With the revolutions occurring in Egypt and Tunisia, 2011 has already been known as a major year of revolution in the Middle East, and many journalists have taken to calling it the Arab Spring.
The latest nation to look to overthrow an oppressive leader, Libya, has been controlled by Muammar al-Gaddafi for 42 years now. Protesters in Libya have taken to the streets of Benghazi, the country's second-largest city, and have demanded that Gaddafi step down.
Unfortunately, there is a good possibility that these protests may end up being much more violent than what occurred in Egypt and Tunisia. The threat of significant violence and casualties is much higher this time around.
This is primarily for two reasons. One is that, as of yet, Gaddafi has essentially refused to acknowledge these protests, stating that he has no intention of stepping down anytime soon.
This is different from Egypt, where Mubarak acknowledged the dissenting opinions, and originally planned to step down in September. Only when the riots grew more severe did he finally step down.
The second reason Libya's revolution poses a more serious threat is the fact that Libya's military supports Gaddafi's regime. Again, this contrasts from Egypt, where the military took a neutral stance during protests.
With Libya's military supporting Gaddafi, there's a good chance things will quickly turn violent, and the protestors will be brutally attacked by Libyan troops. While it can't be assumed that this will happen, there is certainly reason to suspect it.
The Spectrum believes that the smartest thing Gaddafi could do is acknowledge the demands of the protestors and leave office. Unfortunately, we are also realistic enough to know that probably won't happen anytime soon.
Gaddafi has made it clear that he has no intention to leave power, and at this point, we are taking him at his word.
With that said, we strongly encourage the United Nations to condemn these attacks. At this point in time, we don't believe there is a need for an outside military presence in Libya. If the violence gets out of control, however, that may change.
The manner in which this situation will play out depends on just how stubborn Gaddafi is. If he ends up being like Mubarak, and eventually realizes the need for him to leave office, this situation could have a happy ending.
If he continues to ignore the demands of these protestors, the amount of violence could increase drastically, and this could become one of the biggest tragedies in modern history. What Gaddafi does next will determine everything.
