Libya News: another mid-east domino topples

All this king's horses, and all the king's men (not to mention the long-faithful all-female guard [about which, see our earlier article here]. could not keep Muammar's regime intact.  From this morning's New York Times:

"Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's grip on power dissolved with astonishing speed as rebels swept the capital, declaring victory. Colonel Qaddafi’s precise whereabouts remained unknown and news reports said loyalist forces still held pockets of the city, stubbornly resisting the rebel advance. Overnight, in Tripoli’s central Green Square, the site of many manufactured rallies in support of Colonel Qaddafi, jubilant Libyans tore down posters of him and stomped on them. The rebel leadership announced that the elite presidential guard protecting the Libyan leader had surrendered and that their forces controlled many parts of the city, but not Colonel Qaddafi’s leadership compound."

Previously on Quaddafi on ATIT: The women a/k/a Amazonian Guards charged with keeping Muammar Qaddafi in one piece

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The women a/k/a Amazonian Guards charged with keeping Muammar Qaddafi in one piece

By Jack Brummet, Social Mores Editor

I have always thought that Muammar Qaddafi is one of the most interesting world leaders.  Not the sanest, friendliest, or most stable, but most interesting.  His choice of bodyguards is just another fascinating aspect of his strange and kaleidoscopic personality.  This is not news--it's been written about before, but with Libya in the front of the news these days, why not take another look and dig up some photos?

In some ways, this cadre of female bodyguards reminds me a little of Kill Bill. 

Gaddafi/Khaddafi/Qaddafi's "Amazonian Guard" is a 40-300 member bodyguard (depending on your sources) charged with keeping the strange dictator in one piece.  The Guard, is composed entirely of women. Most reports say that to qualify as a member of the guard, the women must be virgins.  They are each hand picked by Qaddafi.  They've done their job, including laying down their lives when he was attacked in the late 1990's. 

The guards are trained in martial arts, trained to kill, and to die for Qaddafi if it comes to that.  As I mentioned, it has come to that.  And it could come to that very soon again if things disintegrate at the pace they've been in Libya.  Some reports say that many of these women are of Cuban decent (due to Castro's friendship with Qaddafi) as well as Libyans.

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