An assassination attempt?

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Nato strike 'kills Saif al-Arab Gaddafi', Libya says

A Nato air strike in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has killed the son of the Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi, a government spokesman has said.

Colonel Gaddafi himself was in the large residential villa which was hit by the strike, the spokesman added, but he was unharmed.

His son Saif al-Arab was killed, as well as three of his grandsons.

Journalists say the building was extensively damaged and one unexploded bomb remains at the site.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said the villa was attacked "with full power."

"The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29 years old, and three of the leader's grandchildren," he said.

"The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives, the leader himself is in good health, he wasn't harmed."

"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," the spokesman added.

Saif al-Arab was the youngest of Muammar Gaddafi six sons.

source

What is the propaganda impact of this action, if true? What are the likely consequences? Is the family of a dictator a legitimate target?

Comments

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

I kind of liked the guy. He was the mediator during the negotiations for the release of the Benghazi Six http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV_trial_in_Libya and he made an impression of a moderate, balanced and intelligent guy who wasn't like his father.

But when the civil war began, Saif appeared on the TV speaking shit using his dad's rhetoric (you know, "blood will flow", etc) and I was like, WTF? This isn't the real Saif, is it?

I think he sold his soul or something. And he could've been a good leader of his country if the Gaddafi Duck had negotiated an exodus while it was early enough. I still feel sad for Saif.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait. This is about Saif al-Arab, not Saif al-Islam? Oh well. I don't know much about the killed guy, then.

"An assination attempt?"

[hey-its-michael.livejournal.com]

I chuckled at that title.

But yeah, I do not know if this was an intentional assassination attempt. Is the family of a dictator fair game? Only to the extent those particular members of the family contribute to the repression of the people.

Re: "An assination attempt?"

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Aha I knew there was something wrong with the title but I couldn't figure it out.

And if they didn't contribute to the repression of the people - what impact will that have then?

Re: "An assination attempt?"

[mintogrubb.livejournal.com]

Yup.
Killing kids, even a dictators kids, is not the thing to do.

But this guy is an adult , who has taken it upon himself to assist the regime that Gaddaffi is running.

the grand children , though? did we know that they were there? What sort of dictator allows his grandchildren into a military complex , knowing that it is gonna come under fire sooner or later?

Worth remembering that Gaddaffi invited a load of reporters round to see the damage when the palace took a hit, not long back, and the Royal Air Force simply turned around and went home for an 8 hr round trip - just to avoid spilling innocent blood.

I have yet to see Gaddaffi show such concern for human life.

Yes, I am saddened if any young children were killed in this airstrike, But gaddaffi and his henchmen must bear final responsibility for their deaths if they happened.

[existentme.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a win-win situation for the industry on both sides of the borders.

[tridus.livejournal.com]

Well this was stupid. There's no good propaganda impact from this, for us. What were they even doing attacking that?

There's no way to reconcile this with how the mission was sold, other then to say that this was a colossal screwup in targetting, which is bad. But if you're going to try to assassinate someone, you need to not miss.

So if it was deliberate, it was also botched.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Well the Libyan regime seems to be having a good impact for all the other oppressive regimes in the region - the UN couldn't agree a resolution on Syria.

I do wonder if Libya would actually change that much even if Gaddafi is eliminated. The West seems to be putting a lot of store in cutting the head off the Beast.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

People who are inclined to support Gaddafi, for whatever reasons, principled or perverse, are likely to be reinforced in their support. People who are inclined to support the Libyan uprising for similar reasons are going to see it as a consequence of Gaddafi's stubborn clinging to power.

Almost nothing of consequence will happen until the West gets serious about ousting the Col. Libya is settling down into a stalemate, a la Korea.

Adult family members, who are in the country, are fair game. The Gaddafi family killed a lot of Libyans in the last 40 years, even the most innocent should have a reckoning coming.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Its not specifically related to this case because in this case the guy was obviously closely tied to his father, but you are making it sound like people deserve punishment simply for being related to someone who does something terrible.

"even the most innocent should have a reckoning coming."

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

This is much more then a "support role" for the rebellion. This is delibrate targeting... probably from bad intelligence. We all know that General Gaddaffi is a paranoid freak. He probably was in the complex, just 5 storeys underground.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised. I find it interesting that some commentators keep assuming that Gaddaffi is going to be feeling the same emotions as we would if this was happening to us. The man is a dictator, has been there for 42 years. Is he really going to be feeling those emotions?

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

The intelligence was perfect. After all, they got info that Gaddafi was inside, they targeted him, and almost killed him. I call that good intelligence. Now, whether this is right or not, is another point.

[404.livejournal.com]

Mission creep dead ahead, sir...

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Seems like it.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

it leads right into that quagmire!

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Until further confirmation that there was actually a NATO airstrike on that location, this sounds to me like a Libyan assassination, either attempt on the main guy, or a successful one on his son.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

The article has been updated to confirm NATO dropped bombs in that area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13251570

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

It's certainly legitimate to try to assassinate Gaddaffi. If his son, and his grandchildren, died instead it's because Gaddaffi allowed his family to be near him. Whether he did this intentionally, as human shields, or not it was ultimately his fault since he knew he was a target. It's sad that the son died since it seems he wasn't much interested in taking up the family dictator business, and even more sad about the grandchildren, but if they died it was entirely because they were allowed to be around legitimate targets. The responsibility of the NATO mission is to end this as soon, and as decisively, as possible and that involves doing away with the guy who started this whole mess.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

But is this legal under international law? Under the resolution?

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

Given that anything walked out of that site alive I am inclined to believe this...

"A Nato spokesman said the strike had hit a "known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood".

"All Nato's targets are military in nature... We do not target individuals," said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard."

Is it likely that Gaddafi has a command and control center in his house? Of course. Is it likely that Nato knew or really even cared whether he was home? I doubt it.

If the mission was to assasinate him and they knew he was in that building one of two things would have happened, It would have been leveled with enough firepower that there wouldn't even have been bodies to recover or they'd have had 24-7 predator surveillance on it watching for Gaddafi to leave at which point he would have had a couple hellfire missiles up his ass.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

NATO doesn't appear to very good at hitting whatever their targets are. Isn't this the third or fourth time they've hit his compound?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Wow, we killed his daughter and his son. Wonder what the FATWAS have in store now!

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Were there fatwas after his daughter's death? Didn't he just start training more and more terrorists?

[thies.livejournal.com]

might makes right

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Mission creep mission seep. As was warned ahead of time and ignored at the time.

[mintogrubb.livejournal.com]

We should have formally declared war and had done with it.

[enasisabitch.livejournal.com]

Well i think this story that just came out is important. He claimed Reagan ordered an air strike that killed his daughter. they are claiming that she is still alive. Until his sons death are independently confirmed we can only speculate. Even the rebels don't know if he was really killed or not.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110501/wl_africa_afp/libyaconflictkadhafisonbenghazi_20110501173511;_ylt=ArUnbuTOo8DUefQAy6dnP4RbbBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTE2aTk5c2hmBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bi1yLWItbGVmdARzbGsDZXYtbGlieWFucmVi

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

Really? It just seems like rumours, anyone can start a rumour - where is the evidence that she is alive? There is a lot of propaganda on both sides. There hasn't be much in this war that has been independently confirmed.

NATO's fascists killing children in Libya!!!!

[osintsev-v.livejournal.com]

Why are you deleting this message, where is your famous freedom and democracy? Are your afraid of the truth?

Re: NATO's fascists killing children in Libya!!!!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

The only fascist with any degree of political power in the NATO countries is Alessandra Mussolini. And she hardly rules Italy with a rod of iron.

[osintsev-v.livejournal.com]

You shoul see this videos to get to know what is going on in the world

[mintogrubb.livejournal.com]

Seriously, we don't need badly dubbed russian propaganda to tell us what happened in WW1, or WW2.

It may be true that US business interests traded with both sides in both wars and go very rich as a result, but ' engineered' the wars ? From outside?

Like, Edward VII and his government could do nothing to stop a second rate power such as the USA was back then from toppling the British Empire?

No - I don't see it that way. Europe cooked its own goose without any outside help, if you look at the record.