autocrat-madman on the world stage, is among the past decade’s most dramatic pivot points. In Lindsey Hilsum, it has found its definitive chronicler.

The promise of democracy has not worked out as had been hoped.

The Arab Spring Uprisings

by Hal Marcovitz (no photo)

Synopsis:

In 2010 and 2011, the oppressed peoples of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and other Middle East and North Africa nations rose up against long-entrenched dictatorships. This era, known as the Arab Spring, helped bring the promise of democracy to millions of people who, during their lifetimes, never had the opportunities to select their own leaders. But transitions to democracy have not been seamless in these countries as many of them have faced armed conflict and even civil war.

The New Middle East: The World After the Arab Spring

by Paul Danahar (no photo)

Synopsis:

For the past forty years the story of the Middle East has been simple. The news images flashing across our TV screens from the Middle East provoked anger, outrage and, sometimes military action from the international community. But now the handful of dictators who ruled over hundreds of millions of people with an iron fist are locked up, exiled, fighting for their lives or buried in unmarked graves, leaving behind countries in turmoil. Saddam Hussein, Assad, Ben Ali, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak all lived lives of cartoonish excess, stalked their own people, snatched them from their beds and murdered them before their children. The West propped these men up because, so the story went, the alternative was states falling under the influence of the communist block or later into the arms of radical Islam.

That narrative of the old Middle East lasted as long as the old Arab dictators did. But now these men are gone. In 2011 the people of the western world realised for the first time that the people of the Arab world weren't all brooding fanatics who needed to be kept in check by a reign of terror. If now is the first time that they can speak openly then it is also our first chance to listen. We can ask what kind of societies they are going to build and learn how their decisions will change our lives. The countries engulfed by the Arab Spring -Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria - are on a journey from dictatorship to democracy and together they will shape a New Middle East. Danahar also reveals the quiet but equally profound revolution going in Israel where tensions between religious and secular Jews are threatening the fabric of society. He investigates how that and the changing regional dynamics while shape the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Libyan Revolution: Diary of Qadhafi's newsgirl in London

by Karen Dabrowska (no photo)

Synopsis:

The Libyan revolution has been extensively covered by the international news media since its inception to the toppling of Qadhafi's regime. But how did the regime's media react to events? Karen Dabrowska was the London correspondent of the official Libyan news agency, JANA, and was in the eye of the storm monitoring the media and covering events in London. Perhaps the only Westerner working in a Libyan government institution she kept a diary from the start of NATO's bombing campaign until the ousting of Qadhafi's regime. The diary describes what is was like working for the Libyans, the office politics, the mentality of the officials and the articles she wrote. The era of government news agencies may be coming to an end. This book provides a unique perspective on the Libyan revolution.

Libya: A Contemporary Conflict in a Failing State

by Progressive Management (no photo)

Synopsis:

The Arab Spring spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and what started in hope quickly devolved into struggles for formal and informal power. Violence in Libya was intensified by institutions' inabilities to maintain governance, contain violence, and quell the rise of armed groups. Power in Libya is in constant contention by opportunistic tribal and regional militias, Islamist groups, and government and military power brokers. Libya is on the verge of becoming a failed state; allowing Libya to fail will have local, regional, and international repercussions. The challenge is to understand why the loosely formed alliances between government and tribal, regional, and Islamist militias are falling apart. The introduction of the Islamic State in Libya increases the urgency for these disparate groups to resolve their differences. This thesis concludes that Gaddafi nurtured a sentiment of distrust between the people, Islamists, and government institutions. This trust deficit in post-revolutionary Libya has stymied cooperation and progress. Any meaningful solutions will have to address the core issue of social trust, the emergence of the Islamic State, and economic weakness before reconciliation or reforms can occur.

Libya: The Rise and Fall of Quddafi

by Alison Pargeter (no photo)

Synopsis:

For a reader unfamiliar with the history of Libya, Muammar Qaddafi might be mistaken for a character in fiction. His eccentric leadership as the nation's "Brother Leader," his repressive regime, sponsorship of terrorist violence, unique vision of the state, and relentless hold on power all seem implausibly extreme. This riveting book documents the extraordinary reality of Qaddafi's rise and 42-year reign. It also explores the tenacious popular uprising that finally defeated him and the possibilities for Libya as the future unfolds.

Alison Pargeter, an author with deep understanding of Libya's history and people, explains what led up to Qaddafi's bloodless coup in 1969 and how he proceeded to translate his highly personalized vision into political, economic, and social policy. She discusses his tight-knit networks, the crises he overcame—including sanctions after the Lockerbie bombing in 1988—as well as his astounding maneuverings in the early 2000s to restore tattered relations with the West. Pargeter provides a thoroughly fascinating analysis of the 2011 revolt and uncovers the full details of Qaddafi's downfall. She concludes by introducing the new power brokers in post-Qaddafi Libya as well as the variety of knotty challenges that now confront them.