Thousands Flee as Sirte Offensive Continues
Humanitarian Disaster Looms as Another Rebel Push Fails
Libya’s rebels just can’t seem to take over Sirte. Despite repeated confident proclamations about the impending conquest of the city, Gadhafi’s hometown is not falling easily, and another rebel offensive today reportedly failed.
For the Misrata rebels looking to conquer the city, it is as much about revenge as it is about mopping up the remnants of loyalist forces, and regardless of the cost in troops or civilians, the offensive seems bound to continue for the forseeable future.
Which could be devastating for the residents of Sirte, as thousands of them try to flee and doctors wihin the city say there are food and water shortages, and even basic medicines have mostly run out.
Getting out of Sirte is vital, but with the rebel forces arbitrarily arresting many of those who flee, attempting to do so carries as much risk as staying. The Sirtans must also remember the city of Tawarga, however, which the same rebel troops entirely depopulated, herded the civilians into a refugee camp, then attacked the camp.
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John Ellis
September 29th, 2011 at 4:26 am
Gaddafi very well pleased the upper half of society, they being the highest achievers and quite naturally ended up with all the wealth. So, who is to say which is the greatest criminal in this classic class war, the greedy upper half which is the root cause, or the vindictive lower half filled with righteous indignation.
jan burton
September 29th, 2011 at 6:14 am
We should be bombing these Islamist rebels. This is Afghanistan 1980 all over again.
Bianca
September 29th, 2011 at 7:54 am
Yellow cakes. Stage managed fromt he beginning to the end. Now, we extoll the virtues of the lower classes "righteous indignation", as if we know that it is the lower classes that have created the reign of terror in Libya, and that it is the "greedy upper half" the supposed "root cause" tha is paying for it. We are getting more childish by the day. Donald Trump, on TV, said at the onset of the crisis, that he cheated Gadhafi of millions, and does not feel guilty. He said that we are ENTITLED to all their oil and everything we can lay hands on — as we are the war of conquest, and to the victors go the spoils. This was the war between a disgrunted tribe of the former King of Lybia whom Gadhafi ousted. Their grievance found solid support in the colonial Europe and our, American, newfound colonial joy. With NATO bombing everything in sight, the disgruntled tribe from Benghazi, joined by other tribes that seek the loot, are the "righteously indignant". All people suffer, so that the few will have the loot. Our mandarins among them.
Jaime
September 29th, 2011 at 9:19 am
And I wonder if the "righteous indignation" justifies the mass killings.
Brad_Smith2
September 29th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
This can't be true, it's a humantarian mission, why would the US of A help to cause a disaster like this?
Please don't answer. The question is rhetorical, sarcastic and born of frustration.