Libyan Revolution Week 31

[joshcryer]

[joshcryer]

1. Libyan Revolution Day 212 updates below, current time in Libya, 5:15am Saturday, September 17

[pinboy3niner]

2. K&R

Inside one of Gaddafi's torture cells
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030931/Libya-Inside-Gaddafis-torture-chamber-The-bloodstained-cells-inside-primary-school-used-brutalise-enemies.html

[joshcryer]

3. Libya Has Historic Day at UN

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Libya-Has-Historic-Day-at-UN-129999308.html">Libya Has Historic Day at UN
It was a dramatic day for Libya at the United Nations. In the morning, the National Transitional Council, which now governs the country, was granted the Libyan seat in the General Assembly hall. In the afternoon, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution lifting some sanctions and easing others in an effort to help the North African nation as it moves into its new era.

The Security Council had imposed sanctions including asset freezes, an arms embargo and other measures on the government of Moammar Gadhafi in the spring, in a bid to stop his violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

On Friday, the 15-member council lifted financial sanctions against some Libyan banks and companies and eased measures on others as it tries to help the interim government stabilize and rebuild the country. Germany’s U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig said adoption of the resolution would help stimulate Libya’s economic recovery.

“By lifting and modifying the asset freeze, the local economy and trade will be kick-started," said Wittig. "However, this is a first step only. It is clear that eventually all economic sanctions shall be lifted for those entities under the control of the Libyan authorities.”

[joshcryer]

4. Seeking victors’ laurels

http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/17/seeking-victors-laurels.html">Seeking victors’ laurels
DAVID Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy were at pains to stress they had not come to Libya in search of lucrative reconstruction contracts and easy-terms oil deals. Their tone in Tripoli on Thursday was far too high-minded for that. But in truth, like self-styled conquering heroes through history, the British and French leaders arrived in hot pursuit of victors’ laurels that may, in time, produce a handy financial payback. This was, first and foremost, the Dave and Sarko spoils of war tour.

Not since Tony Blair single-handedly liberated Kosovo from the Serb oppressor (with secondary back-up from Nato and the US air force) has a British prime minister been able to claim plaudits as a successful war leader. Afghanistan and Iraq certainly don’t qualify. The time lag is even longer for France’s president. The Crimea in 1856 was a win. After that, the French record is patchy. Cameron is no Churchill and does not pretend to be. But Dogged Desert Warrior beats the Bullingdon Champagne Charlie image every time.

Politically speaking, the descent of the Anglo-French dynamic duo on an unsuspecting but dutifully grateful AFE (Almost Free Libya) was an opportunity too good to miss. Battered and buffeted at home by recycled recession, joblessness, penniless Greeks, and electoral unpopularity, Cameron and Sarkozy had a chance, briefly, to walk tall.

It was not exactly a Roman triumph. But, according to Ryan Lucas of the Associated Press in Tripoli, “several Libyans clapped and reached out to touch the British and French leaders as they walked towards a hospital where they met with amputees and other patients who were injured in the fight against Qadhafi. Doctors, nurses and other staff also offered a round of applause.”

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Blacks in Libya: Dehumanization of blacks in Libya (by rebels)

Nigerian parliament summons minister over 'dehumanization' of blacks in Libya - Disturbed by reports of alleged 'brutalisation and dehumanisation of Nigerians and other black Africans in Libya' following the overthrow of Mouammar Kadhafi, the Nigerian House of Representatives Thursday resolved to summon Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru to brief members on measures taken to protect Nigerian citizens living in that country.

The House resolution came following a motion sponsored by Senator Abubakar Momoh on the war in Libya and the need to evacuate Nigerians still trapped in the war-torn North African country.

The House noted that there was the need for the Minister to brief the members on actions being taken by the ministry to ensure the safety of Nigerians in that country.

Momoh wondered why there were reported cases of Nigerians being hauled into detention cells in their hundreds on allegation of being Kadhafi mercenaries despite Nigeria’s early recognition of the National Transition Council (NTC).

Read More: http://www.afriquejet.com/blacks-libya-dehumanization-blacks-in-libya-2011091622497.html

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tabatha]

7. Messy battles fail to dislodge Gaddafi diehards

By Maria Golovnina
NEAR BANI WALID, Sept 16 | Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:45pm EDT

(Reuters) - Gazing patiently at the distant haze of its low-rise skyline, anti-Gaddafi fighters have camped in the desert outside the besieged Libyan oasis town of Bani Walid for two weeks waiting for the chance to move inside.

It was a messy battle. Although anti-Gaddafi fighters quickly secured the northern edge of Bani Walid, the advance stalled as they reached the densely populated hills of the centre.

The valley reverberated with explosions as both sides relentlessly hurled mortar bombs at each other's positions. Bullets flew overhead and fighters shouted "God is greatest" as falling shells rattled the rockey valleys.

There were almost no civilians in the deserted streets but some residents peeked hesitantly into the smoke-filled byways for a glimpse of what their once sleepy town had become.

"It's great that the rebels are finally here," said one man who took the chance to speak, Khalil Mohamed, a 31-year-old farmer. "At first we were afraid because we didn't know who they were but now that we have seen them, we are very happy."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/16/libya-bani-walid-scene-idUSL5E7KG34A20110916

[joshcryer]

8. Libya Counts More Martyrs Than Bodies

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/world/africa/skirmishes-flare-around-qaddafi-strongholds.html">Libya Counts More Martyrs Than Bodies
TRIPOLI, Libya — Where are all the dead?

Officially, according to Libya’s new leaders, their martyrs in the struggle against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi should number 30,000 to 50,000, not even counting their enemies who have fallen.

Yet in the country’s morgues, the war dead registered from both sides in each area so far are mostly in the hundreds, not the thousands. And those who are still missing total as few as 1,000, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Those figures may be incomplete, but even if the missing number proves to be three times as high, and all are dead, the toll would be far short of official casualty totals.

On Friday, anti-Qaddafi fighters attacked the two remaining strongholds of the loyalist forces, in the seaside city of Surt and the desert town of Bani Walid. Although both assaults were repulsed by determined resistance from the pro-Qaddafi forces, there can be little doubt that the war is in its final phases. And as it winds down, the question of how many died is taking on greater significance.

I believe when the official numbers come out this will be one of the most bloodless civil wars in history.

[tabatha]

9. Nigerian lawyers demand compensation from Libya

Voxpop
Events in Libya are being followed by many Nigerians. On the streets of Lagos, reaction to the news that Nigerians are among those targeted by forces loyal to the NTC, were mixed.

Nkechi Naeche was very surprised by the news: “I’m surprised at this because the Nigerian government were among the first countries to recognise the transitional government. But I am also surprised that Nigerians stayed behind after the government sent aircrafts to bring them back home when situations in Libya were becoming uncertain.’’

However, some passersby expressed sympathy with the NTC recognizing that rebuilding a nation after conflict is not easy: “Nigeria should not place any demands on Libya. The acts were in a state of war, Libya was unstable then, so the caretaker government just settling down should not be saddled with this issue that will divert it from reconstruction,” says Ms Olaoye-Oshikolu.

SERAP is also requesting the African Commission to order the NTC to pay compensation to the families of the six Nigerians who died in Libya. But as Raymond Tedunjaye concludes: “If compensation is sought, no matter if it is paid in dollars, naira or goods, will it equate to the cost of a human life?

http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/nigerian-lawyers-demand-compensation-libya

I should also add that there is a difference that many people are missing:

People from Niger are Nigeriens
People from Nigeria are Nigerians

[joshcryer]

10. Libya's Revolution Produces a New Hybrid: Pro-Western Islamists

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2093518,00.html">Libya's Revolution Produces a New Hybrid: Pro-Western Islamists
The Libyan rebels chuckle when they find a child-size T-shirt featuring a cartoon of Osama bin Laden amid the surveillance files, tapes and photos in one of the buildings abandoned by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's internal security forces. Sporting thick, bushy beards in a fresh show of religiosity they say never would have been tolerated under the old regime, they have mixed feelings about the man on the T-shirt. "Fighting in the name of Islam is something that all Muslims respect," says Mukhtar Enhaysi, carefully. "But when makes explosions and commits acts of terrorism against civilians who have nothing to do with that, no one agrees with that."

Enhaysi's nuanced view is commonplace in a country whose citizens are suddenly free to express themselves, although the subtle Islamist current in the rebellion has worried some of its Western backers. Rebel forces in Tripoli are commanded by a former associate of bin Laden's whom the CIA had sent to Libya for questioning and torture by Gaddafi's regime. And the leader of the rebel Transitional National Council (TNC) has called for a constitution guided by Islamic values, reflecting popular sentiment in a country whose people describe themselves as conservative and who have endured 42 years of enforced — albeit, many say, superficial — secularism under Gaddafi, even as he tried to style himself as the nemesis of the West.

Interim leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil told a cheering crowd in Tripoli's Martyrs' Square this week, "We seek a state of law, prosperity and one where Shari'a is the main source for legislation, and this requires many things and conditions," adding that "extremist ideology" would not be tolerated.

Indeed, for a citizenry that views itself as inherently more conservative than its Egyptian and Tunisian neighbors, it shouldn't be surprising that Libya's interim leaders are already emphasizing the Islamic character of their future government. But many say Gaddafi's legacy — and NATO's recent intervention — has also paved the way for a different kind of Islamist than the type that Washington has long feared. "The fact that Gaddafi used as a common enemy, well, the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' holds very true here," says one official in the NTC, speaking on condition of anonymity. "If you compound that with the fact that the Westerners were instrumental in their support and in the demise of Gaddafi, you see that people are really quite friendly."

[joshcryer]

11. India extends support to Transitional National Council of Libya

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-extends-support-to-Transitional-National-Council-of-Libya/articleshow/10016520.cms">India extends support to Transitional National Council of Libya
NEW DELHI: India on Saturday said it supports the Transitional National Council (TNC) of Libya and expressed willingness to extend all possible assistance to the Libyan people in their political transition, rebuilding and reconstruction activities.

"India extended support to the acceptance of credentials of the delegation of the Transitional National Council of Libya led by its President Mustafa Abdel Jalil to attend the forthcoming UN General Assembly session in New York," the ministry of external affairs said here in a statement.

Worded weirdly but may indeed be a move toward recognition.

[joshcryer]

12. Niger Says Libyan Instability Undermines Security, Economy

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/123579/niger-says-libyan-instability-undermines-security-economy.html">Niger Says Libyan Instability Undermines Security, Economy
The instability surrounding the fall of Moammar Gadhafi is causing problems for some of Libya's neighbors, most notably Niger.

More than 150,000 people from Libya have already crossed the border into Niger. Some are ethnic Tuareg who fought in the Gadhafi army and are now fleeing revenge attacks under Libya's interim council.

...

Sani says Gadhafi's legacy as a patron of rebel movements in West Africa poses a direct threat to Libya's new leaders.

"The peace and security of the new government in Libya is dependent on their relationship with their neighbors," noted Sani. "Gadhafi has over the years built a strong relationship with almost all rebel movements in Africa, not only in the Sahel and Niger Republic. And as such, the only way to ensure that perhaps members of his own government do not use such persons to threaten the stability of Libya is to reach out to them.”

[joshcryer]

13. Libyan women: it's our revolution too

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/16/libyan-women-our-revolution-too">Libyan women: it's our revolution too
They smuggled bullets in handbags, tended wounded fighters, cooked meals for frontline units, sold their jewellery to buy combat jeeps and sewed the flags that fly in liberated cities. But with the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi almost complete, many Libyan women are asking whether it's their revolution too.

This week Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the governing National Transitional Council, announced before cheering crowds in Tripoli's Martyrs' Square that "women will be ambassadors, women will be ministers".

...

These volunteers hardly saw themselves fighting for feminism, but have morphed into political groups that seem destined to produce Libya's first generation of female activists.

At a recent gathering in Tripoli of the Coalition of February 17 – a reference to the date of the first uprising – around a third of the delegates were women. They gave speeches insisting that "we, as women, aspire to the same thing as our fellow men … women's role should not be limited to social or charity issues. It should be political as well."

[joshcryer]

14. Times Square NYC

[inna]

15. daily unrec

abhorrent

[mark7sys]

39. Hi, inna: did you have any reply to my earlier questions?

Hi, inna: did you have any reply to my earlier questions?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1923083&mesg_id=1931175

I'd also like to add this one:
Do you consider France's intervention in the Revolution in America to be inappropriate and officious? If so, why?

I am eager to read anything you have written regarding what you (I gather) would consider to be the nefarious nature of the intentions of NATO countries with respect to Libya. Would you be so kind as to provide links to your thoughts here? Thanks.

[Amonester]

42. Daily rec

hopeful



no gaddafis will be back in power

(so dream on)
(will not happen)

[mark7sys]

43. Ike's Grandson Says Ike Meant that Warning!

Here is something which I'm sure you can thoroughly appreciate, inna:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/IKE-S-GRANDSON-SAYS-IKE-ME-by-Sherwood-Ross-110916-412.html


For those who have not had the privilege of hearing President Eisenhower out loud on the matter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_II0H7X5O4&feature=player_embedded

Suppose a Democrat were to give such a speech today: what kind of reception would he get from the Republican Party?

We who are alive today have grown up in an environment in which the influence of the military-industrial complex in particular – and of corporatism in general – is so pervasive and ubiquitous that we can no longer even see it. Attempting to point the problem out to people would probably be as ineffectual as lecturing fish about their environment. “Wake up, you fish: can't you see that you are surrounded by water? It's everywhere!” If there were comprehending and talking fish, we might expect them to reply, “Well, duh. What else is there? What else could possibly there be?”

http://www.businessweek.com/video/#video=1rbG5yMjo8cSSbMLFwj9qVyO5tg8MXx3

[joshcryer]

16. China to continue to support Libyans' efforts on protecting sovereignty, conducting reconstruction

http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/268724.html">China to continue to support Libyans' efforts on protecting sovereignty, conducting reconstruction
Chinese UN Ambassador Li Baodong said here Friday that China will continue its support to the Libyan people on their efforts to protect national sovereignty, conducting reconstruction and promoting development.

Li's remarks came as he addressed the UN Security Council after the 15-member body unanimously adopted a resolution to ease sanctions against Libya's assets and arms, and set up a UN mission to help restore public security and initiate economic recovery in the North African country.

Li said China has repeatedly stressed that four principles should be followed in handling the Libyan issue: First, bring an early end to the conflicts; Second, launch an inclusive political process as soon as possible; Third, respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya, as well as the will and choice of the Libyan people; Fourth, give play to the leading role of the Security Council, while other countries, international mechanisms and international conferences should also play a supplementary role under the guidance of the UN Charter and the established principles concerning the Libyan issue.

"Based on the above-mentioned principles, China voted in favor of the newly-adopted Resolution 2009," Li said in the explanatory remarks.

[joshcryer]

17. Egyptian firms eye Libya but politics may be a hurdle

http://thecitizen.co.tz/editorial-analysis/20-analysis-opinions/14818-egyptian-firms-eye-libya-but-politics-may-be-a-hurdle.html">Egyptian firms eye Libya but politics may be a hurdle
Egyptians are eager to drum up business in Libya after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, but countries which were swifter to embrace the rebels who seized power may have a head start in the race for deals.Egypt gave a lifeline to Gaddafi's opponents based in eastern Libya by keeping the border open to flows of food and medical aid. But Cairo waited until the rebels fought their way to Gaddafi's doorstep before officially recognizing them.

Leaders of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) have publicly said they will favour companies from countries which did most to support the rebellion.That could put Western countries such as France, Britain and the United States, which swiftly backed the rebels, ahead in the queue for business. Arab states such as Qatar, which provided early diplomatic, material and military support, may also get better treatment.

"I consider the opinion of the Egyptian government respectable and responsible," the NTC's delegate to the Arab League in Cairo, Abdel Moneim El Houni, said. "I of course would have wished something else as a Libyan."

[joshcryer]

18. Libyan forces plot moves after Bani Walid setback

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/17/ap/middleeast/main20107665.shtml">Libyan forces plot moves after Bani Walid setback
ANI WALID, Libya — Libyan revolutionary fighters are struggling to regroup outside the loyalist stronghold of Bani Walid after being driven back by fierce resistance from followers of Moammar Gadhafi.

There were no signs Saturday of anti-Gadhafi forces mobilizing for another assault on the mountain enclave, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli. The fighters withdrew Friday after facing sniper fire and shelling from loyalists units holding strategic positions above the valley entrance to the town.

Meanwhile, more families fled Bani Walid.

The fighting coincided with another revolutionary offensive into Gadhafi's hometown Sirte on the Mediterranean coast, where there were stiff counterattacks by backers of the old regime.

[pinboy3niner]

19. Saturday's battles about to begin...

From AJE's Live Blog:

Reuters: Forces loyal to Libya's new ruling National Transitional Council prepared on Saturday for an assault against diehard loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi in Sirte.

Fighters gathered 5 kilometers away from Sirte prayed and packed their pick-up trucks with weapons ahead of another day of fighting in Gaddafi's home town.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1045

[joshcryer]

20. Bani Walid: "I don't think we will have orders to move in today."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14958497">Libya conflict: NTC forces regroup after setback
Anti-Gaddafi forces in Libya are regrouping for fresh attacks on loyalist strongholds after suffering a setback in the town of Bani Walid.

...

One fighter, Osama al-Fassi, told Associated Press: "This may be the worst front Libya will see. I don't think we will have orders to move in today."

Our correspondent says the interim leadership, the National Transitional Council (NTC), had hoped to crack Bani Walid and Sirte and that the fall of one or both would have an effect on the Gaddafi remnants, particularly in Sabha further south, about which little has been heard.

...

The BBC's Alastair Leithead, close to the frontline, says he does expect another move by the anti-Gaddafi forces on Saturday but troops expect it to be slow.

More indication that Saif may be there in Bani Walid.

[pinboy3niner]

22. Saif may well be there, as reported sightings indicate

Which also gives me an excuse to kick this above the old thread that was kicked. :)

[joshcryer]

21. Libya rebels punch into Sirte as civilians flee

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Libya+rebels+punch+into+Sirte+civilians+flee/5418193/story.html">Libya rebels punch into Sirte as civilians flee
NEAR SIRTE, Libya — NTC forces swept further into Sirte on Saturday as at least 6,000 fighters battled in and around the hometown of fugitive Moammar Gadhafi, one of the ousted Libyan leader's last strongholds.

At a checkpoint some 30 kilometres west of the town, Commander Salem Jeha, a member of Misrata Military Council, told AFP: "We are now concentrated in a handful of buildings in the city and on the outskirts including Wadi Abu Hadi where Gadhafi's forces are concentrated."

...

Jeha said there were some 1,200 NTC armed vehicles plus the thousands of fighters, mostly from Misrata, in the Sirte area.


"There may be houses and pockets of resistance, but they will not be able to overcome the rebels' massive forces," he said, adding that he had received reports that half of the city's civilians had fled.

[CJvR]

27. Intresting development.

I always though Sirte would be the last Gaddafi holdout but it seems as if both Bani Walid and Shaba are tougher nuts to crack.

[joshcryer]

29. Bani Walid has that famous western mountain terrain, always easier to defend.

Shaba is hoped to fall if Bani Walid and Sirte fall (because it would be the last holdout, and at that point it becomes pointless to keep fighting).

It is still unexpected, though, I think the rebels were taken aback by it a bit.

[joshcryer]

23. In Libya, Turk PM woos with one eye on history

http://www.wtvr.com/sns-rt-us-libya-erdogan-scenetre78f5w9-20110916,0,582868.story">In Libya, Turk PM woos with one eye on history
Hundreds of Libyans joined Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan in prayer on Friday in Tripoli, heaping praise on him for backing the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi.

The Turkish prime minister, who is promoting Ankara's blend of Islam and democracy as a model for North African states, hailed Libya's revolution by invoking a symbol of national defiance and anti-colonial resistance -- Omar al-Mukhtar.

He moved freely among fellow Muslim worshippers a day after French and British counterparts visited the capital amid heavy security. All three leaders are seen seeking influence in Libya, just three weeks after Tripoli was seized by rebel forces.

...

"(Turkey) hesitated at first to support the revolution, but after he saw that there was support ... from the Libyan masses, he stood by the people," computer engineer Abdulsalaam Mohammed said after waiting for an hour in the queue with his five-year-old son. "There's no comparison, he is cleaner than any Arab leader."

[pinboy3niner]

24. Children in Tripoli returned to school Saturday

Children in Libya's capital Tripoli returned to school on Saturday after months of violence forced schools across Libya to close.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1241

Why does that bring a smile to my face? :)

[joshcryer]

25. Here's an earlier report about Libya's schools:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/09/back-school-post-qaddafi-libya/42065/">Back to School in a Post-Qaddafi Libya
As rebel forces advance on Muammar Qaddafi's last strongholds and the international community unlocks funds for rebuilding war-torn Libya, the country's new leaders are turning their attention to a daunting task: reopening schools. Rebel education chief Soliman el-Sahli tells Reuters today that schools will resume classes on September 17, though he previously informed The Wall Street Journal that there will be a "soft re-opening" of primary and secondary schools on September 5 (the picture above shows children singing a new national anthem at a school in Tripoli on Monday).

...

Psychological scars: Many schools in Libya closed when the uprising began in February, prompting Save the Children to issue a warning in June that the suspension of regular schooling was making it harder for "children to cope with the trauma of living through a conflict," not to mention keep up with their education. When schools did open unofficially during the conflict, the uprising was top of mind. "There is no school now so we just come here to draw and make songs against Muammar," a 13-year-old girl told Reuters. Meanwhile, in Misrata, an eight-year-old informed classmates, "people died. They shot children. They shot families. They shot girls." The Journal states that "the grimmest concern is to provide support for students who have lost family members or witnessed atrocities by Qaddafi's troops." This Reuters photo shows a girl in a Misrata school in July:

I think that the nightmare is finally coming to an end and the end of Gaddafi's http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2081970,00.html">cruel treatment of school children would bring a smile to anyones face! :)

[pinboy3niner]

26. That's the good news

But we both know that many Libyans--including the children--will be dealing with the trauma of war for a long, long time.

At least we know, from our reports in these threads, that they'll have a lot of help--including help from the "boots on the ground" of foreign mental health professionals. :)

[joshcryer]

28. That reminds me, are veterans orgs planning to help with the healing?

I know from reading your posts that this is a lifetime long process, and I think it's be really neat if one of them was involved.

[pinboy3niner]

30. Good question, Josh

I haven't seen it, but I haven't been watching for that. I know that, normally, war trauma pros--mostly those who've treated vets--are called in.

When the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan we sent a lot of American mental health pros experienced in treating U.S. VN vets over to help the Soviets deal with the 'Afghantsi'--the Soviet troops who'd fought there.

The sad thing is that today there are a hell of a lot of people, here and around the world, that have that kind of experience treating war trauma survivors, both vets and civilians. Their experience is invaluable. That there was a need for it is the sad part.

[joshcryer]

31. Gaddafi's spokesman: NATO air strikes kill 354 in Sirte

http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFL5E7KH09T20110917">Gaddafi's spokesman: NATO air strikes kill 354 in Sirte
Muammar Gaddafi's spokesman told Reuters on Saturday that NATO air strikes on Sirte overnight had hit a residential building and a hotel, killing 354 people.

His claim could not immediately be verified as Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, has been largely cut off from communication since the fall of Tripoli.

NATO comment was not immediately available.

Moussa Ibrahim, in a call from a satellite phone to Reuters office in Tunis, said: "NATO attacked the city of Sirte last night with more than 30 rockets directed at the city's main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90 residential flats. The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night."

[joshcryer]

32. US official: Program aimed at Libyan scientists

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9PPK3LG0.htm">US official: Program aimed at Libyan scientists
The U.S. is trying to revive a program to prevent Libyan chemical, biological and nuclear scientists from working for terror groups or hostile nations, a State Department official said Thursday.

Hundreds of experts worked in Moammar Gadhafi's weapons of mass destruction programs. After Gadhafi agreed to dismantle those programs in 2003, the U.S. launched an effort to steer Libya's WMD scientists into civilian research projects, including water desalination, oil and gas production and nuclear medicine. The effort was suspended during Libya's civil war.

The official told The Associated Press that the U.S. has asked Libya's interim government to allow Washington to re-establish contact with the scientists. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Libya's new leaders have expressed an interest in working with the U.S. on the scientist program and other counter-proliferation efforts, the official said, but so far they have not formally responded.

[joshcryer]

33. Niger won’t hand over Gadhafi regime members without guarantees of safety

http://thechronicleherald.ca/World/1263619.html">Niger won’t hand over Gadhafi regime members without guarantees of safety
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Members of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime who have sought refuge in Niger will not be turned back to Libya without guarantees for their safety, the Niger government spokesman said Friday.

A total of 32 Libyans believed to have ties to the ousted dictator, including at least five members of his inner circle such as his son and his chief of security, have arrived in Niger in recent days after driving across the vast desert separating the two nations.

Leaders of Libya’s rebel-led interim government told reporters in Tripoli that they want all regime loyalists to be sent back for trial, but a formal request has not yet been made to the relevant authorities in Niger.

Government spokesman Marou Amadou told reporters at a press conference, "We refuse to turn back people that are fleeing a war, and send them back to a country where they risk being killed or face an unjust trial."

[joshcryer]

34. President Obama to Meet leader of Libya's Interim Government Abdul-Jalil in New York

http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=6927">President Obama to Meet leader of Libya's Interim Government Abdul-Jalil in New York
United States President Barack Obama will meet Libya's interim leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the White House has announced.

The meeting comes as Western nations pledge to stand by Libyan NTC fighters as they build up their government after overthrowing Muammar Al Qathafi.

"The president will have the opportunity to congratulate chairman Jalil on the success of the Libyan people ofor ending the Al Qathafi regime," Ben Rhodes, a deputy US national security adviser said.

"He (the US President) will be able to express US support for a post-Al Qathafi transition in Libya and discuss the (NTC's) plans for a post-Al Qathafi transition."

[joshcryer]

35. NATO to assess claims of civilian casualties in Sirte, Libya

http://en.trend.az/news/nato/1933228.html">NATO to assess claims of civilian casualties in Sirte, Libya
NATO said on Saturday it would assess allegations that its airstrikes had killed hundreds of civilians in the under-siege Libyan city of Sirte, but noted that similar accusations in the past have rarely proven to be true, DPA reported.

"Most often, they are revealed to be unfounded or inconclusive," spokesman Roland Lavoie said. "As is the case with all NATO strikes, a thorough damage assessment is conducted afterwards; this will allow us to ascertain whether these allegations are founded or not."

Moussa Ibrahim isn't to be trusted.

[joshcryer]

36. AJE's Anita McNaught said there is no fighting planned for today in Bani Walid.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1624">AJE's Anita McNaught said there is no fighting planned for today in Bani Walid.
"Today is for consolidation and lessons learned from yesterday," our correspondent said, after speaking with a senior NTC commander.

She also said yesterday's fighting "ultimately achieved little more than getting people killed and demonstrating the strength of pro-Gaddafi forces".

Reportedly, Gaddafi has at least three brigades dug in deeply at Bani Walid, laying traps for the NTC fighters. As a result, our correspondent said, "the NTC fighter command insists on taking things slowly, asking for more time to co-ordinate, to re-deploy and to organise".

[joshcryer]

37. The Arab Autumn: Three Big Challenges Threatening the Arab Uprisings

http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Arab-Autumn--Three-Bi-by-Esam-Al-Amin-110916-428.html?show=votes">The Arab Autumn: Three Big Challenges Threatening the Arab Uprisings
With the fall of Muammar Qaddafi's headquarters in Bab Al-Aziziyyah in Tripoli on August 23, Libya became the third country to oust its long-serving dictator after the fall of Tunisia's Zein-al-bedin Ben Ali and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.

The failed assassination attempt on Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh on June 3, has kept him outside the country, recovering from his injuries in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the large daily peaceful protests of tens of thousands of Yemenis in many of the country's cities and provinces have expanded, demanding the ouster of Saleh's relatives and cronies from power.

In Syria, Bashar Al-Assad has been struggling for more than six months to contain his people's daily discontent and maintain his grip on power to save his increasingly isolated and weakened regime.

However, the popular uprisings sweeping much of the Arab world this year are facing three crucial predicaments. How the different sides in each political theater deal with these critical issues will determine the future of these societies, as they undergo their genuine popular revolutions, and a change in leadership, for the first time in decades.

Fascinating article, sheds light on the reasons behind Younis and the Islamist / secular divide. Turkey shows what happens when you force overt secularization, a hundred thousand people die in a US backed military junta. You need to respect all sides in this matter, including the "Islamists."

[joshcryer]

38. Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi fired rockets and scored casualties in fierce counter-attack

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1757">6 min 31 sec ago
Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have fired rockets and scored casualties in their fierce counter-attack in the fugitive ex-Libyan leader's stronghold of Bani Walid.

Ambulances rushed dead and wounded fighters as explosions and gunfire thundered in the air, after the attack on a position of NTC fighters several kilometres from the city centre.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1751">12 min 31 sec ago
"They swept the position after targeting us with Grad rockets," said National Transitional Council fighter Omar Ali Ramadan, who added that he and others had managed to take cover at an abandoned house.

"At least seven rockets hit our position," he said, as Gaddafi loyalists continued their counter-offensive in Bani Walid, 180km southeast of Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-17-2011-1712">51 min 31 sec ago
The AFP news agency is reporting that Gaddafi forces have launched a strong counter-offensive in Bani Walid.

[CJvR]

44. Good...

The AFP news agency is reporting that Gaddafi forces have launched a strong counter-offensive in Bani Walid.

It will be easier to attrit Gaddafi's troops if they are in the open, or it would have been for regular troops. Lets hope the rebels have enough experience to take advantage of the situation.

[joshcryer]

40. A Man of God and Technology, Trying to Steady Libya

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/world/africa/aref-nayed-man-of-god-and-technology-tries-to-steady-libya.html">A Man of God and Technology, Trying to Steady Libya
AREF NAYED was sipping cappuccino in the soaring marble lobby of the Corinthia Hotel near Tripoli’s seafront, quoting Montesquieu on law and Augustine on forgiveness in a conversation that had begun with earthier subjects, like the challenges of restoring Libya’s water supply and counting its dead.

He held forth on how Bedouin poetry shaped a moderate Islam in Libya, and he was just starting to explain the relevance to Libyan politics of the mathematical theory of complexity — it had to do with something called “flocking phenomena” — when his cellphone rang.

“I have to take this,” he said, glancing at the number. “Somebody wants to surrender.”

...

He is also a Muslim theologian who, in addition to running a technology business, spent his time before the Libyan rebellion writing erudite papers arguing that compassion is the paramount value in Islam, that pious Muslims can thrive within a liberal secular state and that even the most righteous ones should adopt a “humble recognition” of their own fallibility.

A quasi-Marxist Islamist, now that will melt minds. :)

[joshcryer]

41. Revolutionaries face fierce fight in Gadhafi's hometown

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/09/17/libya.war/">Revolutionaries face fierce fight in Gadhafi's hometown
In the final battles of the Libyan civil war, Moammar Gadhafi's forces put up stiff resistance again Saturday as revolutionaries fought to wrest control of the loyalist strongholds of Sirte and Bani Walid.

Fierce fighting erupted in Sirte, the birthplace of Gadhafi and home to his tribe.

...

But in Sahara towns more sympathetic to the revolution, people cheered the anti-Gadhafi forces as they made their way toward the southern city of Sabha.

In Shati, there was no combat; only a peaceful transfer of power, perhaps the first in the eight-month uprising. In the morning the tiny town had been under Gadhafi's grip. By afternoon, no more.

[tabatha]

45. benwedeman

bencnn benwedeman
All the prisoners taken in mahrouq al-ras are black Libyans plus one Nigerian. Some already released, others being interrogated. #Libya
5 hours ago

Now in village of mahroug al-ras as of today under Ntc control. 1 fighter killed. Civilians unharmed. 16 prisoners taken #libya
5 hours ago

Driving with huge NTC column thru villages in Al-Shati region of Sabha. Most residents, but not all, cheering. So far no shooting. #Libya
10 hours ago

BBC says Mohamed's wounds not life threatening. He was hit while preparing for a live broadcast. #respect. #Libya
12 hours ago

Thoughts go out to my friend Mohammed Ballout, excellent reporter for BBC Arabic wounded in the battle for Bani Walid. #Libya
12 hours ago

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

[tabatha]

46. Defected Libyan pilots to return to Libya

Two Libyan air force pilots who defected to Malta with their Mirage jet fighter planes last February are to return to Tripoli tomorrow.

The news of the pilots' return to Libya after seven months in Malta, comes a day after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced that he met the pilots on several occasions and discussed the situation in Libya with them.

The two pilots had stunned the country after flying their jets to Malta and immediately requested asylum, after defecting from Col. Gaddafi's air force, refusing to bomb villages which during the uprising.

According to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, the Maltese government did all it could to make the pilots' stay in Malta as comfortable as possible and was working to have them reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, there were various attempts by the Gaddafi regime to take back the fighter jets. These demands were refused by the Maltese government at the time.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/defected-libyan-pilots-to-return-to-libya

Hope they get sworn statements from these pilots asap.

[tabatha]

47. A freezer was found in Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli. It was full of 18 bodies

Khaled M.
A freezer was found in Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli. It was full of 18 bodies, mostly thought to be NFSL members martyred in 1984. Two of whom are my uncles Khaled & Yahya (me & my brother's namesakes). Today my uncle and the daughter of Khaled are going there w/ intentions of confirming the identities. Cant imagine how that feels. The pain of rehashing old wounds, but also the joy of knowing they can finally be given a proper burial. The examples of Gaddafi's sadistic nature never surprise me.

https://www.facebook.com/thisiskhaledm/posts/10150289066860205

[tabatha]

48. Libya ponders when to investigate deep-rooted corruption

By Simon Denyer, Saturday, September 17, 3:42 PM

TRIPOLI — As a senior official in Libya’s National Oil Corp., she wrote 50 letters denouncing massive corruption within her own organization, including three to longtime leader Moammar Gaddafi’s powerful son Saif al-Islam.

For her troubles, Najwa Al Beshti was demoted, suspended without pay, interrogated by intelligence agents at her home, and received three death threats.

 Moammar Gaddafi has ruled Libya for more than 40 years. Now, he is strongly rejecting opposition demands that he give up power, as anti-government demonstrators continue to push for his ouster.

But Beshti is already back at work at the state-owned oil company, and has been demanding an investigation into corruption in the Gaddafi era — only to be rebuffed again.

One of the most difficult choices facing the new Libya is how far and how fast to dig into the rampant corruption of the Gaddafi regime, which secret U.S. cables frequently described as a “kleptocracy.” Moving too aggressively could be a distraction and rob the government of people whose experience is needed to get the country back on its feet, some fear. Moving too slowly could allow corruption to get entrenched again.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/libya-ponders-when-to-investigate-deep-rooted-corruption/2011/09/13/gIQA8bidaK_story.html

Transparency International ranked Libya as one of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2010, at 146 out of 178 countries, on a par with such places as Haiti, Iran, Cameroon and Yemen.

[tabatha]

49. CNN's Phil Black has the latest on opposition fighters battling for control of the country

Very good summary of what is happening on the ground. Best I have seen/heard.

http://youtu.be/9UqOEaMNUsA

[tabatha]

50. #Sirte

Sirte_Feb17 Sirtawi
5 G thugs responsible for launching Scud missiles from #Sirte were caught today. They had vids showing their operations. #gaddaficrimes

sharon lynch
RT @Marguer_d: MT @sirte_feb17: Dr A Trabilsi who fled #Sirte a bit be4 Ramadan confirms beating & torturing of prisoners in #Sirte by #Gaddafi loyalists.

[joshcryer]

51. Blair's two trips to see Gaddafi

Blair's two trips to see Gaddafi
Former prime minister Tony Blair twice visited Libya for talks with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in the months leading up to the release of the Lockerbie bomber, it has been disclosed.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that documents discovered in Tripoli showed that the ousted dictator had arranged to fly Mr Blair on his private jet for meetings in June 2008 and April 2009.

The talks came at a time when Libya was threatening to sever all commercial links with Britain if Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was not released from the Scottish prison where he was being held for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103.

A spokesman for Mr Blair acknowledged that the Libyans had raised the issue of Megrahi's release but said that the former premier had simply told them that it was a matter for the Scottish Executive. The spokesman added that there had been no "commercial or business element" to the meetings.

[pinboy3niner]

52. LIBYAN REVOLUTION DAY 213: CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 5 AM SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

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










Inside one of Gaddafi's torture cells
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030931/Libya-Inside-Gaddafis-torture-chamber-The-bloodstained-cells-inside-primary-school-used-brutalise-enemies.html

[tabatha]

53. hominoid555 tweets

WARDLORNASKY LORNA WARD
by hominoid555
#Libya: roads and checkpoints into Tripoli from the Tunisian border clogged with cars as families come home to their home towns
6 hours ago

WARDLORNASKY LORNA WARD
by hominoid555
#Libya: Libyan families streaming back into the country over the Tunisian border, confident that it's safe enough to return
6 hours ago

Russell
hominoid555 Russell
Captured the gang that had been bombing the city of Misrata with Scud missiles five of them one with the rank of colonel plus video evidence
5 hours ago

[joshcryer]

54. Libyan children start school year without Gadhafi

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/17/general-ml-libya-back-to-school_8685314.html">Libyan children start school year without Gadhafi
Boys and girls chanted anti-Moammar Gadhafi slogans while teachers hung an effigy of the fugitive leader Saturday as Libyan children started their first school year without the "brother leader" dictating everything from the curriculum to what books they should read.

It was a festive atmosphere as children wearing ribbons and decked out in the revolutionary colors of red, green and black greeted each other, many for the first time since Tripoli fell to anti-Gadhafi forces late last month.

"We will have a very good future without Gadhafi," said Bahoula Salam Ergei, a 37-year-old teacher at the Al-Fayha School in Tripoli. "We have to explain to the children what's new with the revolution and help them forget the violence."

As she spoke several boys ran around the courtyard unfurling the revolutionary flag that has replaced Gadhafi's green banner.

[joshcryer]

55. Building a democratic nation will be hard work

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=114845">Building a democratic nation will be hard work
FOR decades, the possibility of a Libya without Muammar Gadhafi seemed just a dream. But today, Tripoli’s central square is adorned with the three colours of the pro-democracy forces’ flag. The once-omnipresent pictures of Gadhafi are gone. As that regime gasps its last breath, the Libyan people and the National Transitional Council (NTC) are writing the first chapter of a free Libya.

The NTC has been planning this transition for more than six months. Our accomplishments in the midst of the turbulence of war foreshadow what a free Libya can accomplish in the years to come. Some in the international community question the NTC and what it stands for. The answer lies in our name. We are a ‘transitional’ government responsible for steering the nation from an intense conflict with Gadhafi regime forces, now approaching its end, to the establishment of a democratic government.

...

The NTC has made clear that it condemns any form of reprisal attacks; in the new Libya, the human rights of all citizens must be respected. We recognise the importance of making sure every Libyan has a stake in the creation of a democratic nation. The NTC could not have achieved its military successes without the help of Nato and the countries that rushed to its aid.

...

The NTC also calls on the international community to help it track down funds still hidden by Gadhafi. In February, the youth of Libya rose up. They were the driving force in making this beginning possible, and Libyans everywhere are thankful for their incredible bravery and sacrifice. We are rebuilding Libya for them and for many future generations. We are asking them to participate in all aspects of civic affairs and government. Building a free and democratic Libya will be hard work. But if we move forward with the same courage and selflessness of the people who took to the streets on February 17, I am confident we will prevail.

[tabatha]

56. Gaddafi ordered the deaths of senior officials - Senior Libyan judge

17/09/2011
By Khaled Mahmoud

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Libyan Judge Muhammad Bashir al-Khaddar was one of the most prominent judicial figures in Gaddafi’s Libya. Al-Khaddar also served as one of the most senior Libyan military judges in the Gaddafi regime. In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Khaddar revealed many of the Gaddafi regime’s most closely-held secrets.

Al-Khaddar, who also served as a senior legal adviser to the Libyan Ministry of Defense over the past 25 years, revealed that Shiite cleric Musa al-Sadr, who disappeared from Libya in August 1978, was killed after getting into an argument with then Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Al-Khaddar also claimed that Gaddafi ordered the death of a number of senior Libyan officials, including former Libyan Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Bashari. He also revealed the truth behind the infamous Abu Salim prison massacre of 1996.

The following is the full text of the interview:

(Asharq Al-Awsat) Let us start with the investigations that you conducted into the massacre at Gaddafi’s notorious Abu Salim prison in 1995. Do you consider what happened to be a crime?

(Al-Khaddar) When I first began to investigate this case (in 2009) I did not know much about it; this was an obscure case in Libya, with many people believing that it was nothing more than a group of prisoners who attempted to escape, with between 4 and 10 prisoners being killed…so there was not much specific information about this case. Two lawyers brought the true story to light, namely Abdul Hafiz Ghoga and Fathi Terbil. Ghoga is the vice-chairman of the National Transitional Council , and Terbil is a human rights lawyer.

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=26617

[pinboy3niner]

57. Two Libyan defector fighter jet pilots to return home from Malta

From AJE's Live Blog:

Two Libyan fighter jet pilots who had defected to Malta in February will reportedly return to their home country.

The men say they were ordered to bomb protesters in Benghazi, but diverted their planes to Malta at the last minute.

Months later, they are expected to receive a hero's welcome upon their return.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-18-2011-0843

[tabatha]

58. Peacefare - So far so good

Posted in Libya - 18 September 2011 by Daniel Serwer - No comment
Free Libya seems to me headed in the right direction. It could still be diverted, in particular if Qaddafi manages to raise an insurgency or if the revolutionary militias fall out with each other and begin internecine fighting. But the National Transitional Council (NTC seems to have won the battle with TNC) has legitimacy in the eyes of every Libyan I’ve talked with. They like the roadmap to elections and the constitution the NTC has laid out, they like what they regard as its uncorrupted leadership, and they have confidence that things will improve because of Libya’s vast oil and gas resources.

I’ve never been in a post-war situation with as much unanimity and solidarity on main issues as here. You can see it literally painted all over both Benghazi and Tripoli–the pre-Qaddafi (royalist) flag that symbolizes, Libyans tell me, independence (not the monarchy that flew it originally). Their anthem, they say, is not a “national” anthem but an “independence” anthem (they’ve of course ditched Qaddafi’s and brought back the royal one). I bought a flag in Benghazi’s Court House square, to join the excessive number of symbols of freedom that decorate my office at Johns Hopkins/SAIS. It would be hard to leave Libya without it.

The sense of solidarity and unanimity extends to Tripoli, though it certainly does not entirely fill the vast expanse between the two cities. There is still fighting at Sirte, Bani Walid and other places where Qaddafi’s loyalists are holding out. There is a question whether the NTC can reach out and extend its big tent approach to those who live in central Libya, but they have certainly engaged Tripoli, at least for now.

http://www.peacefare.net/?p=4744

[pinboy3niner]

59. Losers in Libya

Source: TIME Magazine

By Jorge Castañeda Friday, Sept. 16, 2011



No matter how long it takes to find Muammar Gaddafi, it is now relatively easy to draw up a scorecard on the six-month conflict in Libya and anoint the winners and losers. The biggest winners are, of course, the Libyan people who, with the help of the international community, rode the wave that started in Tunisia and Cairo and overthrew their own dictator. Whatever the final outcome of the current turmoil in the country, it can hardly be worse than the previous 42 years.


A second group of winners includes Nicolas Sarkozy, David Cameron and Barack Obama. It was the leaders of France and the U.K. who persuaded the U.S. President to press for a U.N. mandate to intervene in Libya, and it was Obama who supplied the firepower without which no intervention could have succeeded. At a time when none of the three leaders is faring well in opinion polls in their own countries, the success of their Libya campaign must provide some measure of consolation.


And, finally, international organizations, ranging from the U.N. and the International Criminal Court to the Arab League, can congratulate themselves for a nearly perfect antipode to the Iraqi fiasco. The multilateral mechanisms worked, regional support held steady, the cost was high but not nearly of the magnitude of Iraq, and the return to normality in Libya appears relatively near. Compared with 2003, there is a world of difference.

...


But perhaps the biggest losers outside of the Gaddafi family were those countries that explicitly opposed the very notion of intervention by the international community to protect civilians and remove dictators, even with a multilateral mandate. There were two categories of such opponents: the shameless supporters of the Libyan regime and the shameful fence-sitters who waffled endlessly.

...


Castañeda, formerly Mexico's Foreign Minister, is a global distinguished professor at New York University


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2093345,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

[tabatha]

60. Benghazi, Libya: A city in foul disrepair, euphoric that other world powers intervened

BENGHAZI, Libya -- Benghazi may possess the most soulless cityscape on the Mediterranean, full of boxy new buildings that lack any architectural motif or sense of place and new dwellings with all the charm of high rises in Communist East Germany. "They're like prisons" says Ali Tarhouni, the new regime's finance and oil minister, of housing being built by Chinese contractors.

In the vast empty spaces that abut Benghazi's tangle of elevated highways, garbage is strewn as far as the eye can see. At the city's two showpiece hotels, located on an otherwise charming lake, the raw sewage that pollutes the water is enough to keep any visitor indoors. Trash litters the seaside, the water unsafe for swimming or fishing, and many buildings along the shore are derelict or decrepit.

But make no mistake: this is one of the happiest and most exciting cities in the world.

It was in Benghazi that Libya's improbable revolution got its start on Feb.17 with a protest commemorating a 1990s prison massacre that few non-Libyans have ever heard of. A month later, it was Moammar Gadhafi's threat to have "no mercy ... no pity" in Benghazi that jolted the powers on the U.N. Security Council to approve a NATO armed intervention. How many lives were saved by the NATO bombing of Gadhafi's armored units is unknowable, but many here think it was upward of 200,000. Benghazi became the base for the National Transitional Council and the beacon for the uprising elsewhere - Libya's answer to Leipzig in the East German revolution of 1989.

With the fall of Tripoli in late August and the interim government's promises of a representative democracy to follow, and bearing in mind their own near-death experience, townspeople here are walking on air - a good thing, considering their surroundings.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/17/2411870_benghazi-libya-a-city-in-foul.html#storylink=twtuser#ixzz1YI3xHFtm

[pinboy3niner]

61. Saif Gaddafi was reported seen in Bani Walid yesterday--Al Jazeera nt

[pinboy3niner]

62. AP reports Gaddafi forces launch attack on Libyan fighters at Bani walid

Rebel positions have taken mortar fire and loyalists tried to ambush them, according to the news agency.

The mortars targeted a building where revolutionary forces were taking cover as well as the town's northern entrance, kicking up sand and filling the sky with black smoke. Anti-Gadhafi fighters returned fire with machine guns and rockets.

A rebel commander told Reuters that fighting continued throughout the night into Sunday.

"Most areas north of the central valley are clear. It is a big fight," (rebel field commander Absalim Gnuna) said, as his fighters squatted behind walls and vehicles to shield themselves from heavy shell fire.

[pinboy3niner]

63. Anti-Gaddafi fighters have captured town of Sabha in the South--Al Jazeera nt

[pinboy3niner]

67. The report above may not be accurate

The news was reported in one sentence by the AJE anchor, but it has not been repeated and has not appeared on AJE's Live Blog. No other sources have reported the taking of Sabha, and AP's report less than 20 minutes ago has this:

On a third front in Libya's southern desert, hundreds of revolutionary fighters were negotiating with villagers in the still pro-Gadhafi region to surrender peacefully. The fighters collected on a road near the Nahrouqa village on Sunday.

Col. Bashir Awidat has said they seek to secure the surrounding hinterlands before moving against Sabha, the main southern urban center about 400 miles (650 kilometers) south of Tripoli.

http://news.yahoo.com/fresh-fighting-near-libyan-town-bani-walid-104227846.html

[pinboy3niner]

64. UPDATED | Defected Libyan pilots return home

Source: Malta Today

Sunday, September 18, 2011

By Miriam Dalli



Two Libyan air force pilots, who defected to Malta with Mirage fighter jets last February, have this morning left the island to return to Libya.


The two Libyan pilots who defected to Malta just three days after the Libyan revolution started will today return home to their families, with plans to join the air force under the new Libyan government.

...


“Their heroic decision sent a strong message, calling for the respect for human rights. They refused to bomb a village. By choosing to fly to Malta, they made the braver choice,” (Malta's Prime Minister Lawrence) Gonzi said.

...


Recalling the day they defected – Monday 21 February – the pilots said their Commander had issued an order to bombard a village. “But after 30 minutes we took the decision not to follow the orders,” the pilots said.

...


http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/node/13847

AJE is showing video footage of the pilots returning to a hero's welcome in Libya today.

[pinboy3niner]

65. CNN journalist injured in attack near Sirte

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• An anti-Gadhafi convoy comes under fire

• A rocket propelled grenade attack wounds a CNN producer

•Ian Lee gets treated for shrapnel in his leg

By the CNN Wire Staff

September 17, 2011 -- Updated 1841 GMT (0241 HKT)


Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A Libyan revolutionary fighters' convoy came under attack Saturday on the outskirts of Sirte, the birthplace of Moammar Gadhafi, injuring a CNN journalist who was traveling with them.

Ian Lee was treated for shrapnel in his ankle in a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack. He was in good spirits and was able to speak with his family by phone.

...


From a roundabout on the edge of the city, where revolutionaries have been amassing, the CNN team followed fighters heading north towards the sea to evacuate civilians, said CNN correspondent Phil Black, who was with Lee.

...


http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/09/17/libya.war.journalists/

[pinboy3niner]

66. 36 interim cabinet members are expected to be announced by NTC at about 16:00 GMT

36 interim cabinet members are expected to be announced at about 16:00 GMT, as the NTC debates the make up of the new government.

"What we know for sure is that it will be represented 36 people from different parts of Libya," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reporting from Tripoli said.

"By that they would like to ensure a representation that takes into account all different ethnic groups and all different cities.

"They do understand that the stakes ahead and the challenges facing this pro-Gaddafi Libya are going to be incredibly high, and for this they want people who (have) no affiliations with the Gaddafi time."

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-18-2011-1328

In a live report on AJE, Ahelbarra said the cabinet was to include 2 women, and would not include the current NTC ministers of defense and interior.

[pinboy3niner]

68. CNN: Battle for Libya continues

CNN's Natalie Allen speaks with Phil Black about reports that Gadhafi loyalist no longer control parts of Sirte, Libya. Sep 18, 2011 | 04:27

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2011/09/18/allen-black-libya-battles.cnn

[joshcryer]

69. Week 31 part 2 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1960179