Seemingly, to me, the Libyan revolution came out of nowhere. I really expected other places such as Yemen to dominate the headlines about people power.
It looks as though I wasn't alone in that thinking, the 'international community' very obviously didn't think the mad colonel was in any danger because they had no contingency plans in place.
Only after the country imploded and they realised their citizens in Libya were in grave danger did they start to work out evacuation plans.
Those plans have gone wrong very often too, for example with the British PM having to apologise for the stuff-up, and reportedly carpeting his ministers.
At this late stage the Aussies are being told to head to the airport where arrangements have been made with allies to evacuate them. I can't even begin to imagine the chaos and confusion there is and will continue to be.
Out of the blue Libya started to dominate the news. The speed of the changes and the success of the revolutionaries is astonishing.
What hasn't surprised me is the crazed raving of the colonel. Dressed just like Michael Jackson on tour he's been ranting almost incoherently - but behind the pantomime has been the very real threat of the massacre of demonstrators.
At long long last the 'international community' has started to speak out against the regime and it looks as though sanctions, even perhaps some sort of military action, are imminent.
Having supplied the weapons he's been using against the demonstrators it now seems that the west won't replace the spent arms. Assets squirreled away by the ruling family are being frozen. Diplomats and members of his government are defecting.
The regime is increasingly isolated and has all-but gone.
I'm afraid there's going to be terrible bloodshed though before they're finally driven out.
The colonel's son Saif al-Islam has been on tv telling the world they have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. They are identical, to live and die in Libya.
Like a cornered wounded animal they will fight to the death and take as many of their opponents with them as they can.
I sincerely hope the 'international community' summons up the political will to step in and prevent that happening.
