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[lemon10]

I doubt that the CIA actually has very many assassins. They just want people to think that they have a million double agents hidden all across the world, ready to kill at a moments notice, so that people will fear them. Same goes for the FBI and information monitoring.

All you really need is 1 good assassin, which I'm sure they have/could get easily.

[RedKing]

I doubt that the CIA actually has very many assassins. They just want people to think that they have a million double agents hidden all across the world, ready to kill at a moments notice, so that people will fear them. Same goes for the FBI and information monitoring.

Yup. The CIA is actually quite small compared to what most people think (cue cries of, "That's what they WANT you to think!")

[MetalSlimeHunt]

All you really need is 1 good assassin, which I'm sure they have/could get easily.

Moving around someone with that kind of heat in the event that they were even slightly ID'd, getting them proper equipment for every job, and having absolutely nothing go wrong in hostile territory multiple times is an extremely difficult thing to do.

Hell, for the longest time in history, "assassination" consisted of stabbing the person your ruler wanted dead in broad daylight. If they died before the guards killed you/captured and tortured you to death, you were successful. If they were still alive when the guards killed you/captured and tortured you to death, you failed.

[Nadaka]

I doubt that the CIA actually has very many assassins. They just want people to think that they have a million double agents hidden all across the world, ready to kill at a moments notice, so that people will fear them. Same goes for the FBI and information monitoring.

All you really need is 1 good assassin, which I'm sure they have/could get easily.

Mossad seems to show that killing a high profile person relies on a well coordinated operation with a fairly large number of operatives.

[RedKing]

Hell, for the longest time in history, "assassination" consisted of stabbing the person your ruler wanted dead in broad daylight. If they died before the guards killed you/captured and tortured you to death, you were successful.

Fixed. Seriously, look at some of the 19th century Presidents and whatnot. They might last four or five days, but as long as they actually died, then Mission Accomplished. Although there weren't a lot of "professional" assassins, as calling it a profession generally implies you survive to do more than one.

[Bouchart]

The G8 couldn't even agree to ask the UN to vote on a no-fly zone in Libya:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/15/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110315?pageNumber=2

And I hate to say it but Libya is probably nothing compared to what's gonna happen because of Bahrain.  Could be talking regional war there.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I looked at Bahraini law because of the events going on recently, and found that compared to Saudi Arabia they're actually somewhat progressive (women were given voting rights in 2002, for example). Although, when you're comparing civil and human rights with Saudi Arabia, you're probably going to look decent unless you're North Korea.

[Bouchart]

I looked at Bahraini law because of the events going on recently, and found that compared to Saudi Arabia they're actually somewhat progressive (women were given voting rights in 2002, for example). Although, when you're comparing civil and human rights with Saudi Arabia, you're probably going to look decent unless you're North Korea.

Of course when elected officials don't have much power you can expand the suffrage to whoever you want and nothing will change.

[Phmcw]

Pro Eu will have an hard time justifying it's existence given it's total inability to cope with the situation. They were already taking heat on Europe1 this afternoon.

[PTTG??]

The G8 couldn't even agree to ask the UN to vote on a no-fly zone in Libya:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/15/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110315?pageNumber=2

And I hate to say it but Libya is probably nothing compared to what's gonna happen because of Bahrain.  Could be talking regional war there.

In all seriousness, we could be looking at a potential Bahrainian genocide. It all depends on how far the Saud family feels they need to go to protect their power.

[olemars]

I looked at Bahraini law because of the events going on recently, and found that compared to Saudi Arabia they're actually somewhat progressive (women were given voting rights in 2002, for example). Although, when you're comparing civil and human rights with Saudi Arabia, you're probably going to look decent unless you're North Korea.

All the saudi nobles go to Bahrain during weekends to party and booze up.

[olemars]

Libya today - Gadaffi forces were getting closer to Benghazi, surrounding the last major town before the stronghold. Then the revolutionaries got a grip on themselves and countered, on ground, sea and air:

*Revolutionary MIGs first managed to sink a couple of gunboats off the coast and shoot down one or two gaddafi jets.
*Two other MIGs bombed the airbase runway in Sirte, Gaddafi's only airbase close to the east.
*The two jets were supposed to return to Benghazi, but one apparently snapped, flew to Tripoli and crashed his plane straight into Gaddafi's compoiund.

*Navy vessels from Benghazi discovered a tanker on its way to Tripoli, they commandered and diverted it to Tobruk. The ship turned out to be chartered by Hannibal Gaddafi to deliver fuel supplies to Tripoli.

*Revolutionaries retook Ajdabiya, capturing dozens of gaddafi soldiers and 7 top-notch tanks.
*several truckloads of soldiers drove to Tobruk and defected
*Revolutionaries say they've pushed forward to Brega again, not far from Ras Lanuf, but this isn't confirmed

Due to the bombing of the airbase/army base at Sirte, the population has apparently started to revolt. Also new protests in Tripoli.

Scrambling to show that Gaddafi was still alive after the big boom in the Tripoli compound, he appeared live on state tv, notably at a tent somewhere unspecified and not the usual building in the compound.

Maybe they should hold off that no-fly zone a little longer.

[Aqizzar]

*Revolutionary MIGs first managed to sink a couple of gunboats off the coast and shoot down one or two gaddafi jets.
*Two other MIGs bombed the airbase runway in Sirte, Gaddafi's only airbase close to the east.
*The two jets were supposed to return to Benghazi, but one apparently snapped, flew to Tripoli and crashed his plane straight into Gaddafi's compoiund.

I was wondering just how many of those defecting pilots had actually joined the other side, instead of just fleeing to political asylum.  What might be amaze me most about the one who decided to go out in a blaze off glory, is that it doesn't in itself surprise me all that much.

*Navy vessels from Benghazi discovered a tanker on its way to Tripoli, they commandered and diverted it to Tobruk. The ship turned out to be chartered by Hannibal Gaddafi to deliver fuel supplies to Tripoli.

This is something I definitely wish there was some readier data on.  My prediction since the air-campaign heated up was that, while Qaddafi might be holding or retaking ground, it's based on assets he can't reuse forever.  His, until apparently just recently, total air superiority meant he could bomb with relative impunity and has formed the cornerstone of his counter-offensive, but how much jet fuel can the Loyalist military still have available?  Let alone any other supplies?

The rest sounds like more facets of the same dynamic.  Qaddafi might still have the technical superiority in armament, but only the most insanely devoted loyalist could fail to understand by now that there's no way Qaddafi could preserve his rule without killing absolutely everyone else in the country.  No doubt there's big chunks of his establishment desperately looking for chances to peel away and join the side that still has room for peaceable settlement, just so they'll have a shot at defusing this civil war while there's still a country left to fight over.

[Nadaka]

Libya today - Gadaffi forces were getting closer to Benghazi, surrounding the last major town before the stronghold. Then the revolutionaries got a grip on themselves and countered, on ground, sea and air:

*Revolutionary MIGs first managed to sink a couple of gunboats off the coast and shoot down one or two gaddafi jets.
*Two other MIGs bombed the airbase runway in Sirte, Gaddafi's only airbase close to the east.
*The two jets were supposed to return to Benghazi, but one apparently snapped, flew to Tripoli and crashed his plane straight into Gaddafi's compoiund.

*Navy vessels from Benghazi discovered a tanker on its way to Tripoli, they commandered and diverted it to Tobruk. The ship turned out to be chartered by Hannibal Gaddafi to deliver fuel supplies to Tripoli.

*Revolutionaries retook Ajdabiya, capturing dozens of gaddafi soldiers and 7 top-notch tanks.
*several truckloads of soldiers drove to Tobruk and defected
*Revolutionaries say they've pushed forward to Brega again, not far from Ras Lanuf, but this isn't confirmed

Due to the bombing of the airbase/army base at Sirte, the population has apparently started to revolt. Also new protests in Tripoli.

Scrambling to show that Gaddafi was still alive after the big boom in the Tripoli compound, he appeared live on state tv, notably at a tent somewhere unspecified and not the usual building in the compound.

Maybe they should hold off that no-fly zone a little longer.

That sounds incredibly better than the crushing defeat I had been expecting before I took a nap. Whats your news source? Al Jazeera?

[Taricus]

Al-Jazeera hasn't got it on their homepage yet...