On March 06 2011 08:05 CrimsonLotus wrote: This is so interesting from a military stand point, a superior traditional army with artillery and air support being repelled by a militia with hardly any training or equipment, but with superior numbers.
I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved, but still you can't help to wish some cavalry would come to help this brave people.
Can you even start to comprehend the effects of a western intervention?
The best thing we can do right now, is to pray that the will of the people of Libya is seen through despite the odds.
Furthermore, and more importantly, be ready to help rebuild the country when the fighting is over.
We will never gain any sympathy in the middle east if we keep fiddling with their affairs..
"I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved..."
Er, yes i do?
It would make it look like the revolution was caused by the west as part of some plot of the US/Western Europe to get a hold of Libya's oil.
I'm just saying that as a decent human being I can't help but to wish that all the military might of the developed nations could be used for a good, decent and selfless cause for a change.
Thanks for the status updates StealthBlue. From Tunisia to now, we are truly witnessing the most significant historic episode in our generation's history. Free Libya! Free Bahrain!
Maybe the egyptian army can help the people og Libya ? Or some of the newly liberated countries in the middle east can support their friends who are under siege from a mad man.
Tanks manned by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fired on houses when they launched a fresh assault on the town of Az Zawiyah, near the capital, witnesses told AFP news agency. The self-declared national council established by anti-government forces fighting to overthrow Gaddafi declared itself the sole representative of the country.
Iranian news agencies are completely controlled by the government and can hardly be taken seriously. Anti Israel news from Iran is something to be expected.
On March 06 2011 08:05 CrimsonLotus wrote: This is so interesting from a military stand point, a superior traditional army with artillery and air support being repelled by a militia with hardly any training or equipment, but with superior numbers.
I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved, but still you can't help to wish some cavalry would come to help this brave people.
Can you even start to comprehend the effects of a western intervention?
The best thing we can do right now, is to pray that the will of the people of Libya is seen through despite the odds.
Furthermore, and more importantly, be ready to help rebuild the country when the fighting is over.
We will never gain any sympathy in the middle east if we keep fiddling with their affairs..
"I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved..."
Er, yes i do?
It would make it look like the revolution was caused by the west as part of some plot of the US/Western Europe to get a hold of Libya's oil.
I'm just saying that as a decent human being I can't help but to wish that all the military might of the developed nations could be used for a good, decent and selfless cause for a change.
I don't see where the bolded quote comes from - I never said that.
As a decent human being myself (In my own belief) I would also like this to be resolved without innocents having to die - But the fact of the matter is, that the west can't keep pushing into the middle east, because all it will cause in the long run, is even more fights and even an even more unstable situation.
My fathers from Tunisia so I get some really enlightening first hand impressions and infromation about what really happens down there.
First off in regards of Libya;
They wan't a No Flyzone with the help of westerners. They don't want manpower or troops on the ground but just imposing a No Flyzone is something most lybians realise would halt most airraids due to the cheer low morale of airpilots. Yeah you'd have to bomb the antiair elements to fully complete it but thing is, it's Lybia: They have some pretty shitty antiair capabilities to be blunt and a country such as sweden or usa could easily take out most of it without any casualties... why else do we have airforces if not to save human lives?
Secondly, this whole revolution makes me as a half tunisian godamned proud since I have to debate a shitloads of nuts that think "Islamism" and islam is the plague of the world when in truth it's most of the time poverty, lack of education, dictators (who came to power in the wake of western colonization/meddeling) that keep these countries from gaining the virtues we take for granted. It also shows the twofaced nature of western hypocritism since not a single fucker in europa/usa knew the names of these dictators before these conflicts.
LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Libyan rebels have captured a British special forces unit in the east of the country after a secret diplomatic mission to make contact with opposition leaders backfired, Britain's Sunday Times reported. The team, understood to number up to eight SAS soldiers, were intercepted as they escorted a junior diplomat through rebel-held territory, the newspaper said.
The Foreign Office said in a brief statement it could neither "confirm or deny" the report.
Earlier on Saturday the Geneva-based Human Rights Solidarity group, which employs a number of Libyan exiles, told Reuters by telephone that a team of "eight special forces personnel" had been seized by rebels. Both the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office repeatedly declined to comment on the group's report.
The SAS intervention apparently angered Libyan opposition figures, who ordered the soldiers locked up on a military base, according to the Sunday Times.
The paper said the junior diplomat they were escorting was preparing the way for a visit by a more senior colleague ahead of establishing diplomatic relations with the rebels.
The Sunday Times said Libyan opposition officials were said to be trying to hush up the incident for fear of a backlash from ordinary Libyans.
Worst of all this incident plays directly into Gadafi's hands and could gain him more support from ordinary Libyan's. Establishing diplomatic channels is one thing, as a diplomat. But being escorted by foreign troops is another entirely.
Reuters reports that Libyan State TV quotes military sources saying that government forces are headed to Benghazi, the biggest rebel stronghold.
7:22am
Nasser Wedday, an activist and blogger, says that plane that was shot down by opposition forces is a Su-24 plane.
The numbers on it also reveal that the plane is from Squadron 1124 which is based at the Ghurdabiya-Sirte Air Base in Sirte, just half-way to Benghazi.
Weddady says that this can be confirmed by a military expert or by consulting Jane's World Defence which gives the order of battle of the Libyan airforce - specifies which base has which squadron, and type of plane is at each base.
He says it is very strange that MiG 23's have not been used yet, as these are meant to be the backbone of the Libyan airforce. Weddady says that this could be because of pilot defections or the abscense of ground crews.
On March 06 2011 08:05 CrimsonLotus wrote: This is so interesting from a military stand point, a superior traditional army with artillery and air support being repelled by a militia with hardly any training or equipment, but with superior numbers.
I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved, but still you can't help to wish some cavalry would come to help this brave people.
Can you even start to comprehend the effects of a western intervention?
The best thing we can do right now, is to pray that the will of the people of Libya is seen through despite the odds.
Furthermore, and more importantly, be ready to help rebuild the country when the fighting is over.
We will never gain any sympathy in the middle east if we keep fiddling with their affairs..
"I understand the reasons why the west doesn't want to get involved..."
Er, yes i do?
It would make it look like the revolution was caused by the west as part of some plot of the US/Western Europe to get a hold of Libya's oil.
I'm just saying that as a decent human being I can't help but to wish that all the military might of the developed nations could be used for a good, decent and selfless cause for a change.
I don't see where the bolded quote comes from - I never said that.
As a decent human being myself (In my own belief) I would also like this to be resolved without innocents having to die - But the fact of the matter is, that the west can't keep pushing into the middle east, because all it will cause in the long run, is even more fights and even an even more unstable situation.
Don't put words in my mouth.
He quoted what HE said in a post you criticized, without, obviously, readning it fully. Before you criticize someone, make sure to read his post first.
Bashir Abudl Gadir, a rebel commander in east Libya, says that his forces had pushed westwards and now controlled the town of al-Nawfaliyah.
The town of al-Nawfaliyah is west of Bin Jawad, which rebels took on Saturday.
8:13am
Al Jazeera has learned that despite UN sanctions, India, China and Austria are still buying Libyan oil, legally. These three oil fields provide Gaddafi's regime with 80 per cent of its revenue. In 2010, exports were around 1.3 million barrels a day, last week it was 600,000 a day. This image shows the locations of the oil fields:
Heavy gunfire being heard in Tripoli which has lasted several hours, government spokesperson is saying that every rebel held town and city has been liberated only small pockets remain.
Al Jazeera has learned that despite UN sanctions, India, China and Austria are still buying Libyan oil, legally. These three oil fields provide Gaddafi's regime with 80 per cent of its revenue. In 2010, exports were around 1.3 million barrels a day, last week it was 600,000 a day. This image shows the locations of the oil fields:
Wow, what? So they're technically still supporting Gadaffi by buying oil from those fields?
EPT![[image loading]](http://blogs.aljazeera.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blogpostFeaturedImage/images/george.jpg)
