Oorlog in Libië #100: We gaan weer demonstreren in Tripoli.

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Op maandag 20 juni 2011 22:12 schreef Chooselife het volgende:

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VN onderzoek zal het uitwijzen. Zullen we dat even afwachten?

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Arab League chief admits second thoughts about Libya air strikes

Amr Moussa, who played central role in securing Arab support for Nato strikes, calls for ceasefire and 'political solution'

The outgoing head of the Arab League and a frontrunner to become president of a democratic Egypt has voiced reservations about Nato's bombing campaign in Libya, calling for a ceasefire and talks on a political settlement while Muammar Gaddafi remains in power.

Amr Moussa, the veteran Egyptian diplomat who played a central role in securing Arab support for the Nato air campaign against Gaddafi, told the Guardian he now had second thoughts about a bombing mission that may not be working. "When I see children being killed, I must have misgivings. That's why I warned about the risk of civilian casualties," he said.

Arab support, in the form of an endorsement from the Arab League, was essential to the Anglo-French-led bombing campaign launched in March following a UN security council resolution mandating the use of force to protect Libyan civilians.

But senior European officials say that the Arab world is again turning against the west because of the Libya campaign. "The Arab League is telling us that we're losing the support of the Arab world," said one senior source involved in negotiations over Libya.

In an interview with the Guardian in Brussels, Moussa made clear he thought the military campaign would not produce a breakthrough. "You can't have a decisive ending. Now is the time to do whatever we can to reach a political solution," he said.

"That has to start with a genuine ceasefire under international supervision, a ceasefire that is implemented rigorously. Until the ceasefire Gaddafi would remain in office and the ceasefire would be accepted by both sides. Then there would be a move to a transitional period … to reach an understanding about the future of Libya."

Asked whether that meant a halt to the Nato air strikes, he said: "A ceasefire is a ceasefire."

According to senior diplomats and officials in Brussels dealing with the Libyan crisis, there are absolutely no signs of Gaddafi giving up. They also say that the opposition leadership in Benghazi will have no truck with Gaddafi and is making his removal a precondition for a negotiated settlement of the war. Repeated offers of a ceasefire from Gaddafi have been dismissed as meaningless by the Nato leadership and western governments.

"There are different political channels going on to persuade the Gaddafi regime it has to go," said the senior EU official. UN envoys, the Russian government, and the South Africans had been talking quietly either directly with Gaddafi or with his entourage. All reported no progress.

"The Russians have just tried mediating and came back from Tripoli saying Gaddafi is not moving one bit," said the official.

Moussa headed the Arab League for a decade until three weeks ago and remains its caretaker chief until his successor takes over in September. He indicated that inquiries were being made to see if any countries, possibly in Africa or the Middle East, would be willing to offer Gaddafi a safe haven and even raised the possibility that Gaddafi could stand down but remain in Libya.

While voicing misgivings about the course of the air campaign, Moussa said the Arab League supported it initially because of Gaddafi's attacks on Libyan civilians. The League's response, however, to the Syrian regime's killing of an estimated 1,400 civilians was different.

"There was unanimity on Libya, but [on Syria] there are some hesitations because of strategic, political considerations," he said.

Arab leaders were worried about the impact of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and on the Kurdish issue.

Nonetheless, he added, "we are outraged by all that has happened in Tunisia, in Syria, in Libya, in Yemen … We are really worried about the situation. The vast majority [in the Arab League] is not comfortable with what is going on in Syria."

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, faced a dilemma and could be losing the initiative, Moussa said. "[His] chance is eroding. It is a race. You have to change as fast as you can. It is a race between reform or revolution."

The dramatic upheavals of the past six months across north Africa and the Middle East meant that no Arab society would remain untouched. "I don't think there will be exceptions."

At the age of 74, Moussa is an unlikely figurehead for an Egyptian revolution that was driven by the country's youth camping out on Tahrir Square. But he appears to be popular and trusted by the younger leaders who helped topple the Mubarak regime in February, despite the fact that he served that regime for a long time as a senior diplomat, ambassador, and foreign minister.

He is running for president in an election that he says should not be held until the end of the year at the earliest. If he won, he would only want to serve one term because of his age, Moussa maintained.

"Egypt is going to be a democratic republic with a constitution, a president, a council of ministers, a parliament," he declared.

While the Egyptian army remains in charge in the post-Mubarak turmoil, it is not entirely clear, however, how the declared passage to democracy is to be structured, sequenced, and organised.

Moussa argued passionately for presidential elections to be held before a parliamentary ballot despite the momentum towards a parliamentary vote within a few months.

"I disapprove of parliamentary elections in September because the landscape is not ready."

If priority was to be given to drafting a new constitution, then parliamentary elections should be shelved and instead a constituent assembly should be elected to write the new charter.

Moussa appeared worried that the attempt to entrench a new democratic system could backfire, resulting in an ascendancy of the Muslim Brotherhood plunging Egypt into chaos.

"I can't blame the Muslim Brotherhood for being disciplined and organised. The others are not organised," he said.

Moussa predicted that the Brotherhood could take up to 35% of the vote in a September parliamentary poll and that this would suffice for it to construct a coalition, dominate the new assembly, and take over the running of the country.

"Then there would be chaos," he warned. "There would be no new constitution. I prefer to work for a presidential system because the political landscape in Egypt is not yet mature. Not because of the Muslim Brotherhood per se, but because the situation is not fully ready."

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Italië wil bombardementen Libië staken om hulp toe te laten

Italië wil dat de oorlogshandelingen in Libië onmiddellijk worden stopgezet zodat humanitaire hulp verleend kan worden aan de Libische bevolking. Dat zei minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Franco Frattini vanochtend.

De oproep van Italië is opmerkelijk omdat de Italianen samen met andere coalitielanden vrijwel dagelijks luchtbombardementen boven Libië uitvoeren. Frattini bekritiseerde in het Italiaanse parlement de NAVO-luchtaanval waarbij een paar dagen geleden burgers om het leven kwamen. Hij zei gedetailleerde informatie over de “dramatische fouten” te willen krijgen. “Dit is duidelijk niet de missie van de NAVO”, aldus Frattini. “We kunnen absoluut niet het risico lopen van het doden van burgers.”

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http://www.volkskrant.nl/(...)olitieke-macht.dhtml
De Chinese minister van Buitenlandse Zaken heeft vandaag gereageerd op de situatie in Libië. Minister Yang Jiechi zei dat zijn overheid de rebellen van de Nationale Overgangsraad als een 'belangrijke gesprekspartner' ziet en dat de rebellen inmiddels een politieke macht van belang zijn in het land.

Yang uitte deze commentaren tijdens een bezoek van de diplomatieke chef van de raad, Mahmoud Jibril, aan Beijing vandaag. Het gesprek tussen de twee politici werd door de website van het Chinese ministerie openbaar gemaakt. Dat meldt persbureau Reuters.

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Duitsland opent onderzoek tegen Kaddafi

Het federale parket van Duitsland heeft een onderzoek geopend tegen de Libische leider Muammar Kaddafi wegens misdaden tegen de mensheid in Libië, zo heeft een woordvoerder van het parket gezegd.

Het is echter 'vrijwel onwaarschijnlijk' dat Duitsland een aanhoudingsbevel tegen Kadhafi uitschrijft of de Libische leider voor de rechtbank daagt.

'Het federale parket doet momenteel alleen onderzoek om in Duitsland eventuele bewijzen te verzamelen voor het Internationale Strafhof in Den Haag', zei woordvoerder Stefan Schmidt.

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Verlenging deelname NAVO-missie Libië goedgekeurd

De Tweede Kamer gaat akkoord met een verlenging van de Nederlandse bijdrage aan de NAVO-operatie tegen Libië. In de Kamer ontbrak vandaag een meerderheid voor deelname aan bombardementen, ofwel een uitbreiding van de huidige activiteiten.

Een marineschip en F-16-gevechtsvliegtuigen gaan nog drie maanden toezien op handhaving van het wapenembargo tegen en het vliegverbod boven Libië. D66-leider Alexander Pechtold sprak schamper over 'rondjes vliegen.' Minister Uri Rosenthal (Buitenlandse Zaken, VVD) zei daarentegen dat Nederland een 'volwaardige' bijdrage levert aan Unified Protector, de NAVO-operatie ter bescherming van de Libische bevolking tegen het geweld door het Kadhafi-regime.

Meer dan de helft van de NAVO-lidstaten doet op geen enkele manier mee, beklemtoonde Rosenthal. Hij bestreed daarmee het verwijt dat Nederland een buitenbeentje is binnen het bondgenootschap.
Met name oppositiepartij D66 en regeringspartij VVD zouden het liefst zien dat ook Nederlandse F-16's doelen op Libisch grondgebied bestoken. Temeer omdat Nederlanders vliegers uit andere NAVO-landen gegevens verstrekken, en Nederland zelfs wapens levert voor Deense vliegtuigen. Maar de meeste partijen wilden de operatie niet uitbreiden tot bombardementen.

Kabinet en Kamer sloten niet uit dat de militaire missie, die in maart begon, over drie maanden opnieuw wordt verlengd. De door bezuinigingen geplaagde minister Hans Hillen (Defensie, CDA) herhaalde dat er financiële problemen zijn. Volgens zijn collega Rosenthal zijn er geen 'principiële bezwaren' tegen bombarderen. Daarmee liet hij de mogelijkheid open dat Nederland daartoe alsnog overgaat na de zomer.

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Libyan rebels in Misrata take tough line on foreign media


Press face curbs on frontline reporting, internet links and translators, as insurgents go on alert for Gaddafi spies

Rebel authorities in the besieged Libyan city of Misrata have introduced tough restrictions on foreign media, banning travel to the frontline, cutting internet access and ordering journalists to work only with officially approved translators.

Insurgent leaders had previously encouraged journalists to move and speak freely throughout the city and frontlines.

Frontline units said they were under instructions not to allow journalists access because of suspicions that some would be working for other interests.

"We are afraid of spies from Gaddafi," said Mohammed Durat, head of the Misrata media centre and a member of the ruling city council. "You need a permission to work here."

Reporters have been denied access to the media centre's fast internet link, used by many foreign press to send stories.

The new rules come amid a change in spirit across much of the city.

After a month of fighting, the armed rebel militia, lacking heavy weapons and armour, has failed to push the frontlines forward. Continual rocket and mortar bombardments by government forces of rebel positions are inflicting a rising death toll, shaking the morale of people in the city.

Misrata is also running short of money. Public service workers and doctors have not been paid since January.

Adding to the sense of despondency in the city nis the failure of Nato to make good a threat it delivered, via leaflets, to government forces around Misrata last week, warning them that they would be attacked by Apache helicopters if they continued to strike civilian targets.

Since then, government forces have begun hitting the city itself with a handful of long-range rockets each day, but Nato has yet to offer a decisive response.

The city authorities planned to reopen banks on Sunday to distribute wages, but postponed it with no new date given.

Journalists are regularly questioned about whether there are spies operating among the foreign media, although Durat said he had no knowledge of such questioning. "We want to care about your safety, you should be happy about this," he said.

The mood of officialdom is in sharp contrast to that around the city, where foreign reporters are still given free accommodation, and free travel from passing cars. Rebel units, doctors and other citizens have all voiced strong support for the foreign media.

Journalists who have registered with the rebel transitional national council have been ordered to register again with the Misrata authorities. Those failing to do so are required to leave. Translators also have to be approved, two of whom have been told they might need to return to Benghazi, the other major rebel city.

Durat insisted the rules were to meant to protect journalists. "We are caring about you, we don't want you to get any bad thing," he said.

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Op donderdag 23 juni 2011 00:09 schreef Monidique het volgende:
Dit is altijd het probleem van dictaturen: ze "doen" het goed, totdat ze er niet meer zijn, want daar is het systeem niet op gebouwd, als het ware. Geleidelijke overgangen of in ieder geval geleid en met gedeelde medewerking werkt dan het beste, zie de Sovjet-Unie of Zuid-Afrika. Als het echter gewelddadig gaat, zoals in Libië of Irak of misschien straks in Syrië, dan heb je een regime dat neit meer bestaat en geen voorzieningen heeft getroffen voor wanneer het niet meer bestaat.