« Syria's Ride Begins? | Libyan Progress, Syrian questions. »

March 28, 2011

Libyan Progress, Syrian questions.

The quick turnaround may stifle some overdone gloom and doom, (Libya and Arab unrest – live blog | World news | guardian.co.uk) although of course just as gloom and doom was overdone, it would be

• Libyan rebels have pushed west towards Gaddafi's home city of Sirte. The revolutionary forces seized towns along Libya's coastal road towards the town after government forces fled western air strikes. A Libyan rebel spokesman said Sirte had been captured by the rebels on Monday morning, but this hasn't been independently verified.

• Rebel forces have taken a number of government-held oil towns including Brega, Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad in the rapid push west along 150 miles of Libya's coastal road towards Sirte. There have been rumours that the outskirts of Gaddafi's home city have been mined.

Meanwhile, it is hard to make out what may occur in Syria. On one hand it would be excellent if the Baathist regime in Syria was shown the door, it's decades of incompetence really are enough. On the other hand, the region hardly needs yet another country to descend into chaos. Much fun this may present to the Polisci types that love whanking over such developments, for business this level of uncertainty, just not helpful. I hope that Assad el Ibn is clever and modern enough to somehow work a transition. The Baath party is rubbish, but the Alaouite minority could be in for some rough times if a revolution occurs.

On Lounsbury front, I am on a major bizdev mission for travel for several weeks, so posting may be irregular (if anyone ever finds me a ref to a bberry app that is compatible with this blog software, I may be willing to bribe them).

Posted by The Lounsbury at March 28, 2011 04:14 AM
Filed Under: Libya Civil War , Maghreb , The MENA '48

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.aqoul.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/4217

Comments

Comment Subscription

Email Address: