In its coverage of today’s massive prison break, the BBC refers to Benghazi as “the troubled Libyan city,” and the escape of more than 1,000 prisoners today can only compound those troubles.
“Gunmen outside of the prison fired into the air as inmates inside began setting fires, suggesting the jailbreak was preplanned,” NBC News reports.
Some accounts claim that the prison escape was actually quite orderly, with dashboard camera video uploaded to Facebook reportedly showing inmates casually strolling away from the prison in plain sight alongside the road.
Video of prisoners leaving Al Kuwafiyah Prison, as if they are strolling in a park >1000 escaped. http://t.co/jItEwusILX #libya #Benghazi RT
— shabablibya (@ShababLibya) July 27, 2013
1000 prisoners leaving Alkwfyia prison in #Benghazi, they even have time to take their luggage with them, no rush. Video via @ShababLibya
— Libyan™ (@dovenews) July 27, 2013
Benghazi aka Gotham City. I'm just waiting for that scarecrow chap to rock up. #prisonbreak
— William Pannell (@willpannell) July 27, 2013
Surprised it doesn't happen more often in high-population prisons…Gotham-style #RiseUp @CBSNews Massive jailbreak at prison near Benghazi
— Raul Moreno (@RaulMoren0) July 27, 2013
https://twitter.com/Shoutybob/status/361201273602715648
https://twitter.com/batpie/status/361201215071195137
After Abu Ghraib, just incredible #Iraq RT @AP: BREAKING: More than 1,000 inmates escape from #Libya prison near Benghazi in mass jailbreak
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) July 27, 2013
Earlier this week, as many as 500 prisoners were freed from the high-security Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons in Iraq after militants detonated car bombs near the gates.
https://twitter.com/vbrobness/status/361205141392736257
There aren’t many details available at this time, but early reaction to the news from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) sums things up nicely from an American perspective.
This can't be good. #Benghazi http://t.co/rYsRdYSuiF
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) July 27, 2013
Thought "AlQuaeda on the run" & "decimated"@jasoninthehouse: This can't be good. #Benghazi http://t.co/xwMGUCmSb0”
— Rhonda (@rhondaschellin) July 27, 2013