Is the forty-one year tyranny personified by Muammar Khaddafi {Gadaffi} of Libya finally ending?
Reports coming out of the country this morning indicate that he has lost control over the more sparsely populated Eastern part of the country; tribal councils are already being established to bring order to these areas.
In the capital Tripoli, forces loyal to the dictator have established calm in most areas.One reporter characterized the eerie calm as the "eye of the storm": at the very center (of the city) there is peace, but all around there are pockets of fulminating and exploding resistance sure to reach out to the center.
Khadaffi has allowed Western journalists back in to cover this 'non-story'; citizens are lined up in front of banks early this AM to receive $400 handouts from the government.
"Baksheesh, baksheesh" cried out one of those awaiting the handout.
You may be interested in noting that this Arabic word has many connotations; chief amongst them are two radical different meanings: bribe and charitable donation. Any which way you wish to interpret baksheesh, Khadaffi who has not hesitated to order his military to shoot anybody at any time to 'bully' those opposed to his regime, seems to be buying time.
Just how much time does he have before he's out-- like the Tunisian and Egyptian rulers recently ousted-- is anybody's guess.
Meanwhile, NPR reported this morning that the European Union meeting in Geneva (where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now positioned) has voted unilaterally to enforce economic sanctions against Khaddafi.
Tune in for the outcome in this too too unfortunate bloody scenario where loyalists have been out in the streets and hospitals scurrying about carrying the wounded and hundred and hundred of those fatally gunned down, to undisclosed locations.
One hopes Khadaffi is outed sooner than later.
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