The Siege

Misurata, Libya

They were no soldiers, many had never seen a AK-47 but in pictures. There was no discipline, no order and it was a mess - in the beginning. But slowly they understood and those who could use weapons were in the frontline and the others practiced. And took care of the checking points and such in the city. 

An ordinary, a bit fat owner of a car repair shop - he was not a rebel, he had even been to Gaddafi's army, but he joins them because that is the only way forward. And he knows some of the guns and how to use them. He is also a good organizer and loses weight with increasing speed. Has a wife and grown kids.

A teacher of history, devoted muslim and a father of three. He sits in a room with a hole in the wall with a sniper rifle and shoots people. On the table he has a Curan and a glass of water. He is very dedicated and accurate - no bullets lost. 

A doctor who sleeps standing and is finally broken as he watches his nephews five year old daughter die of a head wound  unable to do anything. But other wounded are waiting and the show must go on.

A young pilot, who realizes it must have been his missile that went to a wrong target killing many. Such things happen but the guilt is not so easy and faceless as you imagine.

The journalist covering the situation inside the besieged city: stories from the street,  over crowded hospitals, mosques, schools. The city is deteriorating by bombings and constant gunfire, buildings burning and full of holes. Cluster bombs and white phosphorus make their terrible marks and no-one really cares...

There are also photographers covering the fighting. They are not so popular among the rebels but it is understood that they are necessary: the international community wants to see what is happening and if any help is expected... And then they get a full load; five photographers are hit, two die, two are wounded, and one tells the story... on his fb page even before their families are noticed. (The page is shut from public when this is noticed.)

And then there is acarvin in Washington DC - Andy Carvin - delivering all this immediately to the world via Twitter. Videos - graphic - streaming through Youtube and short messages sent and received. ( The guy is going to get next year  the Pulitzer that was not delivered this year...) 

And they all live their daily life becoming harder and surviving night by night, dying and leaving others to continue until ...

Woman who? There on the spot...

If they would have had mobiles in concentration camps would it have made a difference? Maybe not...  They had tv-cams in Ruanda and Serbia: we all knew but nothing happened!  Is it because the international community is unable - or unwilling - to react, and why? We do react  in natural catastrophies... so why not to man-made? It is like domestic violence, private - can you interfere? But is that not why the community exists? At homes it is the physically weaker wife who usually gets beaten, and kids, of course are beaten by both. In a country women are shut of and restricted as are kids - both suffer while men play heroes!

And what is so great in fighting? Seems to me that wars and rebel,lions come after regular intervals and are needed to 'clear the vision', to wash away the unnecessary burdens. Of course they leave traumas but  one might see those traumas as necessary and natural parts of life... You just learn to live with them, grow into them and perhaps they are the force that prevents new wars to occure during there lifetime.

I think that somehow the net has changed the meaning of private and public - you should not hang in the old ways when the times change, no. You should accept the change and ride the waves. You should let go of the past, let go the rules and let go  your friends and lovers. There shall be a new world to explore, build and develope... At least so it is said... but in reality you won't have a new world, no. Someone just shows you where you belong and spits on you...  wandering jew as u r...

the use of youtube material? as the people watch them in comps...

the stories of these people...

- Flashes in The Dark -

She is a student. She shall dress as a man and has a  cam and sneaks on the streets...

Was it worth it?