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Libya Rebels Tighten Noose (Insurgent Commander Vows Assault on Capitol)
The Wall Street Journal ^ | FEBRUARY 25, 2011 | CHARLES LEVINSON, ANGUS MCDOWALL and MARGARET COKER

Posted on 02/24/2011 7:29:29 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Rebels menaced Col. Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold from all sides Thursday, as insurgent commanders said they have sent troops for an offensive against Tripoli and residents of the capital prepared their first mass demonstration in days on Friday.

Just 30 miles west of Col. Gadhafi's shrinking base of power, antiregime forces battled for the oil-industry town of Al-Zawiya. On Thursday evening, opposition forces gained control of Misrata, a coastal city 130 miles east of Tripoli.

In Benghazi, the country's second-largest city and the hub of eastern Libya, a group of army colonels who recently defected said they are plotting the end their former commander's 42-year reign, which began to crumble last week as Libyans joined the anti-authoritarian protests roiling the Arab world.

"We have a plan to bring down Tripoli," Col. Tareq Saad Hussein, one of seven former colonels who have taken charge of rebel forces in Benghazi, said in an interview. "We will not stop until we liberate the whole country."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: libia

1 posted on 02/24/2011 7:29:33 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

2 posted on 02/24/2011 7:31:20 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’m going to have to brush up on my Afrika Corps history.

A lot of names here sound familiar.


3 posted on 02/24/2011 7:35:08 PM PST by SnuffaBolshevik
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To: MinorityRepublican

It is generally believed that the revolution in Libya will result in a change of government over there.


4 posted on 02/24/2011 7:35:57 PM PST by SamAdams76 (I am 17 days from outliving Vince Foster)
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To: SamAdams76

Looks like the Gaddafis are destined to be worm food unless they call Obummer to help them escape into exile.


5 posted on 02/24/2011 7:39:23 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Asked about his views on Gen. Mahmoud and Mr. Younis, Col. Hussein would only say: "There are officers with high ranks who had very nebulous positions toward the revolution until the last minute. These officers should have declared their support earlier."

That sounds ominous. But what I'm wondering is how all this lines up. The only thing that makes any sense to me is hard line Islamism as the unifying cause, if not the actual organizational control across the region, which seems to be a real possibility. Is somebody going to emerge as the master of ceremonies?

6 posted on 02/24/2011 7:39:57 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: MinorityRepublican

I heard on CNN tonight that some folks are claiming Ghadaffi may be preparing to launch scuds or mustard gas against anyone who strikes against him in Tripoli... This could get messy for Europe. Someone needs to take this man down now before he get’s Saddamesque on the rest of us.


7 posted on 02/24/2011 7:50:44 PM PST by Stayfrosty
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To: MinorityRepublican

Which of these thugs are we rooting for again?


8 posted on 02/24/2011 7:54:39 PM PST by Tzimisce (Never forget that the American Revolution began when the British tried to disarm the colonists.)
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To: SnuffaBolshevik

“I’m going to have to brush up on my Afrika Corps history.

A lot of names here sound familiar.”

Indeed. Agedabia was where the Brits twice stopped after clearing out Cyrenaica. And Tobruk? The Italians put up more of a fight against the Brits in 1940 than Gaddaffi’s troops put up last weekend.


9 posted on 02/24/2011 7:57:03 PM PST by henkster (Before we make any more "investments" we ought to be shown the prospectus.)
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To: henkster

Libya was conquered by Italy in 1911 and made an Italian colony until the end of the World War II. The area to the Romans was known as the province of Africa.


10 posted on 02/24/2011 8:57:44 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Tzimisce

“Which of these thugs are we rooting for again?”

We’re rooting for the Islamic bunch that will take the chemical weapons that Libya still has (which is a lot) and use them on Israel.

Why do you ask?


11 posted on 02/24/2011 9:27:00 PM PST by BobL (PLEASE READ: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2657811/posts)
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To: BobL
We’re rooting for the Islamic bunch that will take the chemical weapons that Libya still has (which is a lot) and use them on Israel.

Why do you ask?


I keep getting confused between hate filled maniacs #1, hate filled maniacs #2 and the rogue tyrant....
12 posted on 02/25/2011 9:24:20 AM PST by Tzimisce (Never forget that the American Revolution began when the British tried to disarm the colonists.)
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