Coalition forces paving (bombing) rebels' way to Libyan oil facilities - Jana agency

[Hannah Bell]

The international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya is bombing both military and civilians targets to pave the rebels' way to oil facilities, a military source told the Jana national news agency on Saturday.

The source said the coalition's raids "have nothing to do with the protection of civilians."

"The coalition forces are methodically paving the way to Al-Qaeda's gangs so that they seize as many oil fields and facilities and territories as possible and then blackmail the authorities," the source added.

He also said that the coalition's air strikes eliminated almost all the tanks of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces in the eastern oil town of Ajdabiya leaving them no chance for defense...The source said the coalition obviously coordinated its actions with the rebels.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110326/163220906.html

[Catherina]

1. Rec'd. Strange that news stories with no comment get unrec'd these days.

All the unreccing in the world can't make the news go away.

This war is going to take so many twists and turns over the next few months.

[The Magistrate]

3. It Happens, Ma'am, When The Source Is Known To Be Sub-Standard

This one, RIA Novosti, is the state bureau of the Russian Federation, and old habits die hard....

[Hannah Bell]

7. "old habits die hard". or perhaps russian geo-political interests are different from US interests.

so naturally the POV is different.

The "habit" of propaganda is well-engrained in the US as well as Russia.

[The Magistrate]

11. True Enough, Ma'am, But the Track Record Of This Agency Is Pretty Poor

[David__77]

15. Indeed, Voice of America is the state bureau of the USA.

It is reflective of US geopolitical interests.

[Catherina]

2. Moscow accuses West of interfering in civil war in Libya in breach of UN Resolution

MOSCOW, March 28, 2011
Western coalition interfering in Libya civil war: Moscow

VLADIMIR RADYUHIN

...

"We think that intervention by the coalition in what is essentially a civil war has not been sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council resolution," said Mr. Lavrov.

...

The Russian Foreign Minister called for verifying reports of civilian deaths caused by allied air strikes.

...

Russia's envoy to NATO warned that the alliance could be dragged into a full-scale war in Libya.

"Just as we have forecast, NATO is being drawn deeper and deeper into a war in North Africa," Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin told the Interfax news agency. He said that it would be the alliance’s "third war in addition to those in Iraq and Afghanistan".

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article1578693.ece

[The Magistrate]

4. Except, Ma'am, That Is Exactly what the Security Council Directed Be Done

Every government that voted for this resolution, and, more to the point in this instance, every government that did not vote against it, knew exactly what the wording of the resolution meant, and licensed.

[Hannah Bell]

9. highly debatable.

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Demands the immediate establishment of a cease-fire and a complete end to violence and all attacks against, and abuses of, civilians;

2. Stresses the need to intensify efforts to find a solution to the crisis which responds to the legitimate demands of the Libyan people and notes the decisions of the Secretary-General to send his Special Envoy to Libya and of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to send its ad hoc High Level Committee to Libya with the aim of facilitating dialogue to lead to the political reforms necessary to find a peaceful and sustainable solution;

3. Demands that the Libyan authorities comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights and refugee law and take all measures to protect civilians and meet their basic needs, and to ensure the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance;

Protection of civilians

4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory, and requests the Member States concerned to inform the Secretary-General immediately of the measures they take pursuant to the authorization conferred by this paragraph which shall be immediately reported to the Security Council;

5. Recognizes the important role of the League of Arab States in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security in the region, and bearing in mind Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, requests the Member States of the League of Arab States to cooperate with other Member States in the implementation of paragraph 4;

No fly zone

6. Decides to establish a ban on all flights in the airspace of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in order to help protect civilians;

7. Decides further that the ban imposed by paragraph 6 shall not apply to flights whose sole purpose is humanitarian, such as delivering or facilitating the delivery of assistance, including medical supplies, food, humanitarian workers and related assistance, or evacuating foreign nationals from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, nor shall it apply to flights authorised by paragraphs 4 or 8, nor other flights which are deemed necessary by States acting under the authorisation conferred in paragraph 8 to be for the benefit of the Libyan people, and that these flights shall be coordinated with any mechanism established under paragraph 8;

8. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, to take all necessary measures to enforce compliance with the ban on flights imposed by paragraph 6 above, as necessary, and requests the States concerned in cooperation with the League of Arab States to coordinate closely with the Secretary General on the measures they are taking to implement this ban, including by establishing an appropriate mechanism for implementing the provisions of paragraphs 6 and 7 above,

9. Calls upon all Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, to provide assistance, including any necessary over-flight approvals, for the purposes of implementing paragraphs 4, 6, 7 and 8 above;

10. Requests the Member States concerned to coordinate closely with each other and the Secretary-General on the measures they are taking to implement paragraphs 4, 6, 7 and 8 above, including practical measures for the monitoring and approval of authorised humanitarian or evacuation flights;

11. Decides that the Member States concerned shall inform the Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States immediately of measures taken in exercise of the authority conferred by paragraph 8 above, including to supply a concept of operations;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to inform the Council immediately of any actions taken by the Member States concerned in exercise of the authority conferred by paragraph 8 above and to report to the Council within 7 days and every month thereafter on the implementation of this resolution, including information on any violations of the flight ban imposed by paragraph 6 above;

Enforcement of the arms embargo

13. Decides that paragraph 11 of resolution 1970 (2011) shall be replaced by the following paragraph : "Calls upon all Member States, in particular States of the region, acting nationally or through regional organisations or arrangements, in order to ensure strict implementation of the arms embargo established by paragraphs 9 and 10 of resolution 1970 (2011), to inspect in their territory, including seaports and airports, and on the high seas, vessels and aircraft bound to or from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, if the State concerned has information that provides reasonable grounds to believe that the cargo contains items the supply, sale, transfer or export of which is prohibited by paragraphs 9 or 10 of resolution 1970 (2011) as modified by this resolution, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel, calls upon all flag States of such vessels and aircraft to cooperate with such inspections and authorises Member States to use all measures commensurate to the specific circumstances to carry out such inspections";

14. Requests Member States which are taking action under paragraph 13 above on the high seas to coordinate closely with each other and the Secretary-General and further requests the States concerned to inform the Secretary-General and the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 24 of resolution 1970 (2011) ("the Committee") immediately of measures taken in the exercise of the authority conferred by paragraph 13 above;

15. Requires any Member State whether acting nationally or through regional organisations or arrangements, when it undertakes an inspection pursuant to paragraph 13 above, to submit promptly an initial written report to the Committee containing, in particular, explanation of the grounds for the inspection, the results of such inspection, and whether or not cooperation was provided, and, if prohibited items for transfer are found, further requires such Member States to submit to the Committee, at a later stage, a subsequent written report containing relevant details on the inspection, seizure, and disposal, and relevant details of the transfer, including a description of the items, their origin and intended destination, if this information is not in the initial report;

16. Deplores the continuing flows of mercenaries into the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and calls upon all Member States to comply strictly with their obligations under paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011) to prevent the provision of armed mercenary personnel to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya;

Ban on flights

17. Decides that all States shall deny permission to any aircraft registered in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya or owned or operated by Libyan nationals or companies to take off from, land in or overfly their territory unless the particular flight has been approved in advance by the Committee, or in the case of an emergency landing;

18. Decides that all States shall deny permission to any aircraft to take off from, land in or overfly their territory, if they have information that provides reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft contains items the supply, sale, transfer, or export of which is prohibited by paragraphs 9 and 10 of resolution 1970 (2011) as modified by this resolution, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel, except in the case of an emergency landing;

Asset freeze

19. Decides that the asset freeze imposed by paragraph 17, 19, 20 and 21 of resolution 1970 (2011) shall apply to all funds, other financial assets and economic resources which are on their territories, which are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Libyan authorities, as designated by the Committee, or by individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction, or by entities owned or controlled by them, as designated by the Committee, and decides further that all States shall ensure that any funds, financial assets or economic resources are prevented from being made available by their nationals or by any individuals or entities within their territories, to or for the benefit of the Libyan authorities, as designated by the Committee, or individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction, or entities owned or controlled by them, as designated by the Committee, and directs the Committee to designate such Libyan authorities, individuals or entities within 30 days of the date of the adoption of this resolution and as appropriate thereafter;

20. Affirms its determination to ensure that assets frozen pursuant to paragraph 17 of resolution 1970 (2011) shall, at a later stage, as soon as possible be made available to and for the benefit of the people of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya;

21. Decides that all States shall require their nationals, persons subject to their jurisdiction and firms incorporated in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction to exercise vigilance when doing business with entities incorporated in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya or subject to its jurisdiction, and any individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction, and entities owned or controlled by them, if the States have information that provides reasonable grounds to believe that such business could contribute to violence and use of force against civilians;

Designations

22. Decides that the individuals listed in Annex I shall be subject to the travel restrictions imposed in paragraphs 15 and 16 of resolution 1970 (2011), and decides further that the individuals and entities listed in Annex II shall be subject to the asset freeze imposed in paragraphs 17, 19, 20 and 21 of resolution 1970 (2011);

23. Decides that the measures specified in paragraphs 15, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21 of resolution 1970 (2011) shall apply also to individuals and entities determined by the Council or the Committee to have violated the provisions of resolution 1970 (2011), particularly paragraphs 9 and 10 thereof, or to have assisted others in doing so;

Panel of experts

24. Requests the Secretary-General to create for an initial period of one year, in consultation with the Committee, a group of up to eight experts ("Panel of Experts"), under the direction of the Committee to carry out the following tasks:

(a) Assist the Committee in carrying out its mandate as specified in paragraph 24 of resolution 1970 (2011) and this resolution;

(b) Gather, examine and analyse information from States, relevant United Nations bodies, regional organisations and other interested parties regarding the implementation of the measures decided in resolution 1970 (2011) and this resolution, in particular incidents of non-compliance;

(c) Make recommendations on actions the Council, or the Committee or State, may consider to improve implementation of the relevant measures;

(d) Provide to the Council an interim report on its work no later than 90 days after the Panel's appointment, and a final report to the Council no later than 30 days prior to the termination of its mandate with its findings and recommendations;

25. Urges all States, relevant United Nations bodies and other interested parties, to cooperate fully with the Committee and the Panel of Experts, in particular by supplying any information at their disposal on the implementation of the measures decided in resolution 1970 (2011) and this resolution, in particular incidents of non-compliance;

26. Decides that the mandate of the Committee as set out in paragraph 24 of resolution 1970 (2011) shall also apply to the measures decided in this resolution;

27. Decides that all States, including the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, shall take the necessary measures to ensure that no claim shall lie at the instance of the Libyan authorities, or of any person or body in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, or of any person claiming through or for the benefit of any such person or body, in connection with any contract or other transaction where its performance was affected by reason of the measures taken by the Security Council in resolution 1970 (2011), this resolution and related resolutions;

28. Reaffirms its intention to keep the actions of the Libyan authorities under continuous review and underlines its readiness to review at any time the measures imposed by this resolution and resolution 1970 (2011), including by strengthening, suspending or lifting those measures, as appropriate, based on compliance by the Libyan authorities with this resolution and resolution 1970 (2011).

29. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/un-security-council-resolution

[The Magistrate]

12. 'All Necessary Measures To Protect Civilians', Ma'am, Is A Green Light For Everything Occuring Now

And there is not a diplomat in the world who did not, and does not, know it.

[Hannah Bell]

13. That depends on whether armed rebels engaged in war against the government are among

the "citizens" to be protected.

That's not, I think, what most citizens in NATO countries think "protecting citizens" means. I think most people would assume it means NATO would protect non-armed non-combatants.

Protection of armed rebels = NATO is taking sides & giving assistance to the rebellion. That's not a "humanitarian" mission, it's participation in the armed overthrow of a government.

[The Magistrate]

14. That Is The Marvel Of Words, Ma'am

The true legal distinction is between combatants and non-combatants; technically it is quite possible for a civilian to be a combatant, providing the force is organized to some degree, bears arms openly, and adopts some sign of combatant status (though that last is usually dispensed with). But the way the reasoning probably runs is that wherever forces loyal to Gaddahfi are drawn up in proximity to a populated area, they constitute a threat to civilians there, and further, that any armed force loyal to Gaddahfi constitutes a threat to civilians so long as it remains loyal to him. The langauage of the thing is quite open, and that, you may be sure, is by design. The purpose of the resolution, and the operation, is to break Gaddahfi's military power to a point where the irregulars can walk into Tripoli; its language is crafted to allow both this, and statements that no such thing is intended by the intervening powers.

[Hannah Bell]

16. Thus my disgust with the "humanitarian" cover story.

[The Magistrate]

17. Cover Is Part Of The Business, Ma'am

"Hypocrisy is the tribute Vice pays to Virtue."

[Adsos Letter]

5. "Just as we have forecast, NATO is being drawn deeper and deeper into a war in North Africa,"

if Russia was so concerned why didn't they use their veto?

[Catherina]

6. To watch us drain our resources and open ourselves up to the very criticism

they're happily dishing out now.

[Adsos Letter]

8. Which is why I don't accept their characterization

not entirely, anyway. They'll do anything they can to spin a nefarious interpretation on this.

[gracchorumspes]

10. Might be the truth.

Why would China and Russia just sit back unless they wanted us to wear out our welcome in the region and waste money and resources doing so? You make a good point.