Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post
There has been a great deal of spontaneous community organization in Libya, which has offset much of the institutional disorganization (or even lack of institutions, which was a hallmark of Qadaffi's rule). There is also a widespread sense of 'ownership" of the revolution by the people themselves--a sharp contrast to US regime change in Iraq. Most of the "looting" has involved carting off souvenirs from Qaddafi palaces or regime security installations.

In Benghazi, I was struck by 1) how little formal SSR had been undertaken, although by that point the NTC had been in control for 5 months--most of the policing was still volunteer; 2) how well it worked--the place seemed considerably safer than a great many non-conflict cities.

Unlike Egypt (or even Iraq), the regular civil police do not seem to have been associated in the popular mind with domestic repression, which undoubtedly will help in reconstituting them.
Thank you very much for this insight. I think as you point out this idea of ownership is key. Is it odd that the more I watch event unfold in Lybia the more I think "I'd really like to visit". There is something about the people, whether it is simply romanticism, I don't know. Lybians just strike me as a nice bunch of people, the Gaddafi clan aside. Tripoli, from its skyline at least looks to be booming (honestly no pun intended). So hurry up NTC I want to come on holiday.