Libya: Gaddafi 'running out of commanders'

The Telegraph ^ | 7/17/2011 | Ruth Sherlock in Yefren

[bruinbirdman]

A Libyan colonel that defected to the rebel side last month has said that the regime has had to use soldiers from its elite special forces to command popular militias after suffering months of desertions.

The officer escaped from a government town in the plains below the country's Western Mountains. Lying only 60 miles from Tripoli, the rebels have launched repeated offensives in the effort to reach the capital.

Leaders of the elite fighting force belonging to Gaddafi's son Khamis had left their brigades to fight elsewhere and came to man this front line reported the Colonel. "The leaders are from the Khamis Brigades, but the rest are new recruits or volunteers. They were inexperienced; some barely could hold a gun".

After six months of fighting in a war that is raging across the country, and has three major front lines, the colonel's account depicts signs of strain in government ranks.

Hundreds of young men from low income families in Libya, many with roots in neighbouring Mali and Niger were recruited from their homes in the south of the country, captured government soldiers told the Daily Telegraph from inside a locked hospital ward in the rebel held western mountain town of Yefren.

"I was promised 500 dinar to fight. My father died long ago, and my family needed the money. When I got there I was frightened and I wanted to go home.

My mother didn't want me to come," said a black soldier from Mali aged 20.

The Colonel and the captives report that lies and death threats being used to keep soldiers in line. "They told us we were fighting an invading force of Al Qaeda. A few months ago, they told us Osama Bin Laden had visited," said a captive member of Gaddafi's

[bruinbirdman]

Thanks to gleeaikin for this URL

[org.whodat]

Last. Month, sounds as about as reliable as the report yesterday of all the people the ragtags captured, and the kid that said he had not been paid in seven months. They all escaped before the press could talk to them. The col. One of the so called leaders, is he also the col. That lived not to far from the CIA in Virginia. For the past twenty are so years.

[org.whodat]

Notice how confident the ragtags inside the car are, yes sir do not let anyone see my face. LOL

[familyop]

"...said that the regime has had to use soldiers from its elite special forces to command popular militias after suffering months of desertions."

Ever do an instructor trainer course? Gurus with some guerrilla training and promoted from the ranks can be fairly surprising. It's hard to tell what will happen or for how long.

[bruinbirdman]

"Ever do an instructor trainer course?"

Ever write one?

yitbos

[familyop]

Nope. I didn’t write one. Good work!