Mad Maxing in Libya

During America's abortive (and aborted) "humanitarian" war in Somalia, the warlords' gunmen rode around in pickup trucks with homemade weapons mounts. They were nicknamed, "technicals."

Sort of reminds you of Mad Max vs. Humongous in the second of the series.

That's pretty much what the Libyan rebels have, too, As this ABCNews report shows quite clearly. No wonder they're getting their hineys kicked by Qaddafi's army. Even without aircraft, Daffy's loyal troops are a real military and the rebels are not. Having advanced as far as the outskirts of Daffy's birthplace, Sirte, the rebels have been thrown back - often at very rapid speed! - through city after city.



Undisciplined Libyan rebels no match for Gaddafi's forces

The revolution lacks an organised military structure in spite of several attempts to stamp its authority on the volunteer army. Discipline is bad. Few of the fighters have proper military experience and they would need training in the use of weapons such as artillery. But the revolutionaries have made a strong point of saying they do not want foreign troops on Libyan soil.

The revolution's de facto finance minister, Ali Tarhouni, claims that there are 1,000 trained fighters among the rebels but there is little evidence of it on the battlefield where the anti-Gaddafi forces appear capable of advancing only when the way is cleared by foreign air strikes.

The problem is not solely the rebels' lack of more powerful weapons. In the past two days their disorganisation has shown as they have been badly outmanoeuvred by better-trained forces that have outflanked them with sweeps through the desert. The revolutionaries lack any cohesive defensive plan. Instead they fire wildly at the enemy and argue among themselves about what to do next and who should be giving orders before turning and fleeing. ...

The rebel performance in recent weeks has amounted to rapid advances followed by almost as speedy retreats.

Yet the Obama administration continues to insist that Qaddafi's options are narrowing and that he will soon see he has to leave. But why? He's winning! Winners don't quit.

My prediction: Qaddafi knows he can outlast us and he will. Like Somalia, Libya will become an anchor on the other things the president wants to achieve (coff, 2012, coff) and the mission will be ended. No doubt, we will "declare victory and go home."

As I said before, all that Qaddafi has to do to win is not to lose. But if the rebels don't win, they will lose. This is what is happening now.