This picture has gone viral on Facebook.
Flip-flops, the rice paddy squat, and a "combat minstrel": this picture has it all. When I went to save it, I couldn't even figure out what to call it so I just went with "WTF." There's a ton of expended brass on the ground. Anybody think they actually hit anything?
I can't quite tell which Third World cesspool this picture is from. The Liberian civil war generated some epic pictures of "unique" tactics and load-outs like this, but that was several years ago. One of the resulting Facebook threads suggested that this is a current shot from the on-going Battle of Sirte in Libya. Do any of you readers recognize the setting and people?
By: Guardian
I'm guessing Libya too. I see what looks like a PKM, an FN FAL, and an AK-47 with the front handgrip that I think is a Romanian variant. Typical mix of weapons seen in videos of the Libyan fighting. The guys in the picture are dark but not Negroid, and the varied uniform and camouflage patterns also fit what I've seen. Can't identify the make of guitar, though.
ReplyDeleteI think they're hitting each other. I saw some video on the news the other night and the muzzle discipline was lacking, to say the least. Honestly, they probably cause more casualties amongst themselves than the pro-Q forces.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm imaginging it really hard, but I thought Libya under Gaddhafi (yes, that's how I'm spelling it today) had a draft for young men. Granted, most draft programs in 3rd world countries are like six-month public works programs where you learn to march in step and get some of the mickey taken out of you, but you'd think they would learn a little bit about where and how to point the rifle....
ReplyDeleteThat's how it was in Hungary. I had a couple of buddies that did their mandatory 18 months. Their daily activity was walking the 2 kilometer runway and ensuring it was clear of debris. They did learn to fight a stubborn resistance to boredom.
ReplyDelete"LOL-fest Libya 2011!" -- That would be a good name for the pic. Paint-ball folks would do better...
ReplyDeleteWhile the guitar is certainly a nice touch, I'm not sure anything beats the parasol-toting gunman from Liberia a few years ago. The life preserver guy was pretty funny, too, but I think the guitar might beat that one, as I could see life preserver guy trying to convince himself it was a bulletproof vest.
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