Tripoli Divided as Rebels Jockey Over Leadership

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

TRIPOLI, Libya — Fighters from the western mountain city of Zintan control the airport. The fighters from Misurata guard the central bank, the port and the prime minister’s office, where their graffiti has relabeled the historic plaza “Misurata Square.” Berbers from the mountain town Yafran took charge of the city’s central square, where they spray-painted “Yafran Revolutionaries.”

A week after rebels broke into Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s former stronghold, much of its territory remains divided into fiefs, each controlled by quasi-independent brigades representing different geographic areas of the country. And the spray paint they use to mark their territory tells the story of a looming leadership crisis in the capital, Tripoli.

The top civilian officials of the Libyan rebels’ Transitional National Council — now styling itself a provisional government to be based in the capital — are yet to arrive, citing personal safety concerns even as they pronounce the city fully secure.

There are growing hints of rivalry among the various brigades over who deserves credit for liberating the city and the influence it might bring. And attempts to name a military leader to unify the bands of fighters have instead exposed divisions within the rebel leadership, along regional lines but also between secularists and Islamists.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/world/africa/31tripoli.html?pagewanted=all

[ixion]

1. It was just last week I was scolded for having the audacity

to point out that Qaddafi’s exit would create a massive power vacuum that would not easily be replaced.

[joshcryer]

4. Hmm...

...I http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4971860&mesg_id=4972168">recall http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4971860&mesg_id=4972797">differently.

:P

Just teasing you. :hi:

Yes, it is a worry, but if you look at the reasons behind this "division" it's very hopeful, because these are people who are rejecting the tyrannical aspects of the regime, even after the bloodshed is mostly over. This report is actually a repost of the "Misrata rebels defy TNC" report earlier. It shows, at least to me, that these are people who are going to maintain their revolution and continue fighting for a just cause.

[ixion]

6. we shall see...

:hi:

[bongbong]

2. Chapter 4

This is Chapter 4 of "Who Could've Predicted It?", the story of Operation Independent Libya (O.I.L)

Interestingly, the exact same book with the exact same words has been written for every "Police Action" and "Freedom Bombing" the USA has done since 1945.

[jpbollma]

3. Great

So, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan are all going to become the new Somalia's. Mission Accomplished.

[joshcryer]

5. Check out the article, I find it quite good, Kilpatrick always does good reports...

...that aren't overly biased.

Read the part about the liberals in the ranks rejecting the extremists.

[Eddie Haskell]

7. If this one ends badly, it's not Bush's fault.

fubar