Death of Saif Al-Arab Gaddafi may backfire for Nato

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News 1 May 2011 Last updated at 12:39

The death of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, if confirmed, is likely to have come as a consequence of Nato's increasingly aggressive tactics, undertaken by the alliance to shake up a stalemate in the conflict.

But his killing in an air strike is a grievous strategic error - militarily insignificant but diplomatically disastrous.

>

But was the strike also an assassination attempt?

Assassination of a head of state is illegal under international law, and forbidden by various US presidential orders. On the other hand, the targeted killing of those woven into the enemy chain of command is shrouded in legal ambiguity.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13252192

[Syrinx]

1. he was a bad person, but I'm generally against assassinations

It's a gray area.

[pscot]

5. Three of Qadafi's grandchildren were also killed

according to news reports. Is that a gray area too?

[aquart]

6. First reports are often inaccurate.

You might want to wait for more confirmation than a Gaddafi press release.

[douglas9]

2. Libyan Television via internet

http://wwitv.com/television/242.htm

[dipsydoodle]

3. Looked like a load of propaganda in Arabic

from that bunch of tossers aka the rebels.

[aquart]

7. So Gaddafi is the good guy here?

And the rebels are evil?

[EFerrari]

9. Those aren't the only choices.

Both sides are on a propaganda tear, for one thing.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Wrong interpretation.

.

[robcon]

4. Diplomatically disastrous???? I don't think so.

n/t

[aquart]

8. Oh, they may be right about that.

Some of the Twitterers who were so in favor of intervention aren't the least bit happy today.

[TatonkaJames]

11. Yes, the only thing killing grandchildren does is...

create more terrorists. When will these so called intelligent leaders understand this ?

[Turborama]

12. This is an Op-Ed piece, not Latest Breaking News. n/t

[intaglio]

13. Al Jazeera has doubts about this death

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/2011512159645780.html

and, personally, I don't believe a thing that comes from Libyan official sources