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Unlimited MENA Revolt Thread

Started by Cain, February 21, 2011, 07:42:59 PM

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Suu

Mercenaries have a way of fucking you over. This could be interesting.
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Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion; 1st Church of Discordia

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The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Princess Suu the Apostate on February 22, 2011, 05:32:34 PM
Mercenaries have a way of fucking you over. This could be interesting.

Yep.

In fact, if you're hiring mercenaries, it usually means you don't have the means to control them.
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Suu

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 22, 2011, 05:33:29 PM
Quote from: Princess Suu the Apostate on February 22, 2011, 05:32:34 PM
Mercenaries have a way of fucking you over. This could be interesting.

Yep.

In fact, if you're hiring mercenaries, it usually means you don't have the means to control them.

It only takes a higher bidder, or someone getting pissed and taking off with the money.

Or, worse, you offer to pay a large group of Ostrogoths, then go back on your word after the war is over, and before you know it, they sack your capital.
Sovereign Episkopos-Princess Kaousuu; Esq., Battle Nun, Bene Gesserit.
Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion; 1st Church of Discordia

"Add a dab of lavender to milk, leave town with an orange, and pretend you're laughing at it."

Cain

Thats another reason why the state-connected versus free agent mercenaries should be distinguished.

I made the argument several years ago that going by Machiavelli's schema of fighting forces presented in The Prince, companies like DynCorp and Blackwater are actually more of a cross between corporate auxiliaries and militias (this doesnt apply to Blackwater now so much, but at the time it was made up of mostly US ex-military.  DynCorp and many other major private security companies were founded by generals and admirals and staffed their ranks accordingly).  Lets face it, Northrop Gumman wont fight for China no matter how much money they stump up, and so they should rightly be seen as corporate-controlled allies of the state, free companies under reliable command.

Mercenaries most third world dictators will turn to in a crisis situation, however...well, they can be more old school.  Though again, the problem the countries in Africa at the moment are currently having could accurately be described as a deficit in credible government violence.  Unless all the mercenaries banded together, and talked over some others (factions of internal security and the host military) at the same time, it doesn't seem like any coup would be worth the effort.  There would be more financial gain in robbing a bank and kidnapping the family members of those close to the regime, with their various Swiss bank accounts and so on.

Adios

U.S. oil prices spiked above $100 a barrel for the first time in over two years Wednesday, as reports of Libyan oil production shutdowns swirled.

Italian oil giant Eni said Wednesday that it had partially shut down its 150,000-barrel-per-day production in the North African country.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/23/markets/oil/index.htm?hpt=T2

What a surprise.

Cramulus

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8278847-benghazi-libya-1500-prisoners-held-underground-since-feb-15th



Benghazi, Libya 1500 Prisoners Held Underground Since Feb 15th

QuoteReports are now coming in from The Libyan Youth Movement, who are in direct contact with Benghazi in Libya that 1500 prisoners have been held underground since Feb 15th. It is also rumoured that many more political prisoners are being brought out who have been underground for up to a year.

The word is that they are being "Dug Out", so what this means can only be speculation.. But the L.Y.M are classing it as confirmed.

It seems that protests of this kind are spreading round the world. In Athens Greece it has just been reported that a police office was hit by a firebomb in a recent protest.

Latest news Just in. Tajura, which is less than 10 miles from Tripoli has fallen and is now flying the rebel flag.

The Justice Minister of Libya who recently resigned has claimed that he has proof that Col. Gadaffi ordered the Lockerbie bombing.





here's a tweet posted from the region:
QuoteJazeera, I want to deliver this information, I confirmed it personally, on my responsibility. I am a Libyan citizen. Today in Benghazi they discovered a room underground, a room that is completely locked-in. Completely locked. Holding 1500 young men from Benghazi. From the 15th of February the first day of demonstrations to today when they got them out, the 22nd, they had been without food or water. They heard the voices from the barracks, noise, people. After they went to check, they got them out, God be praised, alive. 1500 young men, buried alive, buried alive. Muammar must be obliterated. We will not surrender. Our dead are in heaven, he is in hell. God bear witness that I have delivered this message, if there are any Muslims. God willing.

LMNO


Rumckle

Quote from: Cain on February 21, 2011, 08:03:32 PM
Iran - some protests


After the protests last year, do you think that the Iranian people will carry these on to the level of revolt, or are they likely to back down as the odds won't be in their favour?



Quote from: Cain on February 21, 2011, 08:03:32 PM

Qatar - there has been some organizing for protests, but nothing major seems to be happening just yet.

Qatar just gave its people a couple of grand each, a couple of months ago (even though they probably should have spent the money on some new hospitals), so perhaps nothing will come of it. Although, seeing as though Al Jazeera is based in Qatar it is hard to gauge exactly what conditions are like there.
It's not trolling, it's just satire.

Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Rumckle on February 24, 2011, 03:29:13 AM
Quote from: Cain on February 21, 2011, 08:03:32 PM
Iran - some protests


After the protests last year, do you think that the Iranian people will carry these on to the level of revolt, or are they likely to back down as the odds won't be in their favour?

I heard that at one point they were actually calling for the death of the Ayatollah. Could be interesting. If Gaddafi is booted it might embolden them more.


Also, 5000th post.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

BadBeast

I liked the way he put up a "No Fly" Zone, around Libya, because Thatcher had set the precedent in the Falklands, thereby stopping American Flyovers in Libya. So if it's OK for Britain to get away with shit like that, . . .Mummuar want some!

So Thatcher just ignored him for about a week, then Got Ronnie over at No10 one night, and decided to send in an American Fighter Jet, from Brize Norton, all the way to Tripoli, and bomb his fucking House with Patriot Missiles, killing his Wife and young Son in the process. of course this wasn't that long after someone shot WPC Louise Fletcher from the Embassy Window so things were a little strained still. That was probably the trigger that ended with that Lockerbie thing. And he had huge brass balls in those days. All he did to start with was send a few 'Aid Parcels' to an oppressed Ireland. Which didn't go down too well with the British Army, who were hoping to occupy an Ulster that didn't have Semtex, or AK47s shooting back at them. And he's the Worlds longest serving head of State too.:kingmeh: (Fidel at No2)
Whenever Foreign Dignitaries visited, he always received them in a Fucking Yurt in his Garden. Even so, Libya has been one of the steadier ones in the area for a long time. He'll seriously kill everyone in Libya to get his way. Either that, or he'll get slotted by one of the embedded SAS Mercs we no doubt have serving as 'Security Operative Advisors'' Training up a secret   Mercenary Army of Chechen werewolves, who are training to take their shit to Israel. A "Night of the Long Knives" for Charon, and his Zionist & Bilderberg Owl fancying Bohemian Grove Reptilian shining ones. Interesting. but really just a lot of old bullshit, and pigwank spread around by 'Them', to try and discredit David Icke, at all costs!     :lulz:
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NOT JUST A "FAIR WEATHER FIGHTER"!

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Whoever puts their hand on me to govern me, is a usurper, and a tyrant, and I declare them my enemy!

"And when the clouds obscure the moon, and normal service is resumed. It wont. Mean. A. Thing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpkCJDYxH-4

Adios

The Libyan capital was a ghost town Thursday morning, witnesses said, as anti-government protesters declared victory elsewhere after reportedly seizing control of the country's third-largest city.

Misrata -- also spelled as Misurata -- is now in the hands of the opposition, who have driven out the mercenaries, according to witnesses and multiple media reports.

Witnesses and multiple reports also said that the town of Az Zintan was under opposition control.

The opposition also controls Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, where crowds cheered as international journalists drove through the city. The only shooting that could be heard was celebratory gunfire.

"When they saw us arrive, they just exploded with cheers and clapping, people saying "thank you, thank you" in English, throwing candy and dates inside the car," CNN's Ben Wedeman told AC360.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/...tml?hpt=T1

Nephew Twiddleton

It's all Bin Laden's fault!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12570279

Is Gaddafi just nuts (well, stupid question) or is he banking on some sort of Western support with this?
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Adios

Quote from: Doktor Blight on February 24, 2011, 03:06:45 PM
It's all Bin Laden's fault!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12570279

Is Gaddafi just nuts (well, stupid question) or is he banking on some sort of Western support with this?

LMAO, I saw that.

Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Charley Brown on February 24, 2011, 03:11:32 PM
Quote from: Doktor Blight on February 24, 2011, 03:06:45 PM
It's all Bin Laden's fault!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12570279

Is Gaddafi just nuts (well, stupid question) or is he banking on some sort of Western support with this?

LMAO, I saw that.

That's... if he had any credibility to begin with, he would have lost it right there
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Cain

Historically, opposition in Libya did come from Islamist networks connected to Bin Laden.  We in the UK should know this, since MI6 allegedly paid one such group to off Gaddafi in 98.  Furthermore, Gaddafi was seen as a credible partner because of his support for the War on Terror (and his energy reserves).  So this kind of signalling is not as crazy as it seems, because even if it is factually wrong, it is likely intended to remind Western elites that Gaddafi was onboard with the War on Terror.  There may be other implications linked to that reminder, but those remain to be seen.

Also, it seems much of the country outside of Tripoli is now in the hands of revolutionaries.  The east has been for at least a few days, and reports came in last night suggesting most of the west was now in similar condition, with lots of armed militias springing up, having gained their arms from fleeing soldiers and police officers.