News report: Gadhafi dead

[Gmash]

Gaddafi dies of wounds: NTC official

If this turns out to be true, what's next for Libya?

 

[Sak01]

The conflict is truly over now and with the NTC managing things it seems that we don't need to worry about a post-Gadhafi, power vacuum induced, internal conflict.

If they want to quickly stabilise the country, the tribes in power need to avoid marginalising those that were formerly loyal to him.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Apparently several news sources are now confirming this news.

 

[Gmash]

There is an alleged picture of his body they've been showing on CNN and in this link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ure-Libya-dictator-captured-killed-Sirte.html

Spoiler

Gaddafi 'dead': 'Picture of Libya dictator after he was captured and killed in Sirte' | Mail Onlinehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ure-Libya-dictator-captured-killed-Sirte.html

 

[A.Nonymous]

There is an alleged picture of his body they've been showing on CNN

I'm told the picture is extremely graphic. I've not looked at it. Just issuing a possible warning.

 

[Sak01]

Good Riddance! Who's next?

Regionally, Saleh and Assad

 

[Sixel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQUShElCzE&feature=share&skipcontrinter=1

Spoiler

Here's a video. Its NSFWhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQUShElCzE&feature=share&skipcontrinter=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQUShElCzE&feature=share&skipcontrinter=1

 

[Frisco]

One graphic image and one video is enough. I've hidden them in the posts so that members can decide whether or not they want to see them.

No more, please. The OP is about "..what's next for Libya?"

 

[Sak01]

Where's Shadowninty when you need him?

He had a good grasp of Middle East politics.

 

[Bob Maxey]

What will happen really depends upon who replaces him. I think one big worry are those tens of thousands of SAMs currently missing. I know Oliver North and his family are resting a tad easier.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Supposedly there is footage of Gaddaffi in custody and very much alive. It's looking like they may have basically executed him without trial. Bit ironic.

 

[Sak01]

I know Oliver North and his family are resting a tad easier.

Why is that?

 

[Gmash]

I've been wondering where Shadownity went myself. Haven't seen him around here for awhile.

 

[Frisco]

Supposedly there is footage of Gaddaffi in custody and very much alive. It's looking like they may have basically executed him without trial. Bit ironic.

I heard a report on the radio that he was wounded badly by NATO war planes, then he and his guards/escort lost a ground battle. He was captured basically bleeding to death from leg and head wounds, they said, and then died while in rebel custody.

 

[Sak01]

A protracted insurgency campaign by Gaddafi loyalists could have been used to disrupt the oil infrastructure. Now, however, fear of that has fizzled out with his death and the focus will be to get oil production up as quickly as possible which I've heard will take 2-3 years to bring up to pre-war levels.

It will be interesting to see how the post-Gaddafi oil cake is sliced up.
The race is on for Libya's oil, with Britain and France both staking a claim | World news | The Guardian

 

[Slug]

It's looking like they may have basically executed him without trial. Bit ironic.

died while in rebel custody.

How terribly convenient for certain Western governments....

 

[A.Nonymous]

How terribly convenient for certain Western governments....

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd we have our first conspiracy theory.

 

[Sak01]

It is kind of convenient for Blair et al who have been courting him for the past 8 or 9 years. Who knows what details he could have revealed about his recent love affair with the West.

Not that I'm supporting the theory. The equally tyrannical Mubarak, for example, is still alive and ticking and we've been supporting him for decades.

 

[Slug]

I don't necessarily think eh was killed on the orders of a Western govt, but it is unfortunate that the one man who could confirm exactly what went down during the "Deal In The Desert" meeting is dead. Not to mention the motive for, and the shooter involved in, the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in 1980. Or indeed documented proof that the Libyan regime was in fact responsible for Pan-Am 103, rather than the Iranians as revenge for the downing of Iran Air 655 in '88. Too many questions remain surrounding Libya under Gadaffi.

 

[Gmash]

I don't think there was any conspiracy, I think he just got caught up in the middle of a mob mentality situation. The video shows him alive, getting dragged into the back of a truck by a group of rebels, next video shows a dead body with a bullet in the temple. Not that hard to figure out what happened in between, really. What would be ironic is if it turned out that he was executed with his own golden gun.

 

[Sak01]

If it was mob fever I think we would see him get torn to pieces straight away or at least be shot in front of the crowd (with video evidence). It does seem likely that superiors gave the order for him to be dispatched. Whether that came from the NTC or 'higher up', I doubt we'll ever know.

Revelation of all the deals he's been making with us over the last 8 years are likely to be buried with him.

 

[ringosan]

Gaddafi was great and did many huge tnigs for his people and died like a hero. It's tragedy for whole world and mean that nobody can get own freedom if he have oil. TV and newspapers lies.

 

[Slug]

Gaddafi was great and did many huge tnigs for his people

Care to name a few of them?

nobody can get own freedom if he have oil.

The crowds in Benghazi today didn't look too concerned. I think they're looking forward to at last seeing some benefit from the vast profit of their oil reserves. That, and finally participating in a free and open election to choose who they want to run their country.

 

[ElasticNinja]

I've been wondering where Shadownity went myself. Haven't seen him around here for awhile.

Yeah, same >_>

Apparently Gadaffi was sexually assaulted too, now. Not a good start for the NTC, is it? Also odd they are still keeping up the crossfire BS. The NTC had him buried in the middle of the desert, good move and it will mean no shrine.

*Hopefully*, the NTC will establish authority over the revolutionaries, and create a new national army and rebuild the police. I hope that the fighters will realise that things need to be sorted out through the rule of law from now on, it seems they have, but the regional cracks keep reappearing. Clearly Gadaffi had little support in Libya, even if he brought it from Africa's poorest (at least one of them), to richest country, he was a tyrant and squandered the huge wealth.

I think the comparisons to Mubarak are interesting but unjustified - Gadaffi was the definition of Totalitarianism, and used violence and fear as his main weapon. Mubarak, while being a dictator, didn't seem to be near as bad - although he tried to crush the protests with an unfair level of force

 

[Sak01]

Mubarak was just as bad. His secret police were notorious for using violence and fear as their main weapons. And he would regularly deploy his 'supporters' (read armed thugs) to batter anyone that dared to demonstrate against him. How else do you think he maintained a grip for 30 years on a country who's people hated him?

The differences in their reigns can be seen when you analyse why, in the end, one decided to fight while the other folded. Gaddafi actually enjoyed support in large parts of Libya through his tribal allegiances. Loyal tribes were courted and occupied all positions of authority and in the military. That's why he would have crushed the rebels had Western nations not intervened.

Mubarak would most likely have done exactly the same had he been able to. But the fact is he only had the army, the secret police and the thugs on his side. With the protests exploding simultaneously throughout the country, and soldiers siding with the demonstrators he was powerless to do anything about it.

NB. Both Libya and Egypt were destinations for rendition. In fact, my understanding is that General Suleiman's expertise in torture made Egypt a favourite destination.