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Africa North
Libyan revolutionaries retake Brega
2011-03-02
Libyan revolutionary forces have recaptured Masra El Brega city east of the capital Tripoli following heavy clashes with Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

The protesters seized back Brega on Wednesday after the city fell under Gaddafi's forces control for minutes.

"It's true. There was aerial bombardment of Brega and Gaddafi's forces have taken it," said Mohamed Yousef, an officer in the town of Ajdabiyah, which is about 75 km (47 miles) from Brega.

Opposition fighters are preparing for battle as forces loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi fight to regain control of towns they've lost during the revolution.

The preparations come as forces loyal to Gaddafi are trying to create a buffer zone around Tripoli to prevent the opposition from taking over.

According to latest reports, thousands of protesters are advancing past the suburbs of Tripoli where Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is holed up.

Meanwhile, anti-government leaders in the Libyan city of Benghazi have formed a military council.

Gaddafi's bloody repression of anti-government protesters have claimed the lives of thousands of people over the past 16 days and the death toll is expected to rise as Gaddafi continues his bloody crackdown against the opposition.
Daffy isn't dead yet, he survived the initial phase of his regime's collapse (which Ceausescu didn't) and has consolidated his position.

He has many friends and allies in the world who have an interest (some have a vital interest) to keep him alive, at least as a party in a civil war if not as ruler of Libya.

For those players it would be a very desirable outcome if the only victims of the Arab unrest were moderate, 'pro-western' regimes. To achieve that goal they might act, clandestinely, even without a UN mandate.

If he pulls off a comeback like Saddam in 1991 there will truly be 'rivers of blood.'
Posted by:Javiper Whavimble3831

#8  "Seems to be attacking oil facilities" > Gaddafi still needs to pay + feed his Boyz, i.e. loyal Army-Police + other Security forces, etal. whether or not his international assets = personal wealth is seized by the US or UNO.

Compare agz STARVING NORTH KOREA = LITTLE-TO-NO CIVILIAN/PRIVATE SECTOR CONSUMER ECON + NO FOOD EITHER THANX TO THE RECENT NORTH KOREAN WINTER WIPING OUT THE BULK OF THEIR FOOD CROPS.

NGOS = DPRK will run out of food early to mid-summer 2011.

In the absence of MASSIVE, GUARANTEED CHIN + INTERNAT AID PER ANNUM, ALL KIMMIE HAS IS HIS SLOWLY-GOING-HUNGRY ARMY + GEOPOL
"BRINKMANSHIP", i.e. STARTING ESCALATORY MIL INCIDENTS IN ORDER TOP INDUCE "GREAT POWER" REGIONAL CONFRONTATIONS, ESPEC BETWEEN THE US-N-CHINA.

Also read, DPRK-LED MUTUAL DESTRUCTION [See IRAN = anti-US Radical Mullahs].

As long as Uncle Muammar has secure Oil-Gas, $$$?, etc. sources to support his Boyz, he can wait out the storm - KIMMIE + JONG-UN NOTSOMUCH.

UNLIKE MUAMMAR, IMO ITS DEBATABLE ON WHETHER KIMMIE + SON + REGIME + HUNGRY DPRK CAN SURVIVE THRU 2012 LET ALONE 2015, OR 2015 THRU 2020/2025???

As long as he stays alive to fight + the US-NATO don't mil invade, occupy Libyuh, IMO the smart $$$ is on Muammar outlasting Kimmie.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-03-03 00:19  

#7  The Communists got one thing right. During chaotic times, the most organized group takes over, In the Arab world that would be the Muslim Brotherhood,
Posted by: phil_b   2011-03-02 19:39  

#6  Crash site of Pan Am flight 103.
Posted by: Pearl Gleaper1127   2011-03-02 13:54  

#5  Khadaffy ordered the murder of 270, mostly Americans, with the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. The only interest America should have is Wanted: Dead or Alive, preferably dead.
Posted by: Pearl Gleaper1127   2011-03-02 13:48  

#4  Who are these people?

Good question. I don't expect anything like a western democracy to pop up, they might indeed be as bad as Gaddafi though I don't see how they could be worse than the Duck.

Whoever succeeds hasn't bribed and corrupted the western political class yet, so there would be a window of opportunity for some honest political discourse re Libya.

As for the military option, I like Glenn Reynolds' take:
Bomb the Libyan Air Force — it’ll save lives now, if Qaddafi survives he’ll be weaker, and if he doesn’t survive we’ll look good with the new guys. And if they turn out to be bad, well, at least they won’t have much of an Air Force....

Posted by: Javiper Whavimble3831   2011-03-02 12:50  

#3  More details about the battle.
Posted by: Frozen Al   2011-03-02 12:24  

#2  Meanwhile, anti-government leaders in the Libyan city of Benghazi have formed a military council.

Who are these people? Ordinary Lybians? What does that mean? How do we know that America has a dog in this fight? We don't like Daffy but how do we know we're gonna like these "protesters" any better? Seems like a nice little war to stay the hell away from.

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2011-03-02 12:18  

#1  Gaddafi seems to be trying to attack oil facilities. This may be part of his extorsion racket for survival. ("Let me live or I'l make sure the oil refineries are damaged in the fighting.")

This will also keep the Rebels from exporting the oil and getting revenue for their government.
Posted by: Frozen Al   2011-03-02 11:51  

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