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19 Sep 2011 10:44

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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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Sep 2011 17:04

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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
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Sep 2011 11:00

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World: Libya: Muammar Gaddafi drops sexist call to arms in statement

  • We will not give up. We are not women. We will continue fighting.
  • Muammar Gaddafi • Dropping a suitably sexist statement in regards to his losing battle against the Libyan rebels, during a message aired on Al Arabiya television. We don’t even know where to start with this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Aug 2011 23:23

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World: Gaddafi as a wizard

  • He looked like a wizard recovering from an evening of drinking who had wandered into the picture by mistake.
  • The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri • In a comedic psuedo-obituary to Muammar Gaddafi’s career. Petri also notes that Gaddafi often “looked like he’d shot a couch and was wearing it on his back as a trophy, after an intense struggle in which the couch nearly prevailed.” There’s more to the article than just ribbing the dictator’s physical appearance, of course, but those descriptors are just too rich to pass up. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 10:47

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World: Delayed reaction of the day: Silvio Berlusconi’s plea to the Libyan rebels

  • Now, you might not know this, but there’s a bit of a civil war going on at the moment in Libya. The rebels are fairly close to victory — so close they can smell it. So, right on cue, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a former colonial leader of Libya who was once an ally to Gaddafi and a reluctant partner in the NATO campaign in Libya, has urged the rebels “to abstain from any violence.” Now … look. We can see that there is obvious danger of things escalating, and the rebels do need to be careful to approach the situation carefully. But seriously, this is the wrong time for this comment if he’s going to make it. This is, like, a war, man. Things like this happen. But to tell the rebels to drop their weapons now, at a key time in the country’s history where they’re about to win, seems just a little bit tone-deaf to the current situation. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 10:20

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World: Muammar Gaddafi: A man of many contrasts losing his grip on power

  • More than any of the region’s autocratic leaders, perhaps, Gaddafi was a man of contrasts. He was a sponsor of terrorism who condemned the Sept. 11 attacks. He was a brutal dictator who bulldozed a jail wall to free political prisoners. He was an Arab nationalist who derided the Arab League. And in the crowning paradox, he preached people power, only to have his people take to the streets and take up arms in rebellion.
  • The Associated Press • In a lengthy piece glancing over the long rule of Muammar Gaddafi. It’s a good read that goes a long way to explain the often-confusing nature behind a man who gave North Africa fits for decades, and even occasionally showed up in the West to offer up a little bit of fresh weirdness. No place was that more obvious than when he went to the United Nations to speak in 2009. It was a weird, rambling speech that left more that a few world officials bewildered. In some ways, though, it proved the leader’s last big gasp. Less than two years later, it appears that his regime has been all but taken away. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Aug 2011 14:18

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World: Libyan rebels: The advantages and disadvantages they face

  • The rebels in Libya might have acted too soon. While they are converging on Tripoli now, they aren’t certain as to how much support Gaddafi still has there — and it might end up being really bad for them. They have another disadvantage too. The fighting in Tripoli is urban warfare, which is extremely difficult and grueling for soldiers, who face a much-stronger Gaddafi force. But don’t count them out, here’s what the rebels do have going for them:
  • Unclear uprising While it’s unclear if the population in Tripoli is loyal to Gaddafi or not, the rebels are pretty much relying on the possibility that they aren’t. Gaddafi knows how important it is for them to be loyal, too, so he’s been doing demonstrations and making speeches for weeks to keep them on his side.
  • Gaddafi’s departure? It’s likely that Gaddafi isn’t in Tripoli anymore — he’s not making the extravagant television appearances or showing up in public. It’s unclear where he is. If he leaves Libya altogether, (similar to Saddam Hussein, when he disappeared from power in Iraq and was later found near Tikrit), that would turn the tide.
  • Rebel reserves The rebels are coming in from a few different places (check the video if you haven’t yet) so they will be better off soon. the problem with this lies with the fact that the reinforcements might not get to Tripoli in time, especially depending on the resistance they encounter on the way to Tripoli. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

08 Aug 2011 21:21

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World: Libyan rebels dissolve cabinet after death of important general

  • The interruption is not good. But this is not something we are going to worry about. This is not going to stop us.
  • Libyan rebel finance committee member Mazin Ramadan • Discussing the dissolution of the Libyan rebels’ own cabinet — which occurred as the result of the death of Gen. Abdul Fattah Younes, the Libyan general who defected to the rebel side. They were sacked for the vague “improper administrative procedures” reason. Whatever happened, the fact of the matter is, dissent amongst Libyan rebels at this critical juncture could have the potential to damage the long-term prospects of the movement. This could be bad. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jul 2011 00:46

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U.S.: Rebel leaders in Libya face possibly-irrelevant treason charges

  • 21 Libyan rebels to be charged with national security crimes source
  • » It’s worth noting that these rebel leaders are being tried in absentia, as they’re currently busy doing rebel stuff. Additionally, if and when Gaddafi’s government falls, the outcome of these trials will likely be inconsequential. Nevertheless, it’s an indication of the regime’s confidence in its ability to triumph that they’re proceeding with the trials anyway. Whether this portrayal of confidence is genuine or tactical remains to be seen.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 May 2011 10:25

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World: Some of Gaddafi’s frozen assets could go to Libyan rebels

  • $30 billion in frozen assets; some could go to Libyan rebels source
  • » The need is there: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials were in Rome, discussing ways to help the Libyan rebels continue their fight against Gaddafi. The rebel government says it needs about $3 billion to continue its push against Gaddafi and to pay for essential services for military forces. Clinton says the U.S. wants “to tap some portion of those assets owned by Gadhafi and the Libyan government in the United States, so we can make those funds available to help the Libyan people.” Better them than Gaddafi, right?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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