*In light of the installment of Ahmed al-Senussi, a great nephew of Libya’s former king, as head of the new Cyrenaica Provincial Council

Background

‘The Libyan monarchy of Idris, which was based in Benghazi, was installed by the United States and British in the 1950’s to oversee their economic and military interests in North Africa. Libya in 1951, under the leadership of King Idris, had amoung the lowest standards of Living in the world. The Idris monarchy was overthrown in a bloodless revolution led by Muammar al-Gaddafi in 1969. This led to the American Wheelus Air Base (The largest American base outside of US at that time) being dismantled and the American and British armed forces stationed in Libya evacuating. The western oil companies were then nationalised.’

The 1969 al-Fateh Revolution

‘The uprising in Libya, which has been portrayed by many in the west as a democratic movement, has been symbolised by the tri-coloured rebel flag. The flag is in fact the flag of the oppressive, undemocratic, monarchy of Idris. At the start of the conflict elements of the rebels in Benghazi held aloft pictures of King Idris. Whilst by no means are all the rebels monarchists, it is however important to highlight the overthrown Libyan monarchy’s history,  influence in Benghazi and relationship with the West. It is of no surprise then that the exiled monarchy of Idris has played a hidden hand in this conflict. Closely working with their old allies in NATO in an attempt to regain their lost status in Libya and ‘return to democracy’ as his Royal Highness Prince Idris bizarrely and unashamedly declares in his CNN interview.’

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