The invitation that Libya has extended to President George W. Bush for a visit to the country has not come as a surprise. What was once a so-called pariah state, under Muammar Gaddafi, Libya had toned down its anti-America rhetoric in the recent months and begun making efforts to woo the West.
What would be the likely scenario in the event of a Bush visit?
Dear readers, Gaddafi's critics say such a visit will help the world know how Gaddafi mismanaged his country and that the American president will have an opportunity to have a direct look at the state of affairs there. Gaddafi rules Libya with an iron fist and has given no freedom to the press to present facts as facts.
So much so that some websites are the only source of real information for the Libyans. That was so ever since the Gaddafi revolution that overthrew the Libyan king in a 1969 coup. Today, he is the longest serving Arab leader, presiding over the destiny of five million people. The fact is also that Gaddafi has not allowed any opposition to his governance. A visit by Bush, if it takes place, will be a matter of celebration for the democracy aspirants in Libya.
There is no doubt that Libya is changing. Its abandonment of the weapons programme and admission of guilt for its past acts, leading to renewal of diplomatic relations with Washington last year, was a major turn-around. And Libya is taking itself to market-driven economy, a far cry from the socialistic pattern that Gaddafi had advocated by way his Third Universal Theory — as an alternative to capitalism and Marxism, and as enunciated in his Green Book.
Perhaps Gaddafi himself had in course of time developed doubts about his theory. That was why, in later years, private enterprise was partially acceptable. Now, that process is getting activated under a reform process. But, the point that is often highlighted is that Libyans have suffered for several decades, as they didn't get what's their due.
Libya has everything that should make it a developed nation. It has high quality oil that fetches 30 percent of a 34-billion dollar GDP. Belated though, with foreign investments being allowed in, Libya's oil production capacity is being increased, the target being 2 million barrels per day by 2010.
Add to this the fact that it is placed in the best geographical position, with a long stretch of beauteous beach-line spread along the Mediterranean. Libya, with a progressive leadership, could have been minting money from tourism. Properly developed, it could have been one of the best tourism destinations for those from Europe and the Middle East, not to mention about the rest of the world.
Despite the resources at its command, Libya has had hard times. Sanctions since 1986 has cost the country an estimated 30 billion dollars in lost businesses, due to its so called pariah status. That Gaddafi is changing with the times is a good sign. A reformed Gaddafi has, in recent times, called upon Iran and North Korea to abandon its nuclear pursuits. This, from a leader who himself had, under Western pressure, abandoned alleged nuclear ambitions in the past.
A Bush visit will mean, on one side, that Gaddafi, with Western backing, can hope to speed up the economic reform process that he has initiated in recent times, that will ensure a better life for Libyans. More importantly, on the other, the visit will give a major push for a political reform process there, that will eventually give the people the freedom they are yearning for long, and much more. It would also mean major improvements in the human rights scenario. That will be Bush's mission in Libya.
Written by Mohammed Galadari
