The Libyan Crisis [Threads Merged]
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karachiwala
Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
Libya: Five Reasons Not to Intervene
by Justin Raimondo, March 16, 2011
http://antiwar-talk.com/
As Moammar Gadhafis thugs move toward Benghazi, the rebel stronghold, and the provisional government calls for arms and other assistance from the West principally the United States we are told to put all doubts aside and simply respond to the alleged moral imperative of preventing a slaughter. This, intone the interventionists, is an emergency, which means: we must stop thinking, and respond emotionally to the call to do something.
There are several problems with this non-argument, the first being: how do we know the West isnt already assisting the rebels? I would be very surprised if they arent. Libya has too much oil, and is too strategically placed on the Mediterranean shore, to be ignored by US policymakers. And they dont always make their policy out in the open. Even as the Obama administration is being bombarded by busy-bodies the world over for its inaction on the Libyan front, there are reports Washington is acting through the Saudis, providing American military equipment to rebel forces. The British, whose diplomatic mission in the eastern half of the country was arrested and expelled, are almost certainly helping the rebels, and the French who have already recognized the Benghazi rebel government cannot be far behind.
In any event, even if Gadhafi succeeds in taking Benghazi an unlikely scenario, because he doesnt have the troops the idea that he will have won, and can resume his reign of terror, is absurd. Some sort of consent of the governed is essential yes, even in a dictatorship. The withdrawal of that consent is fatal to any regime that was the lesson of 1989. Gadhafi can march his hired thugs up and down the streets of Libyas cities all he likes, but actually ruling the country is quite a different matter. My guess is that he will soon be forced to withdraw from the east, and Libya will be divided perhaps permanently between Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Both governments will claim to be the true and only legitimate representative of the Libyan nation, although, for all intents and purposes as I explained in my last column Libya as a unified country is finished.
Well, then you ask why not help the Libyans throw off the yoke of Gadhafis tyrannical rule?
I come up with five distinct albeit interrelated reasons (my readers are invited to add to the list in the comments below):
1) Because the moment we intervene, well own whats going on in Libya just like we own Iraq. Neocons eager to acquire another Middle East colony are understandably eager to jump into the fray, but theres less excuse for the centrist-to-leftish humanitarian interventionists, who argue in terms of our alleged moral obligation to prevent widespread bloodletting. I dont hear these people calling for us to arm the rebels in Bahrain or Yemen, who are being murdered in large numbers as they protest peacefully.
2)Because we cant afford it, either financially or militarily. The US government debt is currently at over $14 trillion, and were already in over our heads in Afghanistan and (still) Iraq. With military assets tied up in our other Middle Eastern colonies, where will we get the resources to police post-Gadhafi Libya? And dont think we wont have to: see above.
3) Because there are no half-measures in war. Those who protest they dont want American boots on the ground dont understand the logic of their own position. A no fly zone means an air war against Libyan military installations, and the provision of weaponry presupposes training the rebels to use those weapons effectively: US advisors are the next inevitable step.
4) Because we dont know who were supporting. Everyone but the Latin American version of the Warsaw Pact and the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) is against Gadhafi. Yet that doesnt mean the rebels or, rather, their leaders are necessarily benign.
The present ideological configuration of the anti-Gadhafi movement seems to consist of three major factions: the Benghazi-based revolutionaries, essentially a separatist movement. Their main complaint, aside from being ruled over by a murderous and dangerously nutty dictator, is that oil resources have benefited the western part of the country, to the detriment of the east. The east, called Cyrenaica since ancient times, has always had an uneasy relationship with the cosmopolitan center in Tripoli. King Idris I, installed by the US and Great Britain (under cover of the UN), told he would be monarch of all Libya, bitterly complained that he just wanted to rule Cyrenaica, where he had held court under British protection since the end of World War II.
The other major factor in the opposition consists of defectors from the Libyan military, such as General Abdel-Fattah Younis, Gadhafis former Interior Minister, considered the No. 2 man in Libya prior to going over to the rebels. He likely has his own relationship with Washington, developed during the thaw in Washingtons relations with Tripoli. In any case, as a longtime supporter of the Daffy Despot, one can be sure he has plenty of blood on his hands.
A third factor is the Sanussi movement, which has its stronghold in the rural regions of the east. The Sanussi are a religious sect that derives much of its theology from Wahabist and Sufi influences, and all of its politics from a long history of opposing foreign invaders, from the Italians to the Brits. This group overlaps with the monarchists, who want to return the throne of Libya to either one of two current claimants.
A nearly insignificant faction, the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), has long been run by the CIA. Oh, and dont forget the various Islamic groups, as well as the shadowy al-Qaeda franchise. Heres a comprehensive list of Libyan opposition groups which ones do we support, and which ones are the Bad Guys? We cannot have the ability to know.
Which brings us to the long-awaited fifth reason for staying the heck out of an affair thats none of our business:
5) Because actions have unintended consequences, and actions taken by governments are almost guaranteed to boomerang. This is particularly true in the foreign policy realm, where the physical and cultural distance between the generals and the field is much greater than it is at home, serving to reinforce the myopia of know-it-all government officials and analysts who, in reality, are just making it up as they go along. The result, as they put it in CIA slang, is blowback, the title of an excellent book on the subject by the late great Chalmers Johnson.
The delusion that the US government can effectively manage and even plan the domestic economy or, indeed, any aspect of American life is projected, by our Washington elites, onto the world stage. Yet it is no less of a delusion: indeed, it is a far greater and more dangerous misperception, on account of its sheer grandiosity and potential to unleash deadly havoc.
Let Libya alone. Let the Europeans jockey for position and their fair share of the spoils. Indeed, neither the French nor the Brits need any prompting from us. No European leader can forget the fuel tax demonstrations that swept the continent in 2000, and David Cameron especially, who endorsed the protests at the time (and endorsed price controls as the solution). As fuel prices rise, and his governments 70 percent take in the proceeds is deemed essential to pulling out of insolvency, he cannot afford a replay of British hauliers blocking roads. The Brits, after all, signed a security agreement with Gadhafi, and Tony Blairs very public courtship of the Libyan dictator was as shameless as it was profitable.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2011/03/15/libya-five-reasons-not-to-intervene/
by Justin Raimondo, March 16, 2011
http://antiwar-talk.com/
As Moammar Gadhafis thugs move toward Benghazi, the rebel stronghold, and the provisional government calls for arms and other assistance from the West principally the United States we are told to put all doubts aside and simply respond to the alleged moral imperative of preventing a slaughter. This, intone the interventionists, is an emergency, which means: we must stop thinking, and respond emotionally to the call to do something.
There are several problems with this non-argument, the first being: how do we know the West isnt already assisting the rebels? I would be very surprised if they arent. Libya has too much oil, and is too strategically placed on the Mediterranean shore, to be ignored by US policymakers. And they dont always make their policy out in the open. Even as the Obama administration is being bombarded by busy-bodies the world over for its inaction on the Libyan front, there are reports Washington is acting through the Saudis, providing American military equipment to rebel forces. The British, whose diplomatic mission in the eastern half of the country was arrested and expelled, are almost certainly helping the rebels, and the French who have already recognized the Benghazi rebel government cannot be far behind.
In any event, even if Gadhafi succeeds in taking Benghazi an unlikely scenario, because he doesnt have the troops the idea that he will have won, and can resume his reign of terror, is absurd. Some sort of consent of the governed is essential yes, even in a dictatorship. The withdrawal of that consent is fatal to any regime that was the lesson of 1989. Gadhafi can march his hired thugs up and down the streets of Libyas cities all he likes, but actually ruling the country is quite a different matter. My guess is that he will soon be forced to withdraw from the east, and Libya will be divided perhaps permanently between Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Both governments will claim to be the true and only legitimate representative of the Libyan nation, although, for all intents and purposes as I explained in my last column Libya as a unified country is finished.
Well, then you ask why not help the Libyans throw off the yoke of Gadhafis tyrannical rule?
I come up with five distinct albeit interrelated reasons (my readers are invited to add to the list in the comments below):
1) Because the moment we intervene, well own whats going on in Libya just like we own Iraq. Neocons eager to acquire another Middle East colony are understandably eager to jump into the fray, but theres less excuse for the centrist-to-leftish humanitarian interventionists, who argue in terms of our alleged moral obligation to prevent widespread bloodletting. I dont hear these people calling for us to arm the rebels in Bahrain or Yemen, who are being murdered in large numbers as they protest peacefully.
2)Because we cant afford it, either financially or militarily. The US government debt is currently at over $14 trillion, and were already in over our heads in Afghanistan and (still) Iraq. With military assets tied up in our other Middle Eastern colonies, where will we get the resources to police post-Gadhafi Libya? And dont think we wont have to: see above.
3) Because there are no half-measures in war. Those who protest they dont want American boots on the ground dont understand the logic of their own position. A no fly zone means an air war against Libyan military installations, and the provision of weaponry presupposes training the rebels to use those weapons effectively: US advisors are the next inevitable step.
4) Because we dont know who were supporting. Everyone but the Latin American version of the Warsaw Pact and the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) is against Gadhafi. Yet that doesnt mean the rebels or, rather, their leaders are necessarily benign.
The present ideological configuration of the anti-Gadhafi movement seems to consist of three major factions: the Benghazi-based revolutionaries, essentially a separatist movement. Their main complaint, aside from being ruled over by a murderous and dangerously nutty dictator, is that oil resources have benefited the western part of the country, to the detriment of the east. The east, called Cyrenaica since ancient times, has always had an uneasy relationship with the cosmopolitan center in Tripoli. King Idris I, installed by the US and Great Britain (under cover of the UN), told he would be monarch of all Libya, bitterly complained that he just wanted to rule Cyrenaica, where he had held court under British protection since the end of World War II.
The other major factor in the opposition consists of defectors from the Libyan military, such as General Abdel-Fattah Younis, Gadhafis former Interior Minister, considered the No. 2 man in Libya prior to going over to the rebels. He likely has his own relationship with Washington, developed during the thaw in Washingtons relations with Tripoli. In any case, as a longtime supporter of the Daffy Despot, one can be sure he has plenty of blood on his hands.
A third factor is the Sanussi movement, which has its stronghold in the rural regions of the east. The Sanussi are a religious sect that derives much of its theology from Wahabist and Sufi influences, and all of its politics from a long history of opposing foreign invaders, from the Italians to the Brits. This group overlaps with the monarchists, who want to return the throne of Libya to either one of two current claimants.
A nearly insignificant faction, the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), has long been run by the CIA. Oh, and dont forget the various Islamic groups, as well as the shadowy al-Qaeda franchise. Heres a comprehensive list of Libyan opposition groups which ones do we support, and which ones are the Bad Guys? We cannot have the ability to know.
Which brings us to the long-awaited fifth reason for staying the heck out of an affair thats none of our business:
5) Because actions have unintended consequences, and actions taken by governments are almost guaranteed to boomerang. This is particularly true in the foreign policy realm, where the physical and cultural distance between the generals and the field is much greater than it is at home, serving to reinforce the myopia of know-it-all government officials and analysts who, in reality, are just making it up as they go along. The result, as they put it in CIA slang, is blowback, the title of an excellent book on the subject by the late great Chalmers Johnson.
The delusion that the US government can effectively manage and even plan the domestic economy or, indeed, any aspect of American life is projected, by our Washington elites, onto the world stage. Yet it is no less of a delusion: indeed, it is a far greater and more dangerous misperception, on account of its sheer grandiosity and potential to unleash deadly havoc.
Let Libya alone. Let the Europeans jockey for position and their fair share of the spoils. Indeed, neither the French nor the Brits need any prompting from us. No European leader can forget the fuel tax demonstrations that swept the continent in 2000, and David Cameron especially, who endorsed the protests at the time (and endorsed price controls as the solution). As fuel prices rise, and his governments 70 percent take in the proceeds is deemed essential to pulling out of insolvency, he cannot afford a replay of British hauliers blocking roads. The Brits, after all, signed a security agreement with Gadhafi, and Tony Blairs very public courtship of the Libyan dictator was as shameless as it was profitable.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2011/03/15/libya-five-reasons-not-to-intervene/
Re: U.S. open to air attack in Libya against Gadhafi
Almost all US Economy is run by Wars & Selling Weapons
Almost all US Economy is run by Wars & Selling Weapons
A Khokar
Voter (50+ posts)
Frustrating the Madman of Libya
All the unrest in the Middle East as well as in the North African countries like Tunisia, Libya and Algeria is the outcome of the Jasmine Revolution which is non-violence, class less and a secular revolution. After the mark successes in Tunisia and Egypt; it has brought an end to the regimes of their tyrants rulers; the winds of change has started blowing in the other Gulf States as well as in Libya and Algeria. Non-violence jasmine revolution happened to be the sure way of success toward the political freedom and the democratic way of life for the people who have stayed as oppressed for centuries.
Unfortunately the Libyan tribes around the second biggest city of Benghazi in the eastern Libya which is also the most oil rich area in Libya has decided something different and selected a route of betrayal and dissention which may turn as a break up from the main land Libya. Very defiantly the rebels have been able to form a National council and many a units from Libyan army present in and around Benghazi have defected and joined the rebels.
Ghadafi may be a mad man but even at this stage he is trying to unite the country. Believably the Jasmine revolution was moving very fast to bring a sure change of the old oppressive regimes but disintegration of one big country like Libya having such a great potential of mineral resources like oil at hand must not disintegrate. That is against the spirit of the revolution that could dawn in the Middle East after a long dark age of oppression and deprivation.
The countries like France have already recognized this National council which shows that how the western forces are active in conspiring not only against Ghadafis regime but are likely to hijack the revolution and turn it into anarchy and mayhem for the people of the region.
The national council of Libya needs to know that No disloyal may win his day. Asking of dissention and playing in the hands of old colonial oppressors forces who would never like to see that some strong democratic governments is ever seen flourishing in this region.
Reportedly US had asked Saudi Arabia to dispatch arms and ammo to support rebels at Benghazi; looks like that said consignment has reached the rebels that in order to support the rebels and when Ghadafi is about to retake Benghazi to be in control of his country; US has decided to frustrate him.
Strange enough; the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) also backs no fly zone and has asked Security Council to give mandate to the western powers to implement but why not ask the powerful and strong Saudis, Egyptian or Jordanian air forces present in the area.
Unfortunately in Pakistan where the nationalism is an alien word and country is known by its peoples on linguistic and ethnic bases vigorously pursuing the provincial autonomy and freedom visa vie dissention--- must think twice before talking and supporting the forces of rebels of Libya.
All the unrest in the Middle East as well as in the North African countries like Tunisia, Libya and Algeria is the outcome of the Jasmine Revolution which is non-violence, class less and a secular revolution. After the mark successes in Tunisia and Egypt; it has brought an end to the regimes of their tyrants rulers; the winds of change has started blowing in the other Gulf States as well as in Libya and Algeria. Non-violence jasmine revolution happened to be the sure way of success toward the political freedom and the democratic way of life for the people who have stayed as oppressed for centuries.
Unfortunately the Libyan tribes around the second biggest city of Benghazi in the eastern Libya which is also the most oil rich area in Libya has decided something different and selected a route of betrayal and dissention which may turn as a break up from the main land Libya. Very defiantly the rebels have been able to form a National council and many a units from Libyan army present in and around Benghazi have defected and joined the rebels.
Ghadafi may be a mad man but even at this stage he is trying to unite the country. Believably the Jasmine revolution was moving very fast to bring a sure change of the old oppressive regimes but disintegration of one big country like Libya having such a great potential of mineral resources like oil at hand must not disintegrate. That is against the spirit of the revolution that could dawn in the Middle East after a long dark age of oppression and deprivation.
The countries like France have already recognized this National council which shows that how the western forces are active in conspiring not only against Ghadafis regime but are likely to hijack the revolution and turn it into anarchy and mayhem for the people of the region.
The national council of Libya needs to know that No disloyal may win his day. Asking of dissention and playing in the hands of old colonial oppressors forces who would never like to see that some strong democratic governments is ever seen flourishing in this region.
Reportedly US had asked Saudi Arabia to dispatch arms and ammo to support rebels at Benghazi; looks like that said consignment has reached the rebels that in order to support the rebels and when Ghadafi is about to retake Benghazi to be in control of his country; US has decided to frustrate him.
Strange enough; the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) also backs no fly zone and has asked Security Council to give mandate to the western powers to implement but why not ask the powerful and strong Saudis, Egyptian or Jordanian air forces present in the area.
Unfortunately in Pakistan where the nationalism is an alien word and country is known by its peoples on linguistic and ethnic bases vigorously pursuing the provincial autonomy and freedom visa vie dissention--- must think twice before talking and supporting the forces of rebels of Libya.
hans
Banned
Re: U.S. open to air attack in Libya against Gadhafi
So you dont blame Moammar Gadhafi’s thugs?
So you dont blame Moammar Gadhafi’s thugs?
UN Security council gives green signal to attack Libya
Libya: UN backs action against Colonel Gaddafi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12781009
The UN Security Council has backed a resolution on Libya that supports a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.
Meeting in New York, the 15-member body agreed "to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack".
It also supported a no-fly zone to help halt the advance of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Reports suggest air strikes may begin within hours of the resolution passing.
The US, UK and France proposed the council resolution, backing action short of an invasion. It passed 10-0 with five abstentions.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, introducing the resolution, said: "In Libya, for a number of weeks the people's will has been shot down... by Colonel Gaddafi who is attacking his own people.
"We cannot let these warmongers do this, we cannot abandon civilians."
He added: "We should not arrive too late."
Russia and China - which often oppose the use of force against a sovereign country as they believe it sets a dangerous precedent - abstained rather than using their power of veto.
Earlier reports suggested that if the resolution was passed, air attacks on Col Gaddafi's forces by the British and French air forces could begin within hours.
Libya: UN backs action against Colonel Gaddafi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12781009
The UN Security Council has backed a resolution on Libya that supports a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.
Meeting in New York, the 15-member body agreed "to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack".
It also supported a no-fly zone to help halt the advance of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Reports suggest air strikes may begin within hours of the resolution passing.
The US, UK and France proposed the council resolution, backing action short of an invasion. It passed 10-0 with five abstentions.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, introducing the resolution, said: "In Libya, for a number of weeks the people's will has been shot down... by Colonel Gaddafi who is attacking his own people.
"We cannot let these warmongers do this, we cannot abandon civilians."
He added: "We should not arrive too late."
Russia and China - which often oppose the use of force against a sovereign country as they believe it sets a dangerous precedent - abstained rather than using their power of veto.
Earlier reports suggested that if the resolution was passed, air attacks on Col Gaddafi's forces by the British and French air forces could begin within hours.
Last edited:
gazoomartian
Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
Re: UN Security council gives green signal to attack Libya
In the name of civilian another terror is being created. Jub tak yeh yahood qaem raheingey, America ko tabah kartey raheingey
In the name of civilian another terror is being created. Jub tak yeh yahood qaem raheingey, America ko tabah kartey raheingey
only_truths
Minister (2k+ posts)
Re: UN Security council gives green signal to attack Libya
Your greatest friend China and Your greatest enemy India abstained from this voting. Any Expert comments ?
Re: UN Security council gives green signal to attack Libya
will UNO declare GAZA strip a no flyzone for ISRAHELL where the zoinist are killing civilians for years. Muslims must get united and get rid of all these american stooges like 3x Abdullah's ,Egyptian and Paki generals.
will UNO declare GAZA strip a no flyzone for ISRAHELL where the zoinist are killing civilians for years. Muslims must get united and get rid of all these american stooges like 3x Abdullah's ,Egyptian and Paki generals.
A Khokar
Voter (50+ posts)
Re: Frustrating the Madman of Libya
As expected Security Council Approves ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya, Authorizing ‘All Necessary Measures’ to Protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions
Demanding an immediate ceasefire in Libya, including an end to the current attacks against civilians, which it said might constitute “crimes against humanity”, the Security Council this evening imposed a ban on all flights in the country’s airspace — a no-fly zone — and tightened sanctions on the Qadhafi regime and its supporters.
As expected Security Council Approves ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya, Authorizing ‘All Necessary Measures’ to Protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions
Demanding an immediate ceasefire in Libya, including an end to the current attacks against civilians, which it said might constitute “crimes against humanity”, the Security Council this evening imposed a ban on all flights in the country’s airspace — a no-fly zone — and tightened sanctions on the Qadhafi regime and its supporters.
Muhammad Tauseef A. Bajwa
Senator (1k+ posts)
Egypt arming Libya rebels, Wall Street Journal reports
A Libyan government soldier poses for the camera at the west gate of Ajdabiyah town March 16, 2011. - Photo by Reuters
LONDON: Egypts military has begun shipping arms over the border to Libyan rebels with Washingtons knowledge, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Quoting US and Libyan rebel officials, the newspaper said the shipments were mostly of small arms such as assault rifles and ammunition.
It appeared to be the first case of an outside government arming the rebel fighters, the newspaper said.
Rebels have been losing ground for days in the face of an advance by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.The rebels have, however, been buoyed by the decision on Thursday by the
United Nations Security Council to authorise air strikes in an attempt to curb Gaddafis forces.
The Journal reported that Egyptian weapons transfers began a few days ago and are continuing, according to a senior US official.Theres no formal US policy or acknowledgment that this is going on, said the official. But this is something we have knowledge of.
There was no official Egyptian confirmation of the shipments, the newspaper said. The United States is a major ally and supplier of military aid to Egypt.
We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but they cant be so visible, said Hani Souflakis, a Libyan businessman in Cairo who has been acting as a rebel liaison with the Egyptian government since the uprising began, according to the newspaper.
Weapons are getting through, said Souflakis. Americans have given the green light to the Egyptians to help. The Americans dont want to be involved in a direct level, but the Egyptians wouldnt do it if they didnt get the green light.
A spokesman for the rebel government in Benghazi said arms shipments had begun arriving to the rebels but declined to specify where they came from, the Journal said.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/18/egypt-arming-libya-rebels-wall-street-journal-reports.html
LONDON: Egypts military has begun shipping arms over the border to Libyan rebels with Washingtons knowledge, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Quoting US and Libyan rebel officials, the newspaper said the shipments were mostly of small arms such as assault rifles and ammunition.
It appeared to be the first case of an outside government arming the rebel fighters, the newspaper said.
Rebels have been losing ground for days in the face of an advance by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.The rebels have, however, been buoyed by the decision on Thursday by the
United Nations Security Council to authorise air strikes in an attempt to curb Gaddafis forces.
The Journal reported that Egyptian weapons transfers began a few days ago and are continuing, according to a senior US official.Theres no formal US policy or acknowledgment that this is going on, said the official. But this is something we have knowledge of.
There was no official Egyptian confirmation of the shipments, the newspaper said. The United States is a major ally and supplier of military aid to Egypt.
We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but they cant be so visible, said Hani Souflakis, a Libyan businessman in Cairo who has been acting as a rebel liaison with the Egyptian government since the uprising began, according to the newspaper.
Weapons are getting through, said Souflakis. Americans have given the green light to the Egyptians to help. The Americans dont want to be involved in a direct level, but the Egyptians wouldnt do it if they didnt get the green light.
A spokesman for the rebel government in Benghazi said arms shipments had begun arriving to the rebels but declined to specify where they came from, the Journal said.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/18/egypt-arming-libya-rebels-wall-street-journal-reports.html
Muhammad Tauseef A. Bajwa
Senator (1k+ posts)
Qaddafi defiant as fighting tears Libyan rebel stronghold
http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Libya-Reuters-640x480.jpg
A woman rebel fighter supporter shoots an AK-47 rifle as she reacts to the news of the withdrawal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces from Benghazi March 19, 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS
LIBYA:
Fighting raged around Libyas rebel stronghold of Benghazi Saturday as Libyan leader Moamer Qaddafi gave a defiant response to world leaders planning military action against him.
A huge plume of smoke rose over Libyas second city as thousands of people fled eastward after a series of air strikes and sustained shelling, an AFP reporter said.
Correspondents reported that tanks belonging to Qaddafis forces had entered the city of more than one million people mid-morning.
The Libyan government insisted it was observing a ceasefire it had announced on Friday, shortly after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorise the use of force against Qaddafis troops to spare civilians.
It said its armed forces were under attack west of Benghazi and had responded in self-defence.
But the rebels, who have been trying to overthrow the Libyan leader for more than a month, said his troops had continued to bombard cities, violating the ceasefire continuously since its declaration.
The gangs of al Qaeda attacked the units of the Libyan armed forces stationed to the west of Benghazi, a statement carried by the official Jana news agency said, using Tripolis term for the insurgents.
It accused the rebels of using a helicopter and a fighter jet to bomb the Libyan armed forces in blatant violation of the no-fly zone imposed by the UN Security Council.
A warplane crashed in flames in a residential area of Benghazi, triggering celebratory gunfire from the rebels, but an insurgent commander later admitted it was one of theirs and had been shot down by Qaddafis forces.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft, which was initially identified as a Russian-built MiG-23 fighter but said later to have been a French-made Mirage.
A number of military units defected to the rebellion soon after the revolt broke out.
In messages to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, main sponsors of Fridays UN resolution, Qaddafi said they would regret interfering in his countrys affairs, a spokesman said in Tripoli.
If you intervene in our country you will regret it, the spokesman quoted Qaddafi as telling them, adding that the strongman had also sent messages to US President Barack Obama and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
And he told Obama that the Libyan people were prepared to die for me men, women and children.
On Friday, Obama delivered a frank ultimatum Qaddafi, threatening military action if he ignores non-negotiable demands for a ceasefire and a retreat from rebel bastions.
Left unchecked, we have every reason to believe that Qaddafi would commit atrocities against his people, Obama said, reinforcing the international message. Many thousands could die. A humanitarian crisis would ensue.
Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa said Saturday Tripoli had fulfilled all its obligations with regard to the UN resolution, and had asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to send observers to monitor the ceasefire.
France was hosting what it said would be a decisive summit with the European Union, Arab League and African Union, as well as Ban, on taking military action in Libya.
Frances ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, said he expected military intervention within hours of the summit.
Sarkozy, Cameron and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met ahead of the conference Saturday, focusing on sharing out the military roles in enforcing Resolution 1973, sources said.
Late Friday, the French presidency said France, Britain, the United States and Arab countries had told Qaddafi to immediately cease all attacks against his people or face the consequences.
A statement said that a ceasefire must be put in place immediately, that is, that all attacks against civilians must come to an end.
It added that Qaddafi must end his troops advance on Benghazi and withdraw from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiyah, referring to rebel-held towns attacked or captured by government forces in the past few days.
That is not negotiable, it said, warning that if Qaddafi did not comply with Resolution 1973, he would face consequences from the international community and the resolution will be imposed by military means.
The summit, hosted by Sarkozy, will also be attended by Clinton, Cameron, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
So far Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Qatar and the United States have said they will help to implement the no-fly zone.
Meanwhile, Libyan National Oil Corp chairman Shukri Ghanem said Saturday that Tripoli would honour all its engagements and contracts with foreign oil companies working in Libya.
Ghanem told a press conference in Tripoli that the countrys oil production currently stands at 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), less than a third of normal as a result of the rebellion.
In another Middle East hot spot, medics in Yemen on Saturday raised the death toll from a sniper attack on protesters to 52 as thousands rallied despite a state of emergency imposed by the autocratic regime.
The slaughter in Sanaa on Friday was the bloodiest day in weeks of unrest that has shaken the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key US ally in the war against Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula.
Clashes in the main southern city of Aden also left seven injured on Saturday when security forces fired tear gas and bullets to disperse anti-regime protesters, witnesses and medics said.
In Bahrain, beleaguered King Hamad pledged to bring in reforms as Shiite-led pro-democracy protesters against the Sunni monarchy said they would not give up despite being cleared by police from the central Pearl Square.
And in Syria, a Facebook page behind an unprecedented string of protests called for a new rally Saturday in the city of Homs, naming the venue in advance in a bold step under the iron-fisted regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
The fresh call for protests came a day after rights groups reported security forces killed four people and wounded hundreds in a rally in the southern city of Dara.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/134972/qaddafi-defiant-as-fighting-tears-libyan-rebel-stronghold/
http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Libya-Reuters-640x480.jpg
A woman rebel fighter supporter shoots an AK-47 rifle as she reacts to the news of the withdrawal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces from Benghazi March 19, 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS
LIBYA:
Fighting raged around Libyas rebel stronghold of Benghazi Saturday as Libyan leader Moamer Qaddafi gave a defiant response to world leaders planning military action against him.
A huge plume of smoke rose over Libyas second city as thousands of people fled eastward after a series of air strikes and sustained shelling, an AFP reporter said.
Correspondents reported that tanks belonging to Qaddafis forces had entered the city of more than one million people mid-morning.
The Libyan government insisted it was observing a ceasefire it had announced on Friday, shortly after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorise the use of force against Qaddafis troops to spare civilians.
It said its armed forces were under attack west of Benghazi and had responded in self-defence.
But the rebels, who have been trying to overthrow the Libyan leader for more than a month, said his troops had continued to bombard cities, violating the ceasefire continuously since its declaration.
The gangs of al Qaeda attacked the units of the Libyan armed forces stationed to the west of Benghazi, a statement carried by the official Jana news agency said, using Tripolis term for the insurgents.
It accused the rebels of using a helicopter and a fighter jet to bomb the Libyan armed forces in blatant violation of the no-fly zone imposed by the UN Security Council.
A warplane crashed in flames in a residential area of Benghazi, triggering celebratory gunfire from the rebels, but an insurgent commander later admitted it was one of theirs and had been shot down by Qaddafis forces.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft, which was initially identified as a Russian-built MiG-23 fighter but said later to have been a French-made Mirage.
A number of military units defected to the rebellion soon after the revolt broke out.
In messages to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, main sponsors of Fridays UN resolution, Qaddafi said they would regret interfering in his countrys affairs, a spokesman said in Tripoli.
If you intervene in our country you will regret it, the spokesman quoted Qaddafi as telling them, adding that the strongman had also sent messages to US President Barack Obama and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
And he told Obama that the Libyan people were prepared to die for me men, women and children.
On Friday, Obama delivered a frank ultimatum Qaddafi, threatening military action if he ignores non-negotiable demands for a ceasefire and a retreat from rebel bastions.
Left unchecked, we have every reason to believe that Qaddafi would commit atrocities against his people, Obama said, reinforcing the international message. Many thousands could die. A humanitarian crisis would ensue.
Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa said Saturday Tripoli had fulfilled all its obligations with regard to the UN resolution, and had asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to send observers to monitor the ceasefire.
France was hosting what it said would be a decisive summit with the European Union, Arab League and African Union, as well as Ban, on taking military action in Libya.
Frances ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, said he expected military intervention within hours of the summit.
Sarkozy, Cameron and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met ahead of the conference Saturday, focusing on sharing out the military roles in enforcing Resolution 1973, sources said.
Late Friday, the French presidency said France, Britain, the United States and Arab countries had told Qaddafi to immediately cease all attacks against his people or face the consequences.
A statement said that a ceasefire must be put in place immediately, that is, that all attacks against civilians must come to an end.
It added that Qaddafi must end his troops advance on Benghazi and withdraw from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiyah, referring to rebel-held towns attacked or captured by government forces in the past few days.
That is not negotiable, it said, warning that if Qaddafi did not comply with Resolution 1973, he would face consequences from the international community and the resolution will be imposed by military means.
The summit, hosted by Sarkozy, will also be attended by Clinton, Cameron, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
So far Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Qatar and the United States have said they will help to implement the no-fly zone.
Meanwhile, Libyan National Oil Corp chairman Shukri Ghanem said Saturday that Tripoli would honour all its engagements and contracts with foreign oil companies working in Libya.
Ghanem told a press conference in Tripoli that the countrys oil production currently stands at 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), less than a third of normal as a result of the rebellion.
In another Middle East hot spot, medics in Yemen on Saturday raised the death toll from a sniper attack on protesters to 52 as thousands rallied despite a state of emergency imposed by the autocratic regime.
The slaughter in Sanaa on Friday was the bloodiest day in weeks of unrest that has shaken the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key US ally in the war against Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula.
Clashes in the main southern city of Aden also left seven injured on Saturday when security forces fired tear gas and bullets to disperse anti-regime protesters, witnesses and medics said.
In Bahrain, beleaguered King Hamad pledged to bring in reforms as Shiite-led pro-democracy protesters against the Sunni monarchy said they would not give up despite being cleared by police from the central Pearl Square.
And in Syria, a Facebook page behind an unprecedented string of protests called for a new rally Saturday in the city of Homs, naming the venue in advance in a bold step under the iron-fisted regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
The fresh call for protests came a day after rights groups reported security forces killed four people and wounded hundreds in a rally in the southern city of Dara.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/134972/qaddafi-defiant-as-fighting-tears-libyan-rebel-stronghold/
Libya: crusader aggression against Muslims, many dead
The UK, the US and France have begun attacking Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone gets under way.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that British planes are in action over Libya. French planes flew reconnaissance missions and destroyed Libyan vehicles earlier on Saturday.
US media say the US has fired Cruise missiles on Libya from a warship.
Western planes bombed targets in the capital, Tripoli, said the AFP news agency, quoting witnesses and state TV.
A British submarine has fired a number of missiles at Libyan air defence targets, the Ministry of Defence said.
Prime Minister David Cameron said that launching military action against Libya was "necessary, legal and right".
Libyan state TV reported that what it called the "crusader enemy" had bombed civilian areas of Tripoli, as well as fuel storage tanks supplying the western city of Misrata.
Sources in Tripoli told BBC Arabic that the attacks on the city had so far targeted the eastern areas of Sawani, Airport Road, and Ghasheer. These are all areas believed to host military bases
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-12796972
The UK, the US and France have begun attacking Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone gets under way.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that British planes are in action over Libya. French planes flew reconnaissance missions and destroyed Libyan vehicles earlier on Saturday.
US media say the US has fired Cruise missiles on Libya from a warship.
Western planes bombed targets in the capital, Tripoli, said the AFP news agency, quoting witnesses and state TV.
A British submarine has fired a number of missiles at Libyan air defence targets, the Ministry of Defence said.
Prime Minister David Cameron said that launching military action against Libya was "necessary, legal and right".
Libyan state TV reported that what it called the "crusader enemy" had bombed civilian areas of Tripoli, as well as fuel storage tanks supplying the western city of Misrata.
Sources in Tripoli told BBC Arabic that the attacks on the city had so far targeted the eastern areas of Sawani, Airport Road, and Ghasheer. These are all areas believed to host military bases
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-12796972
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Re: France attacks Libya
Hopefully they will KILLEd only Ghaffi supporter and Ghadaffi
I write this why they do not have QADRI type people in Libya, Its will be some some Libyan QADRI killed Ghadaffi by itself istead of western people come and take over the country thathwy I m
BI GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG FANNNNNNNNN of QADRI type people in Muslim world.
May allah give more QADRI people
Hopefully they will KILLEd only Ghaffi supporter and Ghadaffi
I write this why they do not have QADRI type people in Libya, Its will be some some Libyan QADRI killed Ghadaffi by itself istead of western people come and take over the country thathwy I m
BI GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG FANNNNNNNNN of QADRI type people in Muslim world.
May allah give more QADRI people
