Libyans Deliver Boot to Islamist Militia

[spacemonkey]

[Boris Johnson]

[spacemonkey]

Yes Boris, they did, but we had plenty of war stuff ourselves. The main weapon they had that we didn't was determination.

[Thundertaker]

Before everyone gets too teary-eyed with joy at having had their faith in the human race restored/confirmed/whatever, lets not forget that the incident that led to this was during a typical, highly-popular demonstration of violent, over-reactive, surging butthurt over someone saying something less than flattering about their precious prophet in the manner that only angry Arab Muslims can.
The Libyans are just better educated than their average fellow Arabs, and just happen to be better placed to understand where their bread is buttered when they've realised things have gone too far.
The fact of the matter is, these Islamist militias could not operate as brazenly and as openly as they have in the first place if they did not enjoy a lot of support from a significant section of the Libyan population from which they draw their strength...

[The Comrade]

So street gangs in the us have widespread support of both the city ands it's Populace? Thats why they exist? Because you're implying Such aDynamic here. That they have support nd that's their only reason for existing.

[Thundertaker]

[The Comrade]

[Thundertaker]

[The Comrade]

[Thundertaker]

Never said that they ever constituted a majority, just a significant portion. If the proportion of people who held extremist views was as small is it is in the average civilised western country, these Islamist nutters would be few and far between and would be forced to a lot more furtive than they are, getting together with their fellow cranks and putting the world to rights behind closed doors, as opposed to brazenly charging around in technicals, setting up checkpoints and whipping crowds up into a zealous fervour against the infidels. I can't imagine christian extremists in this country being able to scrape together enough like-minded individuals to riot, bomb and burn in protest at a local art gallery hosting a 'piss christ' exhibit, and that is the difference. Islamism will also have far more political influence in even the most optimistic assumption of Libya's future than any kind of extremism has in the west...