Libyans form human shield at Gaddafi’s compound

[Agorism]

Libyans form human shield at Gaddafi’s compound

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/19/us-libya-humanshield-idUSTRE72I3NB20110319


(Reuters) - Thousands of Libyans packed into Muammar Gaddafi's heavily fortified Tripoli compound on Saturday to form a human shield against possible air strikes by allied forces.

Fireworks erupted into the night sky and people fired defiant shots into the air at the compound after allied warplanes went into action in eastern Libya to stop the Libyan leader's forces attacking the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

Libyans from all walks of life streamed into the Bab Al-Aziziyah compound, shouting slogans and holding portraits of Gaddafi. Loudspeakers boomed songs praising the leader.

"My mother and father told me that they (Western warplanes) would attack the compound so I came here to protect our leader," said one 10-year-old boy, Mahmoud.

About 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to the east, French fighter jets were destroying tanks and armored vehicles to halt Gaddafi's advance on rebel forces around their stronghold of Benghazi.

The huge Tripoli complex, which includes military barracks, was the target of a 1986 U.S. bombing of Libya. Then U.S. President Ronald Reagan said it was in retaliation for what he called Libyan complicity in the bombing of a Berlin night club.

The government took foreign reporters to the normally closed site on a rare visit to showcase people's support for Gaddafi.

Inside the compound's high olive-green walls, people danced to a song setting an oft-repeated phrase from a recent Gaddafi speeches -- "house by house, alley by alley" -- to a melody.

Nearby, a man watched the crowd from the back of a pick-up truck equipped with an anti-aircraft gun.

An image of a hand crushing an F-16 fighter was superimposed on the window of a house gutted in the 1986 attack. Men with AK-47 rifles stood nearby. Soldiers looked on from watch towers.

Gaddafi's daughter Aisha paid an unexpected visit and stood on a vehicle as flag-waving supporters cheered her.

The gates of the compound, the heart of Gaddafi's powerful security apparatus which is usually off-limits to the general public, were wide open, and people continued to stream into it throughout the evening.

"We are here. We are ready to die for our leader," said Om Abdel Qadir, an Arabic language teacher. She said her six sons had all volunteered to fight for Gaddafi.

"Even if we do not have weapons, people will do everything they can to fight. You will see people on every street, pouring hot oil on the enemy." Mahmoud el-Mansouri, a farmer, said people were angry.

"There are 5,000 tribesmen who are preparing to come here to fight with our leader. They had better not try to attack our country," he said.

"We will open up Libya's deserts and allow Africans to flood to Europe to blow themselves up as suicide bombers. ... We are ready to attack embassies abroad." Mustafa Abdelgadir, a 27-year-old man, added: "Everyone has weapons training and we are all prepared to fight."

(Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Louise Ireland and Paul Taylor)

[Aratus]

we have expanded and widened our war

[QueenB4Liberty]

this is where blowback comes from.

[chudrockz]

Way to go, Obama! You've succeeded in "assisting" the revolution in Libya by solidifying public support for the government against Western invaders.

[BenIsForRon]

Way to go, Obama! You've succeeded in "assisting" the revolution in Libya by solidifying public support for the government against Western invaders.

Gaddafi's supporters were already very behind him. They had a pretty high standard of living compared to the majority of the country.

[chudrockz]

Gaddafi's supporters were already very behind him. They had a pretty high standard of living compared to the majority of the country.

Obviously, his supporters were behind him. My point was that Western military strikes in Libya will have most of his NON-supporters behind him, too.

[BenIsForRon]

Obviously, his supporters were behind him. My point was that Western military strikes in Libya will have most of his NON-supporters behind him, too.

That's simply not true. You either haven't been following the situation or you're lying. The rebels in Benghazi and elsewhere have been calling for a no-fly zone for weeks, and they've continued to support it so far.

[angelatc]

Gaddafi's supporters were already very behind him. They had a pretty high standard of living compared to the majority of the country.

Class war. Liberals never stop with that. This isn't about money, and it never has been. This is a civil war. Are you supporting this intervention?

[doodle]

this is where blowback comes from.

Many americans seem to be okay with the costs though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KdIa7KNkdQ

[chudrockz]

That's simply not true. You either haven't been following the situation or you're lying. The rebels in Benghazi and elsewhere have been calling for a no-fly zone for weeks, and they've continued to support it so far.

I'm following the "situation" closely, thanks. I was not, and continue to not, be talking about the rebels. I'm talking about the everyday people in Libya who may not have had a dog in the fight thus far. Now that WE are attacking them, they do. And they'll by and large line up behind their government.

[BenIsForRon]

Class war. Liberals never stop with that. This isn't about money, and it never has been. This is a civil war. Are you supporting this intervention?

No, not class warfare, corrupt governance. Gaddafi kept a lot of the oil money in certain parts of the country, like in Tripoli and his hometown. So people who opened up business in those towns could actually make a living, and of course they credit Gaddafi for that.

Secondly, civil wars CAN be about money. In this situation, and in many other middle east countries, oil is one the reasons for the civil war.

And to answer your question, I don't support American involvement in the intervention, for many reasons I won't go into, but I do support a no-fly zone enforced by a coalition of European and Arab countries. And for the record, so do the rebels in Libya.

[BenIsForRon]

I'm following the "situation" closely, thanks. I was not, and continue to not, be talking about the rebels. I'm talking about the everyday people in Libya who may not have had a dog in the fight thus far. Now that WE are attacking them, they do. And they'll by and large line up behind their government.

From what I've seen, there were never too many neutral observers. If you will remember, many people in the Libyan government and military defected after Gaddafi ordered attacks on the peaceful protesters. So I think the second he started the genocide, he lost support from most of the country. His loyalists, from what I've seen, are the minority, and the only reason they've been able to stand up to the rebels is because of their military might.

Hence, the no-fly zone.

[chudrockz]

From what I've seen, there were never too many neutral observers. If you will remember, many people in the Libyan government and military defected after Gaddafi ordered attacks on the peaceful protesters. So I think the second he started the genocide, he lost support from most of the country. His loyalists, from what I've seen, are the minority, and the only reason they've been able to stand up to the rebels is because of their military might.

Hence, the no-fly zone.

I hope you're right, and I hope Ghaddafi goes down swinging, and soon. But then again, Afghanistan was supposed to be a cake-walk, and the people of Iraq were supposed to welcome us with flowers and blowjobs, and we all know how that worked out.

[QueenB4Liberty]

Many americans seem to be okay with the costs though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KdIa7KNkdQ

wow what pieces of shit would do that to a poor little boy.

Ugh! Yeah I can't stand how stupid these people are.

[muzzled dogg]

plant the seed in kid's head to be obedient

[Brian4Liberty]

Lol! Fox News just had a reporter on the ground in Libya claim that the Qaddafi supporters are just a paid show. The host repeated the claim and laughed. Ironic. They would usually call that a crazy conspiracy theory, especially when they are engaging in this type of deception themselves.

[angelatc]

No, not class warfare, corrupt governance. Gaddafi kept a lot of the oil money in certain parts of the country, like in Tripoli and his hometown. So people who opened up business in those towns could actually make a living, and of course they credit Gaddafi for that.

Secondly, civil wars CAN be about money. In this situation, and in many other middle east countries, oil is one the reasons for the civil war.

And to answer your question, I don't support American involvement in the intervention, for many reasons I won't go into, but I do support a no-fly zone enforced by a coalition of European and Arab countries. And for the record, so do the rebels in Libya.

Washington DC is the only area of the country that wasn't affected by the housing crisis. What's your point?

Why do you think anybody besides the Libyans need to be involved? It is a civil war. Doesn't concern the rest of the world.

[angelatc]

Lol! Fox News just had a reporter on the ground in Libya claim that the Qaddafi supporters are just a paid show. The host repeated the claim and laughed. Ironic. They would usually call that a crazy conspiracy theory, especially when they are engaging in this type of deception themselves.

I wonder how much they get paid to stand in an area where missiles are going to start falling any minute?

[eOs]

Lol! Fox News just had a reporter on the ground in Libya claim that the Qaddafi supporters are just a paid show. The host repeated the claim and laughed. Ironic. They would usually call that a crazy conspiracy theory, especially when they are engaging in this type of deception themselves.

Fox would NEVER do that, what are you a paid CNN CIA Conspiracy nut shill or something? God--keep talking like this and you're going to ruin Ron's elections chances in 2012. We have to win the establishment over by bending them over and sticking our noses in their ass. That's how you win a damned election! Get with the program! /sarcasm

[MelissaWV]

I see Ben's point and still don't think we should be involved; the two are not mutually exclusive.

There are always people who are doing perfectly well under any ruler, no matter how corrupt or how evil.

As for the human shields, some of it is real, and some of it is undoubtedly for show. If I were him, I would empty the morgues into some of my well-known buildings that I was willing to give up as "targets," and then film the aftermath of arms and legs blown to bits. For extra credit, one could sprinkle the scene with reminders of everyday life such as toys, or a prayer book, or a shoe or a pair of broken glasses.

It wouldn't mean a thing without the missiles, though, to make the accusations complete.

[HOLLYWOOD]

600 miles) to the east, French fighter jets were destroying tanks and armored vehicles to halt Gaddafi's advance on rebel forces around their stronghold of Benghazi. So that's a "No-Fly-Zone" the Russians, Chinese, and Arab League approved? Hah!

Right there is violation of UN authorizations... oops, the lawyered-up actions have loopholes, imagine that!:rolleyes: Exactly why you don't authorize any of this nonsense. Welcome to new era of; hatred, retaliation, blowback, premeditated operations, and terrorism for the future... All the need on viewer ratings to go up for the 4th branch of government and mundane indoctrination! Wasn't there an episode on the original Star Trek series about this... something about Gladiators and Barbarians? ;)

This is getting down right ridiculous with corporate media and the US government.

[Feeding the Abscess]

And to answer your question, I don't support American involvement in the intervention, for many reasons I won't go into, but I do support a no-fly zone enforced by a coalition of European and Arab countries. And for the record, so do the rebels in Libya.

How is that different from us bombing Mexico or Venezuela?

[BlackTerrel]

I see Ben's point and still don't think we should be involved; the two are not mutually exclusive.

This. I can be against intervention and still realize that Ghadaffi is a dictator who oppresses his own people. You don't have to swallow propoganda whole.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/19/us-libya-humanshield-idUSTRE72I3NB20110319

"My mother and father told me that they (Western warplanes) would attack the compound so I came here to protect our leader," said one 10-year-old boy, Mahmoud.

Really? Does anyone believe this shit? What kind of parents would use their own son as a "human shield" to protect a politician? I don't care who he is. I call bullshit.

If Ron Paul was in the line of fire would you take your 10 year old kid to take a bullet?

[Vessol]

This. I can be against intervention and still realize that Ghadaffi is a dictator who oppresses his own people. You don't have to swallow propoganda whole.

Really? Does anyone believe this shit? What kind of parents would use their own son as a "human shield" to protect a politician? I don't care who he is. I call bullshit.

If Ron Paul was in the line of fire would you take your 10 year old kid to take a bullet?

First point, couldn't agree more.

Your second point, it really is disgusting. I have huge respect for Dr. Paul, but I would not jump in the line of fire to take a bullet, nor would I let a child do it.