Militias problematic for new Libya

The militias in Libya that provided the fighting force necessary to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power now form a new security problem, analysis finds. The International Crisis Group, in a report published Wednesday, finds uncertainty in the number of militias operating in post-Gadhafi Libya. None of them, the group said, sees themselves as serving any sort of central authority like the Transitional National Council. Clashes were reported last weekend between rebel fighters and the pro-TNC military. ICG notes that many local and civilian councils are wary of the TNC, which they see as largely self-appointed. "Gadhafi centralized power without building a central state," the report read. "His successors must do the reverse." Stratfor, a private intelligence company in Texas, said the prevalence of decentralized militias is getting in the way of the transitional government's efforts to rebuild the country. This is creating a trust deficient in a country that is largely unfamiliar with a free political society. Transitional leaders, Stratfor notes, are trying to bring rebel forces into some form of centralized brigade. This would go a long way in addressing near-term security issues but disarmament efforts may be problematic. "The large number of diverse ex-rebel militia groups with various agendas will continue to pose a significant obstacle to the stabilization and normalization process in Libya," said Stratfor. The heart of the matter, adds ICG, is political.