"Smart USG officials with whom I’ve interacted have had a firm belief that leadership is a rare quality and that you can attrite an organization by killing its leaders. "
Perhaps they were speaking from experience. It would explain the issues you so excellently describe.
Who are the gentlemen in back and, given that the number of democratic governments in that part of the world is small, when will Tunisia be visiting some of them, hopefully the right ones?
My highly accurate NATO source, who has accurately presicted events in Libya including the non-stalemate at Brega (it's like Truk for the WW2 Imperial Japanese Army, a trap) has opined that Assad will fall after the dictator of Belarus does, and that the dictator of Belarus has but a short time probably left in his rule.
In training women as soldiers, the Libyan government is following the example of Mr. Gaddafi, whose core bodyguard company is entirely composed of women.
The Japanese tragedy has unfortunately greatly reduced coverage of Libya.
The Arab League, to be precise Egypt, has the equipment to enforce a no-fly zone. Indeed, the Egyptians could quite readily settle this issue.
On a different note: I cannot read he non-English sources. Can you tell if Gaddafi is someplace between Ra's Lanuf and Uquaiyla, or if he has manage to capture Brega?
Most of these places are very small. Ra's Lanuf would perhaps make a small subdivision in many places. Misrata, however, is apparently 20 times the area and population of Zawiya, and should be more challenging to capture.
Finally, while it is true that Gaddafi has artillery, the opposition could largely neutralize this advantage if they would fall in the habit of digging in (shovels, sweat) whenever they reach a location. Alas, they are largely teenage boys who have watched movies on TV, and have had little military training.
The statement that an insurgent group is constructing roads and bridges, as opposed to schools or clinics, is actually extremely radical. Note that the Afghani people in the same boat tend to be blowing them up.
The reason that road construction is extremely radical is that roads are a force multiplier for the people who have motor vehicles and want mobility to get to point A or B. Under many conditions that would expected to be the AU forces, but perhaps not in this case.
The condition under which road and bridge construction makes sense is that you have a large secure rear area from which the other side is excluded, you are confident that the world will stay that way, and you are doing economic improvement to increase your resources and, not incidentally, benefit the population you are controlling. That construction says a great deal about Harakat al-Shabab.
If the videos are available in English, getting them up in segments on Youtube would be very positive.
Ok, now, what is the US working plan if they make an oops, and they actually engage, and they actually engage Russian aircraft rather than Syrians?
"Smart USG officials with whom I’ve interacted have had a firm belief that leadership is a rare quality and that you can attrite an organization by killing its leaders. "
Perhaps they were speaking from experience. It would explain the issues you so excellently describe.
Who are the gentlemen in back and, given that the number of democratic governments in that part of the world is small, when will Tunisia be visiting some of them, hopefully the right ones?
My highly accurate NATO source, who has accurately presicted events in Libya including the non-stalemate at Brega (it's like Truk for the WW2 Imperial Japanese Army, a trap) has opined that Assad will fall after the dictator of Belarus does, and that the dictator of Belarus has but a short time probably left in his rule.
In training women as soldiers, the Libyan government is following the example of Mr. Gaddafi, whose core bodyguard company is entirely composed of women.
The Japanese tragedy has unfortunately greatly reduced coverage of Libya.
The Arab League, to be precise Egypt, has the equipment to enforce a no-fly zone. Indeed, the Egyptians could quite readily settle this issue.
On a different note: I cannot read he non-English sources. Can you tell if Gaddafi is someplace between Ra's Lanuf and Uquaiyla, or if he has manage to capture Brega?
Most of these places are very small. Ra's Lanuf would perhaps make a small subdivision in many places. Misrata, however, is apparently 20 times the area and population of Zawiya, and should be more challenging to capture.
Finally, while it is true that Gaddafi has artillery, the opposition could largely neutralize this advantage if they would fall in the habit of digging in (shovels, sweat) whenever they reach a location. Alas, they are largely teenage boys who have watched movies on TV, and have had little military training.
The statement that an insurgent group is constructing roads and bridges, as opposed to schools or clinics, is actually extremely radical. Note that the Afghani people in the same boat tend to be blowing them up.
The reason that road construction is extremely radical is that roads are a force multiplier for the people who have motor vehicles and want mobility to get to point A or B. Under many conditions that would expected to be the AU forces, but perhaps not in this case.
The condition under which road and bridge construction makes sense is that you have a large secure rear area from which the other side is excluded, you are confident that the world will stay that way, and you are doing economic improvement to increase your resources and, not incidentally, benefit the population you are controlling. That construction says a great deal about Harakat al-Shabab.
If the videos are available in English, getting them up in segments on Youtube would be very positive.