Libyan security forces opened fired on mourners at a funeral for anti-government protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi again Sunday, a day after commandos and foreign mercenaries loyal to longtime leader Gadhafi pummeled demonstrators with assault rifles and other heavy weaponry as well as knives.
One doctor claims 200 dead just there.
I'm not sure from the reporting whether the Libyan government is trying to control the streets--requiring lots of loyal security forces--or just trying to kill enough protesters to scare the surviving protesters away from the streets.
The use of snipers reported yesterday along with foreign mercenaries seemed to indicate that the Libyan regime may not have the trusted forces to put numbers in the streets (and several years ago (2006?), Tunisia supplied the troops to help with putting down protests--that option is gone now).
Of course, I could be wrong that there is significance to using force to kill protesters rather than force to control real estate (with protester casualties a pleasant side effect for the government) and drive the protesters off the streets. But so far protesters across the Arab world have felt that controlling the protest site is a key objective to undermining the regimes they oppose.
UPDATE: Some troops siding with protesters?
In Benghazi, site of the funeral clashes, pro-Gadhafi forces were chased from a presidential compound by other troops sympathetic to the anti-government demonstrators, a witness said.
And Libya's representative to the Arab League resigned to protest the violent repression.
UPDATE: Well:
The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says protesters have seized control of some military bases and tanks.
I assume he means in the east.
One dictator won't be sleeping well the next few days, at least.
