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Gaddafi as leader of Libya - The end is nigh?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16055237
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14630702

TV footage now shows rebels inside of Gaddafi's compound in the centre of Libya. Nobody seems to know where the leader of Libya actually is and it seems that the end if nigh.

There have been hiccups along the way in recent days, such as claims of the leaders son (Saif) being captured, but then being shown on the news yesterday evening.

This is effectively the culmination of a 6 month campaign by rebels aided by NATO, have NATO done the right thing by getting involved here? Are people ready to jump out and say once again (as always) that it is nothing more than about the oil?

I think that if anything, this conflict has disrupted oil supplies and as an oil consuming country we would have been better off without this conflict being prolonged as it has been. I just hope that Tripoli doesnt turn into another Baghdad following the coalition invasion in 2003.

I think what annoys me more about this whole situation, is the person I was talking to last night who seemed to think that we were about to send our own ground forces in to steal oil! Which begs another question, not only was NATOs involvement right? Was conducting an air campaign alone the right thing to do?

What would you liked to have seen done differently, and WHY?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    Are people ready to jump out and say once again (as always) that it is nothing more than about the oil?

    There is gold and water to consider also :

    http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/03/22/libyas-col-gadhafi-is-a-goldbug-and-hes-got-lots-of-old-yeller/

    http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2010/0823/Libya-s-Qaddafi-taps-fossil-water-to-irrigate-desert-farms
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    Are people ready to jump out and say once again (as always) that it is nothing more than about the oil?

    You know I will, after our short convo on Twitter (although I don't think I was the source for the other parts of your post).

    I just wish our politicians would be a little more honest because there is a pretty clear argument that oil is a major motivation. If this was about taking military action to "protect the innocents", then we would see NATO planes flying over both Syria and Zimbabwe right now.

    I don't have a problem if this is about oil, I drive a car like most other people, but I'd just like to be treated with a little respect. I'm not an idiot. The only reason we've ever had *any* kind of relationship with Gadaffi is because of what was under his feet.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    While I'm sure access to Libyan oil is a major motivation, Gaddafi has been a thorn in the side of the West for decades and has made this 'regime change' easy for the NATO.

    He has undoubtedly supported terrorist groups in the past and is something of a deranged maniac, even giving very vocal support to Robert Mugabe etc and have aspirations to be 'king of all of Africa'.

    He has made it rather easy for NATO to find the excuses to take out an (old) enemy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Although is it about oil?

    I only ask because Libyan oil was flowing free and easy to the european market during the Gadaffi regieme, since the uprising it's not been going so well.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Although is it about oil?

    I only ask because Libyan oil was flowing free and easy to the european market during the Gadaffi regieme, since the uprising it's not been going so well.

    That is what I was thinking, by carrying out this action we have reduced supply in the world!

    Force projection for UK armed forces only serves (and has only ever served) one purpose, and that is the projection of British Policy abroad. A stable Libya with free flowing oil would be one small piece in the game that is "lets keep the UK stable"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    42g5g.jpg
    Libyan Rebels sighted as far away as North East England!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Although is it about oil?

    I only ask because Libyan oil was flowing free and easy to the european market during the Gadaffi regieme, since the uprising it's not been going so well.

    Because you are looking at the short term, just as it was possible to do so in Iraq.

    Following the outsing of a leader and Govt, Oil companies (backed by their own Govt) will be able to renegotiate their exploitation contracts with the host nation... just look at how much business UK and US companies now have in Iraq...

    J@ke's argument was a little better, in that Gadaffi has been a thorn in the side for a while. However, so has Syria. ZImbabwe's citizens are also suffering at the hands of a dictator and have been for years.

    You have to ask yourself, what is different here?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    J@ke's argument was a little better, in that Gadaffi has been a thorn in the side for a while. However, so has Syria. ZImbabwe's citizens are also suffering at the hands of a dictator and have been for years.

    You have to ask yourself, what is different here?

    You mean apart from Lockerbie, Yvonne Fletcher, and providing explosives and weapons to kill hundreds of British soldiers, policemen,, civilians (including several conservative MPs) and the semtex which was used in attempts to assassintate both of Cameron's predecessors of Conservative PMs

    Well, apart from that....
    Because you are looking at the short term, just as it was possible to do so in Iraq.

    Following the outsing of a leader and Govt, Oil companies (backed by their own Govt) will be able to renegotiate their exploitation contracts with the host nation... just look at how much business UK and US companies now have in Iraq...

    Except as far as I'm aware the majoity of these contracts were signed after we'd ignored Libyan oil for twenty years and when Libya's infrastrucuture was so fucked he'd have sold his own mother (so we could negotiate massively beneficial contracts). The contracts will already be as good as possible and overthrowing Gadaffi won't improve them (if anything they'll be renegotiated in a worse way for the oil companies).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A mass grave has been found and it is alleged that actions were carried out on the 23rd by Pro-Gaddafi forces.

    http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16057724
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So, it turns out the end was nigh.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ...I Certainly Didn't Expect To See That.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    New from Cillit Bang, Dictator Bang


    BANG and the dictator is gone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    RubberSkin wrote: »
    New from Cillit Bang, Dictator Bang


    BANG and the dictator is gone.

    :lol:
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