• This is it: Libyan rebels hit Zawiya - just 22 miles from Tripoli and the capital's final supply rou
    115 replies, posted
• After [url=http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1114685-Is-this-it-Fifty-miles-of-sparsely-populated-indefensible-land-now-lies-between-the-Nafusa-Mountain-rebels-and-Tripoli]breaking out of the mountains[/url] earlier in the week, the Nafusa Mountain rebels have advanced thirty miles north and have been met by 'overjoyed residents' in Zawiya. • The Gaddafi regime claimed the group of 50 rebels were being 'rounded up,' but the BBC and AP report that the rebels number around 200 and have seen great success so far, with one group reaching the town square despite coming under sniper fire. • Zawiya previously rose up, but was put down by Gaddafi's forces; support for the rebels runs high, and dozens of new recruits are likely to be found if the town is captured. • A successful attack on Zawiya may signal the beginning of the end for Gaddafi, with rebels surrounding his capital and his supply routes cut off. • The Misrati rebels are also close to capturing Gadaffi's supply route to the eastern front, which would threaten the government's defensive positions there. [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14519304[/url] [quote=BBC News][b]There have been serious clashes around Zawiya in western Libya, with the government denying rebels had captured the key coastal town.[/b] It is 30km (22 miles) to the capital's west on the strategic road to Tunisia. The rebels hope to capture Zawiya to essentially cut the capital off from the outside world, correspondents say. A "small group of rebels" had been repelled by government forces as they tried to move into the town, said government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim. Around 50 rebels had begun fighting inside the town, but they they were being rounded up, he added. Last week, hundreds of rebels pushed out of the Nafusa Mountains in the west, down towards the towns of the coastal plain in an offensive aimed at ending months of deadlock. Military success in the west of the country is crucial to the rebels' chances of defeating Col Muammar Gaddafi's government, which has prevented the rebels advancing from their stronghold around Benghazi in the east. [b]'Overjoyed residents'[/b] Reports said some 200 rebels came under heavy shelling as they approached Zawiya on Saturday, with a group advancing as far as the town's main square despite coming under sniper-fire from rooftops. An AP reporter travelling with the rebels said they were greeted by hundreds of overjoyed residents, and that they replaced the green flag of Col Gaddafi's regime hanging from a mosque minaret with two rebel flags. The town is key for both the rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces, says the BBC's Matthew Price in Tripoli: the rebels need to take it before they can advance on the capital, and it is crucial to the Libyan regime as it lies on the lifeline to Tunisia. If the government forces lose control of it, the capital is cut off, adds our correspondent. Meanwhile, to the east of Tripoli, rebels have taken the town of Tawarga, 50km (35 miles) outside Misrata. The commander who led the fight, Ibrahim Halbus, said 12 men had been killed freeing Tawarga, which had been used by government forces as the launchpad for long-range rockets targeting Misrata. "Our martyrs can rest easy in their graves, and the children can sleep easy in their beds," he said. Rebels now hope to press on to a strategic junction, just outside Tawarga, capturing which would sever the last remaining supply route to the city of Sirt, Col Gadaffi's birthplace. Hundreds of people have been killed since the uprising against Col Gaddafi's authoritarian rule began in February. Since March, Nato planes have been enforcing a UN-backed no-fly zone to defend civilians, with near-daily air strikes targeting army units and command-and-control centres.[/quote]
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Fuck yes
NATO should totally rush in and steal their victory.
I'm on holiday so I had to type this out on my iPod from my bedroom at 6am with an intermittent Wifi signal that only gives you 1mb when you stand right next to the router, it took the best part of an hour
[QUOTE=smurfy;31721165]I'm on holiday so I had to type this out on my iPod from my bedroom at 6am with an intermittent Wifi signal that only gives you 1mb when you stand right next to the router, it took the best part of an hour[/QUOTE] Now that's dedicated reporting. smurfy for FP Pulitzer 2011
[QUOTE=Fahrenheit;31721162]NATO should totally rush in and steal their victory.[/QUOTE] And their oil.
Is there a possibility that the assault on Tripoli will be a long siege used to starve Gaddafi out as opposed to really bloody assault? Because that would be awesome. [editline]14th August 2011[/editline] I mean the long siege would be awesome not the bloody assault.
[QUOTE=Billiam;31721232]Is there a possibility that the assault on Tripoli will be a long siege used to starve Gaddafi out as opposed to really bloody assault? Because that would be awesome.[/QUOTE] They could always just use one of these. Take them by surprise and all. [img]http://filesmelt.com/dl/trojanhorse.png[/img]
I'm very worried that Gaddafi will end up using those chemical weapons I heard about.
[QUOTE=Nikota;31721313]They could always just use one of these. Take them by surprise and all. [img]http://filesmelt.com/dl/trojanhorse.png[/img][/QUOTE] Except it would be a camel. The Tripoli Camel
[QUOTE=Billiam;31721232]Is there a possibility that the assault on Tripoli will be a long siege used to starve Gaddafi out as opposed to really bloody assault? Because that would be awesome. [editline]14th August 2011[/editline] I mean the long siege would be awesome not the bloody assault.[/QUOTE] I personally don't think that would work, Gaddafi seems to have too much fire power and could just attack them if they attempted to besiege Tripoli. However, a siege could have the effect of flipping people to the rebels side, as it seemed to do in Misrata. I wonder how much help NATO will give, after all they apparently co-ordinated with the rebels on a recent assault on a city.
Do we know how many of the government troops are there in Tripoli.
I see Gaddafi has no launch vehicles for his chemical weapons. But I can see him just releasing them all on Tripoli, with no regard for Government or rebel forces.
Give 'em hell
This is great news. Here's hoping the end is near.
[QUOTE=Zambies!;31721586]I see Gaddafi has no launch vehicles for his chemical weapons. But I can see him just releasing them all on Tripoli, with no regard for Government or rebel forces.[/QUOTE]The ultimate despot: someone so desperate to maintain power that they would risk killing all of their subjects to just keep it.
[QUOTE=Zambies!;31721586]I see Gaddafi has no launch vehicles for his chemical weapons. But I can see him just releasing them all on Tripoli, with no regard for Government or rebel forces.[/QUOTE] How many BM-21 Grad MRLs does he have remaining? Those are perfectly suitable for delivering chemical weapons.
[QUOTE=Billiam;31721232]Is there a possibility that the assault on Tripoli will be a long siege used to starve Gaddafi out as opposed to really bloody assault? Because that would be awesome. [editline]14th August 2011[/editline] I mean the long siege would be awesome not the bloody assault.[/QUOTE] Theres civilians in Tripolli, so if you starve gadaffi out, you starve the civilians out.
[QUOTE=counterpo0;31721471] The Tripoli Camel[/QUOTE] That... actually sounds really badass.
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;31722840]Theres civilians in Tripolli, so if you starve gadaffi out, you starve the civilians out.[/QUOTE] Not necessarily. I mean, yeah, they'll starve, [B]but[/B] it means they'll be more likely to rebel against Gadaffi for getting them into the position. On top of that, as the military forces become more and more harsh, particularly with food rationing, you can expect rioting and defection to the rebels. If not for freedom, then for food.
I wonder who will be their next dictator :v: History might just repeat itself simply because Gaddafi himself came into power in a revolution AND was endorsed by the USA.
[QUOTE=Falchion;31723603]I wonder who will be their next dictator :v: History might just repeat itself simply because Gaddafi himself came into power in a revolution AND was endorsed by the USA.[/QUOTE] You mean "President of Libya" since it's gonna be a democratic state afterwards probably.
[QUOTE=Falchion;31723603]I wonder who will be their next dictator :v: History might just repeat itself simply because Gaddafi himself came into power in a revolution AND was endorsed by the USA.[/QUOTE] I don't think there will be any more dictators considering how much they have fought and died for this.
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;31722840]Theres civilians in Tripolli, so if you starve gadaffi out, you starve the civilians out.[/QUOTE] That's how sieges work, unfortunantly.
Now it won't take so long before the rebels makes Libya a democratic land.
This is fucking bullshit. I'm sorry for Gadaffi.
It's just going to be the same thing again, look at Egypt, the extremists are coming to power. I think it was good the dictators was here because they kept the extremists at a low level. But on the other hand I really dislike the dictators. I don't know what to go for here. I'll just wait and see.
[QUOTE=Mr.T;31724892]It's just going to be the same thing again, look at Egypt, the extremists are coming to power. I think it was good the dictators was here because they kept the extremists at a low level. But on the other hand I really dislike the dictators. I don't know what to go for here. I'll just wait and see.[/QUOTE] I trust that NTC will make Libya a democracy. The situation in Egypt is different since Mubarak just handed over all power to the military. In fact, that's actually the current situation in Libya. Libya is a military dictatorship.
[QUOTE=Ringo_Satu;31724800]This is fucking bullshit. I'm sorry for Gadaffi.[/QUOTE] Why? Please, for the love of my brain and my sanity, WHY do you feel sorry for the scumbag that is Gadaffi?
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