African fighters vow to support Gadhafi to the end

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

By MARTIN VOGL and DONNA BRYSON
The Associated Press
Saturday, February 26, 2011; 11:48 AM

BAMAKO, Mali -- His allies and even his own diplomats are abandoning him, but African fighters are pledging to defend embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi "to the end."

The African fighters that Gadhafi is allegedly using against protesters come from several nations, representing a map of the Libyan leader's often contentious history with his neighbors.

Many young citizens of Mali and Niger who flocked to Libya in the 1970s and 1980s were ethnic Tuaregs and were recruited into an "Islamic Legion" modeled on the French Foreign Legion.

A Tuareg politician in Mali said he believes 16,000 Tuareg remain in the Libyan security forces, based in Tripoli and Sabha but not in Benghazi, a major city that has broken away from Gadhafi's rule.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/26/AR2011022601861.html

[wtmusic]

1. According to a Gadhafi supporter in Mali, anyway nt

[social_critic]

2. In Africa, it's easy to buy an army

I'm pretty sure they mean it. But I've also found these guys don't train too much. A while back, when I was in Africa, a buddy advised me that, if one of these bush fighters was aiming and firing at me, I had to stay put, and then walk in a straight line towards him, when I got close enough, hit him over the head with something heavy. You see, these guys don't hit where they aim. The problem of course is when there's a crowd, they just spray around, so it doesn't really matter where they are aiming.

I'm not a violent type, so I decided the best thing to do was carry a wad of francs, dollars, and sterling, so they could rob me and let me go. But if you do get into a pickle someday, remember this tip. And never get close to a wall.

[wtmusic]

3. Wall, because of ricochets? nt

[eleny]

4. Or until he stops paying them

[maddezmom]

5. Mercenaries fire on Libya protesters

Mercenaries fire on Libya protesters
2011-02-26 19:43


Benghazi - Helicopter-borne mercenaries fighting for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fired on protesters attending a funeral in the western city of Misrata on Saturday, a witness told AFP.

The mercenaries had been airlifted to Misrata, Libya's third-biggest city situated some 150km east of the capital Tripoli, the witness said with the sound of heavy weapons fire audible in the background.

They then opened fire on the relatives of the victims who were about to enter a mosque, he said, adding that the mercenaries also shot at a building that housed an opposition-run radio station.

The witness also said the local chieftain in Misrata was contacted on the telephone by Gaddafi's aides, who proposed establishing an independent state in the city on the condition that it does not attack Tripoli.


more:http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Mercenaries-fire-on-Libya-protesters-20110226

[pampango]

6. It would seem that taking away Gaddafi's ability to use planes and helicopters

would be easy to do from bases in southern Europe or an aircraft carrier. Doing that would level the playing field between Gaddafi's militias and the civilians and allow the latter to win this revolution on their own.

[formercia]

7. Ja mein Fuhrer, the Eastern Front is under control.

We will have those Socialist Dogs kissing our feet. :rofl:

[Ikonoklast]

8. No, they won't.

When the money stops, mercenaries run away.


The clock is ticking, Gadhafi is buying time lining up his exit, he's already lost the country...he'll throw his hired murderers to the wolves as he leaves.

[sofa king]

10. They'll tear up the place real good on their way out, too.

Unpaid mercenaries have, since at least the time of Darius III, typically extracted unpaid wages through rapine and looting, and leave a locust-trail of destruction in their wake as they make their way home.

[Ikonoklast]

11. Yep, as with all mercenaries, they're being played for chumps.

And when they finally realize it, they will not be happy.

[sofa king]

13. Sure thing.

One of the most expedient ways to prevent such a disaster is for the winning side to hire over the same mercenaries. If I remember correctly, after the Greek mercenaries refused to surrender at Gaugamela and had to be cut down to the last man, Alexander put forth a standing offer for better wages and honorable surrender terms to the remaining Greek mercenaries in the Persian armies.

Then he put them in the front lines, gave them the toughest and bloodiest assignments, and extinguished most of them through attrition before they could fully benefit from the higher pay. Smart lad, that Alexander the Great.

In the late-medieval confusion of Europe, it was not uncommon for mercenary forces to be bribed away on the very field of battle. In one case, the details of which elude me, a crucial flank-protecting force was approached with a pay-chest, and it turned around and formed the spearhead of a successful flank envelopment against its former employers.

[Ikonoklast]

14. There is a good reason chests full of gold coins are found on ancient battlefields.

As they say, "Money talks...".

[defendandprotect]

9. Guess we know where Gaddafi is headed if he does ever leave ... !!!

Evidently -- Gaddafi is STILL bringing in more mercenaries --

[pampango]

12. My guess is he can buy plenty of mercenaries with the billions he has stolen, if he chooses to. n/t

[social_critic]

15. He won't be able to if his accounts are frozen.

And there's a new issue evolving. Lybian embassies all over are declaring allegiance to the Bengazi based Revolutionary Committees. I bet by early next week all those accounts will be controlled by Bengazi (Free Lybian Republic). And this means they'll be able to pay for weapons to take Tripoli. al Jazeera just reported the resistance is within 20 miles of Tripoli, so the noose is closing around Kaddafi's neck.

[classysassy]

16. The troops from Hesse

The Hessians helped defeat King George and they were not reviled the way the African troops are today,could it be racism raising it's ugly head once again?