Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

[Mos]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

Yes, it's a civil war, these things happen just like they happen in the history of all civil wars. Ghazafi is not bombing civilians, he is bombing armed fighters who have all the weaponry he has (stolen from army bases). They even have some air power as evidenced by today's rebel bombing of a Libyan ship. They are simply whining and wh0ring themselves out to the West because they do not have as much air power/experience so they want a no-fly zone to balance the equation.

Don't believe everything you hear from these Western outlets. Russia Today's interview with the UN envoy seems more accurate, so does the views of Francis Boyle in the interview I posted and that radio host interviewed by RT.

Meanwhile in Bahrain, the military is not attacking armed rebels, it is attacking protesters. Saudi Arabia and the UAE just invaded Bahrain. Where is the US? I thought they had parked the 6th or whatever-th fleet in the country? All the West sees is potential privatisation of oil fields.

It's not only repelling armed fighters, it's a brutal oppression of all kinds of people. There was a city which Gadaffi forces had invaded, and were shooting at anything that was moving. For people to have gone against him in such a manner is again evident of his illegitimacy of governing Libya. For him to have to respond and to create so much bloodshed to quell a rebellion is indicative that he is a failed ruler. His regime wasn't pretty either, many people suffered under his rule.

[Armanen]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

All the heads of middle eastern states are illegitimate by Western standards. But those which have Western backed regimes are cloaked by Western diplomatic protection, i.e. Jordan, saudi arabia, etc.

[Mos]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

All the heads of middle eastern states are illegitimate by Western standards. But those which have Western backed regimes are cloaked by Western diplomatic protection, i.e. Jordan, saudi arabia, etc.

Don't forget Uzbekistan - guy is another dictatorial psychopath that boils his opponents, but because he is on good terms with US, they keep quiet on him. Honestly, US pretends to care about democracy but that's just a cover up. If US really wants to look out for its interests it cannot go after such ideals - it just doesn't have the luxury for it.

[Federate]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

It's not only repelling armed fighters, it's a brutal oppression of all kinds of people. There was a city which Gadaffi forces had invaded, and were shooting at anything that was moving. For people to have gone against him in such a manner is again evident of his illegitimacy of governing Libya. For him to have to respond and to create so much bloodshed to quell a rebellion is indicative that he is a failed ruler. His regime wasn't pretty either, many people suffered under his rule.

Again there is no evidence that he is indiscriminately killing civilians during this civil war. On the contrary, 90% of kills by the Ghazafi government is of rebel fighters. Civilians who are killed in battle are the brutal consequences of civil war. Check these statistics from Wikipedia, almost all the casualties are from battles. As Kanada pointed out, we do not even know who these rebels are, what they want, where their loyalties lie but we know that they are headed by two of the most dirty former Ghazafi ministers - the Interior Minister and the Justice Minister. Can we really take these people seriously?

Ghazafi's biggest mistake is the casualties among the protesters (which are relatively small compared to what the media is portraying) and he is going to pay the price for that. But it is strictly a Libyan issue, the rest of the world must stay out of it.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

Gaddafi taunts UK

Italy, which ruled Libya for three decades, has had close relations with Col Gaddafi.

In a TV speech on Tuesday evening, Col Gaddafi taunted the UK and France.

"Britain no longer exists. It is a trace of what it used to be. It has been promoting attack on Libya. Is there a common border between us? Are you our guardian? By what right?" he said.

He went on to "dare" the US, Britain and France to "give their people freedom like I did to the Libyan people".
Our correspondent in Benghazi says the defiant speech was projected upside-down onto a big screen in the city's main square.

He says people threw shoes at the screen in a traditional expression of their contempt for Col Gaddafi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12756874

[KanadaHye]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

Gaddafi: 'Libya funded Sarkozy's French poll campaign'


In his interview, Saif al-Islam called on France to 'give us back our money'



The son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has alleged that his country helped finance Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 presidential election campaign.



"We funded it and we have all the details and are ready to reveal everything," Saif al-Islam said.

His remarks to the Euronews TV channel came days after Libyan state TV reported a "grave secret" that would bring about Mr Sarkozy's downfall.

The Elysee Palace has denied Mr Sarkozy benefited from any funding from Libya.

"We deny it, quite evidently," a spokesman told Le Monde's website.


No-fly zone

Libya had threatened to reveal more about the "grave secret" if France went ahead with its decision to recognise the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

France has been at the forefront of efforts to secure a no-fly zone to halt the advance of Col Gaddafi's forces against Libyan rebels.

In the interview, Saif al-Islam referred to Mr Sarkozy as "this clown" and said he was given assistance so that he could help the Libyan people.

"But he's disappointed us," he said. "Give us back our money. We have all the bank details and documents for the transfer operations and we will make everything public soon."

Col Gaddafi was greeted by Mr Sarkozy when he visited Paris in December 2007, months after the French leader's ex-wife Cecilia had flown to Tripoli to help secure the release of six Bulgarian doctors.

In the Euronews interview, Col Gaddafi's son said military operations against the rebels were "finished" and everything would be over within 48 hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12760367

[Federate]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

Looks like Brega is finally under government control after going back and forth for the past few days. Some reports are saying Ajdabiya has fallen as well.

Green = Ghazafi
Yellow = Ongoing conflict
Brown = Rebels

[KanadaHye]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

‘The West is to be forgotten. We will not give them our oil’ - Gaddafi

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi dismissed his Western partners in an exclusive interview to RT, saying he will give all the country’s oil contracts to Russia, China and India.

“We do not believe the West any longer, that is why we invite Russian, Chinese and Indian companies to invest in Libya’s oil and construction spheres” Gaddafi told RT in an exclusive interview about how he sees the current situation in Libya and the international reaction to events there.

"He condemned the Western powers, saying Germany was the only country with a chance of doing business with Libyan oil in the future. “We do not trust their firms – they took part in the conspiracy against us."

The Libyan leader also added that as far as he is concerned, the Arab League has ceased to exist since it stood up against his country.

According to Gaddafi, the recent upheavals in his country were a "minor event" planned by Al Qaeda that will soon end.

Meanwile, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim promised that Libya will honor all current oil contracts with Western oil companies, but that the ongoing crisis in the country could affect future cooperation. Due to the ongoing violence, foreign oil companies have stopped production in Libya and evacuated their personnel from the country.

Speaking about France – the only country to recognize the rebel Libyan National Council as the country’s legitimate government and to call for targeted airstrikes – Gaddafi said “his good friend" French President Nicolas Sarkozy has "gone mad and is suffering from a mental disorder.”

http://rt.com/news/libya-oil-gaddafi-arab/

[Joseph]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

So what does everyone think? The rebellion is essentially crushed? Looks like it is too late for a No-Fly zone and even if one is to be conducted, after getting the UN Sec Council to sign on, bureaucracy, etc., it will be far too late.

[londontsi]

Re: Muammar Gaddafi and Libyan crisis

So what does everyone think? The rebellion is essentially crushed? Looks like it is too late for a No-Fly zone and even if one is to be conducted, after getting the UN Sec Council to sign on, bureaucracy, etc., it will be far too late.

They are (outside forces ) trying to make Bengazi as the "last stand"
and excuse to interfere.