Truth and Reconcilliation in Libya?

What next in Lybia? Juan Cole has 10 excellent suggestions. Shorter version: Not what Bush did.

One suggestion that I would add is that I would like to see a truth and reconciliation commission on the South African model.

Getting rid of the dictator is often the easiest part of a revolution. The harder part is preventing a new dictatorship. Libya now faces risks a number of bad outcomes of which the most likely is that the new government breaks down as tribes engage in settling blood vendettas.

Having spent a lot of time following Twitter in the past few weeks I am seeing a lot of people who just don't want to believe that Gaddafi actually committed any atrocities or that he financed, armed and directed terrorist attacks in Europe. And I can't blame them. Bush made the exact same claims about Saddam and they were untrue.

I think it would be a very good thing if all the people responsible for Gaddafi's atrocities were held accountable. I would especially like to see the officers who planned and organized the Lockerbie bombing and the murder of Yvonne Fletcher on trial. But I would much rather have the full truth of what took place be known and put beyond reasonable doubt.