So you’re Gaddafi, a bloody-handed dictator, and the rebels are advancing steadily toward your capital. What do you do? Bring out the Cold War weaponry! The AP says scud missiles are now officially in counterrevolutionary battle.
Luckily for the revolutionaries, the 290km+ long-range ballistic missile — which hasn’t seen significant action since the first Gulf War — didn’t hurt anyone in the strike against northern Libyan rebels. Unluckily for Gaddafi, this trump card didn’t hurt anyone. Firing 1960s-era missiles is likely a sign of a tenuous grip and a hugely weakened military — if it’s taken this many months for the scud to launch, there’s probably a reason for that. As in, they’re probably not working significantly well.
This, as opposed to the rebels, whose ingenuity has only expanded as their fight’s intensified. We’ll see if Qaddafi has any more scuds up his sleeve. [AP]
Photo of Israeli Scud launch by Getty