'Libya's future after Gaddafi's ouster to be as messed up as Egypt's present': Expert

Tripoli, Aug 27 (ANI): Libya's future, once embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi's decades-long reign ends, will be similar to Egypt's complicated and messed up condition following Hosni Mubarak's ouster, an expert has claimed.

According to Nikolaos Zahariadis, Ph.D., political science professor and expert on Middle East relations, once Libya's leader is gone its future is likely to be as muddled as Egypt's present situation.

"Who is going to take his place? It's not clear in Libya and even less in Syria," Zahariadis said.

"With Libya's future leadership up in the air, it could add to their problems. Just look at what's happening in Egypt," he said.

"The military does not have a handle on the situation. It's a sad story," he added.

He pointed out that many Egyptians expected things to magically get better following Mubarak's ouster, but that didn't happen.

"They need to lower their expectations or they will be inevitably crushed," Zahariadis said.

He said that rebuilding after Mubarak's decades-long rule would be a slow process that should be handled strategically.

"Putting Mubarak to trial is cathartic but it does not solve their problems," he added.

Zahariadis said that the events in Libya will also have a dramatic effect on events in Syria, making things more complicated. Despite President Bashar al-Assad's bravado, if Gadhafi falls, the Syrians will be emboldened to think al-Assad is next.

He said as the Middle East experiences a changing of the guard, it could result in Israel's feeling very insecure.

"Although for many years the state was surrounded by the Libyan and Syrian dictators, it knew how to deal with them. Add that to Israel's already restive environment and things are likely to get worse before they get any better," he added. (ANI)