Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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Nursed with care: A Libyan nurse treats a wounded man who was injured last week during the demo in Benghazi
The rise and fall of Colonel Muamar Gadaffi
The rise and fall of Colonel Muamar Gadaffi
Nursed with care: A Libyan nurse treats a wounded man who was injured last week during the demo in Benghazi
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
THE HIRED KILLERS ON £18,000 A MAN LED BY GADDAFI'S SON
Gaddafi is employing Russian and Eastern European ‘white mercenaries' at £18,000 a head to brutally crush protests in his desperate attempt to cling to power.
The hired guns, some paid thousands of dollars a day, are fighting alongside special forces still loyal to the embattled Libyan leader. They have been spotted in Tripoli, along with black African mercenaries recruited from neighbouring countries.
All face being shot or hung if they are captured by the increasingly large number of armed protesters on the streets.
One pro-democracy demonstrator said: ‘They easily stand out among the black African mercenaries from French-speaking places such as Chad. All are clearly experienced in warfare and being paid huge sums of dollars to uphold Gaddafi's regime.
‘French-speaking Africans who are caught are being hung and machine-gunned and the same will happen to the white mercenaries.
‘Because of this there is huge distrust of any kind of foreigners. They should leave as soon as they can.
‘Arabs are united by their language, and by Islam, but those from abroad stand out straight away. They will be targeted.'
Most of the ‘white mercenaries' are believed to be from former Soviet Union countries, including the Ukraine, and have been identified by their language and by those captured and interrogated before being killed.
Many carry passports and identification papers from the armies for which they were once regular soldiers.
Gaddafi's son and heir Saif is understood to be co-ordinating the mercenaries' operations.
Read more: Libya protests: Unarmed in showdown with Gaddafi's mercenaries | Mail Online
Gaddafi is employing Russian and Eastern European ‘white mercenaries' at £18,000 a head to brutally crush protests in his desperate attempt to cling to power.
The hired guns, some paid thousands of dollars a day, are fighting alongside special forces still loyal to the embattled Libyan leader. They have been spotted in Tripoli, along with black African mercenaries recruited from neighbouring countries.
All face being shot or hung if they are captured by the increasingly large number of armed protesters on the streets.
One pro-democracy demonstrator said: ‘They easily stand out among the black African mercenaries from French-speaking places such as Chad. All are clearly experienced in warfare and being paid huge sums of dollars to uphold Gaddafi's regime.
‘French-speaking Africans who are caught are being hung and machine-gunned and the same will happen to the white mercenaries.
‘Because of this there is huge distrust of any kind of foreigners. They should leave as soon as they can.
‘Arabs are united by their language, and by Islam, but those from abroad stand out straight away. They will be targeted.'
Most of the ‘white mercenaries' are believed to be from former Soviet Union countries, including the Ukraine, and have been identified by their language and by those captured and interrogated before being killed.
Many carry passports and identification papers from the armies for which they were once regular soldiers.
Gaddafi's son and heir Saif is understood to be co-ordinating the mercenaries' operations.
Read more: Libya protests: Unarmed in showdown with Gaddafi's mercenaries | Mail Online
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
After revolution, Arabs regain dignity and hope
In Revolution, Dignity Returns to Arab World
Egyptians pray at Cairo's Tahrir Square on February 18, 2011 during celebrations marking one week after Egypt's long-time president Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office by a wave of protests.
(Getty Images)
Many Arabs believe that the changes underway herald the dawn of a new epoch after centuries of repression and humiliation under colonialism and despotic leaders.
In Cairo, one man holds an Egyptian flag as another kisses the pre-Kadafi flag of Libya during a rally in support of the Libyan protesters (Kevin Frayer, Associated Press / February 25, 2011)
Reporting from Cairo -
His hands thick, the color of pewter, he bends steel rods in the city dust.
"It's different being an Egyptian after the revolution," says Mohammed Mahmoud, sweating at the edge of a construction site. A boy laborer nods. A flash of metal brightens the dirt. "We gained our dignity back."
The revolts shaking North Africa and the Middle East are about many things, but the most potent is a yearning for respect after decades of repression and promises betrayed.
Men like Mahmoud don't see the world in ideologies; they want to draw their pay and build their dreams. The Arab world had denied them that for too long. Then suddenly the known order cracked and unrest spread from Tunis to Cairo to the bloody streets of Tripoli.
"Dignity became what they were looking for," says Randa Habib, a Jordanian writer. "This was the essence of the rage."
What comes next is unclear, but the leaders who eventually emerge will be answerable to emboldened voices and restored pride. They felt this once in the 1950s, when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser offered the vision of pan-Arabism. It failed, and the Arab spirit since then has frayed like a neglected tapestry under monarchies and autocracies.
Once bonded by disillusionment and frustration, Arabs share courage and a belief in the possible. There will be failures and disappointments in coming months. Poverty will cling and political freedoms will be manipulated as the euphoria of the moment is likely to slip into the tedious burden of incremental change.
But, for now, every Arab is a brother, a sister. Egyptian doctors truck medical supplies across the border to the wounded in Libya. Workers in Tunisia send encouragement to protesters in Jordan. Bloggers in Saudi Arabia are inspired by what is unfolding beyond the harsh confines of their Islamic kingdom.
"I look at the television and see what is happening in Egypt and in Tunisia and Libya, and I think, they are my brothers," says Said Ahmed, a bandage over his nose where he was hit by a rock during protests in Yemen. "I have never met them, but we are brothers. We are all Arabs. We have a long history, and now we are standing up together and saying, 'We are free people.'"
Get dispatches from Times correspondents around the globe delivered to your inbox with our daily World newsletter. Sign up »
Many Arabs suggest that what is happening is epochal, a new beginning for an Islamic world that once - from the 8th to the 13th centuries - was a paragon in science and the arts. That "golden age" was followed by generations of colonialism, inept and corrupt rulers, political alliances bound to oil and resources, the creation of Israel and the rise of Islamic terrorist organizations.
"We Arabs used to be at the center of the culture. We invented mathematics. We were the scholars, the scientists. The world turned to Arabia for its books," says Anwar Hamady, a protester in Yemen.
"And now, look at us. We are the poorest people in the world, backwards and tribal and illiterate. Why? Because we have let ourselves be led around like dogs by leaders, by thieves. Now, with our revolutions in Egypt, and Libya and Tunisia, and in Yemen, we are saying no. We are saying we are dignified. We are proud."
Much of that pride had been sapped by generations who blamed Israel and the United States for exposing and exploiting weaknesses across the Middle East. Arabs watched their international stature slip. Their authoritarian leaders denied them political expression, even as most Arabs grew suspicious of Islamic extremism and saw, through a prism of emerging technologies, democracy creep across the planet.
But for many the larger problem was economic turmoil, especially in countries such as Egypt, where reforms were masks to further benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class. Millions of Arabs fled their nations for jobs in Europe and the oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf. They sent money home and grew bitter, often not seeing their children or families for months, if not years.
"It became the hardship of surviving," Habib says. "There were no heroes."
Haitham Ahmed has dirty hands and a single man's passions. He fixes tires in south Cairo, where for two years he has courted his fiancee. He wants to marry, but he has no money, and she won't offer her dowry until he does. He felt sometimes as if he had lost part of himself along the way, especially when the Egyptian police forced him to pay bribes.
"When I used to go and meet my fiancee, I'd have to put an extra 50 pounds [about $8.50] in my pocket just to pay the police so I could get home at night," he says. "I felt unsafe for too long. But I don't feel that way anymore. For the first time, I think Egyptians feel free. We feel as one hand."
A TV crackles in the dim of his shop. His world is changing amid newscasts and scenes of bloodshed from other lands.
"I feel sorry for the Libyans," he says, "They are just like us. No one stands in front of a bullet unless he is truly oppressed."
A big man sits under a tree in a ragged square not far from Ahmed's shop. He rises and steps past boxes of potatoes and carrots and hanging blooms of cauliflower. Mahmoud Hatab, husband and father, doesn't know whether new jobs are coming or promises will be kept. He's sure of one thing:
"The revolution went beyond its limits," he says. "We stood beside each other after being silent for so many years. Respect comes with that."
Men walk toward the mosque. Boys in sandals follow through the dust. Metal rods slide one after the other near the construction site, stiff gray snakes as long as telephone poles. Mohammed Mahmoud bends them by tugging on two iron bars. He's an accountant, but there are no desk jobs, only this from morning until dark.
"You have to hope," he says, "that after the new pride something better is coming."
jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com
Times staff writer Ned Parker in Bahrain and special correspondents Doha Al Zohairy in Cairo and Haley Sweetland Edwards in Sana, Yemen, contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
In Revolution, Dignity Returns to Arab World
Egyptians pray at Cairo's Tahrir Square on February 18, 2011 during celebrations marking one week after Egypt's long-time president Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office by a wave of protests.
(Getty Images)
Many Arabs believe that the changes underway herald the dawn of a new epoch after centuries of repression and humiliation under colonialism and despotic leaders.
In Cairo, one man holds an Egyptian flag as another kisses the pre-Kadafi flag of Libya during a rally in support of the Libyan protesters (Kevin Frayer, Associated Press / February 25, 2011)
Reporting from Cairo -
His hands thick, the color of pewter, he bends steel rods in the city dust.
"It's different being an Egyptian after the revolution," says Mohammed Mahmoud, sweating at the edge of a construction site. A boy laborer nods. A flash of metal brightens the dirt. "We gained our dignity back."
The revolts shaking North Africa and the Middle East are about many things, but the most potent is a yearning for respect after decades of repression and promises betrayed.
Men like Mahmoud don't see the world in ideologies; they want to draw their pay and build their dreams. The Arab world had denied them that for too long. Then suddenly the known order cracked and unrest spread from Tunis to Cairo to the bloody streets of Tripoli.
"Dignity became what they were looking for," says Randa Habib, a Jordanian writer. "This was the essence of the rage."
What comes next is unclear, but the leaders who eventually emerge will be answerable to emboldened voices and restored pride. They felt this once in the 1950s, when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser offered the vision of pan-Arabism. It failed, and the Arab spirit since then has frayed like a neglected tapestry under monarchies and autocracies.
Once bonded by disillusionment and frustration, Arabs share courage and a belief in the possible. There will be failures and disappointments in coming months. Poverty will cling and political freedoms will be manipulated as the euphoria of the moment is likely to slip into the tedious burden of incremental change.
But, for now, every Arab is a brother, a sister. Egyptian doctors truck medical supplies across the border to the wounded in Libya. Workers in Tunisia send encouragement to protesters in Jordan. Bloggers in Saudi Arabia are inspired by what is unfolding beyond the harsh confines of their Islamic kingdom.
"I look at the television and see what is happening in Egypt and in Tunisia and Libya, and I think, they are my brothers," says Said Ahmed, a bandage over his nose where he was hit by a rock during protests in Yemen. "I have never met them, but we are brothers. We are all Arabs. We have a long history, and now we are standing up together and saying, 'We are free people.'"
Get dispatches from Times correspondents around the globe delivered to your inbox with our daily World newsletter. Sign up »
Many Arabs suggest that what is happening is epochal, a new beginning for an Islamic world that once - from the 8th to the 13th centuries - was a paragon in science and the arts. That "golden age" was followed by generations of colonialism, inept and corrupt rulers, political alliances bound to oil and resources, the creation of Israel and the rise of Islamic terrorist organizations.
"We Arabs used to be at the center of the culture. We invented mathematics. We were the scholars, the scientists. The world turned to Arabia for its books," says Anwar Hamady, a protester in Yemen.
"And now, look at us. We are the poorest people in the world, backwards and tribal and illiterate. Why? Because we have let ourselves be led around like dogs by leaders, by thieves. Now, with our revolutions in Egypt, and Libya and Tunisia, and in Yemen, we are saying no. We are saying we are dignified. We are proud."
Much of that pride had been sapped by generations who blamed Israel and the United States for exposing and exploiting weaknesses across the Middle East. Arabs watched their international stature slip. Their authoritarian leaders denied them political expression, even as most Arabs grew suspicious of Islamic extremism and saw, through a prism of emerging technologies, democracy creep across the planet.
But for many the larger problem was economic turmoil, especially in countries such as Egypt, where reforms were masks to further benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class. Millions of Arabs fled their nations for jobs in Europe and the oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf. They sent money home and grew bitter, often not seeing their children or families for months, if not years.
"It became the hardship of surviving," Habib says. "There were no heroes."
Haitham Ahmed has dirty hands and a single man's passions. He fixes tires in south Cairo, where for two years he has courted his fiancee. He wants to marry, but he has no money, and she won't offer her dowry until he does. He felt sometimes as if he had lost part of himself along the way, especially when the Egyptian police forced him to pay bribes.
"When I used to go and meet my fiancee, I'd have to put an extra 50 pounds [about $8.50] in my pocket just to pay the police so I could get home at night," he says. "I felt unsafe for too long. But I don't feel that way anymore. For the first time, I think Egyptians feel free. We feel as one hand."
A TV crackles in the dim of his shop. His world is changing amid newscasts and scenes of bloodshed from other lands.
"I feel sorry for the Libyans," he says, "They are just like us. No one stands in front of a bullet unless he is truly oppressed."
A big man sits under a tree in a ragged square not far from Ahmed's shop. He rises and steps past boxes of potatoes and carrots and hanging blooms of cauliflower. Mahmoud Hatab, husband and father, doesn't know whether new jobs are coming or promises will be kept. He's sure of one thing:
"The revolution went beyond its limits," he says. "We stood beside each other after being silent for so many years. Respect comes with that."
Men walk toward the mosque. Boys in sandals follow through the dust. Metal rods slide one after the other near the construction site, stiff gray snakes as long as telephone poles. Mohammed Mahmoud bends them by tugging on two iron bars. He's an accountant, but there are no desk jobs, only this from morning until dark.
"You have to hope," he says, "that after the new pride something better is coming."
jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com
Times staff writer Ned Parker in Bahrain and special correspondents Doha Al Zohairy in Cairo and Haley Sweetland Edwards in Sana, Yemen, contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
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We will be free: Protesters chant anti-government slogans while holding a banner depicting Gaddafi in Tobruk yesterday. The banner reads: 'Libya will be free and Gaddafi will be out'
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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'Massacre': Egyptians fleeing across the border from Libya claimed 2,000 people had been killed by security forces in second city Benghazi
Uwezo Tunao
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- Nov 14, 2010
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On tractors and trucks, the first people to escape the murderous two-day rampage reached the safety of Egypt yesterday.
Uwezo Tunao
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- Nov 14, 2010
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Gaddafi rivals close in on Tripoli - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Gaddafi rivals close in on Tripoli - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Gaddafi rivals close in on Tripoli - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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An opposition army officer teaches the use of an
anti-aircraft gun to civilians in Benghazi [Reuters]
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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- http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2011/02/28/libyax-large.jpgBy Hussein Malla, AP
Libyan boys sit on the cannon of a destroyed army tank celebrating the freedom of Benghazi, Libya, Feb. 28.
Uwezo Tunao
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- Nov 14, 2010
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Clinton urges Gaddafi to step down
US secretary of state says Gaddafi's government must be held to account as EU
approves new sanctions against Libya.
Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 14:47 GMT
The United States is seeking unified global action against Gaddafi and his regime [GALLO/GETTY]
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has said the government of Muammar Gaddafi must be held to account over atrocities committed in Libya as she reiterated calls for the leader to step down.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, Clinton said Gaddafi must leave power "now, without further violence or delay".
"Gaddafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts, which violate international legal obligations and
common decency," she said.
Clinton also urged the international community to act with one voice against the Libyan administration, and said Washington was keeping "all options on the table" in terms of action against the government.
Sanctions
Her comments came after the European Union approved its own sanctions including an arms embargo and travel bans against Libya.
"We are already working on EU restrictive measures that should come into force quickly," Catherine Ashton, the bloc's foreign policy chief said at the UN human rights meeting.
"Together with that we will adopt additional accompanying measures such as an embargo on equipment which might be used for internal repression and we're looking at individuals under the travel restrictions and the assets freeze."
The 27-nation bloc has agreed to freeze the assets of Gaddafi, his family and government, and ban the sale of goods such as tear gas and anti-riot equipment.
It is believed the EU sanctions are aimed at strengthening a raft of measures passed by the United Nation Security Council on Saturday, which include referring Libya to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the ICC, said a preliminary investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed in Libya would begin on Monday.
He said he would decide within a few days whether or not to launch a full investigation of alleged crimes committed since February 15, that would enable prosecutors to collect evidence and request an arrest warrant against those identified as responsible.
A growing number of world leaders are placing pressure on Gaddafi to step down amid a violent uprising.
On Sunday Britain and Canada followed moves by the US to freeze the assets of Libyan leader Gaddafi and his family, while on Monday Germany said it is proposing to freeze all financial payments to Libya for 60-days.
'Threat of violent reprisals'
Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief, told the conference that the international community must support reforms the Middle East in "words and deeds".
"The council should not relax its vigilance over Libya as the threat of violent reprisals against civilians still looms," she said.
The moves come amid growing outrage over the bloodshed in Libya, blamed on forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The embattled leader remains defiant despite the opposition gaining ground across the country, and has vowed to purge the country of protesters "city by city, house by house".
The US is pressing Europe for tough sanctions on the Libyan government to turn up the heat on Gaddafi, saying that sanctions would convince Gaddafi's remaining loyalists to abandon his regime.
"The US has a wider sanctions regime than the UN has decided and they would like the Europeans to step in on that," Al Jazeera's Nick Spicer, reporting from Geneva, said.
Speaking in Cairo, John McCain and Joe Lieberman, two leading US senators, called for the immediate imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya.
They also urged the White House to recognise the 'provisional government' set up by Gaddafi opponents in the eastern city of Benghazi.
According to The New York Times, US and the European officials have been meeting to discuss the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone and taking measures to disrupt Gaddafi's internal communications abilities.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Sharquieh, the deputy director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said that a"no-fly zone is certainly a good idea".
"Although we have not seen credible independent evidence that Gaddafi has used jets to attack the protesters, that doesn't mean that he will not.
"I'd like to see some pressure, particularly from European leaders, who have good relations with Gaddafi, like [Italian prime minister Silvio] Berlusconi and [ex-British prime minister] Tony Blair, through direct communications and through phone calls.
"The key point that will change the balance of power in Libya will be more military officials joining the protesters," Sharquieh said.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
US secretary of state says Gaddafi's government must be held to account as EU
approves new sanctions against Libya.
Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 14:47 GMT
The United States is seeking unified global action against Gaddafi and his regime [GALLO/GETTY]
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has said the government of Muammar Gaddafi must be held to account over atrocities committed in Libya as she reiterated calls for the leader to step down.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, Clinton said Gaddafi must leave power "now, without further violence or delay".
"Gaddafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts, which violate international legal obligations and
common decency," she said.
Clinton also urged the international community to act with one voice against the Libyan administration, and said Washington was keeping "all options on the table" in terms of action against the government.
Sanctions
Her comments came after the European Union approved its own sanctions including an arms embargo and travel bans against Libya.
"We are already working on EU restrictive measures that should come into force quickly," Catherine Ashton, the bloc's foreign policy chief said at the UN human rights meeting.
"Together with that we will adopt additional accompanying measures such as an embargo on equipment which might be used for internal repression and we're looking at individuals under the travel restrictions and the assets freeze."
The 27-nation bloc has agreed to freeze the assets of Gaddafi, his family and government, and ban the sale of goods such as tear gas and anti-riot equipment.
It is believed the EU sanctions are aimed at strengthening a raft of measures passed by the United Nation Security Council on Saturday, which include referring Libya to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the ICC, said a preliminary investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed in Libya would begin on Monday.
He said he would decide within a few days whether or not to launch a full investigation of alleged crimes committed since February 15, that would enable prosecutors to collect evidence and request an arrest warrant against those identified as responsible.
A growing number of world leaders are placing pressure on Gaddafi to step down amid a violent uprising.
On Sunday Britain and Canada followed moves by the US to freeze the assets of Libyan leader Gaddafi and his family, while on Monday Germany said it is proposing to freeze all financial payments to Libya for 60-days.
'Threat of violent reprisals'
Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief, told the conference that the international community must support reforms the Middle East in "words and deeds".
"The council should not relax its vigilance over Libya as the threat of violent reprisals against civilians still looms," she said.
The moves come amid growing outrage over the bloodshed in Libya, blamed on forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The embattled leader remains defiant despite the opposition gaining ground across the country, and has vowed to purge the country of protesters "city by city, house by house".
The US is pressing Europe for tough sanctions on the Libyan government to turn up the heat on Gaddafi, saying that sanctions would convince Gaddafi's remaining loyalists to abandon his regime.
"The US has a wider sanctions regime than the UN has decided and they would like the Europeans to step in on that," Al Jazeera's Nick Spicer, reporting from Geneva, said.
Speaking in Cairo, John McCain and Joe Lieberman, two leading US senators, called for the immediate imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya.
They also urged the White House to recognise the 'provisional government' set up by Gaddafi opponents in the eastern city of Benghazi.
According to The New York Times, US and the European officials have been meeting to discuss the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone and taking measures to disrupt Gaddafi's internal communications abilities.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Sharquieh, the deputy director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said that a"no-fly zone is certainly a good idea".
"Although we have not seen credible independent evidence that Gaddafi has used jets to attack the protesters, that doesn't mean that he will not.
"I'd like to see some pressure, particularly from European leaders, who have good relations with Gaddafi, like [Italian prime minister Silvio] Berlusconi and [ex-British prime minister] Tony Blair, through direct communications and through phone calls.
"The key point that will change the balance of power in Libya will be more military officials joining the protesters," Sharquieh said.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Protesters march in Tripoli
Several hundreds of people gather in the Libyan capital, chanting slogans
Protesters have taken control of Zawiyah, 50km from Tripoli, and most of the eastern part of the country.
Several hundreds of people gather in the Libyan capital, chanting slogans
Protesters have taken control of Zawiyah, 50km from Tripoli, and most of the eastern part of the country.
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
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Gaddafi sees global assets frozen
Nations around the world move to block billions of dollars worth of assets belonging
to Libyan leader and his family.
Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 12:33 GMT
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's son, is said to have purchased this London house [GALLO/GETTY]
Nations around the world are moving to freeze the assets of Muammar Gaddafi in an attempt to pressure the Libyan leader to stand down.
Britain on Sunday became the latest country to freeze billions of dollars worth of investments including those of Gaddafi's children, and lifted his diplomatic immunity.
"We are now putting serious pressure on this regime," David Cameron, the British prime minister, said on Sunday. "The travel ban and the asset freeze are the measures we are taking against the regime to show just how isolated they are."
The British government has also barred the export of uncirculated Libyan banknotes from Britain without a licence, amid reports that there have been attempts to move around $1.5bn in uncirculated Libyan banknotes out of the UK.
Germany said on Monday it was proposing a 60-day freeze on all financial payments to Libya in a bid to stop funds from reaching Gaddafi.
"We are therefore working to ensure that all financial flows are cut off," Guido Westerwelle, the German finance minister said.
Canada also made moves on Sunday to freeze the assets of Gaddafi and his family, and to halt financial transactions between Ottawa and the government in Tripoli.
"Far from protecting the Libyan people against peril, he [Gaddafi] is the root cause of the dangers they face," Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said in a televised statement.
"It is clear that the only acceptable course of action for him is to halt the bloodshed and to immediately vacate his position and authority," he said.
US sanctions
The moves by Britain and Canada came after the US announced it was placing sanctions on Libya. Barack Obama, the president, signed an executive order on Friday freezing any financial assets tied to Gaddafi's government that were held by US banks and institutions throughout the world.
"The Libyan government's continued violation of human rights, brutalisation of its people, and outrageous threats have rightly drawn the strong and broad condemnation of the international community," Obama said in a statement.
"These sanctions therefore target the Gaddafi government, while protecting the assets that belong to the people of Libya."
Switzerland has also frozen the assets of Gaddafi and his family, condemning the use of violence by Libyan forces against civilians.
Australia has also said it is investigating claims that the Libyan leader has stashed millions of dollars in the country.
Kevin Rudd, the country's foreign minister, said it was time for Gaddafi to step down.
"For the sake of humanity, go now!'' he said, comparing the leader's actions to genocides in Rwanda, Srebrenica and Darfur.
"One of the reasons the Australian government acted early with unilateral autonomous sanctions against the [Gaddafi] regime was to ensure we can now begin legal processes for establishing whether any financial assets are held in Australia," Rudd told public broadcaster ABC.
"I'm not advised as to whether there are such assets or not, but such an examination is now under way," Rudd said.
Source: Agencies
Nations around the world move to block billions of dollars worth of assets belonging
to Libyan leader and his family.
Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 12:33 GMT
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's son, is said to have purchased this London house [GALLO/GETTY]
Nations around the world are moving to freeze the assets of Muammar Gaddafi in an attempt to pressure the Libyan leader to stand down.
Britain on Sunday became the latest country to freeze billions of dollars worth of investments including those of Gaddafi's children, and lifted his diplomatic immunity.
"We are now putting serious pressure on this regime," David Cameron, the British prime minister, said on Sunday. "The travel ban and the asset freeze are the measures we are taking against the regime to show just how isolated they are."
The British government has also barred the export of uncirculated Libyan banknotes from Britain without a licence, amid reports that there have been attempts to move around $1.5bn in uncirculated Libyan banknotes out of the UK.
Germany said on Monday it was proposing a 60-day freeze on all financial payments to Libya in a bid to stop funds from reaching Gaddafi.
"We are therefore working to ensure that all financial flows are cut off," Guido Westerwelle, the German finance minister said.
Canada also made moves on Sunday to freeze the assets of Gaddafi and his family, and to halt financial transactions between Ottawa and the government in Tripoli.
"Far from protecting the Libyan people against peril, he [Gaddafi] is the root cause of the dangers they face," Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said in a televised statement.
"It is clear that the only acceptable course of action for him is to halt the bloodshed and to immediately vacate his position and authority," he said.
US sanctions
The moves by Britain and Canada came after the US announced it was placing sanctions on Libya. Barack Obama, the president, signed an executive order on Friday freezing any financial assets tied to Gaddafi's government that were held by US banks and institutions throughout the world.
"The Libyan government's continued violation of human rights, brutalisation of its people, and outrageous threats have rightly drawn the strong and broad condemnation of the international community," Obama said in a statement.
"These sanctions therefore target the Gaddafi government, while protecting the assets that belong to the people of Libya."
Switzerland has also frozen the assets of Gaddafi and his family, condemning the use of violence by Libyan forces against civilians.
Australia has also said it is investigating claims that the Libyan leader has stashed millions of dollars in the country.
Kevin Rudd, the country's foreign minister, said it was time for Gaddafi to step down.
"For the sake of humanity, go now!'' he said, comparing the leader's actions to genocides in Rwanda, Srebrenica and Darfur.
"One of the reasons the Australian government acted early with unilateral autonomous sanctions against the [Gaddafi] regime was to ensure we can now begin legal processes for establishing whether any financial assets are held in Australia," Rudd told public broadcaster ABC.
"I'm not advised as to whether there are such assets or not, but such an examination is now under way," Rudd said.
Source: Agencies
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Keeping up with the Gaddafis
Leaked diplomatic cables tell a tale of sibling rivalry, private armies and multi-million dollar parties.
Karim Haddad Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 13:26 GMT
Muammar Gaddafi with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, left, the Spanish prime minister who
acted as a mediator during the diplomatic spat between Libya and Switzerland - which
began with the arrest of Gaddafi's son Hannibal [EPA]
On Saturday, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution imposing international sanctions on Libya, including an arms embargo, asset freezes and travel bans.
Resolution 1970 also referred the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) - and marks the first time that the US has ever voted in favour of such a move.
This comes after more than 10 days of protests in Libya, which have been met with violence by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the country's leader.
Speaking after the vote, Ibrahim Debbashi, Libya's deputy ambassador to the UN, said that at least 2,000 people had been killed and added that the newly passed resolution would target all those responsible, including members of the Libyan leader's family.
Heir apparent?
Of all Gaddafi's children, the most outspoken throughout the uprising has been his eldest son from his second marriage.
Once considered the heir apparent, Saif al-Islam has remained defiant since he declared that his country faced civil war and "rivers of blood" on February 20.
He again spoke out on Saturday to say that his family was standing firm. Up until a week ago, many Western observers saw Saif al-Islam as a reformer - but times have since changed.
Recent years brought about a rapprochement of sorts between Libya and the US, after Gaddafi's government renounced the development of weapons of mass destruction and accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing.
The Bush administration announced in 2006 that full diplomatic ties between the two countries would be re-established and that Libya would be taken off the US state department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Two years later, Saif al-Islam was welcomed in Washington, where he met with Condoleezza Rice, the then secretary of state.
In a recently leaked US diplomatic cable, US officials wrote about his "high-profile role as the public face of the regime to the West" being a mixed blessing.
"While it has bolstered his image (he is probably the most publicly recognised figure in Libya other than Muammar Gaddafi), many Libyans view him as self-aggrandising and too eager to please foreigners at the expense of Libyans' interest."
In the cable - obtained by Wikileaks - officials wrote that Saif al-Islam's visit in late 2008 "exacerbated tension with his siblings" - particularly with brother Mutassim, Libya's national security advisor, who holds more ambitious aspirations.
After requesting more than $1bn in aid to create his own military brigade, Mutassim visited Washington in April 2009 and met with Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state.
Before that visit, US officials wrote: "Mutassim's desire to visit Washington this spring and his seemingly overweening focus on having meetings with senior US government officials and signing a number of agreements are driven at least in part by a strong sense of competition with Saif al-Islam."
Lifestyle choices
The more flamboyant Gaddafi brothers were also discussed in the cable. According to US officials: "Hannibal and Saadi both have checkered histories of unseemly behaviour and public scuffles with authorities in Europe and elsewhere."
After Saif al-Islam, Hannibal is probably the most well known of the Libyan leader's children.
No stranger to the news, he has been involved in numerous incidents with European police and is known to have paid millions of dollars for private performances from popular entertainers such as Beyoncé and Mariah Carey.
Hannibal was arrested in 2009 in Geneva for assaulting a housekeeper. A diplomatic spat with Switzerland ensued, straining economic ties between the two countries and leading Libya to stop issuing visas to EU citizens.
Brother Saadi is a former footballer who played in one game for the Italian club Perugia before failing a drug test. Known for his extravagant lifestyle, he was recently ordered to pay a hotel in Portofino more than $413,000 in back fees.
The leaked cable reveals that Gaddafi's only daughter, Aisha, had been tasked with monitoring her two troublesome brothers - as well as Saif al-Arab, who is described as "the least publicly known of Gaddafi's children; he lives in Munich, where he pursues ill-defined business interests and spends much time partying".
Aisha is best known for her involvement in the defence of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president.
US officials also say she "played a strong role in urging a hardline Libyan position with respect to the Swiss-Libyan contretemps over Hannibal's arrest ...
Aisha's less than accurate rendering to her father of the events surrounding Hannibal's arrest and treatment by Swiss authorities helped stoke Muammar Gaddafi's anger, limiting the extent to which Libyan and Swiss officials could manoeuvre to find an acceptable compromise".
What happens next?
Although Saif al-Islam had long been seen as his father's potential heir, any real hierarchy within the family is not well known. He was often at odds with his sister, according to leaked US diplomatic cables.
In 2009, US officials wrote: "The sharp rivalry between the Gaddafi children could play an important, if not determinative role, in whether the family is able to hold on to power after the author of the revolution exits the political scene."
Whatever its divisions may be at present, the Gaddafi family seem as determined as ever to remain in power.
The Khamis Brigade, named after Colonel Gaddafi's youngest son, was understood to be responsible for much of the bloodshed, while Khamis has reportedly been flying in mercenaries as recently as Wednesday.
In the wake of the violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, officials in Washington were forced to reassess their positions on Libya. Once US citizens were evacuated, it became easier to speak out.
On Saturday, the administration of Barack Obama stepped up its rhetoric, saying Gaddafi must leave office immediately.
In a third US diplomatic cable obtained by Wikileaks, this one dated 2008, officials wrote: "While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs of instability, Gaddafi is a complicated individual who has managed to stay in power for 40 years through a skillful balancing of interests and realpolitik methods.
Continued engagement with Gaddafi and his inner circle is important, not only to learn the motives and interests that drive the world's longest serving dictator, but also to help overcome the misperceptions that inevitably accumulated during Gaddafi's decades of isolation."
Clearly that position has changed. On Friday, Obama issued an executive order to implement unilateral sanctions against the Gaddafi regime.
While the annex of the order only lists five individuals - the Libyan leader, his daughter Aisha, his sons Saif al-Islam, Mutassim, and Khamis - it targets all family members and associates.
Hannibal is the only other sibling singled-out in the UN resolution that passed on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the streets of Libya remain flooded with hundreds of thousands of protestors calling for an end to the 41-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi.
He has remained defiant and made clear last week that he has no intention of going anywhere, saying: "This is my country. Muammar is not a president to leave his post; Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time." Saif al-Islam has taken a similar position - as have his siblings.
But irrespective of the family's wishes, the people want to see the children gone along with their father, and they do not seem willing to accept anything less.
Source: Al Jazeera
Leaked diplomatic cables tell a tale of sibling rivalry, private armies and multi-million dollar parties.
Karim Haddad Last Modified: 28 Feb 2011 13:26 GMT
Muammar Gaddafi with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, left, the Spanish prime minister who
acted as a mediator during the diplomatic spat between Libya and Switzerland - which
began with the arrest of Gaddafi's son Hannibal [EPA]
On Saturday, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution imposing international sanctions on Libya, including an arms embargo, asset freezes and travel bans.
Resolution 1970 also referred the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) - and marks the first time that the US has ever voted in favour of such a move.
This comes after more than 10 days of protests in Libya, which have been met with violence by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the country's leader.
Speaking after the vote, Ibrahim Debbashi, Libya's deputy ambassador to the UN, said that at least 2,000 people had been killed and added that the newly passed resolution would target all those responsible, including members of the Libyan leader's family.
Heir apparent?
Of all Gaddafi's children, the most outspoken throughout the uprising has been his eldest son from his second marriage.
Once considered the heir apparent, Saif al-Islam has remained defiant since he declared that his country faced civil war and "rivers of blood" on February 20.
He again spoke out on Saturday to say that his family was standing firm. Up until a week ago, many Western observers saw Saif al-Islam as a reformer - but times have since changed.
Recent years brought about a rapprochement of sorts between Libya and the US, after Gaddafi's government renounced the development of weapons of mass destruction and accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing.
The Bush administration announced in 2006 that full diplomatic ties between the two countries would be re-established and that Libya would be taken off the US state department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Two years later, Saif al-Islam was welcomed in Washington, where he met with Condoleezza Rice, the then secretary of state.
In a recently leaked US diplomatic cable, US officials wrote about his "high-profile role as the public face of the regime to the West" being a mixed blessing.
"While it has bolstered his image (he is probably the most publicly recognised figure in Libya other than Muammar Gaddafi), many Libyans view him as self-aggrandising and too eager to please foreigners at the expense of Libyans' interest."
In the cable - obtained by Wikileaks - officials wrote that Saif al-Islam's visit in late 2008 "exacerbated tension with his siblings" - particularly with brother Mutassim, Libya's national security advisor, who holds more ambitious aspirations.
After requesting more than $1bn in aid to create his own military brigade, Mutassim visited Washington in April 2009 and met with Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state.
Before that visit, US officials wrote: "Mutassim's desire to visit Washington this spring and his seemingly overweening focus on having meetings with senior US government officials and signing a number of agreements are driven at least in part by a strong sense of competition with Saif al-Islam."
Lifestyle choices
The more flamboyant Gaddafi brothers were also discussed in the cable. According to US officials: "Hannibal and Saadi both have checkered histories of unseemly behaviour and public scuffles with authorities in Europe and elsewhere."
After Saif al-Islam, Hannibal is probably the most well known of the Libyan leader's children.
No stranger to the news, he has been involved in numerous incidents with European police and is known to have paid millions of dollars for private performances from popular entertainers such as Beyoncé and Mariah Carey.
Hannibal was arrested in 2009 in Geneva for assaulting a housekeeper. A diplomatic spat with Switzerland ensued, straining economic ties between the two countries and leading Libya to stop issuing visas to EU citizens.
Brother Saadi is a former footballer who played in one game for the Italian club Perugia before failing a drug test. Known for his extravagant lifestyle, he was recently ordered to pay a hotel in Portofino more than $413,000 in back fees.
The leaked cable reveals that Gaddafi's only daughter, Aisha, had been tasked with monitoring her two troublesome brothers - as well as Saif al-Arab, who is described as "the least publicly known of Gaddafi's children; he lives in Munich, where he pursues ill-defined business interests and spends much time partying".
Aisha is best known for her involvement in the defence of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president.
US officials also say she "played a strong role in urging a hardline Libyan position with respect to the Swiss-Libyan contretemps over Hannibal's arrest ...
Aisha's less than accurate rendering to her father of the events surrounding Hannibal's arrest and treatment by Swiss authorities helped stoke Muammar Gaddafi's anger, limiting the extent to which Libyan and Swiss officials could manoeuvre to find an acceptable compromise".
What happens next?
Although Saif al-Islam had long been seen as his father's potential heir, any real hierarchy within the family is not well known. He was often at odds with his sister, according to leaked US diplomatic cables.
In 2009, US officials wrote: "The sharp rivalry between the Gaddafi children could play an important, if not determinative role, in whether the family is able to hold on to power after the author of the revolution exits the political scene."
Whatever its divisions may be at present, the Gaddafi family seem as determined as ever to remain in power.
The Khamis Brigade, named after Colonel Gaddafi's youngest son, was understood to be responsible for much of the bloodshed, while Khamis has reportedly been flying in mercenaries as recently as Wednesday.
In the wake of the violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, officials in Washington were forced to reassess their positions on Libya. Once US citizens were evacuated, it became easier to speak out.
On Saturday, the administration of Barack Obama stepped up its rhetoric, saying Gaddafi must leave office immediately.
In a third US diplomatic cable obtained by Wikileaks, this one dated 2008, officials wrote: "While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs of instability, Gaddafi is a complicated individual who has managed to stay in power for 40 years through a skillful balancing of interests and realpolitik methods.
Continued engagement with Gaddafi and his inner circle is important, not only to learn the motives and interests that drive the world's longest serving dictator, but also to help overcome the misperceptions that inevitably accumulated during Gaddafi's decades of isolation."
Clearly that position has changed. On Friday, Obama issued an executive order to implement unilateral sanctions against the Gaddafi regime.
While the annex of the order only lists five individuals - the Libyan leader, his daughter Aisha, his sons Saif al-Islam, Mutassim, and Khamis - it targets all family members and associates.
Hannibal is the only other sibling singled-out in the UN resolution that passed on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the streets of Libya remain flooded with hundreds of thousands of protestors calling for an end to the 41-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi.
He has remained defiant and made clear last week that he has no intention of going anywhere, saying: "This is my country. Muammar is not a president to leave his post; Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time." Saif al-Islam has taken a similar position - as have his siblings.
But irrespective of the family's wishes, the people want to see the children gone along with their father, and they do not seem willing to accept anything less.
Source: Al Jazeera
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Kenyans from Libya back home
SOURCE: Daily Nation:Breaking News, Kenya, Africa, Politics, Business, Sports, Blogs, Photos, Videos*- News
Askari Kanzu
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 7, 2011
- 4,596
- 1,234
Libya: rebels claim to have shot down jet
Rebels claimed to have downed a military aircraft as they fought a government bids to take back Libya's third city, Misrata, and the strategic oil refinery town of Zawieh.
An armed man stands on top of a captured tank in Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli Photo: AP
Libyan militias controlling the entrance of the city of Shahad in the rebel area of the country Photo: EPA
1:01PM GMT 28 Feb 2011
Libyan forces have been launched fresh offensives again Zawieh, 30 miles from Tripoli, and Misrata, 125 miles to the east. Rebels said some 2,000 troops loyal to the regime had surrounded Zawieh, but that they had succeeded in holding on to the town centres.
"An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio station," a witness, who was identified only as Mohamed, said by telephone from Misrata.
"Fighting to control the military airbase started last night and is still going on," he added.
"We will do our best to fight them off. They will attack soon," said a former police major who switched sides and joined the rebellion. "If we are fighting for freedom, we are ready to die for it."
Source:
Rebels claimed to have downed a military aircraft as they fought a government bids to take back Libya's third city, Misrata, and the strategic oil refinery town of Zawieh.
An armed man stands on top of a captured tank in Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli Photo: AP
Libyan militias controlling the entrance of the city of Shahad in the rebel area of the country Photo: EPA
1:01PM GMT 28 Feb 2011
Libyan forces have been launched fresh offensives again Zawieh, 30 miles from Tripoli, and Misrata, 125 miles to the east. Rebels said some 2,000 troops loyal to the regime had surrounded Zawieh, but that they had succeeded in holding on to the town centres.
"An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio station," a witness, who was identified only as Mohamed, said by telephone from Misrata.
"Fighting to control the military airbase started last night and is still going on," he added.
"We will do our best to fight them off. They will attack soon," said a former police major who switched sides and joined the rebellion. "If we are fighting for freedom, we are ready to die for it."
Source:
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Askari Kanzu, nimeipenda hii: "If we are fighting for freedom, we are ready to die for it."
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
A Gaddafi-loyal jet fighter bombs a defectee military base in Benghazi awhile ago.
CNN
CNN
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Libya protests: The Gaddafi family tree
A look at the roles and relationships of the Libyan leader's closest family, amid ongoing protests
and violence across the country.
CLICKABLE Select the images to read more.
SOURCE: BBC News - Libya protests: The Gaddafi family tree.
A look at the roles and relationships of the Libyan leader's closest family, amid ongoing protests
and violence across the country.
CLICKABLE Select the images to read more.
SOURCE: BBC News - Libya protests: The Gaddafi family tree.
Uwezo Tunao
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2010
- 6,942
- 1,191
Milad Abuztaia Al-Gaddafi
Adopted son and nephew, Milad is credited with saving Gaddafi's life during the 1986 US bombing of the Gaddafi compound.
Adopted son and nephew, Milad is credited with saving Gaddafi's life during the 1986 US bombing of the Gaddafi compound.