Gadhafi Steels for Drawn-Out Fight

Resources are plentiful, and analysts say he can outlast rebels
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 28, 2011 7:06 AM CDT
Libya Protests: Moammar Gadhafi Steels for Long Fight
A Libyan woman holds a picture of Moammar Gadhafi during a defense and security workshop presented by the army at a school in the town of Al-Sbeia, on April 27, 2011.   (Getty Images)

Moammar Gadhafi is digging in his heels for a long fight, training and arming civilian volunteers as young as 11 and bringing in truckloads of food through Tunisia. Despite an air and sea embargo, food is plentiful for pro-Gadhafi Libyans since it can come in through bordering countries, and Gadhafi has also hired foreign consultants to help him get around sanctions. Close observers believe his government can handle pressure from rebels and international forces for a long time, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Pro-Gadhafi businessmen can travel freely, and despite travel bans on top Gadhafi associates, Tunisia is fairly lax about pro-regime officials traveling through its territories. And while the EU, UK, and US have frozen about $120 billion of Libya's state assets, analysts believe the government has much more inside Libya and other African allies. Because of all his resources, Gadhafi can pay soldiers to fight the rebels. "He has billions of dollars that he can use for a while," says one expert. "He can outwait the rebels." (More Libya stories.)

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