The rise and fall of Colonel Muamar Gadaffi
The rise and fall of Colonel Muamar Gadaffi
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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Gaddafi is heartlessly killing tens of thousands of un-armed ordinary Libyan citizens off-the cameras in a number of the country's cities.
They added, the Gaddafi family 'are in a delicate negotiation' with the British government in some remote parts of the country 'for a possible exit strategy' from Libyan stalemate - sooner than later!!
Reports CIA via CNN a minute ago.
They added, the Gaddafi family 'are in a delicate negotiation' with the British government in some remote parts of the country 'for a possible exit strategy' from Libyan stalemate - sooner than later!!
Reports CIA via CNN a minute ago.
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
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Ndugu zetu Eqlypz, EMT, Maxence Melo, Askari Kanzu na wenzangu wengine wazoefu wa mambo ya kimataifa, nawaombeni kutokujishushia hadhi bure kwa kulumbana na hao akina 'Waja Leo Warudi Leo' waliopata kututembelea katika anga hizi.
Cha msingi chukueni muda japo kidogo kuwaelekeza mitaa ya huku na taratibu watakuja kujigundulia wenyewe tu mambo kibao yanayoendelea huku tofauti na kujadiliana mambo ya ndani ya nchi yetu ambayo mara nyingi hughubikwa na ufichaji taarifa, zengwe na fitina tofauti na huku ambapo sie twaogelea tupendavyo na kwa usahihi na ufanisi mkubwa.
Naona huyo Nonda atakuja kuwa mtu mzuri tu wa kuelewa huko baadaye kwamba yale yote tunayoweka na kujadili hapa wala hatuyatengenezi sisi isipokua tunayachukua kama yalivyo na kuyachambua zaidi.
Mwenzetu Nonda karibu huku International Forum kwani tuko wana-JF wachache kweli tunaokutana na wengine kutoka mataifa mengine hapa hivyo kunyunyizia taarifa zako kwa Kiingereza pia si jambo baya sana kuongeza ushiriki ila walengwa wakuu hapa watu wa hapa hapa nyumbani Tanzania.
Sote hapa tunakaribisha sana tu wazo la kukubali kukubaliana kutokubaliana na hata kutofautiana kabisa panapo haja juu ya issues tu na wala si kwa personal emotions.
Cha msingi chukueni muda japo kidogo kuwaelekeza mitaa ya huku na taratibu watakuja kujigundulia wenyewe tu mambo kibao yanayoendelea huku tofauti na kujadiliana mambo ya ndani ya nchi yetu ambayo mara nyingi hughubikwa na ufichaji taarifa, zengwe na fitina tofauti na huku ambapo sie twaogelea tupendavyo na kwa usahihi na ufanisi mkubwa.
Naona huyo Nonda atakuja kuwa mtu mzuri tu wa kuelewa huko baadaye kwamba yale yote tunayoweka na kujadili hapa wala hatuyatengenezi sisi isipokua tunayachukua kama yalivyo na kuyachambua zaidi.
Mwenzetu Nonda karibu huku International Forum kwani tuko wana-JF wachache kweli tunaokutana na wengine kutoka mataifa mengine hapa hivyo kunyunyizia taarifa zako kwa Kiingereza pia si jambo baya sana kuongeza ushiriki ila walengwa wakuu hapa watu wa hapa hapa nyumbani Tanzania.
Sote hapa tunakaribisha sana tu wazo la kukubali kukubaliana kutokubaliana na hata kutofautiana kabisa panapo haja juu ya issues tu na wala si kwa personal emotions.
EMT
Platinum Member
- Jan 13, 2010
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Sorry. Einstein ndiye aliyesema hivyo na post yangu was intended to them. Sorry, for any inconvenience which I might have caused.
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Obama Signed Secret Libya Order Authorizing Support For
Rebels
First Posted: 03/30/11 04:21 PM ET Updated: 03/30/11 04:35 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES)
Obama signed the order, known as a presidential "finding", within the last two or three weeks, according to four U.S. government sources familiar with the matter.
Such findings are a principal form of presidential directive used to authorize secret operations by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA and the White House declined immediate comment.
News that Obama had given the authorization surfaced as the President and other U.S. and allied officials spoke openly about the possibility of sending arms supplies to Gaddafi's opponents, who are fighting better-equipped government forces.
The United States is part of a coalition, with NATO members and some Arab states, which is conducting air strikes on Libyan government forces under a U.N. mandate aimed at protecting civilians opposing Gaddafi.
Story continues below
In interviews with American TV networks on Tuesday, Obama said the objective was for Gaddafi to "ultimately step down" from power. He spoke of applying "steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means" to force Gaddafi out.
Obama said the U.S. had not ruled out providing military hardware to rebels. "It's fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could. We're looking at all our options at this point," the President told ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.
U.S. officials monitoring events in Libya say that at present, neither Gaddafi's forces nor the rebels, who have asked the West for heavy weapons, appear able to make decisive gains.
While U.S. and allied airstrikes have seriously damaged Gaddafi's military forces and disrupted his chain of command, officials say, rebel forces remain disorganized and unable to take full advantage of western military support.
SPECIFIC OPERATIONS
People familiar with U.S. intelligence procedures said that Presidential covert action "findings" are normally crafted to provide broad authorization for a range of potential U.S. government actions to support a particular covert objective.
In order for specific operations to be carried out under the provisions of such a broad authorization -- for example the delivery of cash or weapons to anti-Gaddafi forces -- the White House also would have to give additional "permission" allowing such activities to proceed.
Former officials say these follow-up authorizations are known in the intelligence world as "'Mother may I' findings."
In 2009 Obama gave a similar authorization for the expansion of covert U.S. counter-terrorism actions by the CIA in Yemen. The White House does not normally confirm such orders have been issued.
Because U.S. and allied intelligence agencies still have many questions about the identities and leadership of anti-Gaddafi forces, any covert U.S. activities are likely to proceed cautiously until more information about the rebels can be collected and analyzed, officials said.
"The whole issue on (providing rebels with) training and equipment requires knowing who the rebels are," said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA Middle East expert who has advised the Obama White House.
Riedel said that helping the rebels to organize themselves and training them how use weapons effectively would be more urgent then shipping them arms.
According to an article speculating on possible U.S. covert actions in Libya published early in March on the website of the Voice of America, the U.S. government's broadcasting service, a covert action is "any U.S. government effort to change the economic, military, or political situation overseas in a hidden way."
ARMS SUPPLIES
The article, by VOA intelligence correspondent Gary Thomas, said covert action "can encompass many things, including propaganda, covert funding, electoral manipulation, arming and training insurgents, and even encouraging a coup."
U.S. officials also have said that Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose leaders despise Gaddafi, have indicated a willingness to supply Libyan rebels with weapons.
Members of Congress have expressed anxiety about U.S. government activates in Libya. Some have recalled that weapons provided by the U.S. and Saudis to mujahedeen fighting Soviet occupation forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s later ended up in the hands of anti-American militants.
There are fears that the same thing could happen in Libya unless the U.S. is sure who it is dealing with. The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, said on Wednesday he opposed supplying arms to the Libyan rebels fighting Gaddafi "at this time."
"We need to understand more about the opposition before I would support passing out guns and advanced weapons to them," Rogers said in a statement.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by David Storey)
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.
=========================================
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Today 10:48 PM Government Rejects Rebels' Ceasefire
Reuters reports:
@ Reuters : FLASH: Libyan government rejects rebels' conditions for ceasefire, says troops will not leave Libyan cities More to come.
Today 10:02 PM 'Don't Arm The Rebels, Train Them' Robert Haddick, writing at Foreign Policy, argues that the rebels need combat skills much more than they need heavy artillery. He writes:
Today 9:59 PM Gunfire In Gaddafi's Compound Gunfire has been reported in Gaddafi's compound. Reuters reports:
Sustained gunfire rang out near Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's heavily fortified compound in Tripoli on Friday and residents said they saw snipers on rooftops and pools of blood on the streets.
It was not clear what triggered long bursts of machinegun and automatic gunfire that echoed around the city center for about 20 minutes and stopped before dawn.
Cars were heard speeding along central Tripoli streets, their tires screeching on the asphalt. Distant shouting or chanting also was heard.
Today 7:02 PM Journalist Describes His Ordeal In Libya A journalist who was picked up by Libyan security details his ordeal. Here's an excerpt of his story from Reuters:
We sat quietly. I turned to Chris, a London-based Canadian I had worked with in Iraq. I said I thought they would kill us.
A soldier opened the lock and the rear door swung open again. We looked down at the back of a station wagon which had been opened up to reveal some blankets. I thought they would perhaps drive us away. Maybe they were going to free us?
But a closer look showed feet poking under the blankets.
Soldiers then pulled aside the coverings and hauled three handcuffed young men up and in beside us. When we were locked in again, they told us they were Libyan university students.
Later, several soldiers came in. "Who are you?" one asked me. We are Reuters journalists, I said. He is our driver. We have permission. We were invited here by your government.
The soldier shook his head. "Bad time to be a journalist in Libya." Reporters were part of a foreign conspiracy against Libya, he said. But then he made it clear that if they decided we were not journalists but spies, that would be worse.
"If you tell us the truth, it should be fine, God willing. But if we catch you lying, oh we will show no mercy. None."
Read the rest here.
Today 6:37 PM Rebels Make Oil Deal With Qatar Libyan rebels have made a deal to sell oil to Qatar. Reports the AP:
A plan to sell rebel-held oil to buy weapons and other supplies has been reached with Qatar, a rebel official said Friday, in another sign of deepening aid for Libya's opposition by the wealthy Gulf state after sending warplanes to help confront Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
It was not immediately clear when the possible oil sales could begin or how the arms would reach the rebel factions, but any potential revenue stream would be a significant lifeline for the militias and military defectors battling Gadhafi's superior forces.
Today 4:56 PM Gaddafi Forces Attack Homes In Misrata Gaddafi forces are attacking home in Misrata, according to rebels. Reuters reports:
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are mounting an intense artillery bombardment of rebel-held Misrata and pro-Gaddafi troops are attacking shops and homes in the city center, a rebel spokesman said.
Misrata is the last big rebel stronghold in western Libya but after weeks of shelling and encirclement, government forces appear to be gradually loosening the rebels' hold on the city, despite Western air strikes on pro-Gaddafi targets there.
Today 3:52 PM Libyan Opposition Set Conditions For Cease-Fire The Associated Press reports:
Today 3:41 PM Rebels Move On Oil Town Libyan rebels moved towards the key oil town of Brega on Friday, as conditions drifted towards a stalemate. Reuters reports:
Libyan rebels moved heavier weaponry toward the oil town of Brega on Friday and sought to marshal rag-tag units into a more disciplined force to regain momentum against Muammar Gaddafi's regular army.
While military action appeared to drift toward stalemate, coalition diplomatic efforts focused on breaking Gaddafi's hold on power in Tripoli.
London urged Gaddafi loyalists to abandon him, following the defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa.
Rebels said neither side could claim control of Brega, one of a string of oil towns along the Mediterranean coast that have been taken and retaken several times by each side in recent weeks.
The insurgents have failed to hold gains, even when helped by Western air strikes.
Today 10:17 AM German Foreign Minister Calls For Libya Cease-Fire From Al Jazeera:
Today 1:35 AM Senators Kerry And McCain Draft Legislation Authorizing Use Of Force In Libya BBC News reports that U.S. senators are drafting legislation that would authorize the use of force in Libya. The senators include John Kerry and John McCain.
Today 1:14 AM Is Involvement In Libya A Slippery Slope? The National Journal reports that the U.S. may be on a slippery slope when it comes to the Libyan mission:
Today 1:06 AM Libyan Oil Official Denies Reports That He Fled The Country Reuters reports that Libya's top oil official, Shokri Ghanem, has denied rumors that he left the country.
Al Jazeera television listed Ghanem as one the figures who had left Libya, but Ghanem said in a phone call, "This is not true, I am in my office and I will be on TV in a few minutes."
More here.
Today 0:47 AM London Mayor: We May Be Inadvertently 'Entrenching Support For The Mad Colonel' BBC News reports that London Mayor Boris Johnson, a Conservative, offers his concerns about involvement in Libya:
"I am worried that what we may be doing inadvertently is entrenching support for the mad colonel... I do worry that if we get into a stalemate, if the rebels don't seem to be making the progress we hope they would make, then we should be brave enough to say to ourselves our policy isn't working."
More here.
Today 0:35 AM Second Top Libyan Official Defects, Government Cracks Down To Prevent Officials From Leaving The New York Times reports that as a second top Libyan official, Ali Abdussalam el-Treki, defects from the Gaddafi government, fears mount within the regime.
Today 0:30 AM U.S. Admiral Claims Bad Weather Hampered Air Strikes BBC News reports that, according to U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen, international air strikes have been hampered by bad weather over the past few days.
According to AFP, Mullen says that they have not been able to see through the weather to identify targets. "And that has more than anything else reduced the impact... reduced the effectiveness, and has allowed the regime forces to move back to the east."
More here.
Today 0:16 AM WATCH: At Least Four Senior Figures Reportedly Plan To Defect From Gaddafi Gov't Al Jazeera reporter Anita McNaught discusses the defections in Libya:
"We got word from sources outside of Tripoli that there were at least four senior figures from the Gadaffi administration who were perhaps in Tunisia, or certainly outside the country and not intending to go home.
These were, last night as we understood it, the current head of the Intelligence Service, the Oil Minister (and I'll mark a question mark with that in a minute), the Secretary of the General People's Congress, and the Deputy Foreign Minister."
SOURCE: Obama Signed Secret Libya Order Authorizing Support For Rebels
Rebels
First Posted: 03/30/11 04:21 PM ET Updated: 03/30/11 04:35 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES)
Obama signed the order, known as a presidential "finding", within the last two or three weeks, according to four U.S. government sources familiar with the matter.
Such findings are a principal form of presidential directive used to authorize secret operations by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA and the White House declined immediate comment.
News that Obama had given the authorization surfaced as the President and other U.S. and allied officials spoke openly about the possibility of sending arms supplies to Gaddafi's opponents, who are fighting better-equipped government forces.
The United States is part of a coalition, with NATO members and some Arab states, which is conducting air strikes on Libyan government forces under a U.N. mandate aimed at protecting civilians opposing Gaddafi.
Story continues below
In interviews with American TV networks on Tuesday, Obama said the objective was for Gaddafi to "ultimately step down" from power. He spoke of applying "steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means" to force Gaddafi out.
Obama said the U.S. had not ruled out providing military hardware to rebels. "It's fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could. We're looking at all our options at this point," the President told ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.
U.S. officials monitoring events in Libya say that at present, neither Gaddafi's forces nor the rebels, who have asked the West for heavy weapons, appear able to make decisive gains.
While U.S. and allied airstrikes have seriously damaged Gaddafi's military forces and disrupted his chain of command, officials say, rebel forces remain disorganized and unable to take full advantage of western military support.
SPECIFIC OPERATIONS
People familiar with U.S. intelligence procedures said that Presidential covert action "findings" are normally crafted to provide broad authorization for a range of potential U.S. government actions to support a particular covert objective.
In order for specific operations to be carried out under the provisions of such a broad authorization -- for example the delivery of cash or weapons to anti-Gaddafi forces -- the White House also would have to give additional "permission" allowing such activities to proceed.
Former officials say these follow-up authorizations are known in the intelligence world as "'Mother may I' findings."
In 2009 Obama gave a similar authorization for the expansion of covert U.S. counter-terrorism actions by the CIA in Yemen. The White House does not normally confirm such orders have been issued.
Because U.S. and allied intelligence agencies still have many questions about the identities and leadership of anti-Gaddafi forces, any covert U.S. activities are likely to proceed cautiously until more information about the rebels can be collected and analyzed, officials said.
"The whole issue on (providing rebels with) training and equipment requires knowing who the rebels are," said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA Middle East expert who has advised the Obama White House.
Riedel said that helping the rebels to organize themselves and training them how use weapons effectively would be more urgent then shipping them arms.
According to an article speculating on possible U.S. covert actions in Libya published early in March on the website of the Voice of America, the U.S. government's broadcasting service, a covert action is "any U.S. government effort to change the economic, military, or political situation overseas in a hidden way."
ARMS SUPPLIES
The article, by VOA intelligence correspondent Gary Thomas, said covert action "can encompass many things, including propaganda, covert funding, electoral manipulation, arming and training insurgents, and even encouraging a coup."
U.S. officials also have said that Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose leaders despise Gaddafi, have indicated a willingness to supply Libyan rebels with weapons.
Members of Congress have expressed anxiety about U.S. government activates in Libya. Some have recalled that weapons provided by the U.S. and Saudis to mujahedeen fighting Soviet occupation forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s later ended up in the hands of anti-American militants.
There are fears that the same thing could happen in Libya unless the U.S. is sure who it is dealing with. The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, said on Wednesday he opposed supplying arms to the Libyan rebels fighting Gaddafi "at this time."
"We need to understand more about the opposition before I would support passing out guns and advanced weapons to them," Rogers said in a statement.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by David Storey)
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.
=========================================
live blog
Oldest Newest
Today 10:48 PM Government Rejects Rebels' Ceasefire
Reuters reports: @ Reuters : FLASH: Libyan government rejects rebels' conditions for ceasefire, says troops will not leave Libyan cities More to come. Today 10:02 PM 'Don't Arm The Rebels, Train Them'
Robert Haddick, writing at Foreign Policy, argues that the rebels need combat skills much more than they need heavy artillery. He writes:On March 30, it was reported that CIA officers were in Libya with the rebels, making an assessment of their situation and possibly directing airstrikes in support of their fighters. We can gather from open sources much of what these intelligence officers are likely to report.
As a military force, Libya's rebels are a disorganized rabble and seem incapable of preparing and holding defensive positions or maneuvering effectively against rudimentary enemy resistance. The rebels need boot camp, fundamental infantry training, and the development of some battlefield leaders, not a new stockpile of weapons.
Those Western leaders whose plan currently consists of hoping that Qaddafi will be spontaneously overthrown need to think again. Absent a Western invasion of the country, the rebel force is the only means of removing Qaddafi, and the rebels will need many months or even years of training before they are capable of defeating loyalist ground units and marching all the way to Tripoli.
Read the entire piece here. As a military force, Libya's rebels are a disorganized rabble and seem incapable of preparing and holding defensive positions or maneuvering effectively against rudimentary enemy resistance. The rebels need boot camp, fundamental infantry training, and the development of some battlefield leaders, not a new stockpile of weapons.
Those Western leaders whose plan currently consists of hoping that Qaddafi will be spontaneously overthrown need to think again. Absent a Western invasion of the country, the rebel force is the only means of removing Qaddafi, and the rebels will need many months or even years of training before they are capable of defeating loyalist ground units and marching all the way to Tripoli.
Today 9:59 PM Gunfire In Gaddafi's Compound
Gunfire has been reported in Gaddafi's compound. Reuters reports:Sustained gunfire rang out near Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's heavily fortified compound in Tripoli on Friday and residents said they saw snipers on rooftops and pools of blood on the streets.
It was not clear what triggered long bursts of machinegun and automatic gunfire that echoed around the city center for about 20 minutes and stopped before dawn.
Cars were heard speeding along central Tripoli streets, their tires screeching on the asphalt. Distant shouting or chanting also was heard.
Today 7:02 PM Journalist Describes His Ordeal In Libya
A journalist who was picked up by Libyan security details his ordeal. Here's an excerpt of his story from Reuters:We sat quietly. I turned to Chris, a London-based Canadian I had worked with in Iraq. I said I thought they would kill us.
A soldier opened the lock and the rear door swung open again. We looked down at the back of a station wagon which had been opened up to reveal some blankets. I thought they would perhaps drive us away. Maybe they were going to free us?
But a closer look showed feet poking under the blankets.
Soldiers then pulled aside the coverings and hauled three handcuffed young men up and in beside us. When we were locked in again, they told us they were Libyan university students.
Later, several soldiers came in. "Who are you?" one asked me. We are Reuters journalists, I said. He is our driver. We have permission. We were invited here by your government.
The soldier shook his head. "Bad time to be a journalist in Libya." Reporters were part of a foreign conspiracy against Libya, he said. But then he made it clear that if they decided we were not journalists but spies, that would be worse.
"If you tell us the truth, it should be fine, God willing. But if we catch you lying, oh we will show no mercy. None."
Read the rest here.
Today 6:37 PM Rebels Make Oil Deal With Qatar
Libyan rebels have made a deal to sell oil to Qatar. Reports the AP:A plan to sell rebel-held oil to buy weapons and other supplies has been reached with Qatar, a rebel official said Friday, in another sign of deepening aid for Libya's opposition by the wealthy Gulf state after sending warplanes to help confront Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
It was not immediately clear when the possible oil sales could begin or how the arms would reach the rebel factions, but any potential revenue stream would be a significant lifeline for the militias and military defectors battling Gadhafi's superior forces.
Today 4:56 PM Gaddafi Forces Attack Homes In Misrata
Gaddafi forces are attacking home in Misrata, according to rebels. Reuters reports:Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are mounting an intense artillery bombardment of rebel-held Misrata and pro-Gaddafi troops are attacking shops and homes in the city center, a rebel spokesman said.
Misrata is the last big rebel stronghold in western Libya but after weeks of shelling and encirclement, government forces appear to be gradually loosening the rebels' hold on the city, despite Western air strikes on pro-Gaddafi targets there.
Today 3:52 PM Libyan Opposition Set Conditions For Cease-Fire
The Associated Press reports:Libya's rebels will agree to a cease-fire if Moammar Gadhafi pulls his military forces out of cities and allows peaceful protests against his regime, an opposition leader said Friday.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the opposition's interim governing council based in Benghazi, said the rebels' condition for a cease-fire is "that the Gadhafi brigades and forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom."
Read more here.Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the opposition's interim governing council based in Benghazi, said the rebels' condition for a cease-fire is "that the Gadhafi brigades and forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom."
Today 3:41 PM Rebels Move On Oil Town
Libyan rebels moved towards the key oil town of Brega on Friday, as conditions drifted towards a stalemate. Reuters reports:Libyan rebels moved heavier weaponry toward the oil town of Brega on Friday and sought to marshal rag-tag units into a more disciplined force to regain momentum against Muammar Gaddafi's regular army.
While military action appeared to drift toward stalemate, coalition diplomatic efforts focused on breaking Gaddafi's hold on power in Tripoli.
London urged Gaddafi loyalists to abandon him, following the defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa.
Rebels said neither side could claim control of Brega, one of a string of oil towns along the Mediterranean coast that have been taken and retaken several times by each side in recent weeks.
The insurgents have failed to hold gains, even when helped by Western air strikes.
Today 10:17 AM German Foreign Minister Calls For Libya Cease-Fire
From Al Jazeera:German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle says Libya's crisis cannot be resolved through military means and all sides must get to work on a political resolution.
Westerwelle said on a visit to China that a first step must be a cease-fire that is heeded by Gaddafi.
More details here.Westerwelle said on a visit to China that a first step must be a cease-fire that is heeded by Gaddafi.
Today 1:35 AM Senators Kerry And McCain Draft Legislation Authorizing Use Of Force In Libya
BBC News reports that U.S. senators are drafting legislation that would authorize the use of force in Libya. The senators include John Kerry and John McCain.The 1973 War Powers Act says US armed forces must start to withdraw after 60 days unless explicitly authorised to fight by Congress. In the case of Libya, that mark would fall on 20 May, Mr Kerry said.
More here.Today 1:14 AM Is Involvement In Libya A Slippery Slope?
The National Journal reports that the U.S. may be on a slippery slope when it comes to the Libyan mission:It's an old question, but we've been through enough of these interventions now --from Vietnam to Kosovo to Afghanistan--to insist on asking it once again:
Is the United States on a slippery slope in Libya, one that will lead to American military involvement on the ground? The evidence, on balance, is that under President Obama the U.S. presence is going to expand quickly-but covertly.
Read the full article here. Is the United States on a slippery slope in Libya, one that will lead to American military involvement on the ground? The evidence, on balance, is that under President Obama the U.S. presence is going to expand quickly-but covertly.
Today 1:06 AM Libyan Oil Official Denies Reports That He Fled The Country
Reuters reports that Libya's top oil official, Shokri Ghanem, has denied rumors that he left the country.Al Jazeera television listed Ghanem as one the figures who had left Libya, but Ghanem said in a phone call, "This is not true, I am in my office and I will be on TV in a few minutes."
More here.
Today 0:47 AM London Mayor: We May Be Inadvertently 'Entrenching Support For The Mad Colonel'
BBC News reports that London Mayor Boris Johnson, a Conservative, offers his concerns about involvement in Libya: "I am worried that what we may be doing inadvertently is entrenching support for the mad colonel... I do worry that if we get into a stalemate, if the rebels don't seem to be making the progress we hope they would make, then we should be brave enough to say to ourselves our policy isn't working."
More here.
Today 0:35 AM Second Top Libyan Official Defects, Government Cracks Down To Prevent Officials From Leaving
The New York Times reports that as a second top Libyan official, Ali Abdussalam el-Treki, defects from the Gaddafi government, fears mount within the regime.The capital of Tripoli was alive with rumored defections on Thursday, with the prime minister and the speaker of Parliament, among other top figures, said at various times to be quitting the country.
None of those reports could be verified. But the authorities were taking no chances, assigning guards to senior officials to assure they cannot leave, a former Libyan official said.
More here.None of those reports could be verified. But the authorities were taking no chances, assigning guards to senior officials to assure they cannot leave, a former Libyan official said.
Today 0:30 AM U.S. Admiral Claims Bad Weather Hampered Air Strikes
BBC News reports that, according to U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen, international air strikes have been hampered by bad weather over the past few days.According to AFP, Mullen says that they have not been able to see through the weather to identify targets. "And that has more than anything else reduced the impact... reduced the effectiveness, and has allowed the regime forces to move back to the east."
More here.
Today 0:16 AM WATCH: At Least Four Senior Figures Reportedly Plan To Defect From Gaddafi Gov't
Al Jazeera reporter Anita McNaught discusses the defections in Libya:"We got word from sources outside of Tripoli that there were at least four senior figures from the Gadaffi administration who were perhaps in Tunisia, or certainly outside the country and not intending to go home.
These were, last night as we understood it, the current head of the Intelligence Service, the Oil Minister (and I'll mark a question mark with that in a minute), the Secretary of the General People's Congress, and the Deputy Foreign Minister."
SOURCE: Obama Signed Secret Libya Order Authorizing Support For Rebels
Eqlypz
JF-Expert Member
- May 24, 2009
- 4,065
- 643
20:29 DIRECT from Misratah Wefaq Media have confirmed that a convoy of Gaddafi forces that was trying to enter the city via the heavy goods entrance towards the city's port and Brega warehouse has been bombed by coalition air forces. The convoy was composed of 1 tank and a number of military trucks.
20:24 Almanara Media Revolutionaries have regained control of the city of Brega.
19:35 Almanara Media Trusted sources have confirmed that Gaddafi's forces in the town of Zala (between Sirt & Ras Lanouf) have made a request for more mercenaries and reinforcements from Tripoli due to their decreasing numbers.
18:20 Al Jazeera English It appears that the opposition's commanders are taking firmer control at the front lines, screening fighters who are trying to join up with their forces based on their experience, and barring journalists from entering zones where they are concerned about giving away their positions.
20:24 Almanara Media Revolutionaries have regained control of the city of Brega.
19:35 Almanara Media Trusted sources have confirmed that Gaddafi's forces in the town of Zala (between Sirt & Ras Lanouf) have made a request for more mercenaries and reinforcements from Tripoli due to their decreasing numbers.
18:20 Al Jazeera English It appears that the opposition's commanders are taking firmer control at the front lines, screening fighters who are trying to join up with their forces based on their experience, and barring journalists from entering zones where they are concerned about giving away their positions.
Eqlypz
JF-Expert Member
- May 24, 2009
- 4,065
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22:14 Reuters The Libyan regime has rejected the conditions of a ceasefire offered by the revolutionaries. The regime said its troops will not leave Libyan cities.
DIRECT from Misratah the city is now very quiet after coalition air strikes destroyed a Gaddafi military convoy attempting to enter the city and the port.
21:49 Al Jazeera Arabic Suleiman Dogha, Libyan Journalist and analyst stated live on air that snipers climbed on top of mosques in Tripoli today to deter and prevent citizens from demonstrating.
21:35 Almanara Media Coalition forces bombed a radar base in Qasr Alhaj area on the outskirts of the town of Rajbaan. The news source also confirmed that no air strikes were performed on Gaddafis forces which are stationed on the outskirts of Zintan and Gelaa.
DIRECT from Misratah the city is now very quiet after coalition air strikes destroyed a Gaddafi military convoy attempting to enter the city and the port.
21:49 Al Jazeera Arabic Suleiman Dogha, Libyan Journalist and analyst stated live on air that snipers climbed on top of mosques in Tripoli today to deter and prevent citizens from demonstrating.
21:35 Almanara Media Coalition forces bombed a radar base in Qasr Alhaj area on the outskirts of the town of Rajbaan. The news source also confirmed that no air strikes were performed on Gaddafis forces which are stationed on the outskirts of Zintan and Gelaa.
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Tupo pamoja Eqlypz!!!
Asante mkuu kwa ukaribisho.
Nitajitahidi kuwa mtu mzuri na nitajaribu kuelewa siasa za ulimwengu.
Eqlypz
JF-Expert Member
- May 24, 2009
- 4,065
- 643
Habari ambazo hazijawa confirmed ni kuwa tayari kuna 12 GIGNs ndani ya Benghazi, vile vile Special Forces kutoka Jordan, UAE na Misri wako tayari kama watahitajika.
Kwa maoni yangu nadhani soon kutakuwa na boots on the ground ndani ya Libya especially baada ya azimio la European Union kwenye kikao chao cha leo.
EU approves possible military operation for Libya | World | RIA Novosti
Eqlypz
JF-Expert Member
- May 24, 2009
- 4,065
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Ngoma inogile ndani ya Libya
Libya: wife of defecting foreign minister captured in firefight - Telegraph
Gaddafi forces storm Misrata, rebels offer truce
Gaddafi forces storm Misrata, rebels offer truce | Top News | Reuters
Gaddafi forces storm Misrata, rebels offer truce | Top News | Reuters
Gunfire in Tripoli near Gaddafi's compound
Gunfire in Tripoli near Gaddafi's compound | Top News | Reuters
Gunfire in Tripoli near Gaddafi's compound | Top News | Reuters
Eqlypz
JF-Expert Member
- May 24, 2009
- 4,065
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Kuna sehemu nimesoma wanadai kuwa wafungwa wametoroka kutoka Abu Sleem na kwenda kwenye compound ya Gaddafi.
01:30 Libya Alyoum Reports that a number of people been killed and injured due to clashes between protesters and Gaddafi's forces in different areas of Tripoli namely Tajoura, Fashloom and Souq Al Jummah
01:13 Libya Alyoum Independent online newspaper cites reports which state that a number of Abu Sleem prisoners managed to escape after stealing guards' weapons and are now engaged in gun battles with Gaddafi's forces outside Baab Al Aziziyah
EMT
Platinum Member
- Jan 13, 2010
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Libyan inspired 'Possible Scenarios'
Every day analysts abroad - both Libyan and foreign - have been spinning possible scenarios for Libya's future. Residents of Tripoli have come up with a set of their own fictitious and humour/terror-based outcomes that are far from the traditional outlook. These are just a few of what have come across in recent weeks.
That last one usually draws a roar of laughter in small circles. It may seem impossible to find humour in times of war and fear - but it happens.
Every day analysts abroad - both Libyan and foreign - have been spinning possible scenarios for Libya's future. Residents of Tripoli have come up with a set of their own fictitious and humour/terror-based outcomes that are far from the traditional outlook. These are just a few of what have come across in recent weeks.
- If the coalition air strikes overtly go after the leader himself, Col Gaddafi will press a secret button in his bunker which will detonate bombs across the country and wipe it off the map.
- If the regime regains control of all of Libya it will dig a very large hole, put all the opposition in it and burn everyone alive.
- The leaders of the opposition in Benghazi are secretly regime loyalists. They will reveal themselves soon and we will discover this was all a big lie.
- The Libyan leader and his sons will face the public and the world, apologise for all their wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness.
That last one usually draws a roar of laughter in small circles. It may seem impossible to find humour in times of war and fear - but it happens.