Activists invoke Gadhafi in Yemen, Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi should serve as a warning to all dictators in the Middle East, opposition activists in Syria and Yemen said.

"This is a lesson for all dictatorships: The clear fate of all who kill [their] people is to end up under the feet of the nation," said Omar al-Muqdad, a Syrian opposition activist living in exile in Turkey.

David Hartwell, Middle East and North Africa analyst at IHS Global Insight in London, said Gadhafi's death could have "ripple effects" in the region, similar to the pro-democracy Arab Spring, CNN reported.

"I think what we've seen in the past is that Tunisia had the effect of emboldening the opposition in Egypt," he said. "That has ripple effects out to Yemen and Libya itself."

Gadhafi died of injuries he sustained Thursday during a fight with National Transition Council troops in Sirte, the fallen ruler's hometown, the NTC said.

Opponents of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh also were emboldened by reports about Gadhafi's death.

"Whether he was killed or not, I hope Saleh is watching the news closely," Yemeni blogger Afrah Nasser said before Gadhafi's death was confirmed by the NTC.

Hartwell said Yemen is closer to a change than Syria, CNN reported.

"Saleh is already edging toward the door anyway. This could have the effect of pushing him through it," he said.

"Syrians may come to see that Libyans removed a dictator who was completely entrenched," he said. "[We're] not at that point yet, though there have been defections from the army. There are local factors in Syria that are going to make it much more difficult to have an effect."

The Middle East could have more upheavals in the next few years, Hartwell said.

"Further down the line you may see disturbances in other countries [such as Bahrain and Iran]," he said.