Zawiya, Libya–In this city 30 miles west of Tripoli, hundreds of people rejoiced in a central square on Sunday, waving the red, black and green flag that has come to signify a free Libya and shouting the chants that foretold the downfall of governments in Tunisia and Egypt: “The people want to bring down the regime.”
Rebels, in control of the city, had reinforced its boundaries with informal barricades, and military units that had defected stood guard with rifles, six tanks and anti-aircraft guns mounted on the backs of trucks. In the central square here, a mosque was riddled with enormous holes, evidence of the government’s failed attempt to take back this city on Thursday. Nearby lay seven freshly dug graves belonging to protesters who had fallen in that siege, witnesses said.
“We are really suffering for 42 years, and people are asking here for the same things as other people of the world ”” they want the real democracy,” said Ahmed El-Hadi Remeh, an engineer standing in the square. He and other residents told how they had used stones to repel the government’s forces.
“Where is, repeat, where is [Obama]? The world wonders.”
How very strange that this administration would attempt to push out Mubarak, who was something an an ally, yet it remains utterly silent on Qaddafi, who has been a sworn enemy for decades. Qaddafi has hosted a number of Iranian military bases, attacked neighboring Chad and attempted to build an atomic bomb – definitely a bad guy.
Unlike Halsey, who was at least pursuing a decoy fleet with intent to harm them, Obama has yet to demonstrate any spine in regard to our known enemies, most lately Qaddafi.
In the meantime our obvious weakness has emboldened all manner of creeps in the Arab world, most notably in Yemen, where Al Qaeda-backed rebels are poised to seize power. Yemen barely makes it to page 22 these days, but is likely to end up on page one.
Hard to tell whether its plain incompetence or malicious incompetence, but this administrations cluelessness and weakness is currently causing grave damage to our interests.