Civil War in Libya

**Shibumi** · 03-24-2011, 13:11

Egypt has an air force of what? Some 500 planes and more than 100 attack helicopters.

The Saudi air force is smaller, but still very potent.

Their combined amount of planes over Libya - 0.

The Arabic League urged for intervention - so how come they leave the west with the bill? It is after all their back yard. I guess they are not ready to deal with the civilian casualties bound to happen, or maybe they just prefer someone else to fund the whole deal.

Of course, I do not even want to imagine the mess the arabs would cause if they did intervene. It is after all not the most diciplined culture around. So for them to handle a major flight operation.. Oh well, could add some fun factor at the very least.

**Dâriûsh** · 03-24-2011, 13:16

Originally Posted by Shibumi

Of course, I do not even want to imagine the mess the arabs would cause if they did intervene. It is after all not the most diciplined culture around. So for them to handle a major flight operation.. Oh well, could add some fun factor at the very least.

Oh dear.

**rory_20_uk** · 03-24-2011, 13:19

Originally Posted by Dâriûsh

Oh dear.

We'd need a control group of what Arab troops get up to to compare.

I suppose we've got the Arab Lybian snipers shooting civillians. 16 dead yesterday in one town.
And the Syrians have opened up with live bullets. I think the same thing happened in Barhain.
Egypt? A few hundred died there.

**Shibumi** · 03-24-2011, 13:32

Originally Posted by Dâriûsh

Oh dear.

Mate, you are preaching to the choir.

But yes - I do believe Americans are more disciplined than the Arabs. See, they in an orderly fashion collected the fingers. Arab troops would probably have scattered them all over the place.

Jokes aside - I do believe the best thing to happen in Libya would be Arab boots on the ground and Arab jets controlling the skies. West only helping with intel and logistics, ie, refueling planes and AWACS as well as some SAS teams to paint remaining AA positions (if any). West could also help with the humanitarian aid needed. As an example, the women refugees are pretty much up for grabs, mass rapes have been reported. This is thanks to the charming cultural trait that a woman on her own are anyones property.

**Fragony** · 03-24-2011, 17:52

Originally Posted by Shibumi

Mate, you are preaching to the choir.

But yes - I do believe Americans are more disciplined than the Arabs. See, they in an orderly fashion collected the fingers. Arab troops would probably have scattered them all over the place.

Jokes aside - I do believe the best thing to happen in Libya would be Arab boots on the ground and Arab jets controlling the skies. West only helping with intel and logistics, ie, refueling planes and AWACS as well as some SAS teams to paint remaining AA positions (if any). West could also help with the humanitarian aid needed. As an example, the women refugees are pretty much up for grabs, mass rapes have been reported. This is thanks to the charming cultural trait that a woman on her own are anyones property.

Ya, but they know we will eventually will put boots, language always says a lot and rethoric has changed from 'course not' to 'we just might' if you read between the lines.

**Sarmatian** · 03-24-2011, 17:59

Originally Posted by Shibumi

The Arabic League urged for intervention

Actually, they urged for a no-fly zone.

**Viking** · 03-24-2011, 18:09

Which means bombing.

**Sarmatian** · 03-24-2011, 19:29

Good thing they didn't ask for bombing then, they might have gotten a nuclear strike.

**Viking** · 03-24-2011, 21:16

What Amr Moussa (sp??) objected to, was presumably the initial bombing of Tripoli, which was necessary given the AA installations in the city - thus a part of the NFZ.

**Dâriûsh** · 03-25-2011, 11:11

Originally Posted by Idaho

There is some doubt about the stories of Gadaffi's mercenary hordes. Libya is a more complex place than many think.

Mercenaries or Libyans from Fezzan?

Idaho replied to one of my posts in the Bahrain thread, but his input is very relevant here.

I concede to Idaho that I gave the rebel propaganda department’s statements on supposedly African mercenaries more credit than they deserved. Nor was I critical enough of the sources on these “mercenaries”.

I know that there were mercenary contract adverts in newspapers in several countries, but it seems the rebels are now rounding up every dark-skinned man, Libyan or not, and presenting them to the world press as captured African mercenaries.

It reminds me of Afghanistan during the liberation in 2001. Locals would round up every Arab speaker, native Arab-Afghan or foreigner, and turn them in as “Al-Qaeda terrorists” to get a reward.