The neverending story
In his post Benghazi Now!!!!! my blogging friend PH writes about the escalating violence in Libya.
He wishes his post to be spread to embarrass the western governments.
Well, I doubt they’ll need our help for that.
Such a short time since the conference here in Germany at which they all announced that they should also consider ethical factors in their dealings with foreign leaders.
This month it was, to be precise.
And today?
Gaddafi celebrated himself on state tv with pictures from a pro government rally in Tripoli a few days ago. What has been happening elsewhere, like in Benghazi, has only been available on Youtube. The foreign press has been forced to leave the country.
Now the internet has been cut.
Still, some people manage to upload cell phone videos or give accounts of what’s going on to foreign tv stations via telephone. This of course means that no news from Libya can be independently verified, but the accounts - sadly - seem to be genuine enough.
In one word: slaughter.
So.
Does our chancellor condemn Gaddafi and demand that he stop the violence? No, if course not. Ever since he has distanced himself from terrorism we can finally get at his oil again he’s been our friend.
The same pathetic wishy-washy statements we got while protesters were being attacked in Egypt.
Let’s not say anything that might offend Gaddafi, after all we’ll still want the oil if he manages to kill and frighten off all the protesters.
So, PH, there’s nothing more we can do to make those western politicians look any worse than they are already managing on their own.
Meanwhile things also appear to be rather tense in Bahrain. Since the camp of the protesters in Pearl Roundabout has been removed by force, protesters seem to have chosen a hospital as their rallying point. Al Jazeera has been talking to overwhelmed doctors in that hospital in the capital city Manama. There has also been footage of doctors breaking down under the continuing strain of treating so many people.
It remains to be seen what the latest news that the military was ordered off the streets will mean.
Edit: Riot police seems to have been ordered off from guarding Pearl Roundabout as well. The last few police officers were chased off by protesters “armed” with flowers. The roundabout has been reclaimed by the protesters.
February 20th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/17/live-blog-libya
Al Jazeera has a live blog.
February 20th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
That they do.
February 20th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Thanks Mel and Thanks Frans ( Aljazera is blocked here so I couldn’t post there ).
http://anarabscontemplations.blogspot.com/2011/02/live-from-libya-now.html
February 20th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Wait, what?! You’re in Libya at the moment?! Aaaaarrrrrrr!
Pleeeeease be careful!
That Al Jazeera blog Frans mentioned is a blog regularly updated with the latest news from Libya by Al Jazeera staff. But as you can’t get Al Jazeera you couldn’t know that.
February 20th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Mahmood is in Bahrain.
February 20th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
I can’t comment on your blog, PH, cos Blogspot doesn’t care that Open ID isn’t working properly, so I’ll post it here.
According to Al Jazeera, it should be possible to get them in Libya if you adjust your settings to the following:
Nilesat 7W :
Frequency: 12015 Vertical
FEC: 5/6
Symbol rate: 27500
or
Hotbird 13E:
Frequency: 11034 Vertical
FEC: 3/4
Symbol rate: 27500
So in case you wanna watch some independent news….
February 20th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
I posted a link to PH’s blog at Zeyad’s.
February 20th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Thank you, Lynnette.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Confirmed from inside source : planes from sirt just left to bomb Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Bieda. flown by Foreign Fighters (Algierian mercenaries).
Please contact Benghazi and inform we can’t get to them ! Redistribute Everywhere ! Could be Chemical Weapons !
February 21st, 2011 at 8:29 pm
PH,
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Here is another Libyan blog with current updates.
February 21st, 2011 at 8:31 pm
PH, I don’t know if you have heard it over there - two of the fighter pilots who were sent to bomb Banghazi defected and landed in Malta.
The blog Lynnette linked to (thank you) reports on that as well.
Also, several Libyan diplomats around the world have resigned.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:00 pm
You’re welcome, Mel.
Someone is calling for an NFZ over Libya. I like that idea.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Gaddafi: Anyone who undermines the state will be punishable by death
Don’t be silly, they don’t want to undermine the state…they just want to undermine you.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:13 pm
I think Gaddafi is off playing with the fairies.
On Al Jazeera they repeatedly called his speech “in large parts incomprehensible”.
The only thing we can hope for now is for him and the remnants of his regime getting toppled quickly before the death toll rises even more.
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:42 pm
I listened to most of his son’s speech. He also sounded not quite all there. Very rambling and contradictory.
They are getting short of food and other commodities in some areas. You are right, one hopes that the house of cards falls quickly. Otherwise, the humanitarian crisis will become acute.
There is obviously a split within the regime itself. I take this as a good sign.
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I hope your friend is safe, Mel.
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:27 pm
I only now came online again since around noon today. Need to catch up…..
I’ve seen PH online on and off the past couple of days (and a few minutes ago as well). Never long enough to actually talk, but seeing him pop online for a few secs every once in a while is enough already I guess.
February 24th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
I can understand that it might be difficult for him to communicate regularly. But a life sign works.
Gaddafi seems to be playing the Bin Laden card in hopes of scaring off the West. Hopefully our governments will be smarter than that…
February 24th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Gaddafi seems to be playing the Bin Laden card in hopes of scaring off the West.
….. Or maybe he’s just barking mad….
February 25th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
….. Or maybe he’s just barking mad….
Well, that’s kind of a given.
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:18 am
So much has happened in Libya in the past month! Sadly, I think there is a lot more violence to come.
March 26th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
How is your friend, Mel?
March 26th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
@ David: Yeah, very likely.
@ Lynnette: 2 hours ago he was fine.
March 27th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Give him my best wishes for his, and his loved ones, safety during this crisis in his country.
December 4th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
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