How the rebels evolved into fighters
Hat tip to Abu M for an interview with a combat photographer and the answer to:
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The conflict turned nasty quickly. But the rebels improved over time. You had previously spent a lot of time with seasoned U.S. troops in Afghanistan and know the difference between well-trained regular units and the kinds of citizen militias that were fighting in Libya. Talk the readership of this blog through what you were able to witness in terms of battlefield learning and innovation.
Link:http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawam...an-denton.html
In summary:
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..absolute belief in his cause...the belief one has to have in their cause to charge a tank with a grenade? You can't buy, train, or equip a soldier with that ...
Looks like they finally got Muammar.
I guess a life in cushy exile just doesn’t appeal to some people. LINK from The Independent.
You, Sir, are a master of understatement,
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Originally Posted by
Bob's World
To date, we have not proved particularly adept at that.
The first rule of holes; stop digging. Do not violate the hockey law -- if it's not yours, don't puck with it. One cannot do what one does not know how to do...:wry:
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The US challenge is to resist our impulse to exercise too much control over what takes place there, while at the same time somehow being helpful where appropriate...(emphasis added / kw)
That's okay...
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and if possible helping to guard against those who would sieze upon this opportunity (internal or external, state or non-state, friend or foe) for their own interests in a manner that would excessively retard this process.
That, however, becomes meddling and will absolutely lead to our ignoring your excellent advice that I placed in italics above. Once again, you're in conflict with yourself. Can't have it both ways... ;)
I may be cute but I ain't passive...
as the Actress said to the Bishop... :D
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Originally Posted by
carl
I'll try once more, though the passive resistance is wearing me down. My opinion, just this little small point, is that police officers and those in similar lines in the US, see evil face to face more so than the average citizen.
I agree with that as written. Not to be nit picky but I don't think that's very near what you wrote earlier. :wry:
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Now there may be some officers who don't subscribe to that opinion but I would guess, guess mind you, nothing else, that they work in a pretty boring jurisdiction.
I don't think I said any Cops would disagree with that and I doubt many if any would. I did say that some -- not in boring jurisdictions, big cities rarely provide that for any office with more than a few years service -- did agree with my stated "too many old guys who had that attitude and were excessively convinced the thin blue line was the only route to salvation." "That attitude" being that most everyone not a Cop was inclined to be evil and only the might of the law kept that -- barely -- in check. Nor did I say or think you subscribed to that though I did write that you seemed to think along those general lines
Carl, the questions were non-legal
You elected not to answer them. That's your right.
My right is to ignore your comments.
Regards
Mike
Can’t get the father but scared the son enough
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Libya: Gadhafi son offers to surrender to Hague
On the run in the desert, fearing for his life after his father was captured and slain and despairing of any safe haven across an African border, the 39-year-old once expected to inherit dynastic power from Moammar Gadhafi now saw a Dutch prison cell as his best option, the official said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45053170...east_n_africa/
Mike,
As far as I know, ICRC conducts and has been conducting training on IHL in Colombia with FARC, in Sri Lanka with TTG, in Nepal… Many irregular forces received trainings in IHL. Does that mean they integrated it in their trainings/behavior, tactics or even took it in consideration even for 1 min: I do not know.
Let say: if there are prisoners of war on both sides, then there is some of IHL being applied. (Never said that POW are well treated.)
I agree with you on the statement that what is needed are trainings and not just legal lectures. But that’s no reason to throw away the baby with the bath water. (Ok big French language barbarism but I figure it is clear).
First: As long as facing trial for war crimes will remain linked or even depending on politic, then there will always be a temptation to explain that IHL are useless. Having known war criminal running freely their business in the open does not help to support the IHL agenda.
Secondly: 1977 additional protocols were designed after the liberation wars fought by Britain and France. They were and remain a step in the right direction, IMHO. Before, irregular groups did not have rights but there were no obligations for irregular groups neither.
What blurs the question is the shift induced from conduct of war as a practice/custom with regulations to a civilization/cultural confrontation where all from the other side is rejected. And, the temptation of radicalization, through brutality, to reach the end.