As the fog of war slowly lifts in Libya, it still is not clear how exactly Moammar Gadhafi died Thursday while trying to flee his hometown of Sirte in a conspicuous convoy of about 100 vehicles.
What is known, thanks to confirmations today out of Washington and Paris, is that an American Predator drone teamed up with a French Mirage 2000 fighter jet to halt the convey and send its passengers scrambling, including Gadhafi.
Both the Predator and Mirage fired on the convoy, striking at least two vehicles. As videos and photos show, Gadhafi was wounded in those strikes, but was very much alive after he ran and hid in a roadside storm drain.
Revolutionary forces quickly hunted down the men who ran from their vehicles, finding several, including Gadhafi, down the drain.
Video and still photos show Gadhafi being roughed-up, but still alive in the revolutionary fighters' custody. A short while later, he was dead apparently the victim of a gunshot wound to the head, and, according to some reports, his chest and stomach, as well.
In Geneva, Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the images "are very disturbing" because they suggest Gadhafi was killed after he was captured.
"We believe there is a need for an investigation," Colville said. "More details are needed to ascertain whether he was killed in some form of fighting or was executed after his capture."
So far there is no great rush by the governments in Tripoli, Washington, Paris, London, Ottawa or Istanbul to make a big deal of the details of the death of Gadhafi, whose body was put on ice in Misurata while people decide what to do with his remains.
Instead, the more universal sentiment from the revolutionary government, NATO members and their allies is that, for Gadhafi, the Arab Spring is over and the world is better off without him.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
France's Juppe on Libya: 'The Goal is About to be Achieved'
Statement today by French Prime Minister Alain Juppe:
"Yes, we took risks in Libya, at both diplomatic and military level. It was France who was the architect of UNSCR 1973. We – with our British friends in particular – were the sponsors of that resolution, which set the legal framework for the international intervention and, at the last minute, spared Benghazi’s population from a premeditated bloodbath. I won’t forget the gravity of the Security Council meeting where I spoke out in France’s name to secure the decision.
"Within NATO, it was France who made the greatest contribution, and I’d like to pay tribute to our pilots, our seamen and all our armed forces for their courage and professionalism.
"But as in Côte d’Ivoire, the risks taken were calculated. The cause – to which President Sarkozy and our diplomatic service were steadfastly committed – was just, because it was the liberation of a people and of democracy.
"France’s people and parliament lent us their support. The most skeptical individuals quickly started to talk of getting bogged down, even though the operation had only begun in March. Today, the goal is about to be achieved. Gadhafi’s regime no longer has any future. His last supporters must finally act with dignity, stop fighting and lay down their weapons to prevent any more bloodshed.
"From now on, we must look to the future. It’s for the Libyan people, and for them alone, to build the new Libya they’ve fought for. But it’s our duty to support them in this rebirth, which will not be free of difficulties.
"It’s true that Libya is a country with the potential for considerable wealth. That wealth must be put at the service of the country and its people. Everything, or nearly everything, has yet to be built or rebuilt. The international community must join in the effort, and in the vanguard will be France, whose early and unstinting support did her particular credit. A new page will be turned in Franco-Libyan relations. We’ll help to write it with the same determination and confidence."
"Yes, we took risks in Libya, at both diplomatic and military level. It was France who was the architect of UNSCR 1973. We – with our British friends in particular – were the sponsors of that resolution, which set the legal framework for the international intervention and, at the last minute, spared Benghazi’s population from a premeditated bloodbath. I won’t forget the gravity of the Security Council meeting where I spoke out in France’s name to secure the decision.
"Within NATO, it was France who made the greatest contribution, and I’d like to pay tribute to our pilots, our seamen and all our armed forces for their courage and professionalism.
"But as in Côte d’Ivoire, the risks taken were calculated. The cause – to which President Sarkozy and our diplomatic service were steadfastly committed – was just, because it was the liberation of a people and of democracy.
"France’s people and parliament lent us their support. The most skeptical individuals quickly started to talk of getting bogged down, even though the operation had only begun in March. Today, the goal is about to be achieved. Gadhafi’s regime no longer has any future. His last supporters must finally act with dignity, stop fighting and lay down their weapons to prevent any more bloodshed.
"From now on, we must look to the future. It’s for the Libyan people, and for them alone, to build the new Libya they’ve fought for. But it’s our duty to support them in this rebirth, which will not be free of difficulties.
"It’s true that Libya is a country with the potential for considerable wealth. That wealth must be put at the service of the country and its people. Everything, or nearly everything, has yet to be built or rebuilt. The international community must join in the effort, and in the vanguard will be France, whose early and unstinting support did her particular credit. A new page will be turned in Franco-Libyan relations. We’ll help to write it with the same determination and confidence."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gadhafi's Golden Offer: Leave Office, But Stay in Libya
France proposed today a plan that would allow Moammar Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he leaves office, but Libyan rebel emissaries in Paris for meetings say it may be too late for that option.
"I don't think there is a place for him. He is a criminal now," Transitional National Council representative Souleiman Fortia said after the meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe floated the idea of allowing Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he steps down during an interview on French LCI television.
"One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition which I repeat -- that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Juppe said. "A ceasefire depends on Gaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, meanwhile, is in Moscow, but claimed after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that there is no talk of Gadhafi giving up power.
"Gadhafi's departure is not being discussed," Obeidi told the Russian Interfax news agency.
The diplomatic push came after a day of brutal fighting in the oil terminal city of Brega, where the eastern rebel army is once again launching a march west toward Tripoli. The city is said to be heavily mined and there are still remnants of Gadhafi forces in the city limits.
Outside of Brega, Gadhafi forces have disguised motorized artillery with rebel flags and markings to throw off NATO aircraft. NATO has bombed in the Brega area in recent days, in part paving the way for the rebel army.
Brega is in a central coastal region that has gone back and forth at least three times in five months of fighting. The rebels have said they want to take and hold Brega for good this time.
"I don't think there is a place for him. He is a criminal now," Transitional National Council representative Souleiman Fortia said after the meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe floated the idea of allowing Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he steps down during an interview on French LCI television.
"One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition which I repeat -- that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Juppe said. "A ceasefire depends on Gaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, meanwhile, is in Moscow, but claimed after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that there is no talk of Gadhafi giving up power.
"Gadhafi's departure is not being discussed," Obeidi told the Russian Interfax news agency.
The diplomatic push came after a day of brutal fighting in the oil terminal city of Brega, where the eastern rebel army is once again launching a march west toward Tripoli. The city is said to be heavily mined and there are still remnants of Gadhafi forces in the city limits.
Outside of Brega, Gadhafi forces have disguised motorized artillery with rebel flags and markings to throw off NATO aircraft. NATO has bombed in the Brega area in recent days, in part paving the way for the rebel army.
Brega is in a central coastal region that has gone back and forth at least three times in five months of fighting. The rebels have said they want to take and hold Brega for good this time.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
France: The End is Near for the Gadhafi Regime
Moammar Gadhafi may be on the brink of stepping down with his regime short of cash, fuel, food and munitions and facing rebels who are only being held back by NATO commanders opposed to a bloody street battle in Tripoli, according to French officials and rebel fighters.
"A political solution ... is beginning to take shape," French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said.
The broader Western and Arab alliance and the Libyan rebels have applied a concerted chokehold on the Gadhafi regime aimed at expediting the desperate dictator's demise and departure.
NATO warplanes have targeted fuel depots in eastern Libya in recent days, while the rebel army in the western Nafusa mountains has cut off one of the last remaining oil pipelines that had been controlled by Gadhafi forces.
Western powers and key Arab states have seized Gadhafi's money and NATO has degraded his weapons and munitions. Only a handful of African states remain allied to Gadhafi, but none are in a position to re-arm the Libyan dictator. South Africa may be willing to take Gadhafi, but there is the matter of his arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"The Libyan regime sent its messengers all over, to Turkey, to New York, to Paris." said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. "We received emissaries who are saying, 'Gadhafi is prepared to leave. Let's discuss it.'"
The United States remained cautious, noting this is not the first time that Gadhafi has been believed to be ready to capitulate.
"We have a lot of folks claiming to be representatives of Gaddafi one way or the other reaching out to lots of other folks in the West," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "But the messages are contradictory."
Libyan rebel brigades out of Misurata to the east of Tripoli, as well as the French-armed opposition force in the Nafusa mountains, have complained that NATO refuses to let them march toward Tripoli.
The rebels claim NATO has told them the alliance is against urban warfare in Tripoli because innocent civilians will be hurt -- and that runs contrary to the reason why the U.S., France and Britain led the initial air campaign: To protect innocent Libyans.
In a new development that supports NATO's concerns, Human Rights Watch today is accusing some Libyan rebel forces of looting, arson and the abuse of civilians.
"In four towns captured by rebels in the Nafusa Mountains over the past month, rebel fighters and supporters have damaged property, burned some homes, looted from hospitals, homes, and shops, and beaten some individuals alleged to have supported government forces," Human Rights Watch said.
"A political solution ... is beginning to take shape," French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said.
The broader Western and Arab alliance and the Libyan rebels have applied a concerted chokehold on the Gadhafi regime aimed at expediting the desperate dictator's demise and departure.
NATO warplanes have targeted fuel depots in eastern Libya in recent days, while the rebel army in the western Nafusa mountains has cut off one of the last remaining oil pipelines that had been controlled by Gadhafi forces.
Western powers and key Arab states have seized Gadhafi's money and NATO has degraded his weapons and munitions. Only a handful of African states remain allied to Gadhafi, but none are in a position to re-arm the Libyan dictator. South Africa may be willing to take Gadhafi, but there is the matter of his arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"The Libyan regime sent its messengers all over, to Turkey, to New York, to Paris." said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. "We received emissaries who are saying, 'Gadhafi is prepared to leave. Let's discuss it.'"
The United States remained cautious, noting this is not the first time that Gadhafi has been believed to be ready to capitulate.
"We have a lot of folks claiming to be representatives of Gaddafi one way or the other reaching out to lots of other folks in the West," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "But the messages are contradictory."
Libyan rebel brigades out of Misurata to the east of Tripoli, as well as the French-armed opposition force in the Nafusa mountains, have complained that NATO refuses to let them march toward Tripoli.
The rebels claim NATO has told them the alliance is against urban warfare in Tripoli because innocent civilians will be hurt -- and that runs contrary to the reason why the U.S., France and Britain led the initial air campaign: To protect innocent Libyans.
In a new development that supports NATO's concerns, Human Rights Watch today is accusing some Libyan rebel forces of looting, arson and the abuse of civilians.
"In four towns captured by rebels in the Nafusa Mountains over the past month, rebel fighters and supporters have damaged property, burned some homes, looted from hospitals, homes, and shops, and beaten some individuals alleged to have supported government forces," Human Rights Watch said.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Tour de France Hits The Mountains
Updated 2 p.m. edt Sunday
Addendum on the weekend in Massif Central: The general classification superstars did not attack on the climbs, so for them the lead was virtually unchanged. However, kudos to Thor Hushovd who defied the odds and climbed Super-Besse with the mountain goats to hang onto the yellow leader's jersey through today.
Alas for the world champion, the rouleur Thomas Voeckler prevailed on a day of horrific crashes to capture the yellow jersey today in a beautiful breakaway. It is always welcomed to see a Frenchman like Voeckler in yellow in the home race. Vive le France!
So the peloton gets a rest day tomorrow and a couple of rolling stages on Tuesday and Wednesday.
And finally, the massive Pyrenean ascents of Le Tourmalet et Luz-Ardiden call to the GC riders on Bastille Day!
Fireworks, s'il vous plait?
Vive le Tour de France!
---[
Rarely visited by the peloton of Le Tour de France, the mountains of the French Massif Central are front and center today.
So why wait for Bastille day? Let the fireworks begin.
Dwarfed by the famous ascents that the Tour de France showcases each year in the Pyrenees and Alps, the Massif Central presents defending Tour Champion Alberto Contador with the potential to strike and cut into the dangerous lead the elite contenders in the General Classification now hold over the Spanish superstar.
"I think the Massif Central could be important," Contador's Team Saxo manager Bjarne Riis spouted cryptically on the eve of the first of two days in those small mountains.
"In themselves the stages are not too difficult, but they are likely to have a big effect in terms of fatigue," said Riis, who wore the leader's yellow jersey when the Tour visited these mountains in 1996.
Although Contador was more focused, before the start of the race, on the three consecutive stages in the Pyrenees that begin on Bastille Day, he may have to alter his strategy and make a move during today's first mountaintop finish of the 2011 Le Grande Boucle.
Contador must regain some of the time lost on Stage One when he got behind a pile-up of riders who fell like dominoes and cost him a minute and 20 seconds. In the Stage Two team time trial his Saxo team finished eighth, losing him a few more seconds to top GC contenders Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Andreas Kloden.
"Contador will try to gain time where he can. All the GC guys have been keeping their powder dry up till now, but tomorrow could be different," Rabobank team manager Erik Breukink predicted.
"That's where the race will start for some of the favorites," Breukink told Agence France Press.
Today's Stage Eight starts in Aigurande and there are two Category 4 climbs and a Category 2 ascent at the Croix St Robert immediately before the final slog up the Category 3 Super-Besse mountaintop finish.
The final climb of the day stretches for 7.2 km, has an average gradient of 3.95%, with a maximum of grade of 8.4%. Super-Besse was the opening mountaintop finish in 2008, the last time the peloton crossed the Massif Central. Riccardo Ricco won the stage, but he was later stripped of the win when he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Others also may be desperate to light it up on this stage, as well.
Andy Schleck's inability to compete in the individual time trial with the likes of Contador, Evans or Kloden may be reason enough for him to attack on the modest climbs of the Massif Central.
Schleck will have to attack at some point if he is going to offset his ITT deficit, but his Leopard Trek team manager Brian Nygaard warned "some teams will be hesitant to expend energy" this weekend, especially those with top contenders.
"If you burn too many matches in the Massif Central it could leave you struggling later in the race," Nygaard warned.
Even Evans, who won Stage Four and is showing outstanding form, could make a move to consolidate a lead among the top tier GC contenders.
"Super-Besse is a climb that suits him well as does the next stage in St Flour. And obviously, if we're in a position to take the jersey we're not going to stop before the line not to get it," Evans's BMC team director John Lelangue told Reuters.
As for American hopes, Christian Vande Velde, the top U.S. GC rider at this point, needs to make up about two minutes on the top contenders, so also has to consider attacking today.
And what of Levi Leipheimer? The American racer on Team Radio Shack is about four minutes behind the other elite leaders after a series of crashes and mechanical problems. He has said he will work for his teammate Kloden, but if he has the legs this would be his last chance to regain some time.
Team Radio Shack, which had four potential GC contenders at the start, has been decimated. One of the four leaders, Janez Brajkovic retired from the race on Stage Five, after a violent crash left him motionless on the deck to many scary minutes.
American Chris Horner, another designated leader on the Shack team, also dinged his head in a bloody crash yesterday and had to be taken away to the hospital in a stretcher. Somehow Horner managed to finish the race, but did not immediately recall those final 20 miles of riding after his nasty tumble.
Horner finished the stage in last place at 12 minutes 41 seconds behind behind the day's winner Mark Cavendish.
"It remains unclear whether Team RadioShack's Chris Horner will be able to start in stage 8 of the Tour de France," a radio Shack team statement said. "That decision will be made on Saturday morning... A concussion, a nose fracture and a calf hematoma were diagnosed."
In total, the Shack's Horner, Leipheimer, Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych, and Spaniards Haimar Zubeldia and Markel Irizar all crashed yesterday. Only Kloden, who is 10 seconds behind in the overall classification, remained upright and is the only contender now among the four pre-race team leaders.
Tomorrow's Stage Nine is made for a strong-legged rouleur, like German elder statesman Jens Voigt, or perhaps a mountain goat climber, like Sammy Sanchez. There are eight climbs tomorrow: three Category 2s, three Catergory 3s and two Cat 4s. It is a rolling ride to the flat(ish) finish line.
As for the man who is defending Yellow for a sixth day, could the world champion and two-time TDF green jersey winner Thor Hushovd make a desperate break today or tomorrow? Might the God of Thunder try to do something that surprisingly keeps him in the yellow leaders jersey?
"(Today) is going to be too hard for me to stay in yellow, but I'm going to do my best to hang on to just to show respect for the jersey," Hushovd told Versus.
Addendum on the weekend in Massif Central: The general classification superstars did not attack on the climbs, so for them the lead was virtually unchanged. However, kudos to Thor Hushovd who defied the odds and climbed Super-Besse with the mountain goats to hang onto the yellow leader's jersey through today.
Alas for the world champion, the rouleur Thomas Voeckler prevailed on a day of horrific crashes to capture the yellow jersey today in a beautiful breakaway. It is always welcomed to see a Frenchman like Voeckler in yellow in the home race. Vive le France!
So the peloton gets a rest day tomorrow and a couple of rolling stages on Tuesday and Wednesday.
And finally, the massive Pyrenean ascents of Le Tourmalet et Luz-Ardiden call to the GC riders on Bastille Day!
Fireworks, s'il vous plait?
Vive le Tour de France!
---[
Rarely visited by the peloton of Le Tour de France, the mountains of the French Massif Central are front and center today.
So why wait for Bastille day? Let the fireworks begin.
Dwarfed by the famous ascents that the Tour de France showcases each year in the Pyrenees and Alps, the Massif Central presents defending Tour Champion Alberto Contador with the potential to strike and cut into the dangerous lead the elite contenders in the General Classification now hold over the Spanish superstar.
"I think the Massif Central could be important," Contador's Team Saxo manager Bjarne Riis spouted cryptically on the eve of the first of two days in those small mountains.
"In themselves the stages are not too difficult, but they are likely to have a big effect in terms of fatigue," said Riis, who wore the leader's yellow jersey when the Tour visited these mountains in 1996.
Although Contador was more focused, before the start of the race, on the three consecutive stages in the Pyrenees that begin on Bastille Day, he may have to alter his strategy and make a move during today's first mountaintop finish of the 2011 Le Grande Boucle.
Contador must regain some of the time lost on Stage One when he got behind a pile-up of riders who fell like dominoes and cost him a minute and 20 seconds. In the Stage Two team time trial his Saxo team finished eighth, losing him a few more seconds to top GC contenders Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Andreas Kloden.
"Contador will try to gain time where he can. All the GC guys have been keeping their powder dry up till now, but tomorrow could be different," Rabobank team manager Erik Breukink predicted.
"That's where the race will start for some of the favorites," Breukink told Agence France Press.
Today's Stage Eight starts in Aigurande and there are two Category 4 climbs and a Category 2 ascent at the Croix St Robert immediately before the final slog up the Category 3 Super-Besse mountaintop finish.
The final climb of the day stretches for 7.2 km, has an average gradient of 3.95%, with a maximum of grade of 8.4%. Super-Besse was the opening mountaintop finish in 2008, the last time the peloton crossed the Massif Central. Riccardo Ricco won the stage, but he was later stripped of the win when he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Others also may be desperate to light it up on this stage, as well.
Andy Schleck's inability to compete in the individual time trial with the likes of Contador, Evans or Kloden may be reason enough for him to attack on the modest climbs of the Massif Central.
Schleck will have to attack at some point if he is going to offset his ITT deficit, but his Leopard Trek team manager Brian Nygaard warned "some teams will be hesitant to expend energy" this weekend, especially those with top contenders.
"If you burn too many matches in the Massif Central it could leave you struggling later in the race," Nygaard warned.
Even Evans, who won Stage Four and is showing outstanding form, could make a move to consolidate a lead among the top tier GC contenders.
"Super-Besse is a climb that suits him well as does the next stage in St Flour. And obviously, if we're in a position to take the jersey we're not going to stop before the line not to get it," Evans's BMC team director John Lelangue told Reuters.
As for American hopes, Christian Vande Velde, the top U.S. GC rider at this point, needs to make up about two minutes on the top contenders, so also has to consider attacking today.
And what of Levi Leipheimer? The American racer on Team Radio Shack is about four minutes behind the other elite leaders after a series of crashes and mechanical problems. He has said he will work for his teammate Kloden, but if he has the legs this would be his last chance to regain some time.
Team Radio Shack, which had four potential GC contenders at the start, has been decimated. One of the four leaders, Janez Brajkovic retired from the race on Stage Five, after a violent crash left him motionless on the deck to many scary minutes.
American Chris Horner, another designated leader on the Shack team, also dinged his head in a bloody crash yesterday and had to be taken away to the hospital in a stretcher. Somehow Horner managed to finish the race, but did not immediately recall those final 20 miles of riding after his nasty tumble.
Horner finished the stage in last place at 12 minutes 41 seconds behind behind the day's winner Mark Cavendish.
"It remains unclear whether Team RadioShack's Chris Horner will be able to start in stage 8 of the Tour de France," a radio Shack team statement said. "That decision will be made on Saturday morning... A concussion, a nose fracture and a calf hematoma were diagnosed."
In total, the Shack's Horner, Leipheimer, Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych, and Spaniards Haimar Zubeldia and Markel Irizar all crashed yesterday. Only Kloden, who is 10 seconds behind in the overall classification, remained upright and is the only contender now among the four pre-race team leaders.
Tomorrow's Stage Nine is made for a strong-legged rouleur, like German elder statesman Jens Voigt, or perhaps a mountain goat climber, like Sammy Sanchez. There are eight climbs tomorrow: three Category 2s, three Catergory 3s and two Cat 4s. It is a rolling ride to the flat(ish) finish line.
As for the man who is defending Yellow for a sixth day, could the world champion and two-time TDF green jersey winner Thor Hushovd make a desperate break today or tomorrow? Might the God of Thunder try to do something that surprisingly keeps him in the yellow leaders jersey?
"(Today) is going to be too hard for me to stay in yellow, but I'm going to do my best to hang on to just to show respect for the jersey," Hushovd told Versus.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
France Armed Western Army in Libya
The mystery of the rebel army that emerged in western Libya and successfully has made a push to within about 50 miles southwest of Tripoli appears to have been solved: France secretly armed the rebel force with airdrops in the Nafusa Mountains.
"Large amounts" of automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles, along with food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, were parachuted to the force earlier this month, according to multiple reports that cited the French newspaper Le Figaro.
"There were humanitarian drops because the humanitarian situation was worsening and at one point it seemed the security situation was threatening civilians who could not defend themselves," French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard told Reuters.
"France therefore also sent equipment allowing them to defend themselves, comprising light weapons and munitions," he said, adding that the drop in early June had included medicine and food.
The newly formed rebel army out of western Libya is the only opposition force that is currently on the march. The main rebel army in eastern Libya remains hung up near Ajdabiya, while the rebel brigades that pushed Gadhafi loyalists out of Misurata have not had much success moving east toward Triploli.
Rebel Transitional National Council Chairman Mahmoud Jibril said at a news conference in Vienna today that arming the opposition force would help avoid casualties against the better-equipped forces still loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
"Giving them weapons we will be able decide the battle more quickly, so that we can shed as little blood as possible. Because the less blood we shed the faster we can think of the future and the more we can protect the Libyan people," Jibril said.
But a rebel military commander claimed to not know anything of the French arms being airdropped.
"Whoever gave us these arms should come here and tell us where he put them," Col. Mokhtar Milad Fernana, commander of the rebel fighting forces, told The Los Angeles Times.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen indicated today in Vienna that France was acting alone and not as part of the air campaign. The alliance will determine whether France violated any NATO or United Nations rules by arming the rebels.
The French are not apologizing.
"Large amounts" of automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles, along with food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, were parachuted to the force earlier this month, according to multiple reports that cited the French newspaper Le Figaro.
"There were humanitarian drops because the humanitarian situation was worsening and at one point it seemed the security situation was threatening civilians who could not defend themselves," French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard told Reuters.
"France therefore also sent equipment allowing them to defend themselves, comprising light weapons and munitions," he said, adding that the drop in early June had included medicine and food.
The newly formed rebel army out of western Libya is the only opposition force that is currently on the march. The main rebel army in eastern Libya remains hung up near Ajdabiya, while the rebel brigades that pushed Gadhafi loyalists out of Misurata have not had much success moving east toward Triploli.
Rebel Transitional National Council Chairman Mahmoud Jibril said at a news conference in Vienna today that arming the opposition force would help avoid casualties against the better-equipped forces still loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
"Giving them weapons we will be able decide the battle more quickly, so that we can shed as little blood as possible. Because the less blood we shed the faster we can think of the future and the more we can protect the Libyan people," Jibril said.
But a rebel military commander claimed to not know anything of the French arms being airdropped.
"Whoever gave us these arms should come here and tell us where he put them," Col. Mokhtar Milad Fernana, commander of the rebel fighting forces, told The Los Angeles Times.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen indicated today in Vienna that France was acting alone and not as part of the air campaign. The alliance will determine whether France violated any NATO or United Nations rules by arming the rebels.
The French are not apologizing.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Canada to Recognize Rebels as Siege is Broken in Misurata
Updated 11 p.m. edt
NATO warplanes returned to the skies over Tripoli this evening while the rebel force's main army in the east moved on Moammar Gadhafi's thinly stretched forces in the oil patch town of Brega -- a region that has gone back and forth between both sides in three months of fighting.
Libyan TV reported that NATO bombed at least two areas around Tripoli, as the rebels also moved on two other fronts. Rebel brigades in Misurata moved a couple of miles closer to Zlitan (see below), while a third opposition force captured the town of Kikla 90 miles southwest of Tripoli, Reuters reported.
In an unsual twist of fate, one of the best-preserved antiquities left behind by the Roman Empire may be at risk of attack, CNN first reported. There is concern that Roman ruins at the site of the ancient city of Leptis Magna in Libya are being used to store Gadhafi's weapons, as the rebels have claimed, Salon writes.
NATO has refused to rule out bombing the site, if necessary, Time blogs.
In Ottawa, the Canadian parliament late today extended its commitment to the combat in Libya for another three months, as expected, The Montreal Gazette reports.
Meanwhile, a few friends at Code Pink are still hoping Gadhafi and his record of human rights violations against his own people can be stopped with a drum circle and a few boxes of Ben & Jerry's Peace Pops (So do I, but unfortunately prayers have not worked).
end update
---[
Canada will become the latest western nation to recognize the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya in a stepped up diplomatic offensive that includes the U.S. pressuring the African Union to sever its relationship with the well-hidden Moammar Gadhafi.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Ottawa will join France, Spain, Italy, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in formally recognizing the rebel government. The U.S., Germany and Turkey, among others, are waiting for Gadhafi to fall before they make a move toward recognizing the council.
With Russia and China already doing an about-face on Gadhafi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the African Union, Gadhafi's only viable if not nominal ally, to renounce the friendless dictator and expel any diplomats from their countries who remain loyal to him. Gadhafi has pumped millions of dollars into the AU, often at the expense of the needs of his own people.
Those checks are no longer in the mail, Clinton explained.
"I urge all African states to call for a genuine ceasefire and to call for Qadhafi to step aside. I also urge you to suspend the operations of Gadhafi’s embassies in your countries, to expel pro-Gadhafi diplomats, and to increase contact and support for the Transitional National Council," Clinton told the 53-member African Union during a stop in Ethiopia.
"Your words and your actions could make the difference in bringing this situation to finally close and allowing the people of Libya, on an inclusive basis, in a unified Libya, to get to work writing a constitution and rebuilding their country. The world needs the African Union to lead," she added.
Some Western governments are getting antsy about the costs and length of the British- and French-led NATO air campaign, but are committing to spending at least the summer to put heavy fire down on Gadhafi forces and installations.
The hope is the defiant Gadhafi will go or be overthrown much sooner than the recently extended September deadline for the mission.
"We are conducting this operation with all the means we have, and the best we can. If the operation were to last long, of course, the resource issue will become critical," NATO Gen. Stephane Abrial said at a NATO conference in Belgrade.
"But at this stage, the forces engaged do have the means to necessary conduct the operation. If additional resources are needed this will be a political decision. I am confident that this operation will be successful in implementing the UN Security Council resolution," Abrial added.
But NATO also has sent some mixed signals to the rebels themselves, asking them to hold their ground in Misurata instead of pushing westward toward Tripoli. More than 100 rebels and civilians have been killed during Gadhafi's latest siege of Misurata.
NATO aircraft have been missing in action for most of the weeklong siege, though they have been dropping leaflets overnight on the outskirts of Zlitan, warning that anyone who can read the leaflet is probably about to die.
Frustrated and worried they are sitting ducks in Misurata without NATO air cover, a rebel brigade broke through Gadhafi's siege forces to the west of Misurata and were moving slowly toward Zlitan, but despite being outgunned are making progress.
Gadhafi's elite 32nd Brigade is based and the rebels hope people there will rise up from inside the city before the battle is joined.
The rebels were stymied by a rocket attack yesterday on fuel tanks at a depot in Misurata, but were scrambling to get gasoline from alternative sites.
Rebels quickly bolted from their new frontline positions when they picked up the leaflets and realized NATO thought they were Gadhafi troops, fearing they would come under fire from allaince warplanes and attack helicopters.
Libyans, meanwhile, have risen up west and south of Tripoli, making it difficult to Gadhafi to get supplies through the few routes he has left.
At any other time it would be seen as a successful campaign, given how quickly Gadhafi forces were depleted and unable to counter the NATO warplanes. But with the other wars in Iraq and Afghanistan still draining the American treasury, President Obama is under pressure from a minority of U.S. lawmakers to explain where he envisions that the mission is going. An even smaller minority wants the U.S. to pull out of Libya immediately.
House Speaker John Boehner, who supports the Libyan mission, nonetheless sent Obama a letter today, arguing that after Sunday he will be in violation of the War Powers Act of 1973.
"Either you have concluded the War Powers Resolution does not apply to the mission in Libya or you have determined the War Powers Resolution is contrary to the Constitution," Boehner wrote. "The House and the American people whom we represent deserve to know the determination you have made."
Obama insists contingency money is in the budget for the Libya campaign, but privately sources close to Obama say he wants to see Gadhafi toppled as soon as possible. Obama is, however, convinced he is on the morally correct side of history on this campaign -- and is even more resolute that Gadhafi will go, or he will go down.
Britain, meanwhile, may have to move some assets away from the Afghan war if the Libya mission is not concluded by September. "If we do it longer than six months, we will have to reprioritize forces," said Adm. Mark Stanhope, Britain's top naval officer.
NATO warplanes returned to the skies over Tripoli this evening while the rebel force's main army in the east moved on Moammar Gadhafi's thinly stretched forces in the oil patch town of Brega -- a region that has gone back and forth between both sides in three months of fighting.
Libyan TV reported that NATO bombed at least two areas around Tripoli, as the rebels also moved on two other fronts. Rebel brigades in Misurata moved a couple of miles closer to Zlitan (see below), while a third opposition force captured the town of Kikla 90 miles southwest of Tripoli, Reuters reported.
In an unsual twist of fate, one of the best-preserved antiquities left behind by the Roman Empire may be at risk of attack, CNN first reported. There is concern that Roman ruins at the site of the ancient city of Leptis Magna in Libya are being used to store Gadhafi's weapons, as the rebels have claimed, Salon writes.
NATO has refused to rule out bombing the site, if necessary, Time blogs.
In Ottawa, the Canadian parliament late today extended its commitment to the combat in Libya for another three months, as expected, The Montreal Gazette reports.
Meanwhile, a few friends at Code Pink are still hoping Gadhafi and his record of human rights violations against his own people can be stopped with a drum circle and a few boxes of Ben & Jerry's Peace Pops (So do I, but unfortunately prayers have not worked).
end update
---[
Canada will become the latest western nation to recognize the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya in a stepped up diplomatic offensive that includes the U.S. pressuring the African Union to sever its relationship with the well-hidden Moammar Gadhafi.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Ottawa will join France, Spain, Italy, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in formally recognizing the rebel government. The U.S., Germany and Turkey, among others, are waiting for Gadhafi to fall before they make a move toward recognizing the council.
With Russia and China already doing an about-face on Gadhafi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the African Union, Gadhafi's only viable if not nominal ally, to renounce the friendless dictator and expel any diplomats from their countries who remain loyal to him. Gadhafi has pumped millions of dollars into the AU, often at the expense of the needs of his own people.
Those checks are no longer in the mail, Clinton explained.
"I urge all African states to call for a genuine ceasefire and to call for Qadhafi to step aside. I also urge you to suspend the operations of Gadhafi’s embassies in your countries, to expel pro-Gadhafi diplomats, and to increase contact and support for the Transitional National Council," Clinton told the 53-member African Union during a stop in Ethiopia.
"Your words and your actions could make the difference in bringing this situation to finally close and allowing the people of Libya, on an inclusive basis, in a unified Libya, to get to work writing a constitution and rebuilding their country. The world needs the African Union to lead," she added.
Some Western governments are getting antsy about the costs and length of the British- and French-led NATO air campaign, but are committing to spending at least the summer to put heavy fire down on Gadhafi forces and installations.
The hope is the defiant Gadhafi will go or be overthrown much sooner than the recently extended September deadline for the mission.
"We are conducting this operation with all the means we have, and the best we can. If the operation were to last long, of course, the resource issue will become critical," NATO Gen. Stephane Abrial said at a NATO conference in Belgrade.
"But at this stage, the forces engaged do have the means to necessary conduct the operation. If additional resources are needed this will be a political decision. I am confident that this operation will be successful in implementing the UN Security Council resolution," Abrial added.
But NATO also has sent some mixed signals to the rebels themselves, asking them to hold their ground in Misurata instead of pushing westward toward Tripoli. More than 100 rebels and civilians have been killed during Gadhafi's latest siege of Misurata.
NATO aircraft have been missing in action for most of the weeklong siege, though they have been dropping leaflets overnight on the outskirts of Zlitan, warning that anyone who can read the leaflet is probably about to die.
Frustrated and worried they are sitting ducks in Misurata without NATO air cover, a rebel brigade broke through Gadhafi's siege forces to the west of Misurata and were moving slowly toward Zlitan, but despite being outgunned are making progress.
Gadhafi's elite 32nd Brigade is based and the rebels hope people there will rise up from inside the city before the battle is joined.
The rebels were stymied by a rocket attack yesterday on fuel tanks at a depot in Misurata, but were scrambling to get gasoline from alternative sites.
Rebels quickly bolted from their new frontline positions when they picked up the leaflets and realized NATO thought they were Gadhafi troops, fearing they would come under fire from allaince warplanes and attack helicopters.
Libyans, meanwhile, have risen up west and south of Tripoli, making it difficult to Gadhafi to get supplies through the few routes he has left.
At any other time it would be seen as a successful campaign, given how quickly Gadhafi forces were depleted and unable to counter the NATO warplanes. But with the other wars in Iraq and Afghanistan still draining the American treasury, President Obama is under pressure from a minority of U.S. lawmakers to explain where he envisions that the mission is going. An even smaller minority wants the U.S. to pull out of Libya immediately.
House Speaker John Boehner, who supports the Libyan mission, nonetheless sent Obama a letter today, arguing that after Sunday he will be in violation of the War Powers Act of 1973.
"Either you have concluded the War Powers Resolution does not apply to the mission in Libya or you have determined the War Powers Resolution is contrary to the Constitution," Boehner wrote. "The House and the American people whom we represent deserve to know the determination you have made."
Obama insists contingency money is in the budget for the Libya campaign, but privately sources close to Obama say he wants to see Gadhafi toppled as soon as possible. Obama is, however, convinced he is on the morally correct side of history on this campaign -- and is even more resolute that Gadhafi will go, or he will go down.
Britain, meanwhile, may have to move some assets away from the Afghan war if the Libya mission is not concluded by September. "If we do it longer than six months, we will have to reprioritize forces," said Adm. Mark Stanhope, Britain's top naval officer.
Friday, June 3, 2011
NATO Unleashes Attack Helicopters for First Time
Updated 10 a.m. edt (Saturday)
There are conflicting reports, but it appears the French deployed both Gazelle and the newer Tiger attack helicopters overnight in Libya against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
The French helicopters attacked 15 military vehicles and five command buildings, but NATO and the French Defense Ministry are not saying where specifically the gunships struck in Libya.
British Apaches hit targets in Brega, not far from where the rebel army is positioned. The strikes could be a precursor to another offensive by the increasingly better-armed and trained opposition fighters.
"This gives us a chance to target new targets in a way we weren't able to do," British Defense Minister Liam Fox said, according to The Guardian of London.
"What it does show is our willing to use the range of assets we have to keep the pressure up. We will continue with the methods we have to degrade his [Gadhafi's] command and control, to degrade his supplies," he added.
Meanwhile, there are reports British Foreign Secretary William Hague and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell are in Benghazi meeting with the rebel Transitional National Council.
end update
---[
Updated 11:15 p.m. edt
French Gazelle and British Apache helicopters were both used in the strikes today in Libya on Moammar Gadhafi's forces and equipment.
The French apparently held in reserve their newer, more powerful Tiger attack helicopters.
The Brits hit radar and other targets around Brega, the BBC reported.
It was not immediately known where the Gazelles struck.
End update
---[
The air campaign in Libya just escalated.
NATO unleashed its attack helicopters today for the first time, striking at Moammar Gadhafi's forces, military vehicles and equipment, the alliance announced.
"This successful engagement demonstrates the unique capabilities brought to bear by attack helicopters," said Canadian Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector. "We will continue to use these assets whenever and wherever needed, using the same precision as we do in all of our missions."
NATO did not immediately say whether the helicopter gunships were British Apaches or French Tigers, or both.
The alliance also did not identify where the strikes occurred, but for days NATO has been telling rebel leaders that they planned to deploy the helicopters in the Misurata area.
There are conflicting reports, but it appears the French deployed both Gazelle and the newer Tiger attack helicopters overnight in Libya against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
The French helicopters attacked 15 military vehicles and five command buildings, but NATO and the French Defense Ministry are not saying where specifically the gunships struck in Libya.
British Apaches hit targets in Brega, not far from where the rebel army is positioned. The strikes could be a precursor to another offensive by the increasingly better-armed and trained opposition fighters.
"This gives us a chance to target new targets in a way we weren't able to do," British Defense Minister Liam Fox said, according to The Guardian of London.
"What it does show is our willing to use the range of assets we have to keep the pressure up. We will continue with the methods we have to degrade his [Gadhafi's] command and control, to degrade his supplies," he added.
Meanwhile, there are reports British Foreign Secretary William Hague and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell are in Benghazi meeting with the rebel Transitional National Council.
end update
---[
Updated 11:15 p.m. edt
French Gazelle and British Apache helicopters were both used in the strikes today in Libya on Moammar Gadhafi's forces and equipment.
The French apparently held in reserve their newer, more powerful Tiger attack helicopters.
The Brits hit radar and other targets around Brega, the BBC reported.
It was not immediately known where the Gazelles struck.
End update
---[
The air campaign in Libya just escalated.
NATO unleashed its attack helicopters today for the first time, striking at Moammar Gadhafi's forces, military vehicles and equipment, the alliance announced.
"This successful engagement demonstrates the unique capabilities brought to bear by attack helicopters," said Canadian Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector. "We will continue to use these assets whenever and wherever needed, using the same precision as we do in all of our missions."
NATO did not immediately say whether the helicopter gunships were British Apaches or French Tigers, or both.
The alliance also did not identify where the strikes occurred, but for days NATO has been telling rebel leaders that they planned to deploy the helicopters in the Misurata area.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
NATO Launches Daring Daytime Strike on Tripoli
The war in Libya is entering a new phase that NATO believes -- and hopes -- will lower the curtain on the Gadhafi regime.
The rebel provisional government offered amnesty today to the apparently scared, dwindling ranks of Libyans still loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. The offer came as NATO sent the regime a message in the form of a bold daytime air strike on Tripoli.
Rebels in Misurata have been told French and British attack helicopters will soon join the fight.
"Yesterday two French men, who usually come to take coordinates so that Nato knows where to attack, came to the front. They told me this is the 'third stage'," said Ahmed Ibrahim, a senior rebel said, according to The Telegraph of London.
Hoping the end game (as far as the fighting goes) is in sight, the Transitional National Council dangled a carrot in front of Gadhafi loyalists today: Any defectors accused of crimes before the revolution's Feb. 17 start date will get a fair trial, while those who commit crimes after that date will be granted total amnesty.
"Those still betting on Moammar Gadhafi's regime should wake up to reality and abandon it and join the righteous and just cause," said TNC leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, a former judge and justice minister in the Gadhafi regime.
NATO demonstrated with a daytime raid on Tripoli today the confidence it has that Gadhafi forces are worn down and are limping. NATO warplanes destroyed guard towers and storage depots behind the high walls of Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziyah complex.
The strikes began overnight and continued after sunrise, re-affirming the alliance's resolve that the Gadhafi regime is in its final act.
"We are joined in our resolve to finish the job," President Obama said after meetings at the Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations in France that centered on the Libyan conflict.
The rebel provisional government offered amnesty today to the apparently scared, dwindling ranks of Libyans still loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. The offer came as NATO sent the regime a message in the form of a bold daytime air strike on Tripoli.
Rebels in Misurata have been told French and British attack helicopters will soon join the fight.
"Yesterday two French men, who usually come to take coordinates so that Nato knows where to attack, came to the front. They told me this is the 'third stage'," said Ahmed Ibrahim, a senior rebel said, according to The Telegraph of London.
Hoping the end game (as far as the fighting goes) is in sight, the Transitional National Council dangled a carrot in front of Gadhafi loyalists today: Any defectors accused of crimes before the revolution's Feb. 17 start date will get a fair trial, while those who commit crimes after that date will be granted total amnesty.
"Those still betting on Moammar Gadhafi's regime should wake up to reality and abandon it and join the righteous and just cause," said TNC leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, a former judge and justice minister in the Gadhafi regime.
NATO demonstrated with a daytime raid on Tripoli today the confidence it has that Gadhafi forces are worn down and are limping. NATO warplanes destroyed guard towers and storage depots behind the high walls of Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziyah complex.
The strikes began overnight and continued after sunrise, re-affirming the alliance's resolve that the Gadhafi regime is in its final act.
"We are joined in our resolve to finish the job," President Obama said after meetings at the Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations in France that centered on the Libyan conflict.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
ITN: Helicopters in Libya? Brits Demo Apaches
There has been consideration of deploying helicopter gunships in Libya, raising the firepower, the stakes and the risks for NATO. France has already sent 12 attack helicopters aboard an assault ship that headed for Libyan coast.
The British army show off its lethal Apache attack helicopters in this new report from ITN posted on YouTube.
The British army show off its lethal Apache attack helicopters in this new report from ITN posted on YouTube.
Monday, May 23, 2011
NATO Adding Helicopters to Libya Campaign
Updated 11:59 p.m. edt
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging more NATO nations to step up and take an active role in the Libyan air campaign, which is struggling to maintain a strike tempo that wreaks havoc on Moammar Gadhafi's unrelenting forces.
"We have a lot of confidence in what our joint efforts are producing. We would like to see some other of our NATO friends and allies join in with us, in order to make sure that the pressure is maintained consistently," Clinton said after meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
The U.S. has no plans to increase its role, but Clinton pointed out that American warplanes, personnel and technology remains heavily engaged in Libya.
"Even today, the United States continues to fly 25 percent of all sorties, we continue to provide the majority of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets," Clinton said.
end update
---[
French Gazelle and Tigre class helicopter gunships may soon join the NATO air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi, upping the ante with close-in air power that, while risky, will make it easier to target forces loyal to the well-hidden Libyan dictator, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe confirmed today.
"What we want is to better tailor our ability to strike on the ground with ways that allow more accurate hits," Juppe said, according to Reuters. "That is the goal in deploying helicopters."
A dozen French helicopters shipped out May 17 to Libya aboard the French amphibious assault carrier Tonnerre, the French daily Le Figaro reported.
"It is not just French helicopters ... it's coordinated action by the coalition," a diplomatic source said, in response to the newspaper report. "It is at NATO level."
Speaking to reporters in Brussels Juppe, insisted the use of helicopters is covered under a United Nations resolution to protect Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's wrath. The world court has issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi, alleging the Libyan despot committed crimes against humanity.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging more NATO nations to step up and take an active role in the Libyan air campaign, which is struggling to maintain a strike tempo that wreaks havoc on Moammar Gadhafi's unrelenting forces.
"We have a lot of confidence in what our joint efforts are producing. We would like to see some other of our NATO friends and allies join in with us, in order to make sure that the pressure is maintained consistently," Clinton said after meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
The U.S. has no plans to increase its role, but Clinton pointed out that American warplanes, personnel and technology remains heavily engaged in Libya.
"Even today, the United States continues to fly 25 percent of all sorties, we continue to provide the majority of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets," Clinton said.
end update
---[
French Gazelle and Tigre class helicopter gunships may soon join the NATO air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi, upping the ante with close-in air power that, while risky, will make it easier to target forces loyal to the well-hidden Libyan dictator, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe confirmed today.
"What we want is to better tailor our ability to strike on the ground with ways that allow more accurate hits," Juppe said, according to Reuters. "That is the goal in deploying helicopters."
A dozen French helicopters shipped out May 17 to Libya aboard the French amphibious assault carrier Tonnerre, the French daily Le Figaro reported.
"It is not just French helicopters ... it's coordinated action by the coalition," a diplomatic source said, in response to the newspaper report. "It is at NATO level."
Speaking to reporters in Brussels Juppe, insisted the use of helicopters is covered under a United Nations resolution to protect Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's wrath. The world court has issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi, alleging the Libyan despot committed crimes against humanity.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron Call Out Gadhafi
The leaders of the United States, France and the United Kingdom penned an opinion piece for today's International Herald Tribune that warns Moammar Gadhafi that the warplanes flying above Libya are not going away -- but he is.
The last paragraph of the op-ed written by President Obama, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister David Cameron says it all quite succinctly:
"Britain, France, and the United States will not rest until the United Nations Security Council resolutions have been implemented and the Libyan people can choose their own future."
Click here for the full article.
The last paragraph of the op-ed written by President Obama, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister David Cameron says it all quite succinctly:
"Britain, France, and the United States will not rest until the United Nations Security Council resolutions have been implemented and the Libyan people can choose their own future."
Click here for the full article.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Move to Fund Libyan Rebels As France & UK Plot Strategy
Libyan rebels called on the United States today to recommit to the air campaign, only to discover later that American warplanes are indeed flying above Libya, hunting for anti-aircraft weapons to protect NATO aircraft.
Six F-16 fighter jets and five EA-18 Growler electronic warfare planes have flown 97 sorties in Libya since April 4, the Pentagon said.
The disclosure came after the Libya Contact Group convened today in Qatar, urging nations to finance the Libyan rebels. Meanwhile, the leaders of France and Britain huddled in Paris to plot a strategy for defeating an isolated but resilient Moamnmar Gadhafi.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with British Prime Minister David Cameron, along with defense ministers Gerard Longuet of France and Liam Fox of the UK, to try to forge a unified front in getting NATO to step up its attacks on Gadhafi forces and targets.
"Britain and France are at the heart of this coalition, and with President Sarkozy I am going to be sitting down to make sure that we leave no stone unturned in doing everything we can militarily, diplomatically, politically to enforce the UN resolution, to put real pressure on Qaddafi, and to stop the appalling murder of civilians," Cameron told reporters before the meeting.
Earlier, Britain announced it would send 1,000 pieces of surplus body armor to the rebels. The Brtiish had already sent the rebels 100 satellite phones.
In Doha, the contact group called at the onbe-day meeting for Gadhafi to step down and proposed a temporary "trust fund" for the rebels, possibly including funds from Gadhafi's frozen assets.
"Gadhafi and his regime has lost all legitimacy and he must leave power allowing the Libyan people to determine their own future," the group said in a statement.
A thumbnail guide to the players in Doha today from Agence France Press.
Six F-16 fighter jets and five EA-18 Growler electronic warfare planes have flown 97 sorties in Libya since April 4, the Pentagon said.
The disclosure came after the Libya Contact Group convened today in Qatar, urging nations to finance the Libyan rebels. Meanwhile, the leaders of France and Britain huddled in Paris to plot a strategy for defeating an isolated but resilient Moamnmar Gadhafi.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with British Prime Minister David Cameron, along with defense ministers Gerard Longuet of France and Liam Fox of the UK, to try to forge a unified front in getting NATO to step up its attacks on Gadhafi forces and targets.
"Britain and France are at the heart of this coalition, and with President Sarkozy I am going to be sitting down to make sure that we leave no stone unturned in doing everything we can militarily, diplomatically, politically to enforce the UN resolution, to put real pressure on Qaddafi, and to stop the appalling murder of civilians," Cameron told reporters before the meeting.
Earlier, Britain announced it would send 1,000 pieces of surplus body armor to the rebels. The Brtiish had already sent the rebels 100 satellite phones.
In Doha, the contact group called at the onbe-day meeting for Gadhafi to step down and proposed a temporary "trust fund" for the rebels, possibly including funds from Gadhafi's frozen assets.
"Gadhafi and his regime has lost all legitimacy and he must leave power allowing the Libyan people to determine their own future," the group said in a statement.
A thumbnail guide to the players in Doha today from Agence France Press.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
French & Brits Slam NATO Over Libya
Updated 4:45 p.m. est
Qatar confirmed today it sold more than $100 million worth of oil for the Libyan rebels and provided gasoline, diesel and propane to the anti-Gadhafi government.
A shipment last week of 1 million barrels of crude oil sailed from the rebel-controlled eastern Libyan port of Tobruk. The shipment was worth about $120 million, the Associated Press reported.
Qatar also shipped four tankers full of gasoline, diesel and other refined fuels to rebels in their de facto capital of Benghazi in eastern Libya, according to the official Qatar News Agency.
The announcement came a day before Qatar hosts the Libya contact group, a gathering of Western and Arab leaders, senior rebels officials and others who support the revolt against Moammar Gadhafi.
Former Libyan intelligence chief and foreign minister, Musa Kusa, is also traveling to Doha for the meetings. Kusa is the top Libyan official to defect in recent weeks from the Gadhafi government, and may be able to provide the rebels with some insight into Gadhafi, if they let him.
end update
---[
NATO again finds itself under fire for its efforts in Libya, with the criticism this time coming from the governments of the two lead protagonists who pushed for the air campaign.
The French and British are making a concerted effort this week for NATO to step up strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's forces and weapons, urging alliance members to pony up more planes to rain down a crushing blow on the regime.
"We know we are having an effect. Pro-Gadhafi forces cannot fight where they want, they cannot fight how they want and they cannot use the weapons they want," NATO Brig. Gen. Mark van Uhm, a senior NATO military officer said today in response to the criticism.
But British Foreign Secretary William Hague nonetheless urged alliance countries today to join the United Kingdom in upping the number of aircraft involved in the Libya mission.
"We must maintain and intensify our efforts in NATO," Hague said in Brussels, where European and NATO ministers are meeting this week. "A huge amount has been achieved in Libya, but clearly there is more to be done."
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told French radio NATO needs to focus on destroying Gadhafi's heavy weaponry.
”NATO must play its role fully. It wanted to take the lead in operations, we accepted that. It must play its role today which means preventing Gaddafi from using heavy weapons to shell populations,” Juppe said, promising to bring up the issue with European Union foreign ministers today and with NATO ministers later this week.
The pressure for NATO to strike harder at Gadhafi came as Libyan defector Musa Kusa was headed to Doha to meet tomorrow with Qatari officials and high-ranking members of the rebels' Transitional National Council. There is some speculation Gadhafi's former foreign minister and spymaster may make a move to join the rebel movement.
"The more representative of Libya that the (TNC) are, the more broadly aligned they are, the less regional they are, the better that is for them," the Financial Times quoted a British official as saying. "There is therefore merit in them extending their base to get together with Musa Kusa. But the (TNC) will do so on their terms and we are not setting the agenda for them."
The rebels rejected an African Union-brooked peace deal this week because it did not include Gadhafi relinquishing power.
Qatar confirmed today it sold more than $100 million worth of oil for the Libyan rebels and provided gasoline, diesel and propane to the anti-Gadhafi government.
A shipment last week of 1 million barrels of crude oil sailed from the rebel-controlled eastern Libyan port of Tobruk. The shipment was worth about $120 million, the Associated Press reported.
Qatar also shipped four tankers full of gasoline, diesel and other refined fuels to rebels in their de facto capital of Benghazi in eastern Libya, according to the official Qatar News Agency.
The announcement came a day before Qatar hosts the Libya contact group, a gathering of Western and Arab leaders, senior rebels officials and others who support the revolt against Moammar Gadhafi.
Former Libyan intelligence chief and foreign minister, Musa Kusa, is also traveling to Doha for the meetings. Kusa is the top Libyan official to defect in recent weeks from the Gadhafi government, and may be able to provide the rebels with some insight into Gadhafi, if they let him.
end update
---[
NATO again finds itself under fire for its efforts in Libya, with the criticism this time coming from the governments of the two lead protagonists who pushed for the air campaign.
The French and British are making a concerted effort this week for NATO to step up strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's forces and weapons, urging alliance members to pony up more planes to rain down a crushing blow on the regime.
"We know we are having an effect. Pro-Gadhafi forces cannot fight where they want, they cannot fight how they want and they cannot use the weapons they want," NATO Brig. Gen. Mark van Uhm, a senior NATO military officer said today in response to the criticism.
But British Foreign Secretary William Hague nonetheless urged alliance countries today to join the United Kingdom in upping the number of aircraft involved in the Libya mission.
"We must maintain and intensify our efforts in NATO," Hague said in Brussels, where European and NATO ministers are meeting this week. "A huge amount has been achieved in Libya, but clearly there is more to be done."
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told French radio NATO needs to focus on destroying Gadhafi's heavy weaponry.
”NATO must play its role fully. It wanted to take the lead in operations, we accepted that. It must play its role today which means preventing Gaddafi from using heavy weapons to shell populations,” Juppe said, promising to bring up the issue with European Union foreign ministers today and with NATO ministers later this week.
The pressure for NATO to strike harder at Gadhafi came as Libyan defector Musa Kusa was headed to Doha to meet tomorrow with Qatari officials and high-ranking members of the rebels' Transitional National Council. There is some speculation Gadhafi's former foreign minister and spymaster may make a move to join the rebel movement.
"The more representative of Libya that the (TNC) are, the more broadly aligned they are, the less regional they are, the better that is for them," the Financial Times quoted a British official as saying. "There is therefore merit in them extending their base to get together with Musa Kusa. But the (TNC) will do so on their terms and we are not setting the agenda for them."
The rebels rejected an African Union-brooked peace deal this week because it did not include Gadhafi relinquishing power.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Raw Video: French Mirage Refueling Over Libya
Official French government video posted by our colleagues at RT.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Raw Video: Gadhafi's Armor After French Air Force Strikes
Video taken on the ground by RT newsperson who is following the rebel force.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
So Just Who Will Run The No-Fly Zone? TBD
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says foreign ministers from the Western coalition protecting the no-fly zone over Libya as well as Arab and Africans representatives plan to meet in London Tuesday, but the U.S. appparentlyuu is not ready to discuss plans for that session.
"Obviously, we remain in close contact. We’re aware of the meeting that was proposed. And obviously, (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) and others remain in close contact with our allies and partners in the coalition, but nothing to announce specific to that meeting," said Mark Toner, acting deputy State Department spokesman.
President Obama has said he wants to turn over command and control of the Libya mission in a matter of days, but the question for now is to whom does the U.S. hand over control of Libya? ABC ponders the question.
The U.S. would prefer that NATO run the show, but the French government wants a hybrid, a steering committee that includes a seat for NATO and perhaps Arab members, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"It won't be NATO that will have the political steering of the operation," Juppe said.
There are problems that must be attended to quickly in the coming days and for whichever entity takes over command for the next phase.
"Without substantial defections from the loyalist army, the rebels cannot hope to become a cohesive military force unless they receive weapons and training from outside, which would seem to be in breach of the UN arms embargo," The Economist opines in its Clausewitz blog, cooling defence, security and diplomatic issues.
The Christian Science Monitor noted, "The resolution had broad international support when it passed 10-0 with 5 abstentions. But now, as questions arise over what a no-fly zone actually entails and what “all necessary measures” means."
"Obviously, we remain in close contact. We’re aware of the meeting that was proposed. And obviously, (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) and others remain in close contact with our allies and partners in the coalition, but nothing to announce specific to that meeting," said Mark Toner, acting deputy State Department spokesman.
President Obama has said he wants to turn over command and control of the Libya mission in a matter of days, but the question for now is to whom does the U.S. hand over control of Libya? ABC ponders the question.
The U.S. would prefer that NATO run the show, but the French government wants a hybrid, a steering committee that includes a seat for NATO and perhaps Arab members, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"It won't be NATO that will have the political steering of the operation," Juppe said.
There are problems that must be attended to quickly in the coming days and for whichever entity takes over command for the next phase.
"Without substantial defections from the loyalist army, the rebels cannot hope to become a cohesive military force unless they receive weapons and training from outside, which would seem to be in breach of the UN arms embargo," The Economist opines in its Clausewitz blog, cooling defence, security and diplomatic issues.
The Christian Science Monitor noted, "The resolution had broad international support when it passed 10-0 with 5 abstentions. But now, as questions arise over what a no-fly zone actually entails and what “all necessary measures” means."
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Arab League Gets Queasy Quickly on No-Fly Zone
The Arab League is having a difficult time accepting that a no-fly zone against despot Moammar Gadhafi is a combat situation with consequences, even when precautions are taken.
The leader of the 22-nation organization threatened today to withdraw the Arab League's endorsement for the no-fly zone, angered by civilian casualties and the scope of the allied strikes on command and control and combat targets.
“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone,” Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in a statement issued through the state-run information agency. “And what we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians.”
It was a contrast from the cheers from grateful Libyans who feared they were about to be overrun by Gadhafi's forces.
"Thank you France, thank you America," Abdul Gader told The Associated Press as he looked over Gadhafi's armored vehicles destroyed by French aircraft. "Obama good, Sarkozy good."
Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia and Cuban figurehead Fidel Castro all condemned the intervention, The Washington Post reports.
The Guardian warns in an editorial there will be more complaints from the Arab chieftains,at least until the tide turns and Gadhafi capitulates.
The leader of the 22-nation organization threatened today to withdraw the Arab League's endorsement for the no-fly zone, angered by civilian casualties and the scope of the allied strikes on command and control and combat targets.
“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone,” Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in a statement issued through the state-run information agency. “And what we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians.”
It was a contrast from the cheers from grateful Libyans who feared they were about to be overrun by Gadhafi's forces.
"Thank you France, thank you America," Abdul Gader told The Associated Press as he looked over Gadhafi's armored vehicles destroyed by French aircraft. "Obama good, Sarkozy good."
Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia and Cuban figurehead Fidel Castro all condemned the intervention, The Washington Post reports.
The Guardian warns in an editorial there will be more complaints from the Arab chieftains,at least until the tide turns and Gadhafi capitulates.
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