Monday, February 28, 2011

US Links with Libyan opposition

Hillary Clinton mentioned talks with members of the Libyan opposition.  The response from Libyan opponents of the Qadhdhafi regime inside Libya was instant: they denied such links.  The de facto leader of the Libyan opposition, the former Minister of Justice, denied such contacts to Aljazeera and even scoffed at the implications.  I think that Hillary was talking to Libyan dissidents in exile.  As you know, a broad front of Libyan opposition groups (known then as the Salvation Front) received very generous funding from the US, especially during the Reagan regime.  They used to put out a glossy monthly magazine and had nice publications and brochures.  But the Front later fragmented and US support disappeared.  The exile groups are not likely to play a role in the future of Libya--unless Ahmad Chalabi is now leading Iraq and I did not know.