I Had No Idea

Obviously I don't keep up with current events enough, because I was surprised to read this morning that Qaddafi has an all-female (and virgin) group of bodyguards.

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Some look like they just came off a set for a Tarantino movie.

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Quote from an interesting article on his female posse:

"On a good day, the bodyguards make Qaddafi look like Hef. On a bad day, a Bond villain. On every day, a crackpot."

Too bad they seem to be more interesting to most people for their sex appeal than the fact that they are an elite squad of trained fighters. And many reports refer to them as girls, rather than women. From another article:

"The beautiful security girl was one of a 40-strong, all-woman unit of personal guards who are trained killers and also claim to be virgins."

Even though on the surface they appear to be in positions of power, the fact that they are required to be virgins and more emphasis is placed on their appearance than in a typical male detail, seems to me like they still less than "equal."

But they do get to carry heavy artillery, so maybe that makes up for it?