Reports of Libyan air force bombing Tripoli

[Borderline Divine]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41700027/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/?gt1=43001

Kind of a thin report, but the article also says that Quadafi may be in the air fleeing for Venezuala, which would be irony its very self.

Still, when your military is bombing your capitol it can't be a good sign. What fun if that dictator were deposed.

[statman]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41700027...ica/?gt1=43001

Kind of a thin report, but the article also says that Quadafi may be in the air fleeing for Venezuala, which would be irony its very self.

Still, when your military is bombing your capitol it can't be a good sign. What fun if that dictator were deposed.

I woouldn't say it's fun at all. Khadaffi is a douche, but after Tunesia & Egypt, the instability is not good. This is definitely one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments.

Right now there's significant instability in Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. After the great return of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader to cairo (with a million + greeting him as opposed to only tens of thousands of demonstrators that caused the topple of Mubarek), it looks like Egypt is not going to turn out to be the happy little democracy that the MSM had hoped for when they jubulantly proclaimed Mubarek's demise. The more unstable the region is, the more likely that the least desirable elements take over.

This has the potential to go very, very bad in a very short amount of time.

Jordan, Yemen and Syria fall, the next logical victime would be the Saudi's and if there's the remotest possibility that the Family Saud was going to fall, we'll be looking at oil calamity - can anyone say $250 - $300 a barrel oil and $10-$12 per gallon gasoline?

Plus, between the Yemenis and the Iranians, both the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea (and the Suez) could both be shut down. We'd have to attack both countries to keep the sea lanes open.

Happy times...

[Blueintheface]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41700027...ica/?gt1=43001

Kind of a thin report, but the article also says that Quadafi may be in the air fleeing for Venezuala, which would be irony its very self.

Still, when your military is bombing your capitol it can't be a good sign. What fun if that dictator were deposed.

Yeah, I for one really enjoy watching people die while deposed despots skulk off into the night. Let them eat cake, I say!

[Borderline Divine]

I woouldn't say it's fun at all. Khadaffi is a douche, but after Tunesia & Egypt, the instability is not good. This is definitely one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments.

Right now there's significant instability in Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. After the great return of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader to cairo (with a million + greeting him as opposed to only tens of thousands of demonstrators that caused the topple of Mubarek), it looks like Egypt is not going to turn out to be the happy little democracy that the MSM had hoped for when they jubulantly proclaimed Mubarek's demise. The more unstable the region is, the more likely that the least desirable elements take over.

This has the potential to go very, very bad in a very short amount of time.

Jordan, Yemen and Syria fall, the next logical victime would be the Saudi's and if there's the remotest possibility that the Family Saud was going to fall, we'll be looking at oil calamity - can anyone say $250 - $300 a barrel oil and $10-$12 per gallon gasoline?

Plus, between the Yemenis and the Iranians, both the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea (and the Suez) could both be shut down. We'd have to attack both countries to keep the sea lanes open.

Happy times...

I'm sure I was too flippant in my post above, and shouldn't have used the term fun while referring to something that is so important.

But I will take you to task over a couple of your statements. First, are you really going to contend that a mere 10k or so toppled Mubarek? The figures in Alexandria alone were estimated at 2 million. Protestors were out in force in a dozen other cities aswell. You can make your point about the Muslim brotherhood without fudging the numbers.

UPDATE http://www.spiegel.de/international/...743016,00.html Note this is just about Cairo, not the rest of Egypt.

My other quibble is with the statement I bolded. We already maintain the 6th fleet in the Persian Gulf to check Iran, and I am confident we and our allies (in this case Britain and Isreal) would be able to hold the Suez. The ability to shut down the Suez by terrorist attack exists whether Mubarek or me is in power in Egypt.

[New Mexican Disaster]

I see that West Texas Intermediate jumped to $98 dollars a barrel in after hours trading on the Libya news. I also noticed that gas prices here jumped 12% from this morning here. Apparently, for each $1 more in the cost of a barrel it takes a $100 billion dollar chunk out of our economy.

The trouble in the Maghreb seems to be a little less distant when this stuff starts coming home to roost. In truth, the last six weeks have been nigh on unbelievable with the amount of dominoes dropping in what had been a stable neighborhood.

[SteelBlue]

I read reports this afternoon of Libyan fighter pilots defecting to neighboring countries mid sortie and aircraft fully armed. Their stated reason was that they refuse to bomb their own citizens.

[Borderline Divine]

I read reports this afternoon of Libyan fighter pilots defecting to neighboring countries mid sortie and aircraft fully armed. Their stated reason was that they refuse to bomb their own citizens.

Yeah when the police and military start defecting or turn the guns the other way, the regime is doomed.

Right now it looks like Quadafi can only trust people within a gunshot range of himself.

[Solon]

Yeah when the police and military start defecting or turn the guns the other way, the regime is doomed.

Right now it looks like Quadafi can only trust people within a gunshot range of himself.

http://www.economist.com/node/18239888

Things are getting ugly in Libya, but it's amazing to see people fighting the army with their bare hands. There's a raw desperation and hunger and resolve in the stories and photos that is so foreign to our comfortable western lives.

It's unbelievable. While nobody knows the end-game, we're watching history happen.

PS - I'm claiming credit for identifying Libya as the most likely oil-rich country to suffer upheaval:

http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showpost.php?p=524605&postcount=51

[byu71]

I am watching CNN and they are discussing Lybia and the "no fly zone". A professor who is an Arab is saying America needs to create a no fly zone. Another guy counters with it isn't a good idea. We will be blamed when innocent people are killed through collateral damage.

The professor responds, no not in this case, people will know it had to be done.

I don't think so. If we do, we will be condemned as colonialist's and all the other stuff that gets heaped on us. I am against the no fly zone. Let the dang Europeans take the lead on something. I am tired of trying to do something and then taking the heat, not to mention risk lives and spend money.

Do I feel for the people revolting against Khadafy (sp), sure but we can't fix everything. WE are stretched to far. We can't do all the noble things some people think we should.

[Jacob]

Qaddafi says he's attacking tonight and there will be no mercy.

Apparently the UN is meeting and may approve a military strike against Gaddafi's forces.

France seems to be leading the way. Good for them. I think.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/17/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110317

[UtahDan]

Qaddafi says he's attacking tonight and there will be no mercy.

Apparently the UN is meeting and may approve a military strike against Gaddafi's forces.

France seems to be leading the way. Good for them. I think.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7270JP20110317

I'm so torn on this. Something really need to be done. And it really, really is not our turn.

[wuapinmon]

I say that we stay out of civil wars. Libya is Italy's mess.

[wuapinmon]

Note Hillary's rhetoric from the article:

"Tunisia knows very well that if Gaddafi does not go, he will most likely cause trouble for you, for Egypt and for everybody else. That is just his nature. You know, there are some creatures that are like that," she said.

They're dehumanizing him, making him into an animal, sub-human. Something's going to happen.

[UtahDan]

Note Hillary's rhetoric from the article:

"Tunisia knows very well that if Gaddafi does not go, he will most likely cause trouble for you, for Egypt and for everybody else. That is just his nature. You know, there are some creatures that are like that," she said.

They're dehumanizing him, making him into an animal, sub-human. Something's going to happen.

When I read that, I wondered whether there was some cultural meaning to that expression in the language it was going to be translated to that would resonate but then sound weird in English.

[filsdepac]

Looks like the bombing has begun, hopefully this ends quickly.