Gaddafi unflinching: rebel city fears counter-attack

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Rebels awaited a counter-attack by Muammar Gaddafi's forces on Monday, after the Libyan leader defied calls for him to quit in the hardest-fought of the Arab world's wave of uprisings.

Rebels holding Zawiyah, only 50 km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, said about 2,000 troops loyal to Gaddafi had surrounded the city.

"We will do our best to fight them off. They will attack soon," said a former police major who switched sides and joined the rebellion. "If we are fighting for freedom, we are ready to die for it."

Residents even in parts of the capital Tripoli have thrown up barricades against government forces. A general in the east of the country, where Gaddafi's power has evaporated, told Reuters his forces were ready to help rebels in the west.



Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE71R00F20110228

[David__77]

1. No more protesters. It's a civil war between two factions of the Libyan state.

The recent defectors are dominating the new structures emerging.

[joshcryer]

5. Bullshit untruth. The protesters are leading the charge, and it is anti-Gaddafi vs Gaddafi loyalists

The majority of the Gaddafi "loyalists" are mercs.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. And you know this how?

[Kurska]

2. We don't need to put boots on the ground.

But bomb the living fuck out of any military formation coming out of tripoli, no chance for civilian causalities if you hit them on open road.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. How do you determine in real time that it is a military convoy and then bring weapons to bear

Unless you are already there in air waiting for targets to roll by, it is just not going to happen.

[pampango]

7. Don't need boots on the ground to keep their planes and helicopters

on the ground so they can't attack civilians. The same thing with tanks and other armored vehicles.

Gaddafi's mercenaries will still outgun the opposition but without the support of planes, helicopters and tanks, they'll lose the will to fight soon.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. So western air forces are going to clear the skies and do interdiction?

That would be almost as bad as an invasion and even easier to rally against. The parallels to what happened in Iraq will be obvious.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Those in the "liberated" areas are not 100% on the rebel side

Undoubtedly there is a major 5th thread to the rebels. The locals understand that, resolute tweets not withstanding.

[joshcryer]

6. Well, naturally. But once security forces fall to the rebels for all intents and purposes...

...the liberated area is anti-Gaddafi. Most pro-Gaddafi supporters are going to be elites, and they're smart to keep their mouth shut and wait it out.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Your assumptions are dangerous and may not have foundation

It is also a tribe thing not just a class thing in Libya. Your are looking at it through western liberal eyes and making assumptions.