Article

2011-03-02 Africa North

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Javiper Whavimble3831 2011-03-02 06:24|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#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|| 2011-03-02 11:51|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-03-02 12:18|| Front Page Top

#3 More details about the battle.

Posted by Frozen Al 2011-03-02 12:24|| 2011-03-02 12:24|| Front Page Top

#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 â itâll save lives now, if Qaddafi survives heâll be weaker, and if he doesnât survive weâll look good with the new guys. And if they turn out to be bad, well, at least they wonât have much of an Air Force....

Posted by Javiper Whavimble3831 2011-03-02 12:50|| 2011-03-02 12:50|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-03-02 13:48|| Front Page Top

#6 Crash site of Pan Am flight 103.

Posted by Pearl Gleaper1127 2011-03-02 13:54|| 2011-03-02 13:54|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-03-02 19:39|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-03-03 00:19|| Front Page Top

00:19 JosephMendiola
23:45 JosephMendiola
23:26 Bill Clinton
23:18 sherry
22:40 Fire and Ice
22:33 Fire and Ice
22:31 OldSpook
22:31 gorb
22:24 Barbara Skolaut
22:19 OldSpook
22:12 OldSpook
22:09 tu3031
22:02 Fat Bob Ebbuling4222
21:57 Fat Bob Ebbuling4222
21:56 Fire and Ice
21:55 Ho Chi Grutle5210
21:49 Fire and Ice
21:43 Frank G
21:23 tu3031
21:18 Dale
21:11 Dale
21:02 tu3031
20:58 Choluper Munster2900
20:55 RandomJD