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George Joffé

George Joffé is a research fellow at the Centre of International Studies, Cambridge University and a visiting professor of Geography at King’s College London. He specialises in the Middle East and North Africa. He is currently engaged in a project studying connections between migrant communities...
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Libya – glad confident morning? The ironies of intervention

George Joffé , 6 July 2011

Since February 2011 nothing has happened to encourage Colonel Qaddafi to compromise; indeed, just the opposite, for now his sole legacy, the unique jamahiri political system under which Libya was governed, is challenged – an action of political apostasy for a man who considers himself a statesman of world stature for the developing world. Why, therefore, should he now compromise and how, indeed, could he do so? What alternative does he now have but to fight on to the inevitable end? And was that really the intention of the United Nations and the objective NATO really set itself?