Why didn't Gaddafi use his weapons?

[Blanquist]

He had a lot of weapons why didn't he use them? He also had a lot of money.

[Brosa Luxemburg]

He did use them, but NATO used more.

[Blanquist]

Why did he keep trying to cut a deal with NATO, he must have known it was futile, he looked like a fool calling Obama his son.

[#FF0000]

Libya's military was notoriously bad. Even if he did I doubt it'd make a difference. Remember they got run out of Chad by people using soviet-era machine guns mounted on trucks

[Blanquist]

Libya's military was notoriously bad. Even if he did I doubt it'd make a difference. Remember they got run out of Chad by people using soviet-era machine guns mounted on trucks

wow, why was it so bad? Gaddafi is a military man and was always buying up weapons, and wasn't libya a training ground for all sorts?

im gonna wikipedia this war

[marl]

it shouldn't matter because a few social programs does not make libya socialist

[Prometeo liberado]

It is no secret that Gaddafi was not entirely..... a focused person. He could buy all the weapons he wanted, and he did, but what good are they if there is no discipline or rudimentary structure within the armed forces? Troops were not adequately taught how to clean and store weapons. I doubt that there were sufficient controls on inventory. Weapons, blankets and all sorts of supplies were sold on the black market or to the same people they were supposed to be fighting. And don't get me started on the lack of spare parts.You can not count on troops of questionable loyalty with poorly maintained weapons and bad aim.

[ArrowLance]

You make it sound like it was Gaddafi's fault the war was lost. Even with the state of the state military the rebels had the backing of the most powerful nations in the world. The would not have won without this support.

It also doesn't help that NATO bombing did tons of damage to Libyan mobile/armoured units as well as supply and other logistical systems. Bombing in cities of course is very hard on a population.

The rebels were not winning until all this started happening.

[Os Cangaceiros]

He had decommisioned a lot of his more controversial weaponry in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. Relations with the US and Europe were actually pretty good just prior to February 2011, as is evident by released Wikileaks documents. The EU and Libya had actually just signed a massive deal in which the EU would furnish Libya with all sorts of weapons/weapon systems.

But the USA is a fickle mistress!

[Prometeo liberado]

You make it sound like it was Gaddafi's fault the war was lost.

If you read my post carefully what I am saying is that it was his fault that his military was not prepared. Was he not only the chief General but also the commander-in-chief? So I ask again, who was to blame for the poor state of the Libyan military?

[o well this is ok I guess]

Libya's military was notoriously bad. Even if he did I doubt it'd make a difference. Remember they got run out of Chad by people using soviet-era machine guns mounted on trucks Hey man technicals ain't nothing to fuck with

[ArrowLance]

If you read my post carefully what I am saying is that it was his fault that his military was not prepared. Was he not only the chief General but also the commander-in-chief? So I ask again, who was to blame for the poor state of the Libyan military?

Again you make it sound like he is the reason the war was lost. The war simply could not be won.

[Sasha]

If you read my post carefully what I am saying is that it was his fault that his military was not prepared. Was he not only the chief General but also the commander-in-chief? So I ask again, who was to blame for the poor state of the Libyan military?

In fact since he himself came to power through a military coup and he fenced of some serious attempts at counter/further coups by the military (often involving some of the same captains that brought him to power) he intentionally destroyed the national military relying internally on the armed tribes, everpresent secret police, mercenarys and para-military brigades led by his son and for national protection on the deterency of his unconventional weaponry.
And yes, that is part of the reason he lost the war. The reason NATO didn't get involved in the Iranian green uprising is Iran incredibly effective well trained and disciplined republican guard with its more than function surface to air defence, a well trained and equipped airforce and generals who know their shit.

[Prometeo liberado]

Again you make it sound like he is the reason the war was lost. The war simply could not be won.

If they had no fighting chance to begin with then how could they hope to win the war. Ill put it this way. I you are in an auto race and you were careless and forgot to put gas in the tank and your car dies just as the race starts, were you beaten by the other car or did your lack of preparation cause you to lose? But you would state that the race could never be won. How can you know unless the best effort was given?

[ArrowLance]

If they had no fighting chance to begin with then how could they hope to win the war. Ill put it this way. I you are in an auto race and you were careless and forgot to put gas in the tank and your car dies just as the race starts, were you beaten by the other car or did your lack of preparation cause you to lose? But you would state that the race could never be won. How can you know unless the best effort was given?

They had no chance. If you were in a race and you were on foot and the other were provided a speedy car by foreign backers but you forgot to put your running shoes on, were you beaten by your lack of running shoes or the fact you didn't have a fucking car like the other did?

[Os Cangaceiros]

All he had to do to "win" was make sure that he wouldn't be toppled from power without the help of outside ground troops into the country. The anti-regime rebels had a big advantage with airpower, yes, but it was the social conditions of Libya regarding the eastern part of the country and the tribal situation which contributed to his ultimate downfall far more than the outside help.

[khad]

He had a lot of weapons why didn't he use them? He also had a lot of money.
Of course he didn't use his weapons. The largest battle of the war, the siege of Misrata, lasted about 8 months and resulted in about 1000 dead, or about 4 dead per day. Random killings on the streets of Tripoli today are worse than that.

The system of tribal alliances in Libya made the government reluctant to go all out and liquidate towns and cities, as that would fundamentally destabilize the fragile networks of power that Gaddafi relied on.

This is what a REAL battle looks like, the recent battle of Sabha fought by two local militia groups. 155+ dead in one week: (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hfaQvSxp74eB2vjTcElC-hX3x01A?docId=CNG.5ba00d350acdc99f903fb64f33d3cb13 .7e1)


Imed Lamloum (AFP) – Mar 31, 2012

TRIPOLI — Libya's interim government on Saturday announced a ceasefire aimed at ending six days of deadly tribal clashes in a southern desert oasis that cost more than 150 lives.

"We announce that reconciliation efforts have resulted in an accord on a ceasefire," premier Abdel Rahim al-Kib told reporters in the capital, adding that "calm now prevails in Sabha," 750 kilometres (465 miles) to the south.

At least 16 people were reported killed on Saturday alone in and around the oasis city before the truce deal was announced.

The fighting between Toubou fighters and Arab tribesmen erupted on Monday after Arab tribesmen accused the Toubou of killing one of their own.

Kib held a joint news conference on Saturday with Yussef al-Mangush, chief of staff of the new Libyan national army that is currently being formed, defence minister Osama Juili and health minister Fatima al-Hamrush.

"Now the situation is calm, and defence ministry forces are securing strategic zones and installations, notably the airport," Mangush said.

Hamrush gave a toll of at least 147 killed and 395 wounded by late on Friday.

"The number of people killed is 147," she said, adding that the toll included casualties from both sides.

Hamrush said 395 people had been wounded, including 129 who were brought to the capital for treatment.

The toll did not include those killed on Saturday -- eight on either side, according to sources in Sabha.

[Prometeo liberado]

They had no chance. If you were in a race and you were on foot and the other were provided a speedy car by foreign backers but you forgot to put your running shoes on, were you beaten by your lack of running shoes or the fact you didn't have a fucking car like the other did?

Beaten by the fact that you were racing on your home track yet lacked the fortitude to slant the race in your favor by any means at your disposal. Bad leadership made to look worse by a well disciplined and funded foe.(No more racing analogies please)

[Rusty Shackleford]

wasnt the libyan army basically non-existent anyways? i mean they had tanks and all that, but i dont think the government was focused on having an actual standing army like egypt or anything.

[TrotskistMarx]

Dear friend, thanks for your great motivation in the real causes of why Qaddafi collapsed and why was the Libyan Government so unprepared to protect Qaddafi. Well I am a realist. And from a political realism point of view, NATO and Zionist Imperialist forces have a lot of money, millions and millions of dollars. They might have bribed local Libyan poor corrupt mercenaries to infiltrate the Libyan forces, and to kill Qaddafi a lot easier that way.

Remember that we must be realists about humans. Most humans in this world are not left-wingers, anti-imperialism. There are many people in this world, even in African nations that because of the great mind manipulative effect of american movies, american culture and all that, are more in favor of US forces than even in favor of their local leaders.

There are other factors as well, from realist military point of view, NATO forces are a lot more sophisticated and a lot more powerful than Qaddafi's forces.




wow, why was it so bad? Gaddafi is a military man and was always buying up weapons, and wasn't libya a training ground for all sorts?

im gonna wikipedia this war

[MotherCossack]

In my view this whole thing makes my blood actually boil.
No-one gave gaddaffi as much as a single call of support.
no marches against the monumental coalition of hypocrites, thieves and liars.
there was not a word spoke against the systematic annihilation of a state which had become an ally of the west and surrendered its wmd... ish .
gaddaffi was nowhere near the worst offender... and those that are worse retain the support of our immoral, insincere, criminal, corrupt, unspeakable governments......
the replacement temporary mob have no idea and are wholly untested... they will very likely prove a lot worse than gaddaffi...

out times....
our governments.....will lay to waste.. the whole world... with not a single sincere motive.....
our children and their children will look back on these times....... and hate us for what we are allowing our leaders to do.