Links to sites with updates:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya">AJE Libya Live Blog
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/twitter-dashboard">AJE Twitter Dashboard
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/libya">The Guardian
http://uk.reuters.com/places/libya">Reuters
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/">Telegraph
http://feb17.info/">feb17.info
http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks">Libya Alhurra (live video webcast from Benghazi)
http://libya-alhurra.tumblr.com/">Libya Alhurra archives and updates
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/benghaziradio">Benghazi Free Radio, in Arabic (may have translators present at times)
http://www.tributefm.com/">Tribute FM (English broadcast from Benghazi)
http://www.libyafeb17.com/">libyafeb17.com
Twitter links:
http://twitter.com/#!/aymanm">Ayman Mohyeldin, with AJE
http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn">Ben Wedeman, with CNN
http://twitter.com/#!/tripolitanian">tripolitanian, a Libyan from Tripoli
http://twitter.com/#!/BaghdadBrian">Brian Conley, reporter in Libya
http://twitter.com/#!/freelibyanyouth">FreeLibyanYouth, Libyan advocate
http://twitter.com/#!/LibyaFeb17_com">LibyaFeb17.com twitter account
http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya">ChangeInLibya, Libyan advocate
https://twitter.com/#!/TheyCallMeSof">Sofyan Amry (arrived in Benghazi recently)
http://twitter.com/#!/KiloFoot">KiloFoot (general Arab Spring news aggregation)
Useful links:
http://audioboo.fm/feb17voices">feb17voices
http://www.google.com/search?q=time+in+libya">Current time in Libya
http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerNew.php?country=libya">Prayer times in Libya
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1479418">Week 21 part 2 here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwx_B38678">Marching On in Libya, for the revolutionaries!A rebel lookout on top of a mountain in Bir Ayyad.
Bryan Denton for The New York Times
Day 142 July 9http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15213963,00.html">Defectors line up in Libya's Western mountains rebel stronghold
Formed by defectors from the Libyan army, the Western mountains' first National Army battalion is the most experienced group among opposition rebels fighting at the frontline close to Tripoli.http://www.theafricareport.com/archives2/politics/5166440-libya-wade-calls-for-gaddafi-to-step-down.html">Senegal's President Wade calls for Gaddafi to step down
Speaking from the rebel-held city of Benghazi, Senegal’s president Abdoulaye Wade had a message for Libya’s leaderhttp://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-9-2011-1656">Libyan rebels set sights on town of Asablah, on road to Gharyan
Libyan rebels said they were preparing on Saturday to push forward in their drive on Tripoli from the south and west in a bid to isolate Muammar Gaddafi in the ever-closer capital.http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201106/libya-revolution-qaddafi-story-june-2011">This is How You Start a War: Libya's Frantic Fight for the Future
Ahmed Sanalla sent his first tweet at 12:38 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, from Benghazi. He'd never tweeted before, but he figured out the language.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/20117941019938272.html">Report from the front line, east of Zlitan
Abdul Maymen was an 18-year old student before he joined the rebels to fight alongside his uncle and his neighbours.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/0709/1224300113146.html">Writing into history
HERE IS A STORY Libyan novelist Hisham Matar often tells of the regime that forced his family into exile and later spirited his father away. It dates back to the early years of Col Muammar Gadafy’s experiment in tyranny, a time of fear and purges, a time when dissidents were hanged in public as the mercurial young army officer sought to remake Libya in his own image.
http://feb17.info/news/a-more-complex-picture-of-gadhafis-african-fighters/">A More Complex Picture Of Gadhafi’s African Fighters
At a makeshift prison located in a school in Zintan in the western mountains of Libya, the prison warden lists the nationalities of the most recent batch of Africans captured in the fighting this week.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/07/how-libyan-rebels-came-be-called-rebels-against-their-will/39738">How the Libyan Rebels Came to Be Called 'Rebels,' Against Their Will
So how did this whole "rebel" thing get started?
http://shabablibya.org/news/dont-call-us-rebels-2">Don’t Call Us Rebels
It was getting late for a foray to the front. There was perhaps an hour’s light left in the sinking sun. Not much time to negotiate our way up there and back before dark.
http://vimeo.com/26181926">Daily life in Misrata during war - video
Video by Rachel Beth Anderson, who says, "Daily life in Misrata, Libya will never be the same after the uprising began and the entire city was under siege.
Day 143 July 10Day 144 July 11http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFL6E7IA06W20110710?sp=true">NATO answers refugee boat's mayday off Libya
NATO aircraft and a warship went to the aid of an overcrowded vessel in danger of sinking off the coast of Libya on Sunday with dozens of refugees aboard.http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_689395.html">Gaddafi forces counter-attack as rebels cut his oil
FORCES loyal to Muammar Gaddafi launched a counter-attack on Sunday against rebel advance positions southwest of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent said, as rebels cut off an oil pipeline used to supply the Libyan strongman's forces.http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/07/11/libyan-youths-from-gaddafi-towns-join-rebels">Libyan youths from Gaddafi towns join rebels
Scores of youths who fled towns and cities held by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces have joined rebels on the front line in the Nafusa mountains, armed with local knowledge and enthusiasm.http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gzFfB-Rg6k8L1N4j6qyUs_ygq7Kw?docId=CNG.5daf9b1852bed4e2e24c039d0b187f02.9d1">Libyan rebels battle to keep grip on mountain hamlet
Libyan rebels said Monday they clashed with forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi in the vicinity of Gualish, a desert hamlet southwest of Tripoli.http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-war-20110711,0,7485060,full.story">In rebel-held Libya, men find new identities as warriors
The war against Moammar Kadafi has taken over a long-sleepy mountain region, turning shepherds into fierce fighters, pastures into battlegrounds. Many wonder whether they'll ever return to their old lives.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/11/uk-libya-berber-idUKTRE76A4QE20110711">Berber culture reborn in Libya revolt
In a packed classroom on a cool evening near the front line in Libya's civil war, 15-year-old Mira is teaching children to spell out the names of animals in the ancient Berber script, an act that once could have landed her in one of Muammar Gaddafi's jails.
Day 145 July 12Day 146 July 13http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/libyas-rebel-fighters-form-united-command-20110713-1hcm5.html">Libya's rebel fighters form united command
Libya's ragtag rebels said they had moved a step closer to becoming a coherent military force, as they announced a unified command structure for the first time.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/world/africa/13libya.html">Libyan Rebels Accused of Pillage and Beatings in Towns They Captured
Rebels in the mountains in Libya’s west have looted and damaged four towns seized since last month from the forces of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, part of a series of abuses and apparent reprisals against suspected loyalists that have chased residents of these towns away, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Rebels_Gaining_on_Gadhafi_Regime_125450448.html">Rebels Gaining on Gadhafi Regime
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is facing dramatic shortages of fuel for his soldiers and citizens in Tripoli, and he is running out of cash to pay his forces and what is left of his government, according to the latest U.S. intelligence reports. In France, the foreign minister reported that Gadhafi is prepared to leave power.http://www.expatica.com/be/news/belgian-news/three-more-eu-nations-recognise-libya-rebels_162839.html">Three more EU nations recognise Libya rebels
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands recognise the opposition National Transitional Council as the Libyan people's legitimate representativehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43736861/ns/world_news-africa/">Rebels clash with Gaddafi troops south of Tripoli
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared to have launched an offensive on Wednesday to retake the frontline village of al-Qawalish seized by rebels last week.http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/libya-rebels-on-the-march-20110714-1hefj.html">Rebel breakthrough: They repulse Gaddafi forces, pursue them back to Asabah
Libyan rebels have repulsed loyalists who had retaken the desert hamlet of Gualish and pursued their enemy to the outskirts of the strategic town of Asabah, where they were shelling it from surrounding hills, reports say.http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201171319645404106.html">Ball bearing-filled rockets hit Ajdabiya, four civilians wounded
... at least two rockets filled with ball bearings crashed down on the rebel-held eastern Libyan town of Ajdabiya on Wednesday, injuring four people and causing extensive damage to three homes.http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/13/muammar-gaddafi-oil-algeria">Will oil bring Muammar Gaddafi down?
Gaddafi's fuel stores are insufficient for the military and civilian challenges he faces. Algeria could pull the rug from under him
Day 147 July 14http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8464254/Libya-Col-Gaddafi-has-spent-2.1m-on-mercenaries.html">Libya: Col Gaddafi 'has spent £2.1m on mercenaries'
Details of a deal to recruit 450 fighters from the disputed Western Sahara region have been passed to Nato officials by a former Gaddafi loyalist who was involved in the negotiations before defecting to the rebels.http://youtu.be/hKygmfyAXD8">Criminals Released in the Streets in Hopes they Support Gaddafi - video
As much as unbeleivable as this may seem, Prisons in libya have been emptied in exchange that the prisoners Support Gaddafi.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l2MTGzPkiY">Here's a video of money found on these kind of people, it's old outdated money
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/13/uk-libya-idUKTRE76C1H420110713">Libya rebels retake village south of Tripoli
Rebel fighters said on Wednesday they had retaken a village south of the capital they lost to forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi earlier in the day, boosting rebel plans for a march on Tripoli.http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/fighting+better+Libya/5099227/story.html">Why we're fighting for a better Libya
Twenty thousand martyred, another 50,000 ' injured."http://www.christianpost.com/news/france-agrees-funding-to-bring-end-to-gaddafis-libya-52275/">France Agrees Funding to Bring End to Gaddafi's Libya
On Tuesday, legislators voted to increase funding that would enable the French military in Libya to end upheaval in the country.http://shabablibya.org/news/libya-rebels-find-landmines-after-gaddafi-troops-flee">Libya rebels find landmines after Gaddafi troops flee
Libyan rebels ran into a minefield when they recaptured a frontline village from Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, they said on Thursday, providing fresh evidence government troops are using mines in the uprising.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/14/libya-gaddafi-troops-demoralised-prisoners-of-war">Libyan rebels capture demoralised Gaddafi troops
The youngest was Issa Yousef, 17, a student and steelworker of Malian origin who joined a month ago. Speaking through an interpreter, he said: "They said we'll give you money when this attack has finished: 1,000 dinars (£500) a month and Libyan citizenship." He never saw either.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47165">Exposing Gathafi’s Agenda for Libya
No matter how hard Gathafi tries to ignite a regional conflict Libyans and Europeans are way more civilized than he gives them credit for and therefore would never descend to his level of blind hate and deplorable machinations, says Nizar Awad.
Day 148 July 15http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x594751">A topic on the women of the revolution, dispels myths about the treatment of women in Benghazi.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x677397">Text of UN resolution 1973. How will a no fly zone work?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWEwehTtK2k">AJE reports.
Belgium:
http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/monde/2011-03-21/les-f-16-belges-dans-le-feu-de-l-action-829588.php">Six F-16 Falcon fighter jets of the Belgian Air Component.
Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Navy Wielingen class frigate Drazki
http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2011-03-23&article=35828">will participate in the naval blockade.
Canada: Canadian Forces Air Command has deployed
http://www.cefcom-comfec.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/mobile/index-eng.asp">a total 440 military personnel as well as the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown are participating in operations.
Denmark: The Royal Danish Air Force
http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1227910/denmark-to-send-squadron-on-libya-op/">is participating with six F-16AM fighters.
France: French Air Force which realizes 25% of NATO's strikes
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/autres-operations/harmattan/libye-debut-des-operations-aeriennes-francaises">is participating in the mission with 51 Mirage and Rafale Aircraft.
Greece: The Elli-class frigate Limnos of the Hellenic Navy
http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2011/03/20/greek-defence-ministry-no-participation-in-operations-outside-the-nato/">is currently in the waters off Libya as part of the naval blockade.
Italy: Four Tornado ECRs of the Italian Air Force
http://www.corriere.it/esteri/11_marzo_20/tripoli-bombardamento-chiesta-riunione-onu_2e95d102-52c0-11e0-a725-dbe20f0ba2b5.shtml">participated in SEAD operations.
Jordan: Six Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter jets
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90043651?After%20hesitation%2C%20Jordan%20joins%20in%20Libya%20no-fly%20campaign">landed at a coalition airbase in Europe on 4 April to provide "logistical support."
NATO: E-3 airborne early warning and control (AWACS)
http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/nordtrondelag/article1606878.ece">aircraft operated by NATO.
Netherlands: The Royal Netherlands Air Force
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-f-16s-operational-over-libya">provides six F-16AM fighters and a KDC-10 refuelling plane.
Norway: The Royal Norwegian Air Force has
http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/libya/artikkel.php?artid=10091294">deployed six F-16AM fighters to Souda Bay Air Base.
Qatar: The Qatar Armed Forces are
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123248695">contributing six Mirage 2000-5EDA fighter jets and two C-17 strategic transport aircraft.
Romania: The Romanian Naval Forces
http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-8423876-traian-basescu-sustine-declaratie-presa-ora-21-00-dupa-sedinta-csat.htm">will participate in the naval blockade with the frigate Regele Ferdinand.
Spain: The Spanish Armed Forces are
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Espana/intervendra/cazas/F-18/fragata/F-100/submarino/avion/vigilancia/maritima/elpepuint/20110319elpepuint_14/Tes">participating with four F-18 fighters.
Sweden: The Royal Swedish Air Force will
http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/9050-sweden-offers-eight-fighter-jets-for-libya-mission">commit eight JAS 39 Gripen jets for the international air campaign.
Turkey: The Turkish Navy
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/24/general-libya-diplomacy_8373237.html">will participate with five ships and one submarine in the NATO-led naval blockade to enforce the arms embargo.
United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates Air Force
http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1300255413630&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews">sent six F-16 Falcon and six Mirage 2000 fighter jets to join the mission.
United Kingdom: The Royal Air Force has
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/TyphoonJoinsTornadoInLibyaGroundAttackOperations.htm">deployed 12 Tornado and 10 Typhoon fighters, surveillance aircraft, and air refuelling tankers.
United States: The United States has
http://www.webcitation.org/5xJ8qNGGe">deployed a naval force of 11 ships and are using MQ-1 Predator UAVs to strike targets in Libya on 23 April.
As of this week the National Trasitional Council has been
formally recognized by
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_Libyan_Republic#Recognition">23 countries.
France (March 10),
Qatar (March 28),
Maldives (April 3),
Italy (April 4),
Kuwait (April 13),
The Gambia (April 22),
Jordan (April 24),
Sengal (April 28),
The United Kingdom (June 4),
Spain (June 8),
Australia (June 9),
UAE (June 12),
Germany (June 13),
Canada (June 14),
Panama (June 14),
Austria (June 18),
Latvia (June 20),
Denmark (June 22),
Bulgaria (June 28),
Croatia (June 28),
Czech Republic (June 29),
Turkey (July 3),
Poland (July 9),
Netherlands (July 13),
Belgium (July 13),
Luxembourg (July 13),
United States (July 15),
Japan (July 15).
"One month ago (Western countries) were sooo nice, so nice like pussycats," Saif says in a contemptuous sing-song tone.
"Now they want to be really aggressive like tigers. (But) soon they will come back, and cut oil deals, contracts. We know this game." -
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2058389,00.html">Saif Gaddafi
(Yeah, Saif, as if you weren't "cutting oil deals, contracts" with western states. Who are the 'tigers' now? Bombing your own people.)
http://english.libya.tv/2011/04/25/eastern-libyans-believe-in-national-unity-distrust-au-and-turkish-mediation-survey-reveals/">The first free public opinion poll ever conducted in Libya reveals clues to Eastern Libyan sentiments
*
98 percent of the respondents do not support the division of Libya as a part of the political solution for the current conflict with the Gaddafi regime.
Around 95 percent also don’t see any role for Gaddafi or his sons in a transitional period, and think it is impossible to implement any political reform in Libya if Gaddafi or one of his sons stays in power
*
Around 96 percent of those polled, believe that the 17th of February revolution can consolidate the national unity of Libya and support the model of a democratic Libya based on a constitution which respects human rights*
Al-Qaeda has not played any role in the 17th of February revolution, say 94 percent of the Eastern Libyans, and 91 percent thinks it’s impossible for Al-Qaeda to play any political role in the new Libya*
The National Transitional Council is seen by 92 percent of those surveyed as “expressing the views and wishes of Libyans for change” This is equivalent to 17% the entire population of Libya, doing the numbers very conservatively.
http://jenkinsear.com/2011/03/19/a-legal-war-the-united-nations-participation-act-and-libya/">A Legal War: The United Nations Participation Act and Libya
The above link is to an overview of why Obama's implementation of the NFZ and R2P is perfectly legal under the law. I will not post it entirely here, however, all objections come down to the misinformed position that Obama, by using forces in Libya, was invoking Article 43 of the United Nations. This is wrong. Obama invoked Article 42, which
does not require congressional approval to implement. Proof of this is that Article 43 has
http://www.un.org/en/sc/repertoire/actions.shtml#rel5">never been used.
It goes like this: The US law (Title 22, Chap. 7, Subchap. XIV § 287d) grants the President the right to invoke UN Article 42
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode22/usc_sec_22_00000287---d000-.html">without authorization, the War Powers Act (Title 50, Chap. 33 § 1541) grants the President permission to act without authorization under
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/50/1541–1548.html">"specific statutory authorization" which, by definition, is what 287d does. § 1543 of the War Powers Act requires the President to report to Congress,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/obama_explains_libya_mission_to_congress/2011/03/03/ABU9377_blog.html">which he did. One can argue all day and night about the legality of the War Powers Act, doesn't change the fact that under the law as it is written, the President acted within the law.
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 beganI'm struggling to come up with something to say about this man. I was not aware of the Libyan uprising until I saw Mo's first report, begging for help, posted here on DU. I was stricken. Here was a man giving everything he had to explain a situation that clearly terrified him, I would not call him a coward in that moment, but you could see the fear in his eyes, and desperation in his voice. For 30 days Nabbous would spend many hours covering the uprising in Benghazi. For many nights I would go to sleep with the webcast of Benghazi live on my computer screen, looking to it occasionally to be sure it was still 'there.' Mo treated the chat room as if we were his friends, and in some way, we were. I never signed up to LiveStream to thank him for all his work and it seems somewhat shallow to do so now, given that I was a lurker for so long. Ever since I took over posting these threads "Libya Alhurra" has been linked as a source of information. It wasn't until last night, when I posted, and twitter posted on Mo's adventures out into Benghazi to try to determine the truth of the situation, that Mo's webchannel became a hit, over 2000 people were watching him stream live. This was curious to him because he'd done many reports like this in the past but he appeared somewhat bemused that the view count exploded as it did. Last night Mo became a star. This is a man who first started out with a webcast replete with fear and desperation finally overcoming that aspect of himself and losing that fear, to become someone who was a fighter for the resistance just as much as those who held the guns. Reporting on the front lines of Benghazi became his final act, and for that he should never, ever be forgotten. I'm so sorry Mo that I never got to know you better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAclhhHv43s&feature=player_ded">Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire is a documentary about Mo's last days, please watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EXALI60hg">Mo's first report, which many of you may remember, begging for help.
Mo leaves behind a wife and a newborn child she had
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/23/a_bright_voice_from_libyas_darkness">this to say about the No Fly Zone and R2P UN resolution:
We started this in a pure way, but he turned it bloody. Thousands of our men, women, and children have died. We just wanted our freedom, that's all we wanted, we didn't want power. Before, we could not do a single thing if it was not the way he wanted it. All we wanted was freedom. All we wanted was to be free. We have paid with our blood, with our families, with our men, and we're not going to give up. We are still going to do that no matter what it takes, but we need help. We want to do this ourselves, but we don't have the weapons, the technology, the things we need. I don't want anyone to say that Libya got liberated by anybody else. If NATO didn't start moving when they did, I assure you, I assure you, half of Benghazi if not more would have been killed. If they stop helping us, we are going to be all killed because he has no mercy anymore.