Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Libya: What do you do when the people you prevented Gaddafi from killing start killing the black minorities that Gaddafi protected?

Every house, shop, school and public building in Tawergha has been ransacked since the Misrata rebels chased out pro-Gadhafi soldiers. At the time, hundreds of families also fled, fearing reprisals. Rebels slaughtered some of the livestock left behind, the carcasses of which are still rotting in the yards of abandoned homes.(Source: WSJ)
Another WSJ report makes it clear, it is not merely livestock in Tawergha that has been targeted for slaughter:
Ibrahim al-Halbous, a rebel commander leading the fight near Tawergha, says all remaining residents should leave once if his fighters capture the town. "They should pack up," Mr. Halbous said. "Tawergha no longer exists, only Misrata."

... Other rebel leaders are also calling for drastic measures like banning Tawergha natives from ever working, living or sending their children to schools in Misrata.

...Some of the hatred of Tawergha has racist overtones that were mostly latent before the current conflict. On the road between Misrata and Tawergha, rebel slogans like "the brigade for purging slaves, black skin" have supplanted pro-Gadhafi scrawl.
Meantime, as shown in this video, NATO is using anti-personnel cluster bombs on civilian targets in Libya:



As for the "responsibility to protect," see this and weep.

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