Libya’s 2nd night of the U.N. mandate

Canada: 10pm EST, Sunday – Libya: 4am, Monday

This is the 2nd night for Libya to play host to a coalition who is enforcing a no-fly zone mandated by the United Nations. Saturday afternoon saw French jets bomb pro-Gaddafi elements outside of Benghazi. Saturday evening had America and British forces launch what is tallied as 110 Tomahawk missiles against various Gaddafi military installations around the country. And finally, Saturday night or Sunday morning around 2:30am, American stealth bombers apparently dropped ordinance on Tripoli’s military airport.

However, Saturday’s demonstration of power has not stopped Gaddafi. Speaking on state television, the Libyan leader has vowed to continue fighting promising the coalition a “long war”. Even on Sunday, loyalist forces continued to attack both Benghazi and Misrata. An American military spokesman said that the no-fly zone was in effect, but that has not deterred loyalist ground forces from continuing their assault on the opposition.

All the papers are reporting criticism of this first round of action in Libya. The Arab league which supported the implementation of the no-fly zone has turned around and spoken out against Saturday’s military operation saying the assaults went beyond what the league backed.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 has a number of points including the imposition of a no-fly zone but goes on to authorise all necessary means to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas, except for a foreign occupation force.

Gaddafi’s continued attacks on Benghazi and Misrata on Sunday would seem to indicate that Saturday’s actions were not enough.

Sunday, the Obama administration was manning the phones trying to do PR work about the military action saying it was within the scope of the U.N. mandate and a necessary action to implement a no-fly zone. It must be remembered that source of any reports of civilians being harmed or killed in coalition raids is coming from Gaddafi himself and no one has independently verified any of his claims.

News outlets have reported that at 7pm local time, the Gaddafi regime declared a ceasefire and the White House said it didn’t recognise such a declaration. Considering everything that has happened over the past few days, especially after the ceasefire declared by Gaddafi on Thursday evening, there is an issue of credibility on his part.

Both AFP and CNN have reported that a building which is part of Gaddafi’s compound was bombed. While Gaddafi may not be a target, his compound does have military capabilities and may be part of the coalition’s targeting of air defences.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tripoli is reporting a second night of coalition bombing runs. There has been more anti-aircraft tracer fire and the sound of explosions.

The no-fly zone is considered a success. It is reported that no Gaddafi war planes have flown in two days and coalition forces are in complete command of the skies over Libya. (Bloomberg)

Vice Admiral Bill Gortney told reporters at the Pentagon that Gaddafi himself is not considered a target in these operations. Video from Al Jazeera had shown anti-aircraft fire over Tripoli and witnesses said those guns are close to Gaddafi’s residence, but Gortney insisted only military installations are being targeted.

Britain’s Daily Mail has published an interesting article in which they say British intelligence has been contacting Colonel Gaddafi’s generals to warn them that remaining loyal to Gaddafi could prove to be fatal. The message? Defect or die. FYI: The Daily Mail article has some good pictures of the coalition action.

This “tactic” has been echoed elsewhere as other news sources have made mention of a possible plan to instigate a regime change from within. There has been talk of just what the coalition could do if a no-fly zone fails to stop Gaddafi. The U.N. resolution specifically states there will be no foreign troops on Libyan soil, however Sunday’s attacks on Benghazi and Misrata by loyalist forces show that Gaddafi still has teeth and if this continues, what else to do to stop him?

The Guardian: editorial – Mar 21/2011

This British newspaper lays out the problems this coalition force is going to be facing in the coming days. The U.N. resolution was backed by the Arab League with the specific goal of stopping the bloodshed of more civilians. However, such support did not envisage a full-scale assault on Gaddafi’s army. The newspaper asks, “What did it expect?”

The article is aptly titled “Shifting Sands” and this is going to be an accurate description of how others think what should be done and perceive what’s going on. Gaddafi has not thrown down his arms; he has declared he will fight until the end. What would anyone have in mind by voting for the U.N. resolution? The editorial ends with the open ended question about how this is going to end with the ominous comment, “It may not be pretty.”

Double standard seen in Arab response to Libya – LA Times – Mar 2

[The entire article demands to be read, but I present a few salient points below.]

…

The Arab League urged the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. Now, with French warplanes and U.S. Tomahawk missiles streaking across the North African sky, the league is criticizing the air assault as Arab kings and presidents confront decades-old ironies, religious animosities and fears they will be blamed for siding with Western imperialism.

…

[It] highlights the hypocrisy and dangers of Arab politics. The Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the Sunni-led nations of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, condemned Kadafi’s regime for killing dissidents even as Saudi troops assisted Bahraini security forces last week in a deadly crackdown against Shiite Muslim protesters.

“It’s a double standard,” said Mohammed Tajer, a lawyer defending detained protesters in Bahrain. “The Arab League consists of dictatorships that want to protect their own interests.”

…

Kadafi has drawn rebuke from Cairo to Dubai. Arab leaders have not been as harsh in criticizing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s attacks on protesters. More than 40 Yemeni demonstrators were shot and killed by security forces on Friday after weeks of spiraling unrest.

Bahrain’s violent response to protests underlines another issue roiling the Middle East: the sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shiites. The Arab world is dominated by Sunni regimes, including Bahrain’s, which was startled in February when the majority Shiite population rose up over discrimination and issued calls for reform. Protesters have complained that Arab governments have not condemned Bahrain’s tactics.

Euronews – Mar 20/2011

Arab League backtracks over no fly zone

At a meeting of the Arab League today, there were mixed reactions to the military action being taken to enforce the UN’s no fly zone established by resolution 1973. Amr Moussa, the Head of the Arab League expressed reservations: “We requested the Security Council to establish a no fly zone in order to protect the civilians in addition to safe areas for the civilians to sit in without attacks on them. But the military developments that happened today, I really have no reports as yet.”

ITN News – Mar 20/2011

New Libya ‘ceasefire’ as jets continue attacks

Libya has announced another ceasefire as the country braced itself for a second night’s bombardment by allied forces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbJW_cS74s

Al Jazeera – Mar 20/2011

Gaddafi condemns attack on his forces

The UN has imposed a no-fly zone on Libya and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have been hit in an airstrike. But the Libyan leader remains defiant and has called the air attacks by French, US and British forces a “cold war” on Islam. He says his regime has “opened the depots” and distributed weapons among the populace .

Russia Today – Mar 20/2011

After Airstrikes: Video of fighting aftermath in rebel-held city of Benghazi

US and European militaries blasted Moammar Gadhafi’s forces with airstrikes and over 100 cruise missiles early on Sunday, hitting air defences and at least two major air bases. In Benghazi, the rebel capital and first city to fall to the uprising that began on February 15, people said the strikes happened just in time. Libyan government tanks and troops on Saturday had reached the edges of the city in eastern Libya in fierce fighting that killed more than 120 people, according to a member of the rebel health committee in Benghazi.

CBS News – Mar 20/2011

Massive gunfire explodes over Tripoli

[Good lord. Did anybody get any sleep that night?]

CBS New RAW: Massive amounts of gunfire explodes, lighting up the night sky over Tripoli, Libya, on the first day of operation “Odyssey Dawn.”

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