Post Gaddafi Libya

The death of Libya's dictator satisfies the understandable desires of not only Libyans for revenge. Even our Prime Minister expressed her happiness some time earlier for the ousted dictator who gave shelter to those fugitives who had assassinated her father as well as our Father of The Nation. But questions remain about the manner of his death, and Libyans' interests would have been better served if he had been tried rather than killed. Libyans can celebrate, for there is an opportunity to rebuild the country. The dictator was a kind of authoritarian anarchist, laying waste to homegrown Libyan institutions and replacing them with his own creations, like undemocratic people's committees that served his whims. Although the images of late dictator's body being dragged through the streets are disturbing, one can understand why his death is being deliriously welcomed in Libya. Often regarded as a clown in the west, he was a brutal tyrant. His death removes the slim chance that he, or forces loyal to him, might stage a counter-coup. The National Transitional Council is still in a tenuous position, and this event signifies there is no going back. But what does the future hold? Gopal Sengupta Canada