Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RedKing]

Update:

Reports of heavy counterattacks in a few spots in the east by pro-Qaddafi forces. So far, reports indicate the rebels have held control of the cities attacked, but with unknown losses. They're also fortifying Benghazi, perhaps in expectation of a major Army offensive against the de facto rebel capitol.

Al Jazeera English and Reuters have some good pics showing heavy weapons training going on in Benghazi. There are hundreds of protesters being trained by the defecting Army personnel in how to operate anti-aircraft guns, 50mm HMG's, etc.

Also, the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) has crossed the Suez Canal and is headed for a position off the Libyan coast. The Kearsarge is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship: think "baby aircraft carrier" with one Marine Expeditionary Unit onboard. Not enough (or the right kind) of airpower to enforce a "no-fly zone", but it could certainly attack ground targets or drop an MEU off somewhere along the Libyan coast. Doubt it will be used for that, but at least the threat of it should force Qaddafi to keep some forces in-hand rather than throwing everything he's got left at Benghazi.

[scriver]

Y'know...it's genuinely satisfying to see al-Qaida grasping at straws to stay relevant. With any luck, they'll wind up the QVC of terrorism:

"But wait, there's more! Commit suicide bombing now and for a limited time only, we throw in two extra virgins in Paradise!"

Not to go offtopic, but whaat is OVC?

[warhammer651]

Y'know...it's genuinely satisfying to see al-Qaida grasping at straws to stay relevant. With any luck, they'll wind up the QVC of terrorism:

"But wait, there's more! Commit suicide bombing now and for a limited time only, we throw in two extra virgins in Paradise!"

Not to go offtopic, but whaat is OVC?

Exactly!

[RedKing]

QVC is one of those "home-shopping" cable channels that pitches mostly tacky, useless junk that no one needs, with an up-tempo sales pitch.

[Phmcw]

Kadhafi just threatened to sell the oil to the Chinese instead of the Europeans and Americans. He doesn't know it yet but he's dead.

[RedKing]

Meh. Weak-ass attempt to get the Chinese to break out the veto stick in the UN Security Council. Don't see it working. The strategic calculus is such that even if Qaddafi was giving away that oil, it wouldn't be worth the problems the PRC would run into for going aginst a pretty united world opinion. And Beijing is shrewd enough to make that calculation.

[olemars]

Also Qaddafi barely controls any of the oil fields at the moment. He tried to retake an oil refinery/shipping terminal today, but the attempt seems to be failing hard.

[Sheb]

Over here in Belgium, everyone is busy fighting each other to decide whose fault it was if we sold weapons to Qaddafi a few years ago. Of course, that means that there is no talk of doing anything (We cannot enfore a no fly zone, be we sure as hell could send a plane with doctors and medicine.)

[Siquo]

Over here in Belgium, everyone is busy fighting each other to decide whose fault it was if we sold weapons to Qaddafi a few years ago.

How sweet that you care. Your northern neighbours don't seem to care at all that we sold and are still selling loads of ammo and weapons to dictators. 

[Phmcw]

We'd first need a minister of foreign relation or something...
Right now who would take the decision ?

[Duke 2.0]

Also Qaddafi barely controls any of the oil fields at the moment. He tried to retake an oil refinery/shipping terminal today, but the attempt seems to be failing hard.

The only reason the 'protesters' are not selling the oil themselves is because the thing is hardwired to his account or something and they are trying to crack that.

[Nadaka]

The biggest problem with Revolution Explosion in the Mideast 3.0 Extreme is that some of the story arcs are just left hanging. How is it going Tunisia? Egypt got a constitution yet? Its a classic case of Cerberus Syndrome, they went all darker and edgier with the Qaddaffi genocidal villain story and forgot about the lighter and more upbeat stories from the beginning.

Sorry guys. I been catching up on web comics and reading tvtropes. My morbid humor may be inappropriate.

[Zangi]

I'm pretty sure we can upgrade them to rebels.

Protesting usually comes down to something basic, people gathering to protest, which may or may not become a riot with small groups / random people bringing along a weapon or two.

They are drilling and training volunteer forces and arming them with weapons, with the full intent of fighting and probably dying for their cause.

[Siquo]

Loosely related:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Duke 2.0]

I'm pretty sure we can upgrade them to rebels.

I know, I just like the whole careful wording used with them so I'll just call them 'protesters' with quotes from now on.