Libya: Benghazi unrest, to Civil War, to a new government and Gaddafi's death.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Maybe Ireland will grant him asylum? There's going to be a hell of a lot of very sad people in Ireland and among Irish-Americans if Gadaffi goes down after all. Has Gerry Adams spoke in favor of him yet?

I don't think there are many countries depraved enough out there to grant that sociopath asylum.

But Gadaffi was the IRA's best friend in the 70s and 80s.

[SvenssonRS]

Maybe Ireland will grant him asylum? There's going to be a hell of a lot of very sad people in Ireland and among Irish-Americans if Gadaffi goes down after all. Has Gerry Adams spoke in favor of him yet?

I don't think there are many countries depraved enough out there to grant that sociopath asylum.

But Gadaffi was the IRA's best friend in the 70s and 80s.

Well, fair enough. I'm not well-versed enough on Irish politics to have an informed opinion on this.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

But Gadaffi was the IRA's best friend in the 70s and 80s.

Not really a friend, more a sugar daddy. And you know better than to conflate the IRA with the Irish Government...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Didn't Nick Griffin go over to Libya to try to get weapons or money or something at some point? I remember reading that somewhere.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well it has Sinn Fein in their parliament. Maybe they'll argue for granting him asylum.

[afleitch]

Well it has Sinn Fein in their parliament. Maybe they'll argue for granting him asylum.

By that definition maybe Northern Ireland will too

[minionofmidas]

Well it has Sinn Fein in their parliament. Maybe they'll argue for granting him asylum.

By that definition maybe Northern Ireland will too

The UK certainly will. -_-

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

In early 2004, Libya worked closely with the United States on the dismantlement and transfer of the infrastructure of its nuclear weapons program, including their missile delivery system...

The Bush Administration and Congress will continue to foster this transformation.

When dictators play ball with us, we quietly support them.

[patrick1]

But Gadaffi was the IRA's best friend in the 70s and 80s.

Not really a friend, more a sugar daddy. And you know better than to conflate the IRA with the Irish Government...

No obviously he does not know. I doubt he knows that Sinn Fein reps and IRA statements were not even allowed to be mentioned on RTE for decades.  And of course the armed campaign of PIRA has been over for 15 years now.  There are plenty of Western nations (Italy) and corporations who have played ball with Qadaffi and a lot more recently/presently.  

[afleitch]

Maltese government officials say the two Libyan pilots (who landed bombers in Malta) defected having been ordered to bomb protesters. One of them has requested political asylum, Reuters reports.

[Sam Spade]

Al Jazeera says they're using fighter jets to bomb protesters in Tripoli. Holy shiat. This has never been used to crust anti-government protests anywhere. The guy's going down hard.

What a fycking crazy regime.

Yeah, some very gory images coming out.  They have been using heavy munitions. Hopefully the rest of the military turns on the regime and this can end ASAP.

It isn't really that simple in Libya.  The ultimate question is going to be, if the Gaddafi's lose control of Tripoli (we ain't there yet), is where the tribes end up and whether Gaddafi's tribe will give up its position or rather choose to fight.  The only guarantee, as I posted last night, is that it will be bloody and oil will shoot the moon.

[The Mikado]

The only guarantee, as I posted last night, is that it will be bloody and oil will shoot the moon.

The "bloody" is indisputable, but oil shooting the moon is really more dependent on the length of time the disturbances last than the intensity of the disturbances.  I could very easily see the situation, if not "calm," at least orderly enough to do business within a month.

[patrick1]

Al Jazeera says they're using fighter jets to bomb protesters in Tripoli. Holy shiat. This has never been used to crust anti-government protests anywhere. The guy's going down hard.

What a fycking crazy regime.

Yeah, some very gory images coming out.  They have been using heavy munitions. Hopefully the rest of the military turns on the regime and this can end ASAP.

It isn't really that simple in Libya.  The ultimate question is going to be, if the Gaddafi's lose control of Tripoli (we ain't there yet), is where the tribes end up and whether Gaddafi's tribe will give up its position or rather choose to fight.  The only guarantee, as I posted last night, is that it will be bloody and oil will shoot the moon.

Yeah, it never is that simple, however, having the Air Force and Army refuse to bomb protesters will be a key step in resolving this.  Ive been watching some of the videos leaking out and they have really been just mowing people down.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

While I doubt Megrahi will go back to prison where he belongs for his role in Pan-Am 103 as a result of this, with the Gadaffis gone, it looks like the decision to send Megrahi back to Libya won't have gained BP much after all.  Heck, if BP's facilities in Libya take damage, it might even cost them.

The decision had nothing to do with BP. It was a decision made on compassionate grounds made by the Scottish Government. In retrospect the Labour government favoured it (though they seem to have forgotten to tell their leader in Scotland...) but the British government had no jurisdiction over devolved matters pertaining to Scots Law.

Whether it was because of pressure due to trade or because of doubts about whether Megrahi had been fairly convicted, it is quite clear MacAskill chose to bend over backwards in making his determination over Megrahi's probable life expectancy.  To use a Lincoln metaphor, when a number of people bring timbers together that form the frame of a house, it is difficult to believe that they were not working to a common plan.  Megrahi's release involved a number of small decisions that only collectively allowed him to return to Libya.  All one can say positively about the Scottish Government's role in the matter was they chose not to look too critically at whether what they had been told about Megrahi's chance of survival was correct.

[The Mikado]

Looks like Libya's delegation to the UN(!) is calling for Qaddafi's ouster.

Has this ever happened before?  The closest thing I can think of is Thailand's UN delegation, hearing in the middle of a meeting that Thaksin had been overthrown.

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN2122551120110221

[Nhoj]

Looks like Libya's delegation to the UN(!) is calling for Qaddafi's ouster.

Has this ever happened before?  The closest thing I can think of is Thailand's UN delegation, hearing in the middle of a meeting that Thaksin had been overthrown.

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN2122551120110221

It seems his diplomats aren't the most loyal bunch out there. Which is rather good of course.

[afleitch]

Looks like Libya's delegation to the UN(!) is calling for Qaddafi's ouster.

Has this ever happened before?  The closest thing I can think of is Thailand's UN delegation, hearing in the middle of a meeting that Thaksin had been overthrown.

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN2122551120110221

It seems his diplomats aren't the most loyal bunch out there. Which is rather good of course.

The old Libyan flag is flying from the Embassy in London.

[afleitch]

BBC Monitoring: "'Libyan military source confirms orders were issued for the aerial bombardment of Benghazi within two hours,'" reported Al-Arabiya TV in an urgent screen caption at 1947 GMT."

[phk]

William Hague has suggested Gaddafi may be on his way to Venezuela (?)

If so the Grauniad comments will go into melt down

Apparently Chavez's government has denied this. I think at this point it would be crazy even by his standards to give shelter to this guy - it would be a PR nightmare.

Thailand gave shelter to Pol Pot.

[Hash]

William Hague has suggested Gaddafi may be on his way to Venezuela (?)

If so the Grauniad comments will go into melt down

Apparently Chavez's government has denied this. I think at this point it would be crazy even by his standards to give shelter to this guy - it would be a PR nightmare.

Thailand gave shelter to Pol Pot.

And the United States provided support to the KR for a long time after 1979.

[J. J.]

BBC Monitoring: "'Libyan military source confirms orders were issued for the aerial bombardment of Benghazi within two hours,'" reported Al-Arabiya TV in an urgent screen caption at 1947 GMT."

Two pilots defected to Malta rather than carry out the order.

[Nhoj]

BBC Monitoring: "'Libyan military source confirms orders were issued for the aerial bombardment of Benghazi within two hours,'" reported Al-Arabiya TV in an urgent screen caption at 1947 GMT."

Two pilots defected to Malta rather than carry out the order.

Unfortunately it seems some have carried out the orders if reports are correct.

[J. J.]

BBC Monitoring: "'Libyan military source confirms orders were issued for the aerial bombardment of Benghazi within two hours,'" reported Al-Arabiya TV in an urgent screen caption at 1947 GMT."

Two pilots defected to Malta rather than carry out the order.

Unfortunately it seems some have carried out the orders if reports are correct.

Correct, but that seems to be a kind of confirmation.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Oh wow, turns so nasty, but Saif Al Islam Gaddafi told it yesterday evening: civil war till the last bullet.

Gaddafi (father) has to speak soon I heard.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Also, from a civilian interviewed a few mins ago on France24, he described quite precisely how fight after fight Benghazi is totally fallen in the hands of protesters, apparently with the help of the army, to the point that civilians are now trying to set order there.

Also, big mess on the Tunisian border, besides the fact that several thousand of refugees are arriving on the border, Gaddafi militias would be trying to spread terror there too.