Defecting Libyan Generals: We’re keeping our troops

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eight Libyan Generals defected to Italy today, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry
100+ Libyan soldiers accompanied their generals, who met with Italian intelligence agents in Tunisia source

» This comes the same day that South African President Jacob Zuma is meeting with Gaddafi to try and negotiate a cease-fire between him and rebels. Will these defections spur a change of heart in Gaddafi, convincing him to finally relinquish power and allow his crumbling regime to die? Probably not, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed just in case.

Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 23:12

The necessary concessions are laid out: Protests against Muammar Gaddafi must continue safely, as must a process to replace the longtime dictator be agreed upon, if the Libyan rebellion is to halt its fight. The offer has already been rejected by the Gaddafi government, but this does have interesting implications for the reported mounting defections. The more the rebellion strikes the pose of a unified front with organized leadership and goals, as they have here, it may turn up the pressure on officials mulling whether they can ride this out or not. Also, it’s heartening from a foreign relations standpoint to see a few American flags in that crowd at the end. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

This is looking pretty significant: Al Jazeera reports that yesterday’s high-profile defection by former Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa is no isolated incident. They say that four senior Libyan officials are outside the country (with Tunisia as a likely location), and have no intention to return. Without overstating the case, this is very welcome news. The more high-ranking internal support Gaddafi loses, the harder it should become for him to demand the sort of loyalty that’s needed to commit these atrocities on an international stage. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

Top Yemeni General defects: Major General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar broke with the Saleh government in Yemen today, following a recent surge of violence in that’s been said to have claimed more than fifty civilian lives. The twist? Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar is also the half brother of President Saleh, and has decided to send troops to guard the civilian protesters. While the Yemeni population seems appreciative of this new ally, there are concerns about the General’s close history with Saleh, and his consequent military operations against northern Shiites, now a core of support for the uprising (some want him prosecuted for war crimes). This also makes it likely that a post-Saleh era in Yemen will be ushered in through military rule, which can make people a little nervous. (Trigger warning: Some graphic images in the clip.) source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink