Report: Gadhafi Orders Libyan Security Forces to Target Oil Pipelines
- Posted on February 22, 2011 at 4:47pm by
Meredith Jessup
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Protesters demonstrate against Libyan President Moammar Gadhaf in London
A report from Time is predicting the terrible situation unfolding in Libya is only poised to get “much worse.” According t a “source close to the Gaddafi regime,“ the Libyan president has ordered security services ”to start sabotaging oil facilities.”
“They will start by blowing up several oil pipelines, cutting off flow to Mediterranean ports,” Time reports. “The sabotage, according to the insider, is meant to serve as a message to Libya’s rebellious tribes: It’s either me or chaos.”
Time’s Robert Baer reports:
Two weeks ago this same man had told me the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt would never touch Libya. Gaddafi, he said, had a tight lock on all of the major tribes, the same ones that have kept him in power for the past 41 years. The man of course turned out to be wrong, and everything he now has to say about Gaddafi’s intentions needs to be taken in that context.
The source went on and told me that Gaddafi’s desperation has a lot to with the fact that he now can only count on the loyalty of his tribe, the Qadhadhfa. And as for the army, as of Monday he only has the loyalty of approximately 5,000 troops. They are his elite forces, the officers all handpicked. Among them is the unit commanded by his second youngest son Khamis, the 32nd Brigade. (The total strength of the regular Libyan army is 45,000.)
My Libyan source said that Gaddafi has told people around him that he knows he cannot retake Libya with the forces he has. But what he can do is make the rebellious tribes and army officers regret their disloyalty, turning Libya into another Somalia. “I have the money and arms to fight for a long time,” Gaddafi reportedly said.
As part of the same plan to turn the tables, Gaddafi ordered the release from prison of the country’s Islamic militant prisoners, hoping they will act on their own to sow chaos across Libya. Gaddafi envisages them attacking foreigners and rebellious tribes. Couple that with a shortage of food supplies, and any chance for the rebels to replace Gaddafi will be remote.
Noting that the embattled president feels “deeply betrayed” by the media and the West, Time’s source also says Gaddafi is “a desperate, irrational man” who could likely bring Libya to the brink of civil war.
Currently, an interruption in Libya‘s oil exports would damage Europe who imports 85 percent of the country’s exports. The Washington Post notes that the United States receives 51,000 barrels of oil from Libya each day, equivalent to .5 percent of America’s total daily oil consumption.
According to the Associated Press, oil prices jumped 6 percent, soaring to the highest level in more than two years on Tuesday. While only a small part of Libya’s oil supply has been affected by the growing protests, analysts worry that similar revolts will spread to other OPEC countries like Iran.
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Redistributor
Posted on February 24, 2011 at 11:41amthey aren’t in the top 10 suppliers to the US. It will cause a blip in gas prices but we can sustain.
Report Post »temple62
Posted on February 24, 2011 at 10:20amThe closest ties between Obama, Gaddafi, Mubarak, and Ahmadinejad are that they are all muslim brothers. And they share the goal of a muslim world domination so when you the liberal press cleverly writes admonishments of each other, read between the line. They have more in common than they do with infidel Christians!
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on February 24, 2011 at 3:12amSo glad I joined this site….
We didn’t have to be in this situation, held hostage to Liberal politics. They never met an energy bill proposed that they didn’t like to vote “NO” to, unless, of course, it was for the piggy tailed light bulbs and solar and wind power. But anything else such as, Shale Oil, Oil, Nuclear energy, Coal, Natural Gas…
Look, regardless of ones politics, we still have the technology to make use of these items. We still need them to have a sustainable country. It makes no sense whatsoever to remain under these conditions. Europe thrived off these items for as long as they’ve been possible to harness. And I know for a fact we have engineers that can develop a Nuclear Power plant that runs more efficient that the ones in France. They could probably plan a facility that’s capable of powering all of Europe.
These votes the Liberals have enacted, they’ve done more to hurt the working class citizen than anything the GOP has ever done. These are supposedly college educated people trying to control the economy. And yet, with my high school knowledge of economics, even I know better than to cut off the country’s supply and ability to make energy. How else do you expect a country to take care of itself? Unicorn power? Obama’s frequent fading promises? Should we borrow from our neighbors from the North, like we’re borrowing a cup of sugar?
And they still try to convince everyone, they’re trying to help the working man? Just kill me now. Get it over with. I have no kids that need looking after. No wife to worry about. I’d rather die now than to continue dealing with the buffoonery going on in Washington. I have nothing to lose here. If I could strap about 50lbs of explosives to my body and jump into the Democrat seats at congress, it would be all worth the effort. But since I have a conscience, and just know that something better has to be on the horizon, I’ll bid my time and wait for the following days ahead. Because anymore of this will be a followup of a real revolt against the Liberal Socialists of America.
Report Post »Godzillalips
Posted on February 24, 2011 at 12:23amlets thank God this ass clown does not have a nuke. but wait, the drama is just beginning over there in the sand box and alot of these countries do have nukes. I am just glad Israel has enough nukes to level the playing field with all these conscripts Iran will be throwing at them in about 6 months. Honestly, you are going to see portions of the earth glowing from the moon.
Report Post »TMan2020
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 5:45pmIf the UN had any balls, they’d go in and secure the oil fields. But we know they don’t…
Report Post »desertpatriot
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 1:58pmIs it just me or does he look like Carlos Santana?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 11:36amAs Marie said in France
“Let them eat oil”
Report Post »rabblechat
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 11:19amGas prices, went up in my town by over $0.25 a gallon over night. And thats just on the potential disruption of 1/2 of a percent of our oil! Just wait till “democracy” Hits Saudi Arabia where we get nearly 25% of our oil…
Report Post »And to the Drill baby Drill crowd,I’m with ya but we cannot produce enough oil from our own soil to cover our demand. Right now we only produce the equivalent of about 25% of what we consume. Mexico‘s biggest fields are declining fast as are Canada’s. Unless we “adopt” a 51st state in an area of the world that gets a lot of sunshine… We will remain dependent on imported oil.
http://www.rabblechat.com
Kerri g
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 11:14amWe have waisted more than 2 years on drilling. In fact Obama has put moratoriums on drilling while giveing Brazil a billion dollars to deep water drill. What the Hell!!!!!!!! What is wrong with this man? Why is there no way to get this jerk out of the White House? Has he not broken enough laws, userpted congress and ignored his oath to uphold the constitution?
Report Post »kissmyazobama
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 11:01amThe moratorium and ban on drilling has been ruled illegal………….maybe these events can precipitate a realistic end of the dependence on foreign oil by forcing the Obama administration into developing and producing our own oil for a change………..
Report Post »Jezreel
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 9:35amWouldn’t it have been fitting if Bush had interest and cared about removing this tyrant along with Sadam Hussein. That goes to prove that he didn‘t and doesn’t really care about people being under the rule of a cruel tyrant, just as the one that is also in North Korea. It was all about oil. That is why Bush got us into the war, it was not about freedom and removing tyrants or else he would have cared about these guys doing damage too.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 2:03pmUh, Libya has oil. If all Bush wanted was oil, he would have taken out Moammar as well, easier than Iraq. You defeated your own argument.
Report Post »ronmorgen
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 8:28amJesus Christ has already confronted the evil one and triumphed. Get behind him.
Report Post »makom
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 3:45amThe evil one has been given a Bow without an Arrow. He will be able to conquer nations with words not the sword. If a ruler has to fight the evil one he must do so with the sword. If you sit and do nothing or try and fight the evil one with words you will lose. Gadhafi is going up against the evil one. If Gadhafi asks for GODs help he may indeed defeat the evil one. We now can see a clearer picture of who supports the evil one. A ruler does not have to sit and let his country be taken over by the evil one, regardless of what mankind thinks. Remember the evil one can control weak minded people and they will worship him.
Report Post »makom
onegodinkansas
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 8:11amHuh?
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 3:00amMost of Libyan oil goes to Europe – I read that the US gets very little of its oil from Libya. So he is only hurting himself by cutting off his own income. I am sure his money is spread all over the world so he can kiss that money good-bye! http://wp.me/pYLB7-H6
Report Post »heyjim55
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 1:56amHe can blow all the pipelines he wants that will cut off his own income and other countries could freeze his assets or sieze it I doubt he has all his money in a Libyan bank so I think he has lost his mind not that he wasn’t crazy to start with .
Report Post »heyjms
Posted on February 24, 2011 at 3:09amI like your name!
Report Post »olgamax
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 1:44amElect Sarah Palin
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 3:00amlol…we’ll see
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 1:15amdrill baby drill
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 6:11amOur Washington Einsteins built our energy “house of cards” on this? Nice going, Washington. This gives us a lot of confidence in your wisdom.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 7:21amAnd our traitor in chief has put much of our own oil and coal off limits for years to come, putting our national and economic security in serious danger. Lets see you libs run your car on solar power and lets see that 80,000lb truck bring your food to the store run on wind power. Silly libs, decisions are for the grown ups.
Report Post »Creestof
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 8:01amI agree 100%!
Drill and bring our troops home to watch over our own borders, sea ports and skies. Stop sending aid to American hating nations. Tell the UN to kiss it. If we go to war with anyone it should be the drug cartels south of the border and pirates.
Time to promote isolationism…if we can limit our oil purchases to Canada & Mexico (who we get most of our oil from now anyways) then we can really do without the rest of the world.
Sorry, you’ll have to get your new DVD player, cell phone, car from American factories for a while.
Report Post »Scorchem
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 8:18amEveryone I knows says, “Drill, Drill, Drill” Better yet do what’s necessary to refine and transport the oil we have on shore!
Report Post »