Libya:Gaddafi's Guns Trigger Collapse_breanne moreno

http://www.ihavenet.com/Middle-East/Libya_Gaddafi_Guns-Trigger-Collapse_20121224-07.html




The sudden collapse of Malian state control in the north of the country in March came as a surprise to international analysis, who viewed the country as a model of democracy and development. France has shown their concern about the government's inability to tackle Al-Qaeda. A French research team had  begun to detect widespread northern discontent with the government. But few imagined that worrying long-term trends could so rapidly translate into a coup and a rebel takeover of the north, including the ancient city of Timbuktu.
The impact of Colonel Maummar Gaddafi's overthrow triggered the sudden return to mali of the thousands of Taureg fighters that Libya had recruited since the 1990's. The disintegration of the dictator's security forces flooded the Sahara with weaponry, easily affordable by Al-Qaeda and its allies who were flush with income from drugs trading and hostage ransoms.
Western powers appear to have neglected the impact on its sub-Saharan neighbors during their planning to support the Libyan revolution. This may reflect the institutional gulf in foreign ministries between sections focused on the Middle East and North Africa, including Libya, and the entirely seperate departments that deal with tropical Africa.
An African intervention force is set to join national troops to tackle the jihadist rebels who have begun to trash the Islamic heritage of Timbuktu and imposed a brutal version of Sharia. But even if the radical Islamists are pushed out of key towns, restoring security and creating a new social and political deal for the region will be a huge challenge.