Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

29 Sep 2011 15:51

tags

World: Fighting rages in Sirte, Libyan NTC reclaims airport

  • Dangerous times for civilians in Sirte: The Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) has regained control of the Sirte airport, amidst fighting throughout the city. The airport had been under NTC control previously, but two weeks ago loyalists of deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi (who was born in Sirte) recaptured it. Gaddafi loyalists have reportedly used rockets and sniper fire to fend off the NTC’s assaults on the city. Some of Sirte’s 100,000 residents have chosen to flee, as attacks by both sides pose fatal risks to the civilian population. source

26 Sep 2011 17:41

tags

World: Libya’s transitional council says no to Lockerbie inquiries

  • Suggesting that the Lockerbie case is closed is ludicrous. I am not surprised that the new interim government might want to avoid getting involved, but this is a miserable attempt to avoid a perfectly reasonable request for any information or evidence that there might be in Libya. Perhaps there is nothing.
  • Pamela Dix, sister of a Lockerbie victim • Decrying a refusal by Libya’s National Transitional Council to give Scottish prosecutors access to any newly discovered evidence relating to the Lockerbie bombing. The prosecutors had been hoping to find new evidence implicating other figures in the plot, for which Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was convicted in 2001. The NTC’s interim justice minister, Mohammed al-Alagi, stated that “the case is closed,” which prompted the above response. Libya’s interim leader, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, claimed in March that he had evidence of Gaddafi’s involvement, which does make this a bit hard to answer for. source

25 Sep 2011 11:23

tags

World: Libya: Mass grave from 1996 massacre discovered

  • 1,270 bodies from 15-year-old massacre found source
  • » Memories still linger: The 1996 massacre at Abu Salim prison in Tripoli was one of the many catalysts to the civil war that effectively toppled Muammar Gaddafi. And this will be a difficult one to decipher. “We are dealing with more than 1,270 martyrs and must distinguish each one from the other for identification by comparing their DNA with family members,” said Libyan medical official Dr. Osman Abdul Jalil. “It may take years to reach the truth.”

20 Sep 2011 00:33

tags

U.S.: Good news: Gas prices are down, but not from a year ago

  • $3.60 the average price of gasoline in the U.S.
  • -35¢ the decrease in price from May’s peak
  • +87¢ the increase in price from a year ago source
  • » What caused the increase? To put it simply, many analysts point to the civil war in Libya for inflating the price of gas, as it took 1 million barrels of oil out of the supply chain each day, raising the price of oil by $20 per gallon at its high point. The recent successes the rebels have had since NATO started its air strikes exactly six months ago tonight have helped to bring the prices down to more manageable levels. Seasonal factors are also at play, and with Labor Day behind us, gas prices should continue to decline through Christmas.

19 Sep 2011 10:44

tags

World: Six months in, and with Gaddafi rendered powerless, Libya turns a corner

  • The delay in the new government isn’t important. It’s like a sick man. He has to move slowly before he can walk at a normal speed. We need time to recover. … Look, we finally got rid of that bloody monkey. We are better than before.
  • Libyan engineer Mustafa Shaab bin Ragheb  • Discussing the current situation with the Libyan government, six months into the war. Yes, friends, today is the six-month anniversary of NATO getting involved in Libya’s civil war, which remains controversial for some but has led to the crumbling of Gaddafi’s regime. There are many issues to deal with from here — including a splintering rebel movement — but “we finally got rid of that bloody monkey” certainly seems like a good result of a lengthy civil war. source

13 Sep 2011 16:30

tags

World: Libya’s Mustafa Abdel Jalil responds to Amnesty International

  • Libyan leader pledges respect for human rights: On Monday, Amnesty International released a report on Libya’s past six months of warfare. It found that while pro-Gaddafi forces committed widespread war crimes, there were also incidences of such crimes within the Libyan rebellion – torture, disappearances, and the mass killing of prisoners among them. The leader of Libya’s interim council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, has responded by vowing the new government will respect human rights (though it won’t be a secular one, as he says Libya will remain a moderate Islamic nation), and pledged to investigate claims of war crimes committed by his own fighters. source

12 Sep 2011 17:12

tags

World: 24-year-old Libyan woman, “Nomidia,” provided key info to NATO

  • I was not on the radar. They were concentrating more on the guys and it was almost impossible to think that a girl was doing all of this.
  • Libyan NATO informant “Nomidia” • Speaking on the cover her gender gave her in providing information, much about the location of weaponry and tank storage in Tripoli, to the NATO alliance in Libya. Nomidia, 24, eventually developed contacts that gave her insider information about the conflict — the false-alarm capture of Saif al-Gaddafi, for example, she knew to be untrue well before news broke. In an interview with Reuters, Nomidia claims she provided NATO with three locations that were bombed — an arms storage site, a military camp, and an intelligence building. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that while Gaddafi’s regime is largely deposed, she still fears a “fifth column” of supporters who might target her or her family. source
 

06 Sep 2011 17:47

tags

World: Documents show CIA, MI6 supported Gaddafi with renditions

  • MI6 and the CIA knew absolutely how much torture was taking place. They knew that these people would be abused in custody when they were sent back to Libya. Why else would you hand them over to the Libyans? You captured him, you have all of your black sites anyway, but you offered him to the Libyans. Of course the [CIA] letters say, ‘Please commit to us that you will respect their human rights.’ But that’s just talk.
  • Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director for Human Rights Watch • Speaking on the trove of documents he himself copied in Tripoli and released to various media. They show that following Gaddafi’s 2003 vow to give up his weapons of mass destruction, the CIA and MI6 both engaged in renditions to send political opponents of Gaddafi’s regime into Libya, presumably knowing the sort of inhumane treatment and torture would await them. One example: A current commander of rebel forces in Tripoli, Abdulhakim Belhadj, was rendered into Libya by the CIA, where he claims he was isolated and tortured.  (h/t ZeitVox) source

06 Sep 2011 17:04

tags

World: Failing negotiations spark fear of more bloodshed in Libya

  • Bad times in Bani Walid: Above is a video showing the very delicate process the Libyan rebellion has been engaged in, seeking to peacefully end the standoff between Gaddafi loyalists and their forces in Bani Walid. Sad to say this video highlights a process that has reportedly fallen apart, bringing very real concerns of a violent military resolution. The rebel leadership has insisted about 90% of Bani Walid’s residents want a peaceful surrender, and they accuse the remaining group of Gaddafi loyalists of holding the town hostage. source

01 Sep 2011 17:21

tags

World: Libya: Animals at Tripoli Zoo neglected amidst fighting

  • Languishing in cages: A video from CNN highlighting the plight of the animals still locked in the Tripoli Zoo, where their care and basic necessities have been both neglected by many, and made generally unavailable. The images of visibly undernourished tigers and lions are unpleasant to see, as it is to reflect on the fate these animals could face unless they get help — presumably a slow death by hunger and dehydration. source