Libyan rebels capture demoralised Gaddafi troops

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The six barefooted men trooped into the school library, their faces uneasy and downcast. Not so long ago this room, with its Arabic texts and Webster's dictionary, was for studious children. Now it is home to prisoners of war.

Wearing T-shirts and loose trousers, and aware their words could be heard by rebel guards, the men sat at a long table to tell how they came to fight for a man they little care for in a war they barely understand.

Some said they were promised an escape from poverty if they fought for Muammar Gaddafi, but never saw the cash. Some, thrown into the frontline with no military experience, suggested that Gaddafi's forces were running short on resources and morale.

Aged between 17 and 47, all said they surrendered meekly a week ago when Gaddafi's army was forced to retreat from a village in Libya's western mountains. They are detained in the rebel stronghold of Zintan at a school converted into a makeshift prison which now houses 147 inmates – of whom 25 are foreign nationals, officials say.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/14/libya-gaddafi-troops-demoralised-prisoners-of-war

[sabo_tabby]

1. Soldiers suffer, civilians suffer...

The bosses make their blood money like they always do, and the drums of war roll on...

[Amonester]

2. so, these poor guys have no idea what's going on, but believed a liar

(a rich liar) that he would just give them a way out of poverty if they accept to go kill civilians they don't know...

way to go, oligarchs!

exploit the poor and don't pay them!

standard procedure, isn't it.