Reports: Gaddafi Has Left The Building

Hmmmmm.

Following an emergency EU meeting of foreign ministers on the situation in Libya, Mr Hague was asked if Britain, or other Western countries, knew if Col. Gaddafi had left Tripoli.

“About whether Col. Gaddafi, is in Venezuela, I have no information that says he is although I have seen some information that suggests he is on his way there,” he said.

British officials stressed that Mr Hague was referring “not to media reports but information from other channels”. “This is credible information,” said a diplomat.

Meanwhile, the world wonders whether Leon Panetta is watching CNN, MSNBC or Al Jazerra for his information.

Via Allah, Victor Davis Hanson has some thoughts based on having spent some time there.

4) The country has great natural beauty, a stunning coastline, a central location, untapped gas and oil reserves (Gaddafi’s incompetence often meant that oil was not so easy to extract and squander), incredible antiquities — and unlimited tourist and commercial potential should it ever embrace constitutional government.

5) Libyans seemed to me terrified of Egyptians, including the tens of thousands of illegal-alien Egyptians in their country. The oil fields in their lightly populated country are a little too near for their comfort to the border of the oil-needy, overpopulated Egyptian powerhouse. The oil-rich border regions between the two countries will be of interest in the days ahead.

Much more at the link.

Once again the US has been totally caught wrong footed. As civil war rages to topple a sadistic tyrant, the Obama administration is wondering if the guy's kid might be signaling he's really a reformer, while actually saying he's willing to see the bodies pile up to save the regime.

The White House is weighing an "appropriate" response to the violence directed at pro-democracy demonstrations in Libya, according to a senior administration official quoted by wire services.

"We are analyzing the speech of Saif al-Islam Kadhafi to see what possibilities it contains for meaningful reform," the official said, according to Agence France-Presse.

Here's the "appropriate" response...."the monster, who has the blood of Americans on his hands, has to go, either on a plane or up against a wall. The latter is preferable but the former is acceptable."

I know in Egypt we had to walk a fine line because Mubarak was our guy for so long, what comes next is likely to be worse for us and we risked scaring the hell out of our other less than democratic friends in the region. But Gaddafi? Despite our recently reestablished relationship, he is an enemy and the next guys can't be worse (or that much worse) for us. There's no need to equivocate.

The Mideast order crumbling would tax the skills of the most adroit administration. It's simply drowning this one.

Added: Commodity and stock markets react negatively to Libyan unrest. Oil is now $100/barrel in London and Euro oil companies might start pulling their workers out. So, there's that.

More: There are a lot of unconfirmed rumors flying around but it this one is true,, oh boy.

Eye witness report from ship that will remain nameless: "oil rigs near Benghazi are on burning and on fire"

So, what's the price of gas going to be by the end of the week?

posted by DrewM. at 03:54 PM

| Access Comments