The unholy alliance of the West launched the 'crusade against Gaddafi in support of the rebels, but is now having cold feet realising that the jihadis from the neighbouring countries are entering Libya in his support. Not only the West, but Gaddafi himself is nervous, which explains the dilemma that the jihadis will soon gain power and influence in Libya. The West: It has geo-strategic interests in the Mediterranean-rim countries and Africa, where Libya occupies an important position. With the establishment of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the Wests objective is to establish hegemony over the region. Out of 20 countries of the Mediterranean-rim land, only Libya, Lebanon and Syria are not allied to the NATO, and so are Somalia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast from the 50 African countries. Zimbabwe is an exception, while Somalia, Eritrea and Ivory Coast are facing revolt. The so-called repressive regimes like Sudan, Syria and Libya - the weakest - have been invaded. The 5th American fleet is located in Bahrain, where the revolt is being suppressed by the Saudis and the GCC armed forces. Thus, morality has been sacrificed by crushing the rebels in Bahrain, while the Libyan rebels are being wholeheartedly patronised. As soon as the no-fly zone was established over Libya, the SAS men, marines and CIA operatives from the US, the UK and France - numbering over 1,500 - supplied arms and ammunition, and provided command and communication support, to the rebels. An amount of $1.1 billion, out of the seized assets of Gaddafi, was promptly released to support the war. Libya is important because of the large oil and gas reservoirs, and the huge fresh water deposit, called Nubian Sandstone Water, estimated at 200x years of flow of the Nile River. The French cartel, which controls 40 percent of the global water market, has a deep interest in it. The jihadis: At the very beginning of the war on Libya, what I wrote in my article, Obamas call for jihad into Libya, is coming true: The worst that will happen is that, very soon the jihadis from Iraq, Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries, particularly the Takfeeris from Iraq, will enter Libya to liberate the Muslim land, as it happened in Afghanistan in 2001. The rebels and the jihadis are joining Gaddafis forces against the West. The powerful Salafi leader, Abu Musab Abdulwadood, has joined the jihad against the crusaders, and is getting arms and ammunition from Gaddafi. In fact, Libya is another Afghanistan in the making, because this conflict does not seem to be ending soon. The West has rejected the African Unions agreed proposal for a cease fire and reform; it wants Gaddafi out, which is not likely. The situation is, nevertheless, frightening both for the West and Gaddafi, who will not be able to stand up to the jihadis once they gain power and influence. In fact, the West is supporting Al-Qaeda Magrab (AQM) in the same manner they supported the mujahideen in Afghanistan (1980-88). The jihadis are coming, as they did when Iraq was occupied by the US in 2003. An incident, narrated to me by my journalist friend in Karachi in 2003, explains the phenomenon: About two months after Iraqs occupation while travelling in a taxi, the driver told me that he was working in Saudi Arabia. I asked him, 'how was life in Saudi Arabia? He said, 'he was having a roaring time there, because every evening he would pick up the jihadis in his taxis and show them the way into Iraq. I asked him, 'who are they and who is supporting them? He said, 'name any country, they are coming on their own, and no one supports them. Then I had said: God help the US. And now in Libya, I say: God help the West and Gaddafi, who will be facing the jihadis after the air war dust settles down. Gaddafi: He is threatened by the jihadi upsurge in Libya. Himself a 'moderate Muslim, he follows the philosophy of his 'Green Book. If he wins, he would stand to lose both his regime and his philosophy of moderate Islam. Having smelled the threat, he sent his Foreign Minister abroad for medical treatment, under the pretext of abdication with the message to the West that before it was too late, they better readjust their priorities. It seems that he is ready to cooperate, as he wrote to Obama: You are our son, who has enough courage to annul a wrong. It always pays to be honest and straightforward, and that is where the West has gone wrong. When nations like Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir fight for their freedom, their struggle is dubbed as terrorism. Al-Qaeda is held responsible for the 9/11 disaster and considered as a threat to the US. The Americans see it behind every bush and with every movement for freedom. That is the dichotomy, which has blurred their vision. They have been chasing shadows in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have lost the asymmetric war there. And now in Libya, they are fighting a war, which was lost before it was joined. Democracy: It is promoted as the utopia for the empowerment of the people, but the same is not acceptable for Iran, Iraq, Lebanon or Gaza, even if they get elected through the ballot, because they are Islamists. On the other hand, the model democracies in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen and Qatar are being patronised. This kind of duality is the painful realisation of the Muslim world. Swept by a strong passion for change, the Arab world and the Muslim countries saw the decline of the most powerful nations during the last 30 years - a symptomatic phenomenon, similar to the post World War II decline of the colonial and imperial powers, which caused the surge for freedom of many countries. Neo-imperialism has failed in the first attempt to dominate the Asian Muslim region 1990-2010. It will fail again in dominating the Afro-Mediterranean region now. The world has changed, because the oppressed of the world desire change, which has been correctly understood only by the Chinese, who provide the living example of a true initiative for 'peace, cooperation and engagement. We as Pakistanis enjoy the best of relations with China, despite having different ideologies, political, culture and traditions. The Chinese never pull strings, and never interfere in our internal matters. They only help us to be self-reliant, self-respecting and strong. That is the recipe for change, which Obama promised. The writer is former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan. Email: friendsfoundation@live.co.uk