The artificiality of Libya is covered in the first link(bottom of page 1). 3 disparate cultures jammed together by Italy into a Colonial Ugly Baby. Probably would have gotten unrested much earlier if not for the Colonel's muscle.

The haphazard treatment of AQ by this country is a damn old operational definition. The US funded and armed AQ in the 1980s. Once we pronounced ourselves satisfied in Afghanistan, the project got characteristically abandoned. 1990s attacks, especially the Cole, produced vague threats to do something. In 2001, we openly negotiated with AQ's congenial host, the Taliban, to build an oil pipeline. 9/11 changed all that. We attacked Iraq, and became AQs faithful recruiter.

Everything but coherence.