Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

@BBCNews on Saif al-Islam: Says father is safe and in #Tripoli. bbc.in/nwsP8Y #qaddafi

@feb17voices Hay Demashk: Caller says pro-gaddafi loyalists are visible in street, firing in air, shouts of "rats come out of your houses"

And more:

quote:

@SultanAlQassemi Al Arabiya now showing images of Saif Al Islam Gaddafi "during his meeting in Tripoli" no date or time is provided. Crowds cheering him

@AntDeRosa The Libyan rebel national transitional council head is the person who told Al-Jazeera that Saif Al-Islam, Gaddafi's son, had been captured

@RuwaydaMustafah Saif al-Islam, Son of Gaddafi says his father "lured rebels into a trap in Tripoli". according to Matthew Chance, BBC.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 00:47

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 20:26

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

He's now live on TV to crowds cheering apparently...Al Arabiya channel

Looks like this entire thing has turned on its head.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 00:54

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Saif just said he is going to take the camera on a tour of Tripoli and show the entire city is safe.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 00:58

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Alman posted:

Is it possible this was pre-recorded?

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:02

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

empiricus posted:

Doesn't excuse the fact that 2 other sons are in their custody, and that the rebels are extending their grip on Tripoli.

As of right now, there are 0 sons in custody, and 1 rumored to be dead (probably false). Another one died months ago in the initial bombing.

It's entirely possible that the narrative about controlling Tripoli is false.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:06

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Sneakums posted:

Al-Arabiya says that it cannot determine the date the photographs were taken. I am trying to look for any live feeds of Saif around Tripoli.

The CNN reporter just saw him a few minutes earlier. He sped off in a car, then showed up in that car. Unless you think that the CNN account has been hacked or he is on it, this is most definitely legit.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:08

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

@evanchill AFP: Several journalists driven to Bab al-Aziziya compound; Saif al-Islam arrived in car and was greeted by several dozen supporters #Libya

@SultanAlQassemi
BBC Arabic: Saif Al Islam Gaddafi speaking from Bab Al Azizia: Tripoli is under our control #Libya

He said he was going to drive them to the hotspots of Tripoli...so without having the faintest clue on the geography of the city (other than knowing the Gaddafi compound is on the southwest side of the city), perhaps the fact that he only went to Azizia is a good sign. We already know they control that part of the city.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:18

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Fox News interview with reporter who saw Saif:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F7je4V5iJY

Here's the video of the appearance...no clue what he is saying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G5KcwK7on0

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:23

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but the only source that Tripoli is mostly in rebels hands is the rebels. The reporters that are embedded spoke often today of getting into Tripoli and then being repelled back due to gunfire.

It could very well be accurate that the rebels control much of it. But we're in the fog of war at this point with very little reporting that we can verify.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:28

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Matthew Chance posted this picture of Saif from the hotel: http://p.twimg.com/AXfhh7FCIAEsZma.jpg

Based upon what we know so far, he has only been to areas of Tripoli that we already knew were/are controlled by the loyalists.

quote:

feb17voices Feb 17 voices
LPC #Tripoli: Sound of AAA and RPG impacts in vicinity of regime-controlled areas, NATO aircraft heard above. #Libya

Hopefully that is legit and we are giving them hell.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:44

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Fangz posted:

Yes, that definitely seems to be a different shirt. Does the time frame seem suspicious, too? By my reckoning he has about half an hour to get from the Rixos to where apparently his 'spontaneous' cheering crowd, complete with flags was. One way or another, it seems to be a carefully set up thing.

Same shirt, same necklace, same watch.

It definitely could be set up, and they picked out specific spots of the city that they knew they controlled. Apparently that tour around the city never materialized?

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 01:54

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

From AJ English:

quote:

Waheed Burshan, a NTC member says 'we had confirmation Saif al-Islam was arrested but he had escaped, we don't know how he escaped #libya

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 03:11

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

She's probably run off by now and freed herself.

The rebel tactics for detaining prisoners is something along the lines of.... "Stay here and don't move, I'm going out for a bit"

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 04:07

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

From Twitter, referring to Saif's sudden appearance:

quote:

@AP talked to #NTC; they were gobsmacked. Told #Benghazi reporter: u guys covered it, u tell us what his appearance is about (!!) #Libya

If that's an honest reaction, then definitely no psy-ops or intentional lying. Looks like they just plain hosed up somewhere.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 06:11

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Good news:

quote:

I'd say, looking at the pics, Saif is just driving around Baba al-Aziziyah. He hasn't got the run of Tripoli

So just driving around areas we already knew was under the loyalist control...when he said he would drive around Tripoli's hotspots, it appears to just be utter bullshit and brinkmanship in hindsight.

More good news if true:

quote:

Al Jazeera: Revolutionaries enter the first gate of the Bab Al Azizia compound #Libya

FYI Bab Al Azizia is 2.3 square miles and hosts much of the government infrastructure. It has 3 concrete perimeters. It also supposedly goes deep underground, so surface level bombing may not be doing as much damage as one would immediately assume. It could very well be that Gaddafi is underground here.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 13:30

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Nuclear Spoon posted:

How big is this compound?

6 square kilometers / 2.3 square miles

There's a Wikipedia entry on it if you pop it into Google

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 13:56

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

From journo @mchancecnn

quote:

In #Rixos huddled in basement of hotel. Incoming artillery fire in area around #Gadhafi compound.

Last I heard from late last night....the power had gone out again, and they were all running low on batteries.

More

quote:

Boiled up a pot of water & made some hot sweet tea to lift everybody's spirits. #Rixos #Libya

Sniper took pot-shot at hotel & we all took cover. Journalists in #Rixos are fine, keeping together but have limited perspective on news.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 14:17

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Been looking for aerial pictures of Bab Al Azizia, this is the best I could find (from here):

You can see the size of the cars to gauge the scale.

In a way, because the compound is so gigantic and spread out, it's kind of impossible to defend the whole perimeter.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 14:57 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 14:43

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

BBC map of Tripoli's control (videos are clickable on the site):

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 14:48

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

AJE just had stunning live images from their embed, who said she is with hundreds and perhaps thousands of rebels who are 300 meters from the entrance to the Gaddafi compound and are preparing to advance.

She also said that other rebels are preparing to enter the compound from different sides.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 15:08

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

A different embed posts on Twitter:

quote:

Fierce battle raging around Gadhafi compound. We're on the road. Headed for Tripoli.

Reinforcements are en route.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 15:11

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

CNN isn't even trying anymore

eta:

From @Reuters

quote:

FLASH: Russian official says spoke to Gaddafi by phone, quotes him as saying he is in Tripoli and will fight to the end

Typical communists :argh:

Arkane fucked around with this message at 15:22 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 15:20

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Here is the "Russian official" who claims to have spoken with Gaddafi by phone today:

He is a bit of a nutcase himself, so he could very well be making the whole thing up:

quote:

But on Sunday evening, as NATO air strikes continued on the Libyan capital, the besieged Colonel took the time to entertain a Russian politician named Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, best known for his claims that extraterrestrials took him on a mystical tour of the galaxy in their spaceship in 1997. Far from convincing Gaddafi to step down, the visit seemed geared toward giving him a confidence boost � and an unlikely lesson in the game of kings.

The two men then played a rather awkward game of chess. Allowed the first move, Gaddafi made a clumsy opening, nervously moving his pawn from F3 to F4, and Ilyumzhinov took the piece and moved it back for him. The game ended in a draw and a handshake for the cameras...

...Ilyumzhinov served as the head of the Russian republic of Kalmykia between 1993 and 2010. Four years into his tenure, which was stained by frequent allegations of corruption and mismanagement, he began to claim that he had been kidnapped by aliens who taught him how to save mankind from certain destruction. The planet Earth, he told TIME in October, was set to collide with the planet Nebiru, killing everyone on the planet, unless people cleansed their "aura" by playing more chess. The game would also allow humans to regain the powers of teleportation and telekinesis, which ancient civilizations possessed, Ilyumzhinov says.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 15:32

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

quote:

Libyan rebels seen firing into air inside Gadhafi compound in celebration -Reuters reporters

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 16:11

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

more drudge sirens :siren:

quote:

AJA Breaking: Opposition fighteres enter #Gaddafi's house within Bab Alazizia #Tripoli #Libya

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 16:25

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Lizzie Phelan, unable to cope with the imminent downfall of the Gaddafi regime, has fled in a time machine back to 1950s Russia.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 16:32

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Alarabya Breaking: sources say independence flag has been raised on Gaddfi's house #Tripoli #Libya

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 16:38

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Sky News has someone in there

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 17:22

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Brown Moses posted:

Gaddafi's hat, chain, and gold thing.

is there a way to make this picture the title of this thread

this is amazing, baller, and hilarious all rolled into one

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 18:53

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Gaddafi's weather machine just hit the East Coast of the United States with an earthquake

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 18:55

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Zedsdeadbaby posted:

Looks like people made this joke four or five times already.

I made it mid-earthquake :smug:

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 19:19

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

That 24 year old on AJE should be installed as President

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 19:34

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

The comment section on this is pretty funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd6T7XtqiTc

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 19:47

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

quote:

AJA Jaloud says #Gaddafi probably not spending more than 3 hours in same location, hiding in civilian residences #

Saddam 2.0

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 20:09

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

From Matthew Chance:

quote:

Former U.S. Congressman Fauntroy is amongst those holed up in #Rixos.

eta, here he is:

Hasn't been in government for a while, currently a pastor in Washington, DC.

Arkane fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 20:15

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

More Chance from the Rixos:

quote:

It's been very quiet for the past hour, probably because it's iftar. #Rixos4 #Libya #Rixos #cnn

Hotel still under #Gadhafi control, even as celebrations spread nearby. #Rixos4 #Libya #Rixos

Iftar...it's the month of Ramadan, so Muslims do not eat during the day. After the sun sets, they have a huge meal usually in a communal setting, referred to as iftar.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 20:20

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

UNCONFIRMED:

quote:

FF are moving to the Rixos - many of them seem to be in Nasr forest (Tripoli Zoo) & Rixos perimeter already

Hopefully that is true

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 20:37

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Inside the Gaddafi house:

http://i.imgur.com/0xBi0.jp (heads up...guy is possibly dead?)

Arkane fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Aug 23, 2011

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 22:14

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Golbez posted:

Gaddafi forces shelling oil town Zuara near Tunisian border -al Arabiya

Not understanding that one...That town was just in Gaddafi control yesterday wasn't it? And I never heard about it changing hands.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 22:26

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 20:26

Arkane: Dec 19, 2006; by R. Guyovich

Arkane posted:

Not understanding that one...That town was just in Gaddafi control yesterday wasn't it? And I never heard about it changing hands.

Alright it was green yesterday, but Guardian has flipped it to black as of tonight.

Here's the current map of who controls what:

Link to interactive map

# ¿ Aug 23, 2011 22:35

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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