This is a story I think should be pursued and emphasized as there has been attempts to claim that the President has "led from behind" which intensified in the aftermath of the tragic bombing in Libya of the U.S. embassy.
There was talk that maybe we shouldn't give Libya aid anymore. and some even suggested this was the attitude of most Libyans-notably Rush Limbaugh.
Yet many Libyans have expressed sorrow and regret for the murder of Ambassador Stevens and the others killed. Yesterday they had a big demonstration against the extremist militias in Benghazi:
"An Islamist militia was driven out of the city of Benghazi early on Saturday in a surge of protest against the armed groups that control large parts of Libya more than a year after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi."
"A spokesman for Ansar al-Sharia said the group had evacuated its bases in Benghazi "to preserve security in the city".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/libya-militia-protests-benghazi_n_1905288.html
To be sure, there were some wrinkles as the protesters at one point turned on a pro government militia which they wrongly believes were extremists.
"In a dramatic sign of Libya's fragility, after sweeping through the base the crowd went on to attack a pro-government militia, believing them to be Islamists, triggering an armed response in which at least 11 people were killed and more than 60 wounded."
Still, the main statement was loud and clear: that Libyans no longer want al Qeada, or other extremist groups ruining the peace:
"Ansar al-Sharia has been linked to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last week in which the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans died, although the group denied involvement."
"Hundreds of men waving swords and even a meat cleaver chanting "Libya, Libya", "No more al Qaeda!" and "The blood we shed for freedom shall not go in vain!"
"After what happened at the American consulate, the people of Benghazi had enough of the extremists," demonstrator Hassan Ahmed said. "They did not give allegiance to the army. So the people broke in and they fled.
"This place is like the Bastille. This is where Gaddafi controlled Libya from, and then Ansar al-Sharia took it over. This is a turning point for the people of Benghazi."
Again, there are certainly many problems. Peace still has a tenuous grasp. Still, this clearly shows the amount of Libyan people who stand behind the new government and against extrem.
"Thousands of Libyans had marched in Benghazi on Friday in support of democracy and against the Islamist militias that Washington blames for the assault on its consulate. Hundreds of Ansar al-Sharia supporters held their own protest."
"Friday's "Rescue Benghazi Day" demonstration called for the government to disband armed groups that have refused to give up their weapons since the NATO-backed revolution last year."
"It's obvious that this protest is against the militias. All of them should join the army or security forces as individuals, not as groups," student Ahmed Sanallah said. "Without that there will be no prosperity and no success for the new Libya."
"Libya's government had promised Washington it would find the perpetrators of what appeared to be a well planned attack on the U.S. consulate, which coincided with protests against an anti-Islam video and the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks."
"The consulate attack and the outrage directed at the United States over the video across the Muslim world have raised questions about President Barack Obama's handling of the so-called Arab Spring."
"The latest events in the cradle of Libya's revolution appeared at least in part to vindicate his faith in Libya's nascent democracy."
"The killing of the ambassador, and a preceding set of serious security incidents, are a wake-up call to the new government to actually start to improve security," said Oliver Miles, former British ambassador to Libya."
"And now they've got backing from the street in Benghazi to do just that."
"But the lack of central control remains a recipe for chaos."
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