I for one am a big fan of justice, certainly see it as superior to and very distinct from the rule of law. Great to have both, but if you can only have one, justice is most important.

I also am a big fan or reconciliation. In stable countries, such as the US, with such tremendous philosophical divides between the left and the right, "reconciliation" is still difficult if measured by how well the two sides work together following a shift of power. That's something we should work on. In a country where violent, illegal means are necessary to effect a change of government reconciliation is every bit as important to moving forward, but so much harder to achieve when blood is spilled.

If oil is what lubricates the reconciliation process in Libya, then thank god for oil.

As to the "new government of Libya" and the men who took out Qaddafi; they are really one and the same, two distinct aspects of the same movement for change. I hope that those who are scrambling for power positions do not throw those who are elevating them through physical action to those positions under the bus. History shows that some degree of violent retaliation is sadly universal (though largely written out of US history books, the Loyalists suffered). Often it is horrific, and no culture or religion is immune from this aspect of human nature. This will be messy, but if they stay focused on shifting the focus from punishing the old to one of building the new as soon as possible they will have a chance at both justice and reconciliation in a new Libya.