Happy Libyan Independence Day and Merry Christmas

I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a joyous Libyan Independence day. Of course, the holiday is marred by Sunday's tragedy and the long negative trendline of events in 2013, but I hope, nonetheless, that you are able to celebrate these holidays with friends and family.  I know this is a tough time in Libya's history , but it is also a time pregnant with possibilities. The Christmas holiday reminds Muslims and Christians alike of the possibility of miraculous rebirth and a new collective beginning.

It is in trying to nurture such hope while also providing practical suggestions to Libyan and Western policymakers that I co-authored 

this Christmas/Libyan Independence day article 

with Ambassador Richard Northern for Bloomberg.  To read the whole article

click here

.

Lastly, I want to share with the readers of Libya-Analysis.com a piece of seasonal/festive art I had commissioned for this occasion.  It is by the same artist who drew Omar Mukhtar in pointalistic technique for the 

cover of my book

.

Libya Analysis Santa jpeg