Tripoli muted in its defiance

Nightly explosions now part of the routine for residents in Libyan capital, with coalition attacks on Bousseta naval base under way Just east of the centre of Tripoli, not far from the now-deserted British embassy and the old Marriott hotel, curious crowds of Libyans are gathering to see first-hand evidence of the impact of the “colonialist crusader aggression” denounced by Muammar Gaddafi. Normally, anyone walking along the promenade might not have noticed Bousseta naval base, an unremarkable cluster of metal sheds around a jetty, half-hidden from view by a high wall and bounded by a breakwater on the seaward side. It was hit at around 10pm on Monday, one of the first targets of the third wave of coalition attacks, now a nightly routine of explosions and the crump-crump of erratic and ineffective anti-aircraft fire followed by a stream of white-hot invective in the state-controlled Libyan media. From the road, where the onlookers are double-parking their cars and getting out to gawp, not much is visible. But close up, it is a scene of devastation. A hangar-like building has been blown apart, its roof open to an azure sky with a few half-melted corrugated plastic panels hanging off at crazy angles. Inside are the remains of what the Libyans insist was a naval training and maintenance workshop, though it does include remains of four Soviet-made surface-to-surface missile launching vehicles, as well as fuel tankers, stores and other mangled equipment, all shrouded in an acrid fug of burned rubber and scorched metal, with rubble and shrapnel crunching underfoot. Captain Fathi al-Raati, neat in a ribbed blue uniform sweater with gold epaulettes, thinks the enemy had intended to destroy the half-dozen patrol and missile craft moored nearby. But they are untouched – and off limits to the reporters escorted to the site by information ministry minders. Thankfully, there had been no additions to the 48 fatalities recorded so far. “The personnel were told to leave as we were expecting this,” said al-Raati, explaining that the damage was done by six Tomahawk cruise missiles fired in two salvoes from naval vessels offshore – far outgunning air defences that were always rickety and have now, as the Libyans privately admit, been effectively suppressed. Bousseta’s sailors are making the most of the media presence, waving machine-guns and chanting patriotic slogans, as if having had their base bombed is some sort of military triumph. Libyans often insist they take pride in their ability to withstand attacks, though the crowds on the promenade are subdued, few of them buying the tea, water and nuts on sale on little plastic tables set by enterprising vendors. No one was shouting anything. Officially, there is nothing but bravado and defiance. Callers to the talk show on al-Shababiya (youth) radio are greeted by the presenter with the apparently bizarre words “Good morning victory” along with excoriating abuse of Libya’s enemies: the Arab League, which supported calls for the imposition of a no-fly zone, is referred to as “the Jewish League”. The “national council” formed by the Benghazi-based rebels is described as the “council of agents of the conspiracy”. The “conspiracy” is clear – to occupy and partition Libya and steal its oil. Al-Jazeera satellite TV, owned by the emir of Qatar, draws particular hostility, but its Saudi-owned rival al-Arabiya is equally loathed. State media refer routinely to the “Crusader-Zionist aggression” and highlight any opposition to it. Al-Jamahiriya TV quoted at length today from a Guardian story about Monday’s Stop the War rally in London, and gave prominence to Bolivia’s Evo Morales demanding that Barack Obama return his Nobel peace prize. Another big theme is normality: ordinary people interviewed on TV insist that everything is fine and functioning, shops are open, schools operating and work continuing, though the many shuttered premises in the alleys off Tripoli’s main Omar al-Mukhtar street tell a different story. So did the soldiers and the anti-aircraft battery at the entrance to the radio station overlooking the harbour, close to the centre than the battered Bousetta base. Older Libyans are distinctly unimpressed by Operation Odyssey Dawn. Mahfud Turki, 81, a former footballer who works in the famous Salim cafe on Green Square, remembers far worse danger when the “English navy” bombarded Tripoli in 1941. “This is nothing compared to that,” he says with a grin. The future may be unclear, but Gaddafi remains popular with poor people because he makes sure their monthly salaries are paid, Turki says. It is hard to assess the real impact of the war so far, but whatever their views, Libyans seem to be getting used to it. “It is all fine during the day,” says Ahmed, a 20-something driver. “Everything is normal until nine at night when the attacks start.” State TV reported on Tuesday that “masses” of citizens were heading for a fourth evening running to join protests at Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound – to defend the “brother leader of the revolution” from Libya’s many enemies. “Now it’s boom, boom every night,” sneers one merchant. “Fuck the Americans.” Libya Muammar Gaddafi Middle East United Nations Ian Black guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 23, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.