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04 Apr 2011 00:06

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World: Two Gaddafi sons propose exit plan for father; will rest of family sign on?

  • yes Two of Muammar Gaddafi’s children are said to be developing a proposal to move their father out of power and transition the country into a constitutional democracy.
  • maybe? Would Gaddafi take the deal, which would place his son Seif at the head of the new government? There’s no indication that he will; reportedly, he’s receptive to the idea. source
  • » Complicating the situation is the fact that Gaddafi doesn’t have two sons total–he’s got seven, including one who controls his own militia. Seif and Saadi are the only two known to support the proposal. Will the other brothers get on board, or will the country’s power struggles spread from the streets to the Gaddafi family? As we find ourselves saying at just about every juncture in this increasingly complex and unpredictable conflict, only time will tell.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 23:12

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World: Libyan rebels issue ceasefire demands

  • The necessary concessions are laid out: Protests against Muammar Gaddafi must continue safely, as must a process to replace the longtime dictator be agreed upon, if the Libyan rebellion is to halt its fight. The offer has already been rejected by the Gaddafi government, but this does have interesting implications for the reported mounting defections. The more the rebellion strikes the pose of a unified front with organized leadership and goals, as they have here, it may turn up the pressure on officials mulling whether they can ride this out or not. Also, it’s heartening from a foreign relations standpoint to see a few American flags in that crowd at the end. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 21:57

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World: Kidnapped reporters speak out on Libyan captors

  • These are real thugs. They’re really people who shoot first and ask questions later…there was so little organization and absolutely no command structure going on.
  • Tyler Hicks, one of the reporters kidnapped by the Libyan military • Reflecting on the nature of his captors. Hicks and three others were held for six days by Gaddafi’s forces before being released. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 19:14

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World: More defections by Libyan officials reported

  • This is looking pretty significant: Al Jazeera reports that yesterday’s high-profile defection by former Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa is no isolated incident. They say that four senior Libyan officials are outside the country (with Tunisia as a likely location), and have no intention to return. Without overstating the case, this is very welcome news. The more high-ranking internal support Gaddafi loses, the harder it should become for him to demand the sort of loyalty that’s needed to commit these atrocities on an international stage.  source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 13:53

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World: British officials say no deal struck with Moussa Koussa

  • NOMoussa Koussa was not offered immunity to defect source
  • » So say British officials: Koussa, the former Libyan Foreign Minister who defected yesterday, had been a cornerstone of the Gaddafi regime dating back to the 1969 revolution. As such, it wasn’t unreasonable upon learning of his defection to wonder just how dirty his hands were. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court lists Koussa as having had command control over Libyan forces suspected of “crimes against humanity” during his long career as Gaddafi’s confidant. If he has indeed defected with no assurance of legal immunity, that might be indicative of how Gaddafi’s inner circle is feeling right now. Here’s hoping more of these dominoes start to fall.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 01:10

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World: Former US intelligence officer: CIA is currently in Libya

  • are cia operatives on the ground in libya? Yes, according to an anonymous American official and former US intelligence officer. It’s unclear, however, what type of operatives they are, and what exactly they’re doing. Details are sketchy at this point, but they apparently helped rescue one of the American soldiers who had to eject from his F-15 on day one of the engagement. We’re going to hold off on drawing any conclusions here until more solid information comes in. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 22:01

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World: Secret authorization grants aid to Libyan rebels

  • Was Libyan military aid authorized? It’s being reported that President Obama signed an order, called a “finding,” which is effectively a secret authorization to militarily support the Libyan rebellion. The process is said to generally be used for secret CIA authorizations. The administration has gone to staggering lengths to avoid the perception that the Libyan intervention was an American decision rather than an international one, for reasons of perception both domestic and worldwide. This report, however, would suggest the U.S. had decided to actively support the rebellion of their own unilateral volition. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Mar 2011 19:11

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World: Moussa Koussa done working for Gaddafi’s regime

  • Gaddafi suffers high-profile defection: This man, Moussa Koussa, was the Foreign Minister in Libya. That ended today as Koussa, who according to Britain’s Foreign Office was “one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi’s government,” defected from Libya and flew into the UK’s Farnborough Airport. British officials say that he left of his own free will, and that he was no longer willing to act as an international representative of Gaddafi’s Libya. With recent reports suggesting tough losses for the rebels (while world leaders mull more active arms support), any news of Gaddafi’s officials defecting makes us hopeful for an internal weakening of his command. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 13:49

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World: Bad day at Breja as Libyan rebels retreat

  • ground gained by gaddafi: The Libyan rebellion is retreating in the face of heavy artillery and tank fire, as Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have retaken Breja. The rebels are heading back to Ajdabiya, which was where they were situated before the start of the NATO air strikes. As the international community mulls whether to actively provide arms to the rebel movement, Gaddafi’s ground attack seems to be prevailing despite being the lack of aerial support. That said, this conflict is nothing if not fluid, so it’s wise to stay abreast of new information. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 19:37

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World: Obama: Gaddafi will ultimately step down from Libyan rule

  • At this point, in addition to maintaining a no-fly zone protecting civilian populations, we also have political tools, diplomatic tools, sanctions freezing his assets — all of which continue to tighten the noose. And so our expectation is that as we continue to supply steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means, that Gaddafi will ultimately step down.
  • President Barack Obama • Offering a follow-up to the sentiments he made last night about the American military action in Libya. While Obama says he was reluctant to start another military campaign, here we are — Obama emphasizing that we could “save a lot of lives” in Libya. Doesn’t this contradict all the stuff he’s been saying  about this being a specific mission with a limited scope? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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