Libyan Revolution Day 85

Links to sites with updates: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0">AJE Live Blog http://blogs.aljazeera.net/twitter-dashboard">AJE Twitter Dashboard http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/libya">The Guardian http://uk.reuters.com/places/libya">Reuters http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/">Telegraph http://feb17.info/">feb17.info http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks">Libya Alhurra (live video webcast from Benghazi) http://libya-alhurra.tumblr.com/">Libya Alhurra archives and updates http://www.ustream.tv/channel/benghaziradio">Benghazi Free Radio, in Arabic (may have translators present at times) http://www.tributefm.com/">Tribute FM (English broadcast from Benghazi) http://www.libyafeb17.com/">libyafeb17.com

Twitter links: http://twitter.com/#!/aymanm">Ayman Mohyeldin, with AJE http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn">Ben Wedeman, with CNN http://twitter.com/#!/tripolitanian">tripolitanian, a Libyan from Tripoli http://twitter.com/#!/BaghdadBrian">Brian Conley, reporter in Libya http://twitter.com/#!/freelibyanyouth">FreeLibyanYouth, Libyan advocate http://twitter.com/#!/LibyaFeb17_com">LibyaFeb17.com twitter account http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya">ChangeInLibya, Libyan advocate https://twitter.com/#!/TheyCallMeSof">Sofyan Amry (arrived in Benghazi recently) http://twitter.com/#!/KiloFoot">KiloFoot (general Arab Spring news aggregation)

Useful links: http://audioboo.fm/feb17voices">feb17voices http://www.google.com/search?q=time+in+libya">Current time in Libya http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerNew.php?country=libya">Prayer times in Libya

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1086301">Day 84 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwx_B38678">Marching On in Libya, for the revolutionaries!

Children at a volunteer school. The was school set-up by volunteers in the eastern rebel stronghold city of Benghazi.

Photograph: Saeed Khan / AFP




Heheh @ that last line. :)










Difference between now and the Spanish Civil War: when the anarchists were slandered by the fascists and communists, there was no way to defend ones self from them. As Orwell said in Homage to Catalonia: "Just imagine how odious it must be to see a young 15-year old Spaniard brought back from the front lines on a stretcher, to see, poking out from under the blanket an anemic, bewildered face and to think that in London and Paris there are gentlemen dressed to the nines, blithely engaged in writing pamphlets to show this little lad is a covert fascist." :cry:




http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/25/world/middleeast/map-of-how-the-protests-unfolded-in-libya.html">Click here for updated map


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x594751">A topic on the women of the revolution, dispels myths about the treatment of women in Benghazi.





http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x677397">Text of UN resolution 1973. How will a no fly zone work? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWEwehTtK2k">AJE reports.

Belgium: http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/monde/2011-03-21/les-f-16-belges-dans-le-feu-de-l-action-829588.php">Six F-16 Falcon fighter jets of the Belgian Air Component. Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Navy Wielingen class frigate Drazki http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2011-03-23&article=35828">will participate in the naval blockade. Canada: Canadian Forces Air Command has deployed http://www.cefcom-comfec.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/mobile/index-eng.asp">a total 440 military personnel as well as the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown are participating in operations. Denmark: The Royal Danish Air Force http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1227910/denmark-to-send-squadron-on-libya-op/">is participating with six F-16AM fighters. France: French Air Force which realizes 25% of NATO's strikes http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/autres-operations/harmattan/libye-debut-des-operations-aeriennes-francaises">is participating in the mission with 51 Mirage and Rafale Aircraft. Greece: The Elli-class frigate Limnos of the Hellenic Navy http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2011/03/20/greek-defence-ministry-no-participation-in-operations-outside-the-nato/">is currently in the waters off Libya as part of the naval blockade. Italy: Four Tornado ECRs of the Italian Air Force http://www.corriere.it/esteri/11_marzo_20/tripoli-bombardamento-chiesta-riunione-onu_2e95d102-52c0-11e0-a725-dbe20f0ba2b5.shtml">participated in SEAD operations. Jordan: Six Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter jets http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90043651?After%20hesitation%2C%20Jordan%20joins%20in%20Libya%20no-fly%20campaign">landed at a coalition airbase in Europe on 4 April to provide "logistical support." NATO: E-3 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/nordtrondelag/article1606878.ece">aircraft operated by NATO. Netherlands: The Royal Netherlands Air Force http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-f-16s-operational-over-libya">provides six F-16AM fighters and a KDC-10 refuelling plane. Norway: The Royal Norwegian Air Force has http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/libya/artikkel.php?artid=10091294">deployed six F-16AM fighters to Souda Bay Air Base. Qatar: The Qatar Armed Forces are http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123248695">contributing six Mirage 2000-5EDA fighter jets and two C-17 strategic transport aircraft. Romania: The Romanian Naval Forces http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-8423876-traian-basescu-sustine-declaratie-presa-ora-21-00-dupa-sedinta-csat.htm">will participate in the naval blockade with the frigate Regele Ferdinand. Spain: The Spanish Armed Forces are http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Espana/intervendra/cazas/F-18/fragata/F-100/submarino/avion/vigilancia/maritima/elpepuint/20110319elpepuint_14/Tes">participating with four F-18 fighters. Sweden: The Royal Swedish Air Force will http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/9050-sweden-offers-eight-fighter-jets-for-libya-mission">commit eight JAS 39 Gripen jets for the international air campaign. Turkey: The Turkish Navy http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/24/general-libya-diplomacy_8373237.html">will participate with five ships and one submarine in the NATO-led naval blockade to enforce the arms embargo. United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates Air Force http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1300255413630&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews">sent six F-16 Falcon and six Mirage 2000 fighter jets to join the mission. United Kingdom: The Royal Air Force has http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/TyphoonJoinsTornadoInLibyaGroundAttackOperations.htm">deployed 12 Tornado and 10 Typhoon fighters, surveillance aircraft, and air refuelling tankers. United States: The United States has http://www.webcitation.org/5xJ8qNGGe">deployed a naval force of 11 ships and are using MQ-1 Predator UAVs to strike targets in Libya on 23 April.



(Yeah, Saif, as if you weren't "cutting oil deals, contracts" with western states. Who are the 'tigers' now? Bombing your own people.)



This is equivalent to 17% the entire population of Libya, doing the numbers very conservatively.

Friday the 13th!

18:52 (GMT+2) Al Jazeera Arabic reports that opposition fighters from Misrata continue their advance towards Zliten.

From: http://www.libyafeb17.com/

Daniel Howden sees the regime turn to guerrilla warfare in Jalo
Thursday, 12 May 2011

As the battle for Libya has reached a near stalemate along the Mediterranean coast, a guerrilla war has begun in the deep desert to the south where the country's strategic oil and water reserves lie.

The oasis of Jalo, 250km south of the front line between Ajdabiya and Brega, has witnessed repeated raids by a fast-moving enemy that attacks and then disappears back into the desert.

The assaults by regime forces come amid claims last night by the rebels that they had taken control of the airport in the western coastal city of Misrata, which has been under siege for nearly two months. But despite rebels claiming a major breakthrough against the forces of Muammar Gaddafi, the battle for control of the sparsely populated Jalo area could have greater long-term consequences.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/battle-for-libya-shifts-in-desert-sands-as-gaddafi-loyalists-target-oilfields-2282681.html

I don't know how credible this article is. The Independent does not have a good reputation. The comments seem to be from a different world.

Basically nothing has happened this week. Right.

This bozo is writing about maybe a dozen 4x4's racing around the desert that have not been caught yet. Big deal.

It's actually pretty good as these things go.

The problem comes with the characterizations of the events. I don't understand why editors would insist putting on that threadbare "stalemate" shirt topped by an old "guerrilla war" cap. It doesn't fit, however fashionable.

By the actions of this group I think "raiding party" would be a better tag.

That's not to say though that it doesn't matter. Sure, it won't determine the outcome, but it does show the schizophrenic thinking in decisions that are likely made by only two or three people at the top.

Reporting and attention to the area is rare, and about all you can do otherwise is piece together bits and tweets into something that seems consistent and coherent. The original plan seems to have been to assemble 1500 to 3000 Gaddafi soldiers and mercenaries from Sabha and possibly Chad, move east to Kufra then north through Jalo to outflank Ajdabiya; an alternate idea might have been to split the east by driving to Tobruk.

In fact though, what's happened is that this force moves into a town, rounds a few people up, calls for a pro-Gaddafi protest (under threat), then backs off (or gets driven off), shells the town, and moves on to the next one. Unlike the western mountains, these towns are not close enough to support each other. When the Gaddafi forces moved north of Jalo, they were stopped in their tracks by Nato. When they've moved into the towns the rebels have driven them off. The force can now only be a fraction of what it was, but it's thirsty and dangerous.

A reason for more serious concern comes from the timing of the raid -right after the NTC made their first oil sale and at the same time the fuel crunch really started to hit Tripoli. The oil facilities had been hit earlier, but ineffectively. It was one of the first things this group did after it left Kufra. Now they've been seriously damaged. Exactly how serious, we don't really know.

But what we do know is that after every loss, Gadaffi forces have made some sort of move of retribution. Most of them, but not all, have been aimed at social or economic infrastructure, whatever hurts the most, whether it's water wells in the west, water and the oil storage in Misrata (used for electricity), the oil storage at Benghazi (also for electricity, the one that Mo covered that night). Water, fuel, and the very large natural gas facility at Brega are the reasons to keep track of this bunch of raiders. Many of the electrical plants are gas fired, and the gas runs through Brega. It's hard to exaggerate how linked all of these are to the basic sustainability of Libya's coastal cities, and they are all vulnerable and concentrated.

I see now I could have saved some typing, because there's another article at the same site on the subject of the eastern raids:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/shashank-joshi-amateurs-talk-tactics-but-professionals-talk-logistics-2282682.html

"To ensure longevity, Muammar Gaddafi has had to switch his focus to securing the war's lifelines. And supplies are no less important to the rebel forces"
Thursday, 12 May 2011

"Supplies are no less important to the self-described Free Libya forces, which is why the government has struck at the rebels' own lifelines in the south-east of the country. The Sarir field is the country's largest, but it lies outside Nato's core patrolling zone and its pipelines have been subject to sporadic regime raids. The area hosts key portions of the water grid; Libya is mostly desert and desalination capacity is limited."

From: http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya">@ChangeInLibya

MISRATA BREAKING: Temena area has been fully liberated just now & a couple of tanks that escaped to air academy got destroyed by NATO

60 minutes ago

http://twitpic.com/4wu7fc/full">Twitpic Graphic of Temena

Where are these defections that Heinz keeps promising? Now would be the time.

Tripolitanian: Tripoli BREAKING: NATO strikes up to 30 minutes ago CONFIRMED and Fashloom is FULL of Gaddafi forces after clashes earlier today. #libya

http://twitter.com/#!/Tripolitanian

AJDABIYA, LIBYA — The United States, European allies and other nations have dispatched representatives to the Libyan opposition’s ruling council. But on the ground here, credit for helping to get the rebel army into shape goes to military advisers from the tiny Arabian Peninsula emirate of Qatar.

Qatar was the first Arab country to formally recognize the political legitimacy of the rebel council in Benghazi and the first to provide military assistance, sending six Mirage fighter jets to help NATO enforce the no-fly zone in March. Qatar also helped the rebel leadership sell oil to help finance the fledgling administration. Now, it is alone in providing military training to the rebels, officials say.

“They are helping us to organize ourselves,” Mahmoud Jibril, a leader of the Libyan opposition council, said Wednesday during a visit to Washington, adding that no other countries are providing military training to the opposition’s fighters.

“Qatar had stood by us from the very beginning, even before it was announced that they were here,” said Col. Ahmed Bani, a spokesman for the rebel army. “They have been more effective than any other nation. They just haven’t boasted about it.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/qatari-military-advisers-on-the-ground-helping-libyan-rebels-get-into-shape/2011/05/11/AFZsPV1G_story.html

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=114833105269298

Incredible report. Those men are certainly brave.

NEW YORK May 12 (Reuters) - Sixty percent of people from 23 countries support NATO's military intervention in Libya, a poll showed on Thursday.

The Ipsos poll found more than 70 percent support in Belgium, South Africa, Australia, India, France, Sweden and Canada for the NATO strikes on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's military and command structures.

About two-thirds of people in Brazil, Japan, Spain, South Korea, Poland and the United States back the action, which began after the U.N. Security Council in March authorized a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.

And more than half the people in Germany, Britain, Hungary, Mexico and Italy support the NATO strikes, while Saudi Arabia was evenly split. Support was less than 50 percent in Russia, Turkey, Argentina and Indonesia.

...

More than 18,500 adults were interviewed online by Ipsos between April 6 and April 21 and the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Eric Beech)

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN1229938020110512

Although I was not polled, that 70% in Canada sure does include meself.

LIBYA*

"Amnesty International researchers on the ground have been investigating numerous reports that attacks by Libyan forces have hit or targeted civilians or were indiscriminate. They have also been looking into the enforced disappearance of hundreds of people since the protests began, and have confirmed that during the protests people were deliberately killed or died as a result of excessive or indiscriminate use of lethal force at the hands of security forces. Amnesty International also uncovered the use of cluster bombs and anti-personnel landmines by pro-Gaddafi forces."

"About half a million people fled the ongoing conflict in Libya, mostly into Egypt and Tunisia..."

SYRIA*

"By 19 April, some 220 people had died during a month of violence, the overwhelming majority apparently as a result of being shot with live ammunition fired by the security forces."

YEMEN*

"Vast demonstrations have rocked Yemen since the beginning of 2011 ... At least 120 people have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured as security forces have repeatedly used live ammunition and other, often excessive force to break up demonstrations."

http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE74B1PP20110512?sp=true

Can I make a suggestion about the "Arab Awakening: Libya: Through the Fire" Video? I reckon it should get added to the Mohammed Nabbous box, seeing as it's not just a history of the revolution, it's also largely a bio about him and the brave work he did.

Thanks again for all the hard work you and everyone else are doing. (I have to take somewhat of a back seat due to increasing personal commitments).

:hi:

PS, I've taken a screenshot of this if you'd like a copy... http://twitter.com/#!/DUTurborama/status/67097813548417024

...and should get more exposure so I'll try to figure out how to do that. :hi:

May 12, 2011, 9:29 pm
By C.J. CHIVERS

MISURATA, Libya — If the official statements by the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi about the battle for this city were true, then much that was visible around the airport on Thursday did not actually happen or exist.

There were no clusters of rebels and machine-gun trucks at the traffic circle by the outdoor bazaar and huge mosque. The empty fighting holes, left in haste on Wednesday by fleeing Qaddafi soldiers, were not empty. The loyalist soldiers there were just especially well-camouflaged.

Those armed rebels on the runway, milling around by the score? They were not really there.

And certainly Rabi Mustaf Algnidi, 20, did not drive with his fellow rebels into one of the airport’s military hangars and climb atop a Soko G-2 Galeb military jet, pry open the cover of the fuel tank with a bayonet and siphon out jet fuel, mouth-to-hose, into an empty water jug.



http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/for-libyan-rebels-a-light-moment-in-a-doleful-war/

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Photo: Gary StokesPhoto: Gary StokesEffective next month, two Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ships will enter the waters off the coast of Libya, an area declared to be in a state of war as NATO-backed rebel forces struggle to topple the despotic dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with the goal of intercepting Bluefin tuna poachers and freeing any illegally caught fish in attempt to save the species from nearing extinction.

The territorial waters off Libya are a declared a no-fly zone by NATO, which means there will be a distinct absence of poaching surveillance in the region. NATO is not interested in illegal fishing operations, and no European Union or International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) inspectors will be allowed into the Libyan zone.

The Greenpeace Foundation is not conducting a Bluefin tuna campaign, meaning that the only protection for the highly endangered Bluefin tuna will be at the presence of two Sea Shepherd’s vessels: the flagship Steve Irwin and the soon to be renamed fast interceptor vessel. The only non-military aircraft in this zone will be Sea Shepherd’s helicopter the Nancy Burnet onboard the Steve Irwin.

This will be a dangerous campaign but the Bluefin tuna are facing extinction within a few years unless they are effectively protected, and Sea Shepherd will not fail them. Last year, during the first Operation Blue Rage Campaign in 2010, Sea Shepherd crewmembers located and intervened against an illegal poaching operation freeing approximately 800 Bluefins.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110512-2.html

tweeted by @FunGuerillaz




http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

Good map. I have wished that the media would use and update more maps.

Based on most tweets, the western front of Misurata is at Zlitan. It also appears, based on reports near the airport and Temena, that the rebels have extended the front out to the southeast. I believe they are going to turn to the east and encircle Gaddafi's troops along the shore south of Misurata.

I hope so. May the killing (for 42 years) in Libya stop, soon.

The other credible poster AFreedom seems to confirm Heinz's predictions.

Another poster was able to prove Gaddafi's video from 2 days ago was a fake because the time went backward in the background.

The mercs will start to disintegrate into the background as this fight continues to turn against Gadaffi and the defections pick up. I am sure many of them don't even know Gaddafi is losing. Cowardly actions like randomly firing into innocent civilians and raping women is one thing, but these mercs didn't join this fight to get killed. Most likely the Libyans will not be as generous with defecting mercs in the final days as they are with Libyans. I can't say that the mercs deserve much mercy. There is nothing more evil and low than killing and hurting others for money.

Btw, do you know that if you click on the user's icon, and then choose "Activity" when the dialog box opens up, you can see all of that user's posts. Saves hunting through the thousands of posts.

– 1 hr 6 mins ago


THE HAGUE (AFP) – International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Friday he would seek arrest warrants on May 16 for three people considered most responsible for crimes against humanity in Libya.

...


"The Judges may decide to accept the application, to reject it or to ask the Office for additional information."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110513/wl_afp/libyaconflicticc

The most important lesson from Vietnam is that finding a legitimate leader is absolutely essential for successfully intervening in another country militarily. Gebril is very impressive. Western educated, but credible to Libyans too. He has shown incredible bravery, not fleeing even as the Gaddafi tanks reached the outskirts of Benghazi in March.

It took the U.S. about 5 tries to find a credible alternative in Iraq, and al-Maliki is barely credible to Iraqis, as indicated by his recent hesitation about the continuing U.S. troop withdrawal. Karzai is a weak, drug dealing scumbag who has no legitimacy and never will. Obama should have cut our losses with this clown the day he took office. Now we are another 2.5 years into the conflict, Karzai is weaker than ever and the U.S. is no closer to getting out.

The satellite broadcaster al-Arabiya reports that the International Criminal Court will issue arrest warrants against individuals in the Libyan regime on Monday. Muammar Gaddafi is expected to be among them.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/may/13/syria-libya-middle-east-unrest-live-updates#block-14

Source: Reuters


Fri May 13, 2011 9:24am GMT


• Rebels' only supply road under threat

• Food supplies running out, fuel costs soaring

• Doctors struggle to deal with wounded

1:29pm
Libya's pro-democracy fighters have taken up a new line of defence in the Western Mountains where from their high vantage point they can easily observe the movements of Muammar Gaddafi's troops on the plains far below.

It has been a successful last few moves for the NATO-aided rebels who have repelled attacks on land and sea in the last few days – but things are far from over.

As the pawns make their move across the desert, the movement’s leaders are meeting with world leaders to make sure that when the dust settles a new regime will see light of day.

Al Jazeera's Erica Wood reports.

http://bcove.me/uhu4ok7n

Concern is growing over a British-based photographer who has been missing for 39 days after being captured in Libya , writes Peter Beaumont.




http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/may/13/syria-libya-middle-east-unrest-live-updates#block-21

I usually skip these stories about staged press visits to bombing sites and claims of civilian casualties by the Gaddafi regime, but happened to click on this one and found much more than I expected.

After an overnight airstrike, Gaddafi regime officials took reporters on a controlled tour of a Tripoli bombing site next to a children's playground and attempted to portray it as evidence of NATO's "barbarity" and immorality.

The NYT's John F. Burns was skeptical, and wrote a report that probably is not the one 'Tripoli Bob' expected:




To avoid regwall, google story title (in bold above link) and get full, free access.

I found the line "three huge water-filled bomb craters" intriguing. All this time I had imagined it might end when the masses of Tripoli gather to pack sand in the ventilation shafts at Bab al-Aziziya. Nato's solution seems better thought through.

I look forward to the moment when those reporters at the Rixos realize the next shift of minders haven't shown up for work.

The UN's human right organisation has ordered a fact finding mission to Syria and expressed "deep concerns" about the crackdown.

It highlighted reports that the Bab Amr residential district of Homs was shelled on Wednesday, and that up to 850 people have killed in the violence.

"We cannot verify these numbers for sure, but believe they are likely to be close to reality," said spokesperson Rupert Colville told journalists in Geneva.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/may/13/syria-libya-middle-east-unrest-live-updates#block-28

ETA: As I recall, many of them were forced back into labor at Zawia Refinery located just north of Az Zawiyah. On March 10, the city was retaken by pro-Gaddafi forces and the refinery area secured.

SecondHarmonica 3 minutes ago


From: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

Ibrahim also said that rebel victories at Misrata are hallucinations. :rofl:

There's always that river in Egypt to fall back on!

BTW, allow me to take a moment to raise a toast to your efforts in these threads throught he last fews months, and say "atta boy!". You, Josh, Iterate, and Tabatha have all done a really outstanding job, which probably can't be said enough.

:toast:

a couple days ago did not look like the real Gaddafi. And the expressions of the people in the gathering were priceless.

Frattini stressed that Italy has "no hard information on the current fate of Gaddafi".

But Frattini said "international pressure has likely provoked the decision by Gaddafi to seek refuge in a safe place.''

His comment came during a TV interview with Corriere della Sera that was posted on the newspaper's website.



5:37pm:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

:rofl:

Follow the link to the NYT report that Bryan Denton and I filed earlier, which went live a few minutes ago. (With help from Kareem Fahim.)

The rebels have moved forward. Time will tell what it means, but perhaps a stalemate is cracking. Certainly some of the Qaddafi units in the field are showing signs of strain.

Even as the fight moves down the roads again, some of the sights are head-spinning. Today a rebel commander proudly — ok, maybe mischievously — pulled me aside to show me a new weapon. Have a look.

These are sections of scored pipe, packed with explosives and closed with plumbers’ fittings to become home-made pineapple grenades. The commander, who does not want to have face shown, had a bag of them.

http://cjchivers.com/post/5345796698/on-the-nyt-libyan-rebels-advance


With Help From NATO, Libyan Rebels Gain Ground
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/world/africa/10libya.html?_r=1&hp

But Reuters, citing Al Arabiya TV, now says a Libyan government spokesman has denied reports about Gaddafi being injured, calling them "nonsense".

Arabiya said that a Libyan government spokesman telephoned the Dubai-based satellite channel to deny that Gaddafi had been wounded, Reuters reported.

5:40pm:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

a) Possible that the Italian FM was talking out his butt and has no idea.

b) Possible that he knows something and slipped by accident.

c) Possible that they intercepted some sort of communication or have a theory, and are floating it to put pressure on the Libyan regime.

I vote C because NATO has been pretty disciplined in messaging so far so it probably isn't a mistake that he said this.

Edit: More I think about this, the more likely it is C. NATO is running this story right before night time, when the protests will start. NATO gives the story a few hours to spread, and then sees what happens tonight in Tripoli. If the rumors of mass defections are true, the military and the mercs have a decision to make too once they hear these rumors. No matter what, the regime is not rebutting the story as it spreads with the one person that could rebut the story, Moumar himself.

The only thing working against this theory is that the Misurata rebels are still days away from Tripoli. Or maybe they are not.

Also after giving it some thought. I think the FM's comments were calculated, rather than accidental, and intended first to put pressure on Gaddafi's supporters (who have got to be very nervous right now), which, in turn, puts more pressure on Gaddafi. And I think Gaddafi is spending virtually all of his time underground, in reinforced bunkers.

Heinz thinks he is dead or incapacitated. I think there is a 25% change he is dead already.

Intrade also seems to think so. I was tied up this morning, but I popped onto the site to see what "Gadhafi gone by 5/31" contracts were trading at. $1.35 (equivalent to 13.5% chance). I was too busy to buy them, and wanted to think about it.

Now they are trading at $3.00. That will teach me. Would have more than doubled my money from 9 am to 2 pm.

First comes a missed update from yesterday, May 12.

Map: http://twitpic.com/4q8bc2/full

There was a battle on the road north into Nalut. G forces to the south had been blocked and pushed east of Yefren. G forces N. of Yefren moved back to attack the N. of Nalut, repeating a move that's never worked before. It didn't this time either.

@4Adam May11th2011 Clashes North #Nalut as Gaddafi's forces try to advance to the city. http://t.co/FRrwp8B #Nafusa #Libya #feb17
12 Mai
May11th2011 Clashes North #Nalut as Gaddafi's forces try to advance to the city. #Nafusa
http://youtu.be/qyDDxc5igkQ

What follows is a series of videos taken by Gaddafi soldiers and were found on their cellphones. I won't post them all, but you can find them here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/10libyan#p/u/4/jmHHGuLjC5c

Here's one, and I think it might be shown on AJE:
4Adam Adam
Video II of #Yefren Center shows looted shops by #Gaddafi soldiers youtube.com/watch?v=ZECpHE… #libya #feb17 #nafusa
vor 2 Stunden

4Adam Adam
May12 Gadhafi's forces r shelling the archaeological Sifeet in #Qalaa and trying to destroy main water reservoir http://twitpic.com/4wowc0
12 Mai

http://twitpic.com/4wowc0

The shelling and intentional destruction of UNESCO and other heritage sites is a whole topic in itself. This is just one instance. It's another project I may never get to, so I'll just C&P this that I had ready for a UNESCO post. Twitter is useless right now anyway.

Live call from Nafusa Mountains, April 28
April 28, 2011, 11:20 local time: live call to Yefren Media center in Jadu, Nafusa Mountains, recorded live on Libya Alhurra.
Kalaa: historical area of Kalaa bombed: ancient monuments, cemetaries, mosques, going back to Libyan kingdom, all damaged by Gaddafi forces. Urgent call to Unesco and other NGO’s to raise awareness of the destruction occuring in Nafusa mountains, as well as elsewhere in Libya.

Twitter is so overloaded right now I'll just have to leave this or edit later. We should have a call-in tonight anyway at Libya Alhurra.

Ibn Omar

from #libya fbook group (i.e. unconfirmed): Urgent News: Sulieman Dougha in Aljazeera: defections yesterday led to shooting, possibly wounding or killing Gaddafi. The images which were aired yesterday are old because the people that were present are now abroad. Zliten has started to move today and people came out in Fashloum and Tajoura and Soug Al giuma and Gargaresh. Mosa Ibrahim's duty is to deny and the Colonel should come out live himself.

http://www.tweetdeck.com/twitter/IbnOmar2005/~coxs5

Need to follow this up.

_________________________________________________

We mentioned the possible ICC arrest warrant for Gaddafi yesterday.

Now, the Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, citing ICC sources, is reporting that the International Criminal Court prosecutor will request arrest warrants for Muammar Gaddafi, his son and Libya's head of espionage on Monday.

8:45pm:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

...in which he denies reports that he's been wounded, and condemns a recent NATO attack as cowardly.

He says he is in a place where NATO bombs cannot reach him.

8:52pm:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

Since then fighting has moved through the mountains to the Tunisian border and back again. I've tried to correlate reports like this to photographs, but simply can't. We really don't know how much damage has been done, or even exactly which sites have been damaged and destroyed.

It's not that I would expect such a thing right now, but it does suggest that this is one group for whom the threat of genocide was not an exaggeration. We know that Gaddagi has tried to eliminate their language and their culture, because it was a crime to speak it, a crime to be Amazigh. Destruction of their history is only the next step removed from destruction of them as a people.

UNESCO asks Libya, allied forces to respect ancient cultural sites
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1628268.php/UNESCO-asks-Libya-allied-forces-to-respect-ancient-cultural-sites

Live call from Nafusa Mountains, April 28
April 28, 2011, 11:20 local time: live call to Yefren Media center in Jadu, Nafusa Mountains, recorded live on Libya Alhurra.
Kalaa: historical area of Kalaa bombed: ancient monuments, cemetaries, mosques, going back to Libyan kingdom, all damaged by Gaddafi forces. Urgent call to Unesco and other NGO’s to raise awareness of the destruction occuring in Nafusa mountains, as well as elsewhere in Libya.

Amazigh_Libya: The countless attacks by Gaddafi forces has destroyed historical building, mosques, and synagogues in #Nafusa #Libya #Feb17
2 days ago via web · Reply · View Tweet

4Adam Adam
May12 Gadhafi's forces r shelling the archaeological Sifeet in #Qalaa and trying to destroy main water reservoir http://twitpic.com/4wowc0
12 Mai

This photosharing page does seem to include the places mentioned in that particular tweet.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11780314

For the others, nothing. All I can offer is photo-sharing of the area, with the thought that some of these one thousand, two thousand, three thousand year old sites may be damaged beyond repair.

Yefren, Qalaa (Kalaa):
http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt%3D32.048934%26ln%3D12.565098%26z%3D2%26k%3D2%26a%3D1%26tab%3D1

Zintan to Yefren:
http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt%3D32.021467%26ln%3D12.374725%26z%3D5%26k%3D2%26a%3D1%26tab%3D1

Coming now, it's just punitive. Gaddafi seems to be a particularly vengeful man.

Thanks for the info. This is one aspect of the conflict that has been under-reported.

Mhalwes reporting:

Zawiya: Freedom fighters are now in complete control of a few neighbourhoods in Zawiya after a fierce battle this afternoon. #libya #feb17

LPC #Jadu: Gaddafi forces continued shelling Qalaa this morning with Grad rockets #Libya #feb17
8 minutes ago
http://audioboo.fm/boos/356536-lpc-jadu-english-gaddafi-forces-continued-shelling-qalaa-this-morning-with-grad-rockets-libya-feb17

!Troops withdrawn? I can't transcribe fast enough.
from peak of mountain to foot of mountain, withdrawn or camouflage, Jadu to Al-Aziziyah?

http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb

Uh, next time I say "now", that actually means, "almost over" and you'll have to catch it on the replay.

I remember when Zawiyah was flattened by Gaddafi. Heartless and tragic.

Also, ICC to issue three warrants on Monday.

(AFP) – 5 hours ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama needs to get formal approval from lawmakers to continue US involvement in military strikes on Libya past a looming deadline set in US law, a top senator warned Friday.

"If the administration seeks to continue our military involvement in Libya, it is incumbent that they seek and secure congressional authorization," said Richard Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Lugar, Obama's erstwhile foreign policy mentor, pressed the president to detail the course, scope and duration of the hostilities in Libya but stopped short of saying he would introduce legislation aimed at pulling out US forces.

US lawmakers generally agree that Obama has until May 20 to get congressional approval under a 1973 US law for the use of military assets in the UN-backed, NATO-led strikes on Libyan President Moamer Kadhafi's forces.

...


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j-VTyM7hTX3yLvMar9qX3RnYnIGQ?docId=CNG.e3465c20de9ed0ab1051e340d52cbd47.141

I actually have respect for Lugar on some issues.

The regime is near collapse.

I like Lugar on a lot of things, too. And he's one Republican who still manages to work well with his Dem colleagues on the committee.

@ChangeInLibya Mhalwes
Zliten BREAKING: NATO warships bombarding Gaddafi forces in Zliten's "Tuesday" market - & clashes between G forces & FFighters #libya #feb17

http://twitter.com/#!/malakadams1/status/69153665314861057

Libya time = EDT +6 hours, PDT +9 hours, UTC +1 hour, GMT +2 hours

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 13, 2011: A rebel fighter checks a tank, captured from forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the rebel-held town of Zintan in the Western Mountains, some 150 km southwest of the capital, Tripoli, May 12, 2011. (Photo - Reuters)



Ghastly machines.

I googled for a brief summary of historical development, and stumbled on this course offering at Loyola University New Orleans:



No further info there, but you get the idea. The military, like everybody else, wants a better mousetrap.

Tanks are more ghastly than some weapons, less ghastly than others. Using them against a civilian population clearly is a crime against humanity.

The United States on Friday stopped short of full diplomatic recognition of Libya's rebel movement but the White House said it was a "legitimate and credible interlocutor."

Mahmoud Jibril, the number two in the rebels' National Transitional Council, met earlier at the White House with President Barack Obama's national security advisor, Tom Donilon.

The White House said:



12:20am:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

acarvin: "This is Gaddafi. A mass grave. Look how far it extends." Watch this video if you haven't yet. Tough, though.

http://www.universalsubtitles.org/sv/videos/YSr4DQHQHDxy/en/94179/

This is more graphic than we usually post here. It is what it says it is, and is just outside of Zawiya. With subtitles.

:cry:

...with Obama authorising $25m in non-lethal assistance and $53m in humanitarian aid.

The White House said it was looking for ways to increase US financial support to the opposition, in part through congressional legislation that would free up a portion of the more than $30bn in frozen Gaddafi regime assets in US banks so it could be used to aid the rebels.

Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said:



1:30am:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

The following graffiti was posted by @SumayyahG:




3:20am:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-0

Source: Voice of America

:evilgrin: