Hmmm - is anyone surprised? Raise your hands

**Alundil** · 03-25-11, 04:57 PM

Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links - Telegraph

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Mr al-Hasidi admitted that he had recruited "around 25" men from the Derna area in eastern Libya to fight against coalition troops in Iraq. Some of them, he said, are "today are on the front lines in Adjabiya".

Mr al-Hasidi insisted his fighters "are patriots and good Muslims, not terrorists," but added that the "members of al-Qaeda are also good Muslims and are fighting against the invader".

Does no one see the twisted and really saddening irony of this situation? We're over there "helping" the Libyan people because Gadaffi is a madman. Got it.

But if the rebels are comprised of "Libyan Islamic Fighting Group" and ("Even though the LIFG is not part of the al-Qaeda organisation, the United States military's West Point academy has said the two share an "increasingly co-operative relationship".") al-Qaeda...

Why are we potentially planning to arm the rebels? Isn't that just asking to be shot at later with our own weaponry given the above?
Libya: US May Arm Anti-Gaddafi Rebels And Looking At Legality After UN Resolutions, Sky News Learns | World News | Sky News

**SpecOpsScott** · 03-25-11, 05:10 PM

Finally, an answer to the question that everyone (the media in general) has been dodging for weeks. We have jumped into this engagement without knowing who exactly would benefit from our (the international communitys) intervention.

Maybe next we will find out what these "Clear Goals" are that i keep hearing about. And dont say protecting the Lybian people or setting up a no fly zone, those have already been described as "Kinetic actions" by people in high places.

**CivilWars** · 03-25-11, 05:18 PM

I think I posted in another topic that we (the world) is toppling one evil to put another in his place, but too lazy to find it.

**Fovezer** · 03-25-11, 05:35 PM

"Despite fears that Islamic extremists may be playing a hidden role in the rebellion against Moammar Kadafi, the U.S. intelligence community has found no organized presence of Al Qaeda or its allies among the Libyan opposition, American officials say."
U.S. finds no organized Al Qaeda presence in Libya opposition, officials say - Los Angeles Times

So while, yes, there may be a few rebels with ties to al-Qaeda and other terrorist affiliations, there is no organized element here and the numbers seem to be miniscule. It is not a significant part of the revolution. The large majority of the rebels seem to be just normal people. I really doubt al-Qaeda would be thanking the coalition for bombing their country or treat an American pilot as some sort of savior when they found him.

But hey, they are Muslim, so I guess they are al-Qaeda operatives by default, right?

**Alundil** · 03-25-11, 05:56 PM

hmm - interesting point there Fov. I simply read an article by someone with zero ties to the US who interviewed the leader of the Rebels (according to the article) during which he stated that many of the rebels do have ties to al-Qaeda. Not only that, but that the Leader of the Rebels (again according to the article) was, himself, captured for "....fighting against "the foreign invasion" in Afghanistan, before being "captured in 2002 in Peshwar, in Pakistan".

Mr al-Hasidi admitted he had earlier fought against "the foreign invasion" in Afghanistan, before being "captured in 2002 in Peshwar, in Pakistan".

So I'd tend to take that as probably more factually accurate than a report from the US government stating that there's "no there there" if you catch my drift. It's the 2011 version of "These are not the Droids you're looking for." I mean, it's not very hard to realize that someone (probably us, the US, if not all many of the Western Nations) are likely going to come out of this scenario with egg on their faces in a few months/years.

Why? Because again, as in almost every foreign conflict we've been involved with, we (the US and its Allies) fail to take into account the "Who" in the equation from a long term perspective. The only thing that matters is the short term agenda.

I mean, fucked up shit is taking place in Bahrain, Yemen, starting in Jordan........odd how there's virtually zero being said about that. Hmm, I wonder why that is. I think that tail is once again wagging the dog. But nothing new there.

In short, that is my very jaded observation given that the US fails miserably at learning from its own mistakes. This will probably be another one.