Benghazi about to get bombed

Two pilots defected to Malta earlier rather than obey such orders. What about the rest of the pilots in the air force? Will they obey?

2001: Ominous news from our colleagues over at BBC Monitoring: “‘Libyan military source confirms orders were issued for the aerial bombardment of Benghazi within two hours,'” reported Al-Arabiya TV in an urgent screen caption at 1947 GMT.”

That’s right, people. He’s going to bomb the 2nd largest city in his own country, including those citizens who aren’t even on the streets. Imagine if Mubarak had sent the Egyptian air force to level Alexandria. The G-word (genocide) is getting thrown around a bit by his own corps of diplomatic defectors, and we’re indeed inching closer to that point.

What are the recent historical precedents for this? Syria’s Hafez Assad plowed over much of Hama to crush a rebellion in 1982. But air force attacks on one of one’s own cities? I struggle to think of a parallel, though there must be some.