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| Volume XII, Fall 2005, Number 3 |
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EXCERPT
Libya's Rising Star: Saif al-Islam and Succession |
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| Yehudit Ronen |
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Dr. Ronen is a scholar at the Political Science Department at Bar Ilan University and the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.
Libya's recent image transformation from international pariah state to the toast of the West has been driven to a large degree by Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, the son of Libya's head of state. While standing at the forefront of both domestic and foreign affairs, Saif al-Islam, in his new elevated position, has assumed a series of crucial political and diplomatic responsibilities and has thus drawn increasing international attention.
This paper examines the colorful and most interesting figure of Qadhafi's son, dealing with various issues such as the personality and political inclinations of Saif al-Islam, his role in Libya's decision-making process and in shaping the "New Libya". This paper also deals with the question of Saif al-Islam's future role in the country and the question of his succession to the Libyan "throne". The paper examines whether or not Libya is in the throes of a "white revolution" in which authority is being transferred over to Saif al-Islam and concurrently how other family members and political stalwarts view Saif al-Islam's political ascent.
While discussing these issues the paper also encompasses and analyses the broader context of Libya's national concerns.
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