Libyan rebels urge west to assassinate Gaddafi as his forces near Benghazi

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Appeal to be made as G8 foreign ministers consider whether to back French and British calls for a no-fly zone over Libya

Chris McGreal in Benghazi | Monday March 14 2011 20.07 GMT

Libya's revolutionary leadership is pressing western powers to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi and launch military strikes against his forces to protect rebel-held cities from the threat of bloody assault.

Mustafa Gheriani, spokesman for the revolutionary national council in its stronghold of Benghazi, said the appeal was to be made by a delegation meeting the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in Paris on Monday, as G8 foreign ministers gathered there to consider whether to back French and British calls for a no-fly zone over Libya.

"We are telling the west we want a no-fly zone, we want tactical strikes against those tanks and rockets that are being used against us and we want a strike against Gaddafi's compound," said Gheriani. "This is the message from our delegation in Europe."

Asked if that meant that the revolutionary council wanted the west to assassinate Gaddafi, Gheriani replied: "Why not? If he dies, nobody will shed a tear."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/14/libyan-rebel-leaders-gaddafi-benghazi

[Teaser]

1. oh god they're effed

.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. The victor in this was always unclear, cheerleaders not withstanding

Without heavy weapons and aircraft the rebels were going to have a hard time of it at best. Not saying they have lost, at least not yet.

While I wanted to see him gone like many, the price of western nations leading the charge is too high in my opinion. The Arab League is looking to be all talk and no action (again!).

[David__77]

3. They want a lot.

Money, arms, and risked lives. I say no. Just my opinion as a US citizen.

[joshcryer]

4. You side with Gaddafi?

That is your right as a US citizen I guess.

[SolutionisSolidarity]

5. You want the US to intervene in Libya's civil war even though we are totally overstretched?

We can't afford the empire anymore, and the absolute last thing we should be doing is acquiring more territory to be responsible for. Really, this just about ends the credibility of the rebellion to me. It's one thing to ask for material support, but asking for the West to come in an depose their government for them? These guys are pathetic.

[joshcryer]

8. NFZ is trivial to implement and it wouldn't be the "United States."

It's be the Arab League implementing it. Last I recall Egypt and Jordon weren't in Afgan. or Iraq.

[Bosonic]

9. Arab League?

OP mentions 'western powers' which isn't traditionally thought of as Egypt or Jordan. However if the Arab League *are* going to be the ones implementing the NFZ then it should be rushed through UN approval tout de suite! Much preferable to a US/EU/NATO NFZ, which I think would be a bad idea...

Oh and the request is not just for a NFZ, which could be viewed through squinted eyes as somewhat neutral, they are also asking for taking out armor and C&C. In other words they want a fully fledged proxy air force of their own.

[fittosurvive]

14. I do not doubt your sincerity in advocating for measures to prevent a tragedy from occurring Libya.

However, I do question your judgment if you believe it would simple to implement a NFZ. The fact of the matter is that people will die during the process of both establishing and maintaining a NFZ over a country of that size.

Would you be willing to risk your life--or the lives of your children to carry out this policy? Because that is what you are calling on others to do.

[David__77]

6. No, I oppose US intervention.

Your logic is the same the pro-war forces used to call anti-Iraq war forces "pro-Saddam." I reject that sort of logic, as should all progressives.

[joshcryer]

7. No, Saddam wasn't committing a genocide, that argument could've been made in '91.

Bush should've pushed when there was popular support for the overthrow of Saddam. But guess what he did? He got scared of the political implications, and then Saddam massacred hundreds of muslims. Good job that did.

[fittosurvive]

15. It is no wonder that we make the same mistakes over and over again.

It is natural for people to be concerned with preventing and ending the evil we see in the world. The problem occurs when we formulate and implement policies during the heat of the moment (emotional) rather than contemplating the long term effects of our actions.

Will we ever learn from our mistakes?

[nalnn]

10. Libyan rebels urge west to assassinate Gaddafi as his forces near Benghazi

Source: guardian.co.uk

Libya's revolutionary leadership is pressing western powers to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi and launch military strikes against his forces to protect rebel-held cities from the threat of bloody assault.

Mustafa Gheriani, spokesman for the revolutionary national council in its stronghold of Benghazi, said the appeal was to be made by a delegation meeting the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in Paris on Monday, as G8 foreign ministers gathered there to consider whether to back French and British calls for a no-fly zone over Libya.

"We are telling the west we want a no-fly zone, we want tactical strikes against those tanks and rockets that are being used against us and we want a strike against Gaddafi's compound," said Gheriani. "This is the message from our delegation in Europe."

Asked if that meant that the revolutionary council wanted the west to assassinate Gaddafi, Gheriani replied: "Why not? If he dies, nobody will shed a tear."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/14/libyan-rebel-leaders-gaddafi-benghazi

---

Don't we have a law against this type of action?

[GodlessBiker]

11. We've assassinated so many other people over the years, what's one more?

[dipsydoodle]

12. Are they having a fucking laugh.

Can you imagine the repercussions of such an act by the west. Al Qaeda would have a field day.

[rabs]

13. Where is the colonel ?

I once told Catherina that it would have to be an inside job.

There is a saying in Latin America when a tyrant needed to be toppled or assassinated.

"Donde esta el colonel cuando se necesita?

(Where is the colonel when he is needed?)

So it would have to be someone close to Gaddafi's inner circle.

Is there such a person or group in Tripoli :shrug:

[Posteritatis]

16. Islamists aren't exactly fans of Qadaffi. (nt)

[Posteritatis]

17. There's leaders who deserve it more, but not many. (nt)