• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Hundreds of Libyans shot down

Tashah

DP Veteran
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
18,379
Reaction score
9,233
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Centrist
Hundreds of Libyans shot down
John Lyons, Middle East correspondent
February 21, 2011

ANTI-GOVERNMENT demonstrations across North Africa and the Middle East were violently put down at the weekend, with hundreds of Libyans believed dead after security forces opened fire with machineguns on protesters. The worst violence was in Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, where soldiers and police used live ammunition to fire on crowds demanding an end to the 41-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi. The exact toll of the crackdown was unclear but human rights groups believed as many as 200 people had been killed in Libya.

One Benghazi resident told Sky News it had been a "terrible, terrible night". He said thousands of protesters had spent the night facing off with security forces and he expected them to continue. "He (Colonel Gaddafi) has to look for an aeroplane or a place to receive him," he said. A Libyan doctor said security forces had blocked ambulances from reaching the clashes, and he had personally seen 70 bodies at one hospital in Benghazi.
Source: The Australian

A television reporter in Egypt (NBC News) said that he talked to a resident of Tripoli by telephone this morning. The resident told him that numerous buildings in Tripoli are burning and there are many many dead lying in the streets.
 
Source: The Australian

A television reporter in Egypt (NBC News) said that he talked to a resident of Tripoli by telephone this morning. The resident told him that numerous buildings in Tripoli are burning and there are many many dead lying in the streets.

Cover that heinie up girl!
 
This is an awful situation and it will only get wose before it gets better.

If the people had the right to "KEEP AND BARE ARMS" the outcome would be much different.

At least they could fight back.
 
Source: The Australian

A television reporter in Egypt (NBC News) said that he talked to a resident of Tripoli by telephone this morning. The resident told him that numerous buildings in Tripoli are burning and there are many many dead lying in the streets.

This is very sad...

And maybe just the beginning.
 
This is terrible, but I wouldn't've expected different from Gaddafi.
 
This is terrible, but I wouldn't've expected different from Gaddafi.

Is it Gaddafi or one of his children? From my understanding one of the children is a member of the national security advisors. So this could be more of the work of his son than Gaddafi himself. Because if Gaddafi loses power his son won't ascend into the role of dictator which is what he wants.
 
This is an awful situation and it will only get wose before it gets better.

If the people had the right to "KEEP AND BARE ARMS" the outcome would be much different.

At least they could fight back.


You do understand that in countries like Algeria and Libya and a few others, that those arms would not be exclusively used against the government right? And that one thing these governments have wrestled with for a long time is Sunni/Shia violence.

But yes, I see no negative outcome that could come out of the fall or temporary breakdown of a strong central government, and a population armed to the teeth that hate eachother...

Just saying :shrug:
 
Is it Gaddafi or one of his children? From my understanding one of the children is a member of the national security advisors. So this could be more of the work of his son than Gaddafi himself. Because if Gaddafi loses power his son won't ascend into the role of dictator which is what he wants.

Well it's still a Gaddafi, just not the Gaddafi.:lol:
 
You do understand that in countries like Algeria and Libya and a few others, that those arms would not be exclusively used against the government right? And that one thing these governments have wrestled with for a long time is Sunni/Shia violence.

But yes, I see no negative outcome that could come out of the fall or temporary breakdown of a strong central government, and a population armed to the teeth that hate eachother...

Just saying :shrug:

Since Yemen's population is one of the most heavily armed we will see how his theory works out.
Every Somali has an AK 47 and how did that one turn out?
 
The Libyan dictatorship is particularly brutal. It relies heavily on mercenaries who have no vested interest in Libya's people and that's no coincidence. The Gaddafi dictatorship is cruel and unresponsive to the needs of Libya's people. It has designed its security forces (through heavy use of mercenaries) to the extent that their only loyalty is to the regime that pays them. Sadly, this brutal outcome does not surprise me.
 
The Libyan dictatorship is particularly brutal. It relies heavily on mercenaries who have no vested interest in Libya's people and that's no coincidence. The Gaddafi dictatorship is cruel and unresponsive to the needs of Libya's people. It has designed its security forces (through heavy use of mercenaries) to the extent that their only loyalty is to the regime that pays them. Sadly, this brutal outcome does not surprise me.

But here's the thing about Mercenaries, as described by Machiavelli, when they know that they could lose, they usually flee.
 
But here's the thing about Mercenaries, as described by Machiavelli, when they know that they could lose, they usually flee.

Here is the thing with modern weapons against bow and arrows. One merc can take out 500 people within a couple of minutes. And the protestors do not have any weapons that could reach the mercs. So Machiavelli's saying is outdated in today's world.
 
Source: The Australian

A television reporter in Egypt (NBC News) said that he talked to a resident of Tripoli by telephone this morning. The resident told him that numerous buildings in Tripoli are burning and there are many many dead lying in the streets.

You know, a couple of well placed missiles would get rid of quite a few of the middle east dictators and their regimes would fall like a house of cards in the ensuing power struggle. If GW was in charge there would be some real action right now. as it is Obummer doesn't even realise it's possible. Khadaffy Duck can be gone in an instant.
 
Is it Gaddafi or one of his children? From my understanding one of the children is a member of the national security advisors. So this could be more of the work of his son than Gaddafi himself. Because if Gaddafi loses power his son won't ascend into the role of dictator which is what he wants.

Did you blame Uday and Qusay for the brutality of Saddam Hussein?
 
You know, a couple of well placed missiles would get rid of quite a few of the middle east dictators and their regimes would fall like a house of cards in the ensuing power struggle. If GW was in charge there would be some real action right now. as it is Obummer doesn't even realise it's possible. Khadaffy Duck can be gone in an instant.

Gee, why didn't Bush try that in Iraq? It would have saved a trillion dollars and thousand of American lives. If Jr. was in charge during this crisis we would be invading Canada by now..
 
Did you blame Uday and Qusay for the brutality of Saddam Hussein?

Yes, I did.....but no. Libya is different. It will actually make it out of this alright(meaning Gaddafi will still be in power).
 
Where is the media coverage and celebration for the uprising in Lybia and Iran??? Whahappun???
 
Where is the media coverage and celebration for the uprising in Lybia and Iran??? Whahappun???

Is foriegn media allowed in those countries?
 
Is foriegn media allowed in those countries?

The AP appears to have the ability to get stories and video feed.
 
The AP appears to have the ability to get stories and video feed.

Are they releasing them?
I suppose the media could make stuff up to keep their viewers contented.
 
Last edited:
But here's the thing about Mercenaries, as described by Machiavelli, when they know that they could lose, they usually flee.

I agree with Machiavelli's analysis. Unfortunately, IMO, Libya's mercenaries have little reason to expect a possible loss. After all, the protests are currently taking place on a localized basis. To change the calculus, the protests would need to be persistent in areas in which they are taking place in spite of the violence directed against the protesters and, probably more importantly, they would need to be expanding across a broader swath of the country, including in the vicinity of Tripoli.
 
I agree with Machiavelli's analysis. Unfortunately, IMO, Libya's mercenaries have little reason to expect a possible loss. After all, the protests are currently taking place on a localized basis. To change the calculus, the protests would need to be persistent in areas in which they are taking place in spite of the violence directed against the protesters and, probably more importantly, they would need to be expanding across a broader swath of the country, including in the vicinity of Tripoli.

Just out of interest, where are these Merceneries from?
 
Are they releasing them?
I suppose the media could make stuff up to keep their viewers contented.

There is no shortage of stories for news agencies interested in actually presenting them.
 
Back
Top Bottom