Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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Mr.Pibbleton: Feb 3, 2006; Aleuts rock, chummer.

Narmi posted:

We have some CF-18s, and they were used in the 90s, but I'm not sure how they're doing now. There was a plan by the Conservatives to buy some new F-35s, but that's most likely going to fall through since it'll cost about $35 billion to purchase and maintain, which is significantly more than we were initially told they would cost. Also, I just looked it up and apparently the F-35s isn't suited for patrolling the Arctic, which is a pretty big issue in Canadian Sovereignty in the north.

Didn't Bush try to claim the northwest passage from you guys? I forget how all that ended.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 19:40

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# ? May 21, 2024 23:04

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

I think they might have been kamikaze missions.

Repost for this page

quote:

BREAKING from Almanara Media The huge fire that has erupted inside Baab Al Aziziyah was due to a martyr mission using a fighter jet to crash into the compound

# ? Mar 15, 2011 19:40

Verizian: Dec 18, 2004; The spiky one.

I heard an amusing story the other day. The "SAS" unit captured a couple weeks back was actually SBS and they never got off the ship they were returning on. The same person who told me this story also claimed the SBS is a bunch of officially sanctioned Colonel Kurtz's.

I think what we can take away from this is that people need some proper 80's action movies otherwise their brains start breaking down.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 19:43

Narmi: Feb 26, 2008

Patter Song posted:

That's really impressive. They flew from Benghazi to Tripoli (and back?) without getting shot down and successfully struck the highest-value enemy target. Mashallah, Free Libyan Air Force.

They didn't fly back apparently.

e:

Yaos posted:

I'd go with one of these rather than desperation strikes. If they were desperate they would be attacking the horde of enemies heading to the capital and not Tripoli, unless they are stupid and think they are going to kill Gadaffi this way. Or maybe there are a few rebels close to Gadaffi and they are waiting for Gadaffi to try and make his escape before capturing/killing him.

Anybody know where they got their planes from and how many there are? It seems odd that there's been no mention of them until they suddenly destroy some warships and bomb Tripoli.

There are a few air bases in the East under rebel control. I remember hearing that in at least one the pilots defected early on.

Wiki posted:

Military airforce bases include:

Mitiga, (near Tripoli): formerly known as Wheelus Air Base when the United States air force was there and Okba Ben Nafi when used by Soviet Union forces.

Maaten al-Sarra Air Base south of Libya

Benina (near Benghazi) under anti-Ghadafi forces

Misurata (see also: Misurata_Airport)

Sirt, controlled by forces loyal to Colonel Ghadafi

Ghadames

Sabha

Al Bayda, under anti-Ghadafi forces control

Tobruk, under anti-Ghadafi forces control

El Ademe, under anti-Ghadafi forces control

Ghat

Tobruk and Al Bayda are in the east, close to the Egyptian border.

Narmi fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 19:44

Narmi: Feb 26, 2008

So I guess this is why Germany is so against a NFZ?

quote:

West to lose contracts, but not Germany: Gaddafi

(Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi slammed Western powers in a German television interview on Tuesday, saying Germany was the only one with a chance of doing business with Libyan oil in the future.

"We do not trust their firms, they have conspired against us," he said in excerpts of a tape to be broadcast on RTL later in the day. "Our oil contracts are going to Russian, Chinese and Indian firms. The West is to be forgotten."

Among Western nations, only Germany, which has been hesitant to call for a no-fly zone over the country to protect embattled rebels fighting against the leader, stood out as "responsible."

"The Germans have taken a very good position toward us, very different from many other important countries in the West," he said, adding that he imagined Libya could work with German firms in the future.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain have led calls for a no-fly zone, which Germany and Russia argue could be counterproductive. In the interview, Gaddafi called Sarkozy his friend but said he was "suffering from mental illness."

The United States remains cautious about a no-fly zone.

(Writing by Brian Rohan; Editing by Jon Boyle)

source

e: forgot link to article

Narmi fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 19:47

Potrzebie: Apr 6, 2010; I may not know what I'm talking about, but I sure love cops! ^^ Boy, but that boot is just yummy!; Lipstick Apathy

Narmi posted:

So I guess this is why Germany is so against a NFZ?

source

e: forgot link to article

Think of the oil imports!!!

:negative:

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:03

Nenonen: Oct 22, 2009; Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

BBC interviewed some Gaddafi supporters:

quote:

The media campaign being run by state television is gradually winning over the poorly educated.

They have expressed their belief in TV claims, such as: "The yoghurt brand, al-Naseem, is drugged."

This particular brand is owned by a family from Misrata, the port city under rebel control.

Or reports that: "The rebels are all al-Qaeda. Have you seen how they slaughtered our soldiers? We saw the pictures!"

"We just want to live in peace," another Gaddafi supporter says.

"Gaddafi is old now and he has been here for as long as we have been alive," an elderly neighbour complained. "The situation is breaking my heart."

Opponents of the regime would say the same, but for completely different reasons.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:03

Murderion: Oct 4, 2009; 2019. New York is in ruins. The global economy is spiralling. Cyborgs rule over poisoned wastes.

The only time that's left is
FUN TIME

Narmi posted:

So I guess this is why Germany is so against a NFZ?

source

e: forgot link to article

If this gets into the news cycle, I'd imagine this'll shoot the German government's public approval ratings in the foot. Being namedropped alongside Russia and China isn't all that good for a government in a country with as many scars from authoritarian regimes as Germany.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:04

Dr. Habibi: Sep 24, 2009

Brown Moses posted:

I think they might have been kamikaze missions.

Repost for this page

I WANT TO BELIEVE.

(Though, seriously, this does not reek of well-planned military action, guys)

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:05

davebo: Nov 15, 2006; Parallel lines do meet, but they do it incognito; College Slice

Monkeytime posted:

Twitter is going crazy with reports of the military massacring protesters in Bahrain. Some very nsfw video, one from the street and one from a hospital:

http://twitpic.com/49q9o7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tkG7jkUYTg&feature=youtu.be&oref=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitterfall.com%2F&has_verified=1

There are reports that the military is entering hospitals and killing doctors, but nothing has been verified as far as I know.

It probably goes without saying, but this is all very sad.

I really thought the internet had numbed me to just about everything over the decades, but I kinda wish I hadn't watched that.

Edit: why even bother bringing someone in that condition into a hospital bed?

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:15

Staggy: Mar 20, 2008; Said little bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wanted to
These expensive
These is red bottoms
These is bloody shoes

Dr. Habibi posted:

I WANT TO BELIEVE.

(Though, seriously, this does not reek of well-planned military action, guys)

Well it might not have been the original plan. It may have been a case of someone getting hit, realising they can't land/get back safely, and deciding to make the most of it.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:20

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

Narmi posted:

So I guess this is why Germany is so against a NFZ?

With the financial crisis, the Greek debt crisis and now the Libyan Revolution, i think it's obvious that the German government is only caring about the trade surplus.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:34

Dr. Habibi: Sep 24, 2009

Staggy posted:

Well it might not have been the original plan. It may have been a case of someone getting hit, realising they can't land/get back safely, and deciding to make the most of it.

Good point, and I really hope you're right -- just the reports of it being a "martyr mission" that made me think it probably wasn't planned out very well.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:43

Narmi: Feb 26, 2008

Mr.Pibbleton posted:

Didn't Bush try to claim the northwest passage from you guys? I forget how all that ended.

Don't know what the US is up to now, but we've been sending troops up North to do drills/exercises for a while and assert sovereignty. On one of them some guys got lost so it might not be going as well as we'd hoped.

Dr. Habibi posted:

Good point, and I really hope you're right -- just the reports of it being a "martyr mission" that made me think it probably wasn't planned out very well.

Pretty much everything that's been happening has people being martyrs if they're killed by Gaddafi. The cameraman who died recently was a martyr for the revolution, so I wouldn't read to much into it being called a "martyr mission".

e: I mean, he obviously knew it was a kamikaze attack, but I doubt (hope) he didn't plan on dying or was ordered to do a suicide run. If Libyans start using suicide bombers that'll play into the "they're a bunch of extremists" fears.

Narmi fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:52

Namarrgon: Dec 23, 2008; Congratulations on not getting fit in 2011!

Didn't some high-ranked officers defected a while ago? Because tactical retreating and then bombing supply lines is exactly the sort of things you'd expect experienced generals to execute and not desperate rebels.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 20:54

smn: Feb 15, 2005; tutkalla

Galaga Galaxian posted:

This seems awfully out of left-field. I wonder whats going on? Do we even know what aircraft these FLAF "Fighter Jets" are? Some of the MiG-23s the Rebels captured early on? Defected Su-22s or Mirages? Probably not the Mirages since Gaddafi forces only had one or two left.

Very interesting development, and while I'd like for it to be mostly true, I'm rather skeptical.

Not that the scenario would be very plausible in this context, but von Rosen and his voluntary airforce is an amazing read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustaf_von_Rosen

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:27

Patter Song: Mar 26, 2010; Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man.; Fun Shoe

I have a feeling someone might read this thread in the archives years from now, see the slow change from "Qaddafi's finished!" to, "Ghaddafi's finished...right?" to "Khaddafi's only putting off the inevitable!" to "CQ might make some gains, but it's over in the long run" to "the bastard might retake Western Libya, but he can't retake the East!" to "would someone please help these poor people slaughtered by this rear end in a top hat?" and just go :smith:

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:37

stgdz: Nov 3, 2006; 158 grains of smiley powered justice

Narmi posted:

So I guess this is why Germany is so against a NFZ?

source

e: forgot link to article

once you go axis you never go back

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:41

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Patter Song posted:

I have a feeling someone might read this thread in the archives years from now, see the slow change from "Qaddafi's finished!" to, "Ghaddafi's finished...right?" to "Khaddafi's only putting off the inevitable!" to "CQ might make some gains, but it's over in the long run" to "the bastard might retake Western Libya, but he can't retake the East!" to "would someone please help these poor people slaughtered by this rear end in a top hat?" and just go .

To be honest, my hope was that the rebels could move swiftly enough and be able to do this without a clear need for outside intervention of any kind, because they weren't ever going to get it if they needed it, and now they're in that exact position, and we're witnessing a slow slaughter.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:47

Chade Johnson: Oct 12, 2009; by Ozmaugh

Mad Doctor Cthulhu posted:

Two thoughts:

1) They have some really impressive people behind the scenes that is directing their movements and are exposing Ghaddafi's throat and ego, and/or...

2) They have some heavy financial backing that so far has remained hidden, possibly from someone sympathetic or in a liberated country.

In either case, we discounted the rebels far, far too readily. These guys are not loving around.

Pretty much everyone in this thread has been discounting Ghaddafis forces if anything.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:51

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

davebo posted:

Edit: why even bother bringing someone in that condition into a hospital bed?

If he's still breathing, he deserves a bed until it stops in my opinion.

Here's a video that shows the effects of the nerve gas used in Bahrain:

:nms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIJIPEdsDCo :nms:

Burn in hell, Bahraini royal family. drat you for making that doctor cry.

And to make it extra classy, Bahraini forces attacked a hospital in Sitra and actually tear-gassed the inside of it:

quote:

(Manama, Bahrain, March 15, 2011) - Faraz Sanei, Bahrain researcher
I have spoken to two people in the Shia village of Sitra, south of Manama, who confirmed that security forces, both civilian and police, attacked the medical center there following clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces that began in Sitra at around 11 a.m. Both were at the hospital during the attack at about 4.45 p.m. As we spoke on the phone during calls earlier today I heard shots being fired. I just spoke to both witnesses for a second time and they said that security forces did not enter the center but fired rubber bullets and tear gas inside the hospital. People who had gathered outside to find out what's happening to their loved ones were forced to go inside.

Both sources have now left the medical center. One is back home in Sitra and he says the security situation there is very bad, and most people are staying in their homes. The other is a doctor who has now gone to Salmaniya hospital in Manama. He said there were several hundred people taken to Sitra (way over capacity) for injuries caused by tear gas, rubber bullets and shotgun pellets. He took five injured people with him to Salmaniya, which has admitted more than 250 cases today. He said the hospital there is overwhelmed by the number of injured. The doctor also said that three ambulances that were on their way to Sitra from Salmaniya were �hijacked� by security forces and the paramedics were beaten.

The doctor confirmed at least two dead: Bahraini Ahmed Farhan and an unidentified Bangladeshi man. There are unconfirmed reports that a third person has died as well. A second doctor said Farhan was likely shot with a shotgun and his skull was completely shattered. He said there are at least four people in critical condition at Salmaniya, including one person who has what seems to be a live ammunition bullet wound that entered and exited his chest. Another critical case is a 14-year-old-boy who was shot in the knee and was bleeding profusely. The doctor said he believes that live ammunition round were used against some villagers in Buri, south-west of Manama.

http://www.hrw.org/live-updates

Attacking a hospital? Beating doctors and paramedics? It seems it's part of the Arab Dictator playbook as well.

From Morocco (and I love that the source is called The Marxist :3:

quote:

Morocco: Constitutional reform will not save regime
Written by our Moroccan correspondent
Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Three weeks after the first Day of Rage in Morocco, King Mohamed VI made a surprise speech on television. He delivered a message promising �constitutional reform�. Fear of protracted revolutionary turbulence and even of the risk of being toppled seems to have gripped the regime.

Morocco was supposed to be an exception in the convulsive Middle East, a haven of stability guaranteed by a wise and enlightened �King of the Poor�. No need here for demonstrations like in Tunisia or Egypt. No need for revolt. No need for regime change. The obsessive repetition in the national and international media of this mantra � of the so-called Moroccan exception � in reality revealed certain nervousness within the ruling circles. Sometimes stubborn denials sound more like indirect confirmations.

Why should Morocco be an exception? The country has within it the same elements which proved lethal to the Tunisian and Egyptian autocrats. Morocco has some of the greatest levels of inequality in the Arab world. A 40% illiteracy rate, humiliating oppression, capitalist exploitation, endemic corruption, permanent and ever increasing unemployment among its finest and best educated youth and limited press freedom represent highly combustible material.

The world crisis of capitalism has also not spared Morocco, especially in the textile and confectionery industries where workers have suffered massive lay-offs. The worldwide speculation on food has also led to increases in the price of basic goods. The absolute monarchy and the pathetic ruling and �opposition� parties are an open insult to the political intelligence of the people.

The uniqueness of Morocco, the specialists explain to us, resides in the supposed popularity of the king and his religious status as the �Commander of the Faithful�, a descendent of the Prophet. Well, the Russian Tsar Nicolas II was also �popular� until� he stopped being popular and was overthrown. He also was at the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. This sacred status did not protect him from the earthly rage of the masses. A hallmark of revolutions is that they do not stop before the sacred and the divine.

http://www.marxist.com/morocco-constitutional-reform-will-not-save-regime.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Morocco had protests on Feb. 20 and most likely will have them again. This article is pretty long and ends with a call for further protest. Who knows if it will happen?

We may be getting news out of Syria all-of-a-sudden-like because Syria has lifted their ban on Facebook and Youtube:

quote:

BEIRUT (AP)
Internet users in Syria say Facebook and YouTube are available for the first time in three years amid signs Damascus may be lifting its ban on the websites.

The Syrian government does not comment on its Internet restrictions. But several web users in Syria told The Associated Press on Tuesday the sites were accessible for the first time in years without having to tunnel through proxy servers.

The head of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedeom of Expression, Mazen Darwish, said he has "semiofficial confirmation" the ban is being lifted.
The gesture could be seen as a concession to stave off unrest following popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. But it's not a major compromise by President Bashar Assad, as many Syrians accessed the sites anyway using proxies.

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/02/08/136844.html

So, things may have been happening all along and we haven't been hearing about it because Facebook and Youtube were supressed in Syria.

Word on the streets is that Gbagbo in Ivory Coast doesn't have the military support everyone assumed he did:

quote:

'Promising signs' in Ivory Coast?
Published: March. 15, 2011 at 1:36 PM

Violence continues in Ivory Coast
Ivorian leader Gbagbo bans U.N. flights
U.S. 'appalled' by Ivorian violence
UNITED NATIONS, March 15 (UPI) -- Suggestions that incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo controls a sizable military force don't correlate with facts on the ground, a U.N. special envoy said.

The political fallout from a November presidential election in Ivory Coast is pushing the country to the brink of civil war. Y.J. Choi, the U.N. special envoy to the Ivory Coast, said the situation on the ground is moving in favor of Alassane Ouattara, the candidate recognized by the international community as the winner of the election.

Choi said in an interview with Radio France International that U.N. peacekeepers were "all over" parts of the country during the weekend despite pressure from Gbagbo's camp.

Choi added that assumptions regarding the size of the force loyal to Gbagbo "do not quite correspond to the facts since that majority of the military are not prepared to fight."

Fighting in the commercial capital Abidjan escalated during the weekend as national and international leaders said the country is on the verge of civil war.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/03/15/Promising-signs-in-Ivory-Coast/UPI-57641300210601/

"On the verge" LOL. Seems to me that they are there, and have been for weeks.

A well-written article that explains the details of the political situation in Ivory Coast. It's fairly long so I'm only giving you a snippet here:

quote:

Gunmen slowly closing net on Ivory Coast strongman
By Rukmini Callimachi
5:30 AM Wednesday Mar 16, 2011

On a road that curves around a swath of vegetation at the far north of this commercial capital, cars leave territory controlled by strongman Laurent Gbagbo at a checkpoint consisting of a pile of logs.

Beyond it is the first barricade manned by gunmen loyal to the country's internationally recognised president Alassane Outtara.

The line of control is slowly creeping south, toward the presidential palace Gbagbo refuses to let go.

It's been over 100 days since Gbagbo was declared the loser of the Ivory Coast's presidential election, and for most of that time the residents of the neighbourhood called PK-18 waited for the international community to remove the defiant leader, who first grabbed power a decade ago. That didn't happen and two weeks ago, the face of the neighbourhood began to change. Families streamed out, pulling suitcases on rollers behind them.

In their place arrived scruffy men. Some wore amulets around their necks and woollen head coverings, the traditional dress of the country's northern rebels allied with Ouattara.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=10712658&ref=rss

So it looks more like the rebels are going to win in Ivory Coast. However, most of the citizens have left the areas that are under fire, and who knows if they'll ever be able to make their way back. However, I think that we'll still be paying top dollar for our cocoa, since supply has nothing to do with price anyway.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:56

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Chade Johnson posted:

Pretty much everyone in this thread has been discounting Ghaddafis forces if anything.

Yeah this has been my impression of them as well, but then I forgot the rebels don't actually have heavy weapons.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:56

iceaim: May 20, 2001

Chade Johnson posted:

Pretty much everyone in this thread has been discounting Ghaddafis forces if anything.

Yeah. I think Qaddafi has this in the bag now.

The rebels are sadly finished, just a matter of time. :smith:

So do you guys think CQ will do some meaningful political reforms once he gets this situation under control?

# ? Mar 15, 2011 21:59

Patter Song: Mar 26, 2010; Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man.; Fun Shoe

I've said this elsewhere, but I might as well say it again here: gently caress the Saudis. What they're doing in their own country has been pretty blatantly "evil" for decades, but exporting that to Bahrain...

Oil or no oil, I won't shed a tear the day the House of Saud is judged and found wanting.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:00

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Attack on protesters in Gaza.

Reuters posted:

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas supporters stormed a crowd of protestors in the Gaza Strip who had gathered on Tuesday to demand Palestinian unity, witnesses said.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians had initially answered a rallying call on Facebook demonstrate in Gaza and the West Bank for reconciliation between Hamas Islamists and President Mahmoud Abbas's rival Fatah group.

A couple of thousand demonstrators remained on the streets of Gaza as the protest wound down, defying calls by Hamas, who controls the territory, to disperse. It was the first time Hamas's authority was challenged in such a public manner since it seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007.

"They attacked us, 400 to 500 Hamas men in plain clothes. I was beaten with a club, many others were beaten," said one activist, who gave only his first name Ali.

"They dispersed the crowd."

There was no word on how many were hurt in the clash.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Matthew Jones)

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:04

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Gaddafi is preparing to enter Benghazi. Live right now on AJE.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:15

Nenonen: Oct 22, 2009; Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

iceaim posted:

So do you guys think CQ will do some meaningful political reforms once he gets this situation under control?

Most likely he'll reform the bodies of his political opponents and their families. I'm expecting to see a flood of refugees before this is over.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:17

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

iceaim posted:

Yeah. I think Qaddafi has this in the bag now. The rebels are sadly finished, just a matter of time.

So do you guys think CQ will do some meaningful political reforms once he gets this situation under control?

Nope, he's going to murder every single person who opposed him.

I repeat, Gaddafi is about to put down the uprising within hours.

Nonsense fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:18

Nuclear Spoon: Aug 18, 2010; I want to cry out
but I don’t scream and I don’t shout
And I feel so proud
to be alive

My best friend and his girlfriend are going to Marrakech from 1-7 April. I am worried, should I be?

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:22

Spiky Ooze: Oct 27, 2005; Bernie Sanders is a friend to my planet (pictured)

click the shit outta^

So all the news pretty much sucks today? drat. What are the chances of Egypt getting their government together and lending military support to the revolutions. Someone has to do it or the spread of democracy has pretty much reached an end game of being suppressed by force.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:24

Light-headed Fool: May 17, 2009; Where did my head go?

stgdz posted:

once you go axis you never go back

It is just politics. I've always seen nationalities as entities whose rules of behavior are different what the people may conceive. Back in 1939, the western world gave their overwhelming sympathies to certain country bordering Soviet Union, being under attack from SU, while hopes and pleads for help faded the further the conflict progressed. Well, at least the League of Nations expelled SU! But today, things are different... no, wait! The latter sounds awfully familiar...

It's just politics. It's a tragedy and I feel very sorry for Libyan people, but at the moment, they are on their own. I don't believe in any kind of military intervention by West.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:28

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Light-headed Fool posted:

I don't believe in any kind of military intervention by West.

It was never going to happen anyways. Only Newt Gingrich would have smashed Gaddafi on day one, or at least boast that he would.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:29

Namarrgon: Dec 23, 2008; Congratulations on not getting fit in 2011!

Light-headed Fool posted:

It's just politics. It's a tragedy and I feel very sorry for Libyan people, but at the moment, they are on their own. I don't believe in any kind of military intervention by West.

You'd rather Gaddafi builds North Korea 2 than :siren:

Western intervention :siren:

?

If so you might actually be evil.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:33

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Nuclear Spoon posted:

My best friend and his girlfriend are going to Marrakech from 1-7 April. I am worried, should I be?

No it'll be fine. Obviously they should keep on the news just in case but at the moment there isn't anything to worry about.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:34

redreader: Nov 2, 2009; I am the coolest person ever with my pirate chalice. Seriously.; Dinosaur Gum

Namarrgon posted:

You'd rather Gaddafi builds North Korea 2 than Western intervention ?

If so you might actually be evil.

I think he meant "I don't believe in the possibility of any kind of military intervention by the West".

Are you trolling or do you have *that much trouble* interpreting what people write when they're not first language speakers?

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:36

Light-headed Fool: May 17, 2009; Where did my head go?

Namarrgon posted:

You'd rather Gaddafi builds North Korea 2 than Western intervention ?

If so you might actually be evil.

No, it is not what I want, and in the big picture it doesn't matter what I want. It is what the nations decide, and their decisions are governed by realpolitik, not any kind of idealism. That's just the cruel fact.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:41

Namarrgon: Dec 23, 2008; Congratulations on not getting fit in 2011!

I was wrong.

redreader posted:

I think he meant "I don't believe in the possibility of any kind of military intervention by the West".

Are you trolling or do you have *that much trouble* interpreting what people write when they're not first language speakers?

That kind of falls apart realizing I'm not a native English speaker either.

Namarrgon fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:44

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Few bits of news:

quote:

Tony Birtley, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reporting from Benghazi, says:

quote:
"There is a gun battle going on in Benghazi. Rebels are flushing out pro-Gadaffi supporters."

quote:

BREAKING from Al Jazeera Arabic The revolutionaries in Ajdabiya have captured 7 tanks in very good condition and have handed them over to the defected 36th battalion.

quote:

Al Manara Media reports that 6 cars filled with troops from the Khamis battalion have surrendered themselves to the revolutionaries in Tobruk

quote:

Update: A trusted source has confirmed to us this story: The pilot who flew his plane into Baab Al Aziziyah took off as part of a 2 plane team with the mission of bombing strategic points in Al Guradibya base in Sirte. Their orders were to return immedietly after completing the mission. One pilot followed orders while the other flew to Tripoli where he emptied what he had left of ammunition on Baab Al Aziziyah and then crashed his plane into it

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:48

neamp: Jun 24, 2003

Confusing news coming out of Libya, I have to say. Rebels claim a decisive victory in Ajdabiya, Gaddafi troops surrendered, equipment seized, but might be an exaggeration. Some Gaddafi troops were apparently also captured in Tubruk, no idea what they were doing all the way to the east.
The plane that crashed in Tripoli was one of (the?) two rebel planes ordered to bomb Sirt and return, but one pilot defied orders and suicided in Tripoli instead. So plane lost, not much accomplished I am afraid since Gaddafi is still alive.
Meanwhile there is fighting in Benghazi where remaining Gaddafi supporters took up arms, emboldened by the approach of his army.

Edit: Also Gaddafi is holding another speech, but who cares, it's the same things he said before all over again.

neamp fucked around with this message at 22:55 on Mar 15, 2011

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:52

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# ? May 21, 2024 23:04

Namarrgon: Dec 23, 2008; Congratulations on not getting fit in 2011!

I wonder if the aerial assault on Tripoli will have a massive effect on the morale* of pro-Gaddafi troops.

*assuming non-forced truly loyal troops exist.

# ? Mar 15, 2011 22:53

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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