Arapske revolucije

[Джон Рейнольдс]

Dakle, otišao na FB, po prvi put:  Pa tamo je zabava!!

Vredi li se registrovati?

[varvarin]

Vrlo interesantni plakati, ne znam zašto ne uspevam da reprodukujem jedan...
Prava anketa šta jedan deo populacije misli o Libiji, Obami,  NATO-u, i sadašnjoj vlasti ovde...
Ako smo jedina evropska zemlja gde ima ovako nešto - svaka čast.

[SIMERIJANAC]

Super zajebancija na toj grupi

[varvarin]

I Jelena Karleuša podigla je glas na fejsbuku: STOP NAPADIMA NA LIBIJU!

[SIMERIJANAC]

Mora da je Lady Gaga ovih dana to uradila pa je Jeca odmah reagovala.

[Meho Krljic]

Dok se mi zezamo, po Siriji se gine:

Security Forces 'Kill 20 Protesters' In Syria

Security forces have reportedly opened fire on demonstrators in and around Syria's southern city of Daraa, killing as many as 20 people. Skip related content

Witnesses said they died in the village of Sanamein as they tried to march to Daraa, but the reports have not been verified.

Amnesty International has said 55 people have been killed in Daraa in the past week.

Unrest has simmered in the area around the city for more than a week. Now it seems to be spreading and the UK's Foreign Office has said it is "deeply concerned" by the violence.

The UN's secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called for "maximum restraint" by Syria in a phone call with President Bashar al-Assad.

There are reports of protests in the towns of Homs, Tel, Lattakia and the capital, Damascus.

Dramatic footage apparently taken near Daraa today shows crowds scattering to the sound of gunfire before they return to the streets to carry away several people clearly severely injured or dead.

Unconfirmed reports claim several people have been killed.

Other video being posted on YouTube and Facebook shows substantial protests in a number of towns. It is impossible to verify when, how or where the videos were taken.

Syrian authorities are not issuing visas to foreign journalists to allow them to enter the country and report on what is happening.

The escalation follows efforts President al Assad to defuse the unrest yesterday with promises to consider lifting the decades-old state of emergency.

Assad recently said he believed Syria was immune from unrest in a press interview, but since those comments parts of his country have begun seething with protests.

Added to the long list of demands for political reform there are now furious calls for justice for those killed by his security forces, regarded as martyrs by protestors.

Syria has barely tolerated any dissent for almost five decades of Assad rule, first under Hafez al Assad and then under his son.

Despite promises of reform the regime has been one of the most authoritarian in the Arab world.

It may now be following the path of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya and on the verge of a general uprising. But it is unclear how widespread the protests are.

The unrest is remarkable because it is so unprecedented but so far it has been restricted to a small number of towns. However, that seems to be changing.

The coming days will be crucial as it becomes clearer whether or not the events in the south will cause others across the country to rise up against their government.

The UK's Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, has called on Syria's leadership to allow peaceful protests.

He said: "I have been watching closely the situation in Syria, and am deeply concerned by the use of force against demonstrators.

"I condemn the violence that has resulted in a large number of deaths in Daraa."

[Melkor]

Ma i po Jemenu. A u Bahreinu su pobili sta su imali.

Al', opusteno, sa'ce vojna intervencija da zaustavi ubijanje civila, samo sto nije.

[Meho Krljic]

A sad Gadafiju spremaju i suđenje pred Međunarodnim krivičnim sudom zbog ratnih zločina.

Гадафи под хашком лупом

Једногласном одлуком Савета безбедности отворена истрага против либијског лидера, тројице његових синова и четворице најближих сарадника

Главни тужилац Међународног кривичног суда у Хагу аргентински адвокат Луис Морено Окампо најавио је да разматра проширивање истраге против либијског лидера Муамера Гадафија због ,,могућих ратних злочина" током оружаних сукоба са побуњеницима у Либији.

Окампо је 3. марта, по налогу Савета безбедности УН, већ отворио истрагу против Гадафија, тројице његових синова (Саифа, Касима и Мутасима) и четворице најближих сарадника због ,,злочина над цивилима" током првих 12 дана народне побуне у Либији, од 15. до 26. фебруара.

Први пут од оснивања Међународног кривичног суда у Хагу 2002, Савет безбедности је 26. фебруара донео једногласну одлуку да једног актуелног шефа државе проследи истрази МКС-а.

Последњи пут када је Савет безбедности покренуо истрагу против актуелног шефа државе било је 2005. против суданског лидера Омара ал Башира због ратних злодела у Дарфуру. Тада су четири земље биле уздржане: САД, Кина, Алжир и Бразил.

Овог пута, предлог Либана да Савет безбедности пред МКС-ом покрене истрагу о ,,широко распрострањеним и систематским нападима на цивилно становништво, који могу имати размере ратних злочина у Либији, први је случај да и САД и Кина подрже ,,упутницу хашком суду".

САД, Кина, Судан и Либија нису чланице МКС-а. У складу са прописима постојећег међународног правног поретка, само Савет безбедности УН може МКС-у да предложи истрагу о збивањима у земљи која није чланица хашког суда. Једногласно усвојена Резолуција 1970 о истрази против Гадафија и његових најближих сарадникаутолико има историјски значај, оцењују на Ист Риверу.

Луис Морено Окампо, охрабрен ,,веома добрим истражним информацијама", најавио је у четвртак у Каиру сатницу даљег тока шесте истраге коју МКС отвара на тлу Африке.

Окампо ће 4. маја обавестити Савет безбедности УН о напретку истраге о евентуалним злочинима над цивилима, а тужбени предмет биће уобличен до краја истог месеца.

Окампо се потом окреће истрази оружаних сукоба да би утврдио да ли су почетком марта у Либији почињени ратни злочини. Специјална комисија УН у следећих неколико седмица одлази у Либију да на лицу места проучи евентуално почињене злочине, саопштено је у Женеви. Извештај специјалне комисије очекује се у јуну, када ће Окампо донети и одлуку о проширењу оптужбе.

У истрази евентуалног злочина против цивила Окампо и његов тим ослониће се на новинске и друге извештаје са терена. Главни тужилац очекује и сарадњу Савета за људска права УН, из чијег је чланства Либија недавно избачена.

Тања Вујић
објављено: 26.03.2011

[Loni]

Mene je gadno razočarao Čeda Jovanović u skupštinskom govoru.
Osudio je intervenciju u Libiji, a to od njega nisam očekivao.
Osudio je naravno obe strane, prvo Gadafija, ali onda i rekao da su ljudi oko Obame klovnovi i da se ovim ništa ne postiže.

Vrlo licemeran i populistički potez.

Da je Sloba na mitinzima 2000. godine radio isto što i Gadafi.
Da je pustio snajperiste na mitingaše i pobio 40-tak po mitingu,
da su neki opoziciori nestali bez traga, a drugima obećao smrt čim ih uhvate kao i granatiranje opozicionih gradova, isti taj Čeda bi molio i prizivao intervenciju sa strane radi golog spasa.

Međutim pravi se lud.
Ili ne razume suštinski situaciju ili je proračunao šta se ovom narodu sviđa.

Ne volim nelojalnost bilo kome i nadam se da će ga zapad zbog ovakvih autogolova pustiti niz vodu i isforsirati nove pulene.

Da sam zapad, posle ovoga za inat bih forsirao Aleksandra Vučića.

[Meho Krljic]

Sve bi to bilo OK kada bi neko sad skočio da brani civile u Jemenu od istog tog masakriranja od strane režima koje se, vele dešava u Libiji. Ali niko ne skače. Teško je braniti tu vrstu intervencionizma kad vidiš kako se dve zemlje skoro pa jedna pored druge tretiraju na dva sasvim različita načina za iste stvari.

[Loni]

Jemenski režim je takođe antizapadni kao i sirijski,
ali Bahreinski nije.

Slažem se da bi UN trebala da se umeša svuda i da jednom za svagda ljudska prava budu iznad važnosti granica.

Međutim ne možemo ni zapad osuditi i kad interveniše i kad ne interveniše uopšte. Onda ispada sudiš i za jedno i za nešto sasvim suprotno.
Da se umešaju i u Jemenu, bilo bi a što nisu i u Bahreinu, a da su u Bahreinu bilo bi što nisu i u Saudi Arabiji.
Nadam se da će i ta Saudi Arabija doći na red. Francuzi su i nju ovih dana kritikovali.

[varvarin]

Lomi, gde stanuješ?
Nadam se da će i ta opština doći na red...

[Tex Murphy]

Nadam se da će i ta Saudi Arabija doći na red. Francuzi su i nju ovih dana kritikovali.

Neka, neka, jednom će biti neke žešće demonstracije i kod njih, pa ćemo da vidimo kako rješavaju stvari u svom dvorištu. Nadam se samo da ću da poživim dovoljno dugo da to dočekam, a ovo što se dešava u Londonu je dosta dobar znak.

[Melkor]

Ako mislis na Saudi Arabiju, bile su demonstracije kod njih, u istom naletu kao i Bahreinske. Malo su pucali po ljudima, malo pozatvarali politicke protivnike i resili stvar.

Nego, zar ne bi trebalo da gadjaju malo pobunjenike u Libiji ili ta vojna dejstva ne ugrozavaju civile?

[Loni]

Ne znam za to da rebelsi gađaju civile. Oni se zvanično bore protiv Gadafijeve mašinerije.

Saudi Arabija jeste totalitaristička zemlja i svaki liberal u svetu bi voleo da se dese promene tamo, ali politika je veština mogućeg.

Niko nije tako moćan da prevaspitava sve. Mora se ići postepeno, a Saudi Arabija je ispala mnogo mudrija od drugih.
Nikome se ne zamera godinama.

No to uskoro neće biti više dovoljno.

[Tex Murphy]

Ako mislis na Saudi Arabiju, bile su demonstracije kod njih, u istom naletu kao i Bahreinske. Malo su pucali po ljudima, malo pozatvarali politicke protivnike i resili stvar.

Actually, mislio sam na demonstracije u evropskim zemljama. Nešto kao sad u Londonu, naravno sa mnogo više krvoprolića.

[Loni]

Je l neko u Londonu gađao demonstrante snajperom?

[Melkor]

Mada bi i mogli, tesko da bi Libija intervenisala da zastiti civile

Tuition Fees Protest London Police Brutality wheelchairs student Jody McIntyre

[Anomander Rejk]

Ameri se rukovode onim diktator je dobar ako je naš, tako da Saudijci mogu da gaze i tenkovima, mogu slati policiju i u Bahrein, i naravno da im niko neće lupati čvrge.
Mislim da su sledeći na redu Sirija i Iran. NATO je izdao neko saopštenje, koje je stvarno vrhunac cinizma- kao oni su u Libiji da štite civile i nepristrasni prema stranama u sukobu. Izbombarduju jednoj strani oklopne snage na tlu, pobunjenici naravno iskoriste kao pešadija i zauzmu grad. Nepristrasnost na delu.

[Albedo 0]

Ne volim nelojalnost bilo kome i nadam se da će ga zapad zbog ovakvih autogolova pustiti niz vodu i isforsirati nove pulene.

Reality check: Čedu je Zapad pustio niz vodu ima 2 godine, kad je vidio da ovaj ne može da mrdne sa 5% podrške. Od tada Tadić surfuje na velikom talasu.

Evo sad s Prištinom raspravlja o koječemu...

[Loni]

Ameri se rukovode onim diktator je dobar ako je naš, tako da Saudijci mogu da gaze i tenkovima, mogu slati policiju i u Bahrein, i naravno da im niko neće lupati čvrge.
Mislim da su sledeći na redu Sirija i Iran. NATO je izdao neko saopštenje, koje je stvarno vrhunac cinizma- kao oni su u Libiji da štite civile i nepristrasni prema stranama u sukobu. Izbombarduju jednoj strani oklopne snage na tlu, pobunjenici naravno iskoriste kao pešadija i zauzmu grad. Nepristrasnost na delu.

I meni je ovo odvratno, ali to je realnost.
Politika je veština mogućeg.

Da se nalaziš u nekom zatvoru i vidiš 4 teške budale i kretena,
ipak će te više uplašiti dvojica koja tebi direktno prete i maltretiraju te od druge dvojice, koji su skoncentrisani da maltretiraju druge.
A nemaš snagu da ih prebiješ sve odjednom.

Licemerno je opet kritikovati nekog zbog činjenja, a sutradan zbog nečinjenja svima. Da napadnu i Siriju nego će reći a što ne i Baihrein. Uvek se može dodati po još jedna loša zemlja.

 Što se tiče LDP-a, oni rastu i po nekim istraživanjima imaju čak 8% međutim to više nije onih elitnih 5 %. Istraživanja pokazuju da ih napuštaju intelektualci (Bilja, Srđa) a da dobijaju mnogo članova iz potpuno ruralnih opština. Ako se ovako nastavi pa da veći procenat imaju u Lazarevcu i Lajkovcu nego na Vračaru i Starom Gradu, gde su imali 10 %, to više neće biti onaj stari LDP već neka populistička partija nalik DS-u.
 
  Provalile su Čedin populizam autorke Peščanika zato ga nikad i ne zovu da gostuje u emisiji. Samo Žareta.
  Moja prognoza je da će LDP biti na mestu današnjeg DS-a, a kao avangarda će se profilisati neko sasvim drugi. Ili SDU ili neko potpuno nov, ko tek otkriva stranku.
   Posle Tadićevog izdejstvovanja podele Kosova (što je po meni odlično rešenje), DS će postati prošlost.

 A što se zapada tiče, njihov novi pulen je SNS. Para je vrtela gde narodna logika nije.

[Tex Murphy]

Je l neko u Londonu gađao demonstrante snajperom?

Još uvijek nije. Vidjećemo kad se malo obezobraze.

[Melkor]

Kevin Connolly BBC News, Benghazi

There is no way to independently verify rebel claims they have taken Sirte because their advance is moving at such amazing speed - Sirte is seven hours' drive along the coastal road from Benghazi. But in the rebel stronghold last night the rumours were enough for the night skies to reverberate for hours with the sound of celebratory gunfire.

The rebels believe the fall of Sirte followed a now-familiar pattern: powerful allied air attacks followed by a rapid rebel advance.

If Col Muammar Gaddafi has lost his birthplace, that would be an enormous blow to his attempts to cling to power.

Very little sign has been seen of pro-Gaddafi forces apart from burned-out trucks alongside the coastal road. Most people believe that if they were going to turn and fight they would have done it in Sirte and that they didn't is hugely significant.

The rebels are starting to believe that Gaddafi's forces have been demoralised or destroyed to the extent that they can no longer offer significant resistance.

[Tex Murphy]

Nije dobro, ali nikad se ne zna šta sutrašnji dan nosi.

[Albedo 0]

S jedne strane to je pokazatelj da se stvar bliži kraju a Gadafi pada... a sa druge izgleda kao vrlo racionalno djelovanje sa Gadafijeve strane. Što se pobunjenici više rašire, onako napoleonski sve do Moskve (ili pustog Gadafijevog zavičaja), to će lakše propasti sami od sebe. Po svim pokazateljima oni ne mogu dalje da napreduju.

Naravno, druga opcija je sve bliža sajens fikšnu, jer EU neće odustati od Mediterana. U ovom slučaju čak i da dopuste da budu okupirani kao Irak to će se Zapadu obiti o glavu.

[Meho Krljic]

Da vidimo šta kaže zapad:

Obama:

Obama: Gaddafi's 'Deadly Advance' Halted

The US President has hailed the coalition's progress in stopping Colonel Gaddafi's "deadly advance" but warned that its mission is not to topple him from power. Skip related content

In a 27-minute speech, Barack Obama set out why the US had become militarily engaged in another Muslim country and explained the narrow focus of the mission: to protect Libyan civilians, not to force regime change.

Mr Obama said once the UN Security Council agreed Resolution 1973, the swiftly assembled coalition had the legal and moral authority to act when the Libyan leader threatened the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

He said: "At this point, the United States and the world faced a choice.

"Gaddafi declared that he would show 'no mercy' to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment.

"We knew that if we waited one more day, Benghazi... could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world."

He explained that his decision to authorise military engagement was not just based on humanitarian concerns but on America's national security interests.

"A massacre would have driven thousands of additional refugees across Libya's borders, putting enormous strains on the peaceful, yet fragile, transitions in Egypt and Tunisia," he argued.

"The democratic impulses that are dawning across the region would be eclipsed by the darkest form of dictatorship, as repressive leaders concluded that violence is the best strategy to cling to power.

"So while I will never minimize the costs involved in military action, I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America."

He also appeared to criticise his predecessor in the White House, George W Bush, when explaining why the mission was not to target Col Gaddafi.

"To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq... regime change there took eight years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and nearly a trillion dollars.

"That is not something we can afford to repeat in Libya."

He also set out, for the first time, what is likely to be interpreted as the Obama foreign policy doctrine.

"American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all the burden ourselves," he said.

"There will be times when our safety is not directly threatened, but our interests and values are.

"Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and common security: responding to natural disasters, for example; or preventing genocide and keeping the peace; ensuring regional security, and maintaining the flow of commerce.

"These may not be America's problems alone, but they are important to us, and they are problems worth solving.

"And in these circumstances, we know that the United States, as the world's most powerful nation, will often be called upon to help."

As more than 40 nations prepare to discuss the situation at a London conference, there was little mention of how long America will continue to commit its assets, nor what would be deemed 'mission accomplished'.

The Republican speaker of the House, John Boehner, said Obama provided 'few new answers'.

"Nine days into this military intervention and Americans still have no answer to the fundamental question: what does success in Libya look like?"

:: The mother of a woman who was allegedly raped by Libyan officials and tried to explain her story to foreign journalists has said minders tried to buy her silence.

:: A north Africa expert tells Sky News that Colonel Gaddafi is running out of money as rebels have taken control of key oil installations.

I malo sa američke strane:

Obama: Action in Libya was justified, but mission will be limited

In relatively brief remarks Monday night, President Barack Obama sought to strike a delicate balance, justifying his decision to use force in Libya while assuring a doubtful nation that the U.S. military actions would be limited and low-risk. Obama built his case for intervention by arguing that swift intervention in Libya was necessary to avert a humanitarian catastrophe on the scale of the 1990s Bosnia genocide. But while Obama repeatedly attacked Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi for creating that impending catastrophe, he insisted that international military action would stop well short of toppling the Libyan dictator, and declared that U.S. allies would soon take over leadership of the operation.

"I said that America's role would be limited; that we would not put ground troops into Libya; that we would focus our unique capabilities on the front end of the operation, and that we would transfer responsibility to our allies and partners. Tonight, we are fulfilling that pledge," Obama said, saying the 28-member NATO alliance would take over command of all military functions in Libya starting on Wednesday.

With Gadhafi's forces closing in on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi ten days ago, "the United States and the world faced a choice," Obama said at the National Defense University. "Gadhafi declared that he would show 'no mercy' to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment."



"We knew that if we waited one more day, Benghazi -- a city nearly the size of Charlotte -- could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world," Obama said. "It was not in our national interest to let that happen. I refused to let that happen. And so nine days ago, after consulting the bipartisan leadership of Congress, I authorized military action to stop the killing."

While making the case for action to skeptics, Obama also defended the limited U.S. military mission in Libya from critics on the right who argue the mission will not succeed until Gadhafi is overthrown.

"There is no question that Libya — and the world — will be better off with Gadhafi out of power," Obama said. "But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake."

"If we tried to overthrow Gadhafi by force, our coalition would splinter. We would likely have to put U.S. troops on the ground, or risk killing many civilians from the air," Obama said. "To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq."




Libya's former envoy to Washington Ali Aujali - who broke with the Gadhafi regime - praised Obama's remarks and his decision to intervene in Libya.

"On behalf of the Libyan National Transitional Council, I would like to express deep gratitude to President Obama and the American people for their commitment to protect and assist the Libyan people," Aujali said in a statement Monday. "While the situation in Libya still remains very fluid, the intervention of the United States and the international community has saved tens of thousands of lives."

Washington foreign policy observers said Obama had walked a fine line in his first major -- and some critics charge belated -- address to the American public on the Libya intervention.

"Obama effectively made the case for the urgency of U.S. and international action in the face of an impending humanitarian catastrophe," said George Washington University Middle East expert Marc Lynch, who has consulted with the White House on Libya. "He also was right to include the crucial point that not acting would have been not only a stain on America's image but would have given other dictators in the region a green light."

Lynch said that he is not sure, however, how the president "will deliver on the promise to not escalate or use ground troops if this doesn't work ... and how the U.S. will act if things get ugly in other Arab countries."

"What I think is vital is that [Obama] paint for Americans a picture about how this kind of American leadership, in which we lead by letting others lead, works in practice," said former Clinton administration speechwriter Heather Hurlburt, now with the progressive National Security Network. And that he "make the point that from the standpoint of limited, humanitarian objectives endorsed by the international community, it is working rather quickly and well.

"It's understandable that, given recent history, Americans experience some uncertainty with this model," Hurlburt continued. "But it is the kind of progressive leadership we were in fact promised."

(President Barack Obama delivers his address on Libya at the National Defense University in Washington, Monday, March 28, 2011: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta.)

A u Londonu se insistira da cilj misije nije da se Gadafi smeni:

Leaders In London To Discuss Libya's Future

An international conference on Libya takes place in London today, as the Nato-led coalition continues to target Colonel Gaddafi's military and rebel forces move closer to the capital, Tripoli.

Representatives of more than 40 countries, including all those who have contributed military assets, will join figures from the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and Nato at the one-day meeting.

It has been designed to take stock of progress on the ground and discuss how best to proceed and comes hours after US President Barack Obama justified the reasons behind military action.

But the gathering takes place against a backdrop of increased criticism of the strikes on Gaddafi's troops and an emerging fear in the Arab world that efforts at securing a no-fly zone and protecting the public are a precursor to regime change.

In a communique released ahead of the conference, Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "We emphasise that we do not envisage any military occupation of Libya, which would be contrary to the terms of the Resolution.

"We reaffirm our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya.

"Military action is not an objective as such. A lasting solution can only be a political one that belongs to the Libyan people.

"That is why the political process that will begin... in London is so important.

"The London conference will bring the international community together to support Libya's transition from violent dictatorship and to help create the conditions where the people of Libya can choose their own future."

Yet on Monday, Russia warned there were "contradictions" in the approach taken by the allied nations now operating under Nato command.

Nato has shown no sign of altering its strategy in response to Mr Lavrov's remarks.

The veneer of legitimacy for intervention in Libya provided by support from Arab nations will be tested in London.

Although the coalition is now under Nato command, a political "steering committee" will provide direction - involving countries such as Qatar who are not Nato members.

But the British government is hopeful the meeting will demonstrate the international community's desire to allow the Libyan people the freedom to determine their own future.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News: "The conference has three broad objectives.

"One is to continue to strengthen and deepen the international coalition.

"Secondly, we want to look at how to get more humanitarian aid to where it is needed.

"Thirdly, as the Prime Minister and President Sarkozy have said, what we want is to get the thinking going about an eventual transition in Libya."

U međuvremenu, Skaj Njuz ima priču o ženi koja vrdi da su je režimske snage silovale i mučile samo jer je iz Bengazija:

Tripoli Shock: Minders Snatch 'Rape Victim'

A shocking scene occurred in Tripoli on Saturday when a gun was pointed at Sky News after a woman tried to tell foreign journalists about being raped and tortured by Libyan officials. Skip related content

A visibly very distressed woman burst into the breakfast room of the hotel where we are staying and attempted to speak out about an ordeal at the hands of Gaddafi supporters.

As correspondents here in Tripoli under the supervision of the Libyan government, we are not allowed to move around freely.

However, it has become apparent to those in the city that there are a clutch of journalists in two hotels.

We were having breakfast in our hotel when the woman broke in and said she'd been picked up at a checkpoint in the city.

She claimed she had been held for two days, and that she had been raped and tortured.

The woman showed marks on her body which she said she had received as a result of beatings by the people who were holding her, Gaddafi supporters.

She showed marks on her legs and on her wrists, which she suggested came from handcuffs.

In a state of great distress, she said she had suffered this beating because she was from Benghazi, the city where the uprising began in the east of the country.

As journalists tried to speak to her, things got out of control and the police minders waded in, trying to physically shut her up and stop her talking.

Hers is not the voice they want heard in this country. In the commotion a gun was pointed towards the Sky News team in an attempt to stop them filming.

A team from another news organisation had their camera smashed in front of them.

After about 15 minutes the woman was dragged outside the hotel and put into a waiting car.

As I tried to get in the way, a minder put his hand over the woman's mouth to stop her talking.

She was driven away at speed and we have no idea where she was taken. Her story could not be immediately verified, but the scene provided glimpse of the atmosphere in the city.

Government officials initially said they knew nothing about this woman, although another official later added the woman's mental health would be assessed.

[scallop]

Stereotip sa težnjom da se nametne kao arhetip. Neumereni palp.

[Melkor]

Ovo je sjajno:

Two fighters, shoulder to shoulder, show the diversity of the Libyan rebel forces

By Leila Fadel
Monday, March 14, 2011

IN BENGHAZI, LIBYA They are two fighters on the front lines of what they say is a battle for freedom and survival. But the paths that Haitham al-Ghaybee and Abu Sultan took to this moment were very different.

One is a scruffy rabble-rouser who has a reputation for hard drinking; the other a clean-shaven, green-eyed Islamist who has fought before in the name of his religion, carrying out attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq.

Neither fits neatly into the profile of drug-addled al-Qaeda devotees that Col. Moammar Gaddafi has used to denigrate the rebel force seeking to oust him from power after 41 years.

Instead, the men reflect the wide array of perspectives and backgrounds present among those who in recent weeks have captured control of half of Libya, and are desperately seeking to win the rest.

The rebel movement's strength has been its diversity - an all-inclusive mix of secularists and Islamists, women and men, young and old, longtime Gaddafi opponents and recent government defectors. They are bound by their love for Libya, and by their hatred for Gaddafi.

But with the rebels losing ground in the face of a withering assault by pro-Gaddafi forces, the movement's fate could hinge on the question of whether men like Abu Sultan and Ghaybee can stay united.

Abu Sultan is a deeply religious 39-year-old who believes he must fight against those who threaten his religion, and his land. He told his story from the rebel capital of Benghazi, in eastern Libya, and spoke on the condition that only his nom de guerre be published. His account could not be independently corroborated.

During a break from the fighting, Abu Sultan explained that he is no stranger to bloody battles. He traveled to Iraq in 2003, incensed by the U.S.-led invasion.His brother Hassan blew himself up near a U.S. Marine vehicle, killing the Americans. Abu Sultan called home to tell his mother, and Hassan was celebrated as a martyr in the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya. Another brother, Abu Sultan said, has become a top commander of al-Qaeda, and is based in Afghanistan.
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For six months, Abu Sultan waged war against the American Marines in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, but he refused to ally himself with the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq when it began a campaign of killing Iraqi civilians.

Because of his stance, Abu Sultan said he was turned into the authorities by the extremist group and shipped back to Libya, where he sat in jail for three months.

"The Americans invaded a Muslim country and I am against this," he said. "But I'm also against Bin Laden. I don't kill innocent people."

Abu Sultan said he disapproves of his brother's choice to fight with al-Qaeda.

When Abu Sultan's fellow Libyans revolted against Gaddafi late last month, he finally had the chance he had been waiting for: to fight what he sees as injustice in his own country. He said he wants the international community to set up a no-fly zone to protect the rebels from air strikes, but he stressed that this is a Libyan fight.

"I want to protect myself, my land and my religion. Since I was born there has never been justice, no constitution and no elections," he said. "I don't want an Islamic Caliphate like al-Qaeda. I want a civilian government with justice, freedom and a constitution."

During an interview, he rubbed his clean-shaven chin and seemed relaxed in a green sweater and khaki slacks. His beard from the previous day's battle in the port city of Brega - where he and thousands of others repelled an assault by pro-Gaddafi forces - was gone.

"The media was focusing on our beards, so we all shaved," he said. He proudly displayed pictures of a younger brother who had volunteered with the Red Crescent in Tunisia during that nation's revolution in January. In the pictures, the young man sat with a group of male and female activists.

Abu Sultan's days are now filled with battles as rebel fighters try to defend their turf in eastern Libya.

"It's so hard to fight Libyans, but this is a mafia regime," he said. "When I see Libyans I want to throw my weapon away, but I can't." ....

Despite fears that Islamic extremists may be playing a hidden role in the rebellion against Moammar Kadafi, the U.S. intelligence community has found no organized presence of Al Qaeda or its allies among the Libyan opposition, American officials say.

A U.S. intelligence-gathering effort that began shortly after anti-Kadafi forces started seizing towns in eastern Libya last month has not uncovered a significant presence of Islamic militants among the insurgents.

"We're keeping an eye out for extremist activity in Libya, but we haven't seen much, if any, to date," said a U.S. counter-terrorism official. A Defense official added that the U.S. had not seen a direct link between the opposition and extremists.

A congressional staffer who receives intelligence briefings did not dispute those assessments. But the aide added: "There ought to be a concern and recognition that there may be such a linkage. There should also be an appreciation that the opposition is not a uniform, monolithic movement."

Eastern Libya has a history as a breeding ground for Islamic militants. U.S. officials say more than 100 Libyans entered Iraq to fight in the anti-U.S. insurgency between August 2006 and August 2007. The vast majority came from Benghazi, the rebels' de facto capital, and nearby Derna.

The Obama administration is concerned about long-term instability that could allow extremism to take root, and is sensitive to any suggestion that Al Qaeda, which has long opposed Kadafi, could somehow benefit from the U.S.-led international military effort in Libya.

On Feb. 24, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a North African affiliate of the group, vowed to "do whatever we can" to help the Libyan rebels, according to a statement translated by SITE Intelligence Group, a Washington-based company that tracks militant websites.

Kadafi has repeatedly claimed that the insurgents are dominated by Al Qaeda, a charge strongly denied by opposition leaders in eastern Libya, an area that has long opposed Kadafi.

Islamic fundamentalists clearly are among the rebels, but no organized segment is pursuing a Taliban-style government or an Al Qaeda agenda, Libya experts say.

"Who is behind the revolution? It's not the Islamists or the jihadists," said Noman Benotman, a former Libyan militant now with the Quilliam Foundation, a London-based group staffed by former Islamic radicals. "It's ordinary people, moderates, liberals, lawyers and writers."

"There's no evidence that any of the leaders are extremists, and to the extent that we know anything, they seem to be secular professionals," said Robert Pape, a terrorism expert at the University of Chicago who has traveled to Libya.

Charles Faddis, who led a CIA team in northern Iraq before the 2003 invasion, and who retired in 2008, questioned whether the U.S. intelligence community really understands who the rebels are.

"Everyone wants to believe the opposition consists of individuals dedicated to a democratic revolution," Faddis said. "Is that true?"

"Is this a political movement or a tribal one? What we need is solid intelligence on the nature of the opposition, who the key figures are, who is going to emerge on top. I suspect we do not have that, because our collection inside Libya, a denied area, has probably been very weak for a very long time."

A Libyan journalist in Derna said in an interview last week that Islamic militants were seeking influence in that city. "In the beginning I was very optimistic about the possibility of reform and change, but there has been a violent takeover and now we are seeing foreign fighters, Islamists, from the Gulf and other Arab countries," said Milad Hassani.

The large number of Libyans who went to fight in Iraq is less an indication of a large extremist community than a social network that could be activated in a short period of time, said Brian Fishman, a terrorism expert who analyzed captured documents about the Libyan fighters for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Reporting from Benghazi, Libya—
The rebels of eastern Libya have found much to condemn about the police state tactics of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi: deep paranoia, mass detentions, secret prisons and tightly scripted media tours.

But some of those same tactics appear to be creeping into the efforts of the opposition here as it seeks to stamp out lingering loyalty to Kadafi. Rebel forces are detaining anyone suspected of serving or assisting the Kadafi regime, locking them up in the same prisons once used to detain and torture Kadafi's opponents.

For a month, gangs of young gunmen have roamed the city, rousting Libyan blacks and immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa from their homes and holding them for interrogation as suspected mercenaries or government spies.

Over the last several days, the opposition has begun rounding up men accused of fighting as mercenaries for Kadafi's militias as government forces pushed toward Benghazi. It has launched nightly manhunts for about 8,000 people named as government operatives in secret police files seized after internal security operatives fled in the face of the rebellion that ended Kadafi's control of eastern Libya last month.

"We know who they are," said Abdelhafed Ghoga, the chief opposition spokesman. He called them "people with bloodstained hands" and "enemies of the revolution."

Any suspected Kadafi loyalist or spy who does not surrender, Ghoga warned, will face revolutionary "justice."

Rebels have also detained scores of Libyans they say were captured during battles with government forces in the last week or so.

On Wednesday, 55 terrified detainees were paraded in front of a busload of international journalists.

It was the first time the opposition's month-old transitional national council had organized such a controlled bus tour, and it featured some of the same restrictions placed on journalists taken on tours in Tripoli by the Kadafi regime: no interviews and no close-up photographs of prisoners.
sea

Opposition officials who herded journalists on trips to two former internal security complexes said the restrictions were based on international conventions that prohibit public displays of prisoners of war.

The prisoners and detainees were hauled out of dank cells that stank of urine and rot — the same cells that once housed some of the dissidents now aligned with the rebel movement, known as the Feb. 17 Revolution.

But when a rowdy mass of photographers and reporters rushed the prisoners and began snapping photos and shouting questions, the carefully staged event collapsed in chaos. Soon opposition officials were hauling out prisoners for interviews and photos, all the while shouting down the detainees when they proclaimed their innocence.

One young man from Ghana bolted from the prisoners queue. He shouted in English at an American reporter: "I'm not a soldier! I work for a construction company in Benghazi! They took me from my house ... "

A guard shoved the prisoner back toward the cells.

"Go back inside!" he ordered.

The guard turned to the reporter and said: "He lies. He's a mercenary."

The Ghanaian was one of 25 detainees from Chad, Niger, Sudan, Mali and Ghana described by opposition officials as mercenaries, though several of them insisted they were laborers. The officials declined to say what would become of them.

The opposition has acknowledged detaining an unspecified number of sub-Saharan Africans on suspicion of serving as Kadafi mercenaries. Human Rights Watch has described a concerted campaign in which thousands of men have been driven from their homes in eastern Libya and beaten or arrested.

Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director for the rights group in Libya, said he had been promised access to the detainees and prisoners put on display Wednesday.

Another 30 men who were paraded about were described as Libyan soldiers captured in the last week or so. Some were said to have served in the armored column that was demolished by allied airstrikes on the outskirts of Benghazi over the weekend.

"These are the people who came to kill us," said Col. Ahmed Omar Bani, a military spokesman for the council, gazing on the detainees with contempt.

Asked whether some of the accused might indeed be foreign construction workers, Bani replied: "We are not in paradise here. Do you think they're going to admit they are mercenaries? We know they are, of course."

Bani said nightly raids to detain men named in the internal security files had intensified in recent days and would continue "until we get them all."

One of the accused shown to journalists was Alfusainey Kambi, 53, a disheveled Gambian wearing a bloodstained sport shirt and military fatigue trousers. He said he had been dragged from his home and beaten by three armed men who he said also raped his wife. A dirty bandage covered a wound on his forehead.

Khaled Ben Ali, a volunteer with the opposition council, berated Kambi and accused him of lying. Ali said Kambi hit his head on a wall while trying to escape.

He commanded the prisoner to comment on his treatment in the detention center.

Kambi paused and considered his answer. Finally, he glanced warily up at Ali and spoke.

"Nobody beat me here," he said in a faint, weary tone. "I have no problems here."

[Melkor]

Al Jazeera's James Bays reporting on the panic amongst the pro-democracy fighters.

[varvarin]

Obama izjavio danas da je Gadafi " izgubio svaki kredibilitet."
Presuda je pala. U najboljem maniru Roja Bina.

Gospođa Hilari Klinton izjavila je danas da će se napadi Koalicije na Libiju nastaviti, sve dok Gadafi ne ispuni sve zahteve.
Jedan od glavnih zahteva je  "... da se on povuče iz okupiranih gradova."

?????????

[scallop]

Ja ću i večeras da okupiram svoj krevet, pa nek' me bombarduju.

[Meho Krljic]

Evo cela ta priča:

World Powers: Gaddafi To Be Held Accountable

World powers and international institutions at today's Libya Conference in London agreed that Muammar Gaddafi and his regime have "completely lost legitimacy and will be held accountable for their actions". Skip related content


A statement released by Foreign Secretary William Hague, who chaired the conference, said participants reaffirmed their commitment to full and swift implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions on Libya.

He said military action would continue until the conditions of the resolution were met, and called for an immediate ceasefire by Gaddafi's forces.

A Libya Contact Group is now being created to co-ordinate international support for the people of Libya. The new group's first meeting will be chaired by Arab state Qatar "as soon as possible", Mr Hague said.

Later, Mr Hague's American counterpart Hillary Clinton said no decision had been made on whether to arm the Libyan opposition.

There will be further sanctions for individuals associated with the dictator's regime, and Qatar will assist in the sale of Libyan oil by opposition leaders where consistent with international law.

The one-day meeting included officials from United Nations, the Arab League and Nato.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister David Cameron said the Libyans needed the UN resolution to be implemented, for humanitarian aid to be delivered and for Libyans to receive help in planning for their future after the conflict is over.

The meeting came as Nato prepared to take over command and control of military operations in Libya.

Coalition aircraft have carried out hundreds of bombing raids targeting the military hardware of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in recent days.

Today loud explosions have been heard in the capital Tripoli, as well as anti-aircraft fire. The US said new Tomahawk strikes had targeted missile sites around Tripoli.

The Ministry of Defence said RAF Tornados had fired missiles at a Gaddafi armoured vehicle and two pieces of artillery in Misratah. They are believed to have been destroyed.

The Libyan leader has written to the attendees of the summit demanding that they stop the "barbaric offensive" against his country, likening the airstrikes to campaigns launched by Adolf Hitler during the Second World War.

However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Libya conference that the military action would continue until Gaddafi stops attacking civilians and allows humanitarian aid to reach his people.

The US ambassador to the UN said on Tuesday that Washington had not ruled out arming the opposition.

As the meeting took place, the Benghazi-based rebels said 124 civilians had been killed during nine days of fighting between opposition forces and Gaddafi loyalists in the western city of Misratah.

Libya's third city has been under constant bombardment from artillery and tanks for days, while Gaddafi's snipers have reportedly been deployed throughout the centre.

Gaddafi's troops appear to have halted the rebels outside the Libyan leader's home town of Sirte, after coalition airstrikes aided a rapid advance over the weekend.

The Libyan opposition said that the meeting should decide to prosecute Gaddafi for crimes against humanity, rather than offering him exile in an attempt to end his rule.

"He must be charged for crimes against the Libyan people," rebel spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said. "This is non-negotiable."

Representatives of the opposition today set out their vision for a democratic country after Gaddafi has been removed from power.

A delegation from the transitional Interim National Council (INC) was in London for the conference.

The INC's UK co-ordinator Guma El-Gamaty said: "The Libyan people have been suffering for 42 years under sheer tyranny and repression and dictatorship.

"The real aspirations of the Libyan people are to be free, to live under a constitutional democratic system, where there is rule of law, all essential freedoms are guaranteed and people can fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

"That is the hope. That is the vision."

Mr Hague, who met the Libyan rebel foreign representative before the conference, said earlier "people who have committed crimes" should be sent to the International Criminal Court.

"But of course where he (Gaddafi) goes, if he goes, is up to him and the people of Libya to determine, and we will not necessarily be in control of that."

A senior US and Nato commander said Gaddafi was likely to be forced out if the coalition used its full range oif military options against him.

"If we work all the elements of power, we have a more than reasonable chance of Gaddafi leaving, because the entire international community is arrayed against him," Admiral James Stavridis, Nato's supreme allied commander in Europe said.

He also revealed that intelligence on the rebel forces had shown "flickers" of al Qaeda or Hizbollah presence, but there is still no detailed picture of who makes up the emerging Libyan opposition.

The London gathering takes place against a backdrop of increased criticism of the strikes on Gaddafi's troops and an emerging fear in the Arab world that efforts at securing a no-fly zone and protecting the public are a precursor to regime change.

Russia, as well as the African Union, did not attend the London conference at which a political "steering committee" -  involving countries such as Qatar who are not Nato members - is to be formed to provide direction for the mission.

On Monday, Russia warned there were "contradictions" in the approach taken by the allied nations, which will now operate under Nato command.

The meeting came just hours after US President Barack Obama justified the reasons behind military action.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that military intervention in Libya has cost the US about $550 million so far, mostly for bombs and missiles.

Heh.. Rusija ćuti, ipak je ulazak u STO bitniji od Gadafija.

[Anomander Rejk]

Cilj nam nije smena Gadafija, već zaštita ljudskih prava, bla bla...
Francuski ministar inostranih poslova izjavio je u Londonu da je Francuska spremna na razgovor sa koalicionim partnerima, oko naoružavanja libijskih pobunjenika, iako to nije predviđeno rezolucijom 1973.
Jel ono Gadafi jednom rekao za nesvrstane - smešni skupe ? Nisu ni UN daleko od te definicije.

[pokojni Steva]

A šta je ono Adolf (a nije Topić) rekao za Ligu Naroda?

[pokojni Steva]

Jelil upratio još neko snimak kad libijski pobunjenik održi prikladan kratak govor pa opali metak iz Kalašnjikova a čaura mu opizdi kolegu pravo u oko? Em sam ispao iz fotelje em mi ulepšalo dan

[Tex Murphy]

Hitler je za invaziju na Poljsku imao potpuno isto opravdanje kao NATO stoka za napad na Libiju - zaštitu civila.

Jelil upratio još neko snimak kad libijski pobunjenik održi prikladan kratak govor pa opali metak iz Kalašnjikova a čaura mu opizdi kolegu pravo u oko? Em sam ispao iz fotelje em mi ulepšalo dan

[Meho Krljic]

Amerikanci su šokirani. Gadafijev najmlađi sin, Kamis, je bio pristojna mladić koji je sedeo odrađujući internšip u Los Anđelesu svedok nije počeo "ustanak" u Bengaziju a onda se pokupio, otišao nazad u Libiju i, pošto je glavni u specijalnim jedinicama, počeo da predvodi brutalne napade na goloruki narod. Stvarno šokantno:

Until uprising, Gadhafi's son was on U.S. internship

When unrest exploded in Libya last month, Khamis Gadhafi--the youngest son of the country's embattled leader Muammar Gadhafi--wasn't around. He was on an internship program in the United States.

Khamis, who runs Libya's special forces, quickly returned to his home country, where he has led a military unit that has brutally suppressed rebel forces.

The internship, which lasted a month, was sponsored by AECOM, a Los Angeles-based global engineering and design company that has been working with the Libyan regime to modernize the country's infrastructure. Khadis made stops in San Francisco, Colorado, Houston, Washington, and New York City, meeting with high-tech companies (including Google, Apple, and Intel), universities, and defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. While in the Big Apple, Khamis even took in the Broadway show "Mamma Mia."

News of Khamis's internship, which was approved by the State Department, was first reported by ABC News.

Since coming home, Khamis appears to have played a key role in helping his father's regime in its violent campaign to quell the uprising. He has led the elite 32nd Reinforced Brigade, known at the Khamis Brigade, which reportedly has been involved in brutally suppressing rebel forces.

Vice Adm. William Gortney of the Joint Chiefs of Staff described the Khamis Brigade, whose headquarters were the target of U.S. Tomahawk missiles, as "one of the most active in terms of attacking innocent people."

On Monday night, Libyan television showed Khamis dressed in his military uniform and greeting people at his father's Tripoli compound.

A spokesman for AECOM told CNN that the company was "shocked and outraged" to learn of Khamis' military role.

AECOM added in a statement: "The educational internship, which consisted of publicly available information, was aligned with our efforts to improve quality of life, specifically in Libya, where we were advancing public infrastructure such as access to clean water; quality housing; safe and efficient roads and bridges; reliable and affordable energy; and related projects that create jobs and opportunity."

This isn't the first time that Gadhafi's sons--and their ties to the west -- have hit the headlines. As we've written, the regime was embarrassed after Wikileaks cables shed light on the lavish New Year's parties that another son, Muatassim, has held on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, at which Mariah Carey, Usher, and Beyonce have all been paid to perform. And the current crisis also has spotlighted the Libyan leader's own personal eccentricities.

(Soldiers and dozens of tanks from the Libyan military's elite Khamis Brigade, led by Khamis Gadhafi. take positions and check vehicles in Harshan, Libya, Feb. 28, 2011.: Ben Curtis/AP)

A Vilijem Hejg hintuje da bi bilo OK da Gadafi siđe sa vlasti i ode u Egzil i da onda neće više da ga jure. Heh, pa znamo mi te fore, znamo kako je Karadžić prošo:

Hague Hints At Exile For Libya's Gaddafi

Britain may be willing to accept Colonel Muammar Gaddafi going into exile as a way to end the current crisis in Libya, Foreign Secretary William Hague has indicated. Skip related content


Mr Hague said he would prefer to see Col Gaddafi held to account in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

But Mr Hague added the dictator taking refuge abroad would bring about the kind of change that "most of the world and probably most of the Libyan people want to see".

He suggested it was up to Col Gaddafi to decide whether to flee to a safe haven outside Libya.

Italy is talking to a number of countries on a possible deal that would provide a bolthole for Col Gaddafi - possibly in another African state - along with a ceasefire in Libya and a peaceful transition to a new government.

Mr Hague also appeared to indicate that Sudan was a possible choice, as it did not hand over individuals indicted by the ICC, like its own president Omar al Bashir.

Prime Minister David Cameron held out the prospect of "a future free from violence, oppression and uncertainty" after Col Gaddafi was removed.

He used an article in the Arab press to promise that the international community would stand by the people of Libya.

In the joint article with Qatari PM Hamed Bin Jassem in the pan-Arab Asharq al Awsat newspaper, Mr Cameron said Tuesday's Libya Conference in London sent a clear message to Col Gaddafi that he will not be allowed to continue to brutalise his own people.

"And it sends a message of hope to the Libyan people too, 'We are on your side,'" the two leaders said.

"We will continue to protect their lives, defend their rights and support their aspirations - and we will continue to support them on the path that they choose to take."

Discussions on Col Gaddafi's possible fate were taking place as pressure grew for the international community to provide arms for the Libyan opposition.

The rebels are still outgunned despite 10 days of coalition air strikes on regime military assets.

Britain has so far taken the position that the arms embargo imposed by United Nations Security Council resolution 1970 applies equally to the liberated east of Libya, as to areas in the west still under Col Gaddafi's control.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it would be "legitimate" to arm the rebels, in an interpretation of the resolution that puts her country at loggerheads with Nato, which is due to take command of the Libyan campaign later.

[Melkor]

Saudi Women Vote Ban Remains In Place During Municipal Elections

RIYADH (Reuters) - Women in Saudi Arabia will not be allowed to vote in the long-delayed municipal elections to be held in September, the election commission said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia announced last week it will hold the elections, in the first political concession since protests sweeping the region reached the kingdom.

"There is nothing to stop the participation of the woman but this needs some preparations and we cannot make these preparations in all regions of the kingdom," the commission said in a statement.

Voter registration opens on April 23 and the elections will be held on September 22, an official at the commission told Reuters.

The Gulf Arab state is a monarchy ruled by the al-Saud family in alliance with clerics from the strict Wahhabi school of Islam. Women must be covered from head to toe in public and are not allowed to drive.

Saudi women are also subject to a male "guardianship" system which requires they show permission from their guardian -- father, brother or husband -- to travel or, sometimes, work.

Religious police patrol the streets regularly to ensure gender segregation and that women are dressed modestly.

Saudi Arabia held phased elections for half the seats on municipal councils in 2005 for the first time in over 40 years. They were held then in several stages and excluded women from voting or running as candidates.

Another round was due in 2009 but the government announced a delay of two years.

Since 2005 an already glacial reform process has slowed, although the king has continued to liberalize parts of the economy and outflank hardline clerics seen as sympathetic to al Qaeda.

Political parties are banned in Saudi Arabia and there is no elected parliament. The municipal councils, which have little power, are half filled by appointees of Saudi princes serving as provincial governors.

Minority Shi'ites have staged demonstrations in the Eastern Province, where most of Saudi Arabia's oil fields are located, but few Sunnis in major cities answered a Facebook call for protests on March 11.

(Reporting by Jason Benham; Editing by Diana Abdallah)

[Васа С. Тајчић]

Упркос подршци НАТО авијације башибозук у паничном бегу   .

AP: Moammar Gadhafi's forces hammered rebels with tanks and rockets, turning their rapid advance into a panicked retreat in an hourslong battle Tuesday.

[lilit]

Пресрете ме малопре на степеништу драги комшија Амер  и крену с причом о "арапским диктаторима". Ја морон (читај: Сава Ковачевић  ) га саслушам и кажем да то све можда јесте тако, али да ме врло љути податак да се Обама пробудио једног јутра, закључио да је Гадафи тиранин и кренуо у ослободилачки рат. Боље да то не рекох јер не бих чула:
1. Обама је миротворац, ето и Нобела је добио што значи да то стварно јесте тако.  
2. Обама ионако не вуче потезе већ то раде Јевреји, али не обични Јевреји, забога има и међу њима дивних људи, а и култура им није лоша  , него су за све криви Ционисти.  
3. Најгоре од свега је што због тих Јевреја Американци гину на Блиском Истоку, ето не би они ишли да ратују - они су доказано мирољубив народ, види се то кроз историју.  
4. И свега тога не би било да су ови Арапи демократе као Американци, а то што не иду на Сауди Арабију је само због пара, не због тога што они мисле да је тамо демократски режим.  
5. Уствари, боље би било да нема тих Јевреја, ионако сви проблеми од њих потичу. Све је било дивно док не добише државу. 

Јбт, дошло ми је да се бацим с терасе, али ево и ћирилица ће послужити да се издувам.  

[Anomander Rejk]

Jel moguće da je tim Amerima baš toliko opran mozak ??
I šta će sad ? Ovim bolidima ni bombardovanje ne pomaže, znaju se samo vozikati, pucati iz kalašnjikova u nebo, i pozirati za CNN tvrdeći kako su potamanili brigade plaćenika. Hoće li NATO i Ameri morati da siđu na kopno ?

[lilit]

Ма нису сви Амери такви. . Мој друг Јохн  има мишљење идентично мом, а везано за шит на Блиском Истоку. Али комшија је изгледа задојен аустријским Наци моментима које, у комбинацији са америчком мирођијом, знају да буду леталне. 

[Truba]

čini mi se da su pobunjenici popušili a?

[Anomander Rejk]

Daj Stevo link za onog s čaurom i kalašnjikovom...

[pokojni Steva]

Popušili su sekundom kad su kazali da Gadafi može i da ostane na vlasti. Ovo sa 'egzilom' je samo tvrđenje pazara i povlačenje na rezervni položaj. Kao prvi zalivski rat.

[varvarin]

2. Обама ионако не вуче потезе већ то раде Јевреји, али не обични Јевреји, забога има и међу њима дивних људи, а и култура им није лоша  , него су за све криви Ционисти. 
3. Најгоре од свега је што због тих Јевреја Американци гину на Блиском Истоку, ето не би они ишли да ратују - они су доказано мирољубив народ, види се то кроз историју. 
4. И свега тога не би било да су ови Арапи демократе као Американци, а то што не иду на Сауди Арабију је само због пара, не због тога што они мисле да је тамо демократски режим. 
5. Уствари, боље би било да нема тих Јевреја, ионако сви проблеми од њих потичу. Све је било дивно док не добише државу. 

MILOŠE  BOJANIĆU,  OPROSTI NAM!!! 

[Mica Milovanovic]

Јбт, дошло ми је да се бацим с терасе

А да ли си размишљала да на комшију примениш метод из оне поучне приче Артура Кларка о Ерминтруди палац (Sirius 9) - оне млађе упућујем на СФ библиографију...

[Truba]

ste vidjeli onaj video kako pobunjenici kasape zarobljenika nakim mačetama dok visi naopako sa zgrade

[Melkor]

Libya foreign minister 'defects'

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa is in Britain and "no longer willing" to work for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, the Foreign Office says.

He flew into an airport near the capital earlier on Wednesday.

He has subsequently spent hours talking to British officials.

His apparent defection comes as rebels in Libya are retreating from former strongholds along the eastern coast as Colonel Gaddafi's forces advance.

The rebels have now lost the key oil port of Ras Lanuf and the nearby town of Bin Jawad, and are also in full retreat from Brega. In the west, the rebel-held town of Misrata is still reportedly coming under attack from pro-Gaddafi troops, reports say.
'Own free will'

A British Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Moussa Koussa arrived at Farnborough Airport on 30 March from Tunisia. He travelled here under his own free will.

"He has told us that he is resigning his post. We are discussing this with him and we will release further detail in due course.

"Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do.

"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people."

A senior US administration official, speaking to AFP News agency on condition of anonymity, said: "This is a very significant defection and an indication that people around Gaddafi think the writing's on the wall."

Earlier, British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that five Libyan diplomats were being expelled from the country.

He told MPs that the five, who include the military attache, "could pose a threat" to Britain's security.

About-turn

The BBC's Ben Brown in the eastern coastal town of Ajdabiya says the rebels simply cannot compete with the discipline and firepower of Col Gaddafi's forces.

He says the current situation is a dramatic about-turn for the rebels who, over the weekend, had seized a string of towns along the coast and seemed to be making good progress with the help of coalition air strikes.

Most reports suggested the rebels had fled back to Ajdabiya, and some witnesses said civilians had begun to flee further east towards the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

Maj Gen Suleiman Mahmoud, the second-in-command for the rebels, told the BBC that rebels forces needed time, patience and help to organise themselves.

"Our problem we need help - communication, radios, we need weapons," he said, adding that the rebels had a strategy but fighters did not always obey orders.

He also said allied liaison officers were working with the rebels to organise raids.

Human Rights Watch has accused Col Gaddafi's forces of laying both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines during the current conflict after a discovery of what it said were dozens of mines on the eastern outskirts of Ajdabiya.
Covert action

France and the US say they are sending envoys to Benghazi to meet the interim administration.

And an international conference on Libya in London has agreed to set up a contact group involving Arab governments to co-ordinate help for a post-Gaddafi Libya.

The US and Britain have suggested the UN resolution authorising international action in Libya could also permit the supply of weapons.

This message was reinforced by British Prime Minister David Cameron in Parliament on Wednesday.

"UN [Security Council Resolution] 1973 allows all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas, and our view is this would not necessarily rule out the provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances," he said. "We do not rule it out, but we have not taken the decision to do so."

Meanwhile, US media reports say President Barack Obama has authorised covert support for the Libyan rebels. The CIA and White House have both declined to comment on the reports.

[scallop]

Eh, Musa bi da kusa. Jest da brodovi tonu, ali i parcovi begaju.