Libyan Revolution Week 16

[joshcryer]

Links to sites with updates: AJE Libya Live Blog AJE Twitter Dashboard The Guardian Reuters Telegraph feb17.info Libya Alhurra (live video webcast from Benghazi) Libya Alhurra archives and updates Benghazi Free Radio, in Arabic (may have translators present at times) Tribute FM (English broadcast from Benghazi) libyafeb17.com

Twitter links: Ayman Mohyeldin, with AJE Ben Wedeman, with CNN tripolitanian, a Libyan from Tripoli Brian Conley, reporter in Libya FreeLibyanYouth, Libyan advocate LibyaFeb17.com twitter account ChangeInLibya, Libyan advocate Sofyan Amry (arrived in Benghazi recently) KiloFoot (general Arab Spring news aggregation)

Useful links: feb17voices Current time in Libya Prayer times in Libya

Week 15 here.

Marching On in Libya, for the revolutionaries!

A volunteer jumped over his colleagues during a military training course in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Libya. According to rebel authoritaries, after three weeks of intense training, the volunteers are ready to fight against forces loyal to Gaddafi.

Photograph: Rodrigo Adb / AP


Day 100, May 28

The Smallest Victims
The war in Libya has taken a shocking, wrenching toll on the children of Misrata and Benghazi.
Libya: Defiant rebels shrug off mortar attacks and insist they will prevail
"The morale of the fighters is getting higher and higher. We are determined to finish the job," said Majdi, 35, who was returning from the front to reload his weapon. "I have a rocket launcher taken from a helicopter mounted on my truck. We are pushing the Gaddafi guys up the road."
Small signs suggest waning support for Gadhafi
The shaking cacophony of bangs and bullets one recent evening all served to camouflage the thin turnout at a pro-Gadhafi demonstration in his stronghold, the capital of Tripoli. Only several hundred showed up, and many seemed more interested in having fun than in showing solidarity with the regime.
Libya: Coalition forces prepare two-pronged blitz to finish off Gaddafi
British, French and other Nato forces were on Saturday night preparing a two-pronged blitz to try to finish off Col Gaddafi as already slender hopes for a peaceful resolution to the Libyan crisis faded.

Thanks to tabatha for those updates.

Day 101, May 29

In Libyan Rebel Capital, Shouts of Thanks to America and the West
Frustrated by the gridlocked traffic, the young man in fatigues was leaning on the horn of his old Chevrolet Impala, the one with the front and rear windshields shot out. The shrillness of the pointless noise made a foreigner in the car next to him wince.
As Libya Toll Mounts, U.S. Congress Urged to Scrutinize Gadhafi's Recruitment of Mercenaries from Algeria-backed Polisario to fight NATO, Rebels
As international concern grows over the mounting toll of fighting in Libya, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) is urging his colleagues in Congress to give "serious attention" to increasing evidence that members of the Algeria-backed Polisario Front are among those "being recruited and participating as mercenaries in Col. Gadhafi's murderous campaign against the Libyan people." Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Libyan leaders, calling their mercenary recruiting a "crime against humanity."

A commercial ferry carries residents, medical supplies and food to the besieged Libyan city.
Brendan Simms: Road to Libya runs through Srebrenica
The arrest last week of the former Bosnian Serb supreme commander Ratko Mladic, and his likely extradition to face trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague, is cause for grim satisfaction throughout the western Balkans. It is also an uncomfortable reminder of a particularly terrible moment in British foreign policy. We should never forget that the killings at Srebrenica were the culmination of a three-year campaign of ethnic cleansing, which began in the spring of 1992.
Libya's Explosive Music Revolution
The years Gaddafi took power were also the years the music died. Now, songs are coming out from everywhere, and fast. Plus, a video gallery of the hottest new songs and the old classics.
Libyan Pop Music Media Gallery
Richard Engel from Tripoli- Gaddafi losing loyalty among Libyans - video
Libya defections rise: 8 officers flee to Europe
Libya's Qaddafi faces intense bombing campaign from NATO jets; More than a dozen key defections show a dictator in decline

Thanks to Iterate for some good stuff.

Day 102, May 30

This time for Africa: Zuma visits Tripoli – again
South African President Jacob Zuma’s Monday meeting with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi provides the African Union (AU) with the opportunity to seize the initiative on the Libyan crisis. But the AU does not have a strong track record to fall on.
Libya rebels upbeat ahead of Kadhafi 'exit' talks
Libyan rebels applauded a G8 call for Moamer Kadhafi to go ahead of a visit on Monday by South Africa's president for talks that officials said will focus on an "exit strategy" for the strongman.
Over 100 Libyan army members defect from Gaddafi
Eight high-ranking Libyan army officers appeared in Rome on Monday saying they were part of a group of as many as 120 military officials and soldiers who had defected from Muammar Gaddafi's side in recent days.
CNN's Nic Robertson looks into accusations that Libyan soldiers are being ordered to rape civilians.
CNN's Sara Sidner examines the damage that fighting has caused in Ajdabiya, Libya.

Jose Emmanuel Piaggesi was a teacher in Argentina, but now the piercing staccato of gunfire punctuates his conversations.
Zimbabwe: AU Credibility Questioned As Zim Set to Chair Peace Organ
The credibility of the African Union (AU) is being questioned, after news that Zimbabwe will assume the chairmanship of the bloc's Peace and Security Council.
Brutality in Libya and Syria ‘shocking’: UN rights chief
“The brutality and magnitude of measures taken by the governments in Libya and now Syria have been particularly shocking in their outright disregard for basic human rights,” Ms. Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council.

Day 103, May 31

Libyan rebels distribute rules on POW treatment
The rebel administration that controls much of eastern Libya is distributing guidelines on how its fighters should treat prisoners of war, following a string of allegations that rebels have engaged in unlawful arrests, mistreated captives and killed sub-Saharan Africans wrongly accused of being mercenaries.
Libya's Berbers seek their revenge on Qaddafi
"The February 17th Revolution," said Anwar Jerbi, a fighter manning the post one afternoon in April. "I'm Amazigh, like most of the guys here, but we take our orders from Benghazi."
African peace effort appears a no-go in Libya
South African President Jacob Zuma's much-anticipated peace meeting Monday with Moammar Kadafi did not appear to move the Libyan government and rebels closer to a cease-fire, and the Kadafi regime suffered a new blow with the defections of eight senior military officers.
Gaddafi wants truce in Libya, says Zuma, but terms unclear
South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, said on Monday night that Muammar Gaddafi was ready for a truce but gave no indication whether the Libyan leader was ready to give up power, as rebels and much of the international community are demanding.
Gaddafi snatch squads took hundreds of men and boys from Misrata
In some quarters of the once besieged Libyan city, nearly every family has lost a member.
Libya Rebels Launch Station To Fight Gadhafi TV
Libya Alhurra, or "Free Libya," began broadcasting Monday night, a major step in the rebels' attempts to get its message to the Libyan public, whose main source of information on the crisis roiling their country has been Gadhafi's TV and radio.
Libya rebels vent fury at Gaddafi, not his troops
Jamal al-Farisi's brother was killed by a fighter loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, but he shows no hatred or desire for retribution, an attitude that contradicts the bitterness that defines many civil wars.
Gaddafi arms "crooks" to crush Zlitan rebels-witness
Muammar Gaddafi has armed criminals to crush a rebellion against his rule in Zlitan, one of only three towns separating the rebel-held city of Misrata from Tripoli, a rebel spokesman said on Tuesday.

Where are the people calling for Mubarak to step down calling for Gaddafi to do the same?

Day 104, June 1

Leader says rebels not seeking office post-Gaddafi
Members of the Libyan rebel administration will not seek office if Muammar Gaddafi is removed from power, the head of the rebels' Benghazi-based council said on Saturday.
Libyan Rebels Offer Amnesty to Pro-Gadhafi Soldiers
The political leader of Libya's rebels offered amnesty on Saturday to those ready to abandon Col. Moammar Gadhafi and rejected all peace initiatives that were not predicated on the departure of the Libyan strongman, his family and senior regime figures.
The atrocities committed by pro-Gaddafi is to prevent any uprising in the capital.
Mass arrests, night raids, looting, summary executions in the streets, rapes instructions High-level data, many disappearances, mass graves: in the absence of foreign witnesses, a real humanitarian tragedy that would be closed now be played in Tripoli.
Car Bomb Explodes Near Libya Hotel
A car bomb has exploded near a hotel used by foreign diplomats in Libya's rebel-held city of Benghazi.
Libya's female fighters - video
New female recruits to the Libyan rebels are given military training in a desert near Benghazi. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Day 105, June 2

NATO hits Tripoli, UN denounces war crimes
A commission of inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva accused Gaddafi's regime of carrying out systematic attacks on the population, saying that it committed not only crimes against humanity but also war crimes.
Libyan rebels blame Khadafy for blast at hotel
A car exploded yesterday in front of a hotel where foreign diplomats and journalists stay while visiting Benghazi, a rare attack in the Libyan rebels’ de facto capital.
Russia Seeks to Bridge Libyan Civil War in Qaddafi Exit Talks
Russia wants to mediate between the two sides in Libya’s civil war as it tries to negotiate the exit from power of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, said Mikhail Margelov, the country’s envoy to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
Libya Sends Representative to Gas Exporting Countries Forum
Libya sent Mosbah Ali Matoug, a member of the management committee of Tripoli-based National Oil Corp., to a one-day meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Cairo.
Algeria calls for peaceful dialogue in Libya
Algeria on Wednesday called for an inclusive dialogue in Libya with the participation of all Libyan parties to reach a peaceful settlement of the crisis.
Weapons from Libya used in attacks in Algeria
ALGIERS - weapons brought from Libya, scene of an uprising against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, were used for attacks in Algeria, said Wednesday Algerian Minister Delegate in charge of Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel.
US general says no evidence Algeria backing Kadhafi
"I have seen absolutely no reporting that indicates that Algeria is suporting the movement of fighters to Libya," General Carter Ham, who heads the US Africa command (AFRICOM), told journalists in Algiers.

Day 106, June 3

Qatari expulsion of alleged Libyan rape victim upsets U.S.
The United States is "disappointed" by the expulsion by Qatar of Eman al-Obeidy to Libya, a decision that it said is a "breach of humanitarian norms."
Raids on army vehicles and ammunition depots in Tripoli follow announcement of extension of alliance's Libyan mission.
Fresh attacks have taken place in central Tripoli, with a series of explosions reported as Nato continues sporadic bombing of the Libyan capital.
Juan Cole: Libya Rebels take Key Western Mountains, Train Women Fighters
(Roundup at link.)
History Repeats for a Correspondent in Tripoli
...for reporters living for the second time in eight years under a nightly fusillade of bombs and missiles, it is a case, in many respects, of back to the future. Once more, we live in a city under bombardment by nations that many of us call home. Once more, we spend many of our late nights on the roof of a city-center hotel, listening for the roar of jet engines from unseen aircraft and missiles somewhere in the skies above.

Thanks to everyone who contributed this week (al bupp, pinboy3niner, CJvR, pampango et al) particularly Iterate and tabatha, you guys are my heroes!


Click here for updated map


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
The Battle of Benghazi. BBC Panorama on Libya Part 1, and Part 2. Video of the convoy sent to take Benghazi, taken from a dead soliders cell phone (shows how massive the operation was). Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire. Tea of Freedom Song. Libya: Part 2 - The Uprising Benghazi - Backbone of the Libyan revolution

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".

Text of UN resolution 1973. How will a no fly zone work? AJE reports.

Belgium: Six F-16 Falcon fighter jets of the Belgian Air Component. Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Navy Wielingen class frigate Drazki will participate in the naval blockade. Canada: Canadian Forces Air Command has deployed a total 440 military personnel as well as the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown are participating in operations. Denmark: The Royal Danish Air Force is participating with six F-16AM fighters. France: French Air Force which realizes 25% of NATO's strikes is participating in the mission with 51 Mirage and Rafale Aircraft. Greece: The Elli-class frigate Limnos of the Hellenic Navy is currently in the waters off Libya as part of the naval blockade. Italy: Four Tornado ECRs of the Italian Air Force participated in SEAD operations. Jordan: Six Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter jets landed at a coalition airbase in Europe on 4 April to provide "logistical support." NATO: E-3 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft operated by NATO. Netherlands: The Royal Netherlands Air Force provides six F-16AM fighters and a KDC-10 refuelling plane. Norway: The Royal Norwegian Air Force has deployed six F-16AM fighters to Souda Bay Air Base. Qatar: The Qatar Armed Forces are contributing six Mirage 2000-5EDA fighter jets and two C-17 strategic transport aircraft. Romania: The Romanian Naval Forces will participate in the naval blockade with the frigate Regele Ferdinand. Spain: The Spanish Armed Forces are participating with four F-18 fighters. Sweden: The Royal Swedish Air Force will commit eight JAS 39 Gripen jets for the international air campaign. Turkey: The Turkish Navy 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 sent six F-16 Falcon and six Mirage 2000 fighter jets to join the mission. United Kingdom: The Royal Air Force has deployed 12 Tornado and 10 Typhoon fighters, surveillance aircraft, and air refuelling tankers. United States: The United States has deployed a naval force of 11 ships and are using MQ-1 Predator UAVs to strike targets in Libya on 23 April.

"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." - 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.)

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.

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 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 without authorization, the War Powers Act (Title 50, Chap. 33 § 1541) grants the President permission to act without authorization under "specific statutory authorization" which, by definition, is what 287d does. § 1543 of the War Powers Act requires the President to report to Congress, 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 worth reading.
Libyan Karzai? Chalabi? Forget it, Who Are the Rebels?, A vision of a democratic Libya, Is Qaddafi an anti-racist?, The left: slipping towards Gaddafi?, Once again on "stop the bombing", An Open Letter to the Left on Libya, Top Ten Ways that Libya 2011 is Not Iraq 2003, Sons of the Revolution

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.

Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire is a documentary about Mo's last days, please watch it.

Mo's first report, which many of you may remember, begging for help.

Mo leaves behind a wife who is with child, she had 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.