Thread: The Libyan Crisis

March 12, 2011

Thai Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said that she has ordered her ministry's Department of Export Promotion to continue keeping a close watch on the situation in the Middle East and the North African region, according to Thau News agency on Saturday.

Porntiva admitted that if violence recurred there, then it would considerably affect Thai exports to the two regions.

So far, heads of Thai commercial affairs offices in the Middle East have reported that the political violence in Libya is returning to normal.

BERNAMA - Thailand Prepared For Impacts From Unrest In Middle East

Those poor buggers in Libya are on their own. Gidaffie will hunt them down, one town at a time and put them all to death.

I have to wonder how long the sanctions will last when this is all over and things return to normal as the murderous dictator once again becomes our oil exporting friend.

^

sadly I must concur , we were found wanting when the question was asked

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Libyan forces captured, detained and brutally beat a BBC news team while they were trying to reach the western city of Zawiya, the BBC states.

I suppose this is going to mean another price increase in the TV licence at home.

In a statement after a six-hour long meeting, he added: “The Arab League has officially requested the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone against any military action against the Libyan people.”

Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League

Libya: Arab League calls for United Nations no-fly zone - Telegraph

A lot of hand ringing and urgent meetings going on in the west but not much action other than sanctions and asset freezing.
Obama says he is tightening the noose around Gaddafe by refusing to do business with his regime and all options are on the table. I guess "all options" includes actually doing nothing other than sanctions.

Meanwhile Gaddafi's son, who seems to have become the Libya regime spokesperson to the west has said Russia and China might become Libya's chief trading partners in future. Sort of like giving the finger to the west over their sanctions.

Qaddafi Forces Advance as West Weighs Arab Call for No-Fly Zone - Businessweek

Originally Posted by Mid

“The Arab League has officially requested the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone

Are they ready to impose their own No Fly Zone against Libya, or do they want the west to do it for them. Hasn't Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria got an air-force and army they would want to use?

Originally Posted by Panda

Gidaffie will hunt them down, one town at a time and put them all to death.

That's the "Coalition of the Willing's" role. Fallujah, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan .....

Gaddafi has already offered talks with the armed rebels. He has also offered a ceasefire. What he hasn't said is that he will "put them all to death"

Originally Posted by OhOh

Gaddafi has already offered talks with the armed rebels. He has also offered a ceasefire.

and this means what ?

Originally Posted by OhOh

What he hasn't said is that he will "put them all to death"

no need , his actions speak louder than words .

amazes me that we have folks willing to defend Despot Dictators here .

BreakingNews Breaking News

Libyan military sources claim rebel-held town of Brega has been 'cleansed of armed gangs' - Libyan state TV via Reuters

Oh dear! Looks like the west picked the wrong side this time ?

But anyway, at least we get to claim the moral high ground after supporting a dictator. Its only 4% of the world oil supply anyway and our Saudi royal dictator friends have promised to up supply to make up the difference and keep prices down for us.

Its getting harder to pick which dictator to be friends with these days things are changing so quickly.

Originally Posted by Panda

Its getting harder to pick which dictator to be friends with these days things are changing so quickly.

The west is addicted to oil. Until they get over the addiction nothing will change.
Addicts never question the morals of their suppliers.

Originally Posted by Norton

Muammar Gaddafi's troops forced outgunned Libyan rebels

Where are all the generals/regiments of the army/navy/airforce who turned turncoat. Are they the people being toasted at various European "talking shops" whilst their "brothers" are dying for them?

Originally Posted by Panda

Those poor buggers in Libya are on their own. Gidaffie will hunt them down, one town at a time and put them all to death.

I have to wonder how long the sanctions will last when this is all over and things return to normal as the murderous dictator once again becomes our oil exporting friend.

If, or when that happens and the protesters are murdered, the West will share some responsibility in their deaths not only for supporting Gidaffe before the uprising, but for dangling the promise of a no fly zone, to the protesters then failing to come through.

Sadly it seems that every time Western Governments meddle in that part of the World they do more harm than good. Even worse, it almost seems like we have no morality at all in this situation and just want to be part of the winning side, which ever side that may be.

Libyan 'rebel capital' threatened - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Libyan 'rebel capital' threatened

Gaddafi forces inch towards opposition stronghold of Benghazi while wrangle over UN decision on no-fly zone crawls.

Last Modified: 15 Mar 2011 06:05 GMT


France pressured G8 foreign ministers at a meeting in Paris, to agree action on Libya [EPA]

Commanders of Libyan forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, vowed to push deeper into rebel-held territory as they pressed closer to the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, while diplomatic efforts to impose a no-fly zone made little headway.

On Monday, France pressured G8 foreign ministers at a meeting in Paris, to formalise a move on Libya and back its efforts to speed up a UN Security Council decision on imposing a no-fly zone over the country to prevent Gaddafi forces from using warplanes, but the effort hit snags as partners such as Germany raised doubts.

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister called for urgent talks in the Security Council for targeted sanctions on Gaddafi's government, but voiced opposition towards military action.

"We are very sceptical about a military intervention and a no-fly zone is a military intervention," he told reporters after the dinner with G8 counterparts.

In the end, a divided Security Council failed to produce a consensus among its 15 members on a no-fly zone, and Russia said it had questions about the proposal.

"Fundamental questions need to be answered, not just what we need to do, but how it's going to be done," Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador, said in New York.

Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, also held a late-night, 45-minute meeting in Paris, on Monday, with Mahmoud Jibril, a senior Libyan opposition figure, after discussing the widening crisis with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Arab League on Saturday endorsed a no-fly zone, and its decision satisfies one of three conditions set by the Western NATO alliance for it to police Libyan air space, which is the need for regional support. The other two are proof that its help is needed and a Security Council resolution.

Nawaf Salam, Lebanese ambassador, sole Arab representative on the council, said Lebanon wanted it to act as fast as possible.

"We think it is not only a legitimate request, it is a necessary request," he said. "Measures ought to be taken to stop the violence, to put an end to the ... situation in Libya, to protect the civilians there."

'Gaddafi gains'

Meanwhile, Libyan government artillery and tanks re-took the small town of Zuwarah, 120 km west of Tripoli after heavy bombardment, Tarek Abdallah, a resident said by telephone.

Perhaps more significantly, Gaddafi forces were shrinking the swathe of eastern Libya still held by revolutionary forces.

On Monday, Libyan jets flew behind rebel lines to bomb Ajdabiyah, the only sizeable town before the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

Rebels said there had been no casualties, but the attack on Ajdabiya is seen, from the rebels' viewpoint, "as the last line of defence," said Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from Benghazi.

"Gaddafi forces are advancing and it seems that fighting is carrying on and coming close to Benghazi," he said.

"It seems like we are entering the final phase of the conflict but whether this revolution will fail or succeed, that will only be determined in the coming weeks."

Colonel Milad Hussein, Libyan army spokesman, said that government forces were "marching to cleanse the country" of insurgents, whom he called "rats and terrorists". He vowed to take on Benghazi, the so-called "rebel capital" in the east.

However, Jamal Mansur, former air force colonel, who had defected from Gaddafi's army, said rebels had regained a foothold in the important eastern oil terminal town of Brega.

Rebel fighters say they captured and even killed Gaddafi troops in Brega - but government forces contest that claim, saying that they are in control of the town.

Libyan state TV showed some images on Monday from Brega port, claiming that it was in government control and at peace.

Al Jazeera correspondents said it was difficult to verify the claims made by both sides.

The lightly armed rebels have been pushed back some 200 kilometres by Gaddafi's better equipped and better trained forces in the past week.

"Real bloodbath"

Ajdabiyah commands roads to Benghazi and Tobruk that could allow Gaddafi's troops to encircle Libya's second city and its 300,000 inhabitants.

Soliman Bouchuiguir, president of the Libyan League for Human Rights, said in Geneva that if Gaddafi's heavily armed forces broke through to attack Benghazi, there would be "a real bloodbath, a massacre like we saw in Rwanda".

Kyung-wha Kang, UN deputy high commissioner for Human Rights said in Geneva that Gaddafi's government had "chosen to attack civilians with massive, indiscriminate force".

Amnesty offer

Meanwhile, Gaddafi offered an amnesty to rebel fighters if they agreed to lay down their arms, Libyan state television reported on Monday.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tripoli said the offer will play on to the emotions of very anxious rebel forces who don't know how they will be able to put up a fight against Gaddafi's forces, given the overwhelming superiority of his military forces.

"There is an enormous degree of anxiety. It's an all-or-nothing game now," Anita McNaught said.

"If the rebels do not manage to hold out against Gaddafi and establish some kind of protective zone in the east of the country, it is almost certain in the wake of this, there would be some dreadful purge of those who dared to raise their hands against the Gaddafi administration.

"People know that unless they are able to keep Tripoli at bay, that the alternative is almost too awful to contemplate. Those fears apply equally in Tripoli; they are just not expressed as openly as they are in the east."

Originally Posted by OhOh

The "rebels" have been killing the armed forces of the government for fucks sake.

wonder why ?

Originally Posted by Mid

wonder why ?

Some "leader", who has his own agenda, has suggested that they have a chance to "change things".

A few countries have already fallen for this.

The foot soldiers have been given a few machine guns and told to get on with it. With the inevitable outcome.

They actually belive in "our time for change has come"

Obama speech: 'Yes, we can change' - CNN

"Thank you, South Carolina.

Thank you to the rock of my life, Michelle Obama.

Thank you to Malia and Sasha Obama, who haven't seen their daddy in a week.

Thank you to Pete Skidmore for his outstanding service to our country and being such a great supporter of this campaign. Watch a thankful Obama after his primary win

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country's desire for something new, who said Iowa was a fluke, not to be repeated again. .........."

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ights_in_Libya

The people of Libya thought they could knock off thier dictator without western troops on the ground. They didnt want western troops. They wanted to do it themselves. They just wanted the west to knock out Gaddafi's air support as it could cut their supply lines and take out captured arms dumps.

The west failed them and the rest is history.