Author Alison Pargeter picks up the debate about Libya and al Qaeda in this morning’s
Times (£), dismissing the idea that a new “jihadist hotspot” is being created.
As I wrote some time ago, it is difficult even for people who have travelled in eastern Libya to know anything for sure. I hear from sources in Benghazi that the Islamists number among some of the better troops – having had training and experience in fighting. They offer what one person called “small unit cohesion”, in contrast to poorly-organised rebel force. But they do not seem to run or even hold sway over the movement.
The bigger question in Libya right now, however, seems to be this: who can survive a stalemate – Colonel Ghaddafi or the rebels? Both face serious problems. The dictator has to overcome the maritime blockade, replenish his troops and ensure people don’t rise up against him.
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