Who’s in charge here?

In the early spring, when the National Transitional Council (NTC) was first touted as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, very few people had any idea who they were. It was enough that they were against Muammar Gaddafi. Now the NTC controls Tripoli and is busy trying to consolidate power throughout a country divided along tribal lines. As the spotlights of international media and various intelligence organizations shine on the new powers-that-be, concerns arise about the real political identity of some these Libyan revolutionary leaders. Among them there are many old cogs in the machinery of Gaddafi’s regime, who converted to the cause of freedom. But there are also military commanders and spiritual figures with dodgy Islamist agendas. As the disparate elements jockey for power, it remains to be seen who will wind up making what concessions to whom.