Word: libya
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Word for It. The birth is a unique attempt at planned parenthood. Libya, a country of a few backward cities and oasis-speckled sand wilderness about three times the size of Texas, is the first nation brought into being solely by the United Nations. But it is a typical newborn of the sickly Arab world-born into poverty, cursed with ignorance, endowed with only a fighting chance to grow to maturity. The 1,050,000 Arabs of Libya have a word for independence-istiqlal-but little of the heritage to make it work...
...national per capita income is $35 a year-lowest of all Arab countries, with the possible exception of Yemen. Italians. of whom there are still 47,000 out of the thousands who immigrated to Libya when it was to become Mussolini's model col ony, still hold many of the best jobs, own the best farms, run the best businesses. Eight-tenths of the people are farmers or nomadic herdsmen, yet a U.N. survey team reports discouragedly that the country "is hardly able to afford an adequate diet for its own people...
...roly-poly Dutchman named Adrian Pelt left his job as Assistant Secretary General of the U.N. to become U.N. Commissioner in Libya, took a staff of experts to work with him. A provisional assembly of 60 Libyans-20 from each province-meeting under the U.N.'s wing, decided that the country should be a federal monarchy, drafted its constitution, and planned elections. Without argument, the assembly settled on a King-Sayid Mohammed Idris el Mahdi el Senussi, Emir of Cyrenaica, spiritual and political leader of the devout and powerful Moslem Order of the Senussiya, and in his own right...
...high, thin voice, King Idris I led his Senussi tribesmen in two wars against the Italians, now uses a converted Italian barracks near Benghazi as his palace. He trusts the West, and privately refers to the seven-nation Arab League as "an alliance of weaknesses." But recognizing Libya's kinship with the rest of the Moslem world, he plans to join the Arab League. "If anybody ever succeeds in cementing this country together," says an English veteran of Libya, "it will be the King. The cement is Islam-these people really believe and live Islam." (The first daub...
Full of Beans. After a year of working with the King and his contagiously optimistic ministers, even some of the pessimistic foreigners in Libya have become more hopeful. "There's a chance for real democracy here," says Pelt. "I think they can make a go of it-the Libyans are full of beans and ready to try." Actually, in independence the Libyans will be getting more outside help and guidance than they got as a colony. The British, who hope to be Libya's big brother, have provided scores of civil servants to staff the government, are putting...