Destination Martyrdom

Kaddafi seems to recognize that he has problems in Darnah. As oil prices have risen, the regime has tried to improve life in eastern Libya. On the main road into Darnah, the government has begun constructing some 2,000 apartments intended to house roughly 13,000 local residents by the end of 2009. The units, known as the Valley Apartments, are so far largely unoccupied, but the plan is to provide free housing to young families and singles. But earlier this year Kaddafi announced that he wanted to experiment with privatizing social services, a sharp departure from his socialist roots. "What he's advocating is something akin to radical libertarianism," says a Western diplomat in Tripoli, asking not to be identified discussing the regime's plans. The short-term result is likely to be hard times for many Libyans, even with oil above $100 a barrel.

In the wake of the Sinjar revelations, U.S. officials have put gentle pressure on Libya. In November a delegation led by Gen. Dell Daily, a senior counterterrorism specialist currently assigned to the State Department, traveled to Tripoli to meet with senior Libyan officials. Told of the documents, the Libyans at first denied the phenomenon, but eventually acknowledged the problem after the Americans presented the evidence. American officials say they're mostly pleased with the cooperation they've gotten from Libyan authorities, and are encouraged by more recent figures out of Iraq that seem to indicate that the flow of fighters may have slowed in recent months. In the meantime, other American analysts are searching for innovative ways to stem the flow, regardless of what the Libyans choose to do. Fishman says the insurgents often hire common smugglers who care only about profit to move fighters into Iraq. The West Point specialist says it would be smart to try co-opting those smugglers rather than fighting them. "Frankly, we should be trying to buy some of them," says Fishman.

At home in Darnah, Abd al-Hamid bin-Ali says he doesn't know exactly how his brother managed to join up with the insurgents. Abd al-Salam rarely used the Internet, he says, and didn't have any connections with LIFG militants. Shortly after Abd al-Salam's first call home, the young recruit called again from Ramadi to say he was on his way to an "operation." When the phone rang four days later, Abd al-Hamid didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line. "Abd al-Salam is a martyr," the caller said.

Abd al-Hamid says he has come to terms with the loss of his brother. "When he was killed, I was really very happy," he says, frowning and wringing his hands. "In my opinion he was right to go. He was right to go. We see people getting killed for nothing. I used to think about going myself." Now Abd al-Hamid is the family's sole support. "I can't go now," he says quietly. "It's only me now." He glances up at an oversize portrait of his younger brother the martyr, hanging in the living room. Abd al-Salam's one blind eye stares back. The awkward younger brother has finally found his own place in his drab hometown: in a gold frame, behind a pane of glass, nailed to the wall.

© 2008