Arab Spring, Libyan Winter

The Arab Spring captivated the planet. Mass action overthrew Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The revolutionary wave spread to the far corners of the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain. People power produced this wave and continued to ride it out. In Libya though, social forces began to rebel against Qaddafi but were weak. In came the French, the US and UK forces, ushering in a Libyan winter that cast its shadow over the Arab Spring. This succinct, timely analysis situates the assault on Libya in the context of Middle Eastern revolt in 2011.