Helena Sheehan
In
December 2010 I received an e-mail out of the blue, full of flattering
comments
on my international reputation and asking me to give a lecture in
Tripoli to a
group of academics wanting to interact with international academics on
advanced
areas of knowledge. I hesitated, but then agreed. I realised that this
was part
of Libya’s
drive for respectability and reintegration into the wider world, but
did not
think that giving a lecture implied support for the regime. After all,
I often
lecture in Britain,
although I am resolutely anti-monarchist. I wrote a paper on philosophy
of
history entitled “Is history a coherent story?”, which was translated
into
Arabic. I also started to take a new interest in Libya
and North Africa, fired by events in Tunisia
and Egypt.
As the time approached, I became aware of danger, but decided to honour
the
commitment I made and to learn as much as possible from it.
Thurs
17 Feb 2011
Tickets
arrived. ‘Day of rage’ in Libya
today. Report that all Libyan airports closed, internet down and
electricity
cut off in certain places. Wondered if
the trip was even possible. Up in the air about going or not. Wrote
query about
it to my hosts. Although fearful, determined not to be cowardly. After
lunch,
received visa and reassurances and decided that it was on. Trying to
get sense
of scale of pro and anti regime protest today.
Fri 18
Feb 2011
Up at
3am. First time in T2, which was wide open and sparsely populated. On
Amsterdam to Tripoli
flight, met a guy from Cork, who was also going
to Libya
for the first time, working for a pharmaceutical company. Spent most of
time in
airports and flights reading In the
Country of Men, a novel set in Tripoli,
seeing the late 70s through eyes of 9 year old boy. Quite evocative.
Arrived in
Tripoli. Some
problems. Exit unit wasn’t fit properly to plane, so disembarking took
a while.
Then to passport control, which was a protracted, stressful and
confusing
procedure. Then no sign of people who were to collect me. Eventaully an
authoritative guy arrived and sorted it out and put me ina car with a
young man to take me to my hotel. He pointed to one of the many
portraits
of Gaddafi
in various exotic outfits and heroic poses along the road, saying he
loved that man,
that he
built Libya.
Arrived at Four Points Hotel in Tripoli,
which was in the middle of a building site and not walking distance of
anywhere
I might want to go. Pleased to have tv, mobile phone and internet
connectivity. On BBC a Libyan exile
saying that there is no dignity and freedom in Libya. Then watched
state tv, which
was running footage of pro-regime demos in Tripoli yesterday with lots
of young men,
waving green flags and portraits of G and chanting slogans. Dr Jamal
Elzway, a
political scientist and my main contact, arrived to see me and we
discussed
protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya. He said
that they were going on in the east,
especially Benghazi, but not in Tripoli. The difference, he said, is
that Benghazi is more tribal and Tripoli is more cosmopolitan. He said
that
there had to be negotiation over their grievances. Watched BBC and saw
destruction of a monument to the green book in Tobruk and defacing of
big
portrait of G. Reading reports about the internet being inaccessible,
but
reading them on the internet. There are no international media here.
The
international news I am watching here, Euronews and BBC, are relying on
exile
reports from outside and amateur video and phone interviews from
inside. They
are broadcasting reports of 46 deaths as result of security forces
firing on
demonstrators and Al Bayda being in hands of opposition and some police
going
over to them. On state tv, more footage of pro-regime demonstrations
in Tripoli
yesterday and today. Many seem in a collective frenzy. Many men kissing
portraits of G. Images of G everywhere. Also seeing video montages of
Arabs at
war with colonial powers and the glories of G at various stages in
Libyan
history. Also showing lots of footage of 41st anniversary
celebrations.
Sat 19
Feb 2011
Cool,
cloudy and windy. Down to breakfast. Sat at table overlooking Med,
which was
looking very rough. Lovely buffet breakfast of fish, cheese, fruit and
veg.
Thinking about Libya
and why I have decided to engage with it. I have never focused on it
too
closely before, but had a left ambivalence about it, because it
declared itself
to be anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist. At the same time, I had
qualms
about cult of the leader and the power of his sons in the scheme of
things. I
have philosophical issues with Islam as a state religion. I need to
evaluate how
much freedom of expression is allowed, but that seems very problematic.
Of
course, I am totally against firing on protesters. International news
reporting
rising death toll. Jamal arrived along with his friend Osama, who works
for an
oil company. We went along coast seeing many new high rise buildings
and then
to the old town with narrow streets and crumbling facades, where there
are
shops, homes, restaurants, mosques, etc. People on street, male and
female,
wearing both modern and traditional attire. Most women have their heads
covered. While walking around, intense political discussion. The
dominant
topic, recurring again and again, was that of the current protests.
They were
both quite concerned about them, but opposed to the protesters, in the
sense
that they believe that any of their grievances can be dealt with in
other ways.
I specifically asked how they felt about police shooting at peaceful
protesters.
They denied this, saying that security forces were defending themselves
and
institutions when under attack. An arsenal had been robbed. Asked about
strength of Islam and about whether there are any atheists or
agnostics. Jamal
said there are very few atheists or agnostics. I asked if there are any
marxists. One, he said. They are free to function and have their views,
but not
to try to convince others. Asked about tv, specifically about current
affairs
where issues could be debated publicly. Jamal said that he hosted such
a
programme for a time. I asked if there could be programme now where
supporters
and critics of the protests could debate. No. When we arrived at Green
Square, there
was a march going past, waving green flags and portraits of G and I
photographed them. Talked about the system of government. Neither
capitalist
nor socialist, Jamal said, but left and anti-imperialist. All over 18
are
members of the peoples congress. There are local committees that
discuss needs
of their areas and take these to peoples congress. I was trying to
grasp the
distribution of wealth. State ownership of big industries, but now much
private
ownership of small businesses. There is a big problem with high
unemployment
among educated youth. Better planning can solve it, J said. Asked if
there were
people who wanted to take capitalist road and integrate fully into
global
system. Yes, a few, even G’s son, Saif al Islam, but majority don’t
want that.
The protests are just imitating Tunisia
and Egypt, they said a
number of times, it is just a fashion and nothing really has changed in
Tunisia and Egypt. Drove out to satellite
campus of university, where Osama collected his daughter and took her
home. She
had been living with her mother in the east, but now came to live with
her
father in the west. I asked her what she thought of the protests in the
east
and she said that she didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t find her
very
responsive to any of my questions, even about less controversial
matters. After
dropping her off, we arrived back in the old city around 3:30 and had
big lunch
in nice traditional restaurant. More discussion, including Lockerbie
and Libya’s
position in wider world. Osama insisted that there was no evidence on
Lockerbie, but Libya
paid compensation for that and also handed over nuclear material just
to make
peace with the world. However, they think that Libya has not got much
in return.
Then back to hotel. Several hours monitoring internet and national and
international tv. Libyan tv is showing much about pro-government
protests in
response to anti-government ones without making much direct reference
to the
latter. No footage of events in east on state tv. There was one English
language news programme. Atrocious production values. Here was the
news: calls
from several African leaders to G praising his work in Africa, implying
support
for him v protests, a pro-G demo in Serbia. NO mention of events in
Benghazi,
etc. On international news only amateur footage of Benghazi etc.
Reports on
internet of protesters being in control of certain areas and the old
flag
flying. Reports of snipers and gunships firing on Bengazi. National and
international media should be in there. Around 9pm heard noise outside.
Went
out on balcony. It was a cavalcade of cars honking horns, shouting
slogans and
waving green flags. Seeing footage on state tv from the east, showing
burnt and
ransacked buildings, but no live protests or dead bodies. Sky News
website is
reporting 120 dead. Fell asleep watching
carnivalesqe pro-government rally in Green Square, with lots of singing
and
dancing, which seemed quite obscene considering the bodies piling up in
Benghazi etc.
Sun 20
Feb 2011
No
internet access. Sat tv signal is getting quite intermittent. I am
quite uneasy
now that I can’t check out what is going on in the way that I was and I
can’t
communicate outward in the way that I was. State tv: a talk show with
phone in
or traditional singing. Now an angry black woman in green sequined veil
holding
green book, ranting for Allah and Gaddafi.
While waiting for Jamal to collect me, I spoke to someone
working in the
hotel. I asked why the lack of internet access. He said ‘you know why’.
We
discussed protests the lack of international media and internet access
as means
of dealing with protests. He advised me not to talk so freely with
others as I
did with him. Then Jamal and Osama came for me. They said that the lack
of
internet access was just an everyday technical issue. They took me to a
restaurant in the old town. Perfect weather today. Expected to give my
lecture
yesterday and again today, but a number of the professors involved,
even the
director of the academy, were on a crisis committee to advise the
government on
how to deal with the present crisis. They thought that it was better
that
international media were not there, because they would only stir things
up and
make it worse, whereas the whole thing could be contained and settled.
They
felt that it would all blow over. We discussed the situation of
unmarried
mothers here. It is illegal and they can be sent to prison for it. If
she names
a man, he is compelled to marry her. In evening, went for a walk alone
in the
local area. The atmosphere seemed eerie, but I only later realised how
dangerous that was. According to BBC, death toll at 173. Libyan tv on
their
nightly english news showed pro-G demo in US. Spoke of protesters
destroying
peace and security by robbing banks, destroying files, breaking into
police
stations. They said that Arabs from other countries involved in
organising it.
Then more flag waving demos and music featuring tonight’s crowd at
Green
Square. There was a reggae singer singing a song about Libya at it.
Sound of
gunfire in the background, both from the tv soundtrack and outside the
hotel.
Mon 21
Feb 2011
Awoke
at 4am and put on tv. International news now reporting that protesters
are in
control of Benghazi with some army on their side and that the fighting
has
spread to Tripoli. Buildings in Tripoli set on fire. They are numbering
the
dead as 223 now. Libyan tv showing more pro-government demos in the
night
streets with some waving rifles in the air now. Up again at 8am. BBC
are
reporting rumours that G has fled. Saif al-Islam el Gaddafi on tv
saying
that this
crisis will lead to civil war and chaos, but they will fight to the
last bullet,
that the number of dead exaggerated. Blamed Libyan exiles, Arab
foreigners,
trade unions and Islamic organisatons. Libya is not Egypt or Tunisia.
It is a
country of tribes and clans, not parties. There can be a new Libya by
negotiation, however, offering various concessions, including new flag.
Down to
breakfast at 9am. It was as if supplies were running out and many staff
had
gone. Lots of people in lobby checking out. Building workers outside
standing
around in a big group talking. Not much building going on. Can see huge
plumes
of black smoke out the window. Helicopters overhead. Lo and behold,
internet
access. Did brief updates on facebook and twitter. Got requests for
media
interviews. Dead estimated to be over 300 now. Got call from reception
saying
that the hotel was being evacuated. Threw my things together and took
taxi to
Hotel Corinthia. Talking to Libyan working in hotel, who said that he
hopes
that G goes or is gone. He said that most people are fed up with the
corruption
and lies and want a change. After multiple efforts, finally got through
to
Jamal around midnight, who sounded odd, who said all will be ok. I
wonder. No
sleep.
Tues
22 Feb 2011
It is
clear now that my hosts have abandoned me. Brief appearance by G on
state tv
saying that he is in Tripoli not Venezuela. Hoped to re-book my KLM
flight to
leave today, but they have closed their office. At breakfast, met Irene
Fairless and Bruce Walker, intrepid travelers from Britain, who
travelled from
desert and saw shooting, looting, roadblocks. They went to the airport
yesterday trying to get a flight anywhere, but couldn’t. Airport packed
and
chaotic. There were also two women who were booked on a BA flight today
that
was cancelled. The British consulate here has closed and consul has
fled. Then
heard that KLM flights, including mine, cancelled. I never wanted to
leave
anywhere so badly or felt so pessimistic about my chances of doing so.
Feeling
very stressed and depressed. Spoke to a member of hotel staff who told
me that
there are no commercial flights. Wrote to Department of Foreign Affairs
asking
for help. Dinner with 4 others in hotel. One of them outlined scenarios
more
frightening than anything I had yet imagined. I was feeling as if I
would never
get out of here. The hotel was winding down and would be closing. I
would have
nowhere to go. I would have no roof over my head, have all my things
taken from
me and die here in wrechedness. Then returned to room and got call from
DFA
telling me that an Irish flight was leaving for Malta, but hadn’t yet
got
permission to land, but I should make my way to airport in morning.
Some thread
of hope. Communications fragile, but lots of requests for media
interviews and
messages of solidarity and concern.
Wed 23
Feb 2011
No
sleep, so wake up call superfluous. Did interview on Newstalk. Checked
out of
hotel, which might be evacuating soon. Took taxi to airport. With
country
moving towards breakdown of law and order and reports of robbery,
looting,
ransacking and hijacking, I felt fear of being robbed and abandoned on
the
road, but all he did was overcharge me. Perhaps not: danger money.
There were
many cars approaching airport and massive numbers of people crushing to
get into
it. Along the approach road, there were massive numbers of Egyptians
and
Tunisians camping in the rain, unable to get into airport. Then
entering the
airport and trying to move through it was airport hell. Thousands of
people, mostly
Arabs, people who live and work here, with all their possessions that
they
could carry, including televisions, even a vacuum cleaner and radiator.
Eventually
I found a grouping, including some for the Irish evacuation. Most of
them
living and working here. I spent 22 ours in their company. They told
me terrible
stories of everyday life here: a boy expelled from school for having an
article
about 17 Feb, a 19 year old relation who went into Green Square to
celebrate
rumours of G’s departure shot dead, a son shot at while going to buy
bread, a
father and son who were uploading to the internet disappearing,
Tunisians
crossing border by land having their phones, cameras, computers, money
taken by
Libyan security, roadblocks, burnt out police stations, destroyed
petrol
stations, ransacked offices, hijackings, murders. One
woman
told
me
that they had buried 17 of
their neighbours on Monday and 20 on Tuesday. They spoke of all the
crimes of
past decades too: hanging students, terrorising the whole population.
Still they
hoped to return to their jobs and homes here. One guy was nearly
crushed to
death. Another discovered his laptop gone. One woman had reached the
end of her
endurance and started screaming. Airport staff profiteered on distress.
Baton
charge and tear gas in the evening. Waste and filth everywhere.
However, given
the number of people and the stress of the situation, it was remarkable
that it
was not a lot worse. There was also great civility, consideration and
conversation. I learned more about Libya on this day that all my
reading and
previous days together. We waited on and on for our Irish evacuation.
We were told that an official named Brendan would be there for us, but
waiting foor Brendan was like waiting for Godot. We got
ourselves on the list for the British evacuation. Then in the evening
we were
told that the Irish plane had finally arrived, but could take only one
small
piece of hand luggage per person. I abandoned my suitcase. That’s one
way to
cut down on the laundry. Some stayed for the British flight rather than
do
that. British foreign office officials handled the logistics of getting
us to
it impressively. We got on the bus and went round and round the tarmac
for 45
minutes, unable to find the plane. It came and left without us on it.
British
foreign office people looked after us in a most competent and generous
way.
Thurs
24 Feb 2011
At
5:45am we took off from Tripoli and arrived in Gatwick 3
½ hours
later. Upon arrival, there was a reception area set up for us, where we
were
debriefed and offered food and drink, use of phones and help with
connecting
flights. Media in exit area, where I indicated that I was willing to
speak and
then had notebooks and cameras all around me. After that, my mobile
kept
ringing with interview requests. Booked Aer Lingus flight to Dublin for
€356.
Arrived in T2. Delighted to see Sam and Kevin. DFA did not contact me
or debrief
me. On adrenalin overdrive to bear
witness, I
gave media interviews non-stop for hours by phone, BBC World, RTE, NPR,
etc,
although I wasn’t up to going into tv studios, so turned down those
requests.
By the time I did my final one of the day for CNN in the evening, I
could
hardly summon words. I collapsed in exhaustion. Worst days of my life. Don’t even know how traumatised I
am. So I was abandoned by my hosts, my country, the hotel,
the
airline, but thanks to the kindness of strangers, lived to tell the
tale. So
much death, destruction, displacement. Any ambivalence about that
regime gone,
gone, gone. It is brutal, corrupt, deceitful, delusional. Looking
forward to
denouement: regime change and reconstruction. Relieved to be watching
it now
from here, where I belong, but quite keen to see the liberation of
Libya.
Received flowers from DCU and lots of welcome home messages from
friends and colleagues.
http://news.google.ie/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=en_ie&hl=en&q=Helena+Sheehan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12565429
http://news.google.ie/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=en_ie&hl=en&q=Helena+Sheehan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12565429
Fri 25 Feb 2011
Woke up in the early hours of the morning, as did Sam,
and
it was the first time to talk really without the phone ringing, etc.
Did
several more media interviews today. Went to vote. A politician threw
her arms
around me and asked how I was with much concern. I said that it was
terrifiying. She said yes it was, but thought it was turning around
now.
Realised that we were talking at cross purposes. I was talking about
Libya and
she was talking about the election. She knew nothing about my
evacuation, maybe
nothing about Libya. Not a good candidate for minister of foreign
affairs so.
Got e-mail from Irene Fairless about the journey home for Bruce and
herself.
They were out in rain all day, unable to get into airport. They were
rescued by
Polish ambassador and flew to Poland in the early evening. The man who
brought them to the airport was shot today. Wrote back
immediately, even though I have lots of unanswered e-mail.
Sat 26 Feb 2011
Woke up in the early hours again, reliving the terror of
the week. Turned on news to see what is happening in Libya. Up at 7 to
do my
Tripoli diary for Indo. Editing 9710 down to 3260 to be edited down by
them to
700 or so. Finished just after noon. Now can start to wind down and
refocus. To
lunch with Sam in Autobahn. Did interview with Mail on
Sunday while there. Woke up in the night many times,
dreaming that I was still in Tripoli and couldn’t get out. Got into
count,
following it on tv and twitter. A better dail, but not a better
government.
Article by Robert Fisk about the hell of Tripoli airort. Kevin posted
article
on ambivalent position of Latin American leaders – Chavez, Ortega,
Castro – on
Gaddafi and Libya.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/robert-fisk-tripoli-is-now-a-city-standing-in-shadow-of-death-2553961.html
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/robert-fisk-tripoli-is-now-a-city-standing-in-shadow-of-death-2553961.html
Sun 27 Feb 2011
E-mail from a group of teachers from International School
of Martyrs about co-ordinating response to DFA on their inadequate
response to
need to rescue Irish citizens from Libya. Whole page on evacuation in
the Mail on Sunday with photo of me taken in
Gatwick. Contact on phone with 2 teachers who had been evacuated
earlier in
week about problems with DFA. Once again fell asleep early, woke up
with
dreams of
being trapped in Tripoli and turned on tv to see what is going on
there. Death
toll estimated to over 2000 now. Wrote on fb wall of Jamal Mohamed
Elzway: “I
rue the day I received an invitation from you and made the bad decision
to
accept it . You / your academy abandoned a guest to a reign of terror.
I have
learned a lot and have no ambivalence now about your academy and
regime. I hope
that everyone gets what they deserve.”
Mon 28 Feb 2011
It is such a strain to tell the story over and over. Did
it today for Dublin People and for
DCU students on MAJ newsday as well as people I met around the place.
Read
press stories of extortionate fees charged at Tripoli airport. One said
£11,000. Discussed diary piece for Indo with Ciaran Byrne.
Feeling very tired
this afternoon and evening. G gave a mad interview to international
journalists. Momentum of uprising seems stalled.
Tues 1 March 2011
Still meeting people around DCU and talking about it to
each one.
Wed 2 March 2011
Taxi to TV3. Tv is a lot more trouble than the other
media
stuff with all the make-up, hanging around and getting to and fro. They
were
more into escape story than politics, but I did my best to be as
substantial
about it as that genre allows. Got request from Peter Murtagh to do
opinion
piece for IT. Got request from Irish
Political Review to do something on LP or Libya. Took bus
into city centre for launch of
Kevin
Rafter book on Democratic Left, which was his PhD thesis at DIT. Saw
lots of
people I know. Took a lot of teasing, but came away from it feeling
that I had
been compromised by inaccuracies in media coverage.
Thurs 3 March 2011
Wrote letter to the
editor of the Irish Times: “Regarding
the publicity surrounding my recent visit to Libya, may I clarify one
point? I
accepted an academic invitation to give a lecture on philosophy of
history. I
did not see this as implying support for the Gaddafi regime. I often
lecture in
Britain, although I am anti-monarchist. I have lived and worked in this
country
for many years, while opposing its governments. I did have some
ambivalence
about the green revolution and I engaged critically with intellectual
supporters of the regime. While there, I beheld the stunning gap
between the
theory of direct democracy and the reality of terroristic autocracy. So
much
death, destruction, devastation. All ambivalence gone. I wish the risen
people
of Libya well in their struggle for liberation.” Came home to see me
telling
the escape story yet again on TV3 at 11am on the Morning
Show.
http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=themorningshow&tv3_preview&video=33149
Professor Helena Sheehan http://webpages.dcu.ie/~sheehanh/sheehan.htm
http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=themorningshow&tv3_preview&video=33149
Professor Helena Sheehan http://webpages.dcu.ie/~sheehanh/sheehan.htm