GADDIFI TOPPLED!!!!!TRIPOLI CELEBRATING!!!!!!!!

In Jadu, a small town in Libya's western Nafusa Mountains, protesters destroyed many icons of Muammar Gaddafi's regime soon after the uprising began in mid-February.

Now, Jadu's civic leaders are hoping they can rebuild from the rubble. They asked their angry citizens not to continue attacking symbols of the government, and they're trying to restart the town's administrative filing system, where some binders contain only one or two sheets of paper.

Police officers in the new Jadu - many of them the same men who served in the old Jadu - hope they are accepted by the town's people in order to avoid a security vacuum.

Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports from Jadu.

Libya rebel forces have said they will soon make their final push westwards towards the oil port town of Brega.

Assorted items: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/

From a tactical perspective, Col Muammar Gaddafi may be hoping that negotiations will both undermine already fragile rebel unity while also persuading senior opponents fretful that they made the wrong choice by joining the uprising to return to his embrace.

Oh, I can just see them rushing to go back to Gaddafi's bunker....NOT. Unless they have a death wish.

I think they would all rather die, their families with them, than return to what was before the uprising. LL

They go back to Gaddafi, they will all die, I have no doubt of that, LL.

bb1 wrote:They go back to Gaddafi, they will all die, I have no doubt of that, LL.

I agree. It's a no win situation; that is why they must be helped - look at the Dutch, they have just been found guilty of allowing the Srebrenica massace to happen, of even handing over 5,000 men and boys to the Serbains for slaughter. But we have seen this before - where were the allies as the Jews, Gypsies, mentally sick etc died in the gas chanbers or mown down in a ditch? They knew it was happening, they had been told often enough, despite those who still insist no-one knew what was happening. LL

Good late afternoon!

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA

Libyans who fled Tripoli describe furtive protests

By RAMI Al-SHAHEIBI July 05, 2011 05:11 PM EDT

BENGHAZI, Libya — Rebel sympathizers, driven underground by a security clampdown in Tripoli, have resorted to furtive protests such as writing "No" next to pro-government wall graffiti and releasing balloons with rebel flags attached, according to two Libyans who have escaped the capital.

The two men spoke after reaching the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, offering a rare snapshot of anti-government resistance in the capital. Tripoli residents, fearing regime reprisals, are generally reluctant to speak to foreign reporters based there who can only move with government minders and are almost never allowed access to rebel sympathizers.

Rebels have seized eastern Libya, while Gadhafi clings to much of the rest of the country and is believed to be hunkering down in the capital, his main power base.

Government troops loyal to Gadhafi have stepped up pressure in the past two days near the port city of Misrata and a key western mountain range to try to block rebel fighters from advancing toward Tripoli, rebels said Tuesday. They said at least 11 people were killed in fighting that began late Monday and continued the next day.

Libyan government troops have been unable to retake two main rebel strongholds in the Gadhafi-controlled west — Misrata and several towns in the Nafusa mountain range. The rebels have been trying to break out of these bridgeheads and advance toward Tripoli.

Gadhafi's forces maintain a tight grip on the capital, said Abdulbaset Ouf, a chemical engineer in his 40s who arrived in Benghazi last week on a Red Cross ship from Tripoli, accompanied by his wife and three children. "The atmosphere is one of fear and paranoia," he said.

During the day, life in the streets appears almost normal, though fuel shortages have left motorists waiting as long as a week to fill up a gas tank, he said. He said he's observed fights between drivers and troops at gas stations, and heard reports of people killed and wounded.

An Associated Press reporter in the capital has seen fuel lines hundreds of cars long. One queue packed with empty taxis and private cars curls from a highway ramp around a major traffic circle in the center of the city. Many gas stations in and around the city appear closed down altogether, with rubble or earthen beams blocking the entrances.

Omran Bukra, the newly appointed energy minister, last week said Libya is now producing just 20,000 barrels of oil per day, a tiny fraction of prewar output.

At night, opposition activists occasionally attack troops and try to snatch their weapons, Ouf said. Bursts of gunfire can be heard throughout the night in Tripoli, but government officials insist it is mainly supporters firing celebratory shots into the air.

Ahead of Friday noon prayers, security is extremely tight around mosques, traditionally a staging ground for protests in the Arab world. "People are not allowed to gather and only certain mosques are open," Ouf said. "Only loyal imams are allowed to lead prayers and there's always a large number of troops surrounding the mosques ... and snipers on the roofs of every house in the neighborhood."

Rebel sympathizers can't protest openly or in large numbers. From time to time, they release balloons with rebel flags attached or scribble anti-government graffiti, Ouf said.

"Gadhafi's people always paint it over," he said. Protesters have resorted to writing "No" next to pro-Gadhafi wall slogans or marking them with a large "X'' because it takes less time than to whitewash them and reduces the risk of being caught, he said.

Ouf said he hasn't spoken to friends or neighbors about his political views, for fear of getting arrested. He said he was automatically considered suspect by regime loyalists because he is originally from Ajdabiya, a town in the rebel-held east. A security officer came to his home in Tripoli every day to question him, he said.

He and his family left Tripoli late last week, on a Red Cross vessel that carried more than 300 passengers from Tripoli to Benghazi.

Ibrahim al-Hadad, an army officer from Benghazi, was in Tripoli for training when the uprising erupted in February.

He said he and a friend were ordered to guard a post office against mob attack. Instead, he deserted on Feb. 25, leaving behind his weapon and jumping over a back wall. Al-Hadad said he hid in Tripoli for nearly four months, not far from Gadhafi's main compound in the city.

He said he eventually obtained a passport, drove to the border with Tunisia in late June, flew to Egypt and then headed to Benghazi overland. He said he was stopped at checkpoints en route to the Tunisian border, but proceeded without problems.

In the latest round of clashes, fierce fighting was reported in the town of Dafniya, near Misrata, with seven rebels killed and 46 wounded, said anti-government activist Faraj Akwedeir. Gadhafi's troops "tried to enter Misrata from several fronts but our fighters stopped them," he said.

A nurse working with the aid group Doctors Without Borders who recently returned from Misrata said medical centers in the city lack the capacity to treat those in need. Meinie Nicolai said in an emailed statement that there are not enough nurses, midwives and other hospital staff because many had been foreign guest workers who have now left the country.

Government troops also fired rockets and mortars at the town of Kikla, southwest of Tripoli, said Abdel-Salam Othman of the Nafusa mountain military council. He said four people were killed and eight wounded in fighting there.

Gadhafi's forces have entered schools and mosques in Kikla to hide weapons, he said. "They even raise our flags to deceive the NATO," he added, referring to the rebels' tricolor. Libya's national flag is green.

The western towns of Zintan and Nalut have come under attack as well, Othman said. "Gadhafi forces failed to advance but they keep putting pressure to stop us," he added.

Over the past few weeks, rebel fighters have gathered on the outskirts of the town of Bair al-Ghanam, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Tripoli. Control over Bair al-Ghanam would open the road to the capital.

"We are consolidating force there and we are waiting for the people in Bair al-Ghanam to ensure us that they are not going to open their houses to Gadhafi troops," Othman said.

NATO has been carrying out airstrikes against Gadhafi-linked military targets since March. It is joined by a number of Arab allies, including the wealthy Gulf states of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

3 hours 3 sec ago - Libya

Opposition fighters in western Libya have launched a new offensive against Muammar Gaddafi's troops in the Nafusa mountains.

The forces based around Zintan are widely seen as the rebels' best hope for an advance on Tripoli.

Jonah Hull reports from Zintan.

LIVE Libyan Unrest: July 6, 2011 http://feb17.info/

1:00pm: Libyan rebel fighters took control of the village of Al-Qawalish, south-east of Tripoli, on Wednesday after a six-hour battle with government forces, a Reuters reporter in the village said.

Scores of rebel fighters poured into the village through an abandoned government checkpoint, firing their rifles into the air in celebration and shouting “Allahu Akbar!”, or “God is greatest!”.

There was evidence of a hurried withdrawal by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Near the checkpoint there were collapsed tents, half-eaten bread as well as a van and an electricity transformer station which were both on fire, the reporter said.

12:00pm: Hundreds of Libyan rebels launched a massed offensive in the mountains southwest of Tripoli on Wednesday to seize a village held by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and push the front line closer to the capital.

Rebels arrived at the front at first light in scores of Toyota pick-up trucks, many with large-calibre anti-aircraft guns or home-made rocket launchers welded onto the truck beds. Several tanks also came on the backs of lorries.

The rebels began firing rockets and mortars at dawn, cries of “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is greatest!” echoing through groves of olive, almond and fig trees with each outgoing blast.

Gaddafi’s forces responded with intermittent volleys of Grad tactical surface-to-surface rockets. Clouds of black smoke came from the hillsides where the incoming rounds exploded.

Five months into their revolt, rebels have gained little ground elsewhere but have made steady progress here on a high plateau which juts several hundred kilometres (miles) into Libya from the Tunisian border and overlooks a coastal plain leading to Tripoli.

11:40am: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the head of the World Chess Federation and a previous visitor to Libya, told Reuters in an interview that he met with Gaddafi’s eldest son Mohammed throughout his three-day visit.

“Gaddafi is ready to conduct talks with the rebels without any conditions in order to stop the bombings,” Ilyumzhinov said, relaying information that he said Mohammed Gaddafi had told him.

“They want dialogue, and in that dialogue Gaddafi is ready to work out plans with other sides for an election or a referendum,” he added, speaking to Reuters by telephone from Moscow’s World Chess Federation headquarters.

Telegraph:

Col Muammar Gaddafi 'offers to give up power in Libya'

Col Muammar Gaddafi has offered to give up power for the first time, but only if his hated son is allowed to stand as his successor, a Russian official claimed on Tuesday.
Britain's Defence Secretary has bluntly told Colonel Muammar Gaddafi that he must go and that military action will not stop until he does.

There is growing speculation that Col Gaddafi is seeking to make a face-saving exit amid growing fears that shortages and poverty in the Libyan capital Tripoli are making his position untenable.

By Adrian Blomfield, Tripoli, 6:09PM BST 05 Jul 2011

Western powers are seriously considering the proposal, which would include a guarantee of amnesty from prosecution for the Libyan leader, a senior official in the Russian leadership was reported as saying.

“The colonel has sent signals that he is ready to relinquish power in exchange for security guarantees and such guarantees are on the table,” the official told Russia’s respected Kommersant newspaper.

The purported offer comes amid speculation that Col Gaddafi is seeking to make a face-saving exit amid growing fears that shortages and poverty in the Libyan capital Tripoli were making his position untenable.

The official claimed that France supported the idea and had agreed to work both to lift an International Criminal Court indictment against Col Gaddafi and to unfreeze his family’s international assets.

But the offer was denied in Tripoli, with a senior regime official calling the report “simply untrue” and insisting that Col Gaddafi’s future was “not negotiable”. However, the Libyan government says it is engaged in talks with the rebels, a claim denied both by the opposition in Benghazi and by European officials.

Amid contradictory reports of various negotiations between the Libyan regime and its adversaries, western diplomats have warned that Col Gaddafi is engaged in a ruse to sow dissension in rebel ranks and to portray himself as an altruistic peacemaker.

Even if there was truth in the offer, it is likely to be unacceptable to the rebel leadership in Benghazi. Col Gaddafi reportedly demanded that his departure would be followed by elections in which his most prominent son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi would be allowed to run.

In a development that the Libyan opposition is likely to point to as proof of the regime’s insincerity, loyalist forces launched a sustained artillery barrage against rebel positions in the city of Misurata, one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds in the four-month conflict. Five rebels were killed and 35 more were wounded.

Civilians killed in Misurata shelling

Libyan rebels say scores wounded after pro-Gaddafi troops shell besieged rebel enclave in west of the country.

At least 11 people were killed and dozens more wounded on Tuesday in an artillery barrage launched by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on the besieged city of Misurata, according to rebel sources.

"Eleven people were killed and 57 wounded, almost all of them civilians," a rebel told the AFP news agency from Misurata after the attack.

The shelling marked another bloody day for a city that has been bombarded almost continuously since March.

Sources said five rebels were killed in fighting at the western entrance to the city earlier in the day.

On the same day, France's defence minister, Gerard Longuet, had questioned the rebels' chances of defeating Gaddafi's troops and eventually pushing towards the capital, Tripoli, some 200km to the east.

The concern came amid rebels' claims that they had begun a ground offensive against a key gateway to Tripoli. There was no independent verification of the rebels' new campaign.

Curbing support

The rebels have a "growing capacity to organise politically and militarily" but are "currently not in a stabilised, centralised system", Longuet said.

He added, however, that the rebels were no longer in need of controversial French weapons drops.

"There is emerging a political order distinct from that of Tripoli. The [rebel] territories are organising their autonomy... That is why the parachute drops are no longer necessary," he said.

Across the Gulf of Sirte, on the conflict's eastern front line, a rebel representative said nine Gaddafi soldiers were captured between Ajdabiya and Brega.

Despite the ongoing violence, diplomatic negotiations continued this week over a possible solution to the conflict, although no proposal appears to have gained much traction.

An unnamed senior Russian official was quoted on Tuesday as saying Gaddafi would consider stepping down under certain circumstances. His departure, if realised, would meet the rebels' central demand.

"The colonel is sending signals that he is ready to cede power in exchange for security guarantees," the daily Kommersant newspaper quoted the official as saying.

The Russian source added that France appeared to be the country most willing to play a part in Gaddafi's potential transfer of power. He said Paris could choose to unfreeze some of the Gaddafi family's accounts and promising to help him avoid trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

'No escape'

The rebels have rejected any proposed deal that would leave Gaddafi in power.

"There is no escape clause for Gaddafi - he must be removed from power and face justice," Mustafa Mohammed Abdel Jalil, head of the rebels' Transitional National Council, said earlier this week.

Peparations were underway for an international meeting on Libya in Istanbul on July 15-16. Mahmud Jibril, the foreign affairs point man for the rebels, held talks with his Turkish and UAE counterparts on Tuesday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, whose country is NATO's sole Muslim-majority member and an influential regional player, has called on Gaddafi to cede power and leave Libya.

This month's meeting comes as diplomats debate what post-Gaddafi Libya might look like, with many hoping to avoid the chaos left in post-conflict Iraq or Afghanistan.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO chief, said on Tuesday that the alliance would like to see the United Nations assume the leading role in Libya's transition to democracy in the event Gaddafi leaves power.

"To accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people, it is necessary that Gaddafi leaves power," said Rasmussen.

"After that, it is necessary to ensure a transition to democracy... We want the United Nations to take the lead in this effort," he added.

One of the new elements in a plan agreed on by the African Union on Friday includes provisions for a multinational peacekeeping force organised by the United Nations.

Rasmussen is to meet Libyan opposition members in Brussels next week the rebels' first invitation to NATO headquarters, an alliance diplomat said on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera:

Rebels make gains in western Libya.
Fighters take town of al-Qawalish after six-hour battle and move closer to cutting supply route to capital.
Last Modified: 06 Jul 2011 17:21

Rebel fighters in the Nafusa Mountains, most untrained in warfare, may number at most a few thousand.

Libyan rebels in the country's western mountains advanced a dozen kilometres on Wednesday, seizing a town in another step toward securing a key north-south road that would open the way to the capital.

After a roughly six-hour battle that lasted throughout the morning, rebels drove forces loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi from the town of al-Qawalish.

The two sides fought mostly at a distance, using heavy artillery, and black plumes of smoke could be seen rising from al-Qawalish in the afternoon, Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reported.

"Gaddafi forces have fled the town and [the rebels] have now gone in on foot to try and make sure that that is the case, to try to clear it, to move house by house and see that in fact the area is clear of Gaddafi forces," Hull said.

Al-Qawalish is around 50km west of Gharyan, the last city in the Nafusa Mountain range, which runs east from the border with Tunisia and has been controlled mostly by rebels since the uprising against Gaddafi broke out in mid-February.

Gharyan - still controlled by the regime - lies astride a major north-south highway that connects Tripoli, the coastal capital, with Sabha, a town in the southern desert that is held by Gaddafi's forces and has been used to supply his troops and regime-held areas.

The rebel fighters in the Nafusa hope to take Gharyan and cut off Gaddafi's supplies. From Gharyan, they can also mount an advance on the capital.

"The capture of the town of al-Qawalish is an important step in that direction," Hull said. "The overall strategy of these fighters is clearly to reach Tripoli."

But while rebel advances in tha Nafusa have been steady, they have also been slow, and the fighters must now take 50km of Gaddafi-held territory to reach Gharyan.

Civilians killed in Misurata

East of Tripoli, in the rebel-held city of Misurata, at least 11 people were killed and dozens more wounded on Tuesday in an artillery barrage launched by Gaddafi forces, according to rebel sources.

The shelling marked another bloody day for a city that has been bombarded continually since March.

Sources said five rebels were killed in fighting at the western entrance to the city earlier in the day.

As the rebels fought in Misrata, French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet appeared to question their chances of defeating Gaddafi's troops while also saying they no longer needed help.

The rebels have a "growing capacity to organise politically and militarily" but are "currently not in a stabilised, centralised system", Longuet said.

Yet Longuet said rebels were no longer in need of controversial French weapons drops.

"There is emerging a political order distinct from that of Tripoli. The [rebel] territories are organising their autonomy... That is why the parachute drops are no longer necessary," he said.

On the conflict's eastern frontline, a rebel representative said nine Gaddafi soldiers were captured between Ajdabiya and Brega.

Diplomacy continues

Despite the ongoing violence, diplomatic negotiations are continuing over a possible solution to the conflict, though no proposal appears to have gained much traction.

An unnamed senior Russian official was quoted on Tuesday as saying Gaddafi would consider stepping down under certain circumstances. His departure, if realised, would meet the rebels' central demand.

"The colonel is sending signals that he is ready to cede power in exchange for security guarantees," the daily Kommersant newspaper quoted the official as saying.

The Russian source added that France appeared to be the country most willing to play a part in Gaddafi's potential transfer of power. He said Paris could choose to unfreeze some of the Gaddafi family's accounts and promise to help him avoid trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The rebels have rejected any proposed deal that would leave Gaddafi in power.

Preparations were under way for an international meeting on Libya in Istanbul on July 15-16. Mahmud Jibril, the NTC's chief of staff, held talks with officials from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, whose country is NATO's sole Muslim-majority member and an influential regional player, has called on Gaddafi to cede power and leave Libya.

NATO looks to UN

This month's meeting comes as diplomats debate what post-Gaddafi Libya might look like, with many hoping to avoid the chaos left in post-conflict Iraq or Afghanistan.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO chief, said on Tuesday that the alliance would like to see the United Nations assume the leading role in Libya's transition to democracy in the event Gaddafi leaves power.

"To accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people, it is necessary that Gaddafi leaves power," Rasmussen said. "After that, it is necessary to ensure a transition to democracy ... We want the United Nations to take the lead in this effort."

Rasmussen is to meet Libyan opposition members in Brussels next week the rebels' first invitation to NATO headquarters, an alliance diplomat said on Tuesday.

Libyan rebels launch new offensive in Nafusa mountains
6 Jul 2011

Opposition fighters in western Libya have launched a new offensive against Colonel Gaddafi's troops in the Nafusa mountains.

The forces based around Zintan are widely seen as the rebels' best hope for an advance on Tripoli.

Jonah Hull reports from Zintan.

"There is emerging a political order distinct from that of Tripoli. The [rebel] territories are organising their autonomy... That is why the parachute drops are no longer necessary," he said.

That's quite a step forward!

Good morning! Some cheering

Al Jazeera live blog:

2 hours 7 min ago - Libya

A senior Chinese diplomat visited the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi and met members of the opposition, state media said Thursday, as Beijing becomes more deeply engaged in the war-torn nation.

Chen Xiaodong, in charge of North African affairs at the foreign ministry, met with officials of the opposition's National Transitional Council (NTC), the official Xinhua news agency said.

Chen called for a quick political solution to the four-month-long crisis and urged the rebels to hold talks with officials loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, it said.

The NTC said it was willing to strengthen ties with China and pledged to protect Chinese people and businesses in areas controlled by the rebels, the report added.

Up until recently, China had maintained its long-standing policy of non-interference and public neutrality on the conflict in Libya, calling multiple times for a peaceful end to the popular uprising.

But it now appears to be getting more involved in the crisis, and Chinese officials have met several times with members of the NTC.

Beijing last month recognised Libya's opposition as an "important dialogue partner" after talks in the Chinese capital between foreign minister Yang Jiechi and senior rebel leader Mahmud Jibril.

China's commercial interests in Libya include oil, telecoms and rail projects. It was forced to evacuate more than 35,000 workers from the north African state when unrest broke out.

The West has thrown its diplomatic and financial support behind the NTC, which has been recognised by about a dozen countries including Britain, France and the United States.

The martyred hero Air Marshal Brigadier Ali Attalah Obeidi
Posted on July 6, 2011 by v1d

Ali Attalah Obeidi, an air marshal brigadier who announced his defection from the Gaddafi regime in April and pledged allegiance to the revolution, was martyred today, July 6, along with 18 others.

http://feb17.info/ Link: there are some videos and pictures, in Arabic, not on youtube.

Telegraph:

Covert guerrilla war in Tripoli

A covert guerrilla war, waged by underground rebel cells and fought mainly at night, is increasingly challenging the Gaddafi regime's hold over Tripoli.

The Libyan government has insisted that it has pacified Tripoli, presenting it as a bastion of unswerving loyalty to Col Muammar Gaddafi.

By Adrian Blomfield, Tripoli, 9:00PM BST 06 Jul 2011

Residents of the Libyan capital have spoken of an upsurge in drive-by shootings, attacks on security checkpoints and frequent gun-battles once darkness has fallen over the city.

Even as it fights opposition forces on three fronts to the east and south of the capital, the Libyan government has insisted that it has pacified Tripoli, presenting it as a bastion of unswerving loyalty to Col Muammar Gaddafi.

By day, there is indeed a veneer of normality and pro-regime loyalty in the capital, a front government minders are keen to emphasise when guiding western reporters on heavily-chaperoned tours of the city.

By night, however, mysterious bursts of gunfire can be heard on a far more frequent basis than the sound of falling Nato bombs.

Minders attribute such sounds to loyal citizens shooting in the air in celebration, a partially plausible claim after Col Gaddafi doled out weapons to loyal residents and encouraged them to root out dissidents.

But sometimes there are clearly audible exchanges of fire, including one in the early hours of Tuesday morning that lasted nearly an hour, and these are harder to explain.

Such violence is thought predominantly to occur in poorer suburbs like Souq al-Juma and Feshloom, as well as in the Greater Tripoli district of Tajoura, places that witnessed anti-Gaddafi demonstrations in February, when the uprising was in its infancy.

The regime feels confident enough to take reporters to these areas, and residents, mindful of government chaperones hovering nearby, dutifully declare that nothing is amiss, proclaim their love for Col Gaddafi and express their hope that he reigns "forever".

But when the Daily Telegraph reached Souq al-Juma independently after giving minders the slip, it discovered a rather different story.

Unlike in richer suburbs, most shops here are not adorned with portraits of Gaddafi, and small acts of defiance, from graffiti to painting pets in revolutionary colours, have been reported on a regular basis.

Yet many in the suburb seemed reluctant to talk openly, resorting to circumlocution to express their opposition to the colonel. Explaining the need for euphemism, one said: "It is too dangerous. People are afraid to talk because there are secret police and informers everywhere."

Only those supportive of Col Gaddafi spoke freely, although even they conceded that "30 per cent" opposed the regime. Others put the numbers at "about half and half".

Yet on one issue there seemed to be consensus: at night, the shabby streets of Souq al-Juma are a very dangerous place to be.

Beside a DVD stall blaring music onto the street, a young Gaddafi supporter told of nightly attacks on members of the security forces, who arrive in force after dusk to seal off Souq al-Juma. "They drive past in cars and shoot out of the windows at the police," he said.

Some of the most regular violence takes place at an intersection near a bridge linking the suburb to the rest of Tripoli. It was here, residents said, than 10 people were killed when protests early on in the uprising were suppressed.

A checkpoint at the intersection has frequently come under attack by rebel gunmen in recent weeks, according to residents whose homes overlook the area.

"It happens nearly every night," one said. "One night, there were four bodies. They were quickly taken away and the wounded disappeared."

It is unclear how extensive the rebellion in Tripoli's suburbs is. Opposition officials in rebel-held areas speak of more than a dozen cells, operating independently of each other, that are active.

Rebels in the Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli, launched a fresh advance yesterday after allegedly being rearmed by Nato weapons drops. But, like their colleagues to the east, they have largely been unable to hold territory outside natural opposition strongholds.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, opposition leaders hope that, by launching an attritional underground war in Tripoli, they can pin down regime forces who could be deployed elsewhere, while demonstrating how tenuous Col Gaddafi's hold over the capital really is.

In this, they are enjoying a measure of success. Residents of Souk al-Juma indicate that, at night at least, no one really controls their suburb.

"After sunset, everyone stays at home because it is so dangerous," an advertising salesman said. "Even wedding parties that normally finish at about 2am now end no later than 8pm."

The violence does not seem to be turning people against the rebels. Instead the growing financial depredations in the capital appears to be bolstering resentment of the regime.

Food prices have soared, queues last for days and banks have restricted withdrawals to just £750 a month, undermining a tacit agreement between Col Gaddafi and many of his people under which they swapped financial security for democratic freedoms.

As the situation worsens, a growing number of people are fleeing the capital.
Last week, hundreds of Tripoli residents sought sanctuary behind rebel lines in the Nafusa mountains on a single day alone, according to western camera crews.

Those who have stayed say they fear the conflict in Tripoli is steadily worsening and will eventually explode into full-scale bloodletting.

Associated Press:

Libya to charge 21 rebel leaders in special court
By ADAM SCHRECK

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libyan prosecutors plan to charge rebel leaders with national security crimes, seeking to convict as traitors those leading the armed uprising against Moammar Gadhafi that has plunged the country into civil war, officials said Wednesday.

A judge compiling the charges laid out his case against 21 rebel officials who are based in the eastern city of Benghazi, including the National Transitional Council's head, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil. Defendants will be tried in absentia.

Rebel leaders in Benghazi could not immediately be reached for comment.

The charges include facilitating foreign intervention in Libya, providing aid and military secrets to the enemy, and seeking to topple Gadhafi's regime by force.

Judge Khalifa Isa Khalifa told reporters in the Libyan capital of Tripoli that he plans to present the case before a special court presided over by a three-judge panel next week. He said the evidence includes testimony from several witnesses.

The allegations "amount to treason of the homeland of Libya," government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said.

Khalifa did not specify what punishment the defendants could face, but Ibrahim said those found guilty of treason could face the death penalty under Libyan law.

If convicted, Libya will seek international help, such as issuing Interpol warrants, to "demand that they are brought to justice," Khalifa said.

There is little likelihood of that happening as long as fighting rages, however. The rebels enjoy significant support from allies in the West and among several oil-rich Gulf Arab states, and Gadhafi himself is wanted under an international arrest warrant.

The International Criminal Court last week issued arrest warrants for Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanoussi for crimes against humanity. International prosecutors at the Netherlands-based court allege government troops fired on civilian protesters during anti-Gadhafi street demonstrations earlier this year.

Opponents of Gadhafi's regime, inspired by uprisings in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, began protesting against the longtime leader in February.

The unrest quickly turned into a bloody civil war, with anti-government rebels now controlling much of eastern Libya from and pockets in the west. NATO has been bombing government-linked targets since March under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians.

Libyan officials have rejected the ICC's authority. They say they established the special court set to try the rebel leaders in order to bring to justice anyone who committed crimes as part of the nearly five-month uprising.

Khalifa sidestepped a question of whether the court would examine allegations raised by the ICC against Gadhafi and his inner circle, saying it is the responsibility of the attorney general to assign cases.

"We are ready and prepared to investigate any person in this country if there are people who are willing to come to the (attorney general) with accusations or complaints," he said.

I don't see the rest of the world being too bothered about people committing treason against Gaddafi, somehow...

bb1 wrote:I don't see the rest of the world being too bothered about people committing treason against Gaddafi, somehow...

I see it as desperation, but the last remark worries me a bit -

We are ready and prepared to investigate any person in this country if there are people who are willing to come to the (attorney general) with accusations or complaints

as I wonder whether coercion will be used to ensure that people 'come forward'? I know the idea is to try them in absentia, but since when has that stopped any regime bent on revenge. Tried, convicted, sentenced - and a load of fanatical Gadaffi lunatics on their trail? There are many African countries who owe their existence to Gadaffi and would wish to curry favor with thim should he prevail, so handing over rebels, knowing full well what awaits them at the hands of the pro-government torturers, won't worry them one iota. Remember how many people over the years have been tried in absentiua and then 'died'? It was a favorite ploy of the Soviets and now the Russian 'KGB' use it. All it needs is for some Libyan to covet a rebel's property, denounce him and by default the remaining family members will pay the price. It's evil! LL

Al Jazera:

Talking to the free press in Libya
By Sue Turton Thu, 07/07/2011 - 13:48.

Farooq, our Libyan fixer, turned up at the Al Jazeera house here a couple of nights ago and asked me to do him a favour. Would I give a talk to a bunch of budding young Libyan journalists about journalism and, in particular, about how to handle press conferences?

We had been at a 'presser' the night before and I had pushed the Council's Military Head to tell us that he was talking to France about a possible weapons' air drop to Misrata. They wanted to know how to get the best out of these media rituals.

I expected a handful of journalists to turn up. But as we walked into the lecture hall there must have been over one hundred people waiting patiently for a proper lecture.

For me this was a real privilege - talking to journalists who were getting their first taste of working in a society with a free press, their first chance to challenge people in authority or to demand answers on behalf of their fellow Libyans. And even more exciting were the rows of young women sitting in the audience.

To begin with I gave them my own pocket guide to pressers: do some homework about the people giving the conference, ask questions that don't elicit a yes or no answer, keep eye contact so you can ask a follow up question if needed and so on.

And then I asked if anyone had a question. It prompted an avalanche. And they were good questions. "How do you persuade someone to talk who is afraid to?" "Should we only report stories about the conflict right now?" "Do you get special training for working in a warzone?" "What qualifications do you need to be a reporter?" "Are stories for the western media different from the Arabic media?"

We talked for about an hour. There has been a worrying trend here of the authorities bringing in measures that threaten to curb press freedom. Some foreign journalists have reported that they've been stopped from getting to the frontline, their access to the internet has been cut and they've been told they can only work with approved translators.

I suggested they get together to put up a united front so as to keep this trend in check. The future of the free press here is in their hands. And from what I heard during that hour it's in good hands

A very reassuring post, LL!

I knew this 'treason' business rang a bell - it was quite common centuries ago.
If the head of some noble house fled the country, the monarch generally used it as an excuse to deem the man's whole family 'traitors'.
Which gave said monarch a legal excuse to sieze their property.....

Morning!

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

4 hours 1 min ago

The House of Representatives turned back an effort to prohibit funds for the US military operation against Libya, a win for Barack Obama, US president, in the ongoing constitutional showdown with Congress over war powers, the AP reported.

The vote was 229-199 against the measure that would have barred funds for US participation in the NATO-led mission against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

5 hours 5 min ago

NATO has denied a Libyan government charge that it is using airstrikes to assist rebel advances. The military alliance says it is sticking to a mandate to protect civilians.

Rebels forces have been making gains in recent days as they continue the march towards Tripoli.

16 hours 5 min ago

Reuters news agency reports: A delegation of Libyan tribal representatives have arrived in Egypt's capital on Thursday and said they would hold talks with rebel leaders to seek to end the country's civil war.

"The delegation will meet with a number of Libyans in Egypt, especially the Benghazi opposition, to reach a solution to the Libyan crisis so stability and economic security returns," one of the 19-member delegation said on condition of anonymity.