Libya: Gaddafi desperate

Col. Gaddafi has blamed the revolt sweeping his country on Osama bin Laden. In a telephone call to state television on Thursday, the dictator appealed for calm while explaining how al Qaeda was behind the protests and that protesters were supposedly under the influence of drugs. The National Post quoted him as saying, “Their ages are 17. They give them pills at night; they put hallucinatory pills in their drinks, their milk, their coffee, their Nescafe.”

What does this latest appearance say about the 68-year-old leader? Some of his opponents are saying this indicates just how out of touch Gaddafi is. With much of the east of the country out of his control, with protests growing in the west including Tripoli, his position is more and more looking like the last stand of his 41 year dictatorship.

This morning, the Montreal Gazette is reporting that the Libyan coastal town of Zawiyah is now under the control of anti-government protesters bringing the popular uprising against Moammar Gadhafi within 50 km of the capital Tripoli. The newspaper is also reporting that Libyan state television has announced that the government is raising wages, increasing food subsidies and ordering special allowances for all families. While this is a deliberate move to gain the support of the population, is it too little too late? The per capita income of Libya is around $12,000 compared to Canada’s $40,000. This is a lot more than let’s say, Egypt $6,000 however with all the oil wealth in the country, one wonders just where all those oil revenues are going. According to Reuters, this country of 6.4 million people has an unemployment rate of 20%.

Friday afternoon

Protesters were making calls to demonstrate after prayers on Friday. Al Jazeera in their latest reports that loyalist forces are firing on demonstrators. Associated Press is saying there have been at least six killed.

ABC News is saying that in the capital of Tripoli, gunfire was reported as Gadhafi’s supporters on protesters who had assembled after Friday prayers. With rallies planned across the city, security cordons were set up at mosques and tanks and checkpoints lined the road to Tripoli’s airport.

Violence blanketed the capitol Tripoli Thursday night, as the walls of Gadhafi’s stronghold and regime appeared to be caving in. More videos emerged of Gadhafi’s forces firing on protesters from helicopter gunships and a fighter jet dropping bombs.

The BBC analyses some of the amateur videos shot in Libya. No one knows for sure the number of people killed, but there are fears the total could be in the thousands.

First Canadians fly out

A flight arranged by the federal government has apparently taken off from Tripoli with no Canadians on-board. The CBC is saying that the plane showed up but there were no Canadians at the airport. It could only stay on the ground for a short period of time and was obliged to leave. The flight has returned to Amman, Jordan. CTV is suggesting Canadians were unable to get to the airport; the situation between the city and the airport being volatile. If this is the case, does this spell trouble for anybody attempting to flee the country? CTV’s article went on to explain that Gadhafi loyalists are manning checkpoints and demanding either money or threatening people making for an unsafe situation.

A television report from Vancouver interviewed a mother whose son was in Tripoli. She explained that he is now in Madrid thanks to a Spanish flight. Obviously people are going to do anything possible to escape the unrest including hitching a ride with anybody who has room.

International Condemnation

While the criticism of Gaddafi is everywhere, the response by foreign governments remains ineffective in the short term. With estimates of the number of killed in the up-rising as low as 300 to as high as 1,000, any sanctions taken against Libya will do little or nothing in this very short term to stem the violence engulfing the country. Gaddafi’s son had earlier in the week spoke of the threat of civil war and one could easily argue that the threat has turned into a reality as anti-government protesters take over more of the country leaving the dictator isolated in his compound in Tripoli. Considering the momentum of the movement against Gaddafi, it is hard to imagine how this is going to stop.

Whatever happens, the desperation of Gaddafi’s last stand and its violent, murderous repression of the Libyan people, will never be tolerated in the long run by other countries. Gaddafi is sealing his fate with the rest of the world and will never again be allowed to sit at the same table with anyone. Nobody will ever again see him addressing the U.N. like he did on September 23, 2009.

United Nations

ABC News is reporting that a special session of The United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate reports of mass killings during Libyan protests. The council is possibly going to strip Libya of membership in order to signal other leaders that a violent crackdown on a country’s own citizens is intolerable. Over the long term, this seems like a good idea however for today, one would conclude this will do nothing to stop the violence being perpetrated by the mercenaries hired by Gaddafi in an attempt to control Tripoli.

Reuters is saying that U.N. high commissioner for human rights is saying the attacks on protesters in Libya could amount to crimes against humanity. Will we one day see Gaddafi himself sitting in the docket in the Hague, on trial for his actions? Recently released reports are saying there is proof that Gaddafi himself ordered the Lockerbie bombing.

France24 English – Feb 24/2011

Libya : Gaddafi forces still control the capital

World powers moved to denounce Libya’s violent crackdown on pro-reform protesters Wednesday as the embattled premier, Muammar Gaddafi, threatened more violence against demonstraters FRANCE 24 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 24/7

Russia Today – Feb 24/2011

Action amateur video of Libya street gun fight in Benghazi

In Libya, areas still under the control of Colonel Gaddafi are shrinking all the time. Protesters have reportedly taken over the east of the country. The capital, Tripoli remains heavily guarded by pro-Gaddafi forces with tanks deployed around it. The leader has called on thousands of mercenaries to defend his bastion, as he’s faced with more defections from his own regime. The revolt has now entered its tenth day. The overall death toll has been difficult to determine. Conflicting reports put the number between 300 and a thousand.

Euronews – Feb 24/2011

Gaddafi blames al-Qaeda for revolt

Muammar Gaddafi has blamed al-Qaeda for the uprising that currently has Libya in its grip.

amateur video – Feb 21/2011

6 Six Libyan Soldiers Killed Burned Alive for refusing to shoot demonstrators

six 6 Libyan Soldiers burned for refusing to shoot protesters / demonstrators. The video, taken on a cell phone, was posted on Monday. It is not known when it was taken. Opposition sources in Libya say the bodies are of soldiers who refused to shoot at anti-government demonstrators.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rCJRhsaH9U

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