Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

James bay in Tripoli has been talking to AJE. He says Al Jazeera journalists have been driving around the city with rebels, and most of the city has rebel checkpoints, but there are pockets of Gaddafi forces, including around the Rixos and Gaddafi's compound, and the situation is still very dangerous.

So just looking at what has been reported recently:
- Luke Harding says he saw 200 rebel vehicles driving around the city centre.
- Reports of NATO jets in the air.
- Reports of the compound being bombed last night.
- The road to Misrata being opened last night, and rebels pouring in from there.
- And the rebels are on Bab Al-Aziziyah's doorstep.
- Rebel check points across the city.

It sounds like the compound could be assaulted at any time, hopefully there's enough checkpoints to stop Gaddafi and family using any of the rumoured escape tunnels.

Live Blogs August 23rd
Guardian
BBC
AJE
LibyaFeb17.com
Feb17.info
AJE Live Stream (alt)
Sky News Live Stream (alt)
Journalists in Libya Twitter list

Brown Moses fucked around with this message at 12:19 on Aug 23, 2011

# ? Aug 23, 2011 11:44

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# ? May 21, 2024 16:46

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Cath Norris-Trent of France24 just tweeted

quote:

Libya rebels encircling #Ghaddafi compound in #Tripoli, covering the main axis points. Heavy fire in the area

Alex Crawford is reporting rebels are pouring into Libya, and the compound is pretty much surroudned, with Gaddafi troops using rockets and AA guns to fight the rebels.

Also from the AJE live blog

quote:

Al Jazeera has learned that the Libyan rebels have taken control of Al-Akila in eastern Libya, and are heading towards the oil port of Ras Lanuf.

Our correspondent: "Rebels take control of Al-Akila in the East and move towards Ras Lanuf".

# ? Aug 23, 2011 12:14

Cpt Soban: Jul 23, 2011

wow we are watching history here people! Guess the president is cursing to himself now!

we got any live video streaming of all of this?

Cpt Soban fucked around with this message at 12:25 on Aug 23, 2011

# ? Aug 23, 2011 12:18

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Sky might be streaming it, but I can't get it to work. AJE has live footage of the skyline at the moment.
Here's some minor tweets
Arwa Damon

quote:

at #tripoli airport, can hear gunfire & explosions, rebels say fighting along road from airport to ghadafi compound, can hear jets overhead.

Zeina Khodr

quote:

Battle for #Babaziziayh underway
Gaddafi forces firing grad rockets and mortars from #Babaziziyah and they are landing indiscriminately in #Tripoli,

# ? Aug 23, 2011 12:28

salamanderbaby: Jan 1, 2009; Get out, get out of my sanctum and drown your spirits in woe.

Here's a map of Tripoli with hot spots noted. Some of the information is from a day or two ago, but it's a useful visualizing tool.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 12:41

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

There's talk that NATO have just bombed the compound, although it's a bit unclear as there's plenty of other explosions.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 12:42

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

There's reports of the rebels getting into the compound, through the first wall, trying to find a better report.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:15

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

There's reports from Reuters that the rebels have reached the outskirts of Bin Jawad after capturing Ras Lanuf, according to an AJ journalists.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:24

Hefty Leftist: Jun 26, 2011; "You know how vodka or whiskey are distilled multiple times to taste good? It's the same with shit. After being digested for the third time shit starts to taste reeeeeeaaaally yummy."

Brown Moses posted:

There's reports from Reuters that the rebels have reached the outskirts of Bin Jawad after capturing Ras Lanuf, according to an AJ journalists.

Eastern Front 2: Electric Boogaloo

Sirte isn't a very big town, looking at Google Maps, so if they manage to get to it, perhaps it will fall relatively soon. That is if Gaddafi's forces haven't fortified the absolute poo poo out of it.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:25

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Someone on the Guardian live blog has figured out my secret:

quote:

Given the amount of time you spend posting here and pasting links, I am beginning to wonder if you work for NATO/West operation. Because you sure seemed vested in getting out their side of the story. If you don't work for them you should send them all teh work you have done and ask for a job as I am sure this will not be the last place they invade - I mean humanitarian assist.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:27

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

ThePutty posted:

Eastern Front 2: Electric Boogaloo

Sirte isn't a very big town, looking at Google Maps, so if they manage to get to it, perhaps it will fall relatively soon. That is if Gaddafi's forces haven't fortified the absolute poo poo out of it.

There's not much between it and Bin Jawad either, so it's not going to be that hard to get to.

Apparently AJA has said there's been airstrikes on the compound as well.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:29

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Good news:

quote:

I'd say, looking at the pics, Saif is just driving around Baba al-Aziziyah. He hasn't got the run of Tripoli

So just driving around areas we already knew was under the loyalist control...when he said he would drive around Tripoli's hotspots, it appears to just be utter bullshit and brinkmanship in hindsight.

More good news if true:

quote:

Al Jazeera: Revolutionaries enter the first gate of the Bab Al Azizia compound #Libya

FYI Bab Al Azizia is 2.3 square miles and hosts much of the government infrastructure. It has 3 concrete perimeters. It also supposedly goes deep underground, so surface level bombing may not be doing as much damage as one would immediately assume. It could very well be that Gaddafi is underground here.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:30

Hefty Leftist: Jun 26, 2011; "You know how vodka or whiskey are distilled multiple times to taste good? It's the same with shit. After being digested for the third time shit starts to taste reeeeeeaaaally yummy."

Anybody know what groups are besieging the compound? Would it most likely be the Tripoli brigade?

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:32

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

ThePutty posted:

Anybody know what groups are besieging the compound? Would it most likely be the Tripoli brigade?

Probably everyone is having a go.

ArmchairArba on twitter is tweeting stuff from AJA:

quote:

AJA - FF holding at first gate if gaddfi compound in anticipation of more NATO strikes.

Also:

quote:

CNN said today Qaddafi was in Tripoli, and had a map of the Tripoli in Lebanon.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:34

Hefty Leftist: Jun 26, 2011; "You know how vodka or whiskey are distilled multiple times to taste good? It's the same with shit. After being digested for the third time shit starts to taste reeeeeeaaaally yummy."

Looks like they're going to take this very slowly. I for one look forward to the first pictures of Gaddafi's capture or his body.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:35

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

From AJA

quote:

Al Jazeera: The field leadership of the revolutionaries ordered its troops not to advance further into the Bab Al Azizia Compound

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:36

Golbez: Oct 9, 2002; 1 2 3!
If you want to take a shot at me get in line, line
1 2 3!
Baby, I've had all my shots and I'm fine

Brown Moses posted:

Yeah, any master plan that involves losing major military bases and opening up routes to major rebel strongholds seems pretty stupid to me.

Just wait until the Bab al-Azizya proves itself to be fully armed and operational.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:43

Galewolf: Jan 9, 2007; The human gallbladder is indeed a puzzle!

I simply can't belive we were having a birthday party in Rixos hotel seven months ago and thinking like "protests in Benghazi? IN LIBYA?!" and now the Fuhrerbunker is besieged.

The complex is surrounded by miles long concrete walls, two stories high, dotted with machine gun nests, concrete roadblocks and god knows what inside. Nowhere near something that can endure heavy weapons fire or airstrikes but it is an imposing structure nevertheless.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:50

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

How big is this compound?

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:53

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Nuclear Spoon posted:

How big is this compound?

6 square kilometers / 2.3 square miles

There's a Wikipedia entry on it if you pop it into Google

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:56

Galewolf: Jan 9, 2007; The human gallbladder is indeed a puzzle!

edit: beaten with actual numbers.

Galewolf fucked around with this message at 14:01 on Aug 23, 2011

# ? Aug 23, 2011 13:56

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

It does seem like Gaddafi's troops have definitely retreated back to Sirte, so expect that to be surrounded soon.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:00

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Sky News is reporting a large rebel troop build up just east of the compound.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:06

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

From journo @mchancecnn

quote:

In #Rixos huddled in basement of hotel. Incoming artillery fire in area around #Gadhafi compound.

Last I heard from late last night....the power had gone out again, and they were all running low on batteries.

More

quote:

Boiled up a pot of water & made some hot sweet tea to lift everybody's spirits. #Rixos #Libya

Sniper took pot-shot at hotel & we all took cover. Journalists in #Rixos are fine, keeping together but have limited perspective on news.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:17

dr_rat: Jun 4, 2001

one more

mchancecnn posted:

Went back to room earlier & the door had been kicked in, things rifled through. Nothing stolen.

poor guy, just when he was enjoying some nice tea.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:26

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

It sounds like they are basically just hostages at the moment.

The Guardian has an update on the fighting

quote:

"The battle is as ferocious as ever," Luke Harding reports from Tripoli.

Before we started recording Luke said he was lying on his balcony to take cover from stray bullets as we spoke. He said:

quote:
The battle ebbs and flows, but basically it has been a furious day with intense mortar fire, artillery fire, missiles all raining down on Gaddafi's compound. We tried to get out of the hotel about an hour ago but we were flipped back at a rebel check point. The rebel forces fired in the air and told us to clear off. It was not clear whether that was for our safety or they just didn't want us around.

The [mortar] fire is coming from the rebel positions and it is raining down on Bab al-Aziziya. It is not clear to me whether this is a battle or whether they are just pulverising it. It is a Stalingrad-style bombardment at the moment. The mood is extremely tense, but the rebels seem to be largely in control.

Luke said rebels were regularly driving round the city in convoys partly as a response to Saif al-Islam's reappearance in the compound last night.

quote:
If [Muammar] Gaddafi is in his bunker then it looks to me like a 1945 Berlin moment. But his whereabouts are a completely mystery.

I haven't really heard any replying fire, but it is so reverberatory here that it is hard to tell.

At that point he had to cut the call short.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:26

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Been looking for aerial pictures of Bab Al Azizia, this is the best I could find (from here):

You can see the size of the cars to gauge the scale.

In a way, because the compound is so gigantic and spread out, it's kind of impossible to defend the whole perimeter.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 14:57 on Aug 23, 2011

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:43

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

BBC map of Tripoli's control (videos are clickable on the site):

# ? Aug 23, 2011 14:48

Simtex: Feb 15, 2008

Was just thinking how the situation in Tripoli is really affecting the situation in Syria. The sooner Libya returns to some semblance of calm, the sooner the Syrian situation can dominate the headlines and continue to rally world support.

Will also be interesting to see how China & Russia might change tack in Syria. It definitely sounds like they are going to be net losers in post-Qaddafi Libya as far as their business interests are concerned.

If they feel the balance of power tipping in Syria, it might behoove them to flip their support from the government to the protesters ASAP.

Found this bit interesting from the AJE blog a day or so ago:

quote:

As Libya edges towards a future without Muammar Gaddafi, the prospect of oil reserves are whetting the appetite of hungry industrial nations.

About 75 Chinese companies operated in Libya before the war, involving about 36,000 staff and 50 projects, according to Chinese media.

Russian companies, including oil firms Gazprom Neft and Tatneft, also had projects worth billions of dollars in Libya. Brazilian firms such as Petrobras and construction company Odebrecht were also in business there.

Italian oil company Eni led the charge back into Libya on Monday as rebels hailed the end of Muammar Gaddafi's rule and as traders watched for the return of Libyan crude to the market.
Gaddafi's fall will reopen the doors to Africa's largest oil reserves and give new players such as Qatar's national oil company and trading house Vitol the chance to compete forlucrative contracts, but rebels warned Russian and Chinese firms may be frozen out for failing to support the rebellion.

We don't have a problem with Western countries like the Italians, French and UK companies. But we may have some political issues with Russia, China and Brazil," Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager at Libyan rebel oil firm AGOCO, told Reuters.

The comment signals a potential setback for those countries which opposed tough sanctions on Gaddafi or pressed for more talks and would leave European and US companies to capture billions of dollars� worth of oil exploration and construction contracts in the OPEC member nation. [Reuters]

Also saw that South Korean construction firms saw their share prices rise today with the growing prospect that they'd be able to return to their already existing construction contracts in Libya plus the prospect of new ones due to the damage from the war.

Though I personally reject the "imperialist aggression" story line, you can't help but notice that there is a lot of financial interest in Libya from outside nations (notably both from countries that didn't participate in the UN resolution and those who were heavily involved).

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:03

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

AJE just had stunning live images from their embed, who said she is with hundreds and perhaps thousands of rebels who are 300 meters from the entrance to the Gaddafi compound and are preparing to advance.

She also said that other rebels are preparing to enter the compound from different sides.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Aug 23, 2011

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:08

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

Any real oil narratives don't hold water seeing as Gaddafi was more than happy to sell it off and poo poo in gold toilets with the profit. I suppose in a way this could be some sort of a 'reset' to who gets the oil though.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:09

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

A different embed posts on Twitter:

quote:

Fierce battle raging around Gadhafi compound. We're on the road. Headed for Tripoli.

Reinforcements are en route.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:11

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Pretty much any country is going to have foreign businesses interested in investing in them once the dust settles after any conflict.

The scene from Gaddafi's compound is pretty wild, the rebels are definitly through the first wall, and are fighting there way into the middle.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:11

Burt Sexual: Jan 26, 2006; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS; Switchblade Switcharoo

So CQ having no means to broadcast his "message" to his people, how long till we see Internet video of him addressing us all?

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:13

Furious Mittens: Oct 14, 2005; Lipstick Apathy

Namarrgon posted:

Any real oil narratives don't hold water seeing as Gaddafi was more than happy to sell it off and poo poo in gold toilets with the profit. I suppose in a way this could be some sort of a 'reset' to who gets the oil though.

And that's primarily why foreign oil interests are either making GBS threads bricks or rubbing their black-gold covered hands together in glee. A new regime means new contracts and either a revisiting or an entire reversal of current standing ones. Considering how much Gaddafi was involved in this sector personally, I'd expect an entire reversal of most contracts and that means a lot of western companies getting back into that action.

# ? Aug 23, 2011 15:14