"UN team arrives in Libya to assess human rights issues; NATO aircraft drive government troops from port" April 28, 2011|By Simon Denyer, Washington Post
TRIPOLI, Libya — In Misurata, rebels had warned that their hard-won gains of the past week would be at risk unless NATO stepped up its aerial assistance. Yesterday, they were slightly happier, after NATO airstrikes pounded Khadafy’s forces attacking the port and forced them to withdraw....
The bombardment of the port by Khadafy’s forces in the past two days has worsened the humanitarian situation in the city, the European Union’s commissioner for humanitarian aid said in Brussels....
Nevertheless, the International Organization for Migration said it had taken advantage of a lull in the shelling....
The government says that it is fighting armed gangs and Al Qaeda militants in the city, that the port is being used to bring in arms and terrorists, and that residents are being held hostage by the rebels....
In Washington, the US ambassador to Libya, Gene Cretz, accused Khadafy’s forces of laying siege to mountain towns in recent days, “apparently attempting to starve them into submission.’’
Of course, if Israel does that to Palestinians the U.S. supports it.
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Seems like I have reached a stalemate with the Globe because I'm hardly reading them these days.
"Libyan forces kill 10 people in attack on rebel-held city; Misurata shelling continues despite recent advances" April 29, 2011|By Ben Hubbard, Associated Press
MISURATA, Libya — The two-month battle in Libya’s third-largest city has killed hundreds and prompted dire warnings of a humanitarian crisis....
In fighting along the Tunisian border, control of the Dehiba crossing point was switching between the two sides yesterday....
About 5,000 people have crossed the border from Libya during the past two days, Tunisia’s state TAP news agency reported. Many are being taken in by Tunisian families in the region or being housed in a refugee camp.
Misurata has become the focus of fighting in recent weeks, as the other key front, in the largely rebel-controlled east, has settled into a stalemate....
Another doctor in Misurata said yesterday that a NATO airstrike killed 12 rebels in a friendly fire incident a day earlier.
I guess that's why the rebels were happy!
Don't you like the minimization of this incident? Last paragraph, first sentence, pfffft.
The military alliance, which is operating over Libya to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians, denied its warplanes bombed a building the rebels were said to be occupying.
I'm sure the Afghans and Pakistanis can empathize with that.
Yup, that's NATO's knee-jerk response all right.
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"Tunisia rebukes Libya for incursions; NATO forces foil attempt to block key access route" April 30, 2011|By Karin Laub and Ben Hubbard, Associated Press
TRIPOLI, Libya — A battle between Libyan troops and rebels spilled over the western border into Tunisia yesterday, drawing a sharp rebuke of Moammar Khadafy’s regime from the neighboring government.
Clashes along the Tunisian border have escalated since Thursday, posing a new challenge for Khadafy within the western half of the country, where he must consolidate his control to cling to power. Rebels captured most of the east early in the uprising, which began in February.
On the other major front in western Libya, NATO foiled attempts by regime loyalists to close the only access route to the besieged rebel city of Misrata, intercepting boats that were laying mines around the port....
The government offensive on the Tunisian border along with shelling that killed 15 in Misrata yesterday and the attempt to mine the Misrata port show the regime is redoubling efforts to crush stubborn pockets of resistance in the west.
In the capital, Tripoli, residents reported rising tensions over fuel shortages, a result of sanctions imposed on Khadafy. Witnesses said there have been clashes between residents and troops at gas stations in recent days, after security forces tried to cut into long lines.
Khadafy has clamped down hard on dissent in the capital. However, opposition figures say there have also been sneak nighttime shooting attacks on Army checkpoints in the city.
The actions of the Libyan leader, increasingly isolated, drew new condemnations yesterday....
Hey, look, Israel has company!
Since early yesterday, the Tunisian Army had swept through the frontier town Dhuheiba, searching for Khadafy forces who had fled to Tunisia. Tunisia’s state news agency, citing the military, said battles have left dozens dead.
At one point yesterday, 15 Libyan military vehicles, carrying troops armed with anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers, were spotted in Dhuheiba. Angry civilians and the families of Libyan rebels who had been staying there set upon the Khadafy troops, creating a “chaotic situation.’’
The Tunisian Army stopped “several members of Khadafy’s brigades, regrouping them and leading them back to Libyan territory,’’ the Tunisian Defense Ministry said, according to TAP.
The Tunisian news agency, said dozens of Libyan troops and rebel fighters were killed in the two-day battle over the Dhuheiba crossing, which ended with rebels regaining control yesterday.
The crossing is a strategic lifeline for Libya’s western Nafusa mountain area.
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As for airstrikes enforcing no-fly zones and protecting civilians, forget it. They are trying for an assassination:
"Khadafy survives NATO missile strike; Youngest son, 3 grandchildren killed in attack" by Karin Laub, Associated Press / May 1, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli, but his youngest son and three grandchildren under the age of 12 were killed, a government spokesman said.
The strike, which came hours after Khadafy called for a cease-fire and negotiations in what rebels called a publicity stunt, marked an escalation of international efforts to prevent the Libyan regime from regaining momentum....
Oh, no, we could never have that were the Empire wants oil, gas, and water.
NATO warplanes have been carrying out airstrikes in Libya for the past month as part of a UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians. Yesterday’s strike marked the first time Khadafy’s family was targeted directly....
Then it is MURDER!
Can you imagine the howls of outrage in the West were Khadafy to go after Cameron's, Sarkozy's, or Obama's family? But killing his kids is fine.
Khadafy had seven sons and one daughter. The Libyan leader also had an adopted daughter who was killed in a 1986 US airstrike on his Bab al-Aziziya residential compound, which was separate from the area struck yesterday.
I guess the U.S. has been murdering Khadafy's kids for a ling time.
That strike came in retaliation for the bombing attack on a German disco in which two US servicemen were killed. The United States at the time blamed Libya for the disco blast.
Blamed them at the time implies it wasn't them.
Related: German TV exposes CIA, Mossad links to 1986 Berlin disco bombing
Then the AmeriKan media knows that.
Are you tired of being lied to about "terrorists," America?
The fatal airstrike came just hours after Khadafy called for a mutual cease-fire and negotiations with NATO powers to end a six-week bombing campaign.
I am ALWAYS for a CEASE-FIRE and NEGOTIATIONS no matter WHO CALLS FOR IT!!!!
In a rambling predawn speech yesterday, Khadafy said “the door to peace is open.’’
That's the AmeriKan media's way of telling you not to listen to him.
“You are the aggressors. We will negotiate with you. Come, France, Italy, UK, America, come to negotiate with us. Why are you attacking us?’’ he asked.
I'm sorry and sad to say it, but he's right.
He also railed against foreign intervention, saying Libyans have the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of NATO bombings....
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Yup, once again whatever the New World Order crowd does turns to s***:
"Libyans hit embassies, UN office; Retaliate for NATO strike" by Karin Laub and Ben Hubbard, Associated Press / May 2, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya — Angry mobs attacked Western embassies and UN offices in Tripoli yesterday, a day after NATO bombed Moammar Khadafy’s family compound, reportedly killing a son and three grandchildren of the leader. Russia accused the Western alliance of exceeding its UN mandate of protecting civilians.
Yeah, well, Russia is right. We are killing them!
After news of the airstrike spread in Tripoli, protesters burned down the British Embassy buildings, including the ambassador’s residence, the British Foreign Office said. Britain, which has taken a leading role in supporting the rebels, responded by ordering the expulsion of the Libyan ambassador, saying he must leave by today.
The Italian and US embassies also were attacked by vandals yesterday. All the targeted embassies were empty and nobody was reported injured, but the attacks heightened tensions between the Libyan regime and Western powers, prompting the United Nations to pull its international staff out of the capital.
The bombing did not slow the attacks by Khadafy’s forces on rebel strongholds in the western part of Libya that has remained largely under the control of the regime. The rebel port of Misurata, which has been besieged by Khadafy’s troops for two months, came under heavy shelling yesterday and at least a dozen people were killed, a medic said.
Khadafy has repeatedly called for a cease-fire, most recently on Saturday, but has not halted his assault on Misurata, a city of 300,000 where hundreds have been killed since the rebellion against Libya’s ruler erupted.
The rebels, who control most of eastern Libya, have been unable to gain an advantage on the battlefield despite weeks of NATO airstrikes.
Translation: You CAN NOT WIN a GROUND WAR from the AIR!!!
Alliance officials and allied leaders emphatically denied they were hunting Khadafy to break the stalemate between the better trained government forces and the lightly armed rebels.
Leaders of the United States, Britain, and France have said Khadafy must go, prompting warnings by UN Security Council members Russia, China, and Brazil against NATO attempts to change the regime.
Isn't it AMAZING that 10 YEARS LATER the NEO-CON AGENDA is STILL BEING ADVANCED?
"General Wesley Clark, who commanded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing campaign in the Kosovo war, recalls in his 2003 book Winning Modern Wars being told by a friend in the Pentagon in November 2001 that the list of states that Rumsfeld and deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz wanted to take down included Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan and Somalia [and Lebanon]."
Also see: PNAC
In some of its strongest language, the Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday accused NATO of a “disproportionate use of force’’ and cast doubt on NATO’s assertion that it is not targeting Khadafy or members of his family.
I guess NATO no longer cares if they look like liars.
The ministry called for “an immediate cease-fire.’’
NATO warplanes have shifted their focus in the past two weeks from support for rebels on the front lines to attacking the regime’s communications centers. Saturday’s strike reduced most of the Khadafy family compound, which takes up an entire block in the residential Garghour neighborhood, to rubble.
I'm kind of sick of "enemies" being described as living in "compounds" -- as if that justifies attacking and killing anyone who is in there.
And look at how benignly the assassination strikes are described by the war-criminal AmeriKan media. There is no getting around it anymore because that is what they are.
Libyan officials said the attack killed Seif al-Arab Khadafy, 29, and three young grandchildren of the Libyan leader. The children were identified as Carthage, 2, the daughter of Hannibal Khadafy; 6-month-old Mastura, daughter of Khadafy’s daughter, Aisha; and 15-month-old Seif Mohammed, son of Mohammed Khadafy.
Yup, KIDS and BABIES DEAD! I'm sure they must have been "terrorists."
And why excise this for the web version:
The 1986 strike, which killed Khadafy's adopted daughter, was retaliation for the bombing attack on a German disco in which two US servicemen were killed. The United States at the time blamed Libya for the disco blast.
Foreign ambassadors, many from Africa, were given a tour of the complex targeted Saturday by government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim, who told them that Africans must stick together against attempts at foreign meddling.
Because YOU could be NEXT!
Back to verbatim print:
A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said only burned shells of the British Embassy buildings remained.
A Libyan anti-Khadafy activist who toured Tripoli said the US Embassy had scorch marks near the windows and a green Libyan flag draped over the roof. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Doesn't that make you mad enough to kill Khadafy yourself, American?
(Blog editor is really, really sick of the war propaganda, can you tell?)
The United States evacuated its diplomatic staff at the start of the Libyan crisis.
The State Department said it was aware of reported damage to the embassy. “If true, we condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms,’’ the statement said....
Rebels welcomed news of the airstrike that killed Khadafy’s son, although some questioned the claim’s veracity, saying the regime may be trying to discredit the international campaign.
That's funny, because I am at the point where I am questioning everything I read in my AmeriKan newspaper. The ceaseless lying about the wars, bin Laden, environment, and economy have taken their toll.
Libyan state TV broadcast footage showing what it said were the bodies of the victims. Bishop Giovanni Martinelli, top Catholic clergyman in Tripoli, said he was shown the bodies. He said he was told one was that of Seif al-Arab Khadafy, but the body was so disfigured he could not make a positive identification.
Like the bin Laden photos?
And they cut this about the guy they killed?
Seif al-Arab Khadafy was the second-youngest of Khadafy's seven sons and brother of the better known Seif al-Islam Khadafy, who had been described as a reformist before the uprising began.
The younger Khadafy had spent much of his time studying and partying in the southern German city of Munich in recent years and was not involved in Libyan power structures, as were many of his siblings.
So they MURDERED an INNOCENT MAN and maybe even a FUTURE FRIEND, 'eh?
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"Mourners demand revenge in Libya; Khadafy’s son, kin buried after NATO airstrike" May 03, 2011|By Karin Laub and Ben Hubbard, Associated Press
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyans shouting for revenge buried Moammar Khadafy’s second youngest son amid the thundering sound of antiaircraft fire yesterday, as South Africa warned that the NATO bombing that killed him would bring only more violence...
Three of Khadafy’s grandchildren, an infant and two toddlers, also died in Saturday’s attack, which NATO says targeted one of the regime’s command and control centers....
NATO officials have denied they are hunting Khadafy to break the battlefield stalemate between Khadafy’s troops and rebels trying for the past 10 weeks to depose him. Rebels largely control eastern Libya, while Khadafy has clung to much of the west, including the capital, Tripoli.
Cling vs. control is an obvious corporate media bias.
Fierce battles have raged in Misurata, a besieged rebel-held city in western Libya, which has been shelled by loyalist forces every day in recent weeks.
That's clinging?
Records at one hospital showed that at least eight people were killed and 54 injured in shelling yesterday that lasted all morning and for a brief period during the afternoon.
Amazing how the AmeriKan media can find that out when an agenda is being pushed, and ignore it when it is an ally or in support.
Rebels have repeatedly called on NATO to use more firepower against Libyan troops. “We call on the world to deal with Khadafy just as they dealt with bin Laden,’’ said a Misurata doctor, referring to the killing of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by US forces early yesterday....
Related: Bin Laden Stories Show AmeriKan Media Not to be Believing
I don't anymore, and they have not been helping themselves lately either.
Under a UN mandate, NATO’S role is to protect Libyan civilians, but the international community has increasingly disagreed about what that entails. Western political leaders have called for Khadafy’s ouster, prompting warnings from Russia, China, and others that regime change must not be the objective of NATO’S bombing campaign, now in its second month....
That's what this is all right!
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Time to talk Turkey:
"Turkish leader calls on Khadafy to exit now; Says strongman has chosen way of blood, tears" May 04, 2011|By Sebnem Arsu and Kareem Fahim, New York Times
ISTANBUL — In his harshest comments to date on the situation in Libya, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a regional power broker, told reporters here yesterday that Moammar Khadafy had chosen “blood, tears, oppression’’ and that he must “immediately step down.’’
Turkey has historical and business ties to Libya, and during more than two months of conflict it has tried to act as an intermediary between Khadafy’s government and the rebels seeking his ouster. As a result, each side has accused Turkey of favoring the other, or of hedging its bets.
But yesterday, Erdogan appeared to draw a line, saying during a televised news conference that Khadafy had violently resisted calls for change and that he must leave power for the good of the country and the Libyan people.
“Moammar Khadafy, instead of taking our suggestions into account, refraining from shedding blood or seeking for ways to maintain the territorial unity of Libya, chose blood, tears, oppression, and attacks on his own people,’’ Erdogan said. “Now, at this stage, the thing that needs to be done is Moammar Khadafy to immediately step down from power that he holds in Libya.’’
***************
Khadafy’s forces kept up their attack on the besieged city of Misurata yesterday, although they concentrated most of their firepower on the front lines, rather than the city. They also continued to threaten shipping lanes into the port.
I thought NATO cleared those days ago?! That''s what my newspaper said!
The Red Star One, a vessel chartered by the International Organization for Migration, has been offshore since Saturday, awaiting permission to dock and evacuate 1,000 mainly African migrants and dozens of wounded Libyan civilians, Reuters reported. Officials with the group called on NATO and Libyan authorities to assure the ship’s safe passage.
I read something like that and wonder where the hell NATO was when the Gaza flotilla was attacked by Israel.
In the southwestern mountain region, loyalist forces shelled a road leading from a critical border crossing near Dhiba, Tunisia, that was seized by rebel forces last week, the Associated Press said.
Why should I believe AP or any other AmeriKan news agency at this point? Hey, maybe it did happen but I simply can not take their word for it.
Having been defeated in their attempt to retake the crossing, the Khadafy militias now seem content to shell the road, trying to disrupt the rebels’ efforts to resupply several besieged rebel-held towns in the area.
Who the hell knows who controls that crossing?
Yesterday, Turkey closed its embassy in Tripoli, apparently worried about the crowds that attacked the missions of countries from the NATO alliance, of which Turkey is a member. The attacks followed a NATO airstrike that the Libyan government said killed a son of Khadafy, Seif al-Arab Khadafy, and three of the leader’s grandchildren. Since the bombing raid on Saturday night, Moammar Khadafy’s supporters have vandalized or set fire to the Italian, British, and US embassies, which were already closed, and ransacked UN buildings....
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Time to dock:
"Khadafy’s forces kill four after aid ship docks in port; State Department says regime should allow civilian relief" May 05, 2011|By Ben Hubbard, Associated Press
MISURATA, Libya — Moammar Khadafy’s forces showered the port area of this besieged rebel city with rockets just minutes after an international aid ship docked yesterday, killing four people as part of the regime’s increasingly bloody attempt to choke off Misurata’s remaining lifeline.
The attack caused panic among hundreds of stranded migrant workers and fleeing Libyans who were trying to board the Red Star One, a ferry chartered by the International Organization for Migration. In the chaos, some families were separated and the boat had to redock twice to sort it all out.
The timing of the shelling suggested Libyan forces were deliberately trying to disrupt the evacuation....
Are YOU sick of the AX-GRINDING AGENDA-PUSHING, dear readers?
This is what PASSES for NEWS here in New England!
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was making an additional $6.5 million in assistance available to help evacuate people from Misurata and for other operations in Libya.
Do Americans have that tax money to spare?
Where the hell is the ASSISTANCE to the American people anyway?
On Tuesday, a senior Libyan official said the Libyan Army would do what is necessary to block sea access to Misurata, already besieged by land the past two months.
Israel, Palestine, 'nuff said.
Last week, Khadafy’s troops were caught laying sea mines, disrupting shipping as NATO struggled to clear a safe access route to Misurata’s port.
U.S. got caught doing that in Nicaragua during the 1980s, remember?
The Red Star One had waited at sea for three days before risking the approach yesterday, aided by a tugboat.
Misurata is the main rebel stronghold in western Libya, which remains largely under Khadafy’s control, while the rebels have been holding on to most of the east. Since the uprising against Khadafy broke out in mid-February, the two sides have largely been locked in a stalemate....
How come all the wars the government and media sell you end like this, America?
In Benghazi, the opposition stronghold in eastern Libya, rebel military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Bani depicted the bombing as a crime against humanity. He also reported heavy fighting in the southeastern town of Kufra.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court prosecutor said yesterday that he will seek arrest warrants in the coming weeks against three Libyans who appear to bear “the greatest criminal responsibility’’ for crimes against humanity in the current uprising.
I'm still waiting for the charges against Bush, Bliar, and the crop of Israeli war criminals.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the UN Security Council that the evidence establishes reasonable grounds to believe that widespread and systematic attacks are being committed against civilians by Khadafy’s security forces.
The Security Council voted unanimously on Feb. 26 to refer the Libyan crisis to the International Criminal Court and asked the prosecutor to report in two months.
Moreno-Ocampo said the evidence shows that government security forces have been systematically shooting at peaceful protesters, using the same tactics in multiple locations. He said systematic arrests, torture, killings, and disappearances of civilians have been reported in government-controlled areas including Tripoli, Al Zariyah, Zintan, and the Nafousa Mountains.
Did they render them to a secret CIA site in Eastern Europe or Gitmo for torture?
And the awaiting war crimes charges would really make you rush to the negotiating table, 'eh?
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Hey, if you can't beat 'em, ROB 'EM!!!!!!!!
"US wants to aid rebels with seized cash; Allies discuss options during Rome meeting" by Steven Lee Myers and Rachel Donadio, New York Times / May 6, 2011
ROME — The United States announced yesterday that it will try to release some of the more than $30 billion in assets seized from Libya’s leader, Moammar Khadafy, as international officials said they would create a fund to give money directly to the Libyan rebels....
And how many globalist s*** are going to be skimming and stealing from the fund?
The developments came yesterday at a meeting in Rome that appeared to bolster the NATO-led military intervention....
The meeting was aimed at intensifying diplomatic and financial pressure on Khadafy’s government. The military operation, which to critics seems stalled, has largely succeeded in its stated mission of stopping the advance of his forces but has not done enough to stop indiscriminate shelling in cities like Misurata and Zintan or force Khadafy to step down.
I was going to say can we come home now, but....
And note the tricky journalism: yes, critics say the operation seems stalled -- implying that it really is not that way.
I really don't know how much longer I can do this, readers, because I am truly full up on the s*** AmeriKan media.
Above all, the international officials said they would create a special fund of hundreds of millions of dollars to allow humanitarian and other financial assistance to flow into rebel-controlled parts of Libya despite United Nations sanctions that apply to Khadafy’s government.
Libya’s opposition has asked for billions of dollars’ worth of help, including cash to pay salaries and provide services in the parts of the country under the control of the rebels, led by a group called the Transitional National Council....
The difficulty in providing concrete support outside of NATO airpower reflects the diplomatic and legal complications and confusion that have dogged the international intervention in Libya since it began with a barrage of missile strikes March 18....
What the hell are they talking about?
That's not what the media has been selling us the last two months!
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Maybe Harvard can help:
"Firm says it erred on Libya consulting; Cambridge company will register as lobbyist" by Farah Stockman, Globe Staff / May 6, 2011
WASHINGTON — A Cambridge consulting firm’s controversial bid to bolster the image of Moammar Khadafy and Libya should have been registered with the US government as a lobbying effort, an internal company investigation found.
See: Local consultants aided Khadafy
Top Khadafy aide helped craft deal with local firm
Hey, they paid good money.
Company officials with Monitor Group, which enlisted prominent professors from Harvard University in the effort from 2006 to 2008, said the inquiry also concluded that public relations work for foreign governments is not part of its core mission and should be avoided....
So WHEN is AIPAC going to register as an agent of Israel?!!!
The company will retroactively register the Libya work today, as well as a separate contract with Jordan, he said.
Oh, they buffing up the king, too?
The company’s decision to register is likely to lead to the release of details about how much the company paid Harvard professors and other intellectuals to visit Libya, information that has been closely held...
Why all the secrecy?
The Monitor Group’s decision to register as a foreign agent for Libya comes as it tries to recover from a wave of negative publicity stemming from its work with Khadafy, whose forces began shooting antigovernment protesters two months ago....
The company was cofounded by Harvard professors....
Federal law requires that public relations work for a foreign government be registered with the Foreign Agents Registration Unit. Firms must also submit detailed filings of payments received and services provided.
The media attention on Monitor prompted the Justice Department to send a letter inquiring about the company’s work in Libya. Failure to register can lead to fines and even jail time, but specialists say that as long as companies try to comply with the law, such penalties are rare....
It is unclear how the bad publicity at Monitor has affected the careers of those associated with the project....
I will bet there i$ one area in which they are not hurting.
The involvement of Harvard professors in the Libya work has sparked some soul-searching at the university....
When they find one there let me know.
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