Libyan madman reportedly slaughtering his own people
For all the anger directed at Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, he isn’t Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
So far, at least 200 Libyan protesters have been killed by the Libyan military, and with the regime teetering, Gadhafi’s son, Saif, has warned in a TV appearance that “instead of crying over 200 deaths we will cry over 100,000s of deaths… We will flight to the last man and woman and bullet. We will not lose Libya. We will not let Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and BBC trick us. We will live in Libya and die in Libya.”
And Saif has the reputation of a moderate.
With no foreign press allowed in the nation, verifiable first-hand reports are impossible. But multiple witnesses report that the Libyan navy is lobbing shells at civilian areas and helicopter gunships are firing on crowds. Two Libyan fighter pilots have defected, landing their jets in Malta rather than take part in the slaughter. There are reports of foreign mercenaries being flown in to carry out violence against the Libyan people that Libyan forces might balk at perpetrating. Libya’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations has accused Gadhafi of genocide; its envoy to the Arab League, Abdel Moneim al-Honi, announced he was “joining the revolution”.
In the modern, interconnected world, large-scale violence against your own people isn’t supposed to be practical any longer, even for a dictator. Gadhafi is putting that expectation to a rather stern test.
As recently as 1982, Syria’s Hafez al-Assad put down a rebellion in the town of Hama by blocking all exits from the city, then reducing Hama to rubble by weeks of bombing and aerial bombardment. Once all resistance ceased, Syrian forces moved into the town and began executing residents by the thousands. By the time it ended, as many as 30,000 people were dead.
That’s the reason you don’t hear much about protesters in Syria.
With exports of a million barrels a day, Libya accounts for about 10 percent of Europe’s oil supply, so the violence there has already had an impact on world oil prices. Gold prices have jumped as well. Oil companies are evacuating as many foreign national as possible, and the United States is evacuating all non-essential diplomatic personnel.
– Jay Bookman
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350 comments Add your comment
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
9:38 pm
Disgusted:
India 3/4 1967-68 Ooo Rah !
getalife
February 21st, 2011
9:38 pm
w had nothing to do with it cons but if saddam was still there, they would probably join the protest to remove him. al marlika is not running again because of the protests.
It started with a man setting himself on fire because a government official would not let him sell his fruit to support his family. The story went viral in the ME on the internet.
Iraq was a mistake you cons will never man up and admit.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
9:40 pm
Del @ 9:18
1) NO
2) They haven’f for 10 years.
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
9:41 pm
AmVet,
George W. Bush yanked this country to its feet after 9/11. I think you remember with faint praise.
Usually you don’t remember at all. You are most specific in calling President
Bush every sorry, scummy name you can produce with every literary insult you can conjure up.
No malice? Can you really fool youself that much? It is too late, AmVet. You have spread your malice too thickly to erase it now. Mr. NiceGuy has been gone too long.
@@
February 21st, 2011
9:43 pm
I liked the Uzi. Has a little magnifying glass
thingie.
AmVet
February 21st, 2011
9:46 pm
Day after day, you come here and personally insulted a wide variety of people. Without provocation.
Try healing yourself, before playing psychologist on me Ms. Nice Gal.
Del
February 21st, 2011
9:46 pm
Disgusted, Marine Corps Korea wouldn’t get it, so you would have to be WWII for me to be in diapers while you’re busting caps in Guadalcanal. I think you’re blowing smoke but left wingers tend to do that.
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
9:48 pm
I hate Reagan National……….. That’s one airport that I won’t miss seeing anytime in the near future.
Paul
February 21st, 2011
9:49 pm
@@-SoCom
“A woman with a silencer!!??!!
Every man’s dream.”
Not to intrude, but you sure you didn’t mean
‘A silent woman!!??!!
Every man’s dream.’
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
9:51 pm
Getalife,
If Saddam were still around he would probably be laying ‘em down with poison gas like he did with the Kurds. Or..sending them to his torture chambers.
I aven’t heard the Iraqis wishing Saddam was still alive and kickin’.. They hung him as soon as they could get their hands on him..
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
9:56 pm
Southern Comfort:
Spent a lot of time going in & out of Washington/Reagan National ……………… thought we were going to crash there one night (coming down the river which is a bad approach anyway) in a thunderstorm but we hit hard and made it. All of the oxygen masks and exit signs fell down when we hit. I don’t see how the landing gear held but it did.
@@
February 21st, 2011
9:57 pm
Paul:
Nothing is fixed.
Can’t turn us on unless we’re off to start with.
Paul
February 21st, 2011
9:59 pm
These are the editorial comics from the Wisconsin State Journal – Phil Hands – on the situation there. He’s a self-described lib. On this issue, though, the libs get it big time.
https://disruptthenarrative.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/liberal-wisconsin-political-cartoonist-sides-with/
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:00 pm
Sountern Comfort:
Another time about six of us were going to refuse to take an “Air Niger” from Niger to Paris after we took a look at its rusted hulk.
Then the British pilot and co-pilot came by and talked us into going. They said the airline was too cheap to have it painted but all the maintenance was done in Great Britain so we went …………………………. and held out breath.
Paul
February 21st, 2011
10:00 pm
@@
I like women with sharp intellects. You know that -
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
10:00 pm
AmVet, 9:46
It would not take a psychologist to spot your constant carping. Even a child could do it. I only mention it when you are flinging it around. Just think. You could be a sweetheart without that. Too bad. Kinda sad….
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
10:02 pm
Paul @ 9:49
HUSH!!
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
10:04 pm
HD
I’m willing to wager you’d bag a 16 point barn with that puppy. I’d probably pack this one here. Something about this video just challenges me to shoot that gun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FCY3_5Bg1M
getalife
February 21st, 2011
10:07 pm
He did not have them curveball er dusty.
You cons have moved so far right we are going to have to carve swastikas in your foreheads.
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
10:08 pm
Scout
Which approach, from the south or north? I really, really, really hate that north approach. I haven’t seen anything to match that Air Niger yet, but had a take-off from LaGuardia during a thunderstorm that would have given the Scream Machine at Six Flags a run for it’s money. That was one day that I was happy that I don’t get motion sickness.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:09 pm
Southern Comfort:
How about this baby !!! 60 caliber handgun !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHsEojBGojI
P.S.
The worst, scariest thing I ever shot (in training) was a flamethrower ………… nasty !
@@
February 21st, 2011
10:09 pm
Hillbilly:
You may enjoy looking at these old pictures. Two hits…one to pull up the pic w/caption and another hit on the picture to enlarge.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/results.asp?pageno=1&subject_broad_id=&subject_narrow_id=&subject_narrow=Strikes+and+lockouts&results_relevancy=&search_type=basic&sort_by=date
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:11 pm
Southern Comfort:
Coming down the river from the north. I rode the jump seat once in good weather and the pilots told me that was the worst approach in the U.S. (especially at night or in weather) due to the turns and not getting in a NOTAM. They were very focused when we did that.
Del
February 21st, 2011
10:11 pm
Well good night to my conservative friends, @@, Dusty, 0311 ( why do you have to have so many MOS’s?) and to my liberal friends, AmVet, SoCo, Paul, H.D., josef and disgusted, the high school cheer leader whose Momma doesn’t know she’s up so late trying to impersonate a Marine. Taps
Hillbilly Deluxe
February 21st, 2011
10:11 pm
SoCo @ 10:04
It might be more effective to give that rifle to your adversary and let him maim himself.
Paul
February 21st, 2011
10:14 pm
Dusty 10:02
But of course!
I know when I’ve met my match -
http://tinyurl.com/4nraojp
Paul
February 21st, 2011
10:16 pm
Del
“and to my liberal friends,.., Paul, ”
I just gotta buy a new calendar….
g’night , Del
Hillbilly Deluxe
February 21st, 2011
10:16 pm
0311 @ 10:09
That’s not a handgun; it’s a very short rifle.
@@
Interesting pics.
Nite all.
@@
February 21st, 2011
10:16 pm
Goodnight, Del.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:18 pm
Del:
You know the first two.
The last two are federal law enforcement series.
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
10:19 pm
How about this baby !!! 60 caliber handgun !
I know my limits, and I think that one breaches my limits pretty darned well…. Haven’t had the opportunity to touch a flame thrower, but if you like big guns, I definitely recommend the S&W 500. I shot the 8″ version, and it’s heavy enough that the kick is quite managable.
I spent over half the year last year with your old office, so I saw Arlington to my right quite a few times. I saw a show on the history channel that talked about the 10 most dangerous airports, and I personally would add Reagan on that list just because of that approach.
HD
You might have a point there!!!!
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
10:20 pm
Nite Del….
Paul
It’s Monday, you’re Liberal on Mondays, right??
Southern Comfort (E.O.I.)
February 21st, 2011
10:21 pm
I’m punching out myself. I’m acting like I’m not gonna want to slap the hell out of that alarm clock in a few hours.
Later all!!!
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
10:22 pm
1801
I know what you mean by being a bit hesitant about boarding a rusty airplane. After working on the Hopi Reservation at Keams Canyon, I needed a ride to Phoenix. I left on the “hospital “plane which they had for emergency trips to Phoenix and patients for major surgery. It held about a dozen patients and you could see clear through from the “windshield” to the tail parts. Not the latest thing in airplanes. One patient with an IV going was the co-pilot. A mother had a baby on a baby board. There was coughing and sniffling. The pilot said to me , “Come on, we’ve got room for one more.” . So I got on.
We took off from a dirt runway at Polaco between the mesas. The wind leg was blowing right and it was the only thing at the “airport”. Not a bad trip even with the swoops over the mountains around Phoenix. I made it happily into the airport and hopped on a shiny Delta plane for Atlanta.
Rust is a nice color but I like silver better for planes, ’specially the one I am flying on.
Paul
February 21st, 2011
10:23 pm
SoCom
Depends if it’s the third Monday after an even-numbered Sunday in a month beginning with a letter with a counterpart in Sanskrit.
Pleasant evening, all -
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:27 pm
Dusty:
Not me ! If I never get on another plane I’ll be happy.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:29 pm
Southern Comfort:
I had an S&W .44 Mag (6 inch) once. That’s enough for me. Gave it to my son.
Now I ususally carry my LCP .380 Ruger. I could probably throw it and do more damage ……………………….
AmVet
February 21st, 2011
10:39 pm
You could be a sweetheart without that.
You’re right. I’ll try harder.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 21st, 2011
10:44 pm
TAPS !!
Dusty
February 21st, 2011
10:54 pm
Goodnight, 1801. Getting late. Goodnight, AmVet. Pleasant dreams.
Adam
February 21st, 2011
10:56 pm
Commenting on the article…. Damn, this is bad news. Hopefully by the end of it we have a country with mostly free thinking people still in it, rather than a country with nearly all of them dead.
Cambridge_MA
February 21st, 2011
11:14 pm
Obama reminds me of president Carter. Carter lost Iran, but gain Egypt as an ally.
How will history judge Obama?
Why did Obama engineer a coup against Mubarak but is SILENT on Libya?
Abandoned the Green movement to Iranian thugs in June of 2009.
Ronald Reagan may not have been as smart as Obama, but he knew two things:
(a) Who are his friends, and (b) Who are his enemies.
Why has Obama forgotten?
TnGelding
February 22nd, 2011
2:24 am
Carter lost Iran? How many of the hostages died? When you travel and live abroad, you do so at your own risk. Don’t expect us to start WWIII to rescue you. Why didn’t Reagan take care of Gadhafi?
The entire ME is being liberated, thanks to Obama, the new leader of Muslims worldwide. Allah is great!
Joel Edge
February 22nd, 2011
6:36 am
“large-scale violence against your own people isn’t supposed to be practical any longer”
That’s a good one, Jay. Funny how bad people will be bad people despite all the condemnation of others.
Southern Comfort
February 22nd, 2011
6:58 am
Now I ususally carry my LCP .380 Ruger. I could probably throw it and do more damage
Load that sucker with these rounds right here, and you should be ok. I’m saving up for that 500 though.
stands for decibels
February 22nd, 2011
7:12 am
HD, if you’re around this morning–I just heard an enlightening chat about genetically modified crops, recalled how we had discussed how Monsanto’s GMOs affected a Canadian farmer who wound up winning a lawsuit against them. Figured it might be of interest–
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2011/feb/21/dish-gmos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=%24{feed}&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+%24{bl}+%28%24{Brian+Lehrer}%29
See also–NYTimes story on the Ag secretary’s change of policy when it comes to labeling such food products, from a few weeks back:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/business/28alfalfa.html
stands for decibels
February 22nd, 2011
7:20 am
I’ve only skimmed the comments so apologies if this has been covered, but does anyone have a good handle on what constitutes the armed resistance to Qaddafy’s regime?
stands for decibels
February 22nd, 2011
7:34 am
State’s Ratter Sheets upstairs.
0311/0317 - 1811/1801
February 22nd, 2011
8:32 am
Southern Comfort:
I have some just like that with the plastic tip that goes through clothing better, etc.
Texas Transplant
February 28th, 2011
6:16 pm
Why don’t you take an online poll: Who’s crazier, Charlie Sheen or Moammar Gadhafi? I think Sheen will turn out to be bipolar, but Gadhafi is just plain nuts, with an overwhelming God complex.