Libya
The blog site had its first visitor from Libya yesterday - which pleased me no end.
Because only months ago it was touch and go as to whether NATO would intervene - to prevent a horrible bloodbath in Benghazi - as Colonel Gaddafi boasted of his intention to hunt the rebels down like dogs - house by house.
The Prime Minister - David Cameron - deserves great credit for the courageous stand he took at the time.
Many in his own party - and those on the opposition benches - were less that fulsome in their support - ready to exploit the situation if the Libyan mission failed.
Six months on things have changed out of sight.
Muammar Gaddafi lies in a sandswept grave in the Sahara Desert - his odious son Saif al-Islam is on the run.
But the Libyan people face a bright future which was in the balance only a short time ago.
Libya has a population not much greater than Scotland - and huge natural resources to help the country get back on its feet.
Which I hope it does soon - on a path that leads to democratic elections, a stable peace and freedom of speech.
I'd like to go to there sometime - after all Libya has all the advantages of other Mediterranean countries like Spain or Turkey.
So why not develop its tourism industry - as part of its longer-term future?
Now that would be a real legacy - after four decades of cruel dictatorship.
Because only months ago it was touch and go as to whether NATO would intervene - to prevent a horrible bloodbath in Benghazi - as Colonel Gaddafi boasted of his intention to hunt the rebels down like dogs - house by house.
The Prime Minister - David Cameron - deserves great credit for the courageous stand he took at the time.
Many in his own party - and those on the opposition benches - were less that fulsome in their support - ready to exploit the situation if the Libyan mission failed.
Six months on things have changed out of sight.
Muammar Gaddafi lies in a sandswept grave in the Sahara Desert - his odious son Saif al-Islam is on the run.
But the Libyan people face a bright future which was in the balance only a short time ago.
Libya has a population not much greater than Scotland - and huge natural resources to help the country get back on its feet.
Which I hope it does soon - on a path that leads to democratic elections, a stable peace and freedom of speech.
I'd like to go to there sometime - after all Libya has all the advantages of other Mediterranean countries like Spain or Turkey.
So why not develop its tourism industry - as part of its longer-term future?
Now that would be a real legacy - after four decades of cruel dictatorship.
