And more news from Libya:
Qadhafi’s Crimes
Gadhafi sends warplanes to strike rebels at Libya oil port
Ras Lanouf counter-offensive aimed at preventing rebels from advancing toward Gadhafi’s Tripoli stronghold.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/gadhafi-sends-warplanes-to-strike-rebels-at-libya-oil-port-1.347918?localLinksEnabled=false
LIVE- Libyan Unrest: Heavy shelling at front line in Ras Lanuf
We are tracking the latest developments to keep you updated on the situation on the ground. There are interactive maps located in the Protest map page to keep up with the latest movements. You can also click on our links to follow the latest Live Libya Blogs and featured twitters. On the Go? -Follow us on Twitter @Feb17Libya for the same live updates.
http://feb17.info/general/live-libyan-unrest-more-air-strikes-on-ras-lanuf/
Fresh attack on rebel-held Libyan town:witness
* Resident says rebels using speakers to call for help
* Rebels ‘still in control of central square’
* Reports of hospitals destroyed, power cut off
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/fresh-attack-on-rebel-held-libyan-townwitness
Jordanian aid doctor seized from east Libya hotel
BENGHAZI, Libya, March 8 (Reuters) – A Jordanian doctor working for Medicins Sans Frontieres was taken by people in military uniform from his hotel in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday, his colleagues said.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/jordanian-aid-doctor-seized-from-east-libya-hotel
At least 18 killed in Misrata as Libyan rebels repel attack by Gadhafi forces
Doctor says dead include rebels and civilians; Misrata is the largest population center controlled by Gadhafi opponents outside the rebel-held east of the country.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/at-least-18-killed-in-misrata-as-libyan-rebels-repel-attack-by-gadhafi-forces-1.347503
Video: CNN report on Ras Lanuf – Bin Jwad clashes
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/video-cnn-report-on-ras-lanuf-bin-jwad-clashes/
’12 killed, 50 hurt in Bin Jawad fight’
According to the hospital casualty list in Ajdabiya, the dead were volunteer fighters, mostly from Benghazi.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/12-killed-50-hurt-in-Bin-Jawad-fight/Article1-670508.aspx
Video: Misratah Power Station shelled by tanks
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/video-misratah-power-station-shelled-by-tanks/
GRAPHIC: Footage from inside Misratah hospital yesterday
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/graphic-footage-from-inside-misratah-hospital-yesterday/
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/video-footage-from-misratah-hospital/
Libyan forces strike back at rebels
Opposition fighters ask for help to fend off fierce counterattacks by Gaddafi loyalists aiming to retake lost towns.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201137182757874993.html
Libyan warplanes strike rebels at key oil complex in Ras Lanuf
A mass evacuation eastward is triggered. Rebel fighters describe it as an upcoming attempt to retake the Libyan desert outpost of Bin Jawwad. Libyan government warplanes struck again at rebels clinging to a key oil complex in Ras Lanuf on Monday, sending residents of the desert city into a panic and triggering a mass evacuation eastward.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/l-EsOsptSE8/la-fg-libya-fighting-20110308,0,1554585.story
Libyan Government Presses Assault in East and West
Government forces began a new air attack on rebels as President Obama said the West was considering all military options in Libya.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=ad661047469278eab04478de58058a28
Gaddafi forces hit key rebel town
Pro-Gaddafi forces launch several air strikes on Libya’s rebel-held oil port of Ras Lanuf, checking the rebels’ westward progress.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12670482
Libya Warplanes Strike Rebels In Harsh Counteroffensive
RAS LANOUF, Libya — Libyan warplanes launched multiple airstrikes Monday on opposition fighters regrouping at an oil port on the Mediterranean coast, the second day of a harsh government counteroffensive to thwart a rebel advance toward Moammar Gadhafi’s stronghold in the capital Tripoli.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/07/libya-warplanes-strike-re_n_832249.html
Gaddafi’s forces slow rebel advance
Libyan state television has denied reports that Muammar Gaddafi tried to strike a deal with the rebels that would have seen him step down. Gaddafi reportedly sent a representative to make a proposal to the opposition’s so-called “National Council” based in Benghazi. It is said he wanted guarantees for his safety and immunity from prosecution, but the council apparently rejected the offer. Meanwhile Gaddafi’s forces appear to have pushed Libya’s rebels back from key towns. The Libyan leader’s battalions have repelled groups trying to oust him from his coastal strongholds, hitting rebels hard. In the West, close to the capital Tripoli, Gaddafi’s forces have taken back Az Zawiyah. The rebels still hold Misurata, their only significant foothold in the west, but there has been intense fighting there. It lies halfway between the capital Tripoli to Sirte, Gaddafi’s birthplace and major support base. Sources told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi has been sending reinforcements there. Further east, rebel positions have been pounded on Tuesday in Ras Lanuf and the day before in the nearby town of Bin Jawad. Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley reports from there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWvVtsEYYqA&feature=youtube_gdata
Saadi Gaddafi warns of civil war if father quits
In an interview with Al Arabiya TV aired on Monday, Gaddafi’s son Saadi, warned that if his father, Muammar Gaddafi, leaves office there would be a civil war in the country and blamed his brother Saif-al-Islam for having failed to address the father’s recommendations.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/07/140600.html
Libyan minister blames al-Qaeda
Musa Kusa, the Libyan foreign minister, has said that rebels are getting help from al-Qaeda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATKqGk5HRM&feature=youtube_gdata
The Opposition
The Libyan National Transitional Council
The Libyan Republic Interm Transitional National Council has offically launched their website. you can visit the site for more information: Libyan Interim Transitional Council.
http://ntclibya.org/
Interview with Libyan opposition
Rebels will not pursue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post in the next 72 hours, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council has told Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera speaks to Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the opposition National Council, about the deadline he has set Libya’s embattled leader.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7B9C1YwZM4&feature=player_embedded
Libyan rebel gives Gaddafi 72 hours to quit
CAIRO, March 8 (Reuters) – Rebels will not pursue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post in the next 72 hours, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council said on Tuesday.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libyan-rebel-gives-gaddafi-72-hours-to-quit
Libya east-west frontline static, say rebels
BREGA, Libya, March 8 (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and rebels from east Libya faced off on Tuesday in a stretch of barren coastline near key oil terminals about 550 km (340 miles) east of Tripoli, rebel fighters said.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libya-east-west-frontline-static-say-rebels
BREAKING: Revolutionaries kill high ranking Officer from Khamees battalion
Revolutionaries have also managed to kill a high ranking Officer from the Khamees battalion. Gaddafi forces managed to place snipers on some of the highest building in Az Zawiya and have been shooting at people indiscriminately. At the same time, tanks have been shelling large areas of the city. Reports have also stated that mercenaries entered houses and killed entire families in Az Zawiya. This happened in areas such as that of Wlad Amarah
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/breaking-revolutionaries-kill-high-ranking-officer-from-khamees-battalion/
Interview: Libyan Air Academy Students Kidnapped and Escaped (English Translation)
Interviewer: In the name of God the gracious the merciful. Firstly, go ahead and introduce yourselves, you are students from Misrata)?
Student 1: Yes, we are students at the Air Academy in Misrata, and I’m from Benghazi………. The atmosphere on campus was calm, we didn’t imagine that anything was going to happen, three weeks ago we wern’t aware that anything was going on, we were going and eating and drinking and then going to sleep, we didn’t know what was happening on the outside. It wasn’t clear that anything was going on; …. there was nothing going on, Libya was like normal….
http://feb17.info/general/interview-libyan-air-academy-students-kidnapped-by-gaddafis-mercenaries-english-translation/
Qaddafi Said to seek deal as Rebels Repel pro-Qaddafi Forces at Misrata, Ras Lanuf, Juan Cole
The inability of pro-Qaddafi forces on Monday to retake Misrata and Ras Lanuf appears to have impelled Muammar Qaddafi to begin back-channel talks with the provisional government in Benghazi about circumstances under which he might step down. Reuters said that he is seeking immunity from prosecution for himself and his family. The National Libyan Council is said to have rejected this demand initially, though Aljazeera Arabic quotes rebel leaders in Benghazi who are willing to offer Qaddafi immunity if he will step down.
http://www.juancole.com/2011/03/qaddafi-seeks-deal-as-rebels-repel-pro-qaddafi-forces-at-misrata-ras-lanuf.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+juancole%2Fymbn+%28Informed+Comment%29
Libyan fighters in Ras Lanuf keep nervous watch on front line
RAS LANUF, Libya: Explosions thudded in the desert and smoke coiled into the sky. Each time, a chaotic band of Libyan rebels manned anti-aircraft batteries to unleash a deafening barrage of retaliatory fire. “Go to Ras Lanuf, but don’t go to Bin Jawad,” a man shouted into a loudhailer on the outskirts of this oil town, now the front line of the rebels’ battle to end Moammar Gadhafi’s four-decade grip on power. Rebels nervously patrolled the road, stopping cars and instructing drivers, either reassuring them their destination was secure or warning “[it] isn’t safe” as Gadhafi’s warplanes flew overhead.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125718#axzz1FxweMNQU
Libyan opposition gives up port town of Ras Lanuf amid air strikes
RAS LANUF, Libya (AFP) – Libyan rebels ceded ground to Moamer Kadhafi’s advancing forces on Monday as the United States came under increasing pressure to arm the opposition and the UN appointed a humanitarian envoy. World oil prices rose again, while NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said attacks on civilians by Kadhafi’s troops could amount to crimes against humanity.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/07/libyan-opposition-gives-up-ras-lanuf-amid-air-strikes/
Translated: Video documenting Misratah tank shelling yesterday
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/translated-video-documenting-misratah-tank-shelling-yesterday/
Video: Footage of captured tanks, jeeeps and revolver canons near the city of Sorman
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/video-footage-of-captured-tanks-jeeeps-and-revolver-canons-near-the-city-of-sorman/
GRAPHIC VIDEO: Translated – more footage of gun battles in Misratah yesterday
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/graphic-video-translated-more-footage-of-gun-battles-in-misratah-yesterday/
Elthowar Centralized at Briga Airport – Libya
An expert on weaponry and the military, “Dubb,” offered his analysis of a scene from Brega: “I do not see any US made hardware or weaponry in the video. However, one of the fighters seems to be wearing the latest series U.S. Army issue uniform (The Army Combat Uniform) in its entirety. The fighter in question is seen gesturing with his left hand at 1:05. That strikes me as very odd. He has the pants, jacket, Goretex coat and even the hat. Given that there has not been any exchange of uniforms between the U.S. and Libya, that means that the individual is either American, or (much more likely) has been supplied with the uniform very recently. US Special Operations forces do not tend to wear this uniform, so I think it’s safe to say that he has been supplied with it. If you notice his behavior, he seems to be in a prominent position.” Please note this is simply an opinion of a correspondent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2OhXTif4zs&feature=player_embedded
Opposition forces collect spoils after a victory
On March 6 at 9 pm Local Libyan time, the rebel forces under the command of the western mountain group of military leaders firmly planned to attack the gathering of Gaddafi forces at the intersection of the road leading to the “City of Sorman” from the south side and another gathering at the intersection leading to the “City of Tagmp “, where opposition forces were met with heavy shelling of weapons, locusts, rocket launchers and tank shelling type BMB. The force of God was with opposition as they were able to defeat Gaddafi forces. At the end of the battle the opposition collected the spoils of large, armored vehicles and rocket launchers.
http://feb17.info/media/opposition-forces-collect-spoils-after-a-victory/
In Libya, mistakes are costing untrained rebels
The anti-Moammar Kadafi fighters celebrated when they should have been taking crucial battlefield steps. Forced to retreat, they continue to waste ammunition by firing at nothing. On Saturday, Libyan rebels in jeans and sneakers danced in the streets of Bin Jawwad, celebrating a victory over government forces in the hamlet by firing thousands of rounds of precious ammunition into the air.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/CZHXOhV4aqY/la-fg-libya-rebels-20110308,0,2848038.story
Humanitarian Crisis
Human Rights Watch: Libya: Allow Relief Aid In and Refugees Out
(New York) – The Libyan government and opposition forces should immediately grant aid agencies safe passage to violence-stricken areas of western Libya and allow civilians to flee the fighting, Human Rights Watch said today.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/08/libya-allow-relief-aid-and-refugees-out
Libya rebel town says doctors overwhelmed by wounded
ALGIERS, March 7 (Reuters) – People wounded in fighting over the rebel-held Libyan city of Misrata are being treated on hospital floors because of a catastrophic shortage of medical facilities in the besieged city, a resident said on Monday. Misrata is the biggest population centre in the west of the country not under the control of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and its stand against a militia commanded by his own son has turned it into a symbol of defiance.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libya-rebel-town-says-doctors-overwhelmed-by-wounded
Palestinian Nursing Syndicate prepares to send mission to Libya
The Palestinian Nursing Syndicate in the Gaza Strip is preparing to send a nursing mission to Libya in response to an appeal sent out on behalf of the country. Since the outbreak of the 18th February Revolution last month, large numbers of foreign nurses left the country creating a medical crisis amid the violence.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2119-palestinian-nursing-syndicate-prepares-to-send-mission-to-libya
Palestinian refugees in Libya appeal for evacuation
Palestinian refugees, who used to live in Lebanon and currently live in Libya, appealed to Lebanese president Michel Oun and the Palestine embassy in Tripoli to help them leave the country.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2b
Africans say Libyan troops try to make them fight
RAS JDIR CAMP, Tunisia, March 7 (Reuters) – Libyan troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are rounding up black African migrants to force them to fight anti-Gaddafi rebels, young African men who fled to Tunisia said on Monday. In separate accounts at this refugee camp, they said they were raided in their homes by soldiers, beaten and robbed of their savings and identity papers, then detained and finally offered money to take up arms for the state.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/africans-say-libyan-troops-try-to-make-them-fight-q
Libya War Traps Poor Immigrants at Tripoli’s Edge
Migrant workers, many of them illegal immigrants from Ghana and Nigeria, live amid piles of garbage and face persecution from all sides of the Libyan conflict in a makeshift camp near Tripoli’s airport.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=29f93ef8651928cf68fa4aa7f53a8164
In Brief: Donors pledge $65m for Libyan humanitarian crisis
NAIROBI 07 March 2011 (IRIN) – Donors have so far announced some US$65 million of humanitarian contributions in response to the Libyan crisis and pledged another $10 million, but humanitarian operations there will need much more than that, say aid agencies.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92121
Developments
Libya Live Blog – March 8
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/libya-live-blog-march-8
Rebels considering ‘Gaddafi offer’
Opposition council says representative of Libyan leader sought to negotiate his exit, but government denies the report.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/20113891944173347.html
Arab media says Gaddafi looking for exit deal
CAIRO, March 7 (Reuters) – Two Arab newspapers and al Jazeera television said on Monday Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was looking for an agreement allowing him to step down, but there was no official confirmation of the reports. Al Jazeera said Gaddafi had proposed to Libyan rebels to hold a meeting of parliament to pave the way for him to step down with certain guarantees.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/arab-media-says-gaddafi-looking-for-exit-deal
Report: Rebels reject Gadhafi’s offer for deal to step down
According to the report, Gadhafi wanted safety guarantees for him and his family and a pledge that they not be tried; the offer was reportedly rejected because it would grant an ‘honorable’ exit for Gadhafi and would offend his victims.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-rebels-reject-gadhafi-s-offer-for-deal-to-step-down-1.347765?localLinksEnabled=false
As Qaddafi loyalists strike back, rumors circulate that he could step down
Troops loyal to Muammar Qaddafi launched airstrikes in Ras Lanuf. Opposition officials report that they’ve been approached about negotiating an end to Libya’s conflict.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/4ZiWAVVbTh0/As-Qaddafi-loyalists-strike-back-rumors-circulate-that-he-could-step-down
Arab League postpones a Libya meeting to Saturday
Arab foreign ministers will meet on Saturday, instead of Friday, at the Arab League in Cairo to discuss the Libya crisis, a League official said on Tuesday.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/08/140720.html
Libyan rebels call for Arab support
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Military officials in the National Transitional Council, set up by the Libyan rebels, have called on the Libyan rebel forces not to attack Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte for fear of sustaining heavy losses. Libya’s former representative to the Arab League, Abdul-Monem al-Houni, who is a senior member of the National Transitional Council, called on the Arab states to recognize the legitimacy of this body as the sole representative of the Libyan people. In a letter addressed to ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of Arab countries in Cairo, al-Houni said that the Libyan opposition forces are in control of 90 percent of the country, and he predicted that the remaining 10 percent of Libya would be liberated from Gaddafi control in the coming days.
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24426
Calls for Libya no-fly zone grow
Gulf Arab states called Monday for a no-fly zone over Libya, in the region’s first explicit support of the move, amid British-French steps to seek U.N. authority for the action as Moammar Gadhafi’s warplanes counterattacked against rebels.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125739
U.S. Ambassador to NATO: No-fly zone wouldn’t help much
NATO countries convened in Brussels on Monday to discuss the international response to the crisis in Libya but never discussed whether to impose a no-fly zone, according to the U.S. ambassador to the organization, Ivo Daalder. He seemed to play down the effectiveness of the measure, however, adding that a no-fly zone wouldn’t protect most Libyans anyway.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/07/us_ambassador_to_nato_no_fly_zone_wouldn_t_help_much
NATO commences 24/7 surveillance of Libya
(CNN) — NATO has launched around-the-clock surveillance flights of Libya as it considers various options for dealing with escalating violence in the war-torn country, America’s ambassador to the organization told reporters Monday.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/07/libya.military.response/index.html?hpt=T1
US under pressure to arm Libya rebels
WASHINGTON – The administration of President Barack Obama has come under mounting pressure to arm Libyan rebels facing an emboldened and regrouping military, amid charges Washington missed recent chances to oust the country’s strongman.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/07/us-under-pressure-to-arm-libya-rebels/
Britain, France ready Libya no-fly zone resolution
UNITED NATIONS – A British-French resolution demanding a no-fly zone over Libya could go before the UN Security Council as early as this week, diplomats said Monday. While Moamer Kadhafi’s offensive against rebels is intensifying, any demand for military action would set off a new diplomatic battle at the Security Council.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/07/britain-france-ready-libya-no-fly-zone-resolution/
World leaders draft ‘contingency’ resolution for Libya no-fly zone
Britain says working closely with partners in security council on elements for resolution, while diplomatic source says France has been in contact with counterparts in New York regarding the matter.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/world-leaders-draft-contingency-resolution-for-libya-no-fly-zone-1.347749?localLinksEnabled=false
Former Libyan prime minister calls for dialogue with rebels
As Moammar Kadafi’s forces strike at his foes in the east, former Prime Minister Jadallah Azzuz Talhi proposes talks during an appearance on state-controlled television. Rebels reject the appeal, and a European Union delegation arrives to try to defuse the Libyan crisis.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/c_2pptvNxis/la-fg-libya-roundup-20110308,0,1560354.story
US weighs military action against Libya; Russia objects
Obama sends ‘very clear message to those around Colonel Gaddafi: They will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place’; authorizes $15 million in humanitarian aid. Moscow: Foreign intervention not an option.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039008,00.html
UK admits Libya mission failure
William Hague, the UK’s foreign minister, has acknowledged he personally authorised a failed diplomatic mission to anti-government fighters in Libya. Eight members of a special forces team were captured by the fighters as they landed in the country’s east hoping to make contact with the opposition. They have now been released, but the events have been an embarrassment for Britain’s government. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh0frnaWIaI&feature=youtube_gdata
Libya capture a ‘misunderstanding’
The detention of a British diplomatic team in Libya was the result of a “serious misunderstanding”, Foreign Secretary William Hague told MPs.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/libya-capture-a-misunderstanding-2234569.html
Independence Flag Over the Libyan Embassy at The Hauge, Netherlands
The independence flag was raised over the Libyan Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands today. The Hague happens to be the location of the International Criminal Court where, if the Libyan people decide to exercise the option in the UN resolution, Gaddafi and his close circle will be tried for the crimes they committed.
http://feb17.info/general/independence-flag-over-the-libyan-embassy-at-the-hauge-netherlands/
Analysis/Op-ed
Understanding Libya’s Michael Corleone
The international community saw Muammar’s Western-educated, reform-minded son as the best hope for a freer, more democratic Libya. Did they get him wrong?
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/03/07/understanding_libyas_michael_corleone?page=0,1&sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4d75857c231eddc5,0
Secular Character in City Qaddafi Calls Islamist, ANTHONY SHADID
A port city on the Mediterranean coast has been branded by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi as a hive of Islamist terrorism, but the reality is an example of what role religion may play in Libya’s future.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=e454d146cda6f0ff46f46ea925961ae4
Who are Libya’s sub-Saharan Africans?
Libya’s sub-Saharan African population has gotten a lot of attention. They’re not all mercenaries and they aren’t just from one or two places
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/nQXO232Po6c/Who-are-Libya-s-sub-Saharan-Africans
Welcome to the Libyan front. Have a juice box
On the front lines of the struggle to remove Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi, the Monitor’s reporter describes sermons, battles, and a rag-tag militia desperate to press forward.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/wqs_PuRzStY/Welcome-to-the-Libyan-front.-Have-a-juice-box .
David Kirkpatrick on Qadhdhafi
This article in the New York Times by Kirkpatrick is very odd. It alleges that not only is Qadhdhafi popular with many Libyans but that his writings have been effective in obtaining support for the dictator. He gives no evidence for that whatsoever. Here he is sequestered in a hotel run by the security gangs of the regime, and permitted to talk only to those who are chosen by the regime. Bizarre indeed.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/03/david-kirkpatrick-on-qadhdhafi.html
Obama is being driven towards Libya | Simon Tisdall
The Washington war drums are beating for the president to strike at Gaddafi – not least because he may yet survive the revolt. Political pressure is growing on Barack Obama to administer a coup de grace to Colonel Gaddafi, if need be through direct US military intervention. In part it’s because policymakers and commentators see a chance of a fresh, democratic start in Libya, and in part because they fear a vacuum that anti-western Islamists and al-Qaida may fill. But Washington’s war drums are also beating faster out of concern that Gaddafi, a long-reviled bogeyman first targeted by Ronald Reagan, may yet survive the revolt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/07/obama-libya-washington-gaddafi
Britain’s SAS in Libya: What happened there?
The confusion surrounding the detention and then release of several British nationals – including members of the Special Air Service – in Libya has generated as much interest as the incident itself. However, little information is available on why a group of British men arrived unauthorized and unannounced in Libya. Below is an overview of what can be confirmed about the incident.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/43T9fkcPXgk/Britain-s-SAS-in-Libya-What-happened-there
Douglas Alexander | William Hague has lost his grip on the Libya crisis
No one pretends it’s easy, but the British people deserve better than the government’s slow, incoherent response. After weeks of ministerial bungling, I can understand why the foreign secretary wouldn’t have been looking forward to standing at the dispatch box. But William Hague had a lot of explaining to do. To his credit, he accepted full responsibility for the ill-fated mission he personally authorised but sounded half hearted in his ever-less credible assertion that on Libya, the British government had “led the way” in recent weeks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/07/hague-libya-crisis
Kharabeesh, “Happy Gaddafi” (Animation)
Protesters: “The people wants to change the government!” Gaddafi: “Gaddafi wants to change the government!” Protesters: “The people wants to change the governing system!” Gaddafi: “Gaddafi wants to change the governing system!” Protesters: “The people wants to remove the governing committees!” Gaddafi: “Gaddafi wants to remove the governing committees!” Protesters: “The people wants Gaddafi to step down!” Gaddafi: “Gaddafi wants Gaddafi to step down! What?! Gaddafi to step down? That is not democratic.”
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/kharabeesh070311.html
AMAZING: New image compilation!
Sent to us by the amazing Juan Carlos! Click the image for larger view.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/amazing-new-image-compilation/
Video: When Gaddafi and Gargamel (The Smurfs) meet
Cleverly done. An extract from Gaddafi’s first video speech added to a clip of Gargamel from the smurfs
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/video-when-gaddafi-and-gargamel-the-smurfs-meet/
