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Libyan Violence and Instability
by Stephen Lendman
On January 3, Middle East Online contributor Jay Deshnukh headlined, “Ex-rebels’ war for money, power: Fierce clashes erupt in Tripoli,” saying:
In central Tripoli, fighting claimed two lives as “former rebels from….Misurata clashed with….ex-fighters from the Libyan capital, witnesses said.”
Heavy gunfire was exchanged in broad daylight “between Zawiyah and Al-Saidi streets near a” Gaddafi regime intelligence headquarters building.
Neighborhood sections were “surrounded by hundreds of (heavily armed) rebels.”
Throughout Tripoli, militia brigades control former government buildings. Their presence challenges Western-installed Transitional National Council (NTC) figures. Abdul Hakim Belhadj led them until he left to join Syrian insurgents.
On January 4, Pravda.ru contributor Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey headlined, “Libya latest news: Chaos,” saying:
Major media scoundrels are largely silent about ongoing violence and conflict. “Credible sources” report “utter chaos.” Rebel faction clashes continue. Internal dissension affects TNC unity. Libya’s in disarray.
In December, rebel groups clashed in Tripoli and at Mitiga air base. Misurata and Benghazi skirmishes erupted. Bani Walid tribes headed for Tripoli. “Strong fights among groups of terrorists and Libyan Green Resistance (Jamahiriya forces)” continue.
Zintan militia fighters and Green Resistance elements battled “Al Qaeda Bel Haj militia….” They hold Saif al-Islam Gaddafi captive. They won’t release him to International Criminal Court (ICC) custody because it has no jurisdiction in Libya.
“Racist NTC/NATO terrorist forces destroy(ed) a Taourga cemetery.” Green flags fly “everywhere” in Al-Zawiyah. They’re also visible throughout Sabha, Gharyan, Tarhouna, and Ghadames.
“NATO knows that the people of Libya do not accept their criminal terrorist forces as ‘Government.’ ” Green Resistance and Jamahiriya militia attacked insurgent terrorists.
On January 5, Algeria ISP headlined, “New Resistance green opposition,” saying:
Clashes erupted in Tripoli’s El Islami district. Warchfana resistance fighters contested Misurata rebels. “At Mazda, the fighters of the Liberation Army of Libya destroyed the headquarters of the local” NTC council.
Misurata rebels shelled Zliten with “heavy artillery.” Resistance fighters defend the city.
On January 4, New York Times writer David Goodman headlined, “Libyan Leader Says Militia Clashes Could Create Civil War,” saying:
Western-installed TNC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil “bluntly warned late Tuesday that the government faced ‘bitter options’ as it struggled to rein in thousands of fighters who joined regional militias” during months of fighting.
Many now remain in Tripoli. They won’t disarm and claim interests to protect. Clashes across Libya continue.
In January, South Africa’s UN ambassador Baso Sangqu, serving as rotating Security Council president, wants Libyan human rights abuses investigated, including NATO ones.
“They were supposed to be precision strikes,” he said, “but it was clear that those were not that precise.”
NATO lied saying it operated carefully. In fact, civilians were willfully targeted. Massacres occurred. Well over 100,000 died, and multiples more were injured, many seriously.
Depleted and enriched uranium weapons were used. So were other terror ones. The overall toll of death and destruction was horrendous.
“A recent on-the-ground examination by The New York Times of airstrike sites found credible evidence of dozens of civilians killed.”
In fact, many thousands died. Times correspondents ignored them during fighting, even though they witnessed after actions results.
Moreover, before NATO intervened, Libyans enjoyed peace and prosperity. Jamahiriya benefits are gone. They’re resisting to restore them. As a result, protracted struggle continues to end TNC rule, occupation and rebel rat infestations.
In addition, thousands of Gaddafi loyalists are detained. At least, 7,000 are incarcerated under horrific conditions. However, according to the Committee for Justice for the Disappeared, militia forces secretly hold over 35,000.
Suspected Gaddafi loyalists are targeted, abducted, and either killed or imprisoned. TNC officials and NATO aren’t stopping them. As a result, tribes are arming in self-defense. What’s ahead isn’t clear, but greater civil conflict is likely to restore Jamihiriya government.
Former French Foreign Minister Revelations
Former Foreign Minister Roland Dumas and anti-colonialist lawyer Jacques Verges‘ new book is titled, “Sarkozy Sous BHL.” It reveals French military crimes in Libya.
It holds Nicolas Sarkozy criminally responsible for bombing Libyan cities, including civilian targets, vital infrastructure, and cultural treasures.
It exposes NATO’s lie about precision bombing with few civilian casualties. It also discussed earlier French relations with Gaddafi, beginning in 1983.
As a parliamentary member, Dumas was sent secretly to establish good Libyan – French relations. In 1985, America intervened to convince France that Gaddafi had chemical weapons threatening Western interests.
For years, France objected to US aggression. Under Sarkozy, policy changed. Dumas said war was planned long before last February. Today, Syria and Iran are prime targets. Plans are in place to attack them.
Dumas, Verges, and other lawyers sued Sarkozy for war crimes. The case remains ongoing.
A Final Comment
On December 31, Mathaba headlined, “Muammar Gaddafi Voted As Human Rights Hero of the Year,” saying:
In an Amnesty International USA poll, Gaddafi leads others as voting continues. Until Washington and NATO blocked its approval, the UN Human Rights Council praised Gaddafi in its January 2011 “Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Libya Arab Jamahiriya.”
It said his government protected “not only political rights, but also economic, educational, social and cultural rights.” It also lauded his treatment of religious minorities, and “human rights training” of its security forces.
NATO’s killing machine destroyed 42 years of achievements, benefitting all Libyans. Gaddafi’s vision marked him for removal.
If Western nations matched him, imperial wars would end. So would homelessness, hunger and human deprivation. Instead, “new world order” imperialists want super-wealth and power solely for themselves.
Libya was one of many targets. Others will follow to extinguish freedom everywhere if they succeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US
Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. He is also the author of “How Wall Street Fleeces America“
The Progressive News Hour
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Guest: Rodney Shakespeare
Shakespeare is a Professor of Binary Economics at Trisakti University, Britain where he teaches postgraduate Islamic Economics and Finance.
He’s also a qualifed UK Barrister, co-founder of the Global Justice Movement, and distinguished writer, scholar and lecturer, particularly at Islamic conferences on money, the real economy, and social and economic justice.
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=176903
Posted by Stephen Lendman on Jan 7 2012, With 0 Reads, Filed under Civil Liberties and Freedom, Corruption, Government, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Let me get this right. Gaddafi was slaughtering his people. Its a fact not in dispute. His sons and many elements of his extended family had skimmed millions, and maybe even billions from the oil resources of the country. Then,in a revolution, there was an appeal for help to the international community for military assistance, as Gaddafi and his military again, were slaughtering civilians, that’s a fact. Most of the slaughtering it appears was done by non-Libyans, contract soldiers brought in by Gaddafi from all over Africa. That came to the attention of Nato and of course the US, as we are the muscle of Nato. And over a period of time we would support a no-fly zone and with some precision (but not always accurate), the army, navy and air force of Gaddafi was reduced and freedom fighters, or rebels from within, were victorious. Now, those same fighters, rebels, are fighting among themselves over the spoils of war, and somehow, and this is where its cloudy to me, somehow, this is Nato’s fault? And the reason it is Nato’s fault is? I would think that the fault lies in the inability of a country to throw off the yoke of one and go democratic. Democracy doesn’t work well in a tribal community. Seems one tribe feels that another tribe has more, or less. At the same time, the president of a country from one tribe can’t get others from another tribe to do anything. Its a simplistic view, but one I have.
Who are you and NATO to judge Gaddafi? What standing do you have? Who are you to pick and choose who should rule Libya? How is Libya any of your business in the first place?
Once you and NATO made the decision to intervene and to set forces in motion that were dormant or non-existent beforehand, then where do you stop?
You’ve turned Libya from a highly functional, albeit not perfect (but what country is?) society, into a failed state, and then you ask, how are the results – which were completely forseeable beforehand – NATO’s fault?
Well here’s some news for you Chump: the whole point of the NATO intervention was not “humanitarian intervention”, but destruction. The goal was to turn Libya into a failed state…run by criminals and political prostitutes who would sell out to the Empire. I hope that clears things up for you.
You got it harold. At least stephen and debbie don’t appear putting their heads in the sand about libya. I’m not sure about the rest of the VT writers, they seem to completely ignore the wanton destruction and the killing of thousands of innocents, the destruction of an entire nation caused by the very people they gripe about in other articles. He had help from zionists and whoever else have you. Ok, fine, I suppose if I was him I’d also get help from whomever I could and try to use whatever tool I had to work with.
So much of what people say about him has turned out to be a lie. This war was a lie. So how come VT doesn’t do more to expose these lies? Why didn’t VT expose them while these atrocities were happening instead of supporting what is tantamount to the murder of a nation? If “you” were there, it should have been easy to do. How can we trust you, when you could be a shill for the establishment you claim to be fighting against?
If he was there, lots of people would be alive and happy and kissing their children. Too bad things are f’d. Again. Congratulations.