World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (October 21, 2011)

These days the world media are publishing a lot of articles devoted to the recent death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the notorious Libyan dictator, who ruled the country for over forty years until a popular uprising overthrew his regime. Several authors muse on the way Gaddafi's death will change the current political situation in the Middle East, while many believe that the Arab Spring will lead to an expansion of extremism and Islamic radicalism.

The Washington Post published an article by David Ignatius headlined  'Obama chose the right course on Libya.' According to the author, the Libyan dictator's death shows that the US adopted the right policy on the Arab uprisings. The fear that the collapse of secular regimes in the region, which most commonly took the form of a military dictatorship, as it was with Colonel Gaddafi or Egypt's Mubarak,  will lead to an expansion of Islamism, is quite understandable, says Ignatius. It will be very hard for Libyans to form a democratic and secular state, he adds. Still, he is certain that US policy on Libya was wise and successful, calling the Libyan war Obama's 'symbolic' victory.

The New York Times launched a discussion of the possible effect Gaddafi's death will have on the Middle East, publishing several articles on the subject. Shadi Hamid, in an article entitled 'Will Syrians Seek Outside Help?', says that the death of the Libyan dictator has shown other Arab countries that, even though dictatorships may last for forty years, they cannot last for ever. That will encourage the Syrian rebels and protesters in other Arab countries, the author believes. At the same, Ed Hussain in his article 'The Real Risks of Chaos' expresses the fear that Gaddafi's death could lead to a growth of radicalism and the anti-Western mood in the Arab world. It would be much better if the Colonel had been put on trial after capture, Hussain says.

The Los Angeles Times published an article headlined 'Libya rejoices at Moammar Kadafi's death' by Jeffrey Fleishman and Patrick J. McDonnell. The authors agree that Islamists in Libya, as in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, appear to be among the most organized political forces in the aftermath of the revolutions that swept the region this year. This explains why so many observers are worried about these countries' future. Still, Libya now has a chance to form a free democratic government, the authors say, quoting President Barack Obama, who believes that "this (the death of Gaddafi - VK) marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya, who now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny in a new and democratic Libya."