THE LIBYAN UPRISING.

The Libyan uprising has taken a new turn, or was it a final phase "in front of the curve" for its leader of the past forty-two years, Moammar Gadhafi, to realize that he has lost the support of his people and therefore he must call it quits. It has gone to become a civil war, with him attacking the majority of the Libyan people, by using mercenaries and foreigners, for the most part.

The Free Libya liberation army has reached the capital, Tripoli, and has captured much of it, except perhaps the compound, which has been the last post of Gadhafi's crumbling government; a small enclave and power base, which was not much for a person with a huge ego as he.

According to news reports, his two sons have been placed under arrest by the rebels, and a part of the 60 thousand troops of Gadhafi's military forces has defected and joined the rebellion.

By all standards of military stratagems that he could use to remain the despot that he has always been, he has lost the war; his end has come, and it was about time for him to admit it, and to stop the bloodshed. The loss of lives in that country, which has gone on for the last six months would have been unnecessary, if he would have stepped down earlier than now.

Gadhafi should have taken a hint, when President Barack Obama made it clear that he must go; for the uprising in Libya was one that would end his dictatorship and place his country on a new political path and direction.

Whatever the direction was, nobody knew; but like Tunisia and Egypt, where similar civil upheavals have taken place, the people had spoken, and had demanded freedom and democracy.

That was a sure sign for Gadhafi to find a safe haven or a political asylum somewhere, but he and his family decided to stay and to resist the outcry of his people, by emphasizing that the uprising would be a "flash in the pan"; a sort of an insignificant episode that would pass by. He would also show no mercy to anyone, who would object to his tyrannical rule; he promised.

However, with the help of NATO, of which the United States was a prominent and vital part, a no fly zone was declared over Libya, to stop Gadhafi's militia from gaining the upper hand in the war. Libya's power was curtailed by the seizure of all its foreign assets; thus cutting off the government there from almost all the resources that it needed to conduct a war against its own people.

The insurgency became more resilient, by arming its untrained band of men and forming the Transitional National Council to replace the Gadhafi regime. It made Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya, its head-quarters, and begun to seek more outside assistance and diplomatic recognition.

It has fought its way to the doorstep of Gadhafi, and in the process has gained momentum in taking control of the country, and therefore, it would be assumed by its sympathizers that it would be able to run it the way the insurgents had purported; but it was still a dream, as the siege of Tripoli was just the beginning.

The harder, if not the hardest, accomplishment was still ahead, for peace to come to the people, and security to be established throughout the length and breath of Libya.

They were a people, who had engaged themselves in a fight that no one had believed they would ever win. They had also said that Libya deserved better; and now, they have been given the opportunity to prove it.

As far as Gadhafi himself was concerned, the situation demanded that it would be wise for him to relinquish power to the people of Libya, as there was no more options left for him to be able to turn it (situation) around in his favor. It was too late for anything like that to happen.

The only alternative for the whole country was that the carnage must seize to save the lives of men, women and children in Libya; and so, to bring some amount of tranquility to themselves and to the rest of the world.

One benefit, for example, would be that, in the event of he (Gadhafi) deciding to leave, the price of crude oil would go down. That would be welcome news for most Americans.