You write Khadafi, I write Qaddafi, Let's Call the Whole Thing....
Perhaps we will only need it for the history books now. But, for the record: "A much-circulated 2009 ABCNews.com story found 112 different ways to render the Libyan leader's last name in the Latin alphabet, used in English and most other Western European languages. But, according to this passport, and presumably the Libyan man himself, the accurate Latinized spelling is one of the least commonly used of those 112: Gathafi." (Max Fish, The Atlantic, August 24, 2011, "Rebel Discovers Qaddafi Passport, Real Spelling of Leader's Name")
Showing posts with label Qaddafi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qaddafi. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Benghazi and the Champ de Mars Massacre
Only a deep crisis and shaky grasp of power would cause the Libyan leader's son, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, to make a broadcast (for full text see here) in which he stated that the Libyan army erred in its handling of anti-government protests. As reported in Bloomberg, "in the most serious challenge to Qaddafi’s 41 years of rule in the country, thousands of people demonstrated yesterday in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city. They were met by gunfire from forces loyal to Qaddafi, Human Rights Watch said, citing reports from witnesses." ("Libya Violence Deepens as Protestors Claim Control of Second-Largest City," by Mariam Fam and Ola Galal, Bloomberg, Feb 21, 2011)
One is reminded of the attempt to stop protesters in the French Revolution. Turning state forces on the public, only reminds the public that there is little in the existing regime worth keeping. To paraphrase from Wikipedia, when, in July 1791 a large crowd gathered at the Champ de Mars to sign a petition demanding the removal of King Louis XVI, "the marquis de Lafayette and the National Guard...tried to disperse the crowd. In retaliation, the crowd threw stones at the National Guard. After firing unsuccessful warning shots, the National Guard opened fire directly on the crowd. The exact numbers of dead and wounded are unknown; estimates range from a dozen to fifty."
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| Shoes Shown as Saif Speaks |
One is reminded of the attempt to stop protesters in the French Revolution. Turning state forces on the public, only reminds the public that there is little in the existing regime worth keeping. To paraphrase from Wikipedia, when, in July 1791 a large crowd gathered at the Champ de Mars to sign a petition demanding the removal of King Louis XVI, "the marquis de Lafayette and the National Guard...tried to disperse the crowd. In retaliation, the crowd threw stones at the National Guard. After firing unsuccessful warning shots, the National Guard opened fire directly on the crowd. The exact numbers of dead and wounded are unknown; estimates range from a dozen to fifty."
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