Libya divided by pro and anti regime activists

The rebellion in Libya against Colonel Qadhafi has graduated into a small scale war fought between two groups; one with the strength in armour and aircraft and the other lightly armed with little or no armoured vehicles and no air support. The confrontation was entirely precipitated by a regime in Tripoli which is determined, as it always has been, to survive at whatever cost to the country and its people.

The eastern region and particularly Benghazi has chosen to challenge the regime of Colonel Qadhafi without benefit of planning, training or provision for a bloody conflict. In particular, it has so far ignored the lessons of the North Africa campaigns of the Second World War which demonstrated the key importance of logistics on a war front that runs for hundreds of km in a fine and discontinuous line parallel with the Mediterranean Sea coast.

The movement of troops, munitions and support facilities along this littoral corridor is vulnerable to disruption as supply lines become attenuated. The inability of rebel forces to support the uprising in Tripoli, Zawiya, Misurata and other centres west of the Gulf of Sirte is a testimony to this fact and possibly will be a principal obstacle to prosecution of a successful war by those opposed to the Qadhafis.

For more news and expert analysis about Libya, please see Libya Focus and Libya Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates