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

23 Aug 2011 22:20

tags

U.S.: Libyan rebel nabs Gaddafi’s hat

  • This rebel made out like a bandit, scoring Muammar Gaddafi’s hat during a raid of the likely-soon-to-be-deposed leader’s compound. A pretty good memento, if you ask us. The interview gets bittersweet midway through, when the rebel starts recounting the deaths of his friends. The whole thing is worth watching, if only to hear a first-hand account of the rebel experience.  source

21 Aug 2011 14:18

tags

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

13 Apr 2011 14:28

tags

World: Telecom executive gives big help to Libyan rebels

  • YES the Libyan rebels have a  mobile phone network source
  • » Welcome to Free Libyana: With international support, in particular the help of a telecom executive in Abu Dhabi named Ousama Abushagur, the Libyan rebel forces now have a hijacked mobile phone network operating within the eastern part of the country. The network, called Free Libyana, was built on the equipment foundations of a Gaddafi controlled network called simply Libyana. Mr. Abushagur, a Libyan who was raised in Alabama, led a crew of engineers and some bodyguards into Benghazi in order to secure the network for the rebel forces located there.

06 Apr 2011 10:51

tags

World: NATO, Libyan rebels have war of words over seemingly weak airstrikes

  • All operations are carried out in a very vigilant way. … The ambition and precision of our strikes has not changed. The facts speak for themselves.
  • NATO spokesperson Carmen Romero • Defending the organization from withering criticism by Libyan rebels that the airstrikes have weakened in recent days. “NATO is not doing their job, the airstrikes are late and never on time. NATO is not helping us. Gahdafi still gets ammunition and supplies to his forces, that’s why he is pushing us back,” said current rebel and former Gaddafi official Pvt. Mohammed Abdullah. “We don’t know what he would be able to do if there are no airstrikes.” Ouch. That’s harsh. source

30 Mar 2011 22:01

tags

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

30 Mar 2011 13:49

tags

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

29 Mar 2011 13:50

tags

World: Gaddafi rachets up violence; explosions in Tripoli

  • explosions heard in libyan capitol: For the first time since the Libyan rebellion began against Muammar Gaddafi, a series of explosions were heard in Tripoli during daylight hours. Reporting indicates there were three loud blasts, over the course of about twenty minutes. This comes amidst generally dire news for the Libyan rebellion, to say nothing of the citizenry; a witness tells CNN that a large scale butchery has gone on in Misrata, with Gaddafi’s forces killing civilians and driving them from their homes in a bid to claim control. source
 

28 Mar 2011 15:31

tags

World: Gaddafi’s advisors getting nervous, say U.S. official

  • Gaddafi’s advisors may be cracking: A U.S. intelligence official, as reported by CNN, has suggested that advisors and aides to Muammar Gaddafi may be losing some of their resolve, as NATO airstrikes continue against the dictator’s forces. The official suggests that the perception that rebel forces are beginning to close in on Tripoli, following battles in Sirte and their victory in Ajdabiya, is going to increase pressure on those around Gaddafi who are averse to going down with the ship. As the battles continue, the possibility of Gaddafi’s people turning on him remains a tantalizing hope to end the violence in Libya. source

24 Mar 2011 14:35

tags

World: NBC’s Richard Engel takes cover from artillery blast

  • Close call for NBC’s Richard Engel: Engel, a truly fantastic foreign correspondent (and NBC’s chief correspondent in the Middle East) is on the ground in Libya, covering the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. While interviewing rebel forces, an artillery strike hit that sent Engel scrambling for cover behind a tiny cement wall, a harrowingly close call. Not to be overlooked is the sight Engel was describing as the explosion hit; a rebel fighter who was carrying a plastic toy gun around, presumably to try to trick enemies into thinking he’s lethally armed, a toy gun he amazingly darts out of cover to try to retrieve during the strike. source

21 Mar 2011 15:51

tags

World: Libyan rebels become more aggressive with no-fly zone intact

  • Thankfully we are now the victorious ones. The strangulation of the Gaddafi regime means we will soon see the fruits of the revolution. The time is coming soon when the regime will end.
  • Abed al-Hafeez Ghoga, official for Libyan rebel’s “National Council” • On the international intervention in Libya, and the weakening of the Gaddafi military. The international coalition that has imposed a no-fly zone over Libya has done so in a relatively quick and successful manner (the range is expected to reach 1000 kilometers soon). Rebel forces pushed out of their Benghazi stronghold in the wake of the strikes, which have neutralized Gaddafi’s air capabilities. The question is, will the pro-Gaddafi combat forces begin to give up the fight in the face of an international military front? If the keystone cracks, so to speak, Gaddafi’s house could come down. source