"France armed rebels under Khadafy siege" by Associated Press / June 30, 2011
PARIS — France sent weapons this month to Libyan civilians under siege by Moammar Khadafy’s forces, a military spokesman said yesterday, making it the first NATO country to reveal it has armed rebel fighters....
Colonel Thierry Burkhard said the weapons were parachuted in....
That never works out well. And the French should know that after their Vietnam experience.
In Brussels, a NATO official said that until now, no alliance member had shipped weapons to the rebels since the fighting started in the North African country in March....
What were they waiting for? I'd heard pledges months ago. So which one is the lie?
Several French diplomats in Paris dodged the question about how a decision was made to airlift in the weapons.
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"Libyan opposition leader seeks guns, cash" July 01, 2011|Associated Press
LONDON - A Libyan opposition leader said yesterday that rebels needed more weapons and funding, as China and Russia raised concerns over revelations that France had supplied arms to civilians fighting Moammar Khadafy's forces.
Mahmoud Jibril, of Libya's Transitional National Council, said foreign deliveries of military hardware would give the rebels a chance to "decide this battle quickly [and] to spill as little blood as possible."
French military spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard said Wednesday that France had airlifted weapons to Libyan civilians in a mountain region south of Tripoli. The deliveries of guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and munitions took place in early June in the western Nafusa mountains, when Khadafy's troops had encircled civilians.
I'm sick of the slant, sorry. That's why you are not getting much commentary. I am simply sick of the agenda-grinding slop served up as news in my Boston Globe.
Khadafy's prime minister, Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, predicted that France "will suffer for this," saying that the weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists. "Many more French citizens will die because of these acts," Mahmoudi told a small group of reporters in Tripoli, according to a partial transcript of his remarks.
Actually, they ALREADY HAVE!
China and Russia have questioned whether the supplying of weapons breached the terms of the UN Security Council resolution that authorizes international action in Libya.
UN resolutions are for other people.
Also see: NATO Violates U.N. Resolution in Libya
Well, you know.
Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said his ministry had asked France for further details. "We are awaiting a response. If it is confirmed, it's a flagrant violation" of the resolution, he said.
And it will fade away.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States would "respectfully disagree" with the Russian assessment.
"We believe that UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, read together, neither specified nor precluded providing defense material to the Libyan opposition," he said.
Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, said yesterday that the United Kingdom was sending 5,000 sets of body armor, 6,650 uniforms, 5,000 high-visibility vests, and communications equipment to police officers in rebel-held areas.
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"Wrong as France was to have acted alone, the Obama administration and the rest of NATO needs to recognize that, ultimately, the civilian population of Libya cannot be protected unless Khadafy's regime is removed. And for that to happen, the rebels must be armed....
What would you expect from a war-promoting paper?
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"Khadafy threatens attacks on Europe; Warns NATO to end airstrikes" July 02, 2011|By Adam Schreck, Associated Press
TRIPOLI, Libya - A defiant Moammar Khadafy threatened yesterday to carry out attacks in Europe against "homes, offices, families," unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya.
The Libyan leader, sought by the International Criminal Court for a brutal crackdown on antigovernment protesters, delivered the warning in a telephone message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli.
Related: Globe Court Report: Khadafy the War Criminal
It was one of the largest progovernment rallies in recent months, signaling that Khadafy can still muster significant support....
Related: Zero Hour Approaches For Khadafy
Are we there yet?
A series of powerful explosions later rattled the heart of the capital, apparently new NATO airstrikes, as Khadafy supporters cheered his speech. Black smoke could be seen rising from the area near Khadafy's Bab al-Aziziya compound.
Khadafy spoke from an unknown location, probably a sign of concern over his safety....
In the past, Khadafy supported various militant groups, including the Irish Republican Army and several Palestinian factions. And Libyan agents were blamed for attacks in Europe, including a Berlin disco bombing in 1986 and the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, mostly Americans. Libya later acknowledged responsibility for Lockerbie.
Related: German TV exposes CIA, Mossad links to 1986 Berlin disco bombing
Say what?
Lieberman Gets Last Word on Lockerbie
Well, almost.
In recent years, however, Khadafy was believed to have severed his ties with extremist groups when he moved to reconcile with Europe and the United States.
Al Qaeda and other jihadi groups have opposed Khadafy since he cracked down in the late 1990s on the Islamist Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which sought to replace his regime with an Islamic state.
Yeah, they are not helping him; those guys work for us.
A State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said the United States would take Khadafy's threat of attacks seriously. Toner said he did not know if there was intelligence to indicate Khadafy's regime would be able to carry out such attacks.
"This is an individual who's obviously capable of carrying these kinds of threats, that's what makes him so dangerous, but he's also someone who's given to overblown rhetoric," Toner said....
He's acting like an AmeriKan newspaper?
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"NATO boosts airstrikes on military targets in Libya; African states urged to ignore Khadafy warrant" July 03, 2011|By Adam Schreck, Associated Press
TRIPOLI, Libya - NATO said yesterday that it has begun increasing its airstrikes on military targets in the western part of Libya, where rebel forces claim a string of advances through territory still largely under Moammar Khadafy's control.
We're winning.
In a boost for Khadafy, meanwhile, the African Union called on member states to disregard an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Libyan leader. That could enable Khadafy to travel freely on the continent....
That's because those leaders are WORRIED THEY COULD BE TURNED ON NEXT!
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim praised the African Union's decision, saying "we salute their courage." He said Khadafy had no immediate plans to leave the country, however.
"We are at war with the mightiest armies in the world, and the safety of the leader is a must for us. So we need to keep him safe to lead us through this difficult time," he said.
Libya also welcomed a road map for dialogue drafted by the African Union that outlines plans for negotiations between the government and rebels, Moussa said.
WHAT?
He confirmed that Khadafy would not be involved in the proposed talks and expressed hope that a cease-fire could be reached "in the next few days, or weeks at most."
Khadafy's regime is determined to stand firm against opposition fighters moving from southern and eastern fronts toward the capital, Tripoli. The rebels have largely solidified control over the eastern third of Libya but have struggled to push out of pockets they hold in the west.
We were led to believe it was half, and very well maybe later.
NATO's comments about its latest airstrikes suggest the alliance is hoping to tip the balance further in the rebels' favor....
I'm really getting full up on the war prop.
The coalition said it has destroyed more than 50 military targets in the west last week. It says it is targeting government forces in cities and along "major lines of communication."
Yup, uh-huh, sure.
*******************
Colonel Ahmed Bani, a rebel spokesman, said yesterday that rebel fighters have pulled back in some parts of the west, in what he described as a "strategic retreat," but said they would go on the offensive again in the coming days....
Bani told a news conference in the rebel-controlled eastern city of Benghazi that the rebels are not sending reinforcements to the west and that the fighters there don't need more weapons....
I was told above they did (sigh)!!
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Related: Anti-Gaddafi "Rebels" are now joining Gaddafi
Can you stand it anymore, dear readers?
"Peace talks with rebels show progress, Libyan official insists; Opposition leader denies discussions are taking place" July 05, 2011|By Adam Schreck, Associated Press
You are just jerking my chain, right?
TRIPOLI, Libya - A senior Libyan official said yesterday that progress has been made in talks with rebels on ending more than four months of fighting, but a top rebel leader denied negotiations were taking place.
The rebel leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, also distanced himself from earlier comments attributed to the rebels’ leadership that the opposition might consider allowing Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy to stay in the country as part of a transition deal, provided he resigns and orders a cease-fire.
“There is absolutely no current or future possibility for Khadafy to remain in Libya,’’ Abdul-Jalil said in an e-mailed statement. “There is no escape clause for Khadafy - he must be removed from power and face justice.’’
In the Khadafy-controlled capital of Tripoli, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters that talks with various rebel officials have been going on for two months....
Kaim alleged that some members of the NATO-led coalition conducting daily airstrikes in Libya have complicated efforts because they don’t support negotiations. Talks are also being hindered because the rebels do not speak with one voice, he said.
Two weeks ago, Khadafy’s prime minister, al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, said the Libyan government had held a number of “preliminary meetings’’ with officials based in Benghazi. He said at the time that talks are taking place abroad, including in Egypt, Tunisia, and Norway, but did not provide specifics.
However, Abdul-Jalil said that “there are no talks underway with Khadafy’s loyalists, direct or indirect.’’
An antigovernment uprising erupted in Libya in February and quickly turned into an armed conflict. The rebels are in control of the country’s eastern third, while Khadafy clings to the rest.
Yeah, he's clinging.
His forces have been unable to retake rebel-controlled pockets.
Give 'em time (see below).
NATO has been carrying out airstrikes against Khadafy-linked military targets since March. It is joined by a number of Arab allies, including the wealthy Persian Gulf states of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Several bomb blasts shook the capital yesterday as coalition warplanes roared overhead.
I hear them fly by here every now and then, and I can only imagine the terror people in this world feel when they hear that sound and scatter.
In an interview, a Libyan army captain said NATO’s airstrikes are preventing Khadafy’s forces from operating “in a normal coordinated way,’’ forcing them to keep missions secret and work like the rebels in small groups using pickup trucks to avoid detection by NATO planes.
The officer, who is originally from Mali and now holds Libyan nationality, said many suspected rebels have been arrested in Tripoli. Khadafy still retains significant support, including among several Libyan tribes, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
Also yesterday, Libyan officials said that shortly before dawn they intercepted two boats loaded with weapons from Qatar that were intended for the rebels. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said 11 rebels were captured in the boats near the town of Janzour, west of Tripoli.
Foreign reporters were later taken to Tripoli’s port where they were shown a cache of rifles and ammunition displayed in a tent, but not the captured boats.
Qatar has emerged as one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the rebels.
--more--"
And they are winning:
"Libyan rebels take control of two towns; Rebel leaders to face trial for treason" by Adam Schreck and Ben Hubbard, Associated Press / July 7, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya - Rebel fighters in western Libya seized two mountain towns from government troops yesterday as their counterparts east of Tripoli, the capital, suffered heavy losses in intense fighting with government troops.
Meanwhile, the embattled regime of Moammar Khadafy sought to show it remains in control of the country, laying out plans to try rebel leaders for treason in court next week.
In the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, tens of thousands of rebel supporters poured into the city’s main square for a rally aimed at sustaining momentum for their nearly five-month-old uprising....
The civil war has been largely deadlocked, with the rebels controlling the east and Khadafy clinging to large parts of western Libya but unable to retake rebel bridgeheads there.
Have YOU had ENOUGH BS, dear readers?
The rebels made some gains yesterday, taking two more towns in the western Nafusa mountains and pushing further from the port city of Misurata, their main stronghold in the west, toward the town of Zlitan, 12 kilometers to the west.
Khadafy’s forces fired more than 500 rockets at rebel positions near Zlitan, from dawn until after nightfall, said Dr. Ayman Abu Shahma, a physician in Misurata. He said 18 rebel fighters were killed and 30 wounded yesterday. He said two civilians, including a 12-year-old girl, also were killed.
NATO, meanwhile, said it struck equipment used to refuel government military vehicles near the key eastern oil town of Brega, which has been a frequent site of clashes.
The alliance said its warplanes have destroyed 2,700 military targets, including 600 Libyan tanks and artillery guns and nearly 800 ammunition stores, since NATO began bombing Khadafy-linked sites in March....
NATO’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, warned that Khadafy’s forces remain a threat. “Without NATO there would be a massacre. Khadafy would be free to use his tanks and missiles on towns and markets,’’ he said. “We will not let that happen.’’
I can't take it anymore, readers. I'm so sick of slop.
NATO’s campaign was intended to deliver a sharp, devastating blow. However, with the campaign dragging on inconclusively, there have been increasing international calls for a negotiated end to the war.
Oh, yeah, the UNMENTIONED PEACE TALKS!
Still, rebel fighters in the Nafusa mountains southwest of Tripoli seized control of two towns, Qawalish and Kikla, yesterday after pushing out government forces, a member of the local military council said.
While the two towns are small, their capture further expands the area seized from government troops in recent months.
NATO airstrikes, regime defections, and increasing international isolation have eroded Khadafy’s grip on the country. His regime struck back yesterday, saying it planned to charge rebel leaders with treason....
Yeah, you already told me that.
And have you HAD IT with the MEDIA DOUBLE TALK like me?
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"Libyan defector thinks rebels ill-equipped to take Tripoli; He says a quick rout of Khadafy’s forces is unlikely" by Kareem Fahim, New York Times / July 8, 2011
RUJBAN, Libya - For months now, military leaders in the Libyan rebel capital, Benghazi, have boldly predicted lightning advances by their fighters and an imminent rout of the forces loyal to Moammar Khadafy in Tripoli that would finally snuff out his brutal four-decade rule.
The rebels have made some advances in the west in recent days, taking a small village and pushing westward some distance from Misurata toward Tripoli. But a senior rebel military officer here in the mountains who said he defected from the Libyan army last month called the prospects of a collapse by the Khadafy forces highly unlikely.
The officer, Colonel Mohammed Ali Ethish, who now commands opposition fighters here, said that even if the rebels were able to reach Tripoli, shortages of fuel, personnel, and weapons made it unlikely that they would try to invade or march on the heavily fortified city.
A more realistic possibility, he said, is for rebels and others within the city to rise up against Khadafy. “I hope that when we do reach the borders of Tripoli, the revolutionaries there free it,’’ Ethish said. “If we don’t go in with an organized army, there’s going to be a huge mess.’’
In the meantime, he said, the mountain fighters were focused on the more modest goal of winning cities in the region, either by persuading Khadafy’s soldiers to defect or by driving them out in battle.
His candid comments raised the possibility of a protracted endgame in the Libyan conflict. They also provided little comfort to NATO countries that face increasing pressure to end the bombing campaign and seem desperate to find a quick exit, either by arming the rebels or by killing Khadafy with air strikes....
Rebel fighters also said that talk of a Tripoli offensive was premature because they had their hands full on several fronts.
To the east, they have been fighting in the city of Kiklah, where at least five rebels were killed in clashes this week, commanders said. On Wednesday, the rebels pushed past Kiklah to capture Khadafy’s positions in a village, Qawalish. At least 13 pro-Khadafy soldiers and seven rebels were killed in that battle.
North of Kiklah, on the plain that leads toward Tripoli, the rebels have been engaged in a running battle with Khadafy’s forces in Bir al-Ghanim and have so far been unable to advance, despite NATO’s bombings.
Khadafy’s soldiers also control lowland towns stretching from the border with Tunisia to Qasr al-Hajj, leaving rebel control of the border crossing exposed and vulnerable to attack.
Ethish said the rebels were low on ammunition for the weapons they rely on in the quick, fluid battles in the mountains, including antiaircraft guns and small rocket launchers. He also said he had seen no evidence on the battlefield of arms the French said they had gave the rebels.
In several rebel-held mountain towns, new training centers are being constructed, with the aim of building the kind of disciplined forces that can cope with any chaos that follows the war, the colonel said.
Forget that peace talk.
In Kiklah, on the site of a former teachers college for women, hundreds of recruits will be trained to serve as a “protection force’’ for civilians in the event that Khadafy leaves power, according to a volunteer, a small-business owner who lives in the United States and who asked not to be identified.
“A lot of people are going to have a lot of anger,’’ he said. “We want to keep it under control.’’
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"Khadafy rallies loyalists with defiant message; Libyan leader remains in hiding" by July 09, 2011|By Adam Schreck, Associated Press
TRIPOLI, Libya - An agitated Moammar Khadafy lashed out yesterday at those seeking to push him from power, warning in an audio message broadcast on state television that NATO and his other enemies will be trampled “under the feet of the Libyan masses.’’
That means NATO is losing.
In the capital of Tripoli, meanwhile, thousands rallied in the main square for mass prayers and in a show of support for Khadafy. The gathering in the Green Square came a week after another large progovernment demonstration there, showing that Khadafy can still muster significant support in his stronghold Tripoli.
Khadafy has not been seen publicly in recent weeks, apparently keeping in hiding to avoid being targeted by NATO airstrikes. After the broadcast of his speech yesterday evening, bursts of gunfire - presumably in celebration - were heard in Tripoli.
In his message, Khadafy warned that all those challenging his regime would be defeated....
Earlier, worshipers congregated under tents in Tripoli’s Green Square to shield themselves from the hot sun. Some wore photos of Khadafy around their necks, while others carried signs with his portrait.
In his sermon, the imam urged Libyans to stop fighting one another and said Western nations had intervened in Libya’s civil war because they were after the country’s oil.
Among other things.
“Pray for a victory over NATO,’’ he told worshipers, adding that “God will punish those who brought NATO here’’ - an apparent reference to rebel leaders based in the eastern city of Benghazi.
Friday is the Muslim day of rest. With many people off work, it is generally the day the Middle East has its biggest protests.
After the prayers finished, many worshipers waved the green national flag and chanted pro-Khadafy slogans as government minders rushed visiting journalists to a rooftop overlooking the square for a better view.
While thousands of supporters rallied, many other worshipers dodged the political slogans by streaming out of the square as soon as prayers finished.
In Brussels, the European Union said that Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, will meet next Wednesday with a delegation of the rebels’ National Transitional Council headed by its diplomatic chief Mahmoud Jibril.
In May, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton opened a diplomatic office in Benghazi and pledged support for a democratic Libya.
The Libyan rebel delegation is also scheduled to visit NATO and meet with Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
In an interview in Naples, Italy, Rasmussen said opposition forces trying to topple Khadafy are making progress. But he emphasized that political progress is needed because “there is no military solution to the conflict solely.’’
Have you had enough?
NATO began airstrikes against Libya in March. The coalition and its Arab allies are operating under a UN mandate to protect civilians.
Libya’s rebels have consolidated their power over much of eastern Libya.
The third they control, anyway. See what I mean?
They also hold pockets in the west, including the port city of Misurata and a string of towns southwest of Tripoli.
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"Moammar Khadafy’s regime sought to show yesterday that it remains in control of parts of the country’s western mountains and will defend the territory against further rebel advances there.
The Nafusa mountains southwest of Tripoli have become a key battleground in the rebels’ fight to oust the longtime Libyan leader, with small bands of fighters inching closer to the capital by seizing villages along major roads snaking across the rugged highland terrain.
Forces loyal to Khadafy are also battling rebels on two major front lines to the east of the capital, but neither side has been able to mount a major push.
??
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And those peace talks?
"The French government confirmed yesterday that it has had indirect contact with Moammar Khadafy’s regime, in conjunction with the Libyan rebel movement and allies.
“There are not direct negotiations between France and Khadafy’s regime but we are passing him messages,’’ said Bernard Valero, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry.
Valero said in an online briefing that the messages “are simple and without ambiguity’’ - a political solution must have Khadafy leaving power and politics.
Khadafy’s son, Saif al-Islam, said earlier that the government was in talks with France.
The White House said President Obama told President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia that the United States is prepared to support Russian-led negotiations in Libya. However, Obama told Medvedev that the United States would back the negotiations only if they lead to a democratic transition and Khadafy’s ouster.
Khadafy’s government and the rebels also are considering a United Nations proposal to have their representatives form a panel to manage a political transition in the country, a UN envoy said.
The proposal was made by Abdul al-Khatib, a Jordanian senator who is trying to negotiate an end to the hostilities. Khadafy’s regime and the opposition National Transitional Council are ready to examine the plan, Khatib said after briefing the UN Security Council.
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Right back where we started:
"French officials reauthorize Libya action " by New York Times / July 13, 2011
PARIS - Lawmakers reauthorized yesterday France’s participation in the NATO-led bombing operations in Libya that have been targeting the forces of Moammar Khadafy, while French officials said they were increasingly optimistic about the possibility of a negotiated end to the conflict.
“A political solution in Libya is more indispensable than ever, and it is beginning to take shape,’’ Prime Minister Francois Fillon told parliamentarians before the vote. He offered no details, except to say that such a solution would depend upon an “authentic and verifiable’’ cease-fire and “the departure of Colonel Khadafy from power.’’
This has the feeling like NATO has LOST, doesn't it?
************************
While popular approval of French military involvement in Libya has waned somewhat since March, when President Nicolas Sarkozy led the charge for an intervention, about 50 percent remain supportive, according to opinion polls.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe described what he called a “consensus on how to end the crisis’’ among NATO states as well as the African Union, which has said it would broker talks between Khadafy and the rebels.
Except the rebels are telling us they are not talking.
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Will this war ever end?
"House rejects effort to prohibit funds for Libya" by Donna Cassata Associated Press / July 7, 2011
WASHINGTON—The House voted Thursday to bar military aid to Libyan rebels battling Moammar Gadhafi but stopped short of prohibiting funds for U.S. involvement in a NATO-led mission now in its fourth month.
Sending a muddled message in the constitutional challenge to President Barack Obama, House Republicans and Democrats signaled their frustration with American participation in a stalemated civil war but also showed their unwillingness to end the operation.
The congressional unrest stems in large part from Obama's decision not to seek congressional consent for a third war in addition to years-long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan....
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Also see: Getting Libya In House
Big deal.
