Libyan Revolution Week 22 part 2

[joshcryer]

Links to sites with updates: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya">AJE Libya Live Blog http://blogs.aljazeera.net/twitter-dashboard">AJE Twitter Dashboard http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/libya">The Guardian http://uk.reuters.com/places/libya">Reuters http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/">Telegraph http://feb17.info/">feb17.info http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks">Libya Alhurra (live video webcast from Benghazi) http://libya-alhurra.tumblr.com/">Libya Alhurra archives and updates http://www.ustream.tv/channel/benghaziradio">Benghazi Free Radio, in Arabic (may have translators present at times) http://www.tributefm.com/">Tribute FM (English broadcast from Benghazi) http://www.libyafeb17.com/">libyafeb17.com

Twitter links: http://twitter.com/#!/aymanm">Ayman Mohyeldin, with AJE http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn">Ben Wedeman, with CNN http://twitter.com/#!/tripolitanian">tripolitanian, a Libyan from Tripoli http://twitter.com/#!/BaghdadBrian">Brian Conley, reporter in Libya http://twitter.com/#!/freelibyanyouth">FreeLibyanYouth, Libyan advocate http://twitter.com/#!/LibyaFeb17_com">LibyaFeb17.com twitter account http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya">ChangeInLibya, Libyan advocate https://twitter.com/#!/TheyCallMeSof">Sofyan Amry (arrived in Benghazi recently) http://twitter.com/#!/KiloFoot">KiloFoot (general Arab Spring news aggregation)

Useful links: http://audioboo.fm/feb17voices">feb17voices http://www.google.com/search?q=time+in+libya">Current time in Libya http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerNew.php?country=libya">Prayer times in Libya

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1503419">Week 22 part 1 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwx_B38678">Marching On in Libya, for the revolutionaries!

A rebel lookout on top of a mountain in Bir Ayyad.

Bryan Denton for The New York Times



Day 142 July 9

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15213963,00.html">Defectors line up in Libya's Western mountains rebel stronghold
Formed by defectors from the Libyan army, the Western mountains' first National Army battalion is the most experienced group among opposition rebels fighting at the frontline close to Tripoli.
http://www.theafricareport.com/archives2/politics/5166440-libya-wade-calls-for-gaddafi-to-step-down.html">Senegal's President Wade calls for Gaddafi to step down
Speaking from the rebel-held city of Benghazi, Senegal’s president Abdoulaye Wade had a message for Libya’s leader
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-9-2011-1656">Libyan rebels set sights on town of Asablah, on road to Gharyan
Libyan rebels said they were preparing on Saturday to push forward in their drive on Tripoli from the south and west in a bid to isolate Muammar Gaddafi in the ever-closer capital.
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201106/libya-revolution-qaddafi-story-june-2011">This is How You Start a War: Libya's Frantic Fight for the Future
Ahmed Sanalla sent his first tweet at 12:38 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, from Benghazi. He'd never tweeted before, but he figured out the language.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/20117941019938272.html">Report from the front line, east of Zlitan
Abdul Maymen was an 18-year old student before he joined the rebels to fight alongside his uncle and his neighbours.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/0709/1224300113146.html">Writing into history
HERE IS A STORY Libyan novelist Hisham Matar often tells of the regime that forced his family into exile and later spirited his father away. It dates back to the early years of Col Muammar Gadafy’s experiment in tyranny, a time of fear and purges, a time when dissidents were hanged in public as the mercurial young army officer sought to remake Libya in his own image.
http://feb17.info/news/a-more-complex-picture-of-gadhafis-african-fighters/">A More Complex Picture Of Gadhafi’s African Fighters
At a makeshift prison located in a school in Zintan in the western mountains of Libya, the prison warden lists the nationalities of the most recent batch of Africans captured in the fighting this week.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/07/how-libyan-rebels-came-be-called-rebels-against-their-will/39738">How the Libyan Rebels Came to Be Called 'Rebels,' Against Their Will
So how did this whole "rebel" thing get started?
http://shabablibya.org/news/dont-call-us-rebels-2">Don’t Call Us Rebels
It was getting late for a foray to the front. There was perhaps an hour’s light left in the sinking sun. Not much time to negotiate our way up there and back before dark.
http://vimeo.com/26181926">Daily life in Misrata during war - video
Video by Rachel Beth Anderson, who says, "Daily life in Misrata, Libya will never be the same after the uprising began and the entire city was under siege.

Day 143 July 10

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/09/uk-libya-idUKTRE7681G520110709">Rebels face heavy attack as Gaddafi strikes back
Rebel fighters in western Libya faced sustained artillery and rocket bombardment by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi for the fifth straight day on Saturday.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/171277/reftab/36/t/Rebels-push-to-cut-off-Gaddafi/Default.aspx">Rebels push to cut off Gaddafi
Libyan rebels said they were preparing on Saturday to push forward in their drive on Tripoli from the south and west in a bid to isolate Muammar Gaddafi in the ever-closer capital.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/09/libya.rebels">Rebel fighters inexperienced, yet enthusiastic in southern Libya
Almost all civilians have fled the southern Libya area around Qawalish, hoping to avoid the worst of the violence wracking the nation.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-07/10/c_13976208.htm">Government troops destroy petro-chemical plant in Brega: spokesman for Libyan rebels
A petro-chemical plant in the Libyan oil city of Brega has been destroyed by the government troops, a spokesman for the rebel forces said here on Saturday.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/07/10/international/i120433D24.DTL">Libya shows tough face against rebel mountain push
Journalists based in Gadhafi's stronghold of Tripoli were taken Sunday to the mountain gateway town of al-Gharyan and the nearby town of al-Assabaa, where they were shown armed civilians and government troops who vowed to defend their land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mahj3z7d-E">Libyan girl from Yefren records events of conflict in her diary - video
AlJazeera’s Jonah Hull met one young woman who kept a diary of the days spent under siege.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/83510bd0-aa27-11e0-94a6-00144feabdc0.html">Arab youth steps in where Islamist activism failed
There was never even a remote possibility that the transition from entrenched, often western-backed autocracies could be anything other than messy and prolonged, and often violent.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/horror-of-life-in-a-city-under-siege-20110710-1h8tp.html">Horror of life in a city under siege
Four months of fighting have left Misrata with a cashless economy reliant on charity and camaraderie, writes Tracey Shelton.

Day 144 July 11

http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFL6E7IA06W20110710?sp=true">NATO answers refugee boat's mayday off Libya
NATO aircraft and a warship went to the aid of an overcrowded vessel in danger of sinking off the coast of Libya on Sunday with dozens of refugees aboard.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_689395.html">Gaddafi forces counter-attack as rebels cut his oil
FORCES loyal to Muammar Gaddafi launched a counter-attack on Sunday against rebel advance positions southwest of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent said, as rebels cut off an oil pipeline used to supply the Libyan strongman's forces.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/07/11/libyan-youths-from-gaddafi-towns-join-rebels">Libyan youths from Gaddafi towns join rebels
Scores of youths who fled towns and cities held by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces have joined rebels on the front line in the Nafusa mountains, armed with local knowledge and enthusiasm.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gzFfB-Rg6k8L1N4j6qyUs_ygq7Kw?docId=CNG.5daf9b1852bed4e2e24c039d0b187f02.9d1">Libyan rebels battle to keep grip on mountain hamlet
Libyan rebels said Monday they clashed with forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi in the vicinity of Gualish, a desert hamlet southwest of Tripoli.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-war-20110711,0,7485060,full.story">In rebel-held Libya, men find new identities as warriors
The war against Moammar Kadafi has taken over a long-sleepy mountain region, turning shepherds into fierce fighters, pastures into battlegrounds. Many wonder whether they'll ever return to their old lives.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/11/uk-libya-berber-idUKTRE76A4QE20110711">Berber culture reborn in Libya revolt
In a packed classroom on a cool evening near the front line in Libya's civil war, 15-year-old Mira is teaching children to spell out the names of animals in the ancient Berber script, an act that once could have landed her in one of Muammar Gaddafi's jails.

Day 145 July 12

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43714950/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa">Revolt revives Berbers: 'They all hate Gadhafi'
In a packed classroom on a cool evening near the front line in Libya's civil war, 15-year-old Mira is teaching children to spell out the names of animals in the ancient Berber script, an act that once could have landed her in one of Moammar Gadhafi's jails.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-tells-medvedev-us-backs-russias-mediation-in-libya-as-long-as-gadhafi-goes/2011/07/11/gIQAcOla9H_story.html">Obama tells Medvedev US backs Russia’s mediation in Libya as long as Gadhafi goes
The White House says President Barack Obama told Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that the U.S. is prepared to support Russian-led negotiations in Libya.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/as-ramadan-approaches-libyan-rebels-worry-about-mounting-odds/2011/07/11/gIQA4dgV9H_story.html">As Ramadan approaches, Libyan rebels worry about mounting odds
Rebels battling Moammar Gaddafi’s forces in Libya’s western mountains fear that supply shortages and other hurdles could prevent them from making major headway before fighting is likely to slow for Ramadan next month.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE76A0DE20110711">Libya's wealthy use cash to take fight to Gaddafi
When the battle for Misrata began in late February, Mahmoud Mohammed Askutri started out with a Kalashnikov rifle and four bullets.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/12/france-libya-vote-idUSP6E7I103020110712">French lower house votes to extend Libya mission
The National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to grant further funding for the military operation nearly four months after French planes started bombing troops loyal to Gaddafi in eastern Libya
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE76B1CF20110712?sp=true">Libya rebel minister opens Western Mountains air link
A senior minister in the Libyan rebel Transitional National Council opened an airfield on Tuesday linking the rebel capital Benghazi with a remote Western Mountain stronghold south of Tripoli
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/12/libya-rebels-fighting-near-tripoli">Libyan rebels make gains against Gaddafi forces in western mountains
Weeks of fierce fighting sees troops consolidate positions less than 100 miles from the capital, Tripoli
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/laj_59204.html">Libya’s other crisis: 2 million children at physical and emotional risk as conflict drags on
After months of media coverage of the conflict in Libya, one could be forgiven for thinking that the country is devoid of children. The vast majority of images in the media feature soldiers on the front lines, a defiant Muammar Gaddafi, NATO fighter jets streaking across the skies, and queues of mostly male migrant workers crossing the borders into Tunisia and Egypt.

Day 146 July 13

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/libyas-rebel-fighters-form-united-command-20110713-1hcm5.html">Libya's rebel fighters form united command
Libya's ragtag rebels said they had moved a step closer to becoming a coherent military force, as they announced a unified command structure for the first time.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/world/africa/13libya.html">Libyan Rebels Accused of Pillage and Beatings in Towns They Captured
Rebels in the mountains in Libya’s west have looted and damaged four towns seized since last month from the forces of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, part of a series of abuses and apparent reprisals against suspected loyalists that have chased residents of these towns away, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.
http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Rebels_Gaining_on_Gadhafi_Regime_125450448.html">Rebels Gaining on Gadhafi Regime
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is facing dramatic shortages of fuel for his soldiers and citizens in Tripoli, and he is running out of cash to pay his forces and what is left of his government, according to the latest U.S. intelligence reports. In France, the foreign minister reported that Gadhafi is prepared to leave power.
http://www.expatica.com/be/news/belgian-news/three-more-eu-nations-recognise-libya-rebels_162839.html">Three more EU nations recognise Libya rebels
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands recognise the opposition National Transitional Council as the Libyan people's legitimate representative
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43736861/ns/world_news-africa/">Rebels clash with Gaddafi troops south of Tripoli
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared to have launched an offensive on Wednesday to retake the frontline village of al-Qawalish seized by rebels last week.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/libya-rebels-on-the-march-20110714-1hefj.html">Rebel breakthrough: They repulse Gaddafi forces, pursue them back to Asabah
Libyan rebels have repulsed loyalists who had retaken the desert hamlet of Gualish and pursued their enemy to the outskirts of the strategic town of Asabah, where they were shelling it from surrounding hills, reports say.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201171319645404106.html">Ball bearing-filled rockets hit Ajdabiya, four civilians wounded
... at least two rockets filled with ball bearings crashed down on the rebel-held eastern Libyan town of Ajdabiya on Wednesday, injuring four people and causing extensive damage to three homes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/13/muammar-gaddafi-oil-algeria">Will oil bring Muammar Gaddafi down?
Gaddafi's fuel stores are insufficient for the military and civilian challenges he faces. Algeria could pull the rug from under him

Day 147 July 14

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8464254/Libya-Col-Gaddafi-has-spent-2.1m-on-mercenaries.html">Libya: Col Gaddafi 'has spent £2.1m on mercenaries'
Details of a deal to recruit 450 fighters from the disputed Western Sahara region have been passed to Nato officials by a former Gaddafi loyalist who was involved in the negotiations before defecting to the rebels.
http://youtu.be/hKygmfyAXD8">Criminals Released in the Streets in Hopes they Support Gaddafi - video
As much as unbeleivable as this may seem, Prisons in libya have been emptied in exchange that the prisoners Support Gaddafi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l2MTGzPkiY">Here's a video of money found on these kind of people, it's old outdated money
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/13/uk-libya-idUKTRE76C1H420110713">Libya rebels retake village south of Tripoli
Rebel fighters said on Wednesday they had retaken a village south of the capital they lost to forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi earlier in the day, boosting rebel plans for a march on Tripoli.
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/fighting+better+Libya/5099227/story.html">Why we're fighting for a better Libya
Twenty thousand martyred, another 50,000 ' injured."
http://www.christianpost.com/news/france-agrees-funding-to-bring-end-to-gaddafis-libya-52275/">France Agrees Funding to Bring End to Gaddafi's Libya
On Tuesday, legislators voted to increase funding that would enable the French military in Libya to end upheaval in the country.
http://shabablibya.org/news/libya-rebels-find-landmines-after-gaddafi-troops-flee">Libya rebels find landmines after Gaddafi troops flee
Libyan rebels ran into a minefield when they recaptured a frontline village from Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, they said on Thursday, providing fresh evidence government troops are using mines in the uprising.














http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/14/libya-gaddafi-troops-demoralised-prisoners-of-war">Libyan rebels capture demoralised Gaddafi troops
The youngest was Issa Yousef, 17, a student and steelworker of Malian origin who joined a month ago. Speaking through an interpreter, he said: "They said we'll give you money when this attack has finished: 1,000 dinars (£500) a month and Libyan citizenship." He never saw either.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47165">Exposing Gathafi’s Agenda for Libya
No matter how hard Gathafi tries to ignite a regional conflict Libyans and Europeans are way more civilized than he gives them credit for and therefore would never descend to his level of blind hate and deplorable machinations, says Nizar Awad.

Day 148 July 15

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/libya-meeting-clinton-idUSN1E76D25420110714">U.S. sees Libya pivot point in anti-Gaddafi struggle
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Turkey on Friday for a Libya conference marked by growing hopes the international campaign to topple Muammar Gaddafi is nearing its goal and rebel forces can mature into a legitimate government.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/US-Wary-of-Gaddafi-Peace-Feelers-125608693.html">US Wary of Gaddafi Peace Feelers
Senior U.S. officials say they’re skeptical of hints from Libyan emissaries to Europe that besieged Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi may be considering giving up power. The officials traveled with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a meeting of the international “contact group” on Libya in Turkey.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/world/africa/15libya.html">Antiaircraft Missiles On the Loose in Libya
Five months after the armed uprising erupted in Libya, a new round of portable antiaircraft missiles have been slipping from storage bunkers captured by rebels.
http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-07-15-Libya-Diplomacy/id-86f1990cd2b24cd990b968a8f240721c?utm_source=dlvr.it&">Libyan opposition seeks more support
Delegates from nearly 40 countries seeking an end to the Libyan conflict met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss more financial aid and diplomatic support to Libya's main opposition group as the rebels struggled to defeat Gadhafi-loyal forces.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/07/15/chavez-urges-gaddafi-to-resist">Chavez urges Gaddafi to resist
"There is Gaddafi resisting. Until when will this outrage last?" Chavez said at a meeting of his ministers. Part of the event was broadcast on the state television network VTV.
http://www.economist.com/node/18958461?story_id=18958461&">Closing in on Tripoli
IN PUBLIC parks in rebel-held eastern Libya the removal of the “Brother Leader” has become a game played by children. They roll a giant rubber die, then skip after it across a printed plastic sheet on a prescribed route from Benghazi via Misrata and the Nafusa mountains to Tripoli, the capital, where a grinning Muammar Qaddafi sits on bags of money on top of a crowded prison. A player explains, “If you fall on Qaddafi’s forces you have to go to his jail. Get the rebels to free you.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x594751">A topic on the women of the revolution, dispels myths about the treatment of women in Benghazi.

Videos to bring the Libyan Revolution into context
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0vChMDuNd0">The Battle of Benghazi. BBC Panorama on Libya http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaPnMnpCAA">Part 1, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMzwQvcx62s">Part 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwWwOeZqz6M">Video of the convoy sent to take Benghazi, taken from a dead soliders cell phone (shows how massive the operation was). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAclhhHv43s&feature=player_embedded">Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD5tu5bJWKc">Tea of Freedom Song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z41kQvx4uKw">Libya: Part 2 - The Uprising http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vNWCGDkdWY">Benghazi - Backbone of the Libyan revolution

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-10-0">March 10 7:28pm Saif al Islam Gaddafi says "the time has come for full-scale military action" against Libyan rebels. He goes on to say that Libyan forces loyal to his family "will never surrender, even if western powers intervene".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x677397">Text of UN resolution 1973. How will a no fly zone work? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWEwehTtK2k">AJE reports.

Belgium: http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/monde/2011-03-21/les-f-16-belges-dans-le-feu-de-l-action-829588.php">Six F-16 Falcon fighter jets of the Belgian Air Component. Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Navy Wielingen class frigate Drazki http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2011-03-23&article=35828">will participate in the naval blockade. Canada: Canadian Forces Air Command has deployed http://www.cefcom-comfec.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/mobile/index-eng.asp">a total 440 military personnel as well as the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown are participating in operations. Denmark: The Royal Danish Air Force http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1227910/denmark-to-send-squadron-on-libya-op/">is participating with six F-16AM fighters. France: French Air Force which realizes 25% of NATO's strikes http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/autres-operations/harmattan/libye-debut-des-operations-aeriennes-francaises">is participating in the mission with 51 Mirage and Rafale Aircraft. Greece: The Elli-class frigate Limnos of the Hellenic Navy http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2011/03/20/greek-defence-ministry-no-participation-in-operations-outside-the-nato/">is currently in the waters off Libya as part of the naval blockade. Italy: Four Tornado ECRs of the Italian Air Force http://www.corriere.it/esteri/11_marzo_20/tripoli-bombardamento-chiesta-riunione-onu_2e95d102-52c0-11e0-a725-dbe20f0ba2b5.shtml">participated in SEAD operations. Jordan: Six Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter jets http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90043651?After%20hesitation%2C%20Jordan%20joins%20in%20Libya%20no-fly%20campaign">landed at a coalition airbase in Europe on 4 April to provide "logistical support." NATO: E-3 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/nordtrondelag/article1606878.ece">aircraft operated by NATO. Netherlands: The Royal Netherlands Air Force http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-f-16s-operational-over-libya">provides six F-16AM fighters and a KDC-10 refuelling plane. Norway: The Royal Norwegian Air Force has http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/libya/artikkel.php?artid=10091294">deployed six F-16AM fighters to Souda Bay Air Base. Qatar: The Qatar Armed Forces are http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123248695">contributing six Mirage 2000-5EDA fighter jets and two C-17 strategic transport aircraft. Romania: The Romanian Naval Forces http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-8423876-traian-basescu-sustine-declaratie-presa-ora-21-00-dupa-sedinta-csat.htm">will participate in the naval blockade with the frigate Regele Ferdinand. Spain: The Spanish Armed Forces are http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Espana/intervendra/cazas/F-18/fragata/F-100/submarino/avion/vigilancia/maritima/elpepuint/20110319elpepuint_14/Tes">participating with four F-18 fighters. Sweden: The Royal Swedish Air Force will http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/9050-sweden-offers-eight-fighter-jets-for-libya-mission">commit eight JAS 39 Gripen jets for the international air campaign. Turkey: The Turkish Navy http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/24/general-libya-diplomacy_8373237.html">will participate with five ships and one submarine in the NATO-led naval blockade to enforce the arms embargo. United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates Air Force http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1300255413630&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews">sent six F-16 Falcon and six Mirage 2000 fighter jets to join the mission. United Kingdom: The Royal Air Force has http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/TyphoonJoinsTornadoInLibyaGroundAttackOperations.htm">deployed 12 Tornado and 10 Typhoon fighters, surveillance aircraft, and air refuelling tankers. United States: The United States has http://www.webcitation.org/5xJ8qNGGe">deployed a naval force of 11 ships and are using MQ-1 Predator UAVs to strike targets in Libya on 23 April.

As of this week the National Trasitional Council has been formally recognized by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_Libyan_Republic#Recognition">29 countries. France (March 10), Qatar (March 28), Maldives (April 3), Italy (April 4), Kuwait (April 13), The Gambia (April 22), Jordan (April 24), Sengal (April 28), The United Kingdom (June 4), Spain (June 8), Australia (June 9), UAE (June 12), Germany (June 13), Canada (June 14), Panama (June 14), Austria (June 18), Latvia (June 20), Denmark (June 22), Bulgaria (June 28), Croatia (June 28), Czech Republic (June 29), Turkey (July 3), Poland (July 9), Netherlands (July 13), Belgium (July 13), Luxembourg (July 13), United States (July 15), Japan (July 15), Albania (July 18).

"One month ago (Western countries) were sooo nice, so nice like pussycats," Saif says in a contemptuous sing-song tone."Now they want to be really aggressive like tigers. (But) soon they will come back, and cut oil deals, contracts. We know this game." - http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2058389,00.html">Saif Gaddafi

(Yeah, Saif, as if you weren't "cutting oil deals, contracts" with western states. Who are the 'tigers' now? Bombing your own people.)

http://english.libya.tv/2011/04/25/eastern-libyans-believe-in-national-unity-distrust-au-and-turkish-mediation-survey-reveals/">The first free public opinion poll ever conducted in Libya reveals clues to Eastern Libyan sentiments
* 98 percent of the respondents do not support the division of Libya as a part of the political solution for the current conflict with the Gaddafi regime. Around 95 percent also don’t see any role for Gaddafi or his sons in a transitional period, and think it is impossible to implement any political reform in Libya if Gaddafi or one of his sons stays in power

* Around 96 percent of those polled, believe that the 17th of February revolution can consolidate the national unity of Libya and support the model of a democratic Libya based on a constitution which respects human rights

* Al-Qaeda has not played any role in the 17th of February revolution, say 94 percent of the Eastern Libyans, and 91 percent thinks it’s impossible for Al-Qaeda to play any political role in the new Libya

* The National Transitional Council is seen by 92 percent of those surveyed as “expressing the views and wishes of Libyans for change”

This is equivalent to 17% the entire population of Libya, doing the numbers very conservatively.

http://jenkinsear.com/2011/03/19/a-legal-war-the-united-nations-participation-act-and-libya/">A Legal War: The United Nations Participation Act and Libya
The above link is to an overview of why Obama's implementation of the NFZ and R2P is perfectly legal under the law. I will not post it entirely here, however, all objections come down to the misinformed position that Obama, by using forces in Libya, was invoking Article 43 of the United Nations. This is wrong. Obama invoked Article 42, which does not require congressional approval to implement. Proof of this is that Article 43 has http://www.un.org/en/sc/repertoire/actions.shtml#rel5">never been used.

It goes like this: The US law (Title 22, Chap. 7, Subchap. XIV § 287d) grants the President the right to invoke UN Article 42 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode22/usc_sec_22_00000287---d000-.html">without authorization, the War Powers Act (Title 50, Chap. 33 § 1541) grants the President permission to act without authorization under http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/50/1541–1548.html">"specific statutory authorization" which, by definition, is what 287d does. § 1543 of the War Powers Act requires the President to report to Congress, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/obama_explains_libya_mission_to_congress/2011/03/03/ABU9377_blog.html">which he did. One can argue all day and night about the legality of the War Powers Act, doesn't change the fact that under the law as it is written, the President acted within the law.

Editorials and stories worth reading.
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/2011/03/2011328194855872276.html">Libyan Karzai? Chalabi? Forget it, http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/04/04/110404taco_talk_anderson#ixzz1HvS7iW22">Who Are the Rebels?, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/29/vision-democratic-libya-interim-national-council">A vision of a democratic Libya, http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/is-qaddafi-an-anti-racist/">Is Qaddafi an anti-racist?, http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2011/04/20/left-slipping-towards-qaddafi">The left: slipping towards Gaddafi?, http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2011/04/27/once-again-“stop-bombing”">Once again on "stop the bombing", http://www.juancole.com/2011/03/an-open-letter-to-the-left-on-libya.html">An Open Letter to the Left on Libya, http://www.juancole.com/2011/03/top-ten-ways-that-libya-2011-is-not-iraq-2003.html">Top Ten Ways that Libya 2011 is Not Iraq 2003, http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/09/110509fa_fact_anderson">Sons of the Revolution http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/voices/?ref=main-menu">Voices from the Field

Mohammed Nabbous, killed by Gaddafi's forces while trying to report on the massacre in Benghazi

"I'm not afraid to die, I'm afraid to lose the battle" -Mohammed Nabbous, a month ago when all this began

I'm struggling to come up with something to say about this man. I was not aware of the Libyan uprising until I saw Mo's first report, begging for help, posted here on DU. I was stricken. Here was a man giving everything he had to explain a situation that clearly terrified him, I would not call him a coward in that moment, but you could see the fear in his eyes, and desperation in his voice. For 30 days Nabbous would spend many hours covering the uprising in Benghazi. For many nights I would go to sleep with the webcast of Benghazi live on my computer screen, looking to it occasionally to be sure it was still 'there.' Mo treated the chat room as if we were his friends, and in some way, we were. I never signed up to LiveStream to thank him for all his work and it seems somewhat shallow to do so now, given that I was a lurker for so long. Ever since I took over posting these threads "Libya Alhurra" has been linked as a source of information. It wasn't until last night, when I posted, and twitter posted on Mo's adventures out into Benghazi to try to determine the truth of the situation, that Mo's webchannel became a hit, over 2000 people were watching him stream live. This was curious to him because he'd done many reports like this in the past but he appeared somewhat bemused that the view count exploded as it did. Last night Mo became a star. This is a man who first started out with a webcast replete with fear and desperation finally overcoming that aspect of himself and losing that fear, to become someone who was a fighter for the resistance just as much as those who held the guns. Reporting on the front lines of Benghazi became his final act, and for that he should never, ever be forgotten. I'm so sorry Mo that I never got to know you better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAclhhHv43s&feature=player_ded">Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire is a documentary about Mo's last days, please watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EXALI60hg">Mo's first report, which many of you may remember, begging for help.

Mo leaves behind a wife and a newborn child she had http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/23/a_bright_voice_from_libyas_darkness">this to say about the No Fly Zone and R2P UN resolution:

We started this in a pure way, but he turned it bloody. Thousands of our men, women, and children have died. We just wanted our freedom, that's all we wanted, we didn't want power. Before, we could not do a single thing if it was not the way he wanted it. All we wanted was freedom. All we wanted was to be free. We have paid with our blood, with our families, with our men, and we're not going to give up. We are still going to do that no matter what it takes, but we need help. We want to do this ourselves, but we don't have the weapons, the technology, the things we need. I don't want anyone to say that Libya got liberated by anybody else. If NATO didn't start moving when they did, I assure you, I assure you, half of Benghazi if not more would have been killed. If they stop helping us, we are going to be all killed because he has no mercy anymore.

[joshcryer]

1. Libyan Revolution Day 153 updates below, current time in Libya, 1:49pm Wednesday, July 20

[joshcryer]

2. Arab states committed to help Libyan people, Mines a Potent Obstacle, The Road to Recovery

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=108614#.TiXVdGlv0eQ.tweet">Arab states committed to help Libyan people: UAE
United Arab Emirates has expressed the Arab states' committment to the welfare and help of Libyans facing an ongoing political crisis in their country.

UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan underlined his country's support for Libyan people Friday.

Speaking during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu at the conclusion of the fourth meeting of the Libya Contact Group in Istanbul, the UAE's foreign minister said: "Today another significant step has been made to clarify the importance of international support to Libya's Interim National Transitional Council (NTC),"

"Clearly the Arab states stand with the Libyan people", he added further underlining joint action "to help Libyan have a dignified life".

http://feb17.info/news/for-libyan-rebels-gadhafis-mines-a-potent-obstacle-2/">For Libyan Rebels, Gadhafi’s Mines A Potent Obstacle
Land mines increasingly are being used by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces on battlegrounds across Libya. Rebels fighting for the eastern town of Brega are being stymied by minefields around the area.

In Libya’s western mountains, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines are causing many casualties, but there are few mine experts to help.

On the barren front line in the village of Gualish, rebels take cover from Gadhafi’s forces — and the relentless sun — behind a sand berm.

Rajed, a rebel fighter at the front, points to the south of Gualish and says they have just discovered a new minefield. Rajed says all of this area is now mined; it’s terrible, he says, and that is what is stopping their advance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14186310">The road to recovery inside Libya's mountain hospital By Bill Law
...

All have suffered severe bullet wounds. One has lost a foot, another was wounded badly in an arm and a leg.

The third is a boy, no more than 16 years old. He lies in a freshly made bed with crisp, clean linen. His eyes catch you first. They are brown, very big, and full of sorrow.

He tells Dr Ahsan he had gone to a pro-Gaddafi rally in February from his home in the south of Libya. It probably seemed a bit of a lark at the time.

After the rally he was press ganged, he says, given a gun - but no training - and forced to join Gaddafi's soldiers at a checkpoint. In early June the rebels attacked the checkpoint. He was shot in the back and the leg and brought here.

[joshcryer]

3. France says Gaddafi can stay in Libya if he steps down, Family of 5 y/o who lost limb talk Libya

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-20-2011-1032">AFP: France says Gaddafi can stay in Libya if he steps down
AFP reports: France accepts Muammar Gaddafi could stay in Libya if he quits politics, under a ceasefire deal to end a conflict with rebels backed by Paris, the French foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"One of the possibilities being considered is that he stay in Libya but on the clear condition that he steps aside from Libyan political life," the minister, Alain Juppe, told LCI television.

"That is what we are waiting for before we start the political process for a ceasefire."

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110720/local/malak-s-family-determined-to-return-to-libya-as-soon-as-possible.376505">Malak's family determined to return to Libya as soon as possible
The family of five-year-old Malak, the Libyan girl who lost a limb when a missile landed in her home, have spoken of their determination to return to Libya as soon as possible.

Malak was brought to Malta from Misurata yesterday, and is to be taken to the US to be given a prosthetic leg.

She wore a badge bearing the logo of the Libyan National Transitional Council and carried the council’s flag as she was carried down from a trawler yesterday.

The rocket ripping off her right leg and killing her younger brother and baby sister.

[David__77]

8. What can one suppose this means? Gamesmanship, or actual bargaining?

Obviously, "remain in Libya" seems to imply not imprisoned, and certainly not shuttled off to another country for whatever reason. Is this like what happened to Sukarno in Indonesia in 1965 - under virtual house arrest? That is actually an interesting model, because Sukarno was publicly still revered to some extent, while he was in reality undermined and penned in. I have trouble seeing a similar scenario in Libya, however, especially after the duration of the internal war.

This may be more a reflection of tactical efforts to split the Tripoli leadership, or even a reflection of splits within the French authorities' views on the matter of prolonged involvement in the war.

[pinboy3niner]

4. K&R

He's baaaaack! :)


Good to see you, Josh. :hug:

[pinboy3niner]

5. Gaddafi regime dismisses ICC arrest warrants

From The Guardian:

The Libyan government has dismissed international arrest warrants against Muammar Gaddafi, his son and intelligence chief. Mohammed al-Qamoodi, the Libyan justice minister, said: "This case is nothing but a cover for the military operations of Nato." Nato had declared its intention to assassinate Gaddafi, he added.

• The warrants could easily backfire, warns Simon Tisdall.


The court's personal targeting of Gaddafi will revive questions about the wisdom of the Anglo-French-US approach (distinct from that of Nato) of making his removal from power the key measure of success in Libya. It will also fuel claims that the ICC is only interested in pursuing African leaders, as in Sudan and Kenya, and that the US in particular (which is not a party to the ICC) is guilty of double standards.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/jun/28/libya-syria-middle-east-unrest-live#block-1

[tabatha]

6. Some background on Heinz

i know a lot berber and tuareg people from my jurneys thru north afrika with my truck (MAN with spezial desert outfit) and the old one are wise man even without university .i learn from them to find water in the desert ,to know a sandstorm or a weather change in advance and many other things

[David__77]

7. Dozens of Libyan rebels killed in battle

A doctor at a Libyan hospital says more than 50 rebels have been killed in six days of fighting with government forces over the strategic eastern oil town of Brega.

The new toll comes after Mohammed Idris, a doctor at the Ajdabiya hospital where the casualties were taken, raised the number killed in Tuesday's fighting to 27, with 83 wounded. Idris said Wednesday that most had been shot in the head and chest.

...

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/dozens-of-libyan-rebels-killed-in-battle-20110720-1hno7.html

[tabatha]

9. 800 #Gaddafi casualties & deaths in #Brega over past few days

FromJoanne Joanne by KC_TripolitaniaTHUWAR MEDIA Got documents & evidence involvement Zuma of S Africa with Gaddafi. Zuma received abt 50Million$ from Gaddafi during election

LIBYA_BREAKNEWSOssama BREAKING NEWS: Our Misurata FFs are only 4Km from The Centre of #Zliten! #Libya #feb17

TATAOUINE (TAP)- Grad missiles fired by Gadhafi troops landed, on Tuesday night, near the Dhehiba border crossing, local police and military sources told Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency.The same sources added that 4 or 5 Grad missiles (recently manufactured), fired from El Bared zone (Libya) at about 20 kilometres from the East of the Tunisian-Libyan border, landed on Wednesday at 2 a.m. in the Tunisian territory near Dhehiba border crossing.Two missiles had not exploded. No human or material damage was reported, while transit activities continued from both sides.Two shell explosions were heard last night in the bordering mountainous area of Mrabeh.

News of Jabal Nafousa's 17Feb Revolution News Revolution February 17 Mount Nefoussa via Vhlom _ the birthplace of the rebelContinued to rebel progress on the front of Brega in spite of their exposure to some of the losses due to the use of al-Gaddafi of trucks the flag of independence, which are close to the rebels then opened fire on them suddenly, and fell for this trick once or twice on the rebels, but they were able to end it, by identifying areas that roam the cars and trucks ((Note - some of the FF Brega casualties are from Gaddafi troops pretending that they were Rebels, and firing on the real Rebels))

wow!!RRowleyTucson Robert Rowley Reports of up to 800 #Gaddafi casualties & deaths in #Brega over past few days. #Libya #feb17

Alexblx Alexblx #Gaddafi hs so many new fronts opening up - he cant supply - let alone contain them #Sebha #Qatrun #Traghin #Tahouna #Ghayran #Brega #Zliten


#Misrata #Freedomfighters confirm #Tawargha is completely free of #Gaddafi forces. #Libya #feb17
7 minutes ago
#Gaddafi forces that were in #Tawirgha have been transferred to #Sebha & #Qatrun. #Libya #feb17
1 hour ago

[David__77]

15. Tawargha "liberated" on May 19?

As of today, the city has been liberated according to 3 sources, except for one or two buildings where Gaddafi forces are barricaded inside.

http://feb17.info/media/video-clashes-in-tawargha/

I guess it's being "re-liberated."

I hope not too many people are shot in the head while bound, and left on the side of the road.

[tabatha]

18. I have no idea how you arrived at that page,

in connection with today's tweets.

However, see for yourself on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/#!/search/Tawargha

And as for the shot in the head remark, I believe Gaddafi's troops do that. They even shoot the sons of parents who do not attend Gaddafi rallies and leave them on the parents' doorstep.

Here is how FFs treat captured Gaddafi troops:
http://youtu.be/X1c0Y8u9Pog

[David__77]

20. Rebel says: "Tawergha no longer exists, only Misrata." (WSJ)

Ibrahim al-Halbous, a rebel commander leading the fight near Tawergha, says all remaining residents should leave once if his fighters capture the town. “They should pack up,” Mr. Halbous said. “Tawergha no longer exists, only Misrata.”

...

Other rebel leaders are also calling for drastic measures like banning Tawergha natives from ever working, living or sending their children to schools in Misrata.

...

Some of the hatred of Tawergha has racist overtones that were mostly latent before the current conflict. On the road between Misrata and Tawergha, rebel slogans like “the brigade for purging slaves, black skin” have supplanted pro-Gadhafi scrawl.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304887904576395143328336026.html

[al bupp]

24. The reference is a subscriber only link w/ a preview...

so I cannot read more than the 1st few graphs, but here's what the piece opens with:

"Traitors keep out," reads graffiti at the entrance of a housing project in an impoverished neighborhood of Misrata, the rebel-held city grappling with the physical and emotional scars of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's siege since March.

Apparently, the author ascribes more to the Misratan sentiment than mere racism. I suppose that being besieged by grad rockets for several months might prime one for revenge against those whose territory the rockets are thought to have been based.

Clearly, dear Brother Leader would like to inflame any latent racism and other "tribal" hatreds, as it serves his purposes nicely as posturing as the only one who can unite these primitive factions and quell the ancient animosities.

Just curious, are quite so suspicious of all efforts to remove tyrants, or only ones in which the US or NATO has taken sides?

[tabatha]

26. Ok, let's look at this for a minute.

You are condemning the rebels for racist comments and bad behavior.

But what you left out of that article, which can be read in its entirety by googling for "Libya City Torn by Tribal Feud" is ..............
"Many Misratans are convinced that Tawerghans were responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed during their city's siege, including allegedly raping women in front of their relatives and helping Gadhafi forces identify and kidnap rebel sympathizers and their families."

So, basically you are saying that you can condemn the rebels for bad behavior but the rebels cannot condemn others for atrocities.

There was also this comment I read on the AJE blog, and which is included in one of my earlier posts:
"And those videos came from Al Bayda...a town in which recruited mercenaries were flown in by the hundreds, given guns, and ordered to kill everyone. The CITIZENS of the town responded to that rampage of rape and killing by taking the law into their own hands...because the "law"...the government of Gadaffi themselves...had sent these butchers upon them. They were not "FF's" at that time. They were simply trying to survive the butchery. Yes, they reacted violently...but everyone of those black mercenaries were sent there by the regime. Al Bayda had no immigrant laborers."

Yes, there are terrible things that have happened on both sides. But here is the difference:

a) In the case of the rebels, they were taking the law into their hands because of anger (see discussion in the South African context below)

b) It was not government decreed

c) After these events surfaced, the TNC issued guidelines about how to treat POWs.

d) Gaddafi has done no such thing. In fact, he and his sons have and continue to talk about cleaning out the rats (See SMS messages from this week)

e) While there has been some bad behavior from a few rebels recently (looting of the medicine of an unoccupied town, for which I can understand), they are few and far between. There are journalists and photographers with them all the time. They allow their POWs to be interviewed.

f) Human Rights Watch itself admits that they have been denied the ability to observe what is occurring in Gadaffi held areas...prisons, jails, hospitals, and even civilian areas.

g) You made a comment about shooting bound soldiers. Well, well - here is a video
"Civilians' Throats Cut by Gaddafi's Forces (Ajdabiyah, Libya) (2011)
War Crimes of Gaddafi and Sons: These dead civilians were found by some Libyan freedom fighters near the city of Ajdabiyah, Libya.
The scene is disturbing. The victims' wrists were tied behind their backs and their throats were cut by Gaddafi's forces."
http://youtu.be/ggn2o6YSUbU

I have some experience of the South African uprising. The bulk of the Black population are decent, good people - but there were some who committed atrocities, such as necklacing in anger at people who they thought were government spies. People who have lived under oppression for a long time, have a lot of pent up anger and for some people (statistically not all of the population) they cannot contain their anger. They should. But they cannot.

I had a good friendship with a Black woman in South Africa - she was always cheerful and happy. One would not think she had any issuess. But when it came to talk about the government, the anger was somewhat overwhelming.

Just because a few people committed atrocities such as necklacing and attacks on whites does not mean that Mandela, Tutu and all those who worked toward democracy in South Africa should be painted with the same brush.

Which is what you are doing. However, it has become apparent that you are not with the rebels and will extract from any news story (even if it is incorrect) narrow events to support your viewpoint. You are completely entitled to do that.

However, just as I supported the installation of democracy in South Africa so I support the installation of democracy in Libya - where all atrocities by all sides will be handled in a court of law.

[David__77]

32. I wasn't condemning anyone's war tactics, whether necklacing or shooting prisoners.

But I do think that the full picture bears looking at. I consider these struggles to be the internal affairs of the countries in which they occur. Even if necklacing was extremely widespread in South Africa, it would have no bearing on the justness of the armed struggle against fascist apartheid. I certainly would have opposed foreign intervention in South Africa, under whatever flag. The people of South Africa finished the internal war without outside military interference, even though apartheid invaded the borders of neighboring states.

[tabatha]

10. Network on rogue mission to Libya

They arrived by boat, worked under rocket fire and between power cuts, their goal to establish mobile phone connections for the residents of Misurata. Engineers trained in Dubai will help maintain the window to an outside world and neighbours closer to home. Carol Huang reports

The stealth telecommunications team arrived in Misurata after a stomach-churning 30-hour fishing boat ride from Malta.

Amid rocket fire and despite power cuts, they worked 12 hours a day alongside local engineers, setting up satellite dishes and other equipment. As a result, residents whose mobile phone networks were disabled by Col Muammar Qaddafi's forces may soon be able to call their neighbours.

Ousama Abushagur, a 31-year-old Libyan-American telecoms executive living in Abu Dhabi, and his global network of donors, vendors and engineers pulled off the same feat three months ago in Benghazi. Phone lines in the de facto rebel capital in eastern Libya also had been cut.

..

"Everybody is just trying to help the country, whatever it is," from cleaning streets to baking bread, said Mohanned Saad, 28, one of the trainees. "We found we could contribute our expertise. People still have the spirit from the first days of wanting to get rid of Qaddafi. They want him out even more now."

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/network-on-rogue-mission-to-libya

[tabatha]

11. From Bivi on AJE

Libyan Freedom Fighters (eyewitnesses): Allahu Akbar cries are filling and resounding loudly in Souk Tlat area mosques in Zletin and FFs are given a warm reception and warm hospitality by the residents of the area. This was expressed in wonderful scenes where FFs and local residents were joyfully hugging each other.souce lym
FF of Misurata have taken control of the entire city of Torghae, also quoted sources for ES that FF have arrested the commander of the battalion of Hamza during the fighting, and he is now under questioning in a safe place
LibyanDictator The Dictator #Misrata fighters confirm Tawargha is completely free of Gaddafi forces. #Libya #Feb17

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan by littlelisa8#Libya #Brega isnt over-Rebels say "very close" "between 5 and 10 km (3+ 6 miles) outside Brega" but "turned round" reut.rs/qvXN9q1 hour ago
Zanga Zanga Dar DarThere is news that G's battalions, due to the siege around Brega, are suffering from a shortage of arms and ammo. Source: Libya Al-Ahrar TV Channel
Brigades of The FF gathering held a press conference in which it reviewed the losses of Qaddafi's forces, as a result of the attack by FF, and are as follows: 90 military vehicles were destroyed 4 launchers have been destroyed 9 tanks destroyed 400 dead 800 wounded

Media Committee of the FF in Zliten: FF ejected battalions from Sooq Althalath area completely and now control the main road after closing it and that the FF of Misurata are about to join them, and in another context, BBC correspondent and FF said that NATO destroyed two houses at west Zliten, one for Ramadan Bashir and both were being used as command control centers
19/07/11A captured G troop on misrata western fronline http://t.co/1qZ8ZpQ #libya

18:08 Arab: A doctor in the city controlled by that 18 rebel fighters were killed and wounded up to 150 in the clashes on Tuesday with Qaddafi's troops for control of the city of Brega.18:05 Mustafa Abdul-Jaleel: Gaddafi's government will not give up alive .. And end military and very soon.
14:30 Reuters: A doctor in the city controlled by the rebels said 18 of the rebels killed and wounded up to 150 in Tuesday's clashes with al-Qadhafi to control the oil city of Brega, located in eastern Libya.
13:23 Libya Today: The city of Ghadames suffer from power outages for more than five days after the al-Gaddafi's bombed electrical towers near the city of Nalut, knocking out electricity to all the area from Nalut to Ghadame
(googletranslete from arab to eng.)

hominoid555 russell renshaw Libya Reports With the help of Russian engineers who had supervised the mining of Brega are now mining areas north of Bir Al Ghadam
hominoid555 russell renshaw Libya A Jordanian military plane transported 63 patients to Benghazi Libya after receiving treatment in Jordan and returned to Amman.8 minutes ago
hominoid555 russell renshaw Jordan are helping treat critically wounded from the battle fields in Libya, in Jordanian military hospitals. Thanks Jordan5 minutes ago
hominoid555 russell renshaw Libya Tawargha South east of Misrata Is reportedly free of G troops, as they were pulled out to help with battles near Sabha.1 minute ago

Five martyrs among FF in the fighting in Zliten, meanwhile the FF took over a number of rocket launchers and SUVs as well as an ambulance was used by the battalions in the bombing and captured several soldiers as well as freed a kidnapped from Misurata , the batles are still on so pray for ou FF

((Note - there is some confusion in the use of the word casualties - I think of it as those who have died, others consider it as wounded and died. This is with respect to the FF conference where it was stated "400 dead 800 wounded" about Gaddafi's forces --- and another tweet that stated "800 casualties".))

[tabatha]

12. FACTBOX-Latest developments in Libyan conflict - Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:50pm GMT

July 20 (Reuters) - Following are the latest political and military developments in the Libyan crisis.

* Libya's foreign minister denied on Wednesday there were talks about easing Muammar Gaddafi out of power, but said his government wanted to end the nation's bloody conflict in a way that would satisfy all Libyans.

* Gaddafi could stay in Libya if he gives up power, France said on Wednesday, signalling a new effort to find a diplomatic solution to a five-month-old war.

* Eighteen rebel fighters were killed and up to 150 wounded in clashes with forces loyal to Gaddafi for control of the eastern oil hub of Brega on Tuesday, a doctor in a rebel-controlled town said.

* The head of NATO said in an interview published on Wednesday that opposition forces had been making progress in Libya and he expected rebel units in the east and west of the country to join forces.

http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE76J0ES20110720?sp=true

[tabatha]

13. Video: Rebels find creative ways to arm against Gaddafi’s forces

Rebels in the Libyan city of Misrata face an ongoing struggle against Col Gaddafi’s forces, with the city itself is still surrounded by enemy soldiers on one side and the sea on the other.

Their morale is high, but Gaddafi’s troops are far better equipped so the rebels are having to be creative.

Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Misrata.

http://feb17.info/media/video-rebels-find-creative-ways-to-arm-against-gaddafis-forces/

[pinboy3niner]

14. Rebels meet with Sarkozy, ask his help persuading Arab allies to provide arms

From Al Jazeera's Libya Live Blog:

Three Libyan opposition leaders met French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, asking him to persuade France's Arab allies to provide them with weapons.

"France can help us get this help from friendly Arab countries," Souleiman Fortia, a representative of the National Transitional Council, told reporters after the meeting.

"With a bit of help we can be in Tripoli soon."


http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-20-2011-2347

[pinboy3niner]

16. LIBYAN REVOLUTION DAY 154: CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 12:01 AM THURSDAY, JULY 21

Libya time = EDT +6 hours, PDT +9 hours, UTC +1 hour, GMT +2 hours

[tabatha]

17. 5 SMS sent to Tripoli in 2 days from Gaddafi

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168628546540188.39752.152604058142637&l=b884f4c438&type=1

[pinboy3niner]

19. Rebels In Western Libya Train For Move On Tripoli

Source: NPR

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

July 20, 2011


Rebel commanders in the western mountains of Libya say they are supplying anti-government forces in Tripoli with weapons in advance of a march on the capital.


Claims like this have been made before, and there are still few signs that the rebels can take Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold city. Still, interviews with Tripoli residents who have fled to the western mountains in recent days suggest that Gadhafi's hold on the capital may be weakening.


Preparing For Urban Combat


In the western city of Zintan, the rebel army's elite force marches in formation down the main street, training for urban combat. Their commander, Abdul Hamid, says they are being taught guerrilla warfare and street fighting.


Now that they will be moving out of the mountains and toward Tripoli, Hamid says, they need to change their tactics.

...


MORE w/ audio report (4:20):
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/20/138548543/rebels-in-western-libya-train-for-move-on-tripoli

[Iterate]

21. Muhammad Baltu & Muhammad Al-Qatrani

Posted on Monday, July 18, 2011 in Martyrs

Muhammad Baltu (right) and Muhammad (left) were friends in life and now are now martyrs. Baltu was killed on Friday July 15, 2011 in Dafniyah district following in the footsteps of his friend who died on February 19, 2011 in Benghazi. This picture was taken at their friend’s wedding in Misrata.

May God bless their souls.

---------------------

This seems the right and proper place to start catching up.

[tabatha]

23. Such a waste. Tragic.

Good to see you back, Iterate. I guess I missed you in Tripoli.

[joshcryer]

28. Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell

Just imagine how odious it must be to see a young 15-year old Spaniard brought back from the front lines on a stretcher, to see, poking out from under the blanket an anemic, bewildered face and to think that in London and Paris there are gentlemen dressed to the nines, blithely engaged in writing pamphlets to show this little lad is a covert fascist.

Or racist, or radical islamist, or CIA operative, or covert imperialist, or idiot fool.

No, my friends, these people are revolutionaries. Their makeup shows that they are, they are people, everyday people, like you or me, who want to live free. Civil wars are bad, really bad, but as far as civil wars go I consider rebel actions far more benign than that of the regime. I can even credit the information age with that, because in any other civil war the fighting side would use things like landmines to their advantage, yet these people have vowed not to do it (and I fully believe it's because of the external pressure and the fact that the whole world is watching). They have to live up to higher standards and as far as I'm concerned they're doing a fantastic job. They should be praised, not slandered as the totalitarians did in Catalonia. (Remember, Franco won that one, and those slandering the freedom fighters probably regretted that one.)

[tabatha]

30. +1000

[Iterate]

69. As I recall, the first action of an imperialist

is to define a people and remove their power of self-identification, their identity, their heritage. It was the first rule of anti-imperialism to restore that stolen identity, respect it, and call a people by the terms they use to define themselves.

It seems related to the abstraction of Gaddafi v. Nato, or even Gaddafi=Libya, in that both deny and disrespect the Libyan aspirations and efforts.

[tabatha]

22. Rebels Move Toward Gadhafi Stronghold

By CHARLES LEVINSON

ZINTAN, Libya—Rebel fighters have penetrated Libya's southwest desert and pulled within 80 miles of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's southern stronghold, opening a new front and suggesting the strongman's grip is slipping even in areas believed firmly in his control.

The rebels captured a small village south of Sebha on Monday. The fall of Sebha, one of Col. Gadhafi's three regional power centers in Libya, would be a huge symbolic and strategic blow.

The city of 130,000 is a logistics hub for the regime, channeling food, fuel, personnel and other war supplies northward from southern farmlands and neighboring Algeria, Chad and Niger, said rebel leaders.

Even if the rebels only threaten Sebha, which Col. Gadhafi has been able to leave lightly defended until now thanks to strong tribal support in the area, it could force him to redeploy units battling elsewhere to defend the city, further stretching his already battered forces.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904233404576458154035344420.html

The arrest in May of a small group of high school students who displayed the rebel independence flag at school angered powerful families in Sebha, said Khalid Al-Humeida, a Libyan Ph.D. student in Britain who spent the past 15 years living in Sebha and has friends and relatives still there.

The students, whose whereabouts remain unknown, hailed from families with long histories of loyalty to Col. Gadhafi. Still, when family elders appealed to local security commanders to release their sons or even for information on their whereabouts, arguing that they were simply misguided teenagers, they were ignored, said Mr. Humeida.

ON edit: Google the title to get full story.

[pinboy3niner]

25. Libyan Rebels Battle for Brega

Source: HuffPo

Posted: 7/20/11 08:17 PM ET

Chris Weigant


A battle is currently being fought in Libya over the town of Brega, which could turn out to have strategic importance for the rebel forces. This battle has been underway for days now, and may continue for days to come. The American media has so far been ignoring this development in the Libyan revolution, perhaps due to lack of solid information from the frontlines. But it deserves a bit more attention than it has so far been getting.

...


The Libyan war has been called a "stalemate" so often by the media that they've now stopped paying attention, for the most part. But this facile label isn't entirely true. The rebels have been quietly building up and training their forces, and have had both major and minor victories in the meantime. Holding the western city of Misrata has been the most spectacular of these to date, but in recent weeks the rebels have opened up a corridor in the mountains southwest of Tripoli, and have been advancing towards the capital in fits and starts. These pockets of resistance in the western part of Libya may eventually be the most important militarily (if they manage to advance all the way to Tripoli's outskirts), but the eastern half of the country may prove to be more important to the rebels' overall chances of success, in strategic terms. Because whoever controls Brega will control the oil the town can ship out. Which would be a huge source of income for the rebels. And this war may wind up being one of attrition, in the end.

...


Taking the long view strategically, the rebels seem to be in much better shape than Gaddafi. The rebels are being resupplied with ammunition and equipment, they just got diplomatic recognition from the United States, and they may soon be able to tap into the tens of billions of Libyan dollars frozen in Western banks since the war started. The rebel troops seem to be better trained and more serious these days than the "ragtag band" which raced across the desert to the west (and just as quickly retreated east) in the opening days of the war. Plus, they seem to now have the momentum militarily, even if it is a slow momentum to watch unfold.

...


The battle for Brega is not "the battle for Libya." It may later be seen as a turning point, but it just as easily could miss being decisive in any way. One thing is for certain, though -- the world's media should be paying a little less attention to Rupert Murdoch's wife right now, and a little more attention to what is going on in Libya.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/libya-rebels-brega_b_905215.html

[tabatha]

27. Libya Explores Open Media

An Internews assessment of information flows in Libya this June explored the ambitions and needs of new media outlets in Benghazi. After 42 years of authoritarian rule, enthusiasm for journalism and free expression runs high in rebel-held Libya. Most new journalists are former engineers or professionals with little experience in journalism, but with strong ambitions to contribute to a new, democratic Libya.

http://youtu.be/_wvCL0EhWKY

http://www.internews.org/regions/mena/libya.shtm

[tabatha]

29. So who are Libya’s rebels exactly?

Who are Libya’s rebels? They’re, well, Libya. Nationalistic, flawed, proud, inexperienced in government. On balance, they’re the best hope for a better Libya than what Qaddafi offered.

http://feb17.info/news/so-who-are-libyas-rebels-exactly/#more-28275

[pinboy3niner]

31. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from the western front near Misurata (2:10)

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-21-2011-0614

[tabatha]

33. Brega Video by Gaddafi

11. Gaddafi TV showed some interviewed recorded in Brega to show that the city is clean from the revolutionary fighters; the revolutionary fighters said they are old videos. Gaddafi TV has done that kind of showing old videos many times so far like the time where they showed General Abdul-Fattah Younis being reinstated as defense minister for Gaddafi showing an old video, where the man standing next to him had died years before.

Updates on the battles for Brega and Zlitan, go to #Libyaupdates, via @al_omari #Libya July20th

Libya, Jul 20, 2011
by Hussein Al-Omari on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 5:12pm

1. The revolutionary fighters are controlling parts of Breag and surrounding the rest of Brega from three directions except the west side, leaving it as a retreat exit for Gaddafi forces to avert bloodshed.

2. The revolutionary fighters are trenching themselves in the southern and eastern sides of Brega while they fully control the eastern side of the residential area of Brega. They keep themselves in scattered small groups in Brega.

3. As spokesperson for the revolutionary fighters said that the number of Gaddafi forces soldiers remaining in the city of Brega is very small compared with the last few weeks. The current number is estimated at 200 soldiers centered near the oil installations.

4. The revolutionary fighters are exchanging bombing with Gaddafi forces; the revolutionary fighters are using heavy artillery and Grad missiles to attack Gaddafi forces while Gaddafi forces are using Grad missiles and thermal Milan missiles and mortars artillery to retaliate.

http://carolv27.tumblr.com/post/7863599359/updates-on-the-battles-for-brega-and-zlitan-go-to

[David__77]

34. Video of apparent aftermath of fighting outside Brega.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nUn2299IGU

Of course, there's no way to verify the narrative regarding who the vehicles and casualties belonged to.

[tabatha]

44. If Disqus is up tomorrow, I'll try to get a translation.

[tabatha]

53. The youtube poster posted this:

c'est le materiel des rebelles et encore rien n'a été montré ... On parle de qatari , français et autres nationalités en plus des rebelles internes pris pendant cette bataille ... On parle de beaucoup de morts dans le rang des rebelles , que des jeunes , et plusieurs blessés , (ce sont des infos secretes)

which translates to:

is the material of the rebels and still nothing has been revealed ... There is talk of Qatar, French and other nationalities in addition to internal rebel taken during the battle ... There is talk of many deaths in the ranks of the rebels, that young, and several injured (this information is secret) ...

Which says absolutely nothing.

ON EDIT:

"This is an old report with a new timeline" (from a poster who speaks Arabic)

"Old rusted carcasses seem to have been lying there for quite a while... Brega (if this is Brega) has changed hands many times since Feb... These could also be daffy's vehicles hit by NATO. Pure propaganda." (From another poster)

"Location and time can't be confirmed, but it sounds plausible that 3 fat guys and a cameraman is all that is left of Gaddafis forces in Brega." (From one more poster.)

[David__77]

64. Absolutely. All possible.

There are plenty of dead bodies and wrecked vehicles to go around. "Triumphalism" and the disinformation that goes along with it are old, crude, but effective war propaganda tactics. People who are fighting and dying usually need to believe victory is not only possible, but at least likely (though there are exceptions to this).

[inna]

35. unrec for tiresome (but oddly relentless) spamming/agenda

yawn

[bluestate10]

165. Your post causes me to want to;

:puke:

[tabatha]

36. Zanga Zanga Dar Dar Videos Of The Libyan Revolution

"This letter was found with one of the dead of the battalions in Brega: "I saw Mu'tasim Gaddafi executing soldiers because they refused to kill civilians, and I am afraid that I might be executed and if they do then you will find this letter explaining to my family that I declined the order of Mu'tasim... to kill Libyan. My name is ((Munir Altarhuni)) from Tarhunah and my
fiancee's name ((Ayah)) and if my family would not beleive you then tell them the name of my fiancee."The message found in the pocket of Munir, who was executed in Brega because he refused to kill civilians.

(Looking for a source other than AJE)

[tabatha]

55. Comment on AJE about the letter above

There was a day in the not too distant past that a death-bed confession well meant was the stuff of journalism, now journalism is about Shakira's lover, quote unquote GH.

Totally agree, the wasted life of Munir Altarhuni from Tarhunah (thanks to the daffi clan) is one instance of the brutally of the clan and Munir's death-bed letter should to be plastered across the headlines of the world for all to see! Agreed with post : The pathetic political and news leaders of the world have no idea of the real circumstances in Libya, when an everyday common man is so disregarded by his superiors that he is executed in the name of control. How, in this era of instant information, are such poignant and tragic events such as this condemned to the back pages of a disinterested media and a less interested general public? I had tears come to my eyes when I read this note, by a man who knew that possibly no one would believe what he said. Damn daffi, damn politicians, damn the press (especially Murdoch) and damn anyone who thinks so little of human life. I hang my head in sorrow and shame as a human being.

[pinboy3niner]

37. Problems With Logistics, Coordination and Rivalries Hamper Libya’s Rebels (Chivers, NYT)

Source: New York Times

By C. J. CHIVERS

Published: July 20, 2011


KIKLA, Libya —

...


While the Libyan rebels have carved out an enclave in the west, the dearth of ammunition in Mr. Harari’s group points to one of the continuing drains on their military strength — an absence of coordination, even on matters as basic as making sure that ample ammunition is provided to the front-line fighters.


As Libya’s uprising-turned-desert-war enters its sixth month, the rebels in the mountains have assembled into small bands of local fighters. These groups — often named for the towns the fighters come from — have demonstrated both an eagerness to fight and a willingness to work with almost anyone who can help them reach their goal of ousting the Qaddafi family from power.


But coordination between them, as well as logistical help from their higher commands and foreign supporters, has not developed in important ways. In eastern Libya, the rebel authorities talk of making a national army; here in the west, the state of official disorganization makes the prospects for such a force unlikely in the near term.


Interviews with dozens of rebels present a portrait of a guerrilla force that acts less like a coherent structure than a network of pickup fighting clubs.

...


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/world/africa/21libya.html

[pinboy3niner]

38. For Libya's western rebels, high hopes but real struggles

Posted on Wednesday, 07.20.11

By PORTIA WALKER
McClatchy Newspapers


QAWALISH, Libya -- In a house on the outskirts of this deserted village on Libya's western front line, about a dozen rebel fighters sheltered from the blistering sun, occasionally scanning the horizon with binoculars. Across the dusty mountain plain below them were Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces, whom they had forced from the village more than a month ago.


The rebels said they were preparing to advance to Al-Sabha, a town about 10 miles away across the vast exposed plain. From there, they plan to press on toward the strategic city of Gharyan, which they say serves as a key transit point for pro-government fighters and weapons from southern Libya to Gadhafi's capital, Tripoli.


The rebel army in Libya's remote western mountains has grand plans, and in recent months it has gradually inched forward along a chain of mountaintop villages. But a glimpse at its ranks this week showed why it's unlikely to challenge Gadhafi's hold on Tripoli anytime soon: Its supply lines are stretched, it's struggling with cohesion and it seems that its advance may stall as the fasting month of Ramadan approaches in August.


Here in what's known as the Nafusa Mountains, there already are growing shortages of food and fuel, with the price of a tank of gas soaring from about $2.50 to $50. All supplies must be brought in by long, precarious journeys along the single highway that connects the mountains to the border with Tunisia, which comes under regular rocket bombardment from Gadhafi's troops.

...


http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/20/2322983/for-libyas-western-rebels-high.html

[David__77]

39. The headless corpse, the mass grave and worrying questions about Libya's rebel army

Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8650436/The-headless-corpse-the-mass-grave-and-worrying-questions-about-Libyas-rebel-army.html



The streaks of blood, smeared along the sides of this impromptu mass grave suggested a rushed operation, a hurried attempt to dispose of the victims.

...

But the evidence of a brutal end were clear. One of the corpses had been cleanly decapitated, while the trousers of another had been ripped down to his ankles, a way of humiliating a dead enemy. The green uniforms were the same as those worn by loyalists fighting for Col. Muammer Gaddafi in Libya's civil war. No one from the rebel side claimed the corpses, or declared their loved ones missing.

...

Since the bodies were seen by the Daily Telegraph attempts to discover their identities have been unsuccessful, in part because of obstruction by rebel authorities in the area. Having highlighted the discovery to those authorities the area was subsequently bulldozed and the bodies dissappeared.

[joshcryer]

40. Was wondering about that, C. J. Chivers and Bryan Denton discovered it.

Still seems as if the total picture is unclear, we may never find out what happened. Just as we will likely never find out why the young man at the early part of the uprising was shot point blank in the forehead only for his brains to dribble out onto the ground (now that's an image that will forever be seered into my mind).

[David__77]

42. Probably never find out.

One can call all the commissions and tribunals one wants, but getting at the truth is always, at best, relative and partial.

[tabatha]

41. Since Gaddafi's troops are known to

kill their own troops, the answer will never be known.

[tabatha]

43. Qaddafi's troops have fled Brega, say rebels

Rebel military sources said some Qaddafi forces were arcing rockets over Brega onto rebel positions from the town of Bishr, while most troops had retreated to Ras Lanuf, another oil town further west.

The rebels said Qaddafi troops inside Brega were largely conscripts and volunteers. "The elite troops have left. The soldiers left in the city are stuck," said Abdulrazag Elaradi, a National Transitional Council member visiting the front. "They cannot go forward because they will be killed by the rebels and they cannot go back because they will be killed by Qaddafi's men."

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/africa/qaddafis-troops-have-fled-brega-say-rebels

Interesting comment:

"They cannot go forward because they will be killed by the rebels and they cannot go back because they will be killed by Qaddafi's men."

Talk about being between a rock and a hard place - and my heart goes out to them.

[CJvR]

47. And that....

...is why "no prisoners" is a bad policy.

[tabatha]

51. I doubt that there is a no prisoners policy.

If the rebels can get to the G troops without being killed and they have the upper hand, they will take them as prisoners.

G troops on the other hand, shoot their own forces if they are retreating.

ON EDIT: and then I read something that says exactly that:

Translated from “Le Nouvel Observateur” today (continued):
The rebels said on Wednesday they had driven most of the loyalist army out of Brega, and they surrounded the soldiers holed up in the middle of oil installations in the northwest of the port.The rebels’ progress in Brega has been slowed by the large number of landmines laid by soldiers loyal to the regime in retreat, and the difficulties to attack Gaddafi forces entrenched there, whose number is estimated at 200 and who are fighting in the middle of economically vital oil installations.The death of 24 soldiers late Tuesday shows the difficulties. This was the deadliest day for the insurgency since the beginning of the Battle of Brega almost a week ago.

Military sources said that rebel soldiers of Colonel Gaddafi were firing rockets over Brega, from Bishr towards rebel positions, while most of the loyalists units had fallen back to Ras Lanouf, a town more to the west. Another military source of the rebellion, citing intercepted radio conversations, said that many militaries were abandoned without vehicles and were told they would be shot if they retreated.

[pinboy3niner]

45. Gadhafi calls tribes to take back rebel mountains

By PAUL SCHEMM - Associated Press | AP – 2 hrs 7 mins ago


Al-AZIZIYA, Libya (AP) — Dozens of horsemen in flowing robes sat on their mounts cheering as men around them fired AK-47s in the air, proclaiming their allegiance to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and their readiness to march on the rebel-held western mountains.


The pomp and bravado on display during the rally in the sweltering town square in al-Aziziya south of the capital is part of a concerted effort by Gadhafi to mobilize one of the pillars of his regime — Libya's tribes — to combat recent rebel advances.


"Look at the tribes of the Warshafana, who dares to challenge them? No one can; they will help free Libya from the hands of these rebels," Gadhafi's voice boomed out from speakers at the rally. "You are preparing today to march to the western mountains to cleanse it and liberate it from the traitors and mercenaries."


It's not the first time Gadhafi has tried to rally the tribes. Since the Libyan uprising began in mid-February, he has threatened to unleash angry tribesmen on opposition-held towns, although nothing ever materialized.


This time, the move appears aimed at countering the rebels' recent diplomatic and battlefield momentum in the nearby mountains.

...


http://news.yahoo.com/gadhafi-calls-tribes-back-rebel-mountains-060137886.html

[pinboy3niner]

46. Libyan rebels step up military campaign

Source: Al Jazeera

Opposition fighters say they have forced Gaddafi forces back from Brega, while southern fighters prepare for battle.

Last Modified: 21 Jul 2011 08:23


Libya's anti-government fighters are escalating an offensive against Muammar Gaddafi's forces, pushing forward in the east of the country and preparing a fresh attack from the south of the capital, Tripoli.


Opposition forces said they had chased the bulk of the Libyan leader's eastern army from the oil town of Brega and surrounded Gaddafi loyalists holed up among oil installations in the northwest of the town.


In the west, rebels said they were awaiting orders from Benghazi, the rebel stronghold in the east, to start a fresh offensive from the Nafusa Mountains southwest of the capital just days before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when the hardships of desert fighting are likely to be intensified for those going without food and drink during the daytime.


Around Brega, the rebels' advance towards the town has been slowed by vast quantities of anti-personnel mines planted by retreating loyalists and the difficulties in attacking an estimated 200 Gaddafi troops fighting from positions near vital oil facilities.


On Tuesday, 24 rebel fighters died in one of their bloodiest day since the battle for Brega began almost a week ago, a rebel military source told the AFP news agency.

...


http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201172161918114981.html

[pinboy3niner]

48. Libya rebels seek arms amid pre-Ramadan offensive

By Andrew Beatty (AFP) – 47 minutes ago


BENGHAZI, Libya — Libya's rebels asked France for extra arms to help them overrun Tripoli within "days", as they ramped up a pre-Ramadan offensive that has Moamer Kadhafi's troops on the run in the east.


The request was made in Paris on Wednesday to French President Nicolas Sarkozy by military leaders from the rebel-held city of Misrata, a member of their delegation said.


Rebel leader Mahmud Jibril meanwhile was expected to seek additional aid for their military campaign from Spain during talks in Madrid on Thursday with Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez.


Sarkozy held talks at his Elysee presidential palace with rebel General Ramadan Zarmuh, Colonel Ahmed Hashem and Colonel Brahim Betal Mal, as well as Suleiman Fortia, a local representative of the rebel leadership in Misrata.


"With a little bit of help, we will be in Tripoli very soon. Very soon means days," Fortia told reporters after the meeting. "We are here in France to discuss how we can do the job."

...


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iA8R71Dh-jnRkVtTY13wiQ5FIBaQ?docId=CNG.62af0064235da4cbd63370d32a0b2bcf.331

[pinboy3niner]

49. Syria: Intense gunfire in Homs as security forces conduct raids and make arrests

A human rights activist and a resident have told the Associated Press there is intense gunfire in Homs as Syrian security forces conduct raids and make arrests.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says tanks have closed on some neighbourhoods in Homs including Bab Sbaa, where the main raids are taking place.

A resident in the city, says mosque loudspeakers are calling for people to aid Bab Sbaa. The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals, says the neighbourhood has been subjected to heavy machine-gun fire since 4am Thursday.

...


More (with videos):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/jul/21/libya-syria-middle-east-unrest#block-4

[tabatha]

50. ChangeInLibya Mhalwes

The body of one of my neighbours in Tripoli was released to his family today.

He died in captivity - most probably due to torture.

Family being forced to sign papers saying he died due to a heart condition.

What did he do? He had a video of #feb17 demos on laptop

I've reached a point where I dread calling Tripoli & asking how things are. 20+ kidnapped from our street.. no fuel.. nothing. #gaddafi

This same family (my neighbours) were forced to go out in pro-Gaddafi demonstrations in green square - they were told he would be released
2 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya

[pinboy3niner]

52. For Libyan rebels, a funeral is no somber event

As 11 fighters are laid to rest in Benghazi, the mourners celebrate their deaths as bringing the country one step closer to life without Kadafi.

By David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times

July 20, 2011, 5:03 p.m.


Reporting from Benghazi, Libya—

...


At the beginning of the row of fresh graves, Suleiman Farsi was lowered into the fine yellow sand. He was 30, an engineering student in London who rushed home shortly after the rebellion broke out in February.


"He came because he smelled freedom," a friend, Isham Zeidan, said in lightly accented English. "No Libyan can smell freedom and not return home to fight."


The dead man's best friend, Mohammed Mismari, related what rebel fighters had told him about Farsi's final moments outside Port Brega late Tuesday. "He fought like a lion," Mismari said in English. "And then ... "


His voice broke and he turned his head to cry. After a moment, he said, "I asked Allah to take him to paradise."


Mismari stared at Zeidan, who was on his haunches, alone, sobbing next to the sand piled atop Farsi's grave.


In less than an hour, it was done. All 11 martyrs had been buried and memorialized.

...


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-funerals-20110721,0,4818815,full.story

[tabatha]

54. Heinz comments today

good morning free libya
with good news from zlitan and brega in the next hours

strukture of the khamis brigade now
400 armchair -soldiers in tripoli left 60% from the higher ranks ,logistic etc not able to fight.
mountain and misrata fronts about 3800 left 80%fresh recruits or mercs
incoming 200-300per day but the same number run away

since the beginning of the brega aktion
daffis forces there lost over 150 vehikel and around 1500 men dead or wounded.
the last stand for the mutassim brigade will be ras lanuf nothing from worth will come back to sirte.
without aircover daffis situation there is hopeless.
daffi can shot mutassim for retreating from brega ,one bad general less than

why we can be optimistic
---------------------------------------ff force---------terrorist force
tanks ,bmp-----------------------------250+-10----------280+-30
rocket launcher systems----------------80---------------178
artellerie pices-----------------------110--------------225
4x 4 mounted systems-------------------1800-------------1500
attack helis---------------------------12-28------------0
jets for ground attacks----------------60-80------------0

daffi exekute his officers now becouse they told him he have 800 left and the ff nothing

(The table looks proper when editing, but when posting it is all scrunched up, so dashes were added.)

[pinboy3niner]

56. Qaddafi could step down and stay? That's not going to happen.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

France's foreign minister says Muammar Qaddafi could remain in Libya after he leaves power. But that's the least likely of all possible outcomes.

By Dan Murphy, Staff writer / July 21, 2011

...


"One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition ... that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Mr. Juppe told French LCI TV. "A cease-fire depends on Qaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."


Qaddafi and his powerful son Saif al-Islam have insisted they won't leave the country under any circumstances, so Juppe's comments would appear to be reaching for an acceptable compromise conclusion to an increasingly bloody war (a rebel offensive on the tiny eastern oil town of Brega, for instance, has been stalled for days, with dozens of casualties on both sides). The problem is, of all the outcomes one could imagine in Libya, Qaddafi relinquishing power and living out his days as a free man in Tripoli is the least likely.


The reason why has to do with the depth of hatred for the man among the rebels. There are no similarities between the case of Qaddafi and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, for instance. While corruption flourished under Mubarak and torture was routinely used, executions weren't carried out on the industrial scale of Qaddafi's Libya.

...


But Qaddafi? He's a terrifying figure to his subjects after decades of haphazard executions and massacres. Even many of the gleeful political cartoons that erupted on walls across the east within days of his downfall often depicted him as a figure of fear – a vampire, or a ghoul, or the devil.

...


http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2011/0721/Qaddafi-could-step-down-and-stay-That-s-not-going-to-happen

[pinboy3niner]

57. Libyan rebels in Zlitan capture key government commander

General Abdul Nabih Zayid arrested during rebel advance and questioned over Misrata civilian killings, says opposition

Chris Stephen in Misrata
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011 14.26 BST


Libyan rebels in Misrata say they have captured the chief of operations of government forces in Zlitan on the first day of their offensive against the town.


General Abdul Nabih Zayid was caught late on Wednesday after advancing fighters overran his command post at Souk Talat, a small village on the outskirts of Zlitan, opposition commanders said.


"We have him in custody. He is being well looked after," said Mohamed Frefr, in charge of detainees for the rebels. "After three days talking with him we will hand him to the military prison."


Rebels in the besieged coastal city said the general was being interviewed by intelligence officers and well looked after, with supplies of insulin procured because he has diabetes.

...


His capture is regarded as a major feather in the cap for rebel forces. The general gained notoriety among rebels when he helped co-ordinate the deployment of tanks into the streets of Misrata in March, triggering two months of street fighting that saw much of the city wrecked and hundreds killed.

...


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/21/libya-middleeast

[Iterate]

59. OT: You were right, retraining needed.

Bloody hell. It's surprisingly difficult to get caught up and back to the detailed level of understanding, let alone to be current with the latest.

Otherwise, I can report from the "mountain camp", the "training farm", that bugs bite, muscles get sore, and that if you learned a lot you'll have less to say with certainty than if you learned only one thing.

[pinboy3niner]

95. LOL!

Been there, done that. And it's daunting every time, no matter that we ALWAYS succeed in catching up. But the ordeal of having to work to regain what we once had is very frustrating. Until--Voila!--we are there again, and have the confidence that goes with it.

I hope you enjoyed your rural sojourn, and that your visit with GH found him as fascinating and as entertaining in person as he is in cyberspace. I'm not sure why the bugs have sore muscles, but I may have read that too fast...

btw, we have you down for the Friday class: "Remedial Libyan Revolution." :)

Welcome back, cuz!

[Iterate]

58. Exclusive: Qadhafi regime bids to sell shipping fleet

Exclusive: Qadhafi regime bids to sell shipping fleet

Petroleum Economist
21 July 2011

Derek Brower, LONDON: Libya’s state-owned shipping firm is asking two Asian companies to take control of its fleet as the regime steps up efforts to secure cash to sustain its war effort.

The move would transfer title of some or all of General National Maritime Transport’s (GNMTC) fleet to the companies, which are based in Hong Kong and Singapore, said a source close to the negotiations.

Money raised from the title transfer would be channelled to GNMTC through offshore accounts, said the source. GNMTC’s website lists 15 vessels in its fleet, although the number is thought to be 22.
...

GNMTC is under the control of Hannibal Qadhafi, son of Libya’s leader Muammar. Hannibal is “desperate to have access to money”, said the source, not least to arrange the security of his family. Also pressing is GNMTC’s need for revenue to keep its fleet operating.

more... http://www.petroleum-economist.com/Article/2869690/Exclusive-Qadhafi-regime-bids-to-sell-shipping-fleet.html?edit=true

Also, good detail on the overall import and production fuel situation.

[pinboy3niner]

60. Unconfirmed reports: Gaddafi chief enforcer Abdullah Senussi killed by ff's

There are unconfirmed reports circulating that brother-in-law and chief enforcer, Abdullah Senussi, has been killed by Libyan opposition fighters (we are trying to confirm these).

Guma El-Gamaty, the UK co-ordinator for the opposition national transitional council, tweeted:

Reports that Abdullah Senussi was shot by tripoli FF and killed or seriously injured. If these report prove true it is a big blow to Gadhafi!

The ICC prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Senussi (as well as for Gaddafi and Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam) in May. The Guardian's Middle East editor, Ian Black, wrote:

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC prosecutor, described Senussi as Gaddafi's "righthand man, the executioner". But Senussi was more than a hard man in one of the most repressive regimes in the post-cold war world: his brief extended to political and PR strategies after Gaddafi abandoned terrorism and his WMD programmes in 2003 and sought a complete makeover ...


The ICC described him as "personal adviser to Gaddafi on security services, policy and military matters", saying its evidence was that he is still active as head of military intelligence. Whatever his position, he is one of the Libyan leader's ahl
al-Khaimah (people of the tent) – Gaddafi's very closest entourage.

Senussi, 62, was blamed for the killings in Benghazi as well as for the recruitment of foreign mercenaries. Later reports from the rebel capital described how he had been sent there to "keep a lid on the situation". Senussi first appealed for an end to protests but made clear that if they persisted there would be a violent response. Bloody repression followed and the uprising spread to Tobruk and al-Bayda.


Libyans hold him responsible for the notorious 1996 massacre of about 1,200 inmates at Tripoli's Abu Salim prison. The ICC said he was also behind the killing of 13 demonstrators in Benghazi in 2006.


Until now, Senussi's most notorious exploit was as mastermind of the bombing of a French airliner over Niger in 1989 in which 170 people were killed. That led to a 1999 case in which he was convicted in absentia in France. He has been unable to travel abroad freely since then.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/jul/21/libya-syria-middle-east-unrest#block-11

[al bupp]

61. Robert Rowley tweets on this topic

#Tripoli: Apparently at around noon a failed attempt was made to kill #Senoussi and #Saif alIslam #Gaddafi. #Libya #feb17
23 minutes ago

#Tripoli: According to http://t.co/KRCVYqM Abdullah Sannousi was injured, NOT killed. #Libya #fe17
57 minutes ago

From: http://twitter.com/#!/RRowleyTucson

[al bupp]

62. English translation of the Almanara web page

Urgent: the military wing of the coalition to adopt the February 17 assassination attempt on Gaddafi, Saif al-Abdullah al-Sanusi and Mansour Daou and Baghdadi Mahmoudi.

Tripoli - a special - Lighthouse
According to sources from the coalition of February 17 in Tripoli to the lighthouse that has a military wing within the twelve o'clock noon on Thursday 07/21/2011 the quality of the process of trying to assassinate leading figures belonging to the Qadhafi regime.

The sources added that the figures that targeted assassinations are in the process of Saif Gaddafi, Abdullah Al-Sanusi and Mansour Daou and Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, who were meeting at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel located in the neighborhood of Andalus. The same sources confirmed that Mansour Daou had sustained serious injuries in this process, which is now in the operating room, noting that the three others were injured minor injuries, according to the source.

From: http://almanaramedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/17_21.html

Translated by http://translate.google.com/#">Google Translate

[tabatha]

66. attack on senussi successful but FF dont know if senussi alive/not

freelibya10 freelibya AJA: FF abubakar al trabelsi: attack on senussi successful but FF dont know if senussi alive/not, used anti-tank weapon @ChangeInLibya

http://twitter.com/#!/Libya_from_FR
seven tweets down

UPDATE **

@FreeBenghazi Libya.elHurra
BrigadierGeneral AbdullahSanusi was died and several others were seriously injuired during today's assassinate attempt #Tripoli #Libya

[David__77]

63. Libya rebels: Brega oil installations boobytrapped

MADRID -- A top Libyan rebel official says Moammar Gadhafi's troops have boobytrapped petroleum installations in the strategic oil port of Brega so they can be blown up if his regime loses the town.

...

Jibril characterized Brega on Thursday as a "big minefield" and said some oil installations were "full of bombs, explosives."

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/07/21/general-ml-libya_8577221.html

It was pretty clear that this conflict would ultimately come down to the prevalence of asymmetrical tactics. It won't be decided by tanks or airplanes, but, most fundamentally, on who can rely on the support of the people.

[tabatha]

65. For Libyan rebels, a funeral is no somber event

By David Zucchino
A long convoy of dust-caked gun trucks descended Wednesday afternoon on downtown Benghazi, horns honking and guns blasting skyward.

Rebel fighters had driven nearly 150 miles from Libya‘s eastern front to celebrate the glory of 11 dead comrades — shuhuda, or martyrs. The dead men, killed the day before, lay in caskets that bounced in the beds of the trucks.

They had come home to be buried.

Gunmen accompanying the caskets fired assault rifles and pistols over the rooftops as women on balconies ducked for cover. The men chanted, “A martyr is loved by God!”

In most societies, a funeral is an occasion for solemnity and grief. In eastern Libya, the funerals of martyrs are celebrations, displays of firepower and emotional rallies that curse and condemn Libya’s autocratic leader, Moammar Kadafi.

http://feb17.info/news/for-libyan-rebels-a-funeral-is-no-somber-event/

[tabatha]

67. Tweets from hominoid555 russell renshaw

hominoid555 russell renshaw
Libyan rebels in Zlitan capture key government commander gu.com/p/3vym9/tw via @guardian
Libya Zliten Free Zliten the rebels coming from the front Al Davnih seized dozens of weapons.
Libya Zliten FFs captured 22. Among the prisoners senior commander colonel named Nabi.
Added:
@hominoid555
russell renshaw Libya A14-year old girl was found in container on outskirts of Brega, kidnapped long time ago and was raped repeatedly by Gaddafi's forces

AJA: The #Tripoli attack was at 1240 on a makeshift ops center in converted bldg. Target was Abdullah Al Sanousi. Condition unknown. #Libya
AJA: Rebel fighters in #Tripoli used anti tank weapon to attack a building presumably used by #Gaddafi forces, Andalus area #Tripoli (1/2)

It's absolutely disgrace what #Gaddafi thugs did to #Syrian journalist #Rana. So inhuman and this is NOT accepted. #Libya




Pictures of #Rana mentioned in the last tweet can be referenced from Rowley's twitter feed. They are shameful.

[tabatha]

68. Picture of mine sweepers at Brega

I believe they were sent in by Qatar.

[tabatha]

70. New changes by the hour ---

@libyanproud
libyanandproud There was an attack today in #Tripoli ! Abdallah Sanussi NOT DEAD ! Mansour Daw in critical condition , 4 bodyguards killed . #Feb17 #Libya


Ben_mhmd Mahmoud @NATO BREAKING BREGA: AJA: Remaining of Gaddafi forces in Brega are using around 150 families as human shelids. *LIBYA_BREAKNEWS

[David__77]

71. Libyan rebel advance slowed by mines, trenches

BENGHAZI, Libya, July 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of mines and a fierce counter-attack by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are slowing rebel efforts to seize two towns that are blocking their advance on Tripoli, rebels said on Thursday.

...

The rebel forces are now about 20 kms from the edge of Brega, but Gaddafi's forces still control the city and its oil installations, he said. The rebel forces are dug in east and south of Brega.

A rebel spokesman in Zlitan, on the coast road 160 km (100 miles) east of the capital, said pro-Gaddafi forces backed by tanks had surrounded rebels who had seized the nearby town of Souk al-Thulatha on Wednesday.

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL6E7IL21G20110721?sp=true

[al bupp]

72. AJE Video: Libyan fighters focus on resources

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports on how "the fight in Libya is slowly shifting from territory to resources"

http://www.youtube.com/v/bZlu1I5Cw7A

[pinboy3niner]

73. LIBYAN REVOLUTION DAY 155: CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 12:01 AM FRIDAY, JULY 22

Libya time = EDT +6 hours, PDT +9 hours, UTC +1 hour, GMT +2 hours

[pinboy3niner]

74. Missing Maryland writer spotted in Libya prison

July 21, 2011 2:30 PM


(AP) SILVER SPRING, Md. - A Baltimore writer missing in Libya has been sighted in a prison in Tripoli, U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and the writer's mother said Thursday.


Matthew VanDyke went to Libya this winter to write about the uprising against Muammar Qaddafi. He was there about a week when he disappeared in March.


Ruppersberger's spokeswoman Jaime Lennon said there have been two independent sightings of the 32-year-old in a Tripoli prison and that the State Department was working to confirm them. ....


"This is good news. It's a lead and we're hopeful," Ruppersberger said in a statement. "We'll do everything we can to bring Matthew home safe and sound."

...


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/21/national/main20081492.shtml

[tabatha]

75. Abdullah Senussi (b. 1949, Sudan – 21 July 2011)

Abdullah Senussi (b. 1949, Sudan – 21 July 2011) is the brother-in-law of Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. He is married to Gaddafi's wife's sister.<1>

According to The Guardian he has had a reputation for brutality since the 1970s. During the 1980s he was head of internal security in Libya, at a time when many opponents of Gaddafi were killed. More recently he has been described as the head of military intelligence, but it is unclear whether he actually holds an official rank. In 1999 he was convicted in absentia in France for his role in a 1989 bombing of a passenger plane flying over Niger that resulted in the deaths of 170 people. Libyans believe he is responsible for massacring 1,200 prisoners at the Abu Salim jail in 1996. He is also thought to have been behind an alleged plot in 2003 to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.<1>

US embassy cables described him as being a confidant of Gaddafi who makes "many of his medical arrangements". During the 2011 Libyan civil war, he was blamed for orchestrating killings in the city of Benghazi and recruiting foreign mercenaries. He is believed to have extensive business interests in Libya.<1>

On 1 March 2011, Libya's Quryna newspaper reported that Gaddafi sacked him.<2>

On 16 May 2011, the International Criminal Court prosecutor announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Abdullah Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity.<3>

On 21 July 2011, Senussi was killed in an attack by armed rebels in Tripoli.<4>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_Senussi

[tabatha]

125. This has been corrected.

Abdullah Senussi (b. 1949, Sudan) is the brother-in-law of Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. He is married to Gaddafi's wife's sister.<1>

According to The Guardian he has had a reputation for brutality since the 1970s. During the 1980s he was head of internal security in Libya, at a time when many opponents of Gaddafi were killed. More recently he has been described as the head of military intelligence, but it is unclear whether he actually holds an official rank. In 1999 he was convicted in absentia in France for his role in a 1989 bombing of a passenger plane flying over Niger that resulted in the deaths of 170 people. Libyans believe he is responsible for massacring 1,200 prisoners at the Abu Salim jail in 1996. He is also thought to have been behind an alleged plot in 2003 to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.<1>

US embassy cables described him as being a confidant of Gaddafi who makes "many of his medical arrangements". During the 2011 Libyan civil war, he was blamed for orchestrating killings in the city of Benghazi and recruiting foreign mercenaries. He is believed to have extensive business interests in Libya.<1>

On 1 March 2011, Libya's Quryna newspaper reported that Gaddafi sacked him.<2>

On 16 May 2011, the International Criminal Court prosecutor announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Abdullah Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity.<3>

On 21 July 2011, Libyan opposition sources claimed that Senussi was killed in an attack by armed rebels in Tripoli. However, a few hours later the same sources recanted on their earlier claim and some even said he might have just been injured.<4>

[tabatha]

76. Joint fight w/ Arabs against Kadafi spurs Berber hopes of equality in #Libya

As the two ethnic groups in the mountainous portion of Libya's west put aside long-held differences, at stake may be more than the fate of the communities along a sparsely populated range.

Family life is important for Libyan families, the majority of which live in apartment blocksand other independent housing units, with precise modes of housing depending on their income and wealth. Although the Libyan Arabs traditionally lived nomadic lifestyles in tents, they have now settled in various towns and cities.<201> Because of this, their old ways of life are gradually fading out. An unknown small number of Libyans still live in the desert as their families have done for centuries. Most of the population has occupations in industry and services, and a small percentage is in agriculture.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3BQKxq45KM/Thm1-GyuGJI/AAAAAAAAALI/J-WkDZ6xIzo/s640/Areal+View+Yafran.jpg

http://egyptday1.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-07-21T11%3A34%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=99

[Iterate]

77. Libyan rebels find humour is the sharpest weapon against Gaddafi

That's the title anyway. Not much humor in the article, but there was this concerning the local Libyan war memorial and more about the sacrifices there:

Libyan rebels find humour is the sharpest weapon against Gaddafi
In Zintan, the heart of the struggle in Libya's western mountains, rebels are relishing their newfound freedom of expression
David Smith in Zintan guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011 18.23 BST

...
Zintan's inexperienced but flinty fighters have shed more blood than any in the region. Residents say 115 have died in the past five months, with some families losing more than one son. The "lions of Zintan" are commemorated in the square on a memorial wall that brings pilgrims at all times of day – talking, reflecting, pointing at the neatly stacked rows of pictures.

Above the faces of the war dead is an Arabic message that insists: "They are still alive in paradise, and they are wealthy." Framing them are numerous reproductions of the red, black and green flag of the revolution.

The photographs' very banality – the faces are expressionless, as if taken for an ID card or passport – underline how family lives have been ripped apart by Libya's civil war. Among them are Abdul al-Mula Motootg, a 19-year-old killed by a rocket-propelled grenade on 14 June, and his father, Mohammad, who died aged 58 while manning a checkpoint a week later.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mokhtar Motootg, 31, said of his dead brother: "He was not afraid of dying. He had been injured before by shrapnel in his leg. The family was very scared for him and told him not to go back but he said, 'It's my duty for a free Libya.' He was not afraid at all."
...

more... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/21/libyan-rebels-humour-weapon-gaddafi

[pinboy3niner]

78. Libya's Gaddafi urges Misrata notables to fight rebels

Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:19pm GMT


TUNIS Jul 21 (Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi urged families and tribal leaders from Misrata to fight to take back Libya's third-largest city from rebels who have pushed his troops away after more than four months of bitter fighting.


Libyan TV showed footage of Gaddafi meeting at a conference centre in Tripoli with dozens of notables from Misrata and residents of the capital with relatives in the town, chastising them for their inaction.


"It's impossible to leave Misrata like this... You must go to Misrata, enter it," Gaddafi said, urging them to take action even if they lack the arms to confront the rebels.

...


Gaddafi's plea comes in a week when his government bombarded Libyans with text messages urging them to march on the Western mountains to fight rebels who have also defeated the army there, calls which do not appear to have been answered.


"This farce must end. Shame on you people of Misrata... How can you accept this?" he said.


http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL6E7IL23B20110721

[pinboy3niner]

79. Libya: What welcome awaits rebels in Tripoli?

21 July 2011 Last updated at 19:49 ET

By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Tripoli


Life at the Rixos Hotel, where the international media are being housed, remains much the same - a constant battle with the minders who control our every move.


But this past week, I witnessed something different - sizeable crowds in the locations to which we were taken. Tens of thousands of people who owe their allegiance to the leader we never see.

...


Of course we don't see the thousands of other people in Tripoli who are opposed to Col Gaddafi's rule. Under tight restrictions, it is impossible to report accurately where the true balance of support really lies.


Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim is trying to counter a rebel assertion that once they reach the gates of Tripoli, the city will implode from within.


Perhaps it will, but the support we are seeing suggests there is still plenty of fighting to come.

...


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14208352

[David__77]

80. Libya's Gaddafi rules out talks

SIRTE, Libya, July 21 (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ruled out on Thursday talks with the rebels seeking to end his 41-year-rule, casting doubt on a flurry of Western efforts to negotiate an end to a deepening civil conflict.

"There will be no talks between me and them until Judgment Day," Gaddafi told a crowd of thousands of his supporters in his home city of Sirte in a remotely delivered audio message. "They need to talk with the Libyan people ... and they will respond to them."

The rally in the quiet seaside city drew men wearing green hats, women waving flags and children whose faces were painted with pro-Gaddafi slogans.

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL6E7IL21G20110721?sp=true

Here is video of the crowd in Sirte: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC4a-h22bj8&feature=BFa&list=UL1lQnpEk6iGc&index=792

It definitely does NOT remind of the somber crowd bussed in for Ceausescu's last speeches. Clearly, Gaddafi retains very significant support within Libya.

[tabatha]

82. The last Rayyisse video you posted was a fraud.

I'll ask about this one again.

[David__77]

85. There's no way to know about that Brega video, or innumerable "tweets,"

Many "tweets" that are heralded as newsworthy are certainly fraudulent.

What we do know is that Brega is held by loyalist forces, so I don't think it matters too much.

Reporters from Western countries were at the same Sirte mass rally and can attest to its occurrence today.

[tabatha]

88. Reactions to the video:

(Arabic speaker) old footage, doctored voice imposition...

(Poster 1) rather obvious (fake) this one..

(Poster 2) There sure are a lot of people milling around and casually walking behind the scenes. The crowd sure doesn't seem to react in real time to the message either. So my conclusion is fabrication of some extent.

(Poster 3) Not even close to genuine, I could make that video very easily on my laptop :-)

[David__77]

91. There were no such messages on the youtube link.

I'm not sure what video you were looking at. Regardless, just about everything is claimed as true or false, alternatively, depending on who is anonymously writing commentary online.

[tabatha]

120. No, those messages were on an AJE blog

where I posted the video for comments.

I value comments on that blog because many are Libyans who know a lot more about what is going on the ground than we do.

I never stated that the comments were from Youtube.

[al bupp]

84. If there's anywhere in Libya that Gaddafi has legitimate support, it's in Sirte

As his home town, the place has been favored by years of special attention by the regime, and been the recipient of significant government money and building projects. I'm sure many in Sirte ensuthiastically support the colonel, where they've been largely insulated by distance from the violence elsewhere in the country, and protected by state-run media from any troubling narratives that go counter to the party line. If they could gather w/o being gunned down by snipers or worse, I'm sure many times more would turn-out in Tripoli for his ouster.

[tabatha]

89. Heinz seems to think that there is less support than believed.

[indurancevile]

110. who is 'heinz'?

[pinboy3niner]

111. Gerhard Heinz tweets much info on Libya

He lives in Germany, and our own Iterate met him there recently.

If you follow these threads, you'll catch Tabatha's posts relaying GH's laest reports.

[indurancevile]

112. and why should i care what he says about libya?

[pinboy3niner]

116. You don't have to care

Just as yuu don't have to care what BBC, CNN, The Guardian. or other sources report.

Are you following Libya? What sources do you follow?

[indurancevile]

155. i am asking because you say he is in germany, and i guess not a news person.

so why should i care?

what is his expertise on libya?

[tabatha]

135. Post by a Libyan on AJE blog about Heinz

For all those who doubt Gerhard, take a look at my name. I left Benghazi right before the invasion in March. My family had already lived through some terrifying stuff and some of them stayed while others left. I found Gerhard's posts on the AJE blogs and soon realized that anything he was sure about was confirmed about 48 hours later on the news. If he isn't sure, he says so! As far as his English goes, I live in Libya and I am not a native Arabic speaker, so he has all my respect for putting himself out there using English, not his first language, to keep us informed. God bless Gerhard, there is nothing worse than knowing that people in your family could be dead and having no way of finding out. His reports are most of what kept me sane when there was no phone or internet in eastern Libya. Gerhard is also part of the reason that we felt it safe enough to come home. For some of you, this blog is just a hobby, but for people like me it really means something. Reliable information is hard to come by and highly appreciated.

[pinboy3niner]

81. Pentagon mulls NATO request for more U.S. drones in Libya campaign

A U.S. official says sending more Predator drones would require moving them from war zones, and counter-terrorism operations elsewhere, and that some U.S. officials and commanders oppose the move.

By David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times

July 21, 2011, 5:53 p.m.


Reporting from Washington— The Obama administration is considering sending more Predator drones and other surveillance planes to bolster the NATO air war in Libya, and has reopened a debate over whether to give weapons to the rebels seeking to overthrow Moammar Kadafi, a senior Defense Department official said.


NATO commanders requested the sophisticated surveillance aircraft after concluding that they were running out of military targets in Libya after four months of bombing and missile strikes against Kadafi's military forces and command facilities, U.S. and NATO officials said.


The Pentagon's willingness to consider strengthening the North Atlantic Treaty Organization force in Libya marks an apparent shift since Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta took over the Pentagon early this month.


Panetta has emphasized that winning the war in Libya is one of his top priorities. His predecessor, Robert M. Gates, had urged European allies to do more and had stressed that the U.S. military was overstretched.


NATO commanders are especially eager to obtain more Predator drones, which can remain aloft for a dozen hours or longer, beaming live video and other intelligence data back to targeting analysts on the ground, a senior NATO officer said. The Predator drones can carry two air-to-ground missiles.

...


Now that the recognition has taken place, I think that discussion" of providing military aid "will be back on the table," the senior Pentagon official said.

...


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-drones-libya-20110722,0,1130313.story

[pinboy3niner]

83. Libyan rebels report Gaddafi fight-back

Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:11pm GMT

By Nick Carey


MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan rebels said a fierce counter-attack by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi had checked their gains on a frontline east of Tripoli on Thursday.


A rebel spokesman in Zlitan, on the coast road 160 km (100 miles) east of the capital, said pro-Gaddafi forces backed by tanks had surrounded rebels who had seized the nearby town of Souk al-Thulatha the previous day.


The soldiers had flattened homes with tank shells, he said in an Internet posting.


"The brigades are still terrorising the families, combing villages and neighbourhoods and spreading panic in the whole region," he said.

...


http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE76K0K720110721?sp=true

[pinboy3niner]

86. Reuters WRAPUP 3

Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:17pm GMT

• Rebels report Gaddafi counter-attack east of capital

• China backs African plan to end crisis


By Missy Ryan

SIRTE, Libya, July 21 (Reuters) -

...


"No one talks about a political solution. Impossible. He closed all the doors," said Colonel Ahmed Bani, a rebel military spokesman. "What do we tell the widower? What do we tell the mother who lost her children ... We can't negotiate, people will devour us."


Bani said he expected a breakthrough in Brega in a few days, and in the western town of Zlitan within two days.

...


Bani estimated that 400,000 mines had been planted around Brega and said the rebels, mostly volunteers with no military experience, were working to clear them with almost no help from experts. Gaddafi's forces have pushed back the rebels by filling trenches with petrol and setting them ablaze.

...


In Zlitan, on the coast road 160 km (100 miles) east of the capital, the rebel front line has advanced 4 kms in the past 24 hours, a major gain that leaves the rebels around 5 kms from the city's outskirts.


This is the nearest the rebels have ever come to Zlitan, a source familiar with the battles said. Three rebel fighters were killed and 25 wounded on Thursday in fighting outside Zlitan, according to hospital figures. Five rebels were killed on Wednesday by mines, the rebels said.

...


http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFL6E7IL21G20110721?sp=true

[pinboy3niner]

87. Slovenia, Montenegro recognize NTC

Slovenia Recognizes Libya’s NTC

Thursday, 21 July 2011


On July 20 in Benghazi, Libya, the National Transitional Council received recognition by Slovenia as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

...


Al Essawi:

"We welcome this visit by the Slovenian State Secretary. Slovenia was one of the first states to invite us to visit its government, but our engagements have prevented us from visiting them. Today, Slovenia recognized the National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. Slovenia provides us with medical aid, as well as sending a medical delegation to treat our sick and injured. Slovenia has declared its support for the Libyan people, by political means and humanitarian commitments."

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/07/21/158670.html

Government of Montenegro recognises Libyan National Transitional Council

The Government of Montenegro adopted the Decision on the recognition of the Libyan National Transitional Council (LNTC) as a legitimate political representative of the Libyan people.

The Government voiced readiness to establish cooperation with the LNTC based on the full respect for democratic development, building democratic institutions, respect for human rights and establishing lasting peace in Libya.

http://www.isria.com/pages/21_July_2011_288.php

[tabatha]

90. Twitter Fritters Libya, 21, 2011

Libya, 21, 2011
by Hussein Al-Omari on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 7:07pm

(Sources: Aljazeera)

1. Brega has been relatively quiet while the revolutionary fighters are surrounding the city.

2. The revolutionary fighters have got some minesweepers from Qatar that will help them remove the mines Gaddafi forces deployed.

3. The revolutionary fighters are getting a huge support from the residents in the east at the time the morale of Gaddafi forces is going way down.

4. There are some reports that Gaddafi forces in Brega are holding 150 families as human shield.

5. NATO’s leader, Rasmussen, said that he expects the opposition forces in the east and west to merge soon in preparation for the attack on Tripoli.

http://carolv27.tumblr.com/post/7909135772/info-on-the-attack-on-libyan-intelligence-chief

[David__77]

92. Victims of NATO bombs in Zliten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFNC0q--z34&feature=related

How sad for the families and loved ones.

[tabatha]

121. Rayyise is pure propaganda BS.

The only civilians that NATO knows about was from an errant bomb in Tripoli.

Otherwise, all claims by the regime about civilians casualties have proven to be BS.

They have NEVER produced any evidence to prove their case.

[David__77]

143. I didn't see an indication that they were civilian casualties.

They could very well have been volunteer or conscript people in the Tripoli authorities' armed forces.

[David__77]

93. Moving message from Libya's mothers.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RMeaW2dRE2SP.So2HdffpQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zNDI7cT04NTt3PTUxMg--/

"Mother's message to American, British, and French mothers: your sons are killing mine."

[pinboy3niner]

94. Libyan rebels say armed agents sent to Tripoli

Source: AFP

July 22, 2011


Libya's rebel forces have sent armed and trained operatives to the capital Tripoli to conduct missions against Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi's regime, a Benghazi commander said late Thursday.


"There are small groups, they are good fighters, trained in Benghazi," said revolutionary forces commander Fawzi Bukatif, adding: "We have supplied them with weapons and grenades."


Since the revolution began in February a number of Tripoli-based groups have broadcast videos purporting to show acts of civil disobedience in the heavily controlled capital.


But the revelation that armed rebel fighters have infiltrated Qaddafi's stronghold raises the specter of more serious acts of sabotage.

...


http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=293431

[inna]

96. Reuters: Gaddafi rules out talks, rally emphasizes divisions

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/07/21/11/gaddafi-rules-out-talks-rally-emphasizes-divisions

[pinboy3niner]

97. See Post #80

You've announced your unrecs of these threads, but they contain a wealth of information on the developments in Libya, day by day, and will provide a useful historical archive. Useful to all, regardless of one's views of the intervention. This is YOUR resource, as well as ours.

Thanks for your post. :hi:

[inna]

98. no, thank *you*! i actually have a new found appreciation for you, pinboy3niner,

thanks to this post.


:hi: right back at you



as a side point, i've been wondering for years what it is exactly that makes some people less/more susceptible to propaganda.

[joshcryer]

99. I'd say it's curiosity by far.

Curiosity in an inquisitive nature, more like. See tabatha's unrelenting search for truth on news postings that come with little context in another language. Some people, they just stop searching when they find out what they felt was truth, others continue searching.

It's the difference between indoctrination and instruction. This thread compiles many news sources, and is thus instructive.

[pinboy3niner]

101. There is propaganda on both sides, and even we "imperialist" revo sympathizers acknowledge that

Despite our differences on this issue I still regard you as a compatriot, as a fellow/sister DU member.

I don't expect to see eye-to-eye with every fellow/sister member on every issue, and I try to understand and appreciate differing views.

What I take most exception to is the notion that pro-interventionists are "pro-war." I've been to war, and been severely wounded in war both physically and psychologically. I am decidedly anti-war, but I also believe that some things are worth fighting for, and even even worth dying for.

My war experience is one thing that informs my views on Libya. I know that we have differing opinions there, but I respect the way you feel, as I would hope you respect my views.

We may have differences here--and yet have each other's backs on a whole range of other issues.

So, in the end, I still love you. :hug:

[al bupp]

114. That's well put, sir

I think it speaks to the quality of the people posting here, on both sides of the Libyan intervention question, that we have, for the most part, avoided indulging in sophmoric back and forth exchanges in these threads, and stayed focused on the task at hand, namely trying to get at what's really happening in Libya. Given the distance, language barriers and the fact that truth is the first casualty of war, that's no easy task.

[David__77]

100. I agree.

I am a Democrat, working to elect Democrats, to fight racism, sexism, heterosexism, and so on. That is first and foremost why I post here. There are many differences with others on specific issues. I choose to see these threads as a forum for the Libya question generally. It is very interesting looking back at the past threads over these several months.

[pinboy3niner]

102. Despite disagreements in these threads, we have common cause

We may disagree here, but you and I would be on the same page in fighting against racism, discrimination and bigotry in other threads.

We may disagree on Libya, but you are still a brother DUer and I still love you. :hug:

[joshcryer]

103. Psst, I know what's going on here!

Stop sucking up for rec's cause it ain't happening! :evilgrin:

In all seriousness, I have no ill will toward anyone who disagrees about Libya.

[pinboy3niner]

104. LOL!

After your praise of me in the Vets Forum, I feel like i can pronounce something,and it will be so. :)

I know that you spar in some threads, and you know that I avoid that shit like the plague. Diff'ent strokes for diffr'nt folks'.

Can you blame me for thinking that inna and some of the others ought to be reccing these threads and not unreccing?

But we both know that the work goes on, recs or not.

And you're still a hell of a guy. :hug:

[tabatha]

122. I have no problems with disagreements.

I do get angry

--- when propaganda BS is passed off as the truth
--- when Gaddafi's crimes are ignored
--- that Gaddafi is somehow held up as good for Libya
--- that NATO is accused of killing civilians, when they have been ultra careful and have deliberately taken steps to avoid casualties, whereas all Gaddafi has done is deliberately target civilians. It is frikking unbelievable.

I am sorry - support for Gaddafi is like support for Hitler.

[pinboy3niner]

107. I'm glad that you see the value in what we're doing here nt

[pinboy3niner]

105. Qatar aid to Libya

Qatar has sent at least 200 tonnes of aid, including medical supplies, to help Libyan opposition forces

From Al Jazeera English:

Qatar has sent at least 200 tonnes of aid, including medical supplies, to help Libyan opposition forces since foreign support began to arrive. The Qatari air force showed Al Jazeera a cargo plane bound for Libya containing computers, printers, rice, milk and sugar.

The main cargo on the plane were a military police unit and some intelligence personnel. Also on the plane were four trucks full of wooden boxes which were clearly marked "munitions".

Al Jazeera was unable to find out if they were for the Qatari security forces to use or the rebels. But the trucks were driven away by men who told Al Jazeera they had recently joined the pro-democracy fighters.

Al Jazeera's Rosie Garthwaite reports from an air base in Benghazi.

MORE with video report:

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-22-2011-1150

[pinboy3niner]

106. No Gaddafi role in proposed Libya transition: envoy

LONDON | Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:28am EDT


LONDON (Reuters) - A U.N. peace envoy is suggesting a ceasefire in Libya, to be followed by the immediate creation of a transitional authority made up equally of the government and rebels and excluding Muammar Gaddafi or his sons, a senior European diplomat said.


The authority would appoint a president, control the police, armed forces and security services and would supervise a round-table reconciliation process, leading to elections to a national assembly which would write a constitution, the diplomat said.


The diplomat, who asked for his name and location to be withheld, was outlining ideas he said were being canvassed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's special envoy to Libya, Abdul Elah al-Khatib.


Khatib, a Jordanian senator, is seeking a political solution to a conflict that erupted in February between Gaddafi's forces and rebels based in the east. He has visited both sides several times.

...


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/22/us-libya-idUSTRE76H06X20110722

[David__77]

108. Telesur perspective: "Pro-Gaddafi protesters demand peace"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs2vcfzqIWs

English subtitles. They seem to be giving advice more than anything (conduct unarmed manifestations).

[pinboy3niner]

109. That looks like another Gaddafi propaganda video

It's coming up on 1 PM in Libya now, and I'm hoping for some real news.

[tabatha]

123. I don't know how you can believe any pro-gaddafi "rally"

This is a comment today from a Libyan on the AJE blog:

"When the US bombed Libya in 1986 I was a school boy in the Libyan school in Athens.Teachers loaded us up in busses and gave us G pics and banners and took us to the US embassy. Even then I hated this useless sack of shite of a dictator but I was terrified my family would be hurt if I did not chant the BS the told us to chant! I was 10 years old! " Note - this is Athens, not even in Libya.

We know that Gaddafi

--- forces people to demonstrate, they are not voluntary
--- pays people to demonstrate
--- threatens death or jail if they do not

I pity anyone who gets sucked into believing anything from Gaddafi.

Gaddafi has bombed more than one airplane full of innocent civilians. For me, to post anything pro-Gaddafi is a violation of the right to life of those who died on those airplane (and the victims of his 42 years of tyranny, torture and control). I could never never do that. It is a travesty of human rights.

[David__77]

141. Sounds like you think posting this Telesur video should be illegal.

I mean, shouldn't "violations of the right to life" be illegal?

[al bupp]

144. No, sir, if I may intrude, I think she's saying

These Telesur and Rayyisse videos you're posting links to are questionable, to say the least. Speaking for myself, I have no problem w/ your posting links to them on these threads. I think that they only add to the documentation and historical value we're building here. I also think you are likely to see responses to them which reflect skepticism and reasoned critiques of their veracity.

[David__77]

145. I agree. Of course they are questionable.

We are adults and can filter information and its veracity. The editorial content of "news presentation" is always worthy of analysis.

[tabatha]

153. I guess that Fox rules apply

you can tell anyone anything - it does not have to be the truth.

[David__77]

157. I don't often get accused of "violations of the right to life."

I do not consider that to be the truth.

[al bupp]

113. Map showing Libyan rebel advance in the south of Libya

From: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=281448&id=137199749688243#!/media/albums/?id=137199749688243">Change In Libya FB Photo Albums

[pinboy3niner]

115. Hey, al bupp

Just a note to thank you for all your contributions here.

:hug:

[al bupp]

117. Zintan Military Committee: Official Reply Statement to HRW Claims on Human Rights Abuses

From: http://feb17.info/official-documents/zintant-military-committee-official-reply-statement-to-human-rights-watch-claims-on-human-rights-abuses-in-areas-under-libyan-revolutionary-control">Zintan Military Committee: Official Reply Statement to Human Rights Watch Claims on Human Rights Abuses in Areas Under Libyan Revolutionary Control

In response to the Human Rights Watch report on the claims of human rights abuses in areas under revolutionary control, the Zintan Military Committee released this statement.

[al bupp]

118. FGMovement Tripoli Update: Senussi is alive and unhurt

12:30pm (GMT+2) FGMovement Tripoli Update:

1- Yesterday saw thousands more leaflets dropped over Tripoli by NATO aircraft. Leaflets raised spirits of the residents and targeted the morale of security forces still carrying out atrocities in Tripoli, in Gaddafis name.
Security men could be seen scrambling to pick up the thousands of leaflets all over Tripoli.

2- Another convoy of katiba trucks has been followed and was observed entering a hidden military refuelling station in Ein Zara near Naser University.

3- The Free Generation can verify that an armed attack in the district of Hai Al Andulus/Gergarish was carried out adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel. The operation was excecuted on the 21st July at 1330h Local time.

We can confirm that the team all returned safely after the operation, which utilised 3 RPGs. We can confirm that Abdullah Senussi is alive and unhurt, seemingly not involved in the attack. We cannot verify reports that Mansur Daw was injured and was taken to Alkhadra Hospital. We will try and confirm this today. The operation was carried out by our brothers and sisters of the Feb 17th Tripoli Youth Coalition, friends of The Free Generation Movement.

Via: http://feb17.info/

[tabatha]

124. Yes, I see that they have updated the wiki page to

state that he is still alive --- i.e. no death date.

[Iterate]

119. An insight into Gaddafi methodologies of torture, prisons, & much more

Ahmed Sanalla
@EndTyranny101 Ahmed Sanalla
An insight into #Gaddafi Inc methodologies of torture, prisons, & much more http://bit.ly/qTuv2w

It's a 27 page pdf full of detail from Human Rights Solidarity, whose site seems to be under revision.
www.lhrs.ch

Introduction
The following pages will attempt to give an overall view of the current human rights situation
by highlighting the different legislations and measures.
The first part of this report will give an overview of the historical evolution of the Libyan
regime and of its principal institutions. The second part will focus on cases of human rights
violations in Libya.
When considering the situation in Libya it is important to mention that there has been a slight
improvement of the situation since 2001, this was manifested mainly in releasing hundreds of
political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and the disbandment of the "people's court". In
the mean time HRS continues to have grave concerns about the level of human rights
violations in the country. Violations are ongoing and follow a more or less a consistent pattern
of: torture, incommunicado detentions, in some cases trial and conviction by the extra-judicial
“special tribunals” which are appointed by the general attorney.

and more.

[al bupp]

133. I just have to say that any self-professed progressive could back such a regime

In light such reports I find defense of Gaddafi on these forums somewhat astounding. I know there's a certain, shall we say, chic to the notion that the US military & intelligence services are the real bad guys in the world. Certainly, the list of their abuses and intrigue is long and infamous (c.f. the Vietnam, The Philippines, Nicaragua, Cuba, etc). Nevertheless, they pale beside those ruling Stalinist, one-party, cult-of-personality dictator states which operate w/ virtual impunity w/in their realms in ways that seem fundamentally antithetical to every precept of progressive and humanistic thought.

I suppose that it just goes to show that sometimes habituated allegiances can be difficult to shake. I do admit to finding it odd to being on the same side as the US/NATO in a military conflict. It's probably the first time in my adult life that it's happened. As someone who marched in the streets during the dark years of the 80s, clamoring for justice in Central America, it's certainly a role reversal.

I am convinced this a case where our government has finally gotten it right, thank you Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice. I believe that it's a decision which will reap rewards in Libya in particular, and in the Arab world in general, for years to come.

[Dr Fate]

142. They do not understand shared sacrifice.

We must sacrifice our entitlements and our treasury so that our troops can sacrifice by fighting for freedom over there before they have to fight for it over here.

Any "progressive" who is unwilling to make that sacrifice obviously backs Gaddafi.

[al bupp]

146. Your arguments by slogan leave me unconvinced

The relative cost to the US taxpayer of our involvement in Libya is a tiny fraction of that demanded by either Iraq or Afghanistan (both of which I opposed, and continue to oppose, though the latter perhaps less so).

Our troops are hardly fighting in Libya, their participation now being mainly confined to intelligence and logistical support. I for one am happy to bear it, and have never argued that our involvement somehow short-circuits a conflict closer to home. The fact that progressives fail to support a people engaged in fighting a dictator, no matter the reasoning, does make them strange bedfellows, whether they like it or not.

[Dr Fate]

147. I agree that we need to spend more over there and less over here.

I agree with you- I know this old lady who would rather have Obama spend that money at home on domestic programs.

She does not realize that money we are spending in Libya does not really cut into our treasury, if you look at it a certain way.

She is more or less a Gaddaffi supporter, even if she does not know it yet. She even wears funny hats like he does.

[al bupp]

148. Argument by sarcasm seems a cheap trick, sir

Let me know when you are prepared to engage in a more sincere conversation. Until then, perhaps we can agree to disagree, hopefully w/o being too disagreeable.

[Dr Fate]

149. Unlike Our Glorious Freedom Wars, which are not cheap at all.

Trick, most certainly. Cheap, no.

[tabatha]

154. BTW, the funds of the Libyan undertaking are

being taken out of a pre-existing Pentagon budget. They are not being taken out of social programs.

You may not have noticed but Obama has spent his entire term fighting Republicans who want to take away from the poor and give to the rich.

Much like Gaddafi did.

[Iterate]

186. Time for rethinking the left?

Why not? there's no reason to assume that we with our little monkey brains have suddenly arrived at any absolute truth. Remember when Carter tried to put US foreign policy on a stronger moral foundation? He was denounced by both sides and it took Reagan about 10 minutes to reverse it. We've been dealing with it ever since.

[Iterate]

126. Explosion rocks Norwegian PM's office

Explosion rocks Norwegian PM's office
Several people reported injured and windows of building housing prime minister's office blown out, reports say.
Last Modified: 22 Jul 2011 13:58

An explosion has blown out most windows of a government building housing the prime minister's office and left several people injured, news agencies say.

Friday's blast blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing Jens Stoltenberg's office, as well as nearby ministries, including the oil ministry, which was on fire.

Camilla Ryste, a government spokeswoman, told the Associated Press the prime minister was safe.

A Reuters correspondent, Walter Gibbs, said he counted at least eight injured people. The cause of the blast was unknown but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building.

more... http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/07/2011722135232705239.html

I'm sure people will play connect-the-dots with this, even without evidence.

[al bupp]

130. Richard Kemp Tweet: explosion caused by car bomb

ColRichardKemp Richard Kemp by ChangeInLibya
#US government sources in #Oslo say explosion caused by car bomb.
15 minutes ago

[tabatha]

127. Odds and Ends

--- There are reports of up to 2,000,000 people on the streets across Syria after Friday prayers today!
(If I start seeing posts supportive of the Syrian regime I think I'll :puke:)

--- Paul Denahar in Tripoli: when I got away from the minders to report on the last big Tajura demo's I didn't meet a single Gaddafi supporter

--- RT @FromJoanne #TRIPOLI Heavily Guarded alKhadra hospital where ambushed Top #GaddafiGoons R said 2b =closed 2publi... http://tl.gd/bssej9
--- Alkhadra hospital in Tripoli heavily guarded people r not allowed in & doctors and nurse mobile phones taken away Who is da vip in IC room?!

--- Gaddafi says to the libyan people " go back to your country" ??? LOL Umm #Libya is my country

--- 16 rebels killed, 126 wounded in #Libya battles in Zaltin #Alarabiya (Zlitan)

--- MUST READ STORT: "Beaten by #Gaddafi’s Nephew" http://t.co/ZPgb26d #Libya #feb17

--- #Tripoli: Convoy of #Gaddafi trucks observed entering hidden military refueling station in #EinZara near #Naser University. #Libya #feb17

--- #Gaddafi forces seen massing N. of #Nafusa: #Gheddu valley (N. of #Shakshuk), #Ghazaya & #AlBirimbikh (NW of #Jadu) #Libya @NATO

--- @pdanaharbbc very disappointing.Played part in #Gaddafi propaganda.Interviewing Liar Shakir who called Reporter spies &nearly got them killd

--- Gaddafi supporters on #WHYS cite stability and economic security as reasons to support dictatorship. Napolean used sausages. #Libya #Feb17

--- I don't see why Libyans should compromise or share power with anyone who thinks dictatorship is a good idea. #Libya #Feb17

--- 22/7/11-FGMovement confirms yesterdays armed attack in Hai AlAndalus/Gergarish involved 3 RPGs.All freedom fighters involved are safe & well

--- #FF defusing mines left by #Gaddafi forces near #Zintan http://bit.ly/o8sHdK #libya #feb17

[Iterate]

160. Beaten by Gaddafi’s Nephew

Beaten by Gaddafi’s nephew and intimidated by his thugs... so why was I treated like a criminal by British justice?
By Elizabeth Sanderson
Last updated at 3:38 PM on 27th March 2011

The swaggering son of Gaddafi’s henchman hit Karen Etchebery so savagely he broke seven bones in her face – yet after a campaign of threats and Foreign Office pressure, his trial collapsed.

Here she speaks bravely about the disturbing events that saw him free to return to Libya – and led her to a cell in handcuffs
Beaten: Karen Etchebery survived a vicious attack by Mohammed al-Sanussi, Colonel Gaddafi's nephew, in London

A woman at the centre of the trial involving serious allegations of violent assault by Colonel Gaddafi’s nephew has given disturbing new evidence about how senior members of the Libyan regime were able to flout the law with impunity under Tony Blair’s Government.

Mohammed al-Sanussi was charged, in 2006, with an attack on two Brazilian escort girls, Karen Etchebery and Patricia Bech, at his London home. This paper revealed last month that the ensuing trial collapsed amid pressure from the Foreign Office, which wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions pointing out that Britain’s financial interests could be damaged if the case was pursued. Al-Sanussi’s father, Abdullah al-Sanussi, is Gaddafi’s brother-in-law and head of Libya’s intelligence services

more... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370245/Karen-Etchebery-beaten-Gaddafis-nephew-intimidated-thugs.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

This was from March but we missed it then. There was news though of another Gaddafi nephew that I don't think was ever confirmed:
"now confirmed GADDAFIs Nephew now DEAD in birka barracks, will be on the news shortly"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php/www//seattletimes.nwsource.com/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x456042#456115

[tabatha]

128. Libyan rebel says Gadhafi must face trial

ROME — A Libyan rebel spokesman says Moammar Gadhafi should be tried by an international criminal court.

Ali al-Issawi's comment came as a consensus appears to be emerging that the Libyan leader should be allowed to remain in his homeland if he relinquishes power.

Al-Issawi told reporters in Rome on Friday that the first step is for Gadhafi to step down. He said that Gadhafi's crimes "cannot be forgiven" and that they "touched the whole world," making an international criminal court the appropriate venue.

The rebels spokesman was in Italy for meetings with top government officials.


Mahmoud Jibril, executive bureau chairman of the transitional national council in Libya speaks during the press conference with Spain's Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez, unseen, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday July 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/libyan-rebel-says-gadhafi-1033377.html

[tabatha]

129. Syria - today. Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwe_Kak78-M

This deserves a post of its own.

Note - this is what a real protest looks like.

ON EDIT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5OiISmf29M

[al bupp]

131. Holy Cow!

You're right, that's what I call a protest worthy of the name.

[al bupp]

139. LBN Post: Syria holds massive rallies to 'support Homs'

Posted to LBN by Pampango:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4930854

[tabatha]

132. Rebels offer cautious welcome for Gaddafi’s men

Almost a quarter of a century after his release from jail for plotting a coup against Colonel Muammer Gaddafi, ex-Libyan air force officer Atia Omer Elmansouri has rebelled again.

Wearing an outsize grey jacket that made his already small frame look shrunken, the 67 year-old former pilot styled himself a “wise man” who saw the Libyan leader’s true nature soon after he took power in 1969.

“But I am sorry for others who co-operated with him, if they knew his reality or not,” Mr Elmansouri reflected. “If they have done some corruption, they have to face the law when we build our government and our democratic institutions.”

His remarks, made in a shabby room at a military headquarters in the western Libyan mountain town of Zintan, highlight a dilemma in the five-month-old uprising against Col Gaddafi’s loyalistsin several parts of the country.

Many of the rebellion’s military commanders are senior officers who have defected from the colonel’s forces, making them both natural and problematic leaders of a movement against everything their former boss represents.

As Saleh Abdulkarim, leader of a charity working to clean up Zintan, put it: “Those who have blood on their hands from past actions, we have to investigate those – even if they have done a good job now.

“Ours is going to be a just state, where no-one is above the law.”

http://feb17.info/news/rebels-offer-cautious-welcome-for-gaddafi%E2%80%99s-men/

[tabatha]

134. Gaddafi aide severely wounded in rocket attack

A National Transitional Council (NTC) official said today that a member of Muammar Gaddafi’s inner circle had been seriously wounded by a rocket attack on a room in Tripoli where senior Gaddafi officials were meeting.

Ali Essawi, in charge of foreign affairs for the NTC fighting Gaddafi, said one of the Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam, Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi, intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi and an official named Mansour Daw were in the room at the time of the attack yesterday.

Daw is a former bodyguard of Gaddafi who is a close aide.

“Yesterday there was a very strong signal in Tripoli — that there was an attack (on) an operations room where there were senior and high, top-level officials including Saif al-Islam, al-Baghdadi Mahmoudi, Abdullah Senussi and Mansour, who (was) severely injured,” Essawi told a news conference in Rome.

“We confirm this.”

He did not say how he knew of the attack in the Gaddafi-held Libyan capital or who was behind it. Officials of Gaddafi’s government were not immediately available for comment.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who held talks with Essawi before they addressed reporters together, later said it was not clear which official had been seriously wounded, but that it was “probably” Daw.

http://english.libya.tv/2011/07/22/gaddafi-aide-severely-wounded-in-rocket-attack/

(Maybe getting closer to the truth)

[David__77]

136. Libya rebel casualties mount in battle for Zliten

TRIPOLI — Sixteen rebel fighters have been killed and another 126 wounded in two days of fighting for control of Zliten, the last coastal city between insurgent-held Misrata and the capital, rebels said Friday.

The news came amid reports rebels had infiltrated Tripoli and as strongman Moamer Kadhafi again ruled out talks with them -- even as they boast gains in the east and in the west -- saying theirs is a "lost cause."

...

"Sixteen of our fighters have fallen as martyrs and 126 more have been wounded in fighting with loyalist troops in Zliten," said a rebel statement, with clashes said to be particularly heavy in the suburb of Souk al-Thulatha.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hgz_T71fYvEoNx00fchQGEU-B9Ew?docId=CNG.d5a7290539c525f880eced866cec653c.6d1



Zliten town square last week

[tabatha]

137. Many roads to defection in western Libya

In western Libya, the rebel army largely consists of defectors, people who have taken the dangerous decision to break with Moamer Kadhafi's regime. Braving the regime's vast network of informers, individuals ranging from regular army officers to youngsters studing overseas have rallied to the armed revolt. Duration: 01:51

http://youtu.be/jVsxzJM0Ubo

SIRTE

Gulf_of_Sirte Sirtawi
by hominoid555
Some of those in #Sirte yesterday wanted to know what happened to their sons taken away to join #Gaddafi's battalions #gaddaficrimes
44 minutes ago

Gulf_of_Sirte Sirtawi
by hominoid555
Funny how #Gaddafi claims to have millions demonstrating for him in #Sirte. It wud be great if we reached 100,000 residents!!
46 minutes ago

[Iterate]

169. The rallies give a good count of remaining People's Committee members

Imbedded in one of the wikileaks cables (IIRC) was an estimate that 10%-15% of the adult population was employed by one form or another of the security services, and that would be a good share of the People's Committee members. Since they were the most rabid supporters, I assume we're looking at the last ones in the general population to give up.

In rough numbers (and assuming that some remained at their posts in the neighborhoods), that just about fits the crowd that was shown in Sirte, and for the larger cities Sirte probably has the highest concentration of support.

As I've said before, the quickest way to be wrong about an international issue is to apply an American perspective, and in this case that would be to assume that these are some kind of Yankee campaign rally. Anyone who thinks a supporter is either not attending or on duty at those times is just not paying attention. There is no "silent majority".

If we count the intimidation factor (and notice that there was no earlier, spontaneous rally) at a modest 2:1, we can say that there are at most a few thousand core supporters.

[David__77]

138. Libya: NATO Strikes Civilian Spots (Video, Al Arabiya)

...

Journalists were taken to Zlitan, while air strikes were ongoing. A number of loud explosions and smoke rose on the horizon from several miles away.

In Zlitan Hospital male patients in told reporters they had been injured in a separate strike on Zlitan that targets civilian neighborhood, killing at least one family and injuring others.

The media has also visit a construction company site which had suffered extensive damage. A spokesman said the site belonged to a civilian, commercial concern and had no military connections.

...

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/07/22/158831.html

[Dr Fate]

140. God Bless our Glorious Freedom Wars. n/t

n/t

[tabatha]

152. God bless our murderous goons and thugs

Zliten update 21 Jul
- Reports of a missile (possibly a Grad) landing in farms in AlJum'a near residential area. No casualties

- Previously, FF advanced to As-Sab’a where several FF joined em.Following the arrival of large Gaddafi reinforcements to Zliten, FF retreated to Naima & outskirts of SuqAlThalath. Some FF on frontline were surrounded & their fate is unknown

- Following the tactical retreat by FF, GF captured people that joined FF. Gaddafi thugs have destroyed their possessions. Most civilians in SuqAlThalath have fled to relatives in the safer areas of Zliten centre and Majer

- Omar Al Jundi, his brother Adil, and their 3cousins (Abu Bakr, Hamad and Bashir) are breaking into SuqAlThalath homes (with GF back up) and randomly shooting people, resulting in an unknown number of deaths and injuries (GF - Gaddafi forces. Wonder if Human Rights Watch/Chivers will report this?)

- NATO Zliten hits 21 Jul: 3 Military Storage Facilities, 1 Military Facility, 1 Surface-to-Air-Missile Launcher, 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher, 1 Tank, 1 Armed Vehicle, 3 Military Vehicle


http://www.twitlonger.com/show/bsofmu

[tabatha]

150. Yes, tragic that anyone should die.

Tragic that Gaddafi has killed 15,000+ people.
Tragic that NATO had to step in to prevent more.
Tragic that there are people killed on all sides.

Thousands of people killed ---- all because of the ego of one man.

[tabatha]

151. Tripoli Persists; Accounts from a Libyan Doctor

After leaving Tripoli, a city under strict control of the Gaddafi regime, the doctor describes how surprisingly difficult it was to adjust to his new found freedom to speak freely and access the internet without the fear of being traced and hunted down by the regime.

With the start of the protests in Benghazi, the doctor explains that he was in the Eastern stronghold working on a research project with his team and had to return immediately to Tripoli on the 19th of February to avoid any danger. Needless to say, he didn’t realize danger would follow them to Tripoli.

On the evening of February 20th, 2011 at 10:00 pm, internal security of the city were told to turn in their guns claiming that Gaddafi had fled to Venezuela. Until 2 am that evening, hundreds of activists believing the allegations to be true gathered in the “Green Square”. Shortly thereafter, regime forces armed with machine guns opened fire on the protesters killing hundreds. When the doctor and his colleagues boarded ambulances with the intention of aiding the wounded activists; they were denied permission by the regime and prevented from doing so.

Furthermore, anti-regime activists and anyone suspected by the regime of dissent in Tripoli were being arrested and imprisoned prior to the 19th of February and daily ever since. If a pursued individual was not located, regime forces arrested one of their family members in their place.

http://shabablibya.org/uncategorized/tripoli-persists-accounts-from-a-libyan-doctor

[tabatha]

156. Libya: A state of terror

As Muammar Gaddafi wages war against a popular uprising, Libyan exiles explain how terror has long been a tool of the regime.

http://youtu.be/UodjAs8mEPs

[tabatha]

158. Wounded Gaddafi soldier says morale of troops is low

(This article is from Reuters generally biased against the rebels)

MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - Morale is low among troops fighting for Muammar Gaddafi on the front west of Misrata and many are reluctant to fight back against rebel attacks, a recently-wounded loyalist soldier told Reuters on Friday.

"Most of them are exhausted, especially as we approach the month of Ramadan," said the soldier, who spoke on condition his name and his hometown not be mentioned for fear of reprisals against his family. "They don't want to fight during Ramadan."

"They want everything to settle and we're all Libyan brothers," he added. "We don't want to harm each other."

Rebel fighters in Misrata frequently say many of the young soldiers they come up against in combat seem reluctant to fight, an impression the young soldier confirmed.

When asked why he had joined the fight against the rebels, the government soldier said he had been lied to at the military college he was attending when the uprising began.
http://news.yahoo.com/wounded-gaddafi-soldier-says-morale-troops-low-202633654.html

Gaddafi does not even have support among his troops.
Fox News and Gaddafi's henchmen - all liars.

[Iterate]

159. The 150M portrait

http://twitpic.com/5u42j4

@dhdfisher in Green square to film 150m portrait of Gadaffi twitpic.com/5u42j4
@dhdfisher Just been over 100 foot up in the air..Tripoli's Green sq to film a 150 m long portrait of #Gaddafi http://t.co/PoXuz9I #Libya

Now that's power, that's what comes with owning a nation and something not even a monarch has dared do.

[pinboy3niner]

161. LIBYAN REVOLUTION DAY 156: CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 12:01 AM SATURDAY, JULY 23

Libya time = EDT +6 hours, PDT +9 hours, UTC +1 hour, GMT +2 hours

[tabatha]

162. Good grief

oops - Iterate already posted it.

"Libyan foreign spokesman and PM claim NATO bombed the great man made river"

Probably means that Gaddafi bombed it.

[pinboy3niner]

163. US checks reports of ship carrying arms for Libya

Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:13pm GMT

By Tabassum Zakaria


WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - The United States is investigating reports that a ship carrying weapons for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces was allowed to dock in Algeria, which would be considered a violation of U.N. resolutions, a State Department official said on Friday.


The United States called on Algeria, if it was aware of the shipment, to stop it from reaching Gaddafi's forces.


Libyan opposition sources expressed concern about the ship, saying it was sailing under a Libyan flag, carrying weapons, and arrived on July 19 at the port of Djen Djen in Algeria, from where the cargo was being taken over the border into Libya.


"We have heard reports that a ship carrying arms to Gaddafi's regime was recently permitted to dock in Algeria and that these weapons are currently being transported overland into neighboring Libya," the State Department official told Reuters.


"The United States government is working to ascertain the veracity of these claims, which have only just come to light. If true, this would likely constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973."

...


http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFN1E76L1X720110722

[pinboy3niner]

164. Libyan army, rebels face common enemy in the mountains

Source: Deutsche Welle

22.07.2011

Karlos Zurutuza, Zintan, Libya


"Male, 15 years old. He's wearing a t-shirt boasting Libya's pre-Gadhafi flag and his unsecured Kalashnikov is resting against his foot. I've come across that wound more than once. They always say it happened in combat but that is impossible unless you're lying on your back and get shot at ground level," Doctor Mohannad Aith al Khalifa, a doctor at Zintan's hospital in the Nafusa mountains, tells Deutsche Welle.


Since the war erupted in Libya last February, many civilians of almost all ages have woken up with a gun in their hands, without knowing what to do with it. There's no way of knowing how many fighters have been killed or wounded by mishandling weapons or, simply, during one of the gun-toting celebrations after a battle victory. Small wonder that the number of victims on both sides remains unclear.


At least five of the fighters recovering at Zintan's hospital would have gladly traded their severe wounds for a "simple" shot in the foot. After the rebels captured several weapon depots in al Qa'a late last month, an alleged "booby trap bomb inside one of the boxes containing explosives," caused a terrible explosion that injured five rebels.


Shortly after hearing the "official" version, we came across the truth: it was a rebel who, carried away by the euphoria after successfully seizing the compound, mishandled a piece of a Russian anti-aircraft missile made in 1982. But other questions still remain unclear.


Most of the weapons used by the rebels have been seized from Gadhafi's troops "We have found different parts of missiles, shells, etc., but not a single complete one. I wonder how they were going to use them against us," Rasool, a rebel in charge of transporting part of the stock, told Deutsche Welle.


According to experts, the poorly-stocked army arsenals could be the result of Gadhafi's mistrust of his own army.

...


http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15250140,00.html

[joshcryer]

191. I've seen so many pictures where the rebels don't even have rudimentary trigger handling.

They'll have their finger on the trigger the whole while. It makes me feel really crazy when I see those pics. I posted one early on of a rebel holding a gun to his own head mimicing that he would shoot Gaddafi in the head.

His hand was on the trigger.

*shivers*

[pinboy3niner]

166. Tunisia reinforcing border with Libya

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Huge clouds of smoke from NATO-led raids over western Libya could be seen in neighboring Tunisia and the official TAP news agency says the Tunisian army is reinforcing the border area to ensure there is no spillover into its territory.


TAP quoted military sources Friday as saying that NATO raids over the Al-Assa zone, just a dozen kilometers (7 miles) from Tunisia, are dropping bombs on arms depots and military sites belonging to brigades of Moammar Gadhafi.


TAP quotes its sources, who aren't identified, as saying that reinforcements in the Libyan region of nearby Ghazaya could mean new attacks against the border post of Wazen-Dhehiba, which has been under rebel control since April 29.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i74NcItPjRb9NjnXoQ7bmePn2B8A?docId=9373971434a54562a24adc6f0995c0ad

[pinboy3niner]

167. U.S. struggles to free money for Libyan rebels

Source: Washington Post

By Joby Warrick and Mary Beth Sheridan, Friday, July 22, 5:55 PM


Despite newly won diplomatic recognition from the United States, Libyan rebels could face a long wait for promised financial relief, say U.S. officials who cite a thicket of red tape that continues to ensnare most of the $34 billion in frozen Libyan assets held in U.S.-controlled bank accounts.


Obama administration officials held at least two rounds of meetings over the past week to explore ways to free the money, which the opposition Transitional National Council says it urgently needs to pay salaries and buy ammunition and other critical supplies. But so far, State and Treasury department officials have identified only a small fraction of the vast Libyan holdings that can be quickly freed for the rebels, according to current and former officials familiar with the talks.


Even that modest sum—estimated by some officials to be as little as a few hundred million dollars—will likely be released slowly because of bankers’ concerns about possible legal risks in handing over money to someone other than the account holder, the officials said.


“All these institutions want assurances that they’ll be protected,” said one U.S. government official who insisted on anonymity in describing internal discussions about money for the rebels. “This is something that is going to take some time.”

...


Officials with the TNC have said they are not seeking the immediate handover of all $34 billion in frozen assets, a sum they acknowledge the council may not yet be able to handle. But Aujali said at least $4 billion was needed by his government would ensure that markets were stocked with critical supplies and the TNC could maintain credibility with the population. The rebels also need weapons, he said.

...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/2011/07/22/gIQAnd1LUI_story.html

[pinboy3niner]

168. WRAPUP 2-Libya wants more talks with U.S. and rebels

Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:29am GMT


• Gaddafi government open to more U.S. contacts

• United Nations plan would begin with ceasefire

• Airstrike near Brega reported to kill six

By Missy Ryan


TRIPOLI, Libya, July 23 (Reuters) - Libyan representatives are ready to hold more talks with the United States and with rebels hoping to push Muammar Gaddafi from power, but Gaddafi will not bow to demands he quit, a government spokesman said.


Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said senior Libyan officials had a `productive dialogue' with U.S. counterparts last week in a rare meeting that followed the Obama administration's recognition of the rebel government that hopes to end Gaddafi's 41-year rule.


"We believe other meetings in the future ... will help solve Libyan problems," Ibrahim told reporters in Tripoli on Friday. "We are willing to talk to the Americans more."


Early on Saturday NATO warplanes bombed targets in the Libyan capital, causing damage and casualties, Libyan state television said, without giving details.


A Reuters witness said there were at least six blasts, adding they were the largest to the hit the capital in several weeks. Four explosions rocked the hotel where international media were based and two more were heard slightly further off.

...


http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE76M00C20110723?sp=true

[pinboy3niner]

170. Amid war, life goes on in Libyan capital

By PAUL SCHEMM, Associated Press – 18 minutes ago


TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — In Libya's east, rebels surround a key oil city, while in the western mountains they mass for a final push on the capital. In Tripoli, meanwhile, Ahmed Ayyat has more wedding invitations than he knows what to do with.


For this 35-year-old purveyor of the fine brocade cloth used in traditional Libyan wedding dresses, the five-month rebellion has meant more weddings than ever and daily invitations to celebrations he can't possibly all attend.


"The number of people going to weddings is even more than before," said Ayyat, sitting in his air-conditioned shop in a covered market in Tripoli's old city. "Before it was more routine, most didn't attend but now people want more of a connection with each other, they want to be closer."


While rebels may be no more than 60 miles away and opposition to Moammar Gadhafi seethes in shadows of the capital, Tripoli does not have a feeling of city under siege, as its 1 million residents adapt and carry on getting married, going shopping and strolling by the sea.

...


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gD7NMk2IVzRtIC02_hDEhlIt4ADg?docId=6c9b4ff58a9b466eb9a2b3b473ee66a1

[tabatha]

171. Libyan Berbers cherish shared history with Jews

By Deborah Pasmantier (Agence France Presse) – YAFRAN, Libya — For centuries, Jews lived among the Berbers of Yafran, observing the Sabbath at the synagogue of Ghriba, but they suddenly left 63 years ago, and their land in Libya remains untouched.

Every hamlet around Yafran bears the mark of the Libyan Jews, who arrived in the country 2,300 years ago and, until their departure soon after Israel’s creation in 1948, constituted half the city’s population.

Everywhere, the ruins of their homes still cling to the mountainside. Some were lived in, others subsumed by the Berber population. Time has taken its toll, but the houses remain untouched and uninhabited.

“It’s just as it was before,” says Tarek Ayad, a 58-year-old retiree.

Numerous abandoned synagogues remain intact, silent witnesses to the co-existence of the two peoples. Amid the coloured mosaics of Ghriba synagogue, Hebrew inscriptions overlap those in Amazigh, the language of the Berbers.

Moulded Stars of David have been unharmed in one synagogue, despite it having been converted to a mosque after the Arab conquest of the 7th century, while the Jewish cemetery, with its many ancient tombs — some of which are dug into the rock — borders a Berber graveyard.

http://english.libya.tv/2011/07/23/libyan-berbers-cherish-shared-history-with-jews/

[tabatha]

172. Police in Libya rebel capital pivot from oppressor to protector

Reporting from Benghazi, Libya—
Officer Sharif Ganasi was working the 4 p.m.-to-midnight shift, cruising the trash-strewn streets of Benghazi, alert for drunks and carjackers.

...

For all the shortcomings, though, Benghazi's police seem to be slowly earning something that did not exist under Kadafi: trust.

"Before, people were terrified of the police; they hated us," Ganasi, 35, said as pedestrians waved to him on his rounds. "Now they see us as someone who can protect them, not someone to protect the people in power."

Ashour Showil, 52, the city's new police chief, served as Benghazi's top traffic officer under Kadafi. He now commands both forces. Before, he acknowledges, police were "a threat to civilians, rather than their protectors."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-benghazi-cops-20110723,0,2753677.story?page=1

[Iterate]

173. The Revolutionary Power of Youth

The Revolutionary Power of Youth
22.07.2011 The Arab Spring and Demography

"Look here, I've got a university degree, but this society doesn't give me a chance: no wonder I'm a rebel." The unrest in the Arab world may have taken most people by surprise, but demographers knew it was coming. According to Jéronimo Louis Samuel Barbin, this unrest is the sound of the voice of young people who have long been at home in the modern world

The Arab Spring came as a surprise. Whereas spring in Europe began on 21 March, the Arab Spring began in winter, on 17 December, when Tunisians in the small town of Sidi Bouzid rose up in response to the self-immolation of a small trader who had been harassed by the police. But it wasn't nature that awoke from its slumber; a whole people, a whole region that was once considered sleepy and backward awoke from a 30-year hibernation.

Among those responsible for this development were the region's rulers: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had been president of Tunisia since 1987, Hosni Mubarak had been ruling Egypt since 1981, and Muammar Gaddafi had been Libya's revolutionary leader since 1969.

Tunisia is one of the countries where the population has more than doubled in the space of a generation, rising from 4.6 to 9.8 million At the same time, European countries had played their own part in the oppression. Europe's short-sightedness meant that its leaders could not see where the developments were leading, even though books had been appearing for years in which these developments were forecast. Among them were Söhne und Weltmacht (Sons and World Power) by the sociologist and founder of the Institute for Xenophobia and Genocide Research at the University of Bremen, Gunnar Heinsohn, and Die unaufhaltsame Revolution (The Unstoppable Revolution) by Emmanuel Todd and Youssef Courbage, demographers at the French National Institute for Demographic Studies, INED. Both books use demographic data to show the potential for conflict and cultural upheaval in Arab societies.

more... http://en.qantara.de/The-Revolutionary-Power-of-Youth/16590c16844i0p/index.html

[tabatha]

174. The Youth of Libya, Finally Free to Speak Out

For 42 plus years the youth of Libya have been stuffed into little green boxes by the Gaddafi regime, indoctrinated into angry, pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric, taught to glorify the State, Muammar Gaddafi and his family, told whom to love, whom to hate, what to think. And when Gaddafi's little Green Book materialized from his psyche in 1975 and was promoted by the State as quasi-Holy Writ, that became the central focus of all officially-approved educational and intellectual life in Libya, and youth of all ages, not to mentions adults, could only criticize it and the Colonel at their peril, peril to the point of imprisonment, torture or even death. Poetry, art and literature NOT subservient to the State was as welcome in Libya as it is under any paranoid one-party or one-family autocratic state, in other words, NOT AT ALL.

Now, however, as the winds of change and revolution sweep over Libya, with more-or-less half the country already permanently free of Gaddafi's patronizing control, censorship and repression, the youth and young adults of Libya have been, even since the earliest, dangerous days, expressing themselves, and they will continue to speak out, strongly and forcefully.



So meet just a few of these critical thinkers, writers and artists now, compliments of YouTube:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Youth-of-Libya-Finall-by-Mac-McKinney-110722-642.html?show=votes

[tabatha]

175. Setback at Alqtron

Urgent Alqtron
Were attacked Al-qtron three axes after a siege and bombardment by heavy weapons lasted four days and completely cut off power supply led named Massoud Abdul Hafeez strongly in number two thousand troops, with some of the volunteers and the support of the Chadian army and heavy weapons and rocket launchers, which had been stationed on the border waiting for it, forcing the rebels to withdraw a little fear Al-Ahli in the region of the massacre that may occur after the bombing and behind the withdrawal entry Chadian forces with a certain Massoud Hafeez and the threat that he will make Alqtron debris such as what happened in Misurata and will be forcing the people to stage a demonstration in favor of the residents now in horror and anticipation Matúl him events and learned that the rebels lacked the support of heavy weapons.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=252373&l=5ba759ef5b&id=119477011467487

[tabatha]

176. These people walked 10s of kilometers to participate in an Anti-Gaddafi march in Benghazi

These people walked 10s of kilometers to participate in an Anti-Gaddafi march in Benghazi: http://t.co/lPj5Q0q #feb17 #Libya

[Iterate]

177. Nick Griffin and Colonel Gaddafi (BNP)

Nick Griffin and Colonel Gaddafi (BNP)
http://youtu.be/uPnMK8Cs3VI

Hochgeladen von stopthebnp am 28.10.2008

In this video BNP chairman Nick Griffin speaks candidly about his visit to Tripoli, Libya, in order to request funding from the Arab dictator and terrorist sponsor Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (Nick Griffin was, at that time, leader of the National Front, before the NF split, and before Nick Griffin took over leadership of today's BNP). As an attempt to undermine British multiculturalism, alongside the sickening routine of racial harassment and violence, encouraging the growth of Islamo-Fascism has been an effective long-term strategy for the UK's white Nationalists. Having supported Islamo-Fascism in the first place, the only reason today's BNP can now say that Islamist terrorists are (for the time being) more of a threat than their white counterparts, is because Islamism has been more successful than they have. The reason Islamists have been more successful is because Islamists have Arab petrodollars, where the leader of extreme white Nationalism - Nick Griffin, failed in his attempt to secure Arab funding!

Nick Griffin's relationship with Colonel Gaddafi went far beyond financial opportunism however, as, even AFTER his request for Arab money had been refused, Nick Griffin returned to the UK with thousands of copies of Gaddafi's "Green Book", which the NF distributed in England. AFTER his request for money had been refused, Nick Griffin still tried to set up links with Muslim dictator Ayatollah Khomeini's regime in Iran, and with the black Muslim leader, Hitler fan and anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan's group The Nation of Islam.

I'm not saying that local authorities don't have a duty to deliver appropriate services to specific language groups, and I do say that integration is a two way process (it's about white people learning from other cultures AND vice-versa); but, from the early 1980s onwards, PC and left-wing beurocrats fell into a trap set by British Nazis, trying to divide-and-rule deprived areas by sponsoring generations of ethnically divisive "identity" programmes, which paid self-appointed ethnic "leaders" to organise non-white Britons into racially segregated "community" (sic) groups, leading to a legacy of dis-unity and white resentment than the BNP are exploiting today. It's important to remember that most blacks and Asians are liberal minded too, but Nick Griffin's noxious NF sidekick Derek Holland explains that "black and Asian people who are committed to preserving their own racial and cultural identity have far more in common with us (NF and BNP types) than we have with race mixing white liberals".

[tabatha]

178. Libyan rebels slowed by mines

Bani estimated that 400 000 mines had been planted around Brega and said the rebels, mostly volunteers with no military experience, were working to clear them with almost no help from experts. Gaddafi's forces have pushed back the rebels by filling trenches with petrol and setting them ablaze.

The rebel forces are now about 20km from the edge of Brega, but Gaddafi's forces still control the city and its oil installations, he said. The rebel forces are dug in east and south of Brega.

A rebel spokesperson in Zlitan, on the coast road 160km east of the capital, said pro-Gaddafi forces backed by tanks had surrounded rebels who had seized the nearby town of Souk al-Thulatha on Wednesday.

The soldiers had flattened homes with tank shells, he said in an Internet posting.

“The brigades are still terrorising the families, combing villages and neighbourhoods and spreading panic in the whole region,” he said.


http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/libyan-rebels-slowed-by-mines-1.1103699

[Iterate]

179. Rebels Still Unable to Get US to Unfreeze Libyan Assets

Rebels Still Unable to Get US to Unfreeze Libyan Assets
23/07/2011 11:35:00

The Libyan rebels may have won diplomatic recognition from the United States and promised financial aid, particularly with the unfreezing of Libyan assets held in US-controlled bank accounts. However, they were disappointed to learn that they face a long wait for the promised relief.

US government officials cite a thicket of red tape that continues to ensnare most of the $34 billion in frozen Libyan assets. So far, State and Treasury department officials have identified only a small fraction of the vast Libyan holdings that can be quickly freed for the rebels' Transitional National Council, TNC, that says it urgently needs to pay salaries and buy ammunition and other critical supplies.

Obama administration officials held at least two rounds of meetings over the past week to explore ways to free the money, but according to current and former officials familiar with the talks they have thus far failed and only a modest sum could be freed.

The sum - estimated by some officials to be as little as a few hundred million dollars - will likely be released slowly because of bankers’ concerns about possible legal risks in handing over money to someone other than the account holder, the officials are reported to have said.

more... http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=6464

[tabatha]

180. Reflections from Benghazi: Colour, Life and Hope

Nowadays, I drive around town in Benghazi and I see colours and faces of real people on the many billboards around the city. Not so long ago, there weren't many colours just a green rag flapping everywhere you went from the city streets, hotels and even tied to car antennas. The only face you saw was that of the menacing Gadhafi glaring down into your car as you drove by.

Even the flow of traffic was cut off by Gadhafi's Compound being built in the centre of Benghazi dividing the main street of Jamal Abdulnaser. Most destinations required that you snake around the base to get there; so, wherever you went you had see pictures of Gadhafi and his warped green book propaganda.

I always remember cursing under my breath -- to avoid being seen by the many intelligence gatherers -- about what an ugly pessimistic face we had to look at day in and day out throughout our city.

His pictures hung everywhere from schools, hospitals, all public buildings and public and private offices -- anything less was a sign of being a traitor to Gadhafi's one and only party.

TV and radio programmes were also all about the glory -- gory - of Gadhafi and his odd green book that was supposedly going to save the world.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/Reflections-from-Benghazi-by-Tawfik-Mansurey-110712-154.html

[Iterate]

181. Libya rebels report loss of Qatrun

Libya rebels report loss of Qatrun
July 23, 2011 05:06 PM

BENGHAZI, Libya: Libyan rebel fighters have lost control of the southwestern oasis town of Qatrun after an attack by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, a member of the local Toubou tribe told AFP on Saturday.

Gadhafi's troops swept in from the north on Thursday, forcing rebel fighters from the town, according to Mohammed Lino, who relayed information gleaned via satellite phone, said in Benghazi.
...

But Lino said Gadhafi's forces had been camped on the north side of the town and rebels in the south, with an estimated 20,000 civilians trapped between the two.

It is not clear if the town has since been taken.

more... http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Jul-23/Libya-rebels-report-loss-of-Qatrun.ashx#axzz1SvylLcqA

Wednesday, from tabatha post#9 (and above)
#Gaddafi forces that were in #Tawirgha have been transferred to #Sebha & #Qatrun. #Libya #feb17

Today:
@libyanproud: #Qatrun : #Gaddafi forces shelled Qatrun with a big force and with the help of the Chad army . via @sabha17feb
@libyanproud: #Qatrun : FF have retreated from qatrun after #Gaddafi forces Shelled the besieged town for 4 days . via @sabha17feb
@khald02: Libya rebels report loss of southern town #Qatrun with an estimated 20,000 civilians trapped http://t.co/BIQdTJM

Map:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=24.914435&lon=14.5306421&z=9&l=0&m=b&search=Qatrun

[pinboy3niner]

182. Libyan women fight for freedom on the home front

By Deborah Pasmantier (AFP) – 6 hours ago

ZINTAN, Libya —

...


In the Berber villages of west Libya, women traditionally enjoy more freedom than in other parts of the country.


In Yafran, women do not have to wear the veil in public. They can be seen behind the steering wheels of cars or discussing contraception in front of men. And no one at home can order them around.


Berber ladies feel they have been leading the way towards women's liberation in Libya for some time. "Even under Kadhafi, we wanted to show the way," says Twzeen Ali Abud, a 20-year-old student.


They want to go further still. Women's rights groups are popping up in Zintan, where there is talk of changing the laws on divorce and allowing women to participate in politics.


"The revolution gave us a chance to play a role" in society, says 23-year-old pharmacist Anya Ali Abud.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iCcLv5BmygoRMCDfC_Cj4H1zLjWg?docId=CNG.9f59001faaecb84c5db67bbb098e4e02.701

[pinboy3niner]

183. Wounded Gaddafi soldier says morale of troops is low

Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:22am GMT

By Nick Carey


MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - Morale is low among troops fighting for Muammar Gaddafi on the front west of Misrata and many are reluctant to fight back against rebel attacks, a recently-wounded loyalist soldier told Reuters on Friday.


"Most of them are exhausted, especially as we approach the month of Ramadan," said the soldier, who spoke on condition his name and his hometown not be mentioned for fear of reprisals against his family. "They don't want to fight during Ramadan."


"They want everything to settle and we're all Libyan brothers," he added. "We don't want to harm each other."

...


On a visit to the International Medical Corps field hospital behind the western front line on Wednesday, a Reuters team saw three wounded Gaddafi loyalists being treated as well as injured rebel fighters.

...


The wounded Gaddafi loyalist said he was operated on before other rebel fighters injured the same day.

...


http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE76M02420110723?sp=true

[tabatha]

184. #Gaddafispeech :

#Gaddafispeech : "Only 8 people died in Libya and we are working to find out how they died"

(What is there to say?)

[pinboy3niner]

185. Tripoli struggles for a sense of normalcy 5 months into civil war

By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, July 23, 3:39 AM


TRIPOLI, Libya — In Libya’s east, rebels surround a key oil city, while in the western mountains they mass for a final push on the capital. In Tripoli, meanwhile, Ahmed Ayyat has more wedding invitations than he knows what to do with.


For this 35-year-old purveyor of the fine brocade cloth used in traditional Libyan wedding dresses, the five-month rebellion has meant more weddings than ever and daily invitations to celebrations he can’t possibly all attend.


“The number of people going to weddings is even more than before,” said Ayyat, sitting in his air-conditioned shop in a covered market in Tripoli’s old city. “Before it was more routine, most didn’t attend but now people want more of a connection with each other, they want to be closer.”


While rebels may be no more than 60 miles away and opposition to Moammar Gadhafi seethes in shadows of the capital, Tripoli does not have a feeling of city under siege, as its 1 million residents adapt and carry on getting married, going shopping and strolling by the sea.

...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/tripoli-struggles-for-a-sense-of-normalcy-5-months-into-civil-war/2011/07/23/gIQAkS9vUI_story.html

[pinboy3niner]

187. LIBYAN REVOLUTION DAY 157: CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 12:01 AM SUNDAY, JULY 24

Libya time = EDT +6 hours, PDT +9 hours, UTC +1 hour, GMT +2 hours

[David__77]

188. BBC: Show of support for Gaddafi in Sirte

None of the soldiers we came across looked particularly anxious. We saw no sign of any rebels. The ease of the journey was noticeable. There was no sense of siege.

...

We arrived in Sirte in time for an early evening rally in support of Col Gaddafi. Several thousand people gathered in the centre of the city. Many wore green baseball caps or waved green flags (green is the colour of those who support the colonel).

...

"I'm here to support Gaddafi because Nato just wants the oil," said Hamed Abel Asha. "This war is only for changing the government to get the oil."

"I'm very happy for this President Muammar Gaddafi - I love Africa," said Ismail Abdullah. "Muammar Gaddafi is very good for everybody black in Africa."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14262131

[David__77]

189. Fears of rebel atrocities after Gaddafi troops found dead, mutilated

A mass-grave of alleged pro-Gaddafi soldiers has been discovered in a rebel-controlled area in Libya, according to British newspaper The Telegraph. The location was swiftly bulldozed after the discovery, suggesting an attempt to cover-up the killings. The bodies were reportedly mutilated, adding to the recent concerns of human rights abuses by rebels. Such crimes are being swept under the carpet to support NATO's cause in the region - so says Sukan Chandan, a spokesman for the British Civilians For Peace in Libya movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG5vGOsfh5M&feature=player_embedded

[tabatha]

193. *** Journalists get it wrong again ***

This is a post in response to the story in the Telegraph "The headless corpse, the mass grave and worrying questions about Libya's rebel army".

The response is by a Libyan who twitters here:
http://twitter.com/#!/search/LibyansRevolt

"This article is factually incorrect. I was in Libya near Yefren last week and witnessed this happening. The bodies were discovered on approximately 12th July and it was unknown how long they had been in there.

The water tank they were in is a reservoir which supplies drinking water for a few households. There were 5 bodies that were unidentifiable as they had been so badly decomposed and the smell from this reservoir was so great that nobody could go in and get the bodies out.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is logistically, these reservoirs are built in the ground with a manhole type cover on the top. They are about 3-4 metres deep and maybe 4x4metres.

So a ladder was put down and several people tried to get them out but the bodies were so decomposed that they fell apart and it was difficult for anyone to get near due to the smell. Somebody even brought along a gas mask with oxygen supply but that didnt make a difference.

The water level was thought to be quite low as they were near the bottom, they thought there was only 30-40cm of water.

In the end, because they couldnt get them out, it was decided by senior members of the council that they would be buried inside this tank. A big digger was brought and the aim was to fill the tank with earth. When the first large amount of earth was dropped in by the digger the earth all sunk to the bottom and displaced the bodies so the water level rose. They realised that they could now get them out so 4 or 5 more loads were put in until the bodies came right out of the manhole.

They tried to identify them but all that could be seen were that they were all libyan and wearing some kind of military uniform (some of the rebels also wear a similar type so they didnt know) - no identification paper. Many of them had gunshot injuries or worse.

So basically the rebels did not try to cover anything up nor was it their intention, they just simply didnt have the facilties to do anything. They even discussed possibility of getting tissue samples for DNA analysis later but where would they get test tubes from or store such things. In the end they took many pictures of them all in the hope that they may be identified later and then buried them at a nearby spot."

You can see the comment under the article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8650436/The-headless-corpse-the-mass-grave-and-worrying-questions-about-Libyas-rebel-army.html#disqus_thread

[pinboy3niner]

190. Captured Kadafi soldiers tell rebels they have doubts

Some Libyan government troops say they have no choice but to fight. Many are certain they are battling foreign extremists seeking to take over Libya.

By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times

July 24, 2011


Reporting from Yafran, Libya—

Moammar Kadafi's frontline soldiers are well-fed and well-supplied, even down to the occasional single-serving bottle of Jim Beam.


And many of his troops remain convinced that they are battling foreign extremists seeking to take over Libya.


But some recently captured soldiers are haunted by doubts.

...


"We have been talking about whether what we do is right or wrong. But we don't have any choice."

...


Military leaders, he said, "told us that we were going to fight Al Qaeda, Afghans, Algeria, and that they were using local civilians as human shields."


Now that he's seen that they were actually fighting Libyans, he said, he will stay "with his brothers until everything is over."


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-intelligence-20110724,0,3353884.story

[joshcryer]

192. Week 23 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1560194