BARAK OBAMA CANNOT CONTINUE TO TAKE A BACK SEAT IN THE 'SPRING AWAKENING' PROTESTS

WHAT has Nobel Peace Prize winner President Barak Obama been doing to help the people of Libya?

It is estimated that more than 2,000 people have died in the protests against Col Muammar Gaddafi and for the most part there has been little intervention from the global community.

The US President and leader of the free world won the peace prize in 2009 for extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.

It was a little premature when awarded and Obama himself acknowledged this saying it was his: 'call to action', but there seems to have been little action so far.

He appears to have taken the option of riding in the back seat with regards to the revolution and protesters demanding regime change in the Arab world.

Being one step behind diplomatically in the 'spring awakening' was starting to develop into a pattern.

It is clear that the President is haunted by the 'ghost of foreign policy past'.

He would not want to be seen to repeat George Bush's bloody enforcement of democracy in the Middle East.

But he should at least be a pillar of strength for protesters and modernisers in the region.

David Cameron also anxious of not wanting to act in a way too similar to Tony Blair has been slow off the mark to act.

However, in a statement to the House of Commons today Cameron said: ' Britain is taking a lead'.

The PM spoke of how British representatives secured a UN Security Council Resolution at the weekend which: 'condemns Gaddafi’s actions, and imposes a travel ban and assets freeze on those at the top of his murderous regime.'

Cameron has acknowledged that the free world needs to act.

He said that the UK is working on plans for a no-fly zone over Libya.

It is clearly difficult to find the right balance whether to take action or leave events to unfold, but when a mad dictator turns on his people with live bullets and airstrike the international community must act.

HISTORIC DAY FOR EGYPT AS MUBARAK STEPS DOWN

AN HISTORIC day today in Egypt as the President Hosni Mubarak has resigned as leader.

After three weeks of public protests on the streets of the capital Cairo and in a number of other cities including Alexandria, the Vice President tonight announced that Mubarak had stepped down.

The country is now in control of the armed forces.

In just 18 days the people of Egypt have managed to overturn a government that has been in place for over 30 years.

It is reported that more than 1million took part in the protests today after Mubarak insisted that he would not step down.

The demonstrations followed events in Tunisia three weeks ago, where President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced out of power after mass demonstrations in the country's capital.

One of the most populated countries in the Middle East region, Egypt is entering a new era.

Will democracy finally take seed, with free elections? – At the moment it is too early to tell.

The events could be a beacon for democracy in the Arab world.

But the most important message they send to the world is that if enough people stand together united against repressive regimes or social injustices there is hope that change for the better can happen.