Guess these “rebels” are not so pro-western after all.
This might have been an unfortunate accident:
Behind him his F15 Strike Eagle was a burning wreck. He had parachuted into a field of sheep somewhere near Benghazi airbase and needed to escape - his fellow crew member had landed in another field nearby.
Raising his hands in the air he called out “OK, OK” to greet the crowd. But he need not have worried.
“I hugged him and said don’t be scared we are your friends,” said Younis Amruni, 27.
A queue formed to shake the hand of the airman, as locals thanked him for his role in the attacks.
“We are so grateful to these men who are protecting the skies,” he said. “We gave him juice and then the revolutionary military people took him away.”
Also note from the OP:
“Gauging the reaction of locals in the area, she said: “the local Libyans do not seem resentful, they still want the coalition forces to keep operating.””
I’ve always thought of the two sides as prisoners. One prisoner is a serial killer and another is serial rapist. No matter who you back you get screwed.