@ShababLibyaLibyanYouthMovement
Wounded Gaddafi soldier says morale of troops is low Reuters shabablibya.org/?p=4237 #Libya
Wounded Gaddafi soldier says morale of troops is low
July 23, 2011
MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) – Morale is low among troops fighting for Muammar Gaddafi on the front west of Misrata and many are reluctant to fight back against rebel attacks, a recently-wounded loyalist soldier told Reuters on Friday.
“Most of them are exhausted, especially as we approach the month of Ramadan,” said the soldier, who spoke on condition his name and his hometown not be mentioned for fear of reprisals against his family. “They don’t want to fight during Ramadan.” “They want everything to settle and we’re all Libyan brothers,” he added. “We don’t want to harm each other.” Muslims observe the month of Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours and praying. It is traditionally a time families spend together. This year’s Ramadan promises to be gruelling for Muslims, starting during the hot and dry month of August. The soldier gave the interview from his bed at Misrata’s Al Hikma hospital with no one in the room except Reuters staff, offering a rare insight into the morale in Gaddafi’s camp.
The soldier said he was shot in the left thigh two or three days ago by rebel fighters on the front line that has been pushed amid heavy fighting and bombardment to around 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Misrata. That puts the front around 6 kilometres east of Zlitan, the largest city remaining between the rebels and the capital Tripoli 160 km away. Rebel fighters in Misrata frequently say many of the young soldiers they come up against in combat seem reluctant to fight, an impression the young soldier confirmed. “There is no organisation or planning,” he said in a quiet voice. “Most times we withdraw.” TREATING BOTH SIDES
When asked why he had joined the fight against the rebels, the government soldier said he had been lied to at the military college he was attending when the uprising began. “They didn’t allow us to watch media channels,” he said. “We were only allowed to watch Libyan (state) television.”
