The Arab Spring

[Son of the King]

Yeah, this whole Libya thing is not going to end well. At all. For anybody.

I understand why Gaddafi is using more firepower, since he has had power and will do all he can to keep it. However he should have just accepted defeat and backed down, as Mubarak did. There is no way he could do that now, and not be the subject of more ridicule than he already is, and/or not be charged with crimes against humanity.

Incidentally, Gaddafi seems to be utilising a method of controlling public order that works fantastically in RTW. That is, let a city revolt, then retake it and exterminate the rebellious people...

[Marcus]

And with Japan in the ***t, media attention has diverted from Libya. You're a lucky man, Gaddafi.

[Jubal]

The thing is, you can't do guerilla wars in Libya. It's a flat bloody desert, there's nowhere to hide.

That said, statistic from the BBC: the average civil war between 1960 and 1999 lasted seven years.

This hasn't gone a month yet.

[Dimos]

Lybia is a particulary interesting occasion. Its dictator claims to have created a Socialistic Muslim State. Thus preaces his Green Book.

According to what I heard at the news today, he is planning an attack to Bengazi [the anti-regimental capital] and therefore we will surely have many dead people.

From a philosopher's point of view, I tell you this: I am truly on a delema. Is any foreign military campaign a true aid for the anti-regimental forces? or is it a blow to the prestige of the more or less REAL, social /civil rebelion? To this I anwser the second is correct.

On the other hand. Has a dictator or any other Governour any power to genocide his own subjects? To this I anwser no, especially when they fight withought balance of powers. Gadafi has more money and equipment, and therefore his is but a slaughterer of inocents.

So what should be done? Maybe we need to provide each side with benefits and provisions. Gadafi should be encouraged to give up all his prerogatives and powers and proceed to the civil request for stable Democratic change and constitutional freedom. The thus called ''Rebels'' [even if Gaddafi is the one and only rebel, since he rebelled against the trust put in him by his society the previous years] should demand no charges against Gadafi, so that he hand over the Power peacefully and easily, will also be deprived of all illegal property he gathered in the name of his people and in that way we will both have democracy and they regiments supporters will be at peace. Gadafi will be more or less judged by history, and Let me tell you he will be condemned to the fate of Tyrrants; which is obsurity and decay.

If the dictator tries to still hold the power he must be jugded and be found guilty of crimes against his people, by their legaly apointed judges. They always have a right to destroy him, the man who threatens them with destuction.

Thus Spoke Dimos. Thanks

[Jubal]

The fact is that with Gadaffi's military assets intervention will be needed if he is to be defeated. There's no real question of that. Moreover, he won't go peacefully. We are not, alas, dealing with a sane man here.

[Jubal]

The Bahraini police have been shooting civilians now. Not only that. They've been doing it out of AMBULANCES. Makes me sick. The word "genocide" is on the lips of quite a lot of Bahrainis now, particularly with a thousand Saudi troops occupying the country.

It's not long 'til the critical UN vote on a No Fly Zone, as well.

My suspicion is that if it succeeds it will be more than a NFZ in practice. The west won't be able to complete their remit of "protecting Libyan civilians" by just flying over on occasion. Gadaffi WILL shoot at them, they WILL have to take out his air defences. I suspect they'll also end up running strikes on his tank corps as well. It looks a bit grim, but I guess one thing to remember is that actually places like Ras Lanuf, Brega, Zawiya, etc, are really quite small. Zawiya is the largest place Gadaffi has retaken successfully (after several days of very bloody fighting), and it's smaller than my local city of Norwich. Brega, which took about two days to fall, is about the size of my local town of Diss. Benghazi has over a million people, on the other hand - taking it would be a vastly, vastly larger enterprise than anything Gadaffi's troops have managed so far.

[comrade_general]

Why the hell no one has sent in Bond to eliminate Gaddafi is beyond me. This isn't Star Trek, yet; there is no prime directive that prohibits the influencing of other cultures, even for an extremely good reason. We are all on this planet together.

[Jubal]

I agree. I think security services need to be a lot more prepared to stick their neck out, playing by the book isn't worth it if it means vastly more civilian loss of life.

[Jubal]

Gadaffi's moving towards Benghazi fast. This is NOT good. Tanks reported entering Misurata.

He wants this war over now.

[Son of the King]

Looks like trouble is going to go down then.

US President Barack Obama has said Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi must obey the UN's demands or face military action.

[Jubal]

But it's fairly hard to do airstrikes at night. Unless the west move VERY fast, there might not be many rebels left to protect.

[comrade_general]

The E Team!

How 'bout it - I have the equipment to arm all our active members, so let's go in and take out Godamnafi!  B)

[Jubal]

I'll carry a gun, but I'm taking my sledgehammer too. Just in case. In fact, I'll deal with hand weaponry, I have a armadilloload of scythes, sledgehammers, a pitchfork or two... We can take 'em.  

[Jubal]

Today is the reckoning.

[Goldyrulz]

It twas funny when the rebels gunned the plane out of the sky, watched that Live too, darn good shot.
I now think that It is time for the World to take the fight to him.
Release the Planes!