Libya

Dispatch: Deepening Polarization in Libya, No Agreement in Sight

By Karim Mezran

More than two years since Libyans and international forces overthrew longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, Libya suffers from fragmentation as competing forces vie to fill the power vacuum. An emerging and worrying trend of political blocs within the General National Congress (GNC) forming alliances with certain militia groups—creating new and divisive power centers—threatens to derail the […]

What Libya Can Learn from Yemen

By Danya Greenfield

Libya-watchers should be encouraged by the initiation of the country’s National Dialogue last month and an election date set for the constitution-making body on February 20, both of which give much-needed positive momentum to lift Libya out of the cycle of violence and recrimination.

US and Partners Complete Destruction of Libya’s Chemical Weapons

By Eric Schmitt, New York Times

Even as the international effort to destroy Syria’s vast chemical weapons stockpile lags behind schedule, a similar American-backed campaign carried out under a cloak of secrecy ended successfully last week in another strife-torn country, Libya.

Libya: From Discordant Discourse To National Dialogue

By Lara Talverdian and Katherina Pruegel

Libya’s seemingly insurmountable challenges—from deteriorating security to a hampered economy to political paralysis—stem from the reality that, within Libya, there is no national conversation about the future of the country. Instead, there are multiple ongoing conversations, as various stakeholders assert (and in some cases forcefully impose) their niche demands in the absence of a shared […]

France Dismisses Military Call for Intervention in Libya

By Libya Herald and AP

From Libya Herald:  France has firmly rebuffed suggestions that it should join an international force and intervene in the south of Libya to end instability there and prevent it becoming a regional base for Al Qaeda.

Libya: Facing Economic Collapse in 2014

By Mohsin Khan and Svetlana Milbert

Oil is the driving force of the Libya economy. Oil and gas production account for 65 percent of the country’s GDP, 96 percent of exports, and 98 percent of government revenues. As such, developments in the oil sector directly affect the overall economy and show up almost immediately in the growth of real GDP.

Mezran and Pickard on Libya’s Constitution-Making Process

By MENASource

Libya’s future as a democracy hinges on the constitution-drafting process and the ability of the constituent assembly to consider and adequately address major political and security challenges. The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center released an issue brief today, titled “Negotiating Libya’s Constitution,” authored by senior fellow Karim Mezran and nonresident fellow Duncan Pickard. The brief details […]

Negotiating Libya’s Constitution

As Libya embarks on drafting a new constitution and convening a national dialogue, the country faces significant security obstacles which threaten progress on these important milestones. On Wednesday, January 22, 2014, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East launched a new issue brief, “Negotiating Libya’s Constitution,” coauthored by senior fellow Karim Mezran and nonresident […]