How the US influenced the change of regime in North Africa (Libya)
Introduction
The US-Libyan relations have gradually developed since 2003. This happened when the Government of Libya accepted to take liability for its actions to do away with their dangerous weapons of mass extermination that bombed Pan Am flight 103. The US responded by gradually removing its sanctions. On May 15, 2006, the government of Bush publicized its intentions to re-establish diplomatic relations with Libya, which were restored on May 31, 2006, when the liaison office of the United States in Tripoli was upgraded to be an embassy. In June 2006, Libya was excluded from countries that supported terrorism and states against US efforts to finish terrorism. Disagreements hindered the re-engagement between the US and Libya due to the supposed killing of the US people in Libyan supported or sponsored terrorist attacks (Blanchard, 2010). This paper, therefore, examines the influence of the US on a change of regime in Libya.
The relation between Libya and the US has remained unsettled since the 19th century. This was when the United Nations awarded Libya independence in the year 1951. By this time, the US had had a military presence in Libya. The US’sUS’s presence was deepened by the discovery of oil in Libya in 1963 (Blanchard, 2010). The oil leads to US companies gaining high concessions and strengthened US military presence in Libya. In 1969 Libya’sLibya’s revolutionary coup abolished the pro-US monarchy. This led to a restructuring of relations. As a consequence of the restriction, Libya’sLibya’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi, shifted policies to undermine interests.
Gaddafi sponsored many terrorist groups from 1979, aided by huge oil wealth. This made the US cut diplomatic relations and imposes sanctions for two decades. The harsh measurements made Gaddafi intensity his anti-US actions. Gaddafi continued to target US interests (Intoccia, 1987). He was responsible for the deadly acts against the US nations. He became the number one US public enemy and target of US air raids on Tripoli in April 1986. The wealth he gained from oil gave him a false perception that he could do as wished with ease.
Terrorism activities in the 1980s and 1990s are evident that Gaddafi sponsored their increase. The US reacted by blasting Gaddafi’sGaddafi’s house in April 1986 to destabilize his regime by aiding domestic opposition. Gaddafi was accused of attacking an American civilian airliner in the town of Lockerbie. In 2003 the Gaddafi regime embarked on restoring relations with the US by abandoning its weapons of mass destruction activities and engaging in direct negotiations with the United States. Following the United Nations’Nations’ imposition of the Libyan sponsored airliner of international isolation (Blanchard, 2010).
His commitment to ending Libya’sLibya’s weapons of mass destruction pronounced further steps towards a changed relationship with the international communities, and United States promised to lend his aid to violent political movements by December 2003. In October 2007, Libya was selected as a temporal member of the United Nations Security Council. In January 2008, Libya was given the presidency of the council. The United States government further declared numerous measures in February 2006, which induced US passports to travel to or through Libya.US President Bush issued an executive order 13357 on September 20, 2004, which ended most of the economic punishment against Libya. He allowed transport via planes between the US and Libya. He also released one billion dollars in Libyan benefits that were frozen in the United States. On the export of defense articles to Libya, Bush offered two waivers of Arms Export Control Act restrictions on September 28, 2005 (Intoccia, 1987). The US companies benefited from this waiver, which allowed them to be part of Libya’sLibya’s effort to eliminate its chemical and all to refurbish the eight C-130 transport plans. The Bush Administration on 15th may 2006 made clear its intentions to reinstitute complete diplomatic associations with Libya to repeal the listing that Libya is one of the countries that were against US efforts to counter terrorists (Blanchard, 2010). On May 31, full diplomatic relations were reinstated during the United States improvement of the Liaison office to an embassy. The congregational notification for the cancellation of the title of Libya’sLibya’s terrorism listing ended on June 30, 2006. In addition, there was a removal of limitations that barred trade relations between Libya and the US. Moreover, the US Ammunition exports of articles were banned in September 2006; the President of the United States signed the Iran freedom support Act, which was to remove Libya from the terms of the Iran and Libya punishment before the full ambassadorial plans to reinstate relations with Libya. Congress members further supported US assignation in reaction to Libya’s decision to eliminate their weapons of mass demolition.
According to Blanchard, 2010 the members of the Congress wanted to obtain assurance that the Government of Libya would decide all US victims’ privileges through the following plans;
Congressional efforts on behalf of US terrorism victims
The Congress is concerned about the magnificent authorized claims of US violent causalities convoyed by efforts to reestablish relations of diplomacy between Libya and the US for a long time. Congregational distresses were unique circumstances, for instance, the 1986 blasting of the La Belle night club and the Bombing of Pan Am flight of 1988.
The FY 2008 foreign operations request and assistance prohibition
Funds worth 1.15 million dollars were appealed by the administration to support new programs for Libya. The Act was signed to aid any assistance for Libya directly.
Delay of new embassy construction
The Liaison office situated in Tripoli was improved to promote full relations with the United States. Libyan demonstrators had attacked and burned the US embassy. Security negotiations and funding led to the delay of the reconstruction of the embassy.
Nominations of US-Libya ambassador
Gene A. Cretz was nominated by President Bush as a US ambassador to Libya in July 2007, who was a career foreign service officer and had acted as the deputy chief of His confirmation was held due to the delay of response to congressional concerns.
Comprehensive settlement agreement
A comprehensive claims settlement agreement was signed by the US and Libya to provide an establishment of the humanitarian settled fund. The establishment of the settled fund pushed for this agreement to increase contributions to cushion this humanitarian Act.
FY 2008 foreign operations request
Moreover, the US president influenced the change of regime in Libya by demanding 350,000 dollars to educate and train the Libyan security forces. This created vast links between the US and Libya since their security forces had international military experience.
On July 31, July 31 2008, the Libyan President made a comprehensive settlement determination to deliver compensations to all nations of the United States that were affected by terrorism. Libyan Claims Resolution Act was formed by the President to aid the process. A bill that approved Libya to distribute settlement funds to the US was passed. On August 4 August 4, 2008, President Bush signed the Act. In November, President Bush made a direct call to Muammar al Gaddafi to acknowledge the final verdict of the settlement agreement (Blanchard, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper has provided an insight into the relations between the US and Libya. The political reforms, efforts, and the reviews of the US interest in Libya and how the Government of Libya is to solve issues it created with the US due to its support to the terrorism and violent political agencies. It has also discussed the plans implemented by both the US and Libya to restore their diplomatic relations in which some of the plans were held due to the delay of others. Therefore, the Government of the United stated should be applauded for its concern to bring democracy to North African countries.