Monday, July 8, 2013
Was Washington Behind Egypt's Coup ?
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Promise Of The Arab Spring
Saturday, August 27, 2011
How to Catch Qaddafi
BY BENJAMIN RUNKLE
History has a strange way of repeating itself, often more quickly than anticipated. Within hours of invading Panama in 1989, U.S. forces had decimated the Panamanian Defense Forces and were greeted as liberators by the long-suffering Panamanian people. Yet the failure to immediately capture Gen. Manuel Noriega, the thuggish, pock-marked Panamanian strongman, dominated perceptions of Operation Just Cause. At the first post-invasion news conference in Washington, reporters asked: "Could we really consider Just Cause successful as long as we did not have Noriega in custody?"
More than a decade later, coalition forces overwhelmed the Iraqi Army and seized Baghdad after a lightning three-week campaign in spring 2003. But the ostensible target of the invasion, dictator Saddam Hussein, disappeared. Despite the initial euphoria of liberation, ordinary Iraqis were plagued by a sense of growing unease and disbelief as graffiti praising Saddam began to emerge in Iraq's so-called Sunni Triangle, bearing messages such as "Saddam is still our leader" and "Saddam the hero will be back." While Noriega was apprehended within two weeks and the feared guerrilla campaign never developed, Saddam evaded coalition forces for eight months, during which time the Sunni insurgency that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and nearly devastated Iraq coalesced.
Today, Libya's fate may similarly hinge on the apprehension of a deposed dictator. For even as forces loyal to the Western-backed National Transitional Council (NTC) storm Tripoli and attempt to consolidate control, the shadow of missing strongman Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi looms large over the country's future. The head of the NTC's provisional government, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, said Wednesday, Aug. 24,"The matter won't come to an end except when he's captured dead or alive" and "we fear mayhem and destruction from him because these are his values, upbringing, and practices." Or as a homemaker in Tripoli told the Wall Street Journal, "A part of me will always fear that he might come back, and until I see him in jail or hanging, that fear will remain."
In other words, capturing Qaddafi is critical to avoiding prolonged civil strife and achieving a strategically acceptable outcome in Libya. Recognizing this fact, the NTC announced a bounty of 2 million Libyan dinars -- approximately $1.35 million -- to anyone who captures the ousted leader and offered amnesty for past crimes to any member of the strongman's inner circle who either captures or kills him.
Given that deploying SEAL Team 6 is not an option, as Barack Obama's administration and Congress are united in their commitment to avoid the deployment of U.S. forces to Libya, what is the most likely way to capture Qaddafi? In my book Wanted Dead or Alive: Manhunts from Geronimo to bin Laden, I recount the history of 11 previous strategic manhunts, examining which factors lead to success or failure in apprehending the targeted individual. I focus on six variables: the level of technology employed (both relative and absolute), troop strength, terrain, human intelligence, indigenous forces, and bilateral assistance.
I found four surprising conclusions. First, although U.S. forces almost always enjoy an edge in technology over their quarry, this advantage is never decisive. Second, troop strength is less important than the presence of reliable indigenous forces. Third, although terrain can influence individual campaigns, there is no single terrain type that predicts success or failure. Finally, more important than physical terrain is human terrain, or the ability to obtain intelligence tips from local populations or support from neighboring states to assist in the strategic manhunt.
Applied to Libya, these lessons suggest several courses of action necessary to apprehending Qaddafi.Read more.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Gaddafi's Hallucinogenic Pills,Rotten Cheese And Sour Grapes
In a desperate attempt to justify his genocidal action against his own people Gaddafi has found a new bogeyman..........the abominable Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida....and this moron thinks the Western powers are going to be assuaged by his delusional claim of fighting Al Qaida.
In a rambling call to the state TV station he said the rebels are "loyal to bin Laden ... This is al-Qaida that the whole world is fighting against, Qaida militants are "exploiting" teenagers, giving them "hallucinogenic pills in their coffee with milk, like Nescafe,"
This man who has suffered "delusion of grandeur" for a long time has some nasty things swimming in his bloodstream is now taking ecstasy pill, rotten cheese and sour grapes and is a complete schizophrenia.........voices in his head telling him to mercilessly kill his own people, and..
....save Libya.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
People's Power:Who's Next ?
It started most unexpectedly in Tunisia that dethroned Ben Ali's 24- year rule , spilled over to Egypt that forced out Hosni Mubarak's 30 year totalitarian regime.Spread like wildfire to Yemen, Bahrain and Libya which have not flared up completely but are likely to end up in the same fashion.
The waves of people power that first engulfed Tunisia seemed contagious to spread even more.
Libya, the most unexpected, is on the verge of collapse that will see the longest serving Arab despot exiled or dead.A leader with a penchant for Bedouin tents, heavily armed female bodyguards and blond Ukrainian nurses had mind-caged his people for over 40 years under rule of fear.
US President Ronald Reagan called him a "mad dog" and bombed Libya in 1986 in retaliation of the West Berlin disco bombing by Libyan agents that killed 2 American servicemen and a woman and wounding 200 others.Subsequent event, the tragic bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people linked to Libyan agents. The US accused Gaddafi of sponsoring terrorism and got the UN Security Council to pass trade and economic sanctions on Libya.Sanction was lifted in 2003.
Libya, is now a war zone of civil unrest that have turned bloody with Gaddafi using the might of his military to crack down fiercely on demonstrators against his 42-year despotic rule.Over 500 civilians have been killed by the army and forces friendly to him.
In pure desperation to hang on to power Gaddafi even deployed fighter jets and helicopters to strafe protesters and civilian population.Two of his pilots refused to obey the order defected to Malta with the jet fighters and the pilots seeking political asylum.Obviously, he wanted to inflict maximum collateral damage to scare the population.
The current trouble in Libya seemed imminent that Gaddafi days are numbered.He has resorted to excessive violence and bloodshed to stay in power.He vowed to fight to the end and die as a martyr.A tyrant or despot is more befitting of him.Killing your own people to preserve yourself does not make one a martyr.
He appears to be losing support of his army.Of the 45,000 strong regular army only about 5000 are still loyal to him.It was reported that he has ordered oil sabotage by blowing up pipelines to the Mediterranean.He may be copying Saddam's scorch earth policy when the Iraqi army exited Kuwait.
The story is the same wherever you go in the Arab world, despotic rule and leaders taking liberty of the nations wealth and couldn't care two hoots about the people and nation.
A new awakening is hitting the Arab world where tyrants, despots and dictators ruled with impunity, disenfranchising the people, looting the country's wealth without any remorse and sense of shame. In the name of the religion they have suppressed the people, stole the nation's wealth and ravaged the country.
Spontaneous uprising to centuries of suppression in the world of despotism and primeval feudalism. Brutal leader who ruled by fear and violence and run the country as their own business empire, enriching themselves and their families.From Morocco spanning the Arab countries of Northern Africa to the Middle East the story is the same.Brutal and greedy leaders who overstayed their welcome.
Bahrain, is ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa royal family. A shimmering hatred against the ruler by the majority Shia population has now boiled over. Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud royal family, the most repressive regime, rife for political change, is sitting nervously not knowing when it will be their turn.
We have seen it in the Philippines, we have seen it in Indonesia, we have seen it in the Arab world.
People's power! Who's next?
Also read:
How Qaddafi Lost Libya
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Kill Gaddafi!
Typical Arab dictator's bullshit......find a bogeyman for all the troubles.
To divert attention and he thinks the world is stupid to believe him, Gaddafi has made Israel the source of his trouble, foreign forces out to topple him.
This biggest and longest plunderer of Libya has sent his army to kill peaceful protesters and his son promised a bloodbath, to spill Libyan's blood on the street if they did not stop the protest against his father.
Gaddafi will die at the hand of his own people.Unless, he escaped, he will be killed by his own army.
Prominent Sunni thinker Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is considered the spiritual leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood movement called for the assassination of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi during an interview with Al-Jazeera news network. "Whoever can kill Gaddafi should kill him," he said, "Whomever can shoot him should, in order to liberate the people from the evilness of this crazy man."
Gaddafi has deployed fighter jets and helicopters to bomb protestors and snipers to pick out targets on the streets.Two Libyan air force jets defected to Malta and asked for political asylum saying they were ordered to bomb protesters.
The end is near for Muammar Gaddafi and I hope the same for all Arab despots who have ravaged the people and milked the country dry.
Arabs Revolution:Gaddafi hits with deadly force
Libya's official news agency blames Israel for unrest, as security forces attack protesters. |
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has unleashed a bloody crackdown against pro-democracy protestors seeking his ouster, killing dozens of people in only four days of protests.
On Sunday, the unrest spread to capital Tripoli from the eastern port city Benghazi.
Libyan Internet activists have denounced the international community's failure to act over the "massacres" in Libya.
The Cairo-based Arab Organisation for Human Rights has decried the use of violence against the protestors in Libya and called for an international investigation. The Vienna-based Friends of Humanity said the Libyan regime's onslaught was tantamount to "war crimes".
There are conflicting reports on the death toll but it is generally believed to be in the hundreds now.
Human Rights Watch reports that 173 people had died prior to Monday. The London-based private newspaper Libya Al-Youm quoted a local doctor as saying that 285 people died in the eastern city of Benghazi alone.
Some 300 people have been killed in Benghazi, the country’s second largest city, witnesses told Al Jazeera by phone.
The crackdown by Gaddafi, who has ruled Libya since 1969, threatens to make the revolt the most costly in terms of human lives and bloodshed in the wave of demonstrations sweeping across the region for greater freedoms.
Gaddafi, trying to stave off the fate of the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt who were removed from power after facing similar protests, has resorted to much harsher military tactics than those used in uprisings in neighbouring Egypt or Tunisia.
His tactics include cutting off food, fuel and medical supplies as well as electricity to revolting cities. The regime also cut off most communications to try to make sure the unrest does not spread to other cities. But the move failed to prevent protests erupting in capital Tripoli on Sunday.
Pan-Arab news outlets report that Gaddafi's troops have used live ammunition and heavy military equipment such as anti-tank missiles in Benghazi. Late on Sunday fierce clashes were being reported in Tripoli.
Libya Al Youm reported on its website on Sunday that the regime was using "heavy weapons" and shooting at random. Read more.