Libyan Protests

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Egypt-Inspired Protests Spread to Libya

CAIRO – Egypt-inspired unrest spread against Libya's longtime ruler Moammar Qaddafi on Wednesday, with riot police clashing with protesters in the second-largest city of Benghazi and marchers setting fire to security headquarters and a police station in the city of Zentan, witnesses said.

Qaddafi's government sought to allay further unrest by proposing the doubling of government employees' salaries and releasing 110 suspected Islamic militants who oppose him -- tactics similar to those used by other Arab regimes in the recent wave of protests.

Activists using Facebook and Twitter have called for nationwide demonstrations on Thursday to demand the ouster of Qaddafi, establishment of a constitution and comprehensive political and economic reforms. Qaddafi came to power in 1969 through a military coup and has ruled the country without an elected parliament or constitution.

A Libyan security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said 14 people, including 10 policemen, were injured. He said protesters were armed with knives and stones. Witnesses said the protests were peaceful but came under attack from pro-Qaddafi men.

In the southern city of Zentan, 75 miles south of Tripoli, hundreds of people marched through the streets and set fire to security headquarters and a police station, then set up tents in the heart of the town while chanting, "The people want the ouster of the regime," witnesses told al-Warfali.

Resentment against Qaddafi runs high in Zentan because many of the detained army officers who took part in a failed coup in 1993 are from the city of 100,000 people.

In Beyida, to the east of Benghazi, security forces rounded up a number of activists while searching for Sheik Ahmed al-Dayekh, an outspoken cleric who criticized Qaddafi and corruption in Libya during a Friday sermon.

The outbreak of protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Iran has roiled the Middle East and brought unprecedented pressure on leaders like Qaddafi who have held virtually unchecked power for decades.

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Gadhafi rallies supporters amid widening protests

CAIRO – Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi drove through his nation's capital in a motorcade, drawing a cheering crowd as the long-time ruler tried to rally support amid reports of widening anti-government protests.

Protests have erupted in several cities in Libya this week, especially in the east, and the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said Friday that 24 people were killed in unrest on Wednesday and Thursday.

It's interesting to see all of these people protesting in a number of countries. How many will be effective and how many will fall flat or be beaten back? That's what I'm following here. And if they are successful, who leads them into their future? I'm guessing most will not be friends of the US. But we'll see what we'll see.

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Gadhafi rallies supporters amid widening protests

CAIRO – Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi drove through his nation's capital in a motorcade, drawing a cheering crowd as the long-time ruler tried to rally support amid reports of widening anti-government protests.

Protests have erupted in several cities in Libya this week, especially in the east, and the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said Friday that 24 people were killed in unrest on Wednesday and Thursday.

It's interesting to see all of these people protesting in a number of countries. How many will be effective and how many will fall flat or be beaten back? That's what I'm following here. And if they are successful, who leads them into their future? I'm guessing most will not be friends of the US. But we'll see what we'll see.

All the uprisings have been directed at governments that work with the west. Syria, Sudan, Iran, Lebanon have brutally beaten down an opposition. The uprising in Libya is the first nation that is going against this paradigm.

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Libyan protesters defiant after Gadhafi speech

CAIRO – New videos posted by Libya's opposition show anti-government protesters raising the pre-Moammar Gadhafi flag on a building outside Tripoli and lining up cement blocks to defend themselves on a square inside the capital.

The videos were posted on Facebook Wednesday, a day after Gadhafi vowed to fight to his "last drop of blood" in a televised speech that signaled an escalation of a bloody crackdown on dissent by his supporters. The footage couldn't be independently confirmed.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told lawmakers it's "likely" more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence, according to Italian media reports citing witnesses and hospital sources.

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Qaddafi Forces Strike Back at Libya Rebels as Leader Blames Unrest on bin Laden

BENGHAZI, Libya -- Army units and militiamen loyal to Muammar al-Qaddafi struck back against rebellious Libyans who have risen up in cities close to the capital Thursday, attacking a mosque where many were holding an anti-government sit-in and battling with others who had seized control of an airport. A doctor at the mosque said 10 people were killed.

Qaddafi accused Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden of being behind the uprising in Libya, in a rambling phone call to state TV. The Libyan leader said the more than week-long revolt has been carried out by young men hopped up on hallucinogenic pills given to them "in their coffee with milk, like Nescafe."

"Shame on you, people of Zawiya, control your children," he said, addressing residents of the city outside Tripoli where the mosque attack took place. "They are loyal to bin Laden," he said of those involved in the uprising. What do you have to do with bin Laden, people of Zawiya? They are exploiting young people ... I insist it is bin Laden."

The other attack came at a small airport outside Misrata, Libya's third largest city, where rebel residents claimed control Wednesday. Militiamen with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars barraged a line of them who were guarding the airport, some armed with automatic rifles and hunting rifles, said one of the rebels who was involved in the battle.

During the fighting, the airport's defenders seized an anti-aircraft gun used by the militias and turned it against them, he said.

A medical official at a military air base by the airport said two people were killed in the fighting -- one from each side -- and five were wounded. He said personnel at the base had sided with the Misrata uprising and had disabled fighter jets there to prevent them being used against rebellious populaces.

"Now Misrata is totally under control of the people, but we are worried because we squeezed between Sirte and Tripoli, which are strongholds of Qaddafi," he said. Sirte, a center for Qaddafi's tribes, lies to the southeast of Misrata.

The leader's cousin, Gadhaf al-Dam, is one of the most high level defections to hit the regime so far, after many ambassadors around the world, the justice minister and the interior minister all sided with the protesters.

Gadhaf al-Dam belonged to Qaddafi's inner circle, officially his liaison with Egypt, but he also served as Qaddafi's envoy to other world leaders and frequently appeared by his side.

In a statement issued in Cairo on Thursday, Gadhaf al-Dam said he had left Libya for Egypt "in protest and to show disagreement" with the crackdown.

Qaddafi's control now has been reduced to the northwest corner around Tripoli, the southwest deserts and parts of the center. The uprisings in Misrata, Zawiya and several small towns between the capital and Tunisian border have further whittled away at that bastion.

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Qaddafi Vows to Punish His Libyan Enemies

BENGHAZI, Libya – Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi vowed to triumph over his enemies on Friday, and told supporters in Tripoli's Green Square that he would open arsenals "when necessary" to arm the Libyan people against the "enemy."

"We can crush any enemy. We can crush it with the people's will. The people are armed and when necessary, we will open arsenals to arm all the Libyan people and all Libyan tribes."

"Get ready to fight for Libya, get ready to fight for dignity, get ready to fight for petroleum," he said.

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Rumor is floating about that NATO has sent military advisors to the Benghazi goverment. If this is accurate then Qadhafi is done because they will be getting "other" support and the merceanaries that are propping Qadhafi up will quit.

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U.S. is moving the Enterprise Strike Group in the Red Sea to the MED. Also a Amphibious Landing Vessel with Marines is also moving into position. British is planning on using Cypriot air base to stage aircraft to enforce a possible no-fly zone.

British have actually deployed SAS and SBS in Libya already to help move British citizens out of the country. This has been going on for the last week.

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Libyan Rebels Repel Overnight Attack by Pro-Qaddafi Forces

TRIPOLI, Libya – Residents of the rebel-held city closest to Libya's capital passed out sweets and cold drinks to fighters Tuesday and celebrated with a victory march after they managed to repel an overnight attack by pro-Qaddafi forces.

"Allahu Akbar (God is Great) for our victory," residents of Zawiya chanted as they paraded through the city's main square. Some carried on their shoulders an air force colonel they said had just defected to the rebels' side.

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There are reports of Egyptian, British (SAS) and U.S. Special Forces operating in Libya

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsf/articles/20110306.aspx

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France and Britain Favor Air Strikes Against Qaddafi, If Needed

Sarkozy added that he and British prime minister David Cameron were "ready on condition that the UN wishes, that the Arab League accepts and the Libyan opposition agrees, for targeted actions if Mr. Qaddafi uses chemical weapons or air strikes against peaceful citizens."

Sarkozy encouraged other European leaders to officially recognize the opposition against Qaddafi.

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Libyan Government Sets Cease-Fire to Allow Rebels to Surrender

The Libyan government said Thursday it has set a temporary cease-fire from Sunday to allow rebels to surrender, according to AFP.

This comes as forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi launch airstrikes against the airport in Benghazi.

Libyan rebels shot down at least two bomber planes that attacked the airport in Benghazi, according to residents who witnessed the rare success in the struggle against Qaddafi's superior air power.

The rebels used three of their own seized planes and some helicopters to attack government troops fighting to advance on the city of Benghazi, said Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman in the rebel base.

U.S. Seeks UN Resolution Authorizing Wide Range of Strikes on Libya

The Obama administration is seeking a UN Security Council resolution authorizing a wide range of possible strikes against the regime of Libyan leader Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The move comes as Qaddafi forces have made "significant strides" in Libya, the State Department said.

The Obama administration and other supporters of action against Qaddafi were pushing for a Thursday vote on a draft resolution. Russia and China have expressed doubts about the U.N. and other outside powers getting involved.

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Libya Threatens Retaliation as U.S. Seeks UN Resolution Authorizing Strikes

Libya's defense ministry warned Thursday that any military action against the African nation resulting from a possible U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing airstrikes and other measures will be met with retaliatory strikes on air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean region.

Reuters reported that a statement by the regime of Muammar al-Qaddafi broadcast on Libyan television warned that "the Mediterranean basin will face danger not just in the short-term, but also in the long term."

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Qaddafi Forces Reportedly Fire Cluster Bombs Into Civilian Areas

Forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi have reportedly been firing into residential neighborhoods with cluster bombs, which have been banned by much of the world, witnesses told The New York Times on Friday.

The newspaper, citing accounts of survivors and physical evidence found on the ground, said such weapons by definition cannot be fired precisely, and thus place civilians lives at great risk when fired into populated areas.

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Didn't want to create a new thread...

Obama Reportedly Sided Against 2 Top Administration Lawyers in Libya War Debate

President Obama decided he had the legal authority to continue the U.S. military campaign in Libya without congressional approval over the objections of Justice Department and Pentagon lawyers, according to The New York Times.

Instead, the president sided with other senior administration lawyers who said that continuing U.S. participation in the air operations against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi did not constitute "hostilities," triggering the need for Congressional permission under the War Powers Resolution, the New York Times reported in its online edition Friday night.

Among those reported to support the president's action were White House counsel Robert Bauer and State Department legal adviser Harold H. Koh, the paper said. Those opposed included Pentagon General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson and acting head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel Caroline D. Krass.

One issue was reported to be whether firing missiles from drones amounted to hostilities.

Presidents can ignore the advice of the Office of Legal Counsel, but rarely do so, the newspaper reported.

The 1973 law prohibits the military from being involved in actions for more than 60 days without congressional authorization, plus a 30-day extension. The 60-day deadline passed last month with the White House saying it is in compliance with the law. The 90-day mark is Sunday.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that he found it "interesting that in early April the president touted the Office of Legal Counsel's legal opinion on actions in Libya, and now that the opinion doesn't fit his agenda, he chooses to ignore them."

"If dropping bombs and firing missiles on military installations are not hostilities, I don't know what is," he said. "The president's actions on Libya are nothing short of bizarre."