This donkey in Benghazi, pictured at the great Feb. 17 site, wears a sign that says, “I understand you, but he doesn’t understand.”
Now other news from Libya:
Qadhafi’s Crimes
Report: Pro-Gadhafi forces enter Libyan town Zawiyah; dozens killed
The rebellion in Zawiyah has been an embarrassment to Libyan authorities who are trying to show they control at least the west of the country.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-pro-gadhafi-forces-enter-libyan-town-zawiyah-dozens-killed-1.347261?localLinksEnabled=false
Gaddafi fights to regain control
Embattled Libyan leader launches military and diplomatic offensive in a bid to cling to power as rebels close in on him.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/03/2011355948541399.html
AJE “A helicopter was shelling us. Still, victory will be ours” Video from Ras Lanuf hospital
This video has been posted online in the past few hours, and purports to show the hospital mortuary in Ras Lanuf dealing with the injured – and the corpses – resulting from yesterday’s fighting in the city. The video contains footage the viewer may find disturbing. Translations are below the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twTu4OXKoXg&feature=player_embedded
At least 30 killed as fighting rages in Libya’s east
The rebellion in Az Zawiyah – the closest rebel-held territory to the capital and also the site of an oil refinery – has been an embarassment to the Libyan authorities who are trying to show they control at least the west of the country.
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/03/201134161217430734.html
Libyan paramedics targeted by pro-Gaddafi forces
Libyan medical teams tell Amnesty International how they came under fire from pro-Gaddafi security forces while carrying out their work. Libyan medical teams have told Amnesty International how they came under fire from pro-Gaddafi security forces yesterday while carrying out their work. Two medics from the Libyan Red Crescent trying to retrieve a body near the town of Misratah were injured by shooting from a nearby military installation belonging to the Hamza Brigade, a military force loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi. “This was a deliberate attack on medical professionals, who were wearing full medical uniform and arrived in two clearly marked Red Crescent ambulances,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/libyan-paramedics-targeted-pro-gaddafi-forces-2011-03-04
Colonel Abdullah Al Mahdi: Death Toll 6,000
March 4 (Bloomberg) — The conflict in Libya between government troops and opponents of leader Muammar Qaddafi has left 6,000 people dead, the [opposition] forces spokesman, Colonel Abdullah Al Mahdi, said on Al Jazeera television today. Al Mahdi, who defected from Qaddafi’s military, said the [opposition] has captured 50 mercenaries, including some from Niger and Chad, and will next target the capital, Tripoli.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-04/libya-rebel-forces-say-6-000-killed-in-conflict-tripoli-is-next.html
Gaddafi forces hit Libyan rebels
A doctor at one of the hospitals in rebel-held territory, where casualties were being treated from the fierce clashes round the refinery town of Raslanuf on Friday, said there were “many dead and wounded” by rocket fire from loyalist defenders.
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/gaddafi-forces-hit-libyan-rebels-20110305-1bidu.html
Fighting rages in Libya’s east
At least 30 civilians killed after Gaddafi loyalists try to retake rebel-held town of Az Zawiyah, witnesses say.
http://english.aljazeera.net//video/africa/2011/03/201134161217430734.html
Battle For The City of al-Zawiyah: Raw Video
Warning – Video contains graphic footage depicting the reality and horror of war and should only be viewed by a mature audience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugGeCCcssIo&feature=player_embedded
Breaking News: AFP reporters saw 11 bodies in the morgue, “horrifically disfigured and burnt”
http://feb17.info/media/breaking-news-revolutionaries-find-20-dead-bodies-handcuffed-at-a-base-in-ras-lanuf/
13-year-old Boy Among Killed in Brega
The Guardian Reports: A 13-year-old boy was killed when pro-Gaddafi forces tried to retake Brega on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch is reporting. It says Hassan Umran was herding goats when he was shot in the head. The organisation’s emergencies director, Peter Bouckaert, visited a morgue in Ajdabiya to try to establish a death toll from Wednesday’s fighting. Peter also provided us with excellent updates from Alexandria during the Egyptian protests.
http://feb17.info/media/13-year-old-boy-among-killed-in-brega/
FEB 17 Voices: Witness from Zawiyah (English Translation)
A witness from Zawiyah describes the massacre that occurred today. They have buried two people already, and many people are injured.
http://feb17.info/media/feb-17-voices-witness-from-zawiyah-english-translation/
Rebel spokesman: Blast at weapons depot outside Benghazi
BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — A huge explosion on Friday ripped through a military weapons depot outside Benghazi, the main city held by Libyan rebels fighting Moamer Kadhafi, a spokesman for the rebel leadership said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365562
Report: Attack by Gadhafi forces on Libya arms dump kills 17
Earlier in day, 30 were reported killed when forces loyal to the Libyan leader shelled and captured parts of Zawiyah, a town near Tripoli that had been taken over by rebels.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-attack-by-gadhafi-forces-on-libya-arms-dump-kills-17-1.347230?localLinksEnabled=false
Battles erupt in key cities, moving Libya closer to civil war
Anti-Qaddafi forces seized a key town Friday, but are facing a crackdown in Tripoli. Meanwhile, Benghazi suffered its first assault from the regime in two weeks.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/TCqamRtFQDw/Battles-erupt-in-key-cities-moving-Libya-closer-to-civil-war
Gaddafi fights back in key city
Heavy casualties are reported as Colonel Gaddafi’s forces attack the rebel-held Libyan city of Zawiya, with clashes also reported in Tripoli and other cities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12652613
Libyan govt source: ‘Pockets of resistance’ in Zawiyah
TRIPOLI (AFP) — There are “pockets of resistance” in Zawiyah, near Tripoli, a Libyan government source said, after state television reported loyalist forces had retaken the city from rebels on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365524
Inside Story – Muammar Gaddafi: Fighting for survival?
Protests in Libya continue to be met with harsh violence and the death toll has now topped 1,000. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is warning Muammar Gaddafi, the country’s leader, that he will be held criminally responsible for his regime’s reaction to the protests that have been taking place since February 15. It took only five days for Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, to confirm that there was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. And for the first time in the court’s history, the probe is being actively supported by the US and other long-standing critics of the ICC, including China and Russia. The investigation is seen as a way to pressure Gaddafi loyalists to defect, thus weakening the war against the rebels. But is ICC involvement an incentive for the Libyan leader to respect human rights or will he simply fight harder for his political survival so as to avoid prosecution?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7x4MfOqpsg&feature=player_embedded
Loyalist Forces Open Fire on Tripoli Protesters, New York Times
KIRKPATRICK, TRIPOLI, Libya — Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi opened fired with tear gas and what a witness described as live ammunition to scatter protesters who had gathered after Friday noon prayers outside a mosque in a restive neighborhood of Tripoli, chanting slogans and defying the authorities’ attempt to lock down the capital., Young demonstrators hurled rocks at the militia forces cruising the Tajura neighborhood in blue trucks, but the crackle of fire from what sounded like automatic weapons panicked the protesters and they fled in several directions.
http://feb17.info/media/loyalist-forces-open-fire-on-tripoli-protesters/
Kadafi’s forces squelch anti-government protest but fail to seize Libyan rebel stronghold
Hundreds of demonstrators call for Moammar Kadafi’s downfall in Tripoli but are quickly dispersed by security forces. Rebels continue to hold nearby Zawiya after an assault organized by one of the embattled leader’s sons. Meanwhile, unrest continues in Yemen and Iraq. Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi’s security forces crushed an anti-government protest in the capital Friday but failed in their attempts to advance on a nearby rebel stronghold.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/APr8D4e24JQ/la-fg-mideast-unrest-20110305,0,1203936.story
Forces fire tear gas as Libya protesters
March 4, 2011-TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have fired tear gas at protesters marching in the capital Tripoli, calling for the Libyan leader’s ouster. The security forces fired at least five cannisters of tear gas at the crowd of around 1,500 protesters in the Tripoli district of Tajoura. The crowd briefly scattered, but rejoined to continue their march, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
http://feb17.info/media/forces-fire-tear-gas-as-libya-protesters/
Arabiya reports Brega attack, residents unaware
BREGA, Libya, March 4 (Reuters) – Al Arabiya news network said on Friday that Muammar Gaddafi’s forces renewed their bombing of the Libyan oil terminal of Brega, but three sources in the town said they were not aware of any new attack. Two rebel sources and one civilian told Reuters that they had not heard any renewed bombing, but were checking the report.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/arabiya-reports-brega-attack-residents-unaware
Gaddafi forces bomb in oil town of Brega-Arabiya
BREGA, Libya, March 4 (Reuters) – Muammar Gaddafi’s forces renewed their bombing of the Libyan oil terminal town of Brega in the east of the country on Friday, Al Arabiya news network reported. Two sources in Brega told Reuters they had not heard a new attack, but were checking the report.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/gaddafi-forces-bomb-in-oil-town-of-brega-arabiya
Airstrikes in Brega
http://feb17.info/video/airstrikes-in-brega-march-3/
Battle for Brega Airport
http://feb17.info/video/battle-for-brega-airport/
GRAPHIC: Footage of soldiers executed by Gaddafi forces for refusing to shoot protesters
This is the real movie that demonstrates the falsity of Gaddafi run state tv which accused the rebels of executing these soldiers after muting the audio and filtering sections of it. The fact of the footage is that there was a group of Libyan soldiers who refused to obey orders to shoot their fellow Libyans and they were executed by the regime and its mercenaries. We can see at the end of the footage a dying soldier who is being encouraged to say the testimony of faith. We ask God to accept the martyrs of this nation.
Translation:
Cameraman: These guys have been killed here. You can see the bullet shells strewn all over.
Cameraman: He said from AzZawiyah, he said Mu’ammar sent him…
Man: Say there is no god except God
Another man: There is no god except God
Cameraman: Give him water. Alright alright, don’t give him too much, you might kill him
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/graphic-footage-of-soldiers-executed-by-gaddafi-forces-for-refusing-to-shoot-protesters/
Wounded in Ajdabiya
This video taken on March 2nd shows the injured civilians that were wounded during bombing and clashes with Gaddafi forces.
http://feb17.info/video/hospital-in-ajdabiya-march-2/
Injured protester in Brega (March 1st)
http://feb17.info/video/injured-protester-in-brega-march-1st/
Interview with ambulance driver near Misrata
http://feb17.info/video/interview-with-ambulance-driver-near-misrata/
‘Men Found Buried Alive’ At Gaddafi Compound
Sky News has uncovered disturbing new evidence of the barbarity of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya east, where the opposition movement has seized control. Libyan revolutionaries in Benghazi claim to have rescued seven prisoners that had been buried alive. They say the group was found entombed in a small underground cell in the city’s dreaded government compound – forbidden territory for 40 years, now overrun by the forces of revolution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oex0RyhWeoE&feature=player_embedded
http://feb17.info/media/underground-prisions-revealed-in-benghazi/
Libya has ‘significant’ stockpile of chemical weapons, NBC News
More than decade ago, a Washington writer penned a novel based on Moammar Gadhafi’s willingness to use chemical weapons. Called “Circle William,” the novel was based on a supposed plot by Gadhafi to use chemical weapons against the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem and a ship christening ceremony in Norfolk, Va. Predictably, the plot failed because of the heroic efforts of two brothers.
http://feb17.info/media/libya-has-significant-stockpile-of-chemical-weapons/
Libyan officials bar reporters from leaving hotel, Reuters
Libyan authorities blocked foreign journalists from leaving their hotel to report on expected protests by opponents of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after Friday prayers. When journalists including Reuters reporters tried to walk out of the gates of the main media hotel, to the south of Tripoli city center, security guards blocked their way. A Libyan government spokesman said journalists were being kept in the Rixos hotel because their presence could trigger violence from what he described as affiliates of al Qaeda.
http://feb17.info/media/libyan-officials-bar-reporters-from-leaving-hotel/
Sky News: Saif Al Gaddafi says bombs were dropped to scare protesters
Libya, Brega Gaddafi’s Son Saif Al-Islam Tells Sky News Forces Have Not Bombed Civilians In Brega
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzKPn99JKVc&feature=player_embedded
Brega bombings to scare off militia – Gaddafi son
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – Libyan government bombing raids on the eastern town of Brega were designed to scare off militia and to gain control of oil installations, Saif al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, told Sky News on Thursday. “First of all the bombs (were) just to frighten them to go away,” he said in an interview in his car. “Not to kill them. “I’m talking about the harbour and the oil refinery there. Nobody would allow the militia to control Brega. It’s like allowing someone to control Rotterdam harbour in Holland.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/libya-saif-idUSLDE7221X920110303
Casualties mount as battle for Libya continues
BENGHAZI, Libya (IPS) – The walls outside the al-Jalah Hospital in downtown Bengazi are covered with posters of missing persons, mostly teenagers and young men who disappeared after the protests began. Inside, hundreds of gunshot victims recover from the street battle between Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and Benghazi’s citizens.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11842.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Gadhafi counts on planes, militias to survive
CAIRO (AFP) — Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi is relying on militias, mercenaries and Soviet-era airpower to prop up his regime as he tries to fight back against rebels in the east, analysts said. A bid by Kadhafi loyalists to retake the eastern oil port of Brega has thrown the spotlight on the relative strengths of the regime’s forces and the ragtag opposition army.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365378
Kadafi forces show Libya’s northwest under government control
Government-run checkpoints have replaced those set up by rebels. Along the 110-mile stretch between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, there were few visible signs of the unrest reported in recent days. A burned-out police station and the absence of the once-ubiquitous portraits of Col. Moammar Kadafi are evidence of what happened here recently. The camouflage-clad soldiers wielding AK-47s and glaring at passing motorists show who is in charge now.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/QNM9OO_3vqo/la-fg-libya-west-20110304,0,2475506.story
Kidnapping campaign in Tripoli
Al JazeeraThe Network of Free Ulema in Libya has said that pro-Gaddafi forces have been carrying out kidnappings in advance of tomorrow’s planned demonstrations.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/kidnapping-campaign-in-tripoli/
Libyan authorities accuse al Qaeda of sending in drugs
TRIPOLI, March 3 (Reuters) – Libyan authorities accused al Qaeda on Thursday of trying to smuggle 37 million painkillers into the country to alter the minds of young people to join a revolt against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Mahmoud Ali, who said he was the head of Libya’s anti-narcotics department, said authorities had intercepted shipments of Tramadol which had originated in Dubai and were purchased by a Libyan drug dealer with ties to al Qaeda.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libyan-authorities-accuse-al-qaeda-of-sending-in-drugs
Rage, fear and pain at Ajdabiya hospital in Libya
AJDABIYA, Libya (AFP) — “Gadhafi did this!” screams the armed man guarding the gate into Ajdabiya hospital, as a pick-up truck rushes past with another gunshot victim. The gate closes, and the guard, beside himself with rage, shouts at journalists trying to get in that they should clear off. “Move! Move!” he says, pointing to the street. Eventually, a calmer head prevails and points out another way in.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365377
Gaddafi’s son says no need for foreign mediation
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – Saif al Islam, the son of Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi, said on Thursday there was no need for any foreign role in ending Libya’s crisis when asked about a mediation offer by Venezuela. Saif said in an interview with Sky News that he had not heard about the offer by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, but added: “We have to say thank you … but we are able and capable enough to solve our issues by our own people … ourselves. There is no need for any foreign intervention.” “…They are our friends, we respect them, we like them, but they are far away. They have no idea about Libya. Libya is in the Middle East and North Africa. Venezuela is in Central America. We appreciate this.”
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7222DT20110303
Slick operator
How Saif Gaddafi used Libyan oil money to seduce the West.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-12626320
Gaddafi and sons determined to survive: insiders
Libyan strongman Moamer Gaddafi and his sons are determined to hold onto power and save their skins by every means possible, even if it takes a bloodbath, regime insiders and diplomat say.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/03/140077.html
Saif Gaddafi talks to Al Jazeera
One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al Islam, has been the public face of the regime since the unrest began. He has accused the international media, including Al Jazeera, of blowing the crisis out of proportion. In an interview with Anita McNaught, he repeated the allegation claiming the West was trying to take over Libya’s oil. You can watch the full Talk to Al Jazeera interview with Saif Al Islam Gaddafi at 15:30 GMT on Friday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mbBnxlCtUM&feature=youtube_gdata
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi calls on international community not to interfere in Libyan affairs
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s second-son and presumed heir, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, gave an exclusive telephone interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, during which he provided his account of the current situation in the country, and looked towards the future. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had previously been portrayed as something of a political reformer prior to the current crisis, however he has lately issued statements strongly supporting the Libyan regime, toeing the government-line that the protests have been incited by foreign terrorist groups, and even threatening the Libyan people with a civil war in which the regime “will fight to the last minute, until the last bullet.”
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24364
Translated video: Libyan sister raises morale!
A call from a Libyan sister. A call to all those who are free. A call to the eagles of Libya. Today is your day, tomorrow is your day free people of Libya. I tell every mother and every sister: Get up, and encourage your father, encourage your brother and encourage your husband and tell him GO OUT and don’t be scared, behind you are men, behind you is the mother of the free, behind you is a sister. Tell him GO OUT with a zaghroota (a type of sound made moving the tongue left and right and breathing out), bring them out my countrymen, go out! Tripoli must be free tomorrow.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/translated-video-libyan-sister-raises-morale/
The Opposition
Battle to oust Libyan tyrant intensifies
Moammar Gadhafi’s forces fought their way into the rebel-held western town of Zawiya Friday, leaving at least 30 civilians dead, but rebels said they had captured the eastern town of Ras Lanuf, extending their hold on eastern Libya.Another 17 people were killed Friday night in a raid by Gadhafi loyalists on an arms depot on the outskirts of Libya’s second city of Benghazi in the east of the country.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125643
Libyan rebels locked in battles
Libyan rebels are locked in battles with Gaddafi forces on two fronts, while apparently accidental blasts in a Benghazi arms depot kill at least 17.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12654670
Ras Lanuf Falls to Rebels, Juan Cole
In a major push west, rebel forces in Libya are said by Reuters to have taken the major petroleum and refining town of Ras Lanuf on the Mediterranean coast east of the capital of Libya, consolidating their control over the east of the country and its resources.
http://www.juancole.com/2011/03/ras-lanuf-falls-to-rebels.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+juancole%2Fymbn+%28Informed+Comment%29&utm_content=Twitter
Breaking: New Photos from Ras Lanuf
http://feb17.info/media/breaking-new-photos-from-ras-lanuf/
Libya rebels: Victory or death
Libya clashes widen, unrest in Tripoli as Gaddafi supporters open fire on protestors.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037682,00.html
Zawiyah rebel commander killed in clashes
TRIPOLI, March 4 (Reuters) – A leader of rebels in Zawiyah was killed in clashes on Friday with forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi trying to retake the rebel-held town near the capital, a rebel spokesman said. “Many people were killed in Harsha, which is now occupied by them,” rebel spokesman Youssef Shagan told Reuters by telephone, referring to a small town just outside Zawiyah.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/zawiyah-rebel-commander-killed-in-fighting-with-pro-gaddafi-forc
Libyan opposition leaders to get advice from UK military
British move comes as Interpol issues a global alert against Muammar Gaddafi and 15 other in an effort to enforce sanction. Britain is to send a team of experts capable of giving military advice into eastern Libya to make contact with opposition leaders as the struggle for control of the country escalates.
http://feb17.info/media/libyan-opposition-leaders-to-get-advice-from-uk-military/
African Mercenary Captured
An African mercenary is captured in the eastern regions of Libya. Amid the chaos, the men are torn between taking his life or sparing him. Shouts of “Don’t hit him…Don’t hit him, he has surrendered,” and “God is Great!” come from the onlookers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MMmpNvQDyKU
http://feb17.info/media/african-mercenary-captured/
Funerals held in Libya’s Ajdabiya
Mourners have been paying their respects to the opposition fighters who died in air raids on the Libyan towns of Brega and Ajdabiya. Six men were killed when Muammar Gaddafi’s forces attacked Ajdabiya. Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI34jElCYgI&feature=youtube_gdata
Protests in Tripoli after prayers
Libyan security forces are using tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters from the streets after Friday prayers in Col Gaddafi’s stronghold of Tripoli.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12644435
Mass Demonstration in Misrata
On March 4, after Friday prayers, a huge demonstration was launched from the mosque of Shaikh Ahmed in the city of Misratah and headed towards the center of the city near the People’s Hall. It was estimated that 100,000 people demonstrators were present all denouncing the crimes of Gadaffi and confirming their support and solidarity to the people of Tripoli
http://feb17.info/media/misrata-mass-demonstration/
Ajdabiya demonstration
On March 2nd , hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the eastern city of Ajdabiya to show support for freedom and to bury and honor those who died in their city. Ajdabiya was bombed by government aircraft’s on February 28, March 1, and March 2. Despite the attempts to kill and deter protesters, Ajdabiya remains under civilian control and they are still coming out- loud and proud.
http://feb17.info/video/ajdabiya-demonstration-march-2/
Libyan rebels set out conditions
Rebels in eastern Libya have said they will not engage in negotiations unless Col Muammar Gaddafi quits and goes into exile.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12643311
BREAKING – Spokesman for Benghazi’s Military Council: We have 10,000 recruits and volunteers
The spokesman for the Revolution’s Military Council in Benghazi has just informed Al Jazeera that they currently have 10,000 recruits and volunteers. They are currently in the process of organising them in preparation for the mission of liberating the remaining cities in the west of Libya and will begin mobilising this force westward soon.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/breaking-spokesman-for-benghazis-military-council-we-have-10000-soldiers-and-military-volunteers/
BREAKING: Families of Misratah offered 200,000 Libyan Dinars to stop protesting
Reliable sources have reported to Almanara Media from that cities of Misratah and Nalut that Colonel Gaddafi has sent negotiators to them in the hopes of reconciliation and to stress that Gaddafi is willing to oblige all their demands. The same sources also said that the negotiators had offered 200,000 Libyan Dinars to each family in Misratah that is prepared to go back to normal life, stop demonstrating and be reigned under the rule of Gaddafi once again.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/breaking-families-of-misratah-offered-200000-libyan-dinars-to-stop-protesting/
Everyone helps in Benghazi
This is a video of 11 year old Ayman who took on the responsibility of being a traffic officer in Benghazi.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/everyone-helps-in-benghazi/
Youth make Statement from Qal’aa
To the group of Libyan brothers in the East and West of Libya, and the North and South (Allahu Akbar/God is Great). To the noble group that sacrifices themselves for the freedom of Libya from this tyrannical regime of Gaddafi. God accept the martyrs into Paradise (Allahu Akbar/God is Great) And against the oppressor Gaddafi, who is trying to create chaos (and disunity) between the tribes of Libya. I assure you your plan is not going to affect us. And he (Gaddafi) will not get what he wants, God willing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y9Pg8CixI_o
http://feb17.info/media/youth-make-statement-from-qalaa/
Rebels solidify their hold on Port Brega oil facility
Opposition fighters say they drove Moammar Kadafi’s forces back to another town. The Kadafi loyalists launched airstrikes on rebel targets but there were no casualties, residents say. Libyan rebels solidified their hold on a key coastal oil complex Thursday by fortifying their positions a day after Moammar Kadafi’s forces attempted to seize the nation’s second-largest petroleum and natural gas facility.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/8d44eAHIbJk/la-fg-libya-fighting-20110304,0,1292437.story
Brega: ‘The last checkpoint of Libya’s revolution’ – video
Libyan rebels staff a checkpoint near the eastern oil terminal town of Brega, describing it as the “last point of the February 17 revolution” against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/mar/03/brega-checkpoint-libya-revolution
Benghazi: Headquarters of the ‘new Libya’
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said he will investigate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his sons and senior aides for crimes against humanity. Thousands of people are thought to have died after security forces targeted protesters in unrest which began in mid-February. The BBC’s Lyce Doucet reports from Benghazi, where the greatest alleged atrocities took place.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12643534?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Benghazi Journal: In Libya, ‘We Won.’ Then a Rebel Becomes a Martyr.
After the jubilation of turning back government forces in battle, the mourning and funerals for the dead.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/africa/04funeral.html
Libyan rebels honor ‘martyrs’
After the battle for Port Brega, rebels bury more fighters, including a man who had returned from Britain to check on family but was drawn into the fighting to protect a rebel-held oil town. Khaled Zarok Attghdi did not intend to go to war after he returned home to Libya from Manchester, England, four days ago to check on family.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/ZoJXkYYvir0/la-fg-libya-martyrs-20110304,0,970531.story
Weighing the options
Can Libya’s rebels break the stalemate with Gaddafi?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12642997
Take the fight to Qaddafi? In eastern Libya, not yet.
In eastern Libya, thousands of young men are signing up to fight Qaddafi. But at one checkpoint, the lack of any professional military leadership suggests a move on Tripoli is unlikely quite yet.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/4aiVc7KJtWI/Take-the-fight-to-Qaddafi-In-eastern-Libya-not-yet
Humanitarian Crisis
Surgeon speaks about his experience in Libya
Ahmed Radwan is an Egyptian vascular surgeon working as a volunteer in the town of Brega, treating patients wounded in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. In a video sent to Al Jazeera, he describes surgeries he carried out in Ajdabiya in the last two days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbBJOYxpxc&feature=youtube_gdata
Nurses asking people to donate blood in Benghazi
Benghazi hospitals suffer from a severe shortage in medicine and blood. Dedicated nurses and doctors took to the streets of Benghazi to the streets to request blood donations from the people. Female nurse: “Lets go people. We need blood donations. We need blood donations now.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNR3BpLQkxw&feature=player_embedded
International Medical Corps Teams in Libya & Tunisia Addressing Needs of Those Affected by Deadly Clashes
March 3, 2011 – Los Angeles, California – International Medical Corps’ emergency response team in Benghazi, Libya is assessing needs of those affected by the violence as well as distributing critical supplies to health structures serving the local population. An additional International Medical Corps team is in Tunisia which is experiencing a large influx of refugees fleeing the violence. The team conducted an assessment at the border in Tunisia and identified that some 25,000 Bangladeshis and Eritreans are on the Tunisian side of the border and are in need of assistance. They determined that on the Libyan side the situation is firmly in control of Qaddafi forces and that access for humanitarian agencies is still not possible. International Medical Corps has additional team members preparing to deploy to the border on the western part of Libya.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/international-medical-corps-teams-in-libya-tunisia-addressing-needs-of-those-affected-by-deadly-clashes
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya
http://www.facebook.com/LibyanMedicalRelief
Libya preventing refugees from leaving as fighting escalates
‘Libya no good!’ chanted refugees who had already made it across the Tunisia-Libya border. The flow of refugees has suddenly dropped 80 percent.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/XkImPnVtsyQ/Libya-preventing-refugees-from-leaving-as-fighting-escalates
U.S. flies aid to Tunisia, plans refugee airlift (Reuters)
Reuters – The U.S. military was flying aid supplies to Tunisia on Friday and will return there on Saturday to evacuate refugees who fled violence in neighboring Libya, the Pentagon said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110304/wl_nm/us_usa_mideast_humanitarian
Refugees airlifted from Tunisia
Humanitarian supplies flown in to aid refugee camps and Egyptians evacuated, though 10,000 Bangladeshis remain stranded.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/03/20113421954195507.html
Libya crisis: photo selection
Photos illustrating the ICRC’s response to the ongoing crisis in Libya. Media outlets are encouraged to download and use these photos, which are also available in high resolution. These photos were taken on 2 March 2011. The images show ICRC medical staff and Libyan doctors assessing the emergency response capacity of Al Bayda hospital in the eastern Libyan city of Al Bayda, following over two weeks of violent unrest in the country.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/photo-gallery/libya-photos-2011-03.htm
Humanitarian crisis at Libya’s borders
Dr. Hany El-Banna, the president of The Humanitarian Forum, has travelled to the Libyan borders with Tunisia and Egypt with Islamic Relief, Muslim Hands, Humanitarian Appeal and the Human Relief Foundation to deliver aid. With a population of 6.4 million from which 1.5 million are migrant workers the majority of which are Egyptians. As of today, as many as 172,874 people have crossed into neighbouring countries, with 91,175 in Tunisia alone due to recent unrest. In its latest situation report, the UN estimates that over 20,000 people are waiting at the Tunisian border for onward travel and transit camps have been set up.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/humanitarian-crisis-at-libyas-borders
Tragedy on Libya’s borders
While world media were awash Friday in stories of the battles for Zawiya and Raslanuf, with reports focusing on strategic outposts controlling oil and refineries, a humanitarian tragedy continued to unfold on Libya’s borders.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=17&article_id=125613
UN plans to launch Libya crisis appeal on Monday
LONDON (AlertNet) – The U.N. aid chief will launch an appeal on Monday for international funding to help those caught up in Libya’s escalating violence, including tens of thousands of migrant workers who have fled into neighbouring countries, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Thursday.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/un-plans-to-launch-libya-crisis-appeal-on-monday
Libya refugee exodus continues
Concerns persist over thousands of African migrants who, afraid of being targetted, remain trapped in the country.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201133222231394110.html
Migrant workers stranded in Libya
As violence between pro- and anti-Gaddafi supporters continues to subsume Libya, migrant workers have found themselves out of work – and in desperate need of a ticket home. Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley speaks with the thousands who remain stranded in the coastal town of Benghazi, where their food and water supplies are dwindling. Many feel destitute and abandoned, as lucrative jobs in the oil rich country have been lost in the uprising. While many countries have moved to evacuate their nationals, some governments appear to have forgotten their expatriate workers in Libya, leaving tens of thousands of people with little choice but to wait.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0Od3wm5_c&feature=youtube_gdata
Libyan rebels accused of targeting blacks
Rights groups say African migrant workers and black Libyans face beatings and detention by rebel fighters who suspect them of being mercenaries hired by Moammar Kadafi to put down the rebellion. About a dozen African men stood lined along a hallway of the courthouse in the eastern city of Benghazi. The men were suspected of being mercenaries fighting on behalf of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi and had been rousted from their homes in the morning, turned in by residents responding to a rebel campaign urging them to report “suspicious people.”
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/HwjFkXZpcqU/la-fg-libya-mercenaries-20110305,0,5517806.story
Mistaken for mercenaries, Africans are trapped in Libya
African workers left behind as international companies evacuate and African embassies close are trapped in a Benghazi camp, too afraid to take the trek to Egypt’s border.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/d_-00XkY7KI/Mistaken-for-mercenaries-Africans-are-trapped-in-Libya
On Libya-Tunisia border, refugees plead for help to go home
More than 95,000 refugees have crossed the remote desert border post at Ras Ajdir, Tunisia, in the past 10 days. President Obama said the US military would help transport home refugees from Libya, and the European Commission boosted aid.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/UtIo2rOMx-0/On-Libya-Tunisia-border-refugees-plead-for-help-to-go-home
Developments
Live Blog – Libya March 4
As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.
http://english.aljazeera.net/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-4
Gadhafi demands suspension of UN sanctions
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Moammar Gadhafi’s regime on Friday demanded that the UN Security Council suspend sanctions taken against the Libyan leader over his crackdown on opposition protesters.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365574
Libyan ambassador: The U.S. must do more to stop Qaddafi’s massacre
Libyan Ambassador to the United States Ali Aujali, who joined the opposition in the early days of the crisis, issued an urgent plea for the United States to take more aggressive actions against the Libyan government in an interview with Foreign Policy today., Aujali strongly supported the implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya, calling it “a historic responsibility for the United States.” He also criticized the arguments about the risks of no-fly zone, which have been made by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other military officials. “When we say, for example, that the no-fly zone will take a long time, that it is complicated — please don’t give this regime any time to crush the Libyan people,” he said.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/04/libyan_ambassador_the_us_must_do_more_to_stop_qaddafi_s_massacre
Interpol: Gaddafi Alert Issued
PARIS — Interpol has issued an international alert for Moammar Gadhafi and 15 other family members and close associates to help enforce international sanctions against the Libyan strongman and his regime. The international police organization said Friday that Gadhafi, his relatives and allies “have been identified as being involved in or complicit in planning attacks, including aerial bombardments, on civilian populations.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/interpol-gaddafi-alert-is_n_831375.html
UN set to adopt report praising Libya’s human rights record
The report shows countries applauding and commending Libya as they note “with appreciation the country’s commitment to upholding human rights on the ground.”
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/adopt+report+praising+Libya+human+rights+record/4362346/story.html
UN council delays soft report on Libya’s record
The routine report was prepared before the recent uprisings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/03/AR2011030302636.html
Al Jazeera English: Gaddafi under world court investigation
The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has said that Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and his key aides, will be investigated for possible crimes against humanity. Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Thursday he would be holding Gaddafi’s government to account over reports of atrocities committed against peaceful protesters. Hundreds have been killed in the uprising against Gaddafi’s 40-year rule and thousands injured. Alan Fisher reports from The Hague in the Netherlands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu0psWjPb8c&feature=youtube_gdata
International Criminal Court Begins Libya Inquiry
The inquiry will focus on Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, several of his sons and members of his inner circle, the chief prosecutor said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/africa/04hague.html
Trial of Gadhafi over Sadr’s disappearance gets under way
BEIRUT: The Judicial Council adjourned Friday its first trial session against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and a number of his aides over the disappearance of Iranian-born Lebanese Shiite cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=125640
Libyan Minister Impersonated As Imam Sadr in Rome, Then Assassinated
Libyan Leader Muammar Al Gadhafi’s lies are only exposed more as more stories related to his statements surface, out of which are those related to the abduction of Sayyed Moussa Sadr. Libyan Minister Impersonated As Imam Sadr in Rome, Then Assassinated(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Libyan Leader Muammar Al Gadhafi’s lies are only exposed more as more stories related to his statements surface, out of which are those related to the abduction of Sayyed Moussa Sadr. In this context, Najib Mohammad Aghribil, the nephew of Libyan Minister commissioned to Lebanon revealed that on the 1st eve of the civil war, his Uncle Saleh Zayed Abdel Karim impersonated as Sayyed Moussa Al Sadr traveled to Roma to fabricate evidence that lead to a conclusion that Imam Moussa Sadr had left Libya to Rome, but he was liquidated by his (Gadhafi’s) personal assistant.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=229214
Pentagon cites evidence of Libya using air power
“We have seen very clearly broadcast reports showing effects of air power being used. Whether or not those were used on rebels, I can’t say but … there is evidence they have used air assets and drop coordinates,”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110303/pl_nm/us_libya_usa_pentagon
Obama Declares Gaddafi Must Leave
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama insisted Thursday that Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi “step down from power and leave,” his most explicit statement of support for rebels challenging Gaddafi’s four-decade rule in a region convulsed by uprisings against authoritarian regimes. Gaddafi has vowed to stay. Obama did not rule out establishing a “no-fly” zone over Libya, a move that his Pentagon chief said a day earlier would amount to an act of war because it would require bombing Libya’s air defenses. Although Obama said he was considering a full range of options, he emphasized the U.S. role in helping refugees and heading off a humanitarian crisis.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/03/obama-gaddafi-leave-now_n_831062.html
Obama keeps door open to military options in Libya
WASHINGTON – President Obama says he is looking at the “full range” of military and non-military options to defend the Libyan people against attacks from the forces of Col. Moammar Kadafi, explicitly including the possibility of enforcing a no-fly zone over the country and not ruling out the possibility of air strikes.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/cytNoNRX_MY/sc-dc-obama-libya-20110303,0,7660880.story
Key lawmakers back no-fly zone over Libya as Obama hesitates
Liberals and conservatives in Congress say Western forces should protect Libyan rebels from Moammar Kadafi’s air force. President Obama, however, appears to be sending contradictory messages. President Obama’s reluctance to use military force in Libya’s civil upheaval is putting him at odds with key players in Congress and undermining White House efforts to be seen as backing political reform in the Middle East.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/nROCpvQPdts/la-fg-obama-libya-split-20110304,0,5357952.story
U.S. troops arrive in Greece in Libya buildup
Some 400 U.S. Marines arrived at an American naval base in Greece in a buildup of U.S. forces around revolt-torn Libya, even as European governments shied away Thursday from possible military action.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-03-us-troops-libya_N.htm
India opposes no-fly zone, use of force in Libya
“Among BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, questions have been raised and reservations expressed,” she said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=176489
Cameron’s no-fly plan is ‘shambolic’, says US
David Cameron’s handling of the Libya crisis was denounced as “shambolic” as tensions grew between London and Washington over the Prime Minister’s suggestion that a no-fly zone could be imposed over the north African state.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/camerons-nofly-plan-is-shambolic-says-us-2231908.html
US defence secretary Robert Gates slams ‘loose talk’ about no-fly zones
David Cameron appears to be on a collision course with Washington after the US defence secretary warned of the dangers of “loose talk” about imposing a no-fly zone on Libya.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/03/robert-gates-dismisses-no-fly-zone
Obama says Libya stalemate a danger
WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was concerned a bloody stalemate could develop between Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebel forces but gave no sign of a willingness to intervene militarily.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/obama-says-libya-stalemate-a-danger
Germany says action against Libya counterproductive
“We do not participate, and we do not share a discussion of military intervention, because we think this would be very counterproductive,” Westerwelle said at a meeting of central European foreign ministers in Slovakia.
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7221VP20110303
Obama administration now dealing with rogue Libyan ambassadors and ignoring faxes from Qaddafi
The Obama administration has decided switch the focus of its Libya diplomacy toward dealing with Libyan representatives in Washington and New York who have decried the regime, after the Libyan government in Tripoli stopped taking its calls.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/03/obama_administration_now_dealing_with_rogue_libyan_ambassadors_and_ignoring_faxes_f
Qaddafi Said to Accept Venezuelan Offer for Help
A top aide to the Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chávez, said Colonel Qaddafi accepted a proposal to negotiate a solution to the turmoil in Libya, but one of the colonel’s sons appeared to reject the idea.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/americas/04venezuela.html
Chavez Libya talks offer rejected
United States, France and opposition activists dismiss Venezuelan proposal to form a commission to mediate crisis.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201133231925866727.html
Chavez: Gadhafi wants U.N. to visit Libya
(CNN) — Venezuela’s president says embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was receptive to the idea of an international commission coming to the North African country when the two heads of state spoke this week.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/04/libya.venezuela.chavez/
Chavez: I won’t condemn ‘my friend’ Gadhafi
We don’t support invasions, or massacres, or anything like that no matter who does it. A campaign of lies is being spun together regarding Libya,” said Chavez, in a televised speech to a crowd of graduates who had just received diplomas from state universities. “I’m not going to condemn him (Gadhafi),” he said. “I’d be a coward to condemn someone who has been my friend.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41843862/ns/world_news-americas/
Hugo Chávez stands by his man, Muammar Qaddafi. But can he bring peace to Libya?
Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez has proposed a ‘Peace Commission’ to mediate Libya’s civil conflict. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa today said the offer is ‘under consideration.’
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/mx8vDFG7_HI/Hugo-Chavez-stands-by-his-man-Muammar-Qaddafi.-But-can-he-bring-peace-to-Libya
Ship Carrying £100m of Gaddafi Regime Intercepted in UK
A ship carrying £100million in cash to Colonel Gaddafi’s regime in Libya has been intercepted in British waters. The cargo ship sailed from Britain and tried to dock in Tripoli at the weekend – but decided to return home as the country descends into civil war.
http://feb17.info/media/ship-carrying-100m-of-gaddafi-regime-intercepted-in-uk/
U.S. business community asks for leeway on Libya sanctions
A group of U.S. companies that do business in Libya is asking the Treasury Department to take measures to protect them despite wide-ranging sanctions announced by President Barack Obama last week. National Foreign Trade Council President William Reinsch wrote a letter on March 1 to Adam Szubin, the head of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), asking for several clarifications on how the Libya sanctions will be implemented and whether U.S. companies will be able to protect their assets there and keep paying their local employees. In the letter, obtained by The Cable, Reinsch also said he represents the U.S.-Libya Business Association, which is composed of U.S. businesses dealing with the Libyan government.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/03/us_business_community_asks_for_leeway_on_libya_sanctions
Other
Transparency Report: Google Search (Unencrypted), Libya Traffic Divided by Worldwide Traffic and Normalized
http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/traffic/?r=LY&l=WEBSEARCH&csd=1298681286531&ced=1299286086531
World can handle choked oil supplies: Geithner
WASHINGTON – The world can pump enough extra oil and has enough stashed in reserve to limit price shocks from sustained turmoil in the Middle East, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday. “There is considerable spare oil production capacity globally, and we and other major economies possess substantial strategic reserves of oil,” Geithner told Congress. “If necessary, those reserves could be mobilized to help mitigate the effect of a severe, sustained supply disruption.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/03/world-can-handle-choked-oil-supplies-geithner/
WikiLeaks: How the Cola war was won in Libya
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An unpublished U.S. diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks tells the previously undisclosed story of how an American corporate powerhouse — the $35-billion Coca-Cola Co. — got caught up in a fierce fraternal dispute between two of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/03/wikileaks-how-the-cola-war-was-won-in-libya/
Second Front: Battle on for Libya’s Hidden Wealth
Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, founded by a son of the country’s ruler, provided access to the elite of both Europe and the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/business/global/04sovereign.html
LSE’s head resigns over school’s links with Libya
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – The director of the London School of Economics and Political Science has resigned over links with Libya’s ruling family, including accepting funds from a charity run by a son of Muammar Gaddafi. The prestigious university’s council also said on Thursday it had commissioned an independent inquiry into the school’s relationship with Libya and with Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/court-backs-britons-extradition-to-us-over-bribery
Dictator’s Nurse Is Silent
KIEV, Ukraine—The personal nurse of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi kept her silence Monday after returning home to Ukraine from the side of a man she apparently called “Papa.” Galyna Kolotnytska, described in a diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks as a “voluptuous blonde” who “travel[s] everywhere” with Col. Gadhafi, spent her first full day back in Ukraine holed up in her apartment in Brovary, a small town near Kiev, refusing to speak with the roughly 30 reporters swarming outside her modest building.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704615504576172003628315800.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Solidarity with Libya
Translated: Libyan Embassy staff in Rabat Morocco join the revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxgr1hcx5nM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/translated-libyan-embassy-staff-in-rabat-morocco-join-the-revolution/
Venezuela Protesting against Chavez’s proposal to mediate in Libya 03-04-11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DoE0_wMwj8c
Toronto demonstrations – Feb 19
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/toronto-demonstrations-feb-19/
Analysis/Op-ed
Back in Libya after decades in exile, a dissident takes on Kadafi
Since his return in late December, a longtime opposition group leader has become more vocal in his denunciation of Moammar Kadafi. But some experts say such groups have been gone too long to be of much help to the rebels in the streets. He remembers the desperate pleas of the men at the gallows as they were about to be hanged. Their faces were hidden by black hoods.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/jzXbNUOGXiU/la-fg-libya-dissident-20110305,0,7091819.story
The Libyan conundrum: Don’t let him linger | The Economist
As reluctant as I am about intervention, this is a reasonable compromise: “But if the Libyan regime starts killing people in their thousands—and especially if it uses helicopter gunships or aircraft—diplomatic reluctance should melt away. Too often the world has dithered open-mouthed as evil men have slaughtered Darfuris or Rwandans with impunity. Outsiders, led by the UN, must help Libya’s emerging transitional councils with humanitarian aid. The UN Security Council may yet have to be persuaded to restore peace by invoking the ample power of Chapter VII. And if that proves unattainable, the widest possible coalition of the willing, ideally including Libya’s Arab neighbours, must protect Libyan civilians by arming the opposition and defending them from aerial attack.”
http://www.economist.com/node/18283825?story_id=18283825
Facing death in Libya, Issandr El Amrani
Our sometime correspondent Abu Ray just got back from Libya. Here’s what he wrote. Death has been a lot on my mind since coming to Libya. It’s not that I’ve been in any real danger, it’s just it’s sort of out there, all around me and hard to ignore. The other day, we were driving back from Bayda, a medium size town nestled in a stunningly beautiful Green Mountain area of Libya. A high mass of wildflower studded fields set in the middle of an otherwise arid coast. It had been a long day of chasing an elusive politicians and visiting decrepit military bases trying to find out if the rebel east really had a shot of marching on Tripoli. There was some success, but mostly we were exhausted after a long day, like so many other long days since we came roaring across the Egyptian border into Libya a week before.
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/3/4/facing-death-in-libya.html
Eight Non-military options for Libya
Carne Ross, a former British diplomat, outlines eight non-military options to address the situation in Libyan.
http://feb17.info/media/eight-non-military-options-for-libya/
Gaddafi’s survival could end the Arab revolt | Simon Tisdall
If the uprising in Libya is to succeed, then international effort, via the Arab League, must help the people to help themselves. The giddy prospect of a third “Facebook revolution” in the Middle East, with Libya swiftly following Tunisia and Egypt into a brave new post-autocratic era, is fading from view. The growing military and diplomatic stalemate, both inside and outside the country, suggests efforts to topple Muammar Gaddafi could fail, at least in the short term.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/gaddafi-libya-revolt-arab-league
The university funding system is set up to invite supper with the devil | Stefan Collini
The exalted status of ‘external funding’ at UK universities has led to a willingness to take risks over the legitimacy of the source. Revelations about the London School of Economics’ Libyan connections have highlighted the pressure that universities are under to accept money from businessmen and foreign governments, leading many commentators to give their recommendations about the length of spoon required for supping with the devil. But there is a wider point here that needs exploring: the fetishising in contemporary British universities of “external funding”. This category embraces not only the kinds of deal at issue in the LSE case, but all forms of income that are “external” to the institutions’ own recurrent budget.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/university-funding-lse-libya-legitmacy-source
The LSE’s Libya connection is only the tip of the iceberg | Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang
After losing its Fabian roots, the London School of Economics has engaged in an unseemly scramble for funding. Howard Davies’s resignation is a welcome development as controversy grows around the schools acceptance of dodgy donations from the Libyan regime. However, Davies’s departure does little to address the underlying issue that is endemic to the institution as a whole; at LSE, money talks. Libya is just the tip of the iceberg, and this resignation should not divert the public attention from the real benefactors who have lurked around the LSE for years.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/lse-howard-davies-libya-uae
Leftists for Saddam, leftists for Qadhdhafi, As’ad AbuKhalil
I just can’t stomach those leftists who stood with Saddam, and who are standing today with Qadhdhafi. There is nothing leftist about those two reprehensible tyrants. Those two tyrants are very similar, as I argue in my Al-Akhbar article for this coming Saturday. They both were unpopular and charismatic and suffering from an acute case of Nasser’s syndrome. They both wanted to be intellectuals and novelists. Tariq Aziz tells that Saddam was sending him his last novel manuscript a day before the US invaded his country. There are tyrants with talents and neither of the two were. At least Stalin was really well-tread and wrote very well (he wrote his own books too), while Mao was really smart and wrote good poetry. You can’t even compare the aphorisms of Mao to the drivel of the two lousy tyrants. Oh, and I never treated the clown, Chavez as a leftist. I view him more as a clown in the same league with Sa’ib `Urayqat but with different momentary politics.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/03/leftists-for-saddam-leftists-for.html
As Gaddafi Forces Launch New Attacks, Reports on the Ground from a Divided Libya
Forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi have launched fresh air strikes on Libyan towns captured by anti-government opposition in a popular uprising over the past two weeks. Gaddafi has lost control of the eastern half of Libya, and thousands of protesters are thought to have been killed by Gaddafi’s forces. We get reports from two journalists on the ground in Libya: McClatchy’s Nancy Youssef in Brega, and The Observer’s Peter Beaumont in Tripoli. [includes rush transcript]
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/3/as_gaddafi_forces_launch_new_attacks
Road map for ending ‘Tripoli’s siege’
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi responded violently to peaceful demonstrations in Benghazi, east of Libya, on Feb. 17. This led to an uprising that engulfed the whole country, and forced him to take bunker in “Bab al-Azizia” military base in the center of the capital Tripoli.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125558
From Libya’s Qaddafi to Sudan’s Bashir: Key International Criminal Court inquiries
The International Criminal Court today announced it would investigate Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and several members of his inner circle for crimes against humanity in Libya’s ongoing uprising. It is the second-ever ICC investigation into a sitting head of state, and one of only a handful of inquiries into crimes committed by world leaders.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/4OHnG5zCat4/From-Libya-s-Qaddafi-to-Sudan-s-Bashir-Key-International-Criminal-Court-inquiries
Audio: Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way
Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way. Based upon different versions of U2′s Sunday Bloody Sunday. With quotes of the son of Khadaffi, Khadaffi himself, even Hitler…, the French president Mr. Sarkozy, the United Nations, the American president Mr. Barack Obama and so many others !Concept & audio editing by Belgian radio producer & presenter Dimitri Stuer of the national private radiostation “Nostalgie” (http://www.nostalgie.eu).Dedicated to the people of Libya, fighting for democracy and freedom.Spread this audio, spread the message of peace, freedom and democracy.Spread the human rights.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/audio-libya-bloody-libya-tells-the-news-in-a-u2-way/
From Libya With Love
In February 2007 Harvard professor Joseph Nye Jr., who developed the concept of “soft power,” visited Libya and sipped tea for three hours with Muammar Qaddafi. Months later, he penned an elegant description of the chat for The New Republic, reporting that Qaddafi had been interested in discussing “direct democracy.” Nye noted that “there is no doubt that” the Libyan autocrat “acts differently on the world stage today than he did in decades past. And the fact that he took so much time to discuss ideas—including soft power—with a visiting professor suggests that he is actively seeking a new strategy.” The article struck a hopeful tone: that there was a new Qaddafi. It also noted that Nye had gone to Libya “at the invitation of the Monitor Group, a consulting company that is helping Libya open itself to the global economy.”
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/libya-qaddafi-monitor-group?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Real News Video: Libya: Supporting Libyan Revolution, Opposing Foreign Intervention
Hamid Dabashi: If US intervenes in Libya, will be act of imperialism; Gaddafi defies democratic will of his people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-o_BwK9AUk&feature=player_embedded
TV coverage of the Libyan crisis is just a snapshot. We need to know more | Ian Jack
The conflict in Libya is dominating the news. And yet most of us know so little about the country. Brega has fallen to Gaddafi. No, Brega has stood firm and Gaddafi has been driven back. The reports are clear, then ambiguous, then clear again. An aircraft flashes in the sky and a bomb explodes on the horizon. Nearer the camera, men are standing through the sunroofs of their cars waving guns: death to Gaddafi. Then, with a change of correspondent and location, the next shot shows women waving green flags and ululating: long live Gaddafi. “How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is,” as Neville Chamberlain said in 1938, “that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing“.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/05/ian-jack-on-saturday-libya
A Proposal for Italibya
Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi is known for his proposal of a state called Isratine. I would propose another state by the name of Italibya. Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has already sounded the alarm that taking a stroll in downtown Milan can cause one to think that one is not in fact in Europe but rather in Africa. In 2009 Italy test-drove a convenient way to deal with attempts by the formerly colonized to violate the territory of their colonizers, and hailed Tripoli’s acceptance of over 200 Africans discovered in small boats off the coast of Malta.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/03/04/proposing-italibya/
A new beginning? — Tariq Ali on the Arab uprisings
Our good friend Tariq Ali on the Arab uprisings and the US response. You can ignore the neocon Uncle Tom who appears afterwards.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/03/03/a-new-beginning-tariq-ali-on-the-arab-uprisings/
Roots of the Arab Revolts; Premature Celebrations, James Petras
Most accounts of the Arab revolts from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq and elsewhere have focused on the most immediate causes: political dictatorships, unemployment, repression and the wounding and killing of protestors. They have given most attention to the “middle class”, young, educated activists, their communication via the internet, (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 16, 2011) and, in the case of Israel and its Zionists conspiracy theorists, “the hidden hand” of Islamic extremists (Daily Alert Feb. 25, 2011).
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16696
The law alone can save Arab revolutions
Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak are gone. Caretaker governments are in place. The television cameras may have moved on to Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, but events in Tunisia and Egypt are entering a very critical phase. What happens behind the scenes in the coming weeks and months will determine whether recent changes in the Arab world will lead to meaningful reforms that can last.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=125588#axzz1FVHbcvRd
At the heart of the Arab revolts: a search for dignity
When Muammar Qaddafi recently asked Libyans to rely on his ‘moral authority,’ an ever more sophisticated Arab generation widely read the request as an insult to their intelligence.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/Y67IaeE04Eo/At-the-heart-of-the-Arab-revolts-a-search-for-dignity
Is entertaining dictators worse than normalizing apartheid?
As international stars face widespread criticism for having earned huge fees entertaining Libya’s Gaddafi family, Nada Elia and Laurie King ask why artists who entertain apartheid Israel should not be held to exactly the same standard.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11840.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Cartoons
Carlos Latuff, “Obama for Freedom in Libya” (Cartoon)
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/latuff040311.html
