The revolution in Libya was definitely televised. There’s nothing more inspirational than a bunch of people striding for democracy in a totalitarian state. The heroes had been widely demonstrated, paraded and praised in every western media outlet. Photo reports showed the ingenious improvised artillery vehicles and the vile mercenaries. World leaders wished the revolutionaries all the best while supporting them with aid and assistance. Libya air campaign conducted by the NATO was the longest since Kosovo. Fall of Tripoli was celebrated as the big step in Democratization of Libya. Cheerful faces of Libyans decorated front pages of newspapers. The state controlled media in Russia and China painted a somewhat different picture, however, but who cares what these commie dogs have to say… Its Democracy baby! Fuck yeah!
Now that the public interest have gone down and news anchors moved onto more interesting topics. But the conflict is far from over of course. NATO’s air campaign goes on, and the western media starts to catch on with the escalating insurgency and chaos as NTC fails to control it’s own forces.
Rebel leaders in Misrata appear to have already decided how to punish Tawergha’s people, whom rebels accuse of pillaging homes and raping women during an assault on Misrata in March. Though the rape allegations have been difficult to prove, they have fueled immense hatred.
Now, rebels have been torching homes in the abandoned city 25 miles to the south. Since Thursday, The Wall Street Journal has witnessed the burning of more than a dozen homes in the city Col. Gadhafi once lavished with money and investment. On the gates of many vandalized homes in the country’s only coastal city dominated by dark-skinned people, light-skinned rebels scrawled the words “slaves” and “negroes.”
“We are setting it on fire to prevent anyone from living here again,” said one rebel fighter as flames engulfed several loyalist homes.
Sand, armed trucks and scorched earth tactics! Rape and pillage! Lord Humungus would be proud.
Oh, and by the way, revolutionary UCLA-bro is still doing great!
