East of the centre of Tripoli, not far from the now-deserted British embassy and the old Marriott hotel, crowds of Libyans are gathering to see first-hand evidence of the impact of the “colonialist crusader aggression” denounced by Muammar Gaddafi.
Normally, passers-by might not have noticed Bousseta naval base, an unremarkable cluster of metal sheds around a jetty, half-hidden from view by a high wall. It was hit at about 10pm on Monday, one of the first targets of the third wave of Âcoalition attacks, now a nightly routine of explosions and the crump-crump of erratic and ineffective anti-aircraft fire.
From the road, where the onlookers are double-parking their cars and getting out to gawp, not much is visible. But close up it is a scene of devastation. A hangar-like building has been blown apart, its roof open to the sky. Inside are the remains of what the Libyans insist was a naval training and maintenance workshop, though it does include remains of four Soviet-made, surface-to-surface missile launching vehicles, as well as fuel tankers, stores and other mangled equipment.
Captain Fathi al-Raati thinks the enemy intended to destroy the half-dozen patrol and missile craft moored nearby, but they are untouched. “The personnel were told to leave, as we were expecting this,” said al-Raati, explaining that the damage was done by six Tomahawk cruise missiles fired in two salvoes from naval vessels off shore — far outgunning air defences that were always rickety and have now, as the Libyans privately admit, been effectively suppressed.
Bousseta’s sailors are waving machine guns and chanting patriotic slogans, as if having had their base bombed is a military triumph. Libyans take pride in their ability to withstand attacks, though the crowds on the promenade are subdued.
Officially, there is nothing but bravado and defiance. Callers to the talk show on Al Shababiya (youth) radio are greeted by the presenter with the apparently bizarre words, “Good morning victory”, with abuse of Libya’s enemies. The Arab League, which supported calls for the imposition of a no-fly zone, is referred to as “the Jewish League”. The national council formed by the Benghazi-based rebels is described as the “council of agents of the conspiracy”.
Al Jazeera, owned by the emir of Qatar, draws particular hostility, but its Saudi-owned rival, Al Arabiya, is equally loathed. State media refer Âroutinely to the “Crusader-Zionist aggression” and highlight any opposition to it.
Another theme is normality: ordinary people interviewed on TV insist that everything is fine, shops are open, schools operating and work continuing. But the shuttered premises in the alleys off Tripoli’s main Omar al-Mukhtar Street tell a different story.
Libyans seem to be getting used to bombardment. “It is all fine during the day,” says Ahmed, a 20-something driver. “Everything is normal until nine at night when the attacks start.” “Now it’s boom, boom every night,” says one merchant. “Fuck the ÂAmericans.” – Guardian News & Media 2011