Charles Dunne
By Charles Dunne, Stephen McInerney and Karim Mezran
Deborah Jones is scheduled to appear tomorrow before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on her nomination as the new US ambassador to Libya. This will present a stark reminder of the events that took the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans on September 11, 2012. Since that tragedy, the United States has understandably focused on bringing those responsible for it to justice and taking steps to bolster diplomatic security. But as a result, the United States has largely disengaged from Libya’s democratic transition. This transition is critical — not only for Libya but also for the security and political stability of its neighbours — and the United States is essential to its success.
To be sure, Libya’s challenges are daunting. The Benghazi attacks, the recent car bombing at the French Embassy in Tripoli and frequent assaults on government ministries give the appearance of a country out of control. Armed groups remain an obstacle to stability, frequently disrupting the political process through intimidation and violence. Institutions remain dilapidated, dysfunctional and strikingly weak. Certainly, security is paramount to ensuring that all the key components to build stability fall into place: Constitutional negotiations, job creation, attraction of foreign investment and legal reform are among many items on the agenda. Questions about the political role of Gadhafi-era officials, private-sector development and border control have yet to be answered.
These obstacles amplify the necessity of US re-engagement in Libya. The United States has important national security interests in North Africa, including the need to combat growing regional terrorist networks, to prevent a destabilising flow of loose arms to the broader Middle East and to avoid an influx of refugees to Europe. Politically, a successful transition in Libya would be a comforting and important model for democracies emerging elsewhere in the region. Greater engagement can make Libya a bulwark against, rather than a catalyst for, regional instability.
A rare combination of characteristics exists in Libya that may facilitate US efforts. Ranked “Partly Free” in Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom in the World publication, Libya succeeded in holding free and fair parliamentary elections in July and registered one of the most substantial one-year improvements in the report’s nearly 40-year history. The country’s vast oil wealth, coupled with its relatively small and homogenous population (6.5 million citizens), enables Libya to finance its development with only modest foreign investments. Its burgeoning and vibrant civil society continues to make significant strides in the face of a weak state. Perhaps most important, after being isolated from the international community for decades, the political will to succeed and positive popular sentiment toward the US open a door that was once firmly shut. But continued disengagement threatens the United States’ opportunity to make a constructive contribution.
The eight-month absence of an ambassador has undermined the US role in Libya’s transition, but swift confirmation of a new ambassador would enable Washington to play a desperately needed leadership role. A strong US commitment to Libya is essential to the consolidation of its democratic transition, which would inspire confidence in a region struggling to overcome generations of
authoritarianism.
WP-BLOOMBERG
By Charles Dunne, Stephen McInerney and Karim Mezran
Deborah Jones is scheduled to appear tomorrow before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on her nomination as the new US ambassador to Libya. This will present a stark reminder of the events that took the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans on September 11, 2012. Since that tragedy, the United States has understandably focused on bringing those responsible for it to justice and taking steps to bolster diplomatic security. But as a result, the United States has largely disengaged from Libya’s democratic transition. This transition is critical — not only for Libya but also for the security and political stability of its neighbours — and the United States is essential to its success.
To be sure, Libya’s challenges are daunting. The Benghazi attacks, the recent car bombing at the French Embassy in Tripoli and frequent assaults on government ministries give the appearance of a country out of control. Armed groups remain an obstacle to stability, frequently disrupting the political process through intimidation and violence. Institutions remain dilapidated, dysfunctional and strikingly weak. Certainly, security is paramount to ensuring that all the key components to build stability fall into place: Constitutional negotiations, job creation, attraction of foreign investment and legal reform are among many items on the agenda. Questions about the political role of Gadhafi-era officials, private-sector development and border control have yet to be answered.
These obstacles amplify the necessity of US re-engagement in Libya. The United States has important national security interests in North Africa, including the need to combat growing regional terrorist networks, to prevent a destabilising flow of loose arms to the broader Middle East and to avoid an influx of refugees to Europe. Politically, a successful transition in Libya would be a comforting and important model for democracies emerging elsewhere in the region. Greater engagement can make Libya a bulwark against, rather than a catalyst for, regional instability.
A rare combination of characteristics exists in Libya that may facilitate US efforts. Ranked “Partly Free” in Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom in the World publication, Libya succeeded in holding free and fair parliamentary elections in July and registered one of the most substantial one-year improvements in the report’s nearly 40-year history. The country’s vast oil wealth, coupled with its relatively small and homogenous population (6.5 million citizens), enables Libya to finance its development with only modest foreign investments. Its burgeoning and vibrant civil society continues to make significant strides in the face of a weak state. Perhaps most important, after being isolated from the international community for decades, the political will to succeed and positive popular sentiment toward the US open a door that was once firmly shut. But continued disengagement threatens the United States’ opportunity to make a constructive contribution.
The eight-month absence of an ambassador has undermined the US role in Libya’s transition, but swift confirmation of a new ambassador would enable Washington to play a desperately needed leadership role. A strong US commitment to Libya is essential to the consolidation of its democratic transition, which would inspire confidence in a region struggling to overcome generations of
authoritarianism.
WP-BLOOMBERG
