The force of rebellion in Libya has been unable to cohere on the battlefield. With the tide of war ebbing all the way back to Brega, Misrata is barely hanging on but determined:
“By God, I would go back to Misrata the first chance I get,” said Muhammad el Suker, 28. A salesman-turned-rebel fighter, el Suker was hit in the stomach by shrapnel, forcing him to leave behind his father, mother, seven brothers and three sisters.
He said he is worried about his family and painted a disturbing picture of a war-torn city.
“There are so many killed,” he said. “They’re killing, violating our honor, robbing our homes. Anything that is wrong, they are doing. You can’t imagine what’s going on there.”
A week ago, I had readers at C & L telling me that “America doesn’t do humanitarian.” In fact, America must do humanitarian, and does. The question is whether we will; America has already begun to withdraw, so it’s not likely. The United States is probably the only country on Earth with the hospital ships, hovercraft, and aircraft carriers to evacuate what is left of Misrata.
