Benghazi Civilians Protest Atrocities Committed By "Rebels"

RT has been covering stories today from Benghazi civilians about the atrocities being committed by the Libyan "rebels". Already, the UN has been notified of War Crimes committed by the "rebels", including the use of rape as a method of intimidation, as well as the use of such crimes committed by Gaddafi's regime. One former Benghazi resident, escaped Benghazi with her family to a refugees Camp in the West of the country. She is quoted as saying,

“It’s not safe there anymore. It’s become dangerous. And that’s not only because of explosions and gunshots. One day, people from the government in Benghazi – you call them rebels, we call them terrorists – came to me and told me, ‘we have to arrest your daughter, because we know that she supports Gaddafi."

Her brother, a surgeon, also escaped from Benghazi, after three attempts on his life.

“They took him from the ICU and killed him in front of the ICU and hanged his body on the wall of the hospital. There is no opinion other than their opinion. You are either with them or against them. They talk about freedom and democracy but there is no freedom and democracy. They just want the power,” he said.

There have also been pogroms carried out by the "rebels" against black Libyans. It should be no surprise, as many of the leaders of the Transitional National Council are known reactionary figures. They are made up of former Gaddafi regime thugs, tribal leaders with an axe to grind amongst others.



In an analysis of the forces involved in the "rebel" Camp Mark at the Commune, concluded some time ago that,

"I think it is probably accurate to say that this rebellion has all the hallmarks of a tribal civil war, whatever its initial impetus, and which probably is deeply coloured by a conservative Islam. It’s dependence on Western intervention is likely to provide some interesting and contradictory factionalism within the Islamist camp. Whether the working class in the oil fields and the major cities can provide an alternative has yet to be seen but the call for western intervention on their behalf seems to be based on little understanding of the likely character of the rebellion."

Of course, Marxists should not provide support for such a movement, but should focus on building an independent, working-class response both to the oppression inflicted by Gaddafi, and the War being waged on Libya by Imperialism. The role of the AWL has once more been shown up for the disgrace that it is. Basing themselves on the principle that "My enemy's enemy is my friend," the AWL having identified Gaddafi as their enemy have been prepared to jump into bed with any reactionary force so long as it too is an enemy of Gaddafi. They have done this on every occasion. When the Soviet Generals launched their coup attempt, the AWL backed Yeltsin who was acting on behalf of Imperialism. In Iraq, having identified the Sunni clerical fascists as their enemy, they identified "Democratic Imperialism" as their friend, which then led them to identify the Shia clerical-fascists like Sistani as also their friend. Once again having identified "Democratic Imperialism" as their friend, they have been led to big up the rebels, to act as their apologists and so on. Now in one of their most nauseous contributions ever, the AWL even talk about the "Death Squads" being unleashed by the Libyan "rebels" - or "Free Libyans" as the AWL apologists now refer to them - liberating the people of Tripoli against their will!!! A piece of apologism that Stalin himself would have been proud of. But, of course, unlike the genuine Popular revolts such as that in Egypt, or in Syria where the population in all the main centres have continued to mobilise and grow despite massive military might used against them, in Libya, the "rebels" were never able to mobilise a majority of the population behind them. Even with the massive military might, and after 10,000 plus bombing raids by the Imperialists, and massive problems in Tripoli as the Imperialists try to starve the population into submission, the rebels have failed to make any headway. Is it any wonder that workres and the urban poor in Tripoli have no desire to be liberated by these Imperialist backed "rebels", even from the oppression of Gaddafi?

Whatever fantasy picture the AWL try to paint to cover their social-patriotic apologism, the reality is that the "rebels" can only make any headway if the ground has been cleared for them in advance by massive Imperialist firepower. Even then, and with the new military equipment provided for them, and with the assistance of the Imperialist Special Forces that everyone knows is already on the ground and helping them, they have made virtually no advance. EU Imperialism has already drawn up plans to install its own Protectorate to run Libya if they bomb the Libyan people into submission. It will be done udner the cover of preventing the country descending into chaos, and to facilitate the rebuilding of the country - a rebuilding which their massive bombing campaign is making necessary due to their destroying the infrastucture - though no doubt they will not deal with the legacy their use of depleted Uranium munitions will impose on the Libyan people for generations to come.