Libya protests: Second city Benghazi hit by violence

[frigidmagi]

BBC

Hundreds of anti-government protesters have clashed with police and government supporters in Libya's second city, in the latest display of unrest in the Arab world.

Dozens of people are said to have been hurt in the clashes in Benghazi.

The overnight unrest followed the arrest of an outspoken government critic, who was reportedly freed later.

State TV showed demonstrations in several cities said to be in support of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The unrest comes a day before planned anti-government demonstrations on Thursday, dubbed a "Day of Anger", which are being organised via internet social networks.

Pro-democracy protests have recently swept through several Arab nations, with the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt forced to resign amid growing unrest.

But Wednesday's demonstrations were the first display of defiance in Libya, where dissent is rarely tolerated.
Jail massacre

Witnesses say that at one stage up to 2,000 people were involved in the overnight protests in Benghazi, which saw a march on government offices in the city.

The protesters are said to have thrown stones and petrol bombs, and set vehicles alight. Witnesses said police used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse them.

The protests reportedly began after the arrest of Fathi Terbil, who represents relatives of more than 1,000 prisoners allegedly massacred by security forces in Tripoli's Abu Salim jail in 1996. He was later said to have been freed.

One witness, who did not want to be named, told the BBC: "A couple of people in the crowd started chanting anti-government slogans and the crowd took that on.

"But then there were clashes with pro-government supporters and then after a bit the pro-government supporters dispersed and then the security services arrived and they dispersed the crowds with hot-water cannons."

Footage purporting to show the unrest, with protesters fleeing gunfire and a man being shot, was later posted on the internet and used by the BBC and other news organisations. However, subsequent inquiries suggested this was footage originally uploaded more than a year ago.

In a statement issued after the clashes, a senior Libyan official warned that the authorities "will not allow a group of people to move around at night and play with the security of Libya".

It added: "The clashes last night were between small groups of people - up to 150. Some outsiders infiltrated that group. They were trying to corrupt the local legal process which has long been in place.

"We will not permit that at all, and we call on Libyans to voice their issues through existing channels, even if it is to call for the downfall of the government," said the official, who was not identified.

More than 100 members of a banned Islamist militant group were freed from Abu Salim on Wednesday. It is not clear if the Benghazi clashes and the release of the inmates were connected.

The European Union, meanwhile, has urged Libya to allow "free expression".

"We also call for calm and for all violence to be avoided," said a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton.
'Police state'

Colonel Gaddafi is the Arab world's longest-serving leader, having ruled oil-rich Libya since a coup in 1969.

He has always insisted that the country is run by a series of peoples' committees, though most outside observers believe it is a police state with him firmly in control, the BBC's Jon Leyne reports.

The Middle East has recently seen a wave of protests fuelled by discontent over unemployment, rising living costs, corruption and autocratic leaderships.

This began with the overthrow of Tunisia's leader, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, in January. Last week, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt resigned.

In recent days there have also been anti-government demonstrations in Yemen, Bahrain, and Iran.

Gaddafi has always claimed that the people were perfectly content with his wonderful system of government and that it was more free then the western one... How embarrassing for him.

[General Havoc]

Libya protests: Gaddafi acts on increasing unrest

Libya has taken a series of measures, including blocking internet sites and shutting off electricity to protest areas, to try to quell rising unrest.

Col Muammar Gaddafi's government has also reportedly offered to replace some top officials in a conciliatory move.

Media outlets loyal to Col Gaddafi have threatened retaliation against protesters who criticise the leader.

Emerging reports suggest a mounting death toll from days of clashes between security forces and protesters.

The mainstay of the unrest is in regional towns and cities, where many people live in poverty.

Foreign journalists operate under restrictions in Libya, so it has been impossible to independently verify much of the information coming out of the country.

But the BBC has confirmed that several websites - including Facebook and al-Jazeera Arabic - have been blocked.

And the airport in Benghazi, the country's second largest city, has been closed, amid reports that protesters have taken it over.
Unrest spreads

Residents in Benghazi told the BBC that electricity has been cut off, and tanks are posted outside the court building.

Benghazi protesters have told international media they have learnt from Tunisia and Egypt, and are determined to depose Col Gaddafi.

Media outlets loyal to Col Gaddafi had earlier conceded that security forces had killed 14 protesters in Benghazi on Thursday, though other accounts put the death toll much higher.

Gamal Bandour, a judge in the city, told AP news agency that the mourners set fire to government buildings and police stations on the way back from the funerals on Friday.

Witnesses said 15 people had been killed during Friday's clashes.

Meanwhile, dissidents based outside Libya claimed that protesters were now battling security forces for control of another eastern city, al-Bayda.

Video footage from al-Bayda showed bloodstained bodies in a mortuary, and protesters torching a municipal building and demolishing a statue of the so-called "green book" - the collection of principles by which Col Gaddafi rules.

The Oea newspaper, owned by one of Col Gaddafi's sons, earlier reported that demonstrators had lynched two policemen in al-Bayda.

Oea also reported outbreaks of violence in Darnah, east of Benghazi, where it described residents as living in fear.

It said all police stations in Darnah had been evacuated after protesters were killed on Thursday, and rumours were circulating that elite military units were closing in on the city.
'Red lines'

Amid the crackdown, the semi-independent Quryna newspaper reported that the government would replace many state executives and decentralise and restructure the government.

It was unclear whether the political move was in response to growing unrest.

Earlier, the pro-government Al-Zahf Al-Akhdar newspaper threatened to "violently and thunderously respond" to the protests.

"The people's power, the Jamahiriya [system of rule], the revolution, and Colonel Gaddafi are all red lines and those who try to cross or come near these lines are suicidal and playing with fire."

Col Gaddafi is the Arab world's longest-serving leader, having ruled oil-rich Libya since a coup in 1969.

Things are rapidly getting ugly in Libya. Gaddafi has got to be terrified by now, with the autocratic rulers on both sides of his country having fled for the hills. It looks however like he's preparing to act with force against the protestors.

[frigidmagi]

BBC

The unrest is part of protests across North Africa and the Middle East
Continue reading the main story

Libyan troops have opened fire with machine-guns and large-calibre weapons on anti-government protesters in the second city Benghazi, witnesses say.


An unknown number of people, including children, are said to have been killed.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as snipers shot from the roofs of buildings and demonstrators fought back against troops on the ground.

A doctor at a local hospital said he and his colleagues were treating hundreds of injured protesters.

Reports are difficult to verify as Libyan authorities have not allowed foreign journalists into the country, but residents say Benghazi and another eastern city, al-Bayda, appear to be out of government control.

There have been no reports of major protests in the capital Tripoli.

The Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, is the Arab world's longest-serving leader, having ruled the oil-rich state since a coup in 1969.

Libya is one of several Arab countries to have experienced pro-democracy demonstrations since the fall of long-time Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January. Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was forced from power on 11 February.

'Dozens killed' on Saturday
Benghazi, about 1,000 km (600 miles) from Tripoli, has been the main focus of the demonstrations against Col Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

Troops opened fire on people attending a funeral there on Saturday, killing 15, both the Associated Press news agency and al-Jazeera television said.

But an eyewitness told Reuters news agency that many more had actually died.

"Dozens were killed... not 15, dozens," the unnamed eyewitness said, adding that he had helped take victims to a local hospital.

The latest deaths take the toll over the past three days of protests in Libya to at least 100 dead. Some reports put it significantly higher.

A Benghazi resident told the BBC that security forces inside a government compound had fired on protesters with mortars and 14.5mm machine guns - a heavy machine gun typically produced in the former USSR.

They were, he said, machine-gunning cars and people indiscriminately. "A lot [of people] have fallen down today," he added.

Other witnesses spoke of snipers firing at protesters from rooftops and there were widespread reports of foreign mercenaries from sub-Saharan Africa being brought in to attack protesters.

A doctor told the BBC that situation in the city was "like hell", saying he had been seeing people with gunshot wounds being carried into his hospital all day.

'Liberated' city
In an appeal sent to Reuters news agency, a group of religious and clan leaders from across Libya urged "every Muslim, within the regime" or anyone helping it: "Do NOT kill your brothers and sisters, STOP the massacre NOW!"

Another Benghazi resident told Reuters that the government compound was the only part of the town still under military control.

"The rest of the city is liberated," he said.

He added that local government offices and police stations in the city had been burnt down and thousands of protesters were organising around the courthouse, equipped with makeshift clinics, ambulances, speakers and electricity.

His account could not be verified independently, and Libyan state media have ignored the unrest, focusing instead on pro-Gaddafi rallies in Tripoli.

Human Rights Watch put the death toll since Wednesday, when protests erupted, at 104, not counting those killed overnight on Saturday. The New York-based group stresses that it is a conservative estimate.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said reports of heavy weapons and sniper fire being used on protesters were unacceptable.

"This is clearly unacceptable and horrifying," Mr Hague said, adding: "The absence of TV cameras does not mean the attention of the world should not be focused on the actions of the Libyan government."

The British Foreign Office is now advising UK citizens against all but essential travel to Benghazi, Ajdabiya, al-Bayda, al-Marj, Darnah, Ajdabiya, Tobruk and areas bordering Sudan, Chad, Niger and Algeria.

And in Tripoli

At least four separate anti-government protests have broken out in the Libyan capital for the first time, witnesses say.

Security forces have used live ammunition and tear gas in response, eyewitnesses in Tripoli say.

Libya has been hit by days of unrest, mostly focused in the east, where opposition to Col Muammar Gaddafi's rule is strongest.

Reports from the city of Benghazi say more than 200 people have died.

Protesters have been demanding an end to Col Gaddafi's four decades in power, after the success of similar rallies in Egypt and Tunisia.

The spreading of unrest of Tripoli would be seen as a significant blow to Col Gaddafi's attempt to contain the protests to the east.

The brutal suppression of protests in Benghazi has been condemned by the US, UK and other Western nations.

Live ammunition and tear gas were used in the suburb of Gourghi, while protesters had also gathered in the neighbouring area of Gergaresh, the reports said.

Verifying information from Libya has been difficult amid a government clampdown on the internet and media communications, but the reports of unrest in Tripoli are understood to be credible.

This is ugly and could get alot worse.

[frigidmagi]

Al Jazeera Reports

Anti-government protesters in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi have reportedly seized army vehicles and weapons amid worsening turmoil in the African nation.

A local witness said that a section of the troops had joined the protesters on Sunday as chaos swept the streets of the city, worst hit by the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year old rule.

Mohamed, a doctor from Al Jalaa hospital in Benghazi, confirmed to Al Jazeera that members of the military had sided with the protesters.

"We are still receiving serious injuries, I can confirm 13 deaths in our hospital. However, the good news is that people are cheering and celebrating outside after receiving news that the army is siding with the people," he said.

"But there is still a brigade that is against the demonstrators. For the past three days demonstrators have been shot at by this brigade, called Al-Sibyl brigade."

The witness reports came on a day in which local residents told Al Jazeera that at least 200 people had died in days of unrest in Benghazi alone. The New York-based Human Rights Watch on Sunday put the countrywide death toll at 173. The rights group said its figure was "conservative".

'Massacre'

News of the rising death toll came as residents of Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, reported renewed gunfire from security forces in the city.

Sadiq al Ghiryani, a Libyan religious leader, told Al Jazeera a "massacre" was under way in the city and troops firing shots were mostly mercenaries.. Kamal Hudethifi, a judge, described the killings as "ethnic cleansing".

The Reuters news agency said at least 50 people had been killed in Benghazi since Sunday afternoon.

Live Blog

Moftah, a Benghazi resident , who requested Al Jazeera use only his first name, said the city had become a "war zone" in recent days.

Residents have barricaded the streets with overturned trash cans and debris, and security forces have largely confined themselves to two compounds, though snipers continue to target protesters, he said.

The forces who remain are "thugs" loyal to Gaddafi, Moftah said, and they are firing high-calibre ammunition at protesters.

The eyewitness report came a day after security forces opened fire at a funeral in the eastern coastal city on Saturday, killing at least 15 people and injuring scores more.

Meanwhile, there were reports of clashes between anti-government protesters and Gaddafi supporters around the Green Square in the capital, Tripoli.

"We are in Tripoli, there are chants [directed at Gaddafi]: 'Where are you? Where are you? Come out if you're a man," a protester told Al Jazeera on phone.

There were also reports of protesters heading to Gaddafi's compound in the city of Al-Zawia near Tripoli, with the intention of burning the building down.

Protests have also reportedly broken out in other cities, including Bayda, Derna, Tobruk and Misrata - and anti-Gaddafi graffiti adorns the walls of several cities.

The Warfala tribe, one of Libya's biggest tribes, has reportedly joined the anti-Gaddafi protests.

A group of six alleged mercenaries - reportedly brought in from Tunisia and other African nations to bolster pro-Gaddafi forces - were captured and arrested by demonstrators in the city of Shahat.

Appeal for calm

Against this backdrop of violence, opposition groups said some 50 Libyan Muslim leaders have urged security forces to stop killing civilians.

"This is an urgent appeal from religious scholars, intellectuals, and clan elders from Tripoli, Bani Walid, Zintan, Jadu, Msalata, Misrata, Zawiah, and other towns and villages of the western area," the appeal, signed by the group of leaders, stated.

"We appeal to every Muslim, within the regime or assisting it in any way, to recognise that the killing of innocent human beings is forbidden by our Creator and by His beloved prophet of compassion, peace be upon him ... Do not kill your brothers and sisters. Stop the massacre now!"

Around the world, people have been gathering in solidarity with the protesters at Libyan consulates and at the White House in Washington, DC, the US capital.

Libya's government has responded to the international criticism by threatening retaliation against the European Union. It said on Sunday that it would stop co-operating with efforts to try and stop illegal migrants heading to Europe.

Verifying news from Libya has been difficult since the protests began, because of restrictions on journalists entering the country, as well as internet and mobile phone blackouts imposed by the government.

The Libyan government has blocked Al Jazeera's TV signal in the country - and residents have also reported that the network's website is inaccessible from there.

This affects viewers on Arabsat and Nilesat at 26 degrees east and 7 degrees west, where alternative frequencies have now been set up.

A spokesman for the network said whoever was causing the interference must be using large outstations to simultaneously interfere with several platforms on the two orbital positions of Arabsat and Nilesat.

"We have set up alternative frequencies for viewers and are investigating the source of the problem, though cooperation would be needed from governments to precisely determine this," said the network.

"We believe that whoever is doing this is operating with sophisticated and large equipment."

In addition to TV signal jamming, internet service has been cut, said a US company that monitors web traffic.

Massachusetts-based Arbor Networks said data collected from 30 internet service providers worldwide showed that online traffic in and out of Libya was disconnected abruptly at 2:15am local time on Saturday. The data also showed two partial service interruptions earlier in the day.

As of Sunday, it was still possible to reach Libyans by phone, and some in Tripoli had internet access.

There are also unconfirmed reports that Gaddafi has fled the country for Libya.

[frigidmagi]

Holy Fuck Gaddafi

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has refused to stand down amid widespread anti-government protests which he said had tarnished the image of the country.

In his first major speech since unrest began last week, Col Gaddafi said the whole world looked up to Libya and that protests were "serving the devil".

Reading from the country's constitution, he said enemies of Libya would be executed.

Rights groups say nearly 300 have been killed in the violence so far.

A defiant and angry Col Gaddafi said that he had brought glory to Libya. As he had no official position from which to resign, he would remain the head of the revolution, he said.

He blamed the unrest on "cowards and traitors" who were seeking to portray Libya as a place of chaos and to "humiliate" Libyans. At other points he referred to the protesters as cockroaches or rats and mercenaries.

State TV had said Col Gaddafi was going to announce "major reforms" in his speech, but the only such reference was to some devolution of power to local authorities.
Civil war threat

The protesters had been given drink and drugs, he said, frequently shouting and banging his fist on the table as the address continued.

They represented less than 1% of Libya's population he said, urging people to arrest them and hand them over to the security forces.

He called on "those who love Muammar Gaddafi" to come on to the streets in support of him, telling them not to be afraid of the "gangs".

"Come out of your homes, attack them in their dens. Withdraw your children from the streets. They are drugging your children, they are making your children drunk and sending them to hell," he said.

He urged young people to form committees "for the defence of the revolution and the defence of Gaddafi". He said they would "cleanse Libya house by house".

"If matters require, we will use force, according to international law and the Libyan constitution," he said, and warned that the country could descend into civil war or be occupied by the US if protests continued.

Anyone who played games with the country's unity would be executed, he said, referring to the Chinese authorities' crushing of the student protests in Tiananmen Square among other historical events.

He also railed against western countries, in particular the United States and Britain, which he accused of trying to destabilise Libya.
Evacuations

It was unclear whether the speech, which lasted about an hour, was live or had been pre-recorded.

But it was apparently filmed at his Bab al-Azizia barracks in Tripoli, which still shows damage from a US bombing in 1986. The cameras occasionally cut away to an image of a giant fist crushing a US war plane.
Continue reading the main story
Mid-East unrest: Libya
Map

* Col Muammar Gaddafi has led since 1969
* Population 6.5m; land area 1.77m sq km, much of it desert
* Population with median age of 24.2, and a literacy rate of 88%
* Gross national income per head: $12,020 (World Bank 2009)

* Country profile: Libya
* Stock markets fall on Libya fears
* Middle East protests: Country by country

The BBC's Frank Gardner said Col Gaddafi appears to be completely divorced from reality, as if he has been living inside a bubble for the 40 years of his rule.

The Libyan leader said he had not authorised the army to use force, despite opposition statements that more than 500 people have been killed and more than 1,000 are missing - an indication that he was either not aware of the deaths or was deluded, says our correspondent.

The Libyan authorities have reacted fiercely to the outbreak of protests in the country, which have come amid anti-government unrest in many other countries in the region.

Foreign journalists work under tight restriction in Libya, and much of the information coming from the country is impossible to verify.

But witnesses say foreign mercenaries have been attacking civilians in the streets and that fighter planes have been shooting down protesters.
'Deliriously happy'

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in eastern Libya, said the region appears to be wholly under opposition control and people are deliriously happy.

Many of the army and police have defected and have been accepted by the opposition.

Local people said the government there had collapsed on Thursday after the first protests. They believe the only people now supporting Col Gaddafi are foreign fighters in the country.

Our correspondent says there is now little doubt that Col Gaddafi's rule is finished, but the only question of how long it takes and how bloody the end will be.

Tens of thousands of foreigners are trying to leave the country and many oil companies are attempting to remove their expatriate staff.

There is a heavy police presence in the capital, but the second city, Benghazi - where there has been intense fighting - is now reported to be under opposition control.

Many Libyan diplomats, including the country's ambassador to the US, have turned their backs on Col Gaddafi and are urging the international community to take action.

The UN Security Council and Arab League have both called emergency meetings over the crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he is "outraged" by the violence

Human Rights Watch said at least 62 bodies had been taken to hospital morgues in Tripoli since Sunday, in addition to the 233 people it said had been killed outside the capital previously.

The violence has helped to push up oil prices to their highest levels since the global financial crisis of 2008.

Let's review, Gaddafi has declared he will fight house to house to retake and hold Libya. Meanwhile over in the east, chunks of the army have defected and the opposition is in control. This is a for real civil war now.

The opposition cannot back down, if they do they are all dead men and women. Gaddafi has just declared he will not back down, in grand tradition he has decided royality (metaphorically speaking here) makes the best burial shroud.

The death toll is gonna climb folks.

[The Minx]

Gaddafi seems pretty unhinged in that speech. I guess it's not that surprising, considering the situation, and he's been in power for 40 years and not had to deal with this kind of thing before.


The UNSC reacts to the Libyan government response to the protests:

Link

The UN Security Council has condemned the Libyan authorities for using force against protesters, calling for those responsible to be held to account.

In a statement, the council demanded an immediate end to the violence and said Libya's rulers had to "address the legitimate demands of the population".

At least 300 people have been killed so far in the uprising.

Earlier, Col Muammar Gaddafi urged his supporters to attack the "cockroaches" and "rats" protesting against his rule.

Anyone who took up arms against Libya would be executed, he warned.

Interior Minister Abdel Fattah Younes al-Abidi - who is considered Col Gaddafi's number two - later resigned and called on the armed forces to "join and heed the people's demands".

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in eastern Libya, says people there reacted with anger and derision to Col Gaddafi's speech.

They fear the veteran leader is out to destroy the country before he is finally deposed.

Our correspondent says that the belief in Libya is that government control is down to a few strongholds, including parts of the capital Tripoli and the southern city of Sabha; but Col Gaddafi is clearly not going to give up the fight.

The UN Security Council's statement came after a day of debate on the uprising in Libya, amid reports foreign mercenaries had been attacking civilians and warplanes bombing protesters.

The council's 15 members said the Libyan government should "meet its responsibility to protect its population", act with restraint, and respect human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Libyan authorities should also hold accountable those people responsible for attacking civilians, and respect the rights of its citizens to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and press freedom, they added.

British ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the statement was "extremely strong", and indicated further measures were likely in the coming days.
'Secure the streets'

Libya's deputy permanent representative to the UN in New York, Ibrahim Dabbashi, who on Monday called on Col Gaddafi to step down, said the council's statement was "not strong enough", but still "a good message to the regime in Libya about stopping the bloodshed".

But his superior, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Shalqam, distanced himself from the remarks, calling Libya's ruler "my friend".

The Arab League also condemned the "crimes" in Libya and said it would bar the country from League meetings.

Human Rights Watch says 300 people have died in the violence so far. Libya's interior ministry confirmed that figure, saying it was made up of 189 civilians and 111 soldiers.

During a rambling 75-minute speech broadcast on state TV on Tuesday, Col Gaddafi vowed to crush the revolt.

Standing outside the Bab al-Aziza barracks in Tripoli, damaged by a US air strike in 1986, he vowed: "I am not going to leave this land. I will die here as a martyr. I shall remain here defiant."

He also called on his supporters to "cleanse Libya house by house" until the protesters surrendered.

"All of you who love Muammar Gaddafi, go out on the streets, secure the streets, don't be afraid of them. Chase them, arrest them, hand them over," he said.

He portrayed the protesters as misguided youths who had been given drugs and money by a "small, sick group", and blamed "bearded men" - a reference to Islamists - and Libyans living abroad for fomenting the violence.

"The hour of work is here, the hour of onslaught is here, the hour of victory is here. No retreat, forward, forward, forward. Revolution, revolution," he shouted at the end of the speech, pumping both fists in the air.

Shortly after the speech, a BBC correspondent in Tripoli heard the sound of guns being fired, apparently into the air. She said fireworks were also set off and cars drove through the city at high speed, their horns blaring.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Col Gaddafi's speech was "very, very appalling" and "amounted to him declaring war on his own people".

In New York, Mr Dabbashi said he had received information that the Libyan leader's supporters had started attacking people in all western cities.

"The Gaddafi statement was just code for his collaborators to start the genocide against the Libyan people. It just started a few hours ago. I hope the information I get is not accurate but if it is, it will be a real genocide," he told reporters.

[The Cleric]

If Gaddafi was eliminated, how would the rest of the government respond?

[frigidmagi]

He's been in charge for 40 years and has built no real institutions. Without him or someone comparable (as far has I know there is no one with his pull) the government collapses. Governments like Gaddafi's are very much like feudal monarchies, without the monarch there isn't a government.

[The Minx]

I'm thinking of what happened in Iraq, and am hoping that it won't happen again in Libya too: he's already arming some tribes to fight the revolution, and he stayed in power by playing them off against each other in the first place.

[frigidmagi]

Current Map

Arabs Want to Impose No Fly Zone

The Arab League has said it may impose a "no fly" zone on Libya in co-ordination with the African Union if fighting continues in Libya.

Wednesday’s Arab League ministers' meeting in Cairo rejected any direct outside military intervention in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi is trying to put down a revolt threatening his four decades in power. They reiterated their condemnation of his use of force.

The Arab resolution called on the Libyan government to respond to the "legitimate demands of the Libyan people" and to stop bloodshed. The Libyan authorities must lift restrictions on media and mobile networks and allow the delivery of aid.

The Arab League demanded "the preservation of the unity of Libyan lands and civil peace" -- similar to the language it used in the run-up to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Libya suspension

Their resolution confirmed Libya's suspension from the organisation until it responded to demands such as allowing freedom of expression.

"The situation in Libya is sorrowful and it is not correct that we accept it or live with it," said Amr Moussa, the League's secretary general, speaking at the opening session.

"The Arab League will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of the brotherly Libyan people is spilt," Moussa said.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reporting from Egypt's capital, said: "At this stage, all the Arab League is going to consider or at least study with the member states of the African Union, the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. That obviously depends on a great deal of military capabilities and more importantly what type of fly zone is going to be imposed.

"When I was speaking to an official at the Arab League, he said that imposing a no-fly zone may be detrimental to air traffic over Libya and may not provide the kind of cover that is needed to protect the civilian population.

The Arab League has suspended the membership of Muammar Gaddafi's government in protest at its crackdown on protesters who have risen up against his rule.

[SirNitram]

There's alot of talk here in the US about a no-fly zone, but the biggest problem is that there's air defense, and thus the West would have to launch attacks into a terrifyingly unstable nation, with the usual problems with trying airstrikes. Likely into populated areas.

[frigidmagi]

Libya's air defenses date from the 1970s and 80s and as far as I know have never been updated. Additionally, Reagan proved in the 80s that those air defenses were inadequate.

This would actually be a good job for the F-22 I think, slipping into hostile air and shooting things down without being seen or launching strikes on those SAM sites to clear the way for older jets.

[frigidmagi]

Yahoo

At least thirty people have been killed and up to 50 injured after the army opened fire on protesters in the Libyan city of Zawiyah, residents have reported

The attack happened during a demonstration involving several thousand people, most unarmed, who were calling for Colonel Gaddafi to quit.

The western port city, which is about 30 miles from the capital Tripoli, was surrounded by the dictator's security forces.

It is thought pro-Gaddafi forces opened fire on protesters who had gathered on the streets after the shooting of a rebel commander.

Meanwhile in the east, rebels said at least four people were killed in clashes with pro-regime forces near the oil town of Ras Lanuf.

Opposition groups fired a barrage of mortar bombs and rockets at a military base and the army returned fire with artillery, reports said.

Rebel sources claimed they had taken the airport in the town, which lies on a strategic coastal road.

In Zawiyah, as the anti-government protesters made their way towards the military lines on the outskirts of the city, the army opened fire.

Many people ran away and they were shot as they fled.

There were then frantic calls for ambulances which were shot at as they arrived at the scene.

The injuries were all at the head, neck and chest. There was a feeling that there was a deliberate attempt to kill the protesters, not to just frighten them.

There did not seem to be much firing over the heads of the demonstrators, or any attempt to scare them away.

Earlier in the day, at least 10 anti-regime fighters were reportedly killed as the dictator's forces tried to regain control of the city.

A rebel told Sky News opposition forces were surrounded on all sides.

The unnamed man said: "Gaddafi's troops have entered now and they've heavily attacked us. Ten of our people have died."

He said there were at least 200 troops, some of whom were armed with rocket-propelled grenades.

He added: "We're surrounded from all sides. We can't move anywhere. We're fighting until the last man standing."

His comments were echoed by ex-justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of Libya's rebel National Libyan Council, who vowed: "Victory or death."

He told crowds in Al Bayda: "We are people who fight, we don't surrender. Victory or death. We will not stop till we liberate all this country. The time of hypocrisy is over. Gaddafi must go."

Another resident in Zawiyah said an estimated 2,000 troops had positioned themselves to the south of the city with 80 armoured vehicles headed there from the east.

Meanwhile, in Tripoli's Tajoura district, loyalists fired at least five tear gas canisters at the crowd of around 1,500 protesters who were demanding an end to Col Gaddafi's rule, reports said.

Gunshots were also heard. A journalist said: "They fired teargas. I heard shooting. People are scattering."

In Ajdabiyah in the east, Col Gaddafi's air force reportedly carried out a second day of airstrikes as he tries to quash the uprising.

A warplane struck just outside the perimeter of the rebel-held Haniyeh base which stores large amounts of ammunition, but did not hit it, rebels said.

There have also been reports the key oil town of Brega was bombed for a third day.

Col Gaddafi's son Saif told Sky News that air raids were designed only to intimidate the rebels rather than cause deaths.

Brega has seen violent clashes between pro and anti-Gaddafi forces. It is believed a man from Manchester may have been killed there.

Opposition groups have called for a no-fly zone in Libya to prevent air assaults by pro-regime forces.

And they say they will only talk to the government if Col Gaddafi resigns or goes into exile.

Western nations have urged the dictator to quit and are considering various options, but they are wary of any military action which may further destabilise the country.

Aid agencies say help is desperately needed inside Libya - but efforts to provide assistance are being blocked by Col Gaddafi's government.

[frigidmagi]

MSNBC

After a battle in which at least 30 civilians were killed Friday, forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had cornered rebels and claimed to have retaken a key city near the capital.

The rebels, for their part, claimed to have taken Ras Lanouf, a key oil port, while hundreds rallied in the capital Tripoli against Gadhafi. Live ammunition and tear gas were fired to break up the protest, witnesses said.

Friday's assault on Zawiya, about 30 miles west of Tripoli, appeared to be the strongest yet by Gadhafi's forces after repeated earlier forays against it were beaten back.

An improvised force of rebels had been pushed back to the central Martyrs Square in Zawiya, a rebel spokesman said. "Many people were killed in Harsha, which is now occupied by them," rebel spokesman Youssef Shagan told Reuters by phone, referring to a small town outside Zawiya.
"They shot at civilians. We still control (Zawiya's) central square," he added. "They are four to five kilometres away."

In the morning, troops from the elite Khamis Brigade — named after the son of Gadhafi who commands it — bombarded the city's western edges with mortars, heavy machine guns, tanks and anti-aircraft guns, several residents said.

By the evening, they had also opened a front on the eastern side. Armed Zawiya residents backed by allied army units were fighting back.

"I have been to hospital less than 15 minutes ago," a Zawiya resident identified only as Mohamed told Reuters by telephone. "Dozens were killed and more were wounded. We have counted 30 dead civilians. The hospital was full. They could not find space for the casualties."

Mohamed said the Gadhafi forces used grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and snipers on the rooftop of a new hotel in the town to fire at protesters while they marched after Friday prayers to demand the fall of the regime.

"People used swords and hunting rifles to defend Martyrs Square. Even mothers used those weapons," he added.

The account could not be independently verified and reports of the death toll in the clash varied widely, with the Associated Press quoting a witness at Zawiya's hospital as saying 18 people had been killed and 120 wounded. Another resident told Reuters that between 40 and 50 people were killed in the clashes.

The commander of the rebel forces in Zawiya — Hussein Darbouk — was among those killed, Alaa al-Zawi, an activist in the city, told the AP. Darbouk, a n army colonel who defected along with other troops in Zawiya early on in the uprising, was shot to death by fire from an anti-aircraft gun, he said.

State-run TV and a source "close to the government" cited by al-Jazeera reported that the city had been retaken by pro-Gadhafi forces. But other accounts indicated control of Zawiya was divided between the rebels and security forces.

East of Tripoli, meanwhile, anti-Gadhafi rebels were on the offensive, attacking a military base on the outskirts of Ras Lanouf, a small oil port on the Mediterranean, about 380 miles from Tripoli.

Rebels attacked Ras Lanouf on Friday afternoon, feeling flush with victory after repelling Gadhafi forces who attacked them days earlier at Brega, a larger oil facility just to the east. Fighters armed with Kalashnikovs and heavy machine guns were seen streaming in pickup trucks and other vehicles from Brega heading in the direction of Ras Lanouf.

They battled with about 3,000 pro-Gadhafi troops, mainly around the facility's airstrip, said a resident of the town. She reported heavy explosions starting around 4 p.m.

Also Friday, forces loyal to Gadhafi fired tear gas at protesterswho marched in Tripoli, calling for the Libyan leader's ouster in defiance of a fierce crackdown by regime supporters in the capital.

More than 1,500 protesters marched out of the Murad Agha mosque after noon prayers in the eastern Tripoli district of Tajoura, chanting "the people want to bring the regime down" and waving the red, black and green flag of Libya's pre-Gadhafi monarchy, adopted as the banner of the uprising.
The protesters transformed a nearby square, tearing down posters of the Libyan leader and replacing them with the flags. They spray-painted walls with graffiti reading, "Down with Gadhafi" and "Tajoura will dig your grave."

But soon after the march began, security forces fired tear gas at the crowd, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. The protesters scattered, but regrouped to continue their march. Then security forces fired live ammunition, scattering the protesters again — though it was not immediately clear if they fired in the air or at people.
Al Jazeera reported that up to 100 people had been arrested in Tripoli, accused of helping the rebels.

Similar protests a week ago were met by a brutal crackdown, when militiamen opened fire on demonstrators moments after they began their marches, killing a still unknown number. Since then, pro-Gadhafi forces have carried out a wave of arrests against suspected demonstrators, snatching some from their homes in nighttime raids.

Libyan authorities briefly barred many foreign journalists from leaving their hotel in Tripoli, claiming it was for their protection because they had information "al-Qaida elements" plan to open fire on police to spark clashes. They later allowed them to go out in Tripoli.

"I am not afraid," said one 29-year-old man among the protesters. He said in the protests a week ago one of his relatives was shot to death — not by militias, he said, but by a pro-Gadhafi infiltrator among the demonstrations.

"There are many spies among us. But we want to show the world that we are not afraid" he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation.

Control of the capital is crucial to the Libyan leader, since it remains his strongest remaining bastion amid the uprising that began on Feb. 15 and has broken the entire eastern half of Libya out of his control.

Both sides are basically expanding their area of control here. Gaddif is securing the region around Libya while the rebels are pushing into the west. The fact that the rebels were able to launch a successful offensive even on a small scale is encouraging as it means they are organizing the various volunteers they have and getting them up to speed. On the flip side by the time they get to the Tripoli region, Gaddif will have had plenty of time to dig in.

[frigidmagi]

* Tanks fire on rebels outside oil port Ras Lanuf

* Libyan warplanes bomb oil town Brega

* EU tightens Libya sanctions, NATO delays any "no-fly zone"

* Libyan army siege seeks to starve out rebels in Zawiyah

(recasts with Saif al-Islam interview, changes dateline)

By Michael Georgy and Maria Golovnina

TRIPOLI, March 10 (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is ready to unleash the full might of his forces to crush a three-week-old insurrection, his son said on Thursday as warplanes and tanks struck at the country's rebel-controlled east.

"It's time for liberation. It's time for action. We are moving now," Saif al-Islam told Reuters in an interview. "Time is out now...we gave them two weeks (for negotiations)."

As he spoke, Gaddafi's forces intensified their counter-attack on the insurgent heartland, bombarding rebel positions in the oil port of Ras Lanuf. Warplanes also hit Brega, another rebel-held oil hub further east.

State television said the army had driven the rebels out of Ras Lanuf, just behind their frontline but the rebels denied it.

Gaddafi forces and rebels were locked in street fighting in the western town of Zawiya, close to Tripoli, which has changed hands several times in recent days. Residents described scenes of carnage, with woman and children among the dead.

With momentum appearing to turn against the rebels, who had initially hoped to charge up the coast and into the capital Tripoli, foreign governments held more meetings where they again called for Gaddafi to surrender.

But they came no closer to deciding on action to rein him in. The United States and NATO's head expressed doubt over the wisdom of imposing "no-fly zones" without full international backing and a legal justification.

In a further dent to rebel morale, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in Washington that Gaddafi was "in this for the long haul" and was likely to prevail.

Reuters

I know Obama wants to avoid looking like Jr but this is getting obscene. If no one else is willing to make the 1st big move, then we should. Send in the jets, if nothing else when we strip out the anti-air defenses and blow apart the armored columns it should even things out a little.

[frigidmagi]

CSM

[quote]Muammar Qaddafi’s forces started a sustained aerial barrage on the eastern Libyan town of Ajdabiya today, sparking a panicked retreat of rebel militiamen and civilian families from a city that rebel leaders had insisted was their line in the sand.

Rocket fire and air strikes repeatedly hit the densely packed town of 100,000. “The rockets destroyed two houses on my block,â€

[frigidmagi]

NPR

Moammar Gadhafi's forces intensified offensives in the east and the west Wednesday with relentless shelling aimed at routing holdout rebels and retaking control of the country he has ruled with an iron fist for more than four decades.

As Gadhafi's forces advanced on their eastern stronghold, the rebels lashed out at the West for failing to come to their aid.

"People are fed up. They are waiting impatiently for an international move," said Saadoun al-Misrati, a rebel spokesman in the city of Misrata, the last rebel-held city in the west, which came under heavy shelling Wednesday.

"What Gadhafi is doing, he is exploiting delays by international community. People are very angry that no action is being taken against Gadhafi's weaponry."

An international diplomatic push to create a no-fly zone to prevent Gadhafi from bombing civilians has so far failed, although French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Wednesday that several unspecified Arab countries have pledged to participate in possible military action in Libya.

Residents fled the strategic city of Ajdabiya, 480 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli, as a bombardment continued for a second day and a breakdown in rebel defenses threatened to open the gateway to the long stretch of eastern Libya that has been in the control of the opposition throughout the monthlong uprising.

Rebels braced for a possible attack on the next major city in the east, Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and the birthplace of the monthlong rebellion, which began with protests in the city by opposition activists emboldened by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Gadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, warned the rebels the regime was closing in on them and urged them to leave the country.

"We don't want to kill, we don't want revenge, but you, traitors, mercenaries, you have committed crimes against the Libyan people: leave, go in peace to Egypt," he said in an interview with Lyon, France-based EuroNews television. "Military operations are over. Within 48 hours everything will be finished. Our forces are almost in Benghazi. Whatever the decision, it will be too late."

Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman, said rebels in Benghazi would be ready for an attack.

"A large percentage of Benghazi's population is armed. Can Gadhafi bomb the city? Sure he can. Can he go in? I don't think so," he told The Associated Press. "Also, I think it is too far for his supply lines."

Gheriani said anti-aircraft equipment has been deployed, and the army mobilized, although he didn't know where. There have been few signs in recent days of the rebels digging in defensive preparations on the city's outskirts.

An activist hiding out in the city said the rebels were lightly armed but managed to ambush a group of regime troops marching into the city on foot late Tuesday, but the victory was short lived. Artillery shelling was ongoing, he said.

"The rebels set a trap and managed to take over four tanks, but now I see none of them," Abdel-Bari Zwei said when reached by telephone. "Ajdabiya is witnessing unprecedented destruction. This is the end of the city."

Residents in Ajdabiya fled either to tents set up outside the city or 140 miles (200 kilometers) northeast to Benghazi.

"The shelling hasn't stopped since last night. The residential areas are under attack," Zwei said, adding that the hospital had been overwhelmed and many of the injured had to be taken to Benghazi.

The city was besieged from the west, where Gadhafi's brigades were deployed from his stronghold of Sirte, and from the north with a warship in the Mediterranean Sea.

"The city is sealed off from the south, from the west and the northern Zwitina port by a warship," he said.

Libyan state television aired calls for the opposition to stop fighting, apparently hoping to sway populations in the east away from support of the rebels.

Ajdabiya has been a key supply point for the rebellion, with ammunition and weapons depots. Until now, the Gadhafi forces' offensive toward the east has battled over two oil ports on the Mediterranean Sea, and Ajdabiya is the first heavily populated city in the area they have tried to retake.

Its loss was a major setback to the rebels, who less than two weeks ago were poised to march on Tripoli, the capital, and had appeared capable of sweeping Gadhafi out of power, inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. But the regime's better armed and organized military has reversed the tide.

Oil prices rose to above $98 a barrel Wednesday in Asia as fears that clashes in Libya and the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain could further disrupt crude supplies outweighed concern Japan's disaster will crimp demand.

Gadhafi's forces also launched an attack on Misrata — which for days has been under a punishing blockade, its population running out of supplies. The barrage came a day after the government recaptured the last rebel-held city west of Tripoli, solidifying his control over the coastline from the capital to the Tunisian border.

"There is coordinated shelling by Gadhafi's brigades firing artillery and machine guns from three different city entrances," rebel spokesman Saadoun al-Misrati said, speaking by satellite phone.

He said the shelling began at 7 a.m. and regular telephone lines had been cut.

France was pushing for rapid action as supporters of a no-fly zone over Libya worked to persuade Russia, Germany and other reluctant members of the U.N. Security Council to back a resolution aimed at stopping Gadhafi's planes from bombing civilians.

The French foreign minister wrote on his blog Wednesday that France and Britain have sought targeted air strikes for two weeks and said two conditions are necessary: a Security Council mandate for such force and "effective" participation by Arab states. "Several Arab countries assured us that they will participate," Juppe wrote, without elaborating.

It is increasingly likely that we will see a no fly zone established just as Benghazi falls. Great job guys.