During his 42 years in power, Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi's
unpredictable behavior has become the stuff of legend. But on one issue Qaddafi
was remarkably consistent: He was unrelentingly obsessed with purchasing a
massive arsenal of weapons from whoever was offering them. As a result, much of
Libya resembles one vast arms bazaar -- a museum of curiosities for arms
inspectors, and a gallery of horror for those concerned about the safety of
civilians. With the collapse of Qaddafi's control in eastern Libya, vast amounts
of weapons and munitions are now up for grabs, often to whoever gets there
first.
I have been traveling around eastern Libya for most of the
past six weeks, since the first days of the regime's collapse, trying to
establish a record of the ongoing human rights abuses in the country. Human Rights
Watch has been investigating the large-scale killings of protesters by
Qaddafi's forces in February, as well as the more recent possible
forced disappearance of hundreds of people into the custody of Qaddafi's
fighters at the front. Reporting from eastern Libya has been a roller-coaster
ride: I have witnessed the euphoria of the uprising's early days, as Libyans celebrated
their newfound freedom, to the despair of just a few weeks ago as Qaddafi's forces
were once again at the gates of Benghazi. For many in eastern Libya now coming
to grips with the limitations of their own untrained and unskilled rebels, the
future remains uncertain. For these people, there is no middle ground -- either
the rebellion succeeds, or they face certain death if Qaddafi regains control
of the East.
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