With the United Nations declaring Libya a no-fly zone last
week, members of the local Libyan community see hope in the citizens’ efforts
to remove Gaddafi from power.

“I think it is a real good decision and it is way
overdue,” said Salah Hewio, a Libyan American who immigrated to the United
States in 1978. “The Libyan people have no arms.”

Faraj Khouja, another Libyan American agrees.

” He will do terrible things if he has a plane to
attack the people in Libya,” said Khouja “I am for the no fly zone.
It is a good thing for our people there in Libya.”

“Gaddafi has the superiority of weapons and planes and
more. (He) has killed and massacred people in many cities. We had a hard time
because he was killing people with his air force. He was massacring. There was
over 10,000 killed in less that 40 days,” said Hewio. “Now they made
(Libya) a no-fly zone, so we have a chance.”

Khouja and Hewio are from the city of Benghazi, a city that
Gaddafi attacked on the 19 of March. Khouja feels that without the help from
the United Nations and allies, the Libyan people in that city would have been
killed, as has been the case with other cities, and was the case with his
brother-in-law.

“He loved Benghazi,” Khouja said of his
brother-in-law Mohamed Saad, who lived in Switzerland for 13 years before
returning to Libya. “He tried to carry someone who had died in the street.
He tried to carry them to the hospital. He lifted him and they shot him down.
He wasn’t carrying a weapon or anything. Not even a stick. He tried to help
someone in the street, and that is what happened to him.”

Saad had three children, two boys and one girl.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Khouja said.
“He wanted to live in a peaceful place.”

Although French and American allies are bombing Gaddafi’s
troops and stations and Libyan Americans are thankful for the assistance, they
are adamant about no ground troops in the country.

“We don’t want another Iraq in Libya,” said Mehdi
Ghatus, a doctorate student at Lawrence Tech University. “There are a lot
of problems in Iraq. We don’t want an occupation.”

Ghatus, who came to the United States in 2006, has two
brothers who are currently imprisoned by Gaddafi, and he has not heard news on
either one. His brother Saleh, who has three children, was a professor at the
University and his brother Esam was a lawyer.

“I just want to say thank you for their support of the
Libyan people,” Ghatus said of the United Nations.

“We asked the Arab League and the Arab League asked the
United Nations to do something,” Ghatus said. “We need their help for
air support or else Gaddafi would kill us in two days. But we don’t want a
ground force.”

“Because ground forces give the impression of an
occupation,” said Hewio, “and we don’t want an Iraq or Afghanistan.
Also the Libyan people can handle this. It’s better for the United States and
the UN to not be a part in this way. We want a democracy and we can show the
world that we can do this without them and just with the will of the people.
Not with invaders.”

 “We need
help,” Hewio said. “It is right to assist people with what they need,
and not forcing on them what you think they need. We asked for help in
controlling the air force. That’s it.”

“It takes time,” Ghatus said. “But I am sure with time
and with their help enforcing the no fly zone, we will be successful.