Moscow, February 17 (RHC)-- Libyan cities are in ruins, crime and lawlessness run rampant and children don't have classrooms, according to a report by Russia Today, marking the anniversary of the riots that led to NATO intervention in the North African country.

The Russian TV channel reports that the National Transitional Council is trying to present a different image of the country, announcing it would give $1,600 to each family in Libya.  Many see this as an empty promise, in a country that is technically bankrupt.

The announcement comes on the first anniversary of the uprising in Benghazi, which took place on February 17th last year.  But the celebrations are being held amid fears of continuing instability.

Hundreds of militias are roaming the country unimpeded and observers point to an institutional void in Libya.  Libyan interim leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil on Thursday vowed a tough response to anyone who threatened national security during Friday's celebrations.

According to a study by the University of Oxford, 35 percent of those responding to a survey in Libya say they want to return to the previous system under Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed by armed groups in October last year.  The

Following seven months of bombings by U.S.-led NATO forces, at least 30,000 were killed and 50,000 wounded, with another 4,000 reported as missing.  The NATO aggression almost completely wiped out oil exports, which once represented nearly 50 percent of Libya's Gross Domestic Product.

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