Libya Revolution Day 28 (the UN decides)

[joshcryer]

Links to sites with updates: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17">AJE Live Blog March 17 (today) http://blogs.aljazeera.net/twitter-dashboard">AJE Twitter Dashboard 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://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

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=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=664618&mesg_id=669514">Day 28 part 1 here.

Revolutionaries captured this fuel tanker yesterday

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-16#update-13676">8:23pm More on the fighting in Ajdabiyah, where Reuters reports that "weary" government soldiers returning from the front lines told journalists that they were meeting "renewed resistance" from the rebels.

The rebels, meanwhile, appear confident of turning the tide, warning of "surprises".

"The fighting is fierce. His supply lines are stretched so he can't push on from Ajdabiyah. We've got some surprises in store. We're going to fight on and we're going to win," said Mustafa Gheiriani, a rebel spokesman in Benghazi.

Reinforcements from Benghazi are said to be heading to Ajdabiyah to help rebels there.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-16#update-13836">10:23pm Updates from Misurata now, where pro-democracy fighters say they are holding their ground against an assault by pro-Gaddafi troops.

"The fighters have defeated Gaddafi's forces from the southern and western side (of the city)," a resident, who gave his name as Mohammed, told Reuters by telephone.

"The shelling on the city stopped and the rebels have captured some tanks. The battle is continuing on the eastern side, but it is not a heavy one."

"They are trying to enter the city. I do not think they will be able to do it, at least not today," a pro-democracy fighter said.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-16#update-13851">10:43pm In an interview with the French Le Figaro newspaper, Muammar Gaddafi says he will win "because the people are with me". He has dismissed the idea of dialogue with the opposition, saying that there can be no dialogue with "al-Qaeda".

He also alleges that pro-democracy activists in Benghazi are "gangs" who are "likely to use citizens as human shields".

Gaddafi claims that soldiers who now refuse to accept his authority and have joined the opposition were "forced" to do so by "terrorists" who "did not let them have a choice".

He says that the government is still not using force, and that its current strategy is to "progressively dismantle armed groups through various means", including encircling cities and sending in negotiators.

While Gaddafi spoke yesterday, protestors in Benghazi threw shoes

"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.)

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

And so it began.

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/europe/2011/03/2011310193023263578.html">France recognises Libya opposition: France has now officially recognised the National Council, the alternative government set up by the Libyan opposition in Benghazi, and has severed ties with Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Reports from France, meanwhile, indicate that Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is also considering lobbying the EU to back air strikes against specific targets in Libya.

Al Jazeera's Tim Friend reports from Paris.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/feb/27/libya-tripoli-unrest-gaddafi-map">Click here for updated and interactive map

Military Installations



Oil Map



http://bit.ly/fe3P">Google Earth DL here to see positions of army and patrolling route of mercenaries

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=212059469427545728757.00049c4df2474b6543347&ll=31.203405,30.058594&spn=96.173452,183.867188&z=3">MAP of Protests across the Middle East

[joshcryer]

1. Current time in Libya 12:51pm Thursday, March 17.

[joshcryer]

2. Draft UN resolution (no troops on the ground, no implication as such, only NFZ):

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/March_16_LibyaDraftResolution2011_1.pdf

[joshcryer]

3. Decisive battle looms in Libya, UN votes

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/9023805/decisive-battle-looms-in-libya-un-votes/">Decisive battle looms in Libya, UN votes
Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi says his forces are poised to fight a "decisive battle", as diplomats backing a no-fly zone to rein him in pressed for a vote at the UN Security Council.

Gaddafi's latest comments came after his forces pressed rebels in the west on Wednesday and threatened their eastern bastion of Benghazi, despite calls from UN chief Ban Ki-moon for an immediate ceasefire.

"The battle starts today (Wednesday) at Misrata and tomorrow, that will be the decisive battle," said Gaddafi, state television reported, referring to the country's third city, which has a population of half a million.

"From this evening, you are going to be called to take up arms and tomorrow you will take part in the battle," he added, addressing a group of young people from Misrata, the report said.

[pinboy3niner]

4. Libyan rebels prepare to defend main stronghold

Libyan rebels prepare to defend main stronghold


By RYAN LUCAS, The Associated Press


TOBRUK, Libya — Libya's opposition says it is ready to defend its main stronghold in the rebel-controlled east if Moammar Gadhafi's forces try to advance toward it.

...


Opposition spokesman Mustafa Gheriani says regime forces will face an even stiffer challenge if they try to take Benghazi, which he warns is "armed to the teeth."


http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/libyan-rebels-prepare-to-875508.html

[joshcryer]

5. Crucial Vote Looming in U.N. Security Council on Libya

http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/crucial-vote-looming-in-u-n-security-council-on-libya-20110317">Crucial Vote Looming in U.N. Security Council on Libya
With a critical showdown on the use of military force in Libya looming in the U.N. Security Council, friends and foes alike are baffled by the passive signals coming from the Obama administration.

Administration officials did not stand in the way of the recent Arab League communiqué calling for “all necessary steps to impose immediately a no-fly zone for Libyan military aircraft,” but neither did they encourage it.

White House officials have not seconded British and French calls for a no-fly operation, nor have they asked those traditional allies to take the lead themselves. Sources say there has been no backroom diplomatic arm-twisting of the Russians and Chinese, the veto-wielding members of the Security Council that are usually skeptical of such military interventions, but who may nevertheless balk at standing in opposition to a united Arab world.

“Everyone understands that Libya is a very difficult issue for President Obama, and that there are different views within the administration about the wisdom of getting militarily involved in another conflict in the Muslim world,” said one European diplomat. "But the fact that the United States is not leading or asking anyone else to lead is puzzling. We think the Americans are coming around towards supporting the no-fly operation, but no one is really sure. The signals coming from the administration are blurred."

[joshcryer]

6. Qaddafi Hits Benghazi, Son Says War ‘Finished’ in 48 Hours

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-16/qaddafi-bombs-rebel-capital-as-son-vows-war-will-be-finished-in-48-hours.html">Qaddafi Hits Benghazi, Son Says War ‘Finished’ in 48 Hours
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s warplanes bombed the Benghazi airport, rebels said, bringing the war to the opposition stronghold for the first time as the United Nations Security Council prepares to debate action.

Fighting continued around Ajdabiya, about 100 miles west of Benghazi, where Qaddafi’s forces are still meeting resistance after saying they had seized the town. Reinforcements arrived for both government troops and the rebels as they fought in darkness after electricity was cut off by the opposition, the Associated Press said.

The UN debate is due to resume today and may be followed by a vote on measures to halt violence against civilians. Qaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, scoffed at yesterday’s Security Council discussions about a no-fly zone. “It’s too late,” he said in an interview with EuroNews television, according to a transcript on its website. “In 48 hours, we will have finished our military operation. We are at the gates of Benghazi.”

Libya’s state-run television appealed to residents of Benghazi, a city of 1 million, to support government troops. There have been few signs of rebels making defensive preparations on the coastal city’s outskirts, the AP said. The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday pulled its staff from Benghazi and moved to Tobruk, near the Egyptian border, it said in a statement on its website.

[pinboy3niner]

7. Bahrain: "This is shocking and illegal conduct," UN commissioner for human rights says

From The Guardian:

10.07am - Bahrain:

The UN commissioner for human rights has strongly criticised Bahrain. Navi Pillay, who has a refreshing penchant for speaking bluntly when governments behave badly, voiced alarm at the "military takeover of hospitals".

"There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces," she said in a statement. "This is shocking and illegal conduct."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/17/libya-middle-east-bahrain-egypt-arab-unrest

[joshcryer]

9. Bahrain shall be next. They had peaceful protests for *weeks* which I ashamedly overlooked...

...and apparently so too did the rest of the world. Even Al Jazeera.

Bahrain went from peaceful protests to a potential uprising.

[joshcryer]

8. U.N. Debates Airstrikes, as Some Seek Lead Arab Role

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704396504576204961373014404.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">U.N. Debates Airstrikes, as Some Seek Lead Arab Role
UNITED NATIONS—Britain and France pushed to hold a U.N. Security Council vote on Thursday that would authorize airstrikes and possibly other military action against Libya but Russia said it needed more time to decide on the resolution. Some officials suggested Arab nations would play a key role.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the U.S. believed preparations should be made for military action that goes beyond a no-fly zone to protect Libyans under threat from forces loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi. "The situation on the ground has evolved and…a no-fly zone has inherent limitations in terms of protection of civilians," Ms. Rice said.

Washington was "interested in a broad range of actions that would effectively protect civilians and increase the pressure on the Gadhafi regime to halt the killing," she said.

Options for going beyond the no-fly zone could include the use of drones, either to monitor events on the ground or to strike at select targets. The U.S. was hopeful for Security Council action Thursday.

[pinboy3niner]

10. Libyan rebels have deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter to repel an attack on Ajdabiya

The Guardian:

10.20am:

A resident in Ajdabiya says the town is besieged by regime forces and has been hit by hours of air strikes, AP reports. It quotes an opposition spokesman, Mustafa Gheriani, as saying that Benghazi is "armed to the teeth."

When I spoke to Ian Black in Tripoli, he said it's hard to pin down what is happening around Ajadbiya as there are no reporters there. The BBC's Ian Pannell, who is Benghazi - 90 miles away - reports that Libyan rebels have deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter to repel an attack on Ajdabiya. He says this is the first time defecting army units have faced government forces, but that it is too soon to tell whether it will prove to be decisive.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/17/libya-middle-east-bahrain-egypt-arab-unrest

[joshcryer]

12. Some of the "surprises" that were mentioned no doubt!

:D

[pinboy3niner]

17. Message to 'over-in-48 hours' Saif Gaddafi:

[joshcryer]

11. Libya: Rebel forces 'repel Ajdabiya attack'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12769993">Libya: Rebel forces 'repel Ajdabiya attack'
Libyan rebels have deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter to repel an attack by pro-Gaddafi forces on the key town of Ajdabiya.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, says this is the first time defecting army units have faced government forces.

If taken, the town would open the way to Benghazi - Libya's second city, with a population of one million.

A UN Security Council vote on action in Libya could be held later on Thursday.

[pinboy3niner]

13. Gaddafi: "All the places where they are fortified, are now being sterilised"

The last paragraph of the story:

"All the places where they <rebels> are fortified, are now being sterilised with the help of the people... who say where their locations are," Reuters quoted <Gaddafi> as telling LBC TV.


The fears of genocide are not exaggerated!

[pinboy3niner]

14. Photog Finbarr O'Reilly: For rebels, "ridicule has become a key weapon" against Gaddafi

Like many dictators, Qaddafi carefully controlled how his image was used, often portraying himself as a deity or beloved leader. With the rebellion, however, freedom of expression in rebel-controlled areas means that ridicule has become a key weapon in the fight against the climate of fear that has long gripped the country. Anti-Qaddafi caricatures and graffiti have sprung up across cities like Benghazi, most of them portraying him in an unflattering light.

---Finbarr O'Reilly

See 14 of O'Reilly's photos of graffiti mocking Gaddafi here:

Caricaturing Qaddafi
By FINBARR O'REILLY
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/caricaturing-qaddafi/

[pinboy3niner]

15. “Is the world just leaving us...? Can the world live with a war criminal ruling Libya?”

Rebels Claim Small Gains Against Qaddafi Forces

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and KAREEM FAHIM
Published: March 17, 2011


TRIPOLI, Libya —

...


On Thursday, rebels in Misuratah — the last major rebel foothold in the region — said that Qaddafi forces appeared to hold back and had not attacked the town again, though electricity, water and telecommunications remained severed a day after fighters held the town amid an onslaught of tank and artillery fire.

"We are very heartened yesterday by the moves in the United Nations Security Council and the urgency of the American stand,” said Mohamed, a rebel spokesman using only his first name, speaking over a satellite phone. His reports could not be confirmed because the Qaddafi government has blocked journalists from the city.

With the advances made by loyalists, there is growing consensus in the Obama administration that imposing a no-flight zone would no longer make much of a difference, and that it should consider more aggressive airstrikes, which would make targets of Colonel Qaddafi’s tanks and heavy artillery — an option sometimes referred to as a no-drive zone. The United States or its allies could also send military personnel to advise and train the rebels, an official said.

...


But he admitted he did not know how long the city could hold out. “Is the world just leaving us to our own devices?” he asked. “Can the world live with a war criminal ruling Libya?”


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/world/africa/18libya.html

[pinboy3niner]

16. AJE: Gaddafi forces fail to take Misurata

1:40pm

Libyan state television said on Thursday that forces loyal to Gaddafi had recaptured the western city of Misurata, but residents and rebels in the city denied the report.

State television said the armed forces had retaken control of Misurata and it was now being "sterilised from those criminal armed gangs".

But three residents told the Reuters news agency the rebels still controlled the city.

"This is not true. They are lying. Misurata is quiet and there is no sound of any bombing," resident Mohamed said.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

18. Updates on Bahrain from The Guardian:

12.02pm - Bahrain: The World Medical Association (WMA) has condemned attacks on doctors and medical staff. It says its latest reports of assaults had come from Bahrain and called on Bahrain authorities to investigate such attacks and bring those responsible to justice. Faraz Sanei, a Bahrain researcher for Human Rights Watch, said yesterday he spoke to people who told him that security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas inside a hospital in Sitra, a Shia neighbourhood.


11.48am - Bahrain: Bahrain is to shorten a curfew in parts of Manama by four hours, Reuters reports. The curfew in the area from the Bahrain financial district to Sheikh Isa bin Salman al Khalifa bridge would now run from 8 pm in the evening to 4 am in the morning, an army spokesman said on state TV. Bahrain yesterday banned all protests and imposed a curfew from 4 pm to 4 am as it cleared out protesters from Pearl square.


11.32am: Bahraini army tanks block streets leading to Pearl square in the capital Manama.


Photograph: Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty Images



11.25am - Bahrain: The Guardian's Brian Whitaker argues on Comment in Free that the Saudis and other gulf states have taken a short-sighted view of the unrest in Bahrain.

"The effect of the Saudi intervention is to sectarianise the conflict more than it need have been and, in effect, to prevent any accommodation between the rulers of Bahrain and the protesters.

"We're not going in to shoot people, we're going in to keep a system in place," a Saudi official was quoted as saying in the Washington Post. An official from the UAE put it even more bluntly: "We and the Saudis will not accept a Shi'ite government in Bahrain."

"In other words, as far as the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) countries are concerned, democracy or majority rule can never be allowed there. This is unbelievably short-sighted. The majority of Bahrain's population cannot be kept marginalised for ever, and the sooner change gets under way the better it will be for everyone. Instead, the regime is being pushed into an intransigent stance which, in the longer term, may well seal its fate."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/17/libya-middle-east-bahrain-egypt-arab-unrest

[pinboy3niner]

19. Ajdabiya: 30 killed, at least 80 wounded in fighting

From AJE:

A senior hospital official told The Associated Press that 30 people have been killed since Tuesday night in fighting for the gateway to rebel-held territory.

Libya's opposition battled to keep Gaddafi's forces at the city of Ajdabiya on Thursday, hoping for help from the UN Security Council before his tanks and troops break through.

The official said at least 80 were hurt and hospitalised and many more of the wounded could not reach the hospital. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official retaliation.

Gaddafi's rapid advance on the rebels appears to have spurred the United States to leave behind weeks of doubts about a no-fly zone in Libya, and start pushing for broader UN authorisation for international air, sea and land forces.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

20. Misurata bracing for new attack by Gaddafi forces

AJE:

2:41pm < 8:41am EDT >

Residents of the western town of Misurata say they are preparing for a new attack by pro-Gaddafi forces.

Saadoun, a Misurata resident, told the Reuters news agency:

There were two more rounds of shelling last night. But things are quiet so far. We are hearing that tanks are moving ... We believe they will attack the city again. We are not sure if they will do it right now or if they will wait for more reinforcement from Tripoli, especially after their defeat yesterday."

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

21. AJE: New airstrikes hitting Benghazi right now, with casualties

3:19pm <9:19am EDT>

Al Jazeera's James Bays in Tobruk reports that fresh air strikes have taken place in Benghazi in the last few minutes, with the airport being targetted in one of the attacks. Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley in Benghazi says that there have been casualties, though the exact numbers are unclear at this early stage.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

22. AJE update on Benghazi and Tobruk:

3:33pm

Al Jazeera's James Bays reports with the latest from the eastern rebel-held town of Tobruk:

There have been fresh air strikes we understand in the last few minutes in Benghazi. One of those airstrikes, another one, taking place on the main airport there. And we're hearing this time from our team that were there ... that there have been casualties this time.

"The opposition are claiming that they've made some successes as well, they're claiming that they've shot down a MiG aircraft. I have to say that our correspondent Tony Birtley has been to the scene where this MiG aircraft is supposed to have been shot down, and he can find no sign of it at all."

Asked about the situation in Tobruk, he said:

It is a long way away, but I think they are still concerned, and they're concerned because Gaddafi's forces in the last few days have been pounding Ajdabiyah. Now that is the gateway to Benghazi, but it's also the gateway to Tobruk, because there's another road that goes through the desert that goes ... to here. And there is some suggestion that possibly one of the things that Gaddafi might consider is to try and seal off the whole of this peninsula by taking that road. Not actually going into Benghazi, but sealing off Benghazi and the other cities along the coast and possibly even closing the border.

"I spoke a short time ago to a Major-General who has come back from the front line, and he says that ... they are prepared in Benghazi, but they're also prepared here, because they know that that is one possible option of Gaddafi to send forces this way and then to try and encircle all of the rebel troops.

"There's a very defiant mood here, and a lot of support for those opposed to Gaddafi. But you go out on the streets, you go to the edge of town ... and really no evidence of any defences at all that I could see, right at the edge of the town in the last few hours, we went out there to the airport, which is on the very edge of the town, that's the way Gaddafi's forces would come if they came all the way to Tobruk. And there were just a few fighters, one of them couldn't have been more than about 12 years old ... so not strong defences.

"And I can tell you that when you speak to the people here, they say they're winning, they say they're beating back Gaddafi. Then you ask them the question should the international community do more, and they say 'Yes, we're all going to die if they don't help'. So very contradictory answers to those questions.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

23. Tripoli eyewitness: Afraid to watch TV

17 March 2011 Last updated at 07:31 ET

Tripoli eyewitness: Afraid to watch TV

As Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces take on rebel strongholds in the east of Libya, suspicion and misinformation pervades life in the capital. One Tripoli resident - who did not want to be identified for his own safety - describes the latest scenes in the capital.

...


Several primary school teachers recount similar stories of young pupils being questioned by school employees aligned to the regime's Revolutionary Committee Movement, which is being used to suppress dissent.

The conversations they have with these children, as young as eight years old, are along the lines of: "How are your parents? Are they sad about what's happening in the country? What have they been saying? What news channels are you watching at home?"

...


My friend tells me of a report he saw on the channel, warning the public of "cars being rigged with bombs in crowded areas" - by the ever elusive al-Qaeda elements in the country, that is.

"This means the regime is going to start doing that," my old friend concludes.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12770318

[pinboy3niner]

24. Gaddafi troops near oil town "...surrounded by the revolutionary forces and are being dealt with"

3:42pm <9:42am EDT>

Essam Gheriani, a spokesman for pro-democracy fighters in Benghazi, says Gaddafi's troops are "no where near Benghazi". He says that pro-Gaddafi troops have approached the oil town of Zueitina, but that they "have been surrounded by the revolutionary forces and are being dealt with".

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

25. Bahrain: Amnesty International and UN official condemn crackdown

From The Guardian's news blogs

2.18pm - Bahrain:

This is from the press release from the UN high commissioner for human rights. Navi Pillay does not beat around the bush.

"My office has been receiving desperate calls and emails from numerous individuals in Bahrain, terrified about the armed forces' intentions. There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces. These reportedly include Bahraini police, defence forces and troops from the Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsula Shield Force. This is shocking and illegal conduct. Police and armed forces must immediately leave health-care facilities and cease their harassment and intimidation of health professionals.

"Reports that government forces blocked ambulances from transporting injured civilians to medical facilities on 15 and 16 March are very disturbing. Governments are obliged to protect the rights to life and health of the people, but we are hearing very credible reports indicating that they are in fact obstructing access to such rights."

2.02pm - Bahrain:

Amnesty International has condemned Bahrain's crackdown on protesters in a new report.

"It is alarming to see the Bahraini authorities again resorting to the same tactics that they used against protesters in February but on an even more intensive scale," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director. "It appears that the government has decided that the way to deal with protests is through violent repression, a totally unsustainable position and one which sets an ominous example in a region where other governments are also facing popular calls for change."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/17/libya-middle-east-bahrain-egypt-arab-unrest

[pinboy3niner]

26. Residential areas in Ajdabiyah are coming under continued heavy aerial bombardment-- Reuters

4:27pm

Residential areas in Ajdabiyah are coming under continued heavy aerial bombardment, Reuters reports, citing witnesses speaking to satellite television networks.


http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

27. Libya: Regime says it will halt military operations Sun. night so 'terrorists' can lay down arms

The Jana state news agency says:

The provisional general committee <ministry> of defence has decided to halt military operations against the armed terrorist bands from midnight on Sunday <2200 GMT> ... to give a chance to lay down their arms and benefit from a general amnesty."

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

28. AP: Gadhafi bombs airport at rebel stronghold as 2 sides battle

Gadhafi bombs airport at rebel stronghold as 2 sides battle outside key city to the south

By RYAN LUCAS and MAGGIE MICHAEL , Associated Press

Last update: March 17, 2011 - 10:07 AM



TOBRUK, Libya - Libyan rebels shot down at least two bomber planes that attacked the airport in their main stronghold on Thursday, according to residents who witnessed the rare success in the struggle against Moammar Gadhafi's superior air power.

The rebels used three of their own seized planes and some helicopters to attack government troops fighting to advance on the city of Benghazi, said Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman in the rebel base.

The rebels were unable, however, to keep Gadhafi forces from surrounding Ajdabiya, the last major city between Gadhafi's forces and Benghazi 100 miles to the north, rebels and residents said. The opposition said it was hoping for help from the U.N. Security Council before government troops move in.

A senior hospital official told The Associated Press that 30 people had been killed and at least 80 wounded in fighting in and around Ajdabiya since Tuesday night. Many more of the injured couldn't reach the hospital, according to the official there, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official retaliation.

http://www.startribune.com/world/118158644.html

[pinboy3niner]

29. Turkey helps free Guardian journalist in Libya

Turkey helps free Guardian journalist in Libya


Ghaith Abdul-Ahad released from Libyan prison after Turkish government and foreign ministry joined negotiations

Staff reporter
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 15.05 GMT


The Turkish government played a role in helping free the Guardian journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad from prison in Libya, it has been disclosed.

Abdul-Ahad had been detained by the Libyan authorities for a fortnight after being picked up from the coastal town of Sabratha on 2 March, along with a Brazilian correspondent.

He was freed on Wednesday after the editor-in-chief of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, flew to Tripoli to help organise his release.

Rusbridger revealed on Thursday that the Turkish government, which is handling UK interests in Libya after the closure of the British embassy, had been actively involved in the negotiations to free Abdul-Ahad. It is believed the prime minister and president's offices were involved in behind-the-scenes talks since the weekend, along with the foreign ministry.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/turkey-helps-free-guardian-journalist-libya

[pinboy3niner]

30. AJE: Consultations on the draft UN Security Council resolution in New York have just begun. nt

[pinboy3niner]

31. AJE: Libyan National Council may set up an office in Washington DC

5:38pm

US State department official William Burns says the opposition Libyan National Council may set up an office in Washington DC, the American capital.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

32. CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 6:20 PM THURSDAY, MARCH 17

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

[pinboy3niner]

33. Arab League: AT LEAST 2 ARAB STATES WILL PARTICIPATE IN NFZ

From AJE:

6:37pm

At least two Arab states have said they will participate in a no-fly zone over Libya, the Arab League says.

Yahya Mahmassani, the bloc's envoy to the United Nations, said that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar "may be" among those participating.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[JanDutchy]

34. A song : Encourage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3uPuiQOn9w

[pinboy3niner]

35. Good choice, Jan!

:hi:

[pinboy3niner]

36. AJE: Sec. Council adjourned until it resumes to vote on Libya resolution at 6pm EDT

The UN Security Council session has been adjourned until 2200GMT, when ambassadors will go straight into a vote, Benedict Moran, an Al Jazeera producer in New York, reports.

[pinboy3niner]

37. Al Jazeera: Agreement reached on "most" of the draft UN resolution on Libya

8:05pm

Diplomats have told Al Jazeera that there has been agreement over most of the draft resolution, but there is still concern over one paragraph, reproduced below, which deals with taking "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians, short of an "occupation force".

Authorises member states that have notified the Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, acting nationally or through regional organisations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the S-G, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of Resolution 1970, to protect cilivians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamarhiya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force and requests the member states concerned to inform the S-G immediately of the measures they take pursuant to the authorisation conferred by this paragraph which shall immediately reported to the security council.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

38. Libya threatens to target air/sea traffic in Med if military intervention occurs

7:21pm

The official Jana news agency reports that Libya is warning it could target air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean if a foreign military intervention is staged.

Meanwhile, Russia says that it still has unanswered questions regarding the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya.

"What type of control mechanisms ... does it have? Who will be implementing it, by what means, in what format?," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich demanded.


http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

39. LIBYA: GOVERNMENT- WE WILL HIT ANY TARGET IF ATTACKED

LIBYA: GOVERNMENT- WE WILL HIT ANY TARGET IF ATTACKED

18:47 17 MAR 2011

(AGI) Tripoli - The government in Libya threatened to strike civilian, military and naval targets in the Mediterranean. The threat is contingent on there being an armed international intervention in the country. "Any military operation against Libya will put air and maritime traffic at risk across the Mediterranean", claims the Defence Minister. "Any military and civilian target could be struck." . .

Posted in LBN by Turborama:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4775524

[pinboy3niner]

40. Coming up next on CNN: Missing journalist's husband speaks nt

[pinboy3niner]

41. Gaddafi slpeaking on State TV now

Watch it on AJE Live Stream:

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/


Check out AJE's live blogging of the speech:

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

43. Gaddafi says he intends to launch an operation on Benghazi tonight

9:07pm

Quite clear from that speech that Gaddafi says he intends to launch an operation on Benghazi tonight, and he would like the city taken by tomorrow. It is not immediately clear if this rhetoric, or if residents of the city are preparing for a possible assault.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

42. CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 9:16 PM THURSDAY, MARCH 17

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

[pinboy3niner]

44. AJE analyst: Gaddafi speech an "act of desperation," but will only reinforce urgency to UN

9:17pm

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, says that this speech will likely affect the deliberations at the United Nations, emphasising the urgency that is required regarding action to safeguard civilians.

He also opines that this will be seen as an "act of desperation".


http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

45. Screenshot of huge crowd in Benghazi during Gaddafi speech:

From AJE Benghazi Live Feed:





http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[pinboy3niner]

46. Libya crisis: Military action against Gaddafi 'within hours' of UN vote

Libya crisis: Military action against Gaddafi 'within hours' of UN vote

Source: The Guardian

Libya crisis: Military action against Gaddafi 'within hours' of UN vote


Security council resolution calls for states to protect Libyan civilians, with Britain, France and US confident bill will pass


Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 19.25 GMT <3:25pm EDT>


Britain, France and the US, along with several Arab countries, are to join forces to throw a protective ring around the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi as soon as a UN security council vote on military action is authorised, according to security council sources.

A source at UN headquarters in New York said military forces could be deployed "within hours" of a new security council resolution calling for states to protect civilians by halting attacks by Muammar Gaddafi's forces by air, land and sea.

The resolution would impose a no-fly zone over Libya – but a no-fly zone was no longer enough, the source said. "The resolution authorises air strikes against tank columns advancing on Benghazi or engaging naval ships bombarding Benghazi," he said.

...


British and French forces are understood to have been placed on standby after the US said it was prepared to support the measure if Arab countries agreed to take an active role.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/libya-no-fly-zone-united-nations?utm_medium=twitter

[pinboy3niner]

47. Gaddafi: "There will be no mercy. Our troops will be coming to Benghazi tonight"

From his speech just a little while ago:

"No more fear, no more hesitation: the moment of truth has come," he declared. "There will be no mercy. Our troops will be coming to Benghazi tonight."

[pinboy3niner]

48. Excerpts from the draft UN resolution

AJE reports:

10:15pm

AFP has released some excerpts from the draft UN resolution. They are reproduced below. The resolution:

Demands the immediate establishment of a ceasefire and a complete end to violence and all attacks against, and abuses of, civilians;

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

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

"Authorises member states ... to take all necessary measures ... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign
occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory...;

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

"Calls upon all member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations or arrangements, to provide assistance, including any necessary over-flight approvals, for the purposes of implementing" the no-fly zone.

"Calls upon all member states, in particular states of the region, acting nationally or through regional organisations or arrangements, in order to ensure strict implementation of the arms embargo established (by Resolution 1970) to inspect in their territory, including seaports and airports, and on the high seas, vessels and aircraft bound to or from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya...

"Deplores the continuing flows of mercenaries into the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and calls upon all member states to comply strictly with their obligations under (Resolution 1970) to prevent the supply of armed mercenary personnel to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya;

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

"Decides that all States shall deny permission to any aircraft to take off from, land in or overfly their territory, if they have information that provides reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft contains items the
supply, sale, transfer, or export of which is prohibited ... including the provision of armed mercenary personnel, except in the case of an emergency landing;

"Decides that the asset freeze imposed by (Resolution 1970) shall apply to all funds, other financial assets and economic resources which are on their territories, which are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Libyan authorities ... or by individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction...

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

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-17

[JanDutchy]

49. Libya: UN urges respect for right to life and protection of children as violence rages

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37800&Cr=libya&Cr1=

[pinboy3niner]

50. Libya: Benghazi Civilians Face Grave Risk--Human Rights Watch

Libya: Benghazi Civilians Face Grave Risk

International Community Should Act to Protect Population

March 17, 2011


(New York) - The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's violent crackdown on protests and his long record of serious abuses raise grave concerns for the safety of the civilian population in Benghazi and other eastern cities as the fighting in Libya shifts eastward, Human Rights Watch said today.

The international community, and especially the UN Security Council meeting on March 17, 2011, has a responsibility to use necessary and appropriate measures to protect civilians from large-scale atrocities, Human Rights Watch said.

"Libyan security forces' possible capture of Benghazi heightens concerns of more abuses as we've seen elsewhere in Libya, including killings and disappearances," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The world should not ignore the serious abuses by Libyan security forces over the past month, as well as Gaddafi's demonstrated disregard for human rights over four decades."

Since the Libyan uprising began on February 17, Human Rights Watch has documented cases in which government forces opened fire on peaceful protesters and the arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance of scores of people.

...


Gaddafi's deplorable human rights record over 41 years in power enhances the deep anxiety for the safety of the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said. Since he assumed power in 1969, Gaddafi has repeatedly used arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and political killings to maintain control.

...


As the United Nations General Assembly recognized in 2005, each state has a responsibility to prevent war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and genocide within its borders. When it fails in that duty, other states, through the United Nations, have the responsibility to use those measures that are necessary and appropriate to protect civilian populations from such crimes.


http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/17/libya-benghazi-civilians-face-grave-risk

[pinboy3niner]

51. Libya finally forces Barack Obama's hand as he goes for broke

Source:The Guardian

Libya finally forces Barack Obama's hand as he goes for broke


After weeks pondering, prevaricating and posturing, the US wants Muammar Gaddafi's head. And it will fight to get it


Simon Tisdall guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 20.52 GMT <4:52pm EDT>


With a boldness that the world had begun to believe he lacked, Barack Obama has gone for broke. The US wants Muammar Gaddafi's head. It will not rest until he is deposed and there is regime change in Libya. And it will fight to get it.

Obama spent weeks pondering, prevaricating and posturing, infuriating Britain and France, arch advocates of military intervention. He used public appearances to prate professorially about plans, contingencies and downsides. He allowed senior administration officials such as Pentagon chief Robert Gates to give full vent to their doubts and misgivings about a possible Libyan quagmire.

Obama is already fighting two wars in Muslim countries he did not start – in Iraq, now all but finished, and Afghanistan. He did not want to author another. He did not want another foreign distraction ahead of his presidential re-election bid next year. He did not want the cost, the corpses or the inevitable collateral damage – political and human.

...


Obama finally made his mind up. The US would intervene to stop him. And there would be no half measures. All steps short of boots on the ground, as the US under-secretary of state William Burns put it are now urgently contemplated, with a view to immediate implementation.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/17/libya-forces-barack-obama-hand

[pinboy3niner]

52. CURRENT TIME IN LIBYA = 12:05 AM FRIDAY, MARCH 18

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

[joshcryer]

53. Day 29 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x674615