Diplomacy fail

[Walsingham]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12658054

 

Little tip, fellahs. If some chaps turn up offerring to talk about assisting you... don't take them prisoner.

[pmp10]

If true that may be just a game of appearances.

Rebels cannot afford to be seen as western lackeys.

So far neither side is desperate enough to seriously harm hostages.

[Humodour]

Um, Wals, if you were the rebels and you saw a group of foreign elite soldiers rock up with guns and explosives, what would you do given Gaddafi is hiring foreign mercenaries from all over the place? You'd maybe detain them and verify their story.

[Volourn]

Yeah, instead of sending soldiers in secretly - reach out to the rebels diplomatically and in public. I know there's probably worry that Gaddafi will kill foreign soldiers onn sight but still be smart dude. the rebels are in a war, they don't have time to play nice with secret soldiers.

[Gorgon]

The rebels have a few seasoned officers but the rest are just regular people with maybe a day's worth of training. If special forces can't infiltrate that then what good are they.

[Walsingham]

Um, Wals, if you were the rebels and you saw a group of foreign elite soldiers rock up with guns and explosives, what would you do given Gaddafi is hiring foreign mercenaries from all over the place? You'd maybe detain them and verify their story.

 

I don't believe they'd go in armed to the teeth, old man. And detaining and imprisoning are two very different things. I'd reckon.

[Monte Carlo]

Looks like Rupert and Lofty have been sent home, somebody is in for an interview sans coffee...

[Walsingham]

Apologies to Krez. I've just read about the explosives etc. Sounds like a bit of a mess, frankly.

[Orogun01]

Wait, aren't the troops there to give safe passage to foreign nationals out of the country; what is all this talk about alliances with the rebels?

[Walsingham]

Wait, aren't the troops there to give safe passage to foreign nationals out of the country; what is all this talk about alliances with the rebels?

 

Did someone say rebel alliance?

[Monte Carlo]

If we'd sent two sabre squadrons of Ewoks this never would have happened.

[Gorgon]

Interventionism works really great if it's a fight you can win with a short commitment. Compare Congo to say, Afghanistan. Maybe this is one of those times. Too bad there are no surplus resources for that kind of stunt.

[Walsingham]

Meaning no disrespect to the terrble suffering of the people who live in the Congo, but what the hell are you talking about? Success? What success?

[Gorgon]

Couple of years ago. didn't they foil an attempt to take down the government. Am I remembering this wrong ?. This would be in reverse, the winds of change seem to be blowing in the middle east to use the hippie terminology, this is good thing, and an opportunity, no ?

[Rostere]

Well. The obvious explanation is the the rebels cannot afford to justify Khadaffi's claims of Western involvement. That would probably undermine the entire revolution. I'm sure they'll simply send these people home without any hassle... The humanitarian situation is at a risk of becoming dire though, and supply of food and other necessities should be ensured, preferrably in a more discreet way.

[Walsingham]

Couple of years ago. didn't they foil an attempt to take down the government. Am I remembering this wrong ?. This would be in reverse, the winds of change seem to be blowing in the middle east to use the hippie terminology, this is good thing, and an opportunity, no ?

 

Strictly speaking I'd suggest that any situation which is changing faster than the systems around it can react will have noxious byproducts.

 

For my money this is an example of what happens when you expect indigenous populations to free themselves from a state which is prepared to actually use significant force to stop them. But then, you know that's what I think.

 

~

 

BTW

 

What's the point of arms control when you can oppress people using swords?

[WDeranged]

Seems to me like our guys were in there stirring **** up with their bombs and fake passports, the great game continues

[Walsingham]

Seems to me like our guys were in there stirring **** up with their bombs and fake passports, the great game continues

 

Surely if they were going to stir **** up then they'd have been better off with a number of featureless black spheres that exploded into an acidic gas when anyone tried to tamper with or x-ray them. That would have driven the conspiracy people nuts.