Stunned Libyan revolutionary forces regrouped today outside the Gadhafi stronghold Bani Walid after fierce fighters loyal to the deposed dictator successfully countered an offensive to take the hold-out city.
The Transitional National Council's army was stymied in part by what its claims is an effort to limit innocent civilians casualties as revolutionary forces move on Bani Walid, as well as Moammar Gadhafi's hometown Sirte.
But the Gadhafi forces are entrenched and well-armed in Bani Walid, about 80 miles southeast of Tripoli. It is one of the cities where Gadhafi may be hiding.
"The Gadhafi loyalists have so many weapons," revolutionary fighter Mabb Fatel, 28, told the Associated Press. “This battle is really crazy.”
In the coastal Mediterranean city of Sirte, even after bombing runs by NATO warplanes, TNC forces face tanks, artillery and clusters of snipers that have prevented revolutionary fighters from entering the city.
In a mostly symbolic victory, revolutionary forces captured the Al-Gurdabia airbase south of Sirte, Bloomberg reported.
Canada, meanwhile, whose commitment to the campaign was to expire this month, has agreed to extend its role by three months.
Showing posts with label revolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label revolution. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Obama: Enough is Enough, Assad Must Go
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared this morning the dictator of Damascus Bashir al-Assad must go for ordering his army and secret police to butcher more than 1,800 Syrian men, women and children who long for freedom.
The United States gave Assad more time and opportunities to clean up his act and embrace democratic reforms than most of the other big-name despots of the pro-democracy revolutions of the Arab Spring. The U.S. put in place the toughest sanctions to date along with the call for Assad to step down.
"The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashir al-Assad is standing in their way. His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing, and slaughtering his own people," Obama said in statement.
"We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside," Obama added.
Clinton explained that the U.S. has meticulously assembled a global chorus of opposition made up of Arab, Islamic and Western Nations in calling for the Assad regime to step down. Clinton signaled the U.S. strategy earlier this week when she said it would have done little good for the U.S. to act unilaterally.
"It is not going to be any news if the United States says Assad needs to go," she said. "OK, fine, what's next? If other people say it, if Turkey says it, if (Saudi) King Abdullah says it, there is no way the Assad regime can ignore it," Clinton said this week at a joint appearance at the National Defense University with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
"I think this is smart power, where it is not just brute force, it is not just unilateralism," she said. "It is being smart enough to say you know what we want a bunch of people singing out of the same hymn book and we want them singing a song of universal freedom, human rights, democracy, everything that we have stood for and pioneered over 235 years."
The demand that Assad resign comes as NATO and the Libyan rebels appear to be close to toppling the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.
The United States gave Assad more time and opportunities to clean up his act and embrace democratic reforms than most of the other big-name despots of the pro-democracy revolutions of the Arab Spring. The U.S. put in place the toughest sanctions to date along with the call for Assad to step down.
"The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashir al-Assad is standing in their way. His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing, and slaughtering his own people," Obama said in statement.
"We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside," Obama added.
Clinton explained that the U.S. has meticulously assembled a global chorus of opposition made up of Arab, Islamic and Western Nations in calling for the Assad regime to step down. Clinton signaled the U.S. strategy earlier this week when she said it would have done little good for the U.S. to act unilaterally.
"It is not going to be any news if the United States says Assad needs to go," she said. "OK, fine, what's next? If other people say it, if Turkey says it, if (Saudi) King Abdullah says it, there is no way the Assad regime can ignore it," Clinton said this week at a joint appearance at the National Defense University with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
"I think this is smart power, where it is not just brute force, it is not just unilateralism," she said. "It is being smart enough to say you know what we want a bunch of people singing out of the same hymn book and we want them singing a song of universal freedom, human rights, democracy, everything that we have stood for and pioneered over 235 years."
The demand that Assad resign comes as NATO and the Libyan rebels appear to be close to toppling the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Yemeni Rebels Attack Palace in Sanaa
Updated at 1:30 p.m. edt
Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was supposed to deliver an address assuring his people he was fine after a rebel attack today on his palace in Sanaa, but a government official tells MSNBC he is being treated for a wound to the neck.
At least four people, including top officials and body guards, were killed and others were severely wounded, NBC's chief foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports at this hour.
The White House was monitoring the situation, but had no immediate information to shed light on Saleh's condition. A spokesman for President Obama urged Saleh to accept a deal in which he would step down.
"I can tell you that we’ve seen those conflicting reports about what happened there. The President was briefed on this issue this morning," said White House spokesman Josh Ernest.
"I don’t have anything beyond what we’ve said before, which is that obviously condemn the violence on both sides, that we hope that there will be and that there should be a negotiated settlement in Yemen, and that we believe that President Saleh should sign the agreement transferring power," Earnest added.
Former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley suggested on Twitter that Saleh has brought on his own demise. "President Saleh has chosen to literally fight reform rather than respect it. It's a losing battle for Saleh, and tragic for Yemen," Crowley Tweeted.
End update
---[
There are reports Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was hurt today when his palace in Sanaa was shelled by rebels.
Others were also hurt in the attack, the BBC reports.
There are conflicting reports at this time about Saleh's condition.
Saleh has been an ally on the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, allowing U.S. drones to target suspected terrorists.
Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was supposed to deliver an address assuring his people he was fine after a rebel attack today on his palace in Sanaa, but a government official tells MSNBC he is being treated for a wound to the neck.
At least four people, including top officials and body guards, were killed and others were severely wounded, NBC's chief foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports at this hour.
The White House was monitoring the situation, but had no immediate information to shed light on Saleh's condition. A spokesman for President Obama urged Saleh to accept a deal in which he would step down.
"I can tell you that we’ve seen those conflicting reports about what happened there. The President was briefed on this issue this morning," said White House spokesman Josh Ernest.
"I don’t have anything beyond what we’ve said before, which is that obviously condemn the violence on both sides, that we hope that there will be and that there should be a negotiated settlement in Yemen, and that we believe that President Saleh should sign the agreement transferring power," Earnest added.
Former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley suggested on Twitter that Saleh has brought on his own demise. "President Saleh has chosen to literally fight reform rather than respect it. It's a losing battle for Saleh, and tragic for Yemen," Crowley Tweeted.
End update
---[
There are reports Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was hurt today when his palace in Sanaa was shelled by rebels.
Others were also hurt in the attack, the BBC reports.
There are conflicting reports at this time about Saleh's condition.
Saleh has been an ally on the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, allowing U.S. drones to target suspected terrorists.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Battle for Gadhafi's Birthplace Commences
Updated 5:20 p.m. est
Elements of the Libyan rebel force reportedly made it within 35 miles of Sirte, but reinforcements around Moammar Gadhafi's hometown pushed them and the rest of their army back today beyond Bin Jawad, according to battlefield reports.
Bin Jawad, about 100 miles east of Sirte, was taken during the insurgents' more than 300-mile sweep over the weekend. The BBC's Nick Springate reports the rebels have lost Bin Jawad, and most have now retreated further east, beyond Ras Lanuf.
Gadhafi's forces, which retreated about 200 miles in one day during the rebel offensive, have regrouped in and around Sirte in an effort to halt the insurgents for a second time this month (in just about the same place where they was stopped the first time, around March 13).
Sirte is believed to be the last major urban battlefield until Misurata to its west, where the Eastern Libyan rebel army would link up with the insurgent force fighting there and then band together for the march toward Tripoli.
It may take a while for that scenario to play out, if at all. The rebels remain in need of armor and anti-tank weapons to defeat Gadhafi's tanks and artillary, but there was no movement on that today in London where the coalition nations met.
There are also indications that civilians loyal to Gadhafi, many believed to be from the Libyan dictator's own Qadhadhfa tribe, are armed and ready to fight a street-to-street campaign. That type of warfare would likely make the march west even more difficult, as well as threatening the safety of innocent civilians in Sirte.
end update
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The battle for Sirte has been joined, and as predicted the fight for the city where Moammar Gadhafi was born looks to be bloody and a bit more prolonged than the engagements of the past few days.
The rebel sweep across the coastal highway is stalled tonight in the desert 35 miles east of Sirte in a town called Harawa, where people dressed as civilians (and they may very well be) fired on the insurgent force.
The rebels then pulled back from the village and came under heavy artillery fire, it was reported.
Elements of the Libyan rebel force reportedly made it within 35 miles of Sirte, but reinforcements around Moammar Gadhafi's hometown pushed them and the rest of their army back today beyond Bin Jawad, according to battlefield reports.
Bin Jawad, about 100 miles east of Sirte, was taken during the insurgents' more than 300-mile sweep over the weekend. The BBC's Nick Springate reports the rebels have lost Bin Jawad, and most have now retreated further east, beyond Ras Lanuf.
Gadhafi's forces, which retreated about 200 miles in one day during the rebel offensive, have regrouped in and around Sirte in an effort to halt the insurgents for a second time this month (in just about the same place where they was stopped the first time, around March 13).
Sirte is believed to be the last major urban battlefield until Misurata to its west, where the Eastern Libyan rebel army would link up with the insurgent force fighting there and then band together for the march toward Tripoli.
It may take a while for that scenario to play out, if at all. The rebels remain in need of armor and anti-tank weapons to defeat Gadhafi's tanks and artillary, but there was no movement on that today in London where the coalition nations met.
There are also indications that civilians loyal to Gadhafi, many believed to be from the Libyan dictator's own Qadhadhfa tribe, are armed and ready to fight a street-to-street campaign. That type of warfare would likely make the march west even more difficult, as well as threatening the safety of innocent civilians in Sirte.
end update
---[
The battle for Sirte has been joined, and as predicted the fight for the city where Moammar Gadhafi was born looks to be bloody and a bit more prolonged than the engagements of the past few days.
The rebel sweep across the coastal highway is stalled tonight in the desert 35 miles east of Sirte in a town called Harawa, where people dressed as civilians (and they may very well be) fired on the insurgent force.
The rebels then pulled back from the village and came under heavy artillery fire, it was reported.
| The new rebel front in Central/Eastern Libya after gains made over the weekend. CNN military analysis retired Gen. Wesley Clark, NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander, said tonight he thinks the rebels need to negotiate with the people to get out of the way before they launch an all-out attack on Sirte. If this offensive fails it could put the revolution into a stalemate, as many observers have noted. The Pentagon, meanwhile, disclosed that it quietly called in its close-in air power over the weekend, using A-10 Thunderbolt tank-killers and AC-130 gunships to pound Gadhafi's ground forces. The Pentagon previously would not discuss the use of those planes, but it is clear they saw a role for using the aircraft that are vulnerable to small-arms fire because they fly closer to the ground that the fighters and bombers used thus far by the coalition. "We have employed A-10s and AC-130s over the weekend," said Pentagon spokesman Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said, without naming targets. The A-10 is armed a multi-barrelled 30mm cannon that fires nearly 4,000 armor-piercing rounds per minute. The AC-130 gunship is a converted transport plane that packs a punch with its 105mm cannon, as well as the 20mm & 40mm guns. |
 |
| The rebels march to Tripoli, from one end of Libya to nearly the other. |
Sunday, February 27, 2011
U.S. Encourages Gadhafi's Opposition
Updated at 8:20 p.m. est
President Obama will host United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon tomorrow as NATO reportedly reconsiders whether to set up a no-fly zone over Libya to protect protesters from air attacks by forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Italy, meanwhile, once considered to be Libya's closet European ally, suspended its treaty with Gadhafi today, seen as a precursor to further potential action to counter the Libyan strongman as his stranglehold on the country continues to shrink at the hands of vigilant rebels.
The New York Times reported today that NATO and other European allies are reconsidering implementing a no-fly zone over Libya.
end update
---[
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed earlier today that the United States is "reaching out" to Libyans organizing opposition to dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Speaking to reporters before heading to Geneva for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Clinton said, "We are just at the beginning of what will follow Gadhafi" as his regime slowly crumbles.
"First we have to see the end of his regime with no further violence and bloodshed, which is a big challenge in front of all of us," Clinton said.
"But we’ve been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the East and as the revolution moves westward there as well," she added. "I think it’s way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we’re going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
Clinton is particularly hopeful that the UN Security Council's resolution, which was approved unanimously last night, will put pressure on Gadhafi and his loyal advisers and forces, including his hired mercenaries.
"The Security Council resolution passed unanimously yesterday makes clear there will be accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes and other atrocities that are being perpetrated against the Libyan people, including a referral to the International Criminal Court," Clinton said.
"And I want to underscore this unanimous message from the Security Council to those who are around Gadhafi that you will be held accountable for the actions that are being taken and have been taken against your own people," she added.
President Obama will host United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon tomorrow as NATO reportedly reconsiders whether to set up a no-fly zone over Libya to protect protesters from air attacks by forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Italy, meanwhile, once considered to be Libya's closet European ally, suspended its treaty with Gadhafi today, seen as a precursor to further potential action to counter the Libyan strongman as his stranglehold on the country continues to shrink at the hands of vigilant rebels.
The New York Times reported today that NATO and other European allies are reconsidering implementing a no-fly zone over Libya.
end update
---[
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed earlier today that the United States is "reaching out" to Libyans organizing opposition to dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Speaking to reporters before heading to Geneva for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Clinton said, "We are just at the beginning of what will follow Gadhafi" as his regime slowly crumbles.
"First we have to see the end of his regime with no further violence and bloodshed, which is a big challenge in front of all of us," Clinton said.
"But we’ve been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the East and as the revolution moves westward there as well," she added. "I think it’s way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we’re going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
Clinton is particularly hopeful that the UN Security Council's resolution, which was approved unanimously last night, will put pressure on Gadhafi and his loyal advisers and forces, including his hired mercenaries.
"The Security Council resolution passed unanimously yesterday makes clear there will be accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes and other atrocities that are being perpetrated against the Libyan people, including a referral to the International Criminal Court," Clinton said.
"And I want to underscore this unanimous message from the Security Council to those who are around Gadhafi that you will be held accountable for the actions that are being taken and have been taken against your own people," she added.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Obama Finally calls for Gadhafi to Step Down
President Obama today joined French President Nicolas Sarkozy in calling for Libyan despot Moammar Gadhafi to step down. Obama's long-awaited call for Gadhafi to end his reign of terror came during a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"The President stated that when a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," the White House said in a statement.
"The leaders reaffirmed their support for the Libyan people’s demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations, and agreed that Gadhafi's government must be held accountable. They discussed appropriate and effective ways for the international community to respond," the White House said.
Earlier this week, Sarkozy became the first world leader of significance to call for Gadhafi's ouster.
The Obama administration has been ridiculed this week for foot-dragging in response to the violence carried out by Gadhafi's military and hired goons, but a U.S. official late today insisted the White House had its hands tied because of fears of reprisal against Americans who were in Libya.
"The administration had only one majer concern: The Americans stuck in a very hostile place," a U.S. official said.
Most of the remaining Americans cleared out yesterday aboard a U.S.-chartered ferry that arrived in Malta and a U.S.-chartered flight that landed in Turkey.
"The President stated that when a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," the White House said in a statement.
"The leaders reaffirmed their support for the Libyan people’s demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations, and agreed that Gadhafi's government must be held accountable. They discussed appropriate and effective ways for the international community to respond," the White House said.
Earlier this week, Sarkozy became the first world leader of significance to call for Gadhafi's ouster.
The Obama administration has been ridiculed this week for foot-dragging in response to the violence carried out by Gadhafi's military and hired goons, but a U.S. official late today insisted the White House had its hands tied because of fears of reprisal against Americans who were in Libya.
"The administration had only one majer concern: The Americans stuck in a very hostile place," a U.S. official said.
Most of the remaining Americans cleared out yesterday aboard a U.S.-chartered ferry that arrived in Malta and a U.S.-chartered flight that landed in Turkey.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Special Forces Muster on Malta
Elite troops, including U.S. Delta Force and Navy SEALS, are positioned on the island of Malta to help protect fleeing Americans and others escaping the chaos in Libya, if needed, knowledgeable sources confirmed.
Food, water and emergency supplies are also being stockpiled on Malta, a strategic port of call for the U.S. Navy in the Mediterranean, a source said.
The U.S. special forces on Malta are equipped with chemical warfare suits, a source said. "Those guys like to travel light and they hate carrying those things around," said a source familiar with the deployment.
Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal and others reported the U.S. fears Gadhafi never destroyed his stash of chemical weapons, like mustard gas. Gadhafi has not used chemical weapons on the protesters so far, but because of his hair-trigger personality and threats to fight to the death, it is a contingency the Western powers are taking into consideration.
Special forces from European nations are also believed to be in the region, a diplomatic source said.
Malta has been a primary destination for Americans and others seeking refuge from strongman Moammar Gadhafi and his armed goons who have wreaked havoc in Tripoli and elsewhere in Libya. A State Department-sponsored ferry is also waiting at a dock in Tripoli to take Americans and others to Malta once a patch of bad weather that has caused high seas passes.
Defecting Libyan fighter jets and helicopter pilots landed their aircraft on Malta earlier this week, seeking political asylum.
Food, water and emergency supplies are also being stockpiled on Malta, a strategic port of call for the U.S. Navy in the Mediterranean, a source said.
The U.S. special forces on Malta are equipped with chemical warfare suits, a source said. "Those guys like to travel light and they hate carrying those things around," said a source familiar with the deployment.
Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal and others reported the U.S. fears Gadhafi never destroyed his stash of chemical weapons, like mustard gas. Gadhafi has not used chemical weapons on the protesters so far, but because of his hair-trigger personality and threats to fight to the death, it is a contingency the Western powers are taking into consideration.
Special forces from European nations are also believed to be in the region, a diplomatic source said.
Malta has been a primary destination for Americans and others seeking refuge from strongman Moammar Gadhafi and his armed goons who have wreaked havoc in Tripoli and elsewhere in Libya. A State Department-sponsored ferry is also waiting at a dock in Tripoli to take Americans and others to Malta once a patch of bad weather that has caused high seas passes.
Defecting Libyan fighter jets and helicopter pilots landed their aircraft on Malta earlier this week, seeking political asylum.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Gadhafi: I'll Die Before I Quit
A defiant Col. Moammar Gadhafi threatened Libyan protesters with death and vowed to die a martyr himself rather than abdicate the throne as he delivered a rambling and sometimes incoherent speech today amid the ruins of the palace the U.S. bombed in1986.
The delusional dictator boasted that he had brought Libya to the "summit of the world" as he stood firm and urged supporters to take revenge on the anti-government protesters (who appeared to be gaining control of more and more of the North African nation, according to reports).
"I will be a martyr at the end," Gadhafi vowed, standing amid the shambles of Bab al Aziziya, the compound President Ronald Reagan ordered bombed in 1986 in retaliation for a deadly terrorist blast at a German disco popular with U.S. serviceman.
Gadhafi appeared to be hunkered down in Tripoli for the long-haul.
His arms waving and voice erratic, Gadhafi looked like a wild man in beige pajamas, hammered and looking for a urinal in a gutted, skid row bathroom, while endlessly blaming Arab enemies, the media and the colonial powers -- everyone but himself -- for Libya's woes during his four decades of reign.
Further living up to his billing (by Reagan) as "the madman of the Middle East," Gadhafi also ticked off a strange laundry list of events, where death and mayhem resulted for civilians.
"Citing Tienanmen, Wako, Falluja, the Duma, and many other ghastly incidents, Qaddafi is blatantly threatening his people with massacre," warned Arab-American Middle East scholar Hussein Ibish on Twitter.
Egyptian protest organizer and Google exec Wael Ghonim was more optimistic in his analysis. "Can't wait to see Qaddafi follow BinAli and Mubarak path. He is the craziest dictator in the world. Libya will thrive after him," Ghonim Tweeted.
"Citing Tienanmen, Wako, Falluja, the Duma, and many other ghastly incidents, Qaddafi is blatantly threatening his people with massacre," warned Arab-American Middle East scholar Hussein Ibish on Twitter.
Egyptian protest organizer and Google exec Wael Ghonim was more optimistic in his analysis. "Can't wait to see Qaddafi follow BinAli and Mubarak path. He is the craziest dictator in the world. Libya will thrive after him," Ghonim Tweeted.
Gadhafi's threats (using translations provided by AlJazeera, CNN & MSNBC) came rapid fire throughout the more than hour long rant.
"I have not even given the order to use bullets yet," he said, seeming to indicate that the reported thousands dead and injured was nothing compared to hell he could unleash on his fellow citizens.
As Gadhafi routinely spewed out random threats of using deadly force on the demonstrators, he also accused the protesters of taking "hallucination pills" to account for the unrest.
"Give up the drugs you are taking. They are very harmful to your heart." Gadhafi said in one of a series of bizarre comments in which he accused enemies in the streets of tripping on some LSD-like drug.
"It's horrible for the country to be torn apart, or fall into the hands of crazy people," Gadhafi quacked.
Yeah, too late.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Libya Alarms U.S.; Gadhafi Appears Briefly
Updated 10:30 p.m. est
The United Nations Security Council announced late tonight it will meet at 9 a.m. est Tuesday behind closed doors for "consultations" on the bloodshed in Libya.
The Security Council session was requested by Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Omar Al Dabashi, who earlier told the BBC, AlJazeera English and other media outlets that Gadhafi was engaged in genocide of his own people.
end update
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned this evening the violent actions by the government of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, saying, "The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm."
Gadhafi finally made a very brief appearance on Libyan TV tonight to dispute claims that he had left his country. "I'm not in France or Venezuela," Gadhafi said in an English translation provided by CNN. "I'm still here."
The United States was concerned about the extreme force Gadhafi has ordered to maintain his hold on power. Despite the unrest by Libyans who want Gadhafi to step down, all indications are that Gadhafi is not willing to go at this point.
"We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones. The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly,m": Clinton said.
"Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. "We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government," she added.
The United Nations Security Council announced late tonight it will meet at 9 a.m. est Tuesday behind closed doors for "consultations" on the bloodshed in Libya.
The Security Council session was requested by Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Omar Al Dabashi, who earlier told the BBC, AlJazeera English and other media outlets that Gadhafi was engaged in genocide of his own people.
end update
---[
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned this evening the violent actions by the government of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, saying, "The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm."
Gadhafi finally made a very brief appearance on Libyan TV tonight to dispute claims that he had left his country. "I'm not in France or Venezuela," Gadhafi said in an English translation provided by CNN. "I'm still here."
The United States was concerned about the extreme force Gadhafi has ordered to maintain his hold on power. Despite the unrest by Libyans who want Gadhafi to step down, all indications are that Gadhafi is not willing to go at this point.
"We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones. The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly,m": Clinton said.
"Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. "We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government," she added.
U.S. on Gadhafi Son's Speech: Uh, What?
Updated at 2:45 p.m. Monday
Senior Libyan civilian and military officials have resigned or defected and the country's largest tribe has aligned itself with anti-Gadhafi protesters today as the predominantly secular Arab nation fractures amid demonstrations that have spread to Tripoli.
Two Libyan fighter jets and two helicopters reportedly landed on Malta. The pilots sought political asylum rather than unleashing their weapons on protesters or military and security forces no longer loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
"Details are still emerging, but there are reports of Libyan pilots who reportedly refused orders to target civilians being given permission to land on Malta after requesting asylum," the Stratfor global intelligence service reported.
Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Omar Al Dabashi, told the BBC, AlJazeera English and other media outlets that Gadhafi was engaged in genocide of his own people.
"It is a real genocide whether it is in the eastern cities of Libya or whether what is going now in Tripoli," the senior Libyan diplomat told the BBC World. "The information that we are receiving from the people in Tripoli is the regime is killing whoever goes out to the streets."
The unrest in petroleum-rich Libya sent the price of oil upward on the global markets as Gadhafi clung to his 40 years of reign.
"At the moment, no single piece of information out of Libya is verifiable or particularly reliable. But taken as a whole, a mounting tide of news indicates a rapidly deteriorating security situation and that divisions within the regime are beginning to manifest themselves, with military force being directed against military force," the latest Stratfor report concluded.
END update
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The White House and State Department are trying today to decipher the rambling remarks of Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Moammar Gadhafi, who warned that "blood will flow" and chaos will rip apart Libya if the demonstrations continue.
There was a scant mention of reforms and local rule that were disbursed among Qadhafi's dark headline-winning warning last night that the protests will end in an armed civil war.
"Libya is at a crossroads. If we do not agree today on reforms, we will not be mourning 84 people, but thousands of deaths, and rivers of blood will run through Libya," Saif Gadhafi said, leaving many experts vexed by the intent of those remarks.
The U.S. is analyzing Saif Gadhafi's convoluted speech and has asked the Libyan government for a clarification of what he was trying to convey in his remarks, according to an administration official. "We are considering all appropriate actions," the official said.
But there is not much more pressure the West can put on Gadhafi to order his army and security forces to show restraint against demonstrators, as the Obama administration did somewhat successfully last week to end the strong-arm government tactics used against protesters in Bahrain.
Essentially handcuffed, President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and allies in Europe, the Middle East and Asia can only wait and see where events on the ground lead.
There are more credible reports today that protests have spread to Tripoli, Libya's capital and largest city. The protesters also claim to control Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya. Moammar Gadhafi, meanwhile, has remained out of site for days.
Obama was given a full briefing last night by his national security adviser Tom Donilon after Gadhafi's son addressed his nation. The President will be updated as needed, the White House official said.
Senior Libyan civilian and military officials have resigned or defected and the country's largest tribe has aligned itself with anti-Gadhafi protesters today as the predominantly secular Arab nation fractures amid demonstrations that have spread to Tripoli.
Two Libyan fighter jets and two helicopters reportedly landed on Malta. The pilots sought political asylum rather than unleashing their weapons on protesters or military and security forces no longer loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
"Details are still emerging, but there are reports of Libyan pilots who reportedly refused orders to target civilians being given permission to land on Malta after requesting asylum," the Stratfor global intelligence service reported.
Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Omar Al Dabashi, told the BBC, AlJazeera English and other media outlets that Gadhafi was engaged in genocide of his own people.
"It is a real genocide whether it is in the eastern cities of Libya or whether what is going now in Tripoli," the senior Libyan diplomat told the BBC World. "The information that we are receiving from the people in Tripoli is the regime is killing whoever goes out to the streets."
The unrest in petroleum-rich Libya sent the price of oil upward on the global markets as Gadhafi clung to his 40 years of reign.
"At the moment, no single piece of information out of Libya is verifiable or particularly reliable. But taken as a whole, a mounting tide of news indicates a rapidly deteriorating security situation and that divisions within the regime are beginning to manifest themselves, with military force being directed against military force," the latest Stratfor report concluded.
END update
---[
The White House and State Department are trying today to decipher the rambling remarks of Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Moammar Gadhafi, who warned that "blood will flow" and chaos will rip apart Libya if the demonstrations continue.
There was a scant mention of reforms and local rule that were disbursed among Qadhafi's dark headline-winning warning last night that the protests will end in an armed civil war.
"Libya is at a crossroads. If we do not agree today on reforms, we will not be mourning 84 people, but thousands of deaths, and rivers of blood will run through Libya," Saif Gadhafi said, leaving many experts vexed by the intent of those remarks.
The U.S. is analyzing Saif Gadhafi's convoluted speech and has asked the Libyan government for a clarification of what he was trying to convey in his remarks, according to an administration official. "We are considering all appropriate actions," the official said.
But there is not much more pressure the West can put on Gadhafi to order his army and security forces to show restraint against demonstrators, as the Obama administration did somewhat successfully last week to end the strong-arm government tactics used against protesters in Bahrain.
Essentially handcuffed, President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and allies in Europe, the Middle East and Asia can only wait and see where events on the ground lead.
There are more credible reports today that protests have spread to Tripoli, Libya's capital and largest city. The protesters also claim to control Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya. Moammar Gadhafi, meanwhile, has remained out of site for days.
Obama was given a full briefing last night by his national security adviser Tom Donilon after Gadhafi's son addressed his nation. The President will be updated as needed, the White House official said.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Meet the Interim Leaders of Egypt
UPDATED 5:30 p.m. est
Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday in a 30-second statement that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will assume interim control of Egypt:
“Citizens, in these difficult circumstances that our country is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to relinquish the office of the presidency and has instructed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take over the affairs of the country."
The Supreme Council, which appears to have forced out deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, issued a statement saying it would end the state of emergency and schedule free and fair elections in the future. Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, the armed forces chief of staff, and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister, head the Supreme Council.
Statements issued so far by the Supreme Council:
First Statement 2/10/11
Second Statement 2/11/11
Third Statement 2/11/11
Here is what we know about the Supreme Council from:
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
AlJazeera English
NewsFlick
Democratic Underground
International Business Times
President Obama reacts to news of Mubarak's ouster:
Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday in a 30-second statement that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will assume interim control of Egypt:
“Citizens, in these difficult circumstances that our country is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to relinquish the office of the presidency and has instructed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take over the affairs of the country."
The Supreme Council, which appears to have forced out deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, issued a statement saying it would end the state of emergency and schedule free and fair elections in the future. Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, the armed forces chief of staff, and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister, head the Supreme Council.
Statements issued so far by the Supreme Council:
First Statement 2/10/11
Second Statement 2/11/11
Third Statement 2/11/11
Here is what we know about the Supreme Council from:
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
AlJazeera English
NewsFlick
Democratic Underground
International Business Times
President Obama reacts to news of Mubarak's ouster:
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Obama: U.S. Will Support Emerging Egypt Democracy
President Obama spoke only a few words about Egypt at the start of an unrelated speech in Michigan today, yet what came out of his mouth said so much about Egypt's future and its relationship with the United States.
"I just want to say that we are following today's events in Egypt very closely. And we'll have more to say as this plays out. But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change," Obama said.
"They've turned out in extraordinary numbers, representing all ages and all walks of life, but it's young people who've been at the forefront -- a new generation, your generation, who want their voices to be
heard. And so going forward, we want those young people and we want all Egyptians to know America will continue to do everything that we can support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt," Obama continued.
"Now as we watch what's taking place, we're also reminded that we live in an interconnected world. What happens across the globe has an impact on each and every one of us," Obama added, just before announcing his plan to expand high-speed broadband.
Those few lines translated into "diplo speak" essentially were a signal to Egypt's military leaders and establishment that the U.S. checks are still going to flow, as long as the pro-democracy protesters are not harmed and democratic reforms are put in place. The U.S. provides Egypt with at least $1.3 billion a year.
For two weeks sources have disclosed that U.S. military officials have assured their Egyptian counterparts that the U.S. will not cut off the much-needed revenue stream. "They've been telling them 'You will get paid. Protect the protesters, and you will get paid,'" said a source with deep military connections.
Obama made the remarks as the world waited to hear from doomed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"I just want to say that we are following today's events in Egypt very closely. And we'll have more to say as this plays out. But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change," Obama said.
"They've turned out in extraordinary numbers, representing all ages and all walks of life, but it's young people who've been at the forefront -- a new generation, your generation, who want their voices to be
heard. And so going forward, we want those young people and we want all Egyptians to know America will continue to do everything that we can support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt," Obama continued.
"Now as we watch what's taking place, we're also reminded that we live in an interconnected world. What happens across the globe has an impact on each and every one of us," Obama added, just before announcing his plan to expand high-speed broadband.
Those few lines translated into "diplo speak" essentially were a signal to Egypt's military leaders and establishment that the U.S. checks are still going to flow, as long as the pro-democracy protesters are not harmed and democratic reforms are put in place. The U.S. provides Egypt with at least $1.3 billion a year.
For two weeks sources have disclosed that U.S. military officials have assured their Egyptian counterparts that the U.S. will not cut off the much-needed revenue stream. "They've been telling them 'You will get paid. Protect the protesters, and you will get paid,'" said a source with deep military connections.
Obama made the remarks as the world waited to hear from doomed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Protest leader Wael Ghonim: Internet Revolutionary
Here is a primer on the heroic peaceful Egyptian protester who set up a Facebook page that rocked Egypt, the Middle East and changed American foreign policy faster than even the dark forces of Al Qaeda had sought out to do with treachery.
Google executive and Egyptian pro-democracy activist Wael Ghonim, the emerging leader of the revolution, speaks out about how the action began and where it goes from here in this candid exclusive English language interview with CNN: Click here!
More on Ghonim from:
Google executive and Egyptian pro-democracy activist Wael Ghonim, the emerging leader of the revolution, speaks out about how the action began and where it goes from here in this candid exclusive English language interview with CNN: Click here!
More on Ghonim from:
The New York Times
The New York Times (again)
The New York Times (again)
Updated with new links (Midnight East Coast time):
The New York Times (again) Sunday, February 6, 2011
Still A Chance Mubarak Will Go Sooner Than Later
As Cairo re-opened banks and businesses today amid a tireless pro-democracy movement, there were a few indications some Egyptian government officials appear ready to try to find a dignified and respectful way for Hosni Mubarak to resign with a degree of honor, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the discussions.
How long it will take to implement such a plan remains unknown, but Mubarak's departure is a centerpiece of all-party talks between the government and factions representing the pro-democracy protesters and the Muslim Brotherhood, the sources indicated.
"I can only keep saying what I have said previously, that it's extremely fluid," said a European diplomatic source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Closer to home, the Obama administration is showing signs of becoming increasingly frustrated with the tactics of a tone-deaf Mubarak, whose strong-arm tactics carried out by lawless goon squads have resulted in near universal sympathy for the pro-democracy demonstrators.
Near universal sympathy is the key phase there. A handful of Arab monarchs, multi-national capitalists, some but not all neocon ideologues and a few nostalgic politicians, diplomats and scholars are still urging President Obama to prop up the doomed dictator.
Obama's own special envoy, who met this week with Mubarak and newly installed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman believes Mubarak should not be ousted as he begins his promised democratic transition.
"The President must stay in office in order to steer those changes through,"Wisner told the Munich Security Conference.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Mubarak should be treated with respect for his loyalty to the U.S. and his role as a Middle East peace broker. "I think President Mubarak needs to be treated as he deserved over the years, because he has been a good friend," Cheney said at the ceremony marking 100 years since President Ronald Reagan's birth.
Even Tea Party hostess Sarah Palin, with her vast knowledge of foreign policy (she can still see Russia from her house), took a swipe at the Obama administration's Egypt diplomacy, borrowing from a campaign ad that Hillary Clinton used against Obama during the 2008 Democratic primary.
“It’s a difficult situation,” Palin said in an interview this weekend with the Christian Broadcasting Network. “This is that 3 a.m. White House phone call, and it seems for many of us trying to get that information from our leader in the White House, it seems that that call went right to the answering machine.”
Obama has erased much of the doubt (even cast in the columns of this web log) where his heart lies in this struggle for human rights, a good living and the freedoms that are enjoyed in the West and next door with Egypt's ally Israel. The President wants Mubarak to go.
In a role he has become comfortable with, Vice President Biden pressed Egyptian Vice President Omar Soleiman "for the need for a concrete reform agenda, a clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is committed to reform," the White House said in a statement.
"Vice President Biden asked about progress in beginning credible, inclusive negotiations for Egypt’s transition to a democratic government to address the aspirations of the Egyptian people," the statement added.
For his part, Obama discussed "the importance of an orderly, peaceful transition, beginning now," with key allies, who also wield influence with the Egyptian government, the White House said. Obama spoke by phone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (see also previous item below).
Cameron warned the longer it takes for a transitional government to form in Egypt, the greater the likelihood of extremists hijacking the pro-democracy movement. "We need change, reform and transition to get stability," Cameron said at the Munich conference. "The longer that is put off, the more likely we are to get an Egypt that we wouldn't welcome."
How long it will take to implement such a plan remains unknown, but Mubarak's departure is a centerpiece of all-party talks between the government and factions representing the pro-democracy protesters and the Muslim Brotherhood, the sources indicated.
"I can only keep saying what I have said previously, that it's extremely fluid," said a European diplomatic source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Closer to home, the Obama administration is showing signs of becoming increasingly frustrated with the tactics of a tone-deaf Mubarak, whose strong-arm tactics carried out by lawless goon squads have resulted in near universal sympathy for the pro-democracy demonstrators.
Near universal sympathy is the key phase there. A handful of Arab monarchs, multi-national capitalists, some but not all neocon ideologues and a few nostalgic politicians, diplomats and scholars are still urging President Obama to prop up the doomed dictator.
Obama's own special envoy, who met this week with Mubarak and newly installed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman believes Mubarak should not be ousted as he begins his promised democratic transition.
"The President must stay in office in order to steer those changes through,"Wisner told the Munich Security Conference.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Mubarak should be treated with respect for his loyalty to the U.S. and his role as a Middle East peace broker. "I think President Mubarak needs to be treated as he deserved over the years, because he has been a good friend," Cheney said at the ceremony marking 100 years since President Ronald Reagan's birth.
Even Tea Party hostess Sarah Palin, with her vast knowledge of foreign policy (she can still see Russia from her house), took a swipe at the Obama administration's Egypt diplomacy, borrowing from a campaign ad that Hillary Clinton used against Obama during the 2008 Democratic primary.
“It’s a difficult situation,” Palin said in an interview this weekend with the Christian Broadcasting Network. “This is that 3 a.m. White House phone call, and it seems for many of us trying to get that information from our leader in the White House, it seems that that call went right to the answering machine.”
Obama has erased much of the doubt (even cast in the columns of this web log) where his heart lies in this struggle for human rights, a good living and the freedoms that are enjoyed in the West and next door with Egypt's ally Israel. The President wants Mubarak to go.
In a role he has become comfortable with, Vice President Biden pressed Egyptian Vice President Omar Soleiman "for the need for a concrete reform agenda, a clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is committed to reform," the White House said in a statement.
"Vice President Biden asked about progress in beginning credible, inclusive negotiations for Egypt’s transition to a democratic government to address the aspirations of the Egyptian people," the statement added.
For his part, Obama discussed "the importance of an orderly, peaceful transition, beginning now," with key allies, who also wield influence with the Egyptian government, the White House said. Obama spoke by phone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (see also previous item below).
Cameron warned the longer it takes for a transitional government to form in Egypt, the greater the likelihood of extremists hijacking the pro-democracy movement. "We need change, reform and transition to get stability," Cameron said at the Munich conference. "The longer that is put off, the more likely we are to get an Egypt that we wouldn't welcome."
Friday, February 4, 2011
U.S. Outreach Extends to Egypt's Elite Forces
The U.S. is going through Egypt's highly respected elite military forces to try assure the secular Egyptian army that they will not be abandoned in a transition of power, according to knowledgeable sources.
It is part of a larger U.S. effort to use back-channels to reinforce the need for the Egyptian military to protect the pro-democracy protesters from violent thugs and Hosni Mubarak's loyal police forces.
The U.S. military personnel below the level of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chief Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have engaged in one-on-one conversations with their Egyptian special forces counterparts, a source detailed.
"There is a trust... They trained together," said a source with deep military ties familiar with the outreach. "When the special forces speak, everyone (in the Egyptian army) listens."
These elite forces are not Hosni Mubarak's palace guard, but rather Egypt's best trained and equipped fighting forces. The source compared them to "our Marines."
A diplomatic official confirmed talks are underway "on many levels," and did not dispute the report. Earlier this week White House spokesman Robert Gibbs also acknowledged there were contacts below Gates and Mullen, but provided no further details.
So far the push may have shown some results, as the Egyptian military kept violent pro-Mubarak mobs away from the huge gathering after Friday prayers today at Tahrir Square in the heart of Cairo.
It is part of a larger U.S. effort to use back-channels to reinforce the need for the Egyptian military to protect the pro-democracy protesters from violent thugs and Hosni Mubarak's loyal police forces.
The U.S. military personnel below the level of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chief Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have engaged in one-on-one conversations with their Egyptian special forces counterparts, a source detailed.
"There is a trust... They trained together," said a source with deep military ties familiar with the outreach. "When the special forces speak, everyone (in the Egyptian army) listens."
These elite forces are not Hosni Mubarak's palace guard, but rather Egypt's best trained and equipped fighting forces. The source compared them to "our Marines."
A diplomatic official confirmed talks are underway "on many levels," and did not dispute the report. Earlier this week White House spokesman Robert Gibbs also acknowledged there were contacts below Gates and Mullen, but provided no further details.
So far the push may have shown some results, as the Egyptian military kept violent pro-Mubarak mobs away from the huge gathering after Friday prayers today at Tahrir Square in the heart of Cairo.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
White House: More Irons in Fire Than Times reports
The White House is not outright knocking down a report by The New York Times that says the U.S. is negotiating a deal "for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman," but the administration is making it clear that the story is a bit incomplete.
An administration official tells The File, "It's simply wrong to report that there's a single U.S. plan that's being negotiated with the Egyptians."
It is a sensitive time, with many people speculating that Mubarak is about to send in his storm troopers to clear Liberation Square of the peaceful protesters who have staked out that area to demand that the Egyptian despot resign immediately. Working journalists and celebrity broadcasters like Brian Williams are hiding out tonight for fear of being the targets of the angry mob.
The U.S., meanwhile, has discussed several options to move Egypt towards democratic reforms, but it remains in the hands of the Egyptian people to decide their own fate.
"The President has said that now is the time to begin a peaceful, orderly and meaningful transition, with credible, inclusive negotiations. We have discussed with the Egyptians a variety of different ways to move that process forward, but all of those decisions must be made by the Egyptian people," said National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor.
Advocates Offer Tips to Targeted Reporters in Egypt
The watchdog group Reporters Without Borders is advising international journalists covering the revolution in Egypt and their respective governments to band together as forces loyal to the relentless despot Hosni Mubarak launch "systematic" attacks aimed at silencing those courageous journalists.
“We urge all news media to reinforce their coordination in order to provide as much security as possible for their correspondents in Egypt. And we urge foreign governments and their embassies to provide the utmost diplomatic support for journalists from their countries when they find themselves in difficulty,” said Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard.
“Theft, violence, arbitrary arrests and extreme violence... the list of abuses against journalists by President Mubarak’s supporters is getting longer by the hour and they are clearly systematic and concerted... This has gone beyond censorship. This is now about ridding Cairo of all journalists working for foreign news media," Julliard said.
The reporters' rights organization, which tracks attacks on journalists around the world, weighed in as the White House and State Department condemned the campaign to terrorize the news media.
"We condemn in the strongest terms attacks on reporters covering the ongoing situation in Egypt. This is a violation of international norms that guarantee freedom of the press and is unacceptable under any circumstances. We also condemn in the strongest terms attacks on peaceful demonstrators, human rights activists, foreigners, and diplomats," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are pillars of an open and inclusive society. It is especially in times of crisis that governments must demonstrate their adherence to these universal values. There is a clear responsibility by the Egyptian Government, including the army, to protect those threatened and to hold accountable those responsible for these attacks. The Egyptian Government must demonstrate its willingness to ensure journalists’ ability to report on these events to the people of Egypt and to the world," she added.
Earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to University Park, Penn., where President Obama made remarks on the economy, "the systematic targeting of journalists in Egypt... is completely and totally unacceptable."
"Any journalist that has been detained should be released immediately. I think we need to be clear that the world is watching the actions that are taking place right now in Egypt," Gibbs said.
"And I’ll reiterate again that the actions of targeting journalists, that is unacceptable, and that those journalists should be, if they are detained, released immediately. I know the President has been briefed on this as part of the daily briefing this morning, Gibbs added.
Egyptian spymaster and Mubarak's newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman condemned the attacks on journalists, but in comments on Egyptian TV he seemed to give undue cover to the menacing mobs when he added, "I blame some sister countries that have unfriendly TV stations, which incite youth against us."
ABC Scores Interview With Delusional Mubarak
After days of coverage from Egypt dominated by CNN, the BBC and Al Jazeera, ABC News diva Christiane Amanpour led her own Egyptian coup: An interview with a very confused and self-important Hosni Mubarak.
It was such a good get that ABC even interrupted its daytime programming to air a do-tell by the host of ABC's "This Week" program.
"He said he's fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos," Amanpour reported.
So great interview or not, Mubarak is delusional on his role in what is happening on Egypt's streets.
Pharaoh is clearly jet skiing on da Nile.
Click here for Amanpour's report.
It was such a good get that ABC even interrupted its daytime programming to air a do-tell by the host of ABC's "This Week" program.
"He said he's fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos," Amanpour reported.
So great interview or not, Mubarak is delusional on his role in what is happening on Egypt's streets.
Pharaoh is clearly jet skiing on da Nile.
Click here for Amanpour's report.
Revolution Remains in Hands of Egypt's Military
Anti-Mubarak protesters are looking to the Egyptian army to help overcome an onslaught of overnight attacks by violent thugs linked to the regime clinging to power.
“What we have seen over several days is the obvious rapport and bond that exists between the army as a respected institution in Egyptian society and the Egyptian people. We hope that that bond continues,” said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
“We hope that the actions by these thugs does not change the dynamic on the street. We’re very concerned that this unleashing of violence (Wednesday) and this attempt at intimidation will change the dynamic on the street,” Crowley
If the hugely popular Egyptian army turns its sites on the regime, President Hosni Mubarak will have little choice but to resign, clearing the way for potential democratic reforms and a Pan Arab revolution in the Middle East .
But the longer Mubarak holds on the greater the chance that radicals can hijack the movement, potentially creating another opportunity for theocratic extremists to gain a foothold in the largest Arab country in the world, several Middle East scholars have warned.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have both spoken to their respective counterparts in the Egyptian government and military, according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
“Officers throughout our command ranks have spoken to their counterparts. It speaks to a couple of different things: One, the importance of robust military-to-military contact; being able to have the relationships and the knowledge of who you’re talking to and who you need to talk to in times of great crisis,” Gibbs said.
“And I think it’s safe to say, again, each and every one of those conversations starts out with a conversation about restraint and nonviolence,” Gibbs reiterated.
Armed vigilantes, including some on horseback and riding camels, attacked unarmed workers, students and journalists with swords, clubs, rocks and Molotov cocktails. Some anti-Mubarak protesters responded in kind. It was troubling that the army stood by and watched.
Some in the violent mob reportedly have admitted to being paid by wealthy backers of Mubarak to wreak havoc on demonstrators, who for the most part have tried to gather peacefully to call for an end to the regime. Plain clothes police are believed to be among the menacing agitators, according to Arab and Western media reports, as well as eyewitness comments on Twitter.
There have been some others positive signs overnight. Egypt ’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized for the violence this morning and several European nations were preparing a joint statement calling for an immediate transition in Egypt
Even Israel's right wing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has toned down his support for Mubarak, endorsing democratic reforms as path to peace, according to a statement from the Washington-based Israel Project.
Still, it seems none of the Western powers, led by the U.S.
“I think you have seen statements from throughout the world, both in the region and outside of the region, where President Obama and leaders have been clear about what needs to happen,” Gibbs said.
“I think you have seen statements from throughout the world, both in the region and outside of the region, where President Obama and leaders have been clear about what needs to happen,” Gibbs said.
“Many of these changes are going to have to happen on the ground in Egypt , and only those in Egypt
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Obama & Mubarak & the Age of Incrementalism
For the Obama administration catching up with the uprising in Egypt is like chasing a runaway locomotive on a bicycle. From its initial public support for doomed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak to its need to appear to be hands-off, the White House is saddled with an event it fears will end in a train wreck.
President Obama had a chance tonight to outright derail criticism that the U.S. and its ally in the Middle East, Israel, are acting in their interests before those of the repressed Egyptian people. Instead, not long after Mubarak announced only that he would not seek re-election this fall, Obama chose to speak in the language of diplomats and D.C., leaving it to his aides to tell us in the press that the President is being much more forceful in private.
"After his speech tonight, I spoke directly to President Mubarak. He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place," Obama said at a White House lectern, where two glasses of water were placed in case he went dry.
"Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt’s leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that. What is clear -- and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak -- is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now," he added.
It sounded like a big build-up to Obama finally calling for Mubarak to toss in the towel immediately, but the U.S. leader fell short of that mark, essentially saying only that the transition "should lead to elections that are free and fair."
On the streets of Egypt, where some newly dispatched pro-Mubarak forces were reportedly clashing with peaceful protesters, there were chants of "Leave, leave, leave." It is too early to say whether they will be comforted or confused by Obama's words regarding Mubarak.
What is clear is that the longer Mubarak holds on to power the greater the chance that the lives of the poor and middle class protesters are threatened. Mubarak said today that he will go after violent protesters and looters, words that did not appease the peaceful demonstrators who fear they too will face repercussions for taking to the streets.
So too at risk with Mubarak still in power are U.S. allies in the Middle East, from Israel to Saudi Arabia, along with the volatile global oil markets, where profiteers prey on turmoil as they watch their bloated bank accounts overflow.
In the best case scenario, a Pan Arab democratic revolution is being born in Egypt that will be the best antidote this side of Predator Drones to Islamic fundamental radicals bent on repressing their people while they fight an unholy war with the West. The darkest result would be allowing the militant hijackers of the true teachings of the Koran to take root in Egypt while the world waits for Mubarak to pack his bags.
"It's reckoning time for the dictators," declared CNN Middle East analyst and scholar Fouad Ajami.
Lets hope Ajami is right, but this is also the era of American incrementalism, whether it's health care reform, ousting despots or dealing with China's quest for global economic supremacy, the U.S. is committed to baby steps.
President Obama had a chance tonight to outright derail criticism that the U.S. and its ally in the Middle East, Israel, are acting in their interests before those of the repressed Egyptian people. Instead, not long after Mubarak announced only that he would not seek re-election this fall, Obama chose to speak in the language of diplomats and D.C., leaving it to his aides to tell us in the press that the President is being much more forceful in private.
"After his speech tonight, I spoke directly to President Mubarak. He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place," Obama said at a White House lectern, where two glasses of water were placed in case he went dry.
"Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt’s leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that. What is clear -- and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak -- is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now," he added.
It sounded like a big build-up to Obama finally calling for Mubarak to toss in the towel immediately, but the U.S. leader fell short of that mark, essentially saying only that the transition "should lead to elections that are free and fair."
On the streets of Egypt, where some newly dispatched pro-Mubarak forces were reportedly clashing with peaceful protesters, there were chants of "Leave, leave, leave." It is too early to say whether they will be comforted or confused by Obama's words regarding Mubarak.
What is clear is that the longer Mubarak holds on to power the greater the chance that the lives of the poor and middle class protesters are threatened. Mubarak said today that he will go after violent protesters and looters, words that did not appease the peaceful demonstrators who fear they too will face repercussions for taking to the streets.
So too at risk with Mubarak still in power are U.S. allies in the Middle East, from Israel to Saudi Arabia, along with the volatile global oil markets, where profiteers prey on turmoil as they watch their bloated bank accounts overflow.
In the best case scenario, a Pan Arab democratic revolution is being born in Egypt that will be the best antidote this side of Predator Drones to Islamic fundamental radicals bent on repressing their people while they fight an unholy war with the West. The darkest result would be allowing the militant hijackers of the true teachings of the Koran to take root in Egypt while the world waits for Mubarak to pack his bags.
"It's reckoning time for the dictators," declared CNN Middle East analyst and scholar Fouad Ajami.
Lets hope Ajami is right, but this is also the era of American incrementalism, whether it's health care reform, ousting despots or dealing with China's quest for global economic supremacy, the U.S. is committed to baby steps.
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