Ordered to Attack Own People, Libyan Pilots Crash Their Jets

On Wednesday, the Gadhafi regime ordered two of its pilots to attack the opposition stronghold of Benghazi – part of the Libyan government’s ongoing attempt to bomb activists into submission. But rather than make that attack run, Abdessalam Attiyah al-Abdali and his co-pilot Ali Omar al-Kadhafi bailed. They parachuted out of their Russian-made Sukhoi 22, and let the jet crash about 100 miles west of Benghazi.
 
It’s the latest example of Libyan officers breaking from their one-time masters in Tripoli. On Tuesday, a Libyan warship arrived in Malta after its crew refused to attack Benghazi. The day before, two more pilots jetted over to Malta, unwilling to fire on fellow Libyans.
But Gadhafi still has enough cronies and mercenaries to continue the attacks. Eyewitnesses in Tripoli tell the Guardian that Navy warships are bombarding the city. Guns-for-hire are roaming the streets at night.
The U.N.’s top human rights official says there may be a need to impose a no-fly zone to stop the aerial attacks. Even Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, no stranger to thuggery, says he’s disgusted by what he sees. “How can a leader subject his own people to a shower of machine-guns, tanks and bombs? How can a leader bomb his own people?” he asks.

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