From Sanctions to a Libya-style Showdown in Syria

Western Intervention Has Made an Incredible Mess in Libya - Anti-war Activist

Deadly Mistakes in the Battle for Libya
The NATO strike that hit a pro-democracy convoy outside of the eastern town of Brega killing at least 10 people may have been a mistake.
 Although the population in the country's east is prepared to forgive the mistake, there is less sympathy is other parts of Libya.
 Such incidents may have just given Muammar Gaddafi's spokespeople propaganda ammunition. 
Al Jazeera's Laurance Lee reports from Benghazi. (02 April 2011)

'Military Means' Not the Answer in Libya: Germany
THE AUSTRALIAN: GERMANY'S foreign minister today said the situation in war-torn Libya could not be resolved through "military means" and called for a ceasefire.

Guido Westerwelle made the comments after meeting his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing.

"There can only be a political resolution and we must get the political process underway. That should begin with a ceasefire that Gaddafi must heed to allow the peace process to begin," Westerwelle told reporters.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi struck a defiant stance after two high-profile defections from his regime, saying he's not the one who should go - it's the Western leaders who have decimated his military with airstrikes who should resign immediately.

Gaddafi's message last night was undercut by its delivery - a scroll across the bottom of state television as he remained out of sight. The White House said Gaddafi's inner circle was clearly crumbling with the loss of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, who flew from Tunisia to England on Wednesday.

Ali Abdessalam Treki, a former foreign minister and UN General Assembly president, announced his departure on several opposition websites yesterday, saying: "It is our nation's right to live in freedom and democracy and enjoy a good life." » | AFP / AP | Friday, April 01, 2011

Konflikt um Gaddafi: Westerwelle fordert Waffenstillstand in Libyen
STERN.DE: Guido Westerwelle setzt sich für einen Waffenstillstand zwischen den libyschen Truppe und den Rebellen ein. Der Bundesaußenminister betonte, dass in Libyen nur eine politische Lösung möglich sei.

Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) hat einen Waffenstillstand zwischen den Truppen des libyschen Machthabers Muammar el Gaddafi und den gegen ihn kämpfenden Rebellen gefordert. "Es wird keine militärische Lösung in Libyen geben, nur eine politische", sagte Westerwelle am Freitag nach einem Gespräch mit seinem chinesischen Kollegen Yang Jiechi vor Journalisten in Peking. … » | vim/AFP | Freitag, 01. April 2011

Qaddafi Troops Launch Fresh Offensive
Mar 29, 2011 – Rebels retreat after fierce fighting

Brilliance and Insight from Melanie Phillips: Humpty in Toytown and the Arab Boomerang
THE SPECTATOR: One can only gape in stunned amazement at the extent of the idiocy being displayed by the leaders of America, Britain and Europe over the ‘Arab Spring’ – which should surely be renamed ‘the Arab Boomerang’.

First of all, their declared policy is utterly incoherent. They claim that their aim in Libya is not regime change. Yet bombing Gaddafy’s compound hardly signals their desire that he should stay alive, let alone in power. Yesterday Obama said Gaddafy should leave power. Today he said overthrowing Gaddafy by force would be a mistake. In similar vein, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK wants Gaddafy to leave power -- but that’s not regime change, because apparently it’s up to him to decide to do so. Presumably, for both Hague and Obama, if Gaddafy did decide to give up power this would have nothing whatever to do with the fact that they are bombing Libyan forces fighting for him to retain power. And they would also have us believe that the fact that the western air strikes are enabling the Libyan rebels to advance does not mean that the west intends its air strikes to enable the rebels to advance.

One is reminded of Humpty Dumpty, who told Alice in Through the Looking Glass: ‘When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less’. Especially where the restrictive wording of a UN resolution is involved.

And what might the results of this incoherent support for freedom against tyranny be? Well, in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood appears to be in pole position to come to power in the elections planned for later this year. And in Libya, either Gaddafy will survive, in which case the begetter of the atrocity against the west over Lockerbie will doubtless be sufficiently enraged against the west to return to anti-western terror; or, should he fall, there seems to be a more than sporting chance that the Islamists he has until now fought off will eventually come out on top. Continue reading and comment » | Melanie Phillips | Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Kadhafi : "Stoppez votre offensive barbare et injuste contre la Libye"
LE POINT: Une quarantaine de pays sont attendus mardi à Londres pour la première réunion du "groupe de contact" sur la Libye.

Le dirigeant libyen Muammar Kadhafi a exhorté dans un message le "groupe de contact" sur la Libye qui se réunit mardi à Londres à mettre fin à l'"offensive barbare" contre son pays, la comparant aux campagnes militaires de Hitler en Europe. » | Le Point.fr | Mardi 29 Mars 2011

Could Gadhafi Stay After Mission Ends

West Continues Assault on Libya
Mar 25 - Western warplanes continue to strike Libya, but leader Muammar Gaddafi has not given up the fight. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Listening Post - Military Intervention, Warmongering and the Media
On this week's show: Military intervention, warmongering and the media - the latest chapter in the Libya story. Plus, we look at the challenges female journalists face in the field

Coalition Air Campaign against Libya Continues
Coalition forces have pounded Libyan targets for a fifth consecutive night, with airstrikes deeper into the country's south. The US military says 14 tomahawk missiles were fired by international forces late on Wednesday and into Thursday.
And now there are reports that French war planes have shot down a Libyan jet.
 Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher has more

Arab Warplanes Join Libya Mission
Mar 23 - Qatar is the first Arab nation to send fighter jets to help enforce the UN no fly zone over Libya, while other coalition countries also contribute aircraft. Simon Hanna reports

Europe Divided Over Libya Mission
More and more European warplanes are joining the operations against Libya. But EU leaders meeting in Brussels are divided over the mission. France is already declaring the campaign a success, which has saved the people of Benghazi from a bloodbath. But others say they're only willing to commit under a NATO umbrella. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports

US Fighter Pilot Talks to Al Jazeera
As objections mount against the bombing of Libyan sites, allegations of "mission creep" in the operation are rising.
Former US fighter jet pilot Jay Stout tells Al Jazeera that the military involvement in Libya has reached beyond what is usually expected in enforcing a no-fly zone

Front Line Stalls Outside Ajdabiya
Four days into an international military operation that has crippled Muammar Gaddafi's air force and air defence and forced the retreat of his ground troops in the east, rebels still can't seem to break through to Ajdabiya. 
Al Jazeera's James Bays filed this report nine kilometres outside the town, where the AJE team had earlier come under missile fire from Gaddafi's forces

Libya: US Fighter Jet Crash Lands in Field Near Benghazi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US warplane has crash landed in a Libyan field in the area around Benghazi, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

The pilot of the F-15E fighter jet was rescued by rebel soldiers after ejecting from the aircraft, it is understood. Another crew member is also thought to have ejected.

The crashed plane was discovered by a Telegraph journalist reporting in and around Benghazi, the rebel-held city.

It is thought the F-15E fighter jet came to ground after suffering a mechanical failure.

The US military confirmed that one of its jets had crash landed. Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the U.S. military's Africa Command, said that one crewman had been recovered and one was "in process of recovery".

Crawley said the crash occurred "overnight." He declined to give the location of the crash and also would not say how the rescued crewman was picked up.

This is the first coalition aircraft to have crash landed during the Libyan conflict following the third night of air strikes. » | Rob Crilly, and Laura Roberts | Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Putin nennt Militäraktion Kreuzzug

Verbunden »

Gadhafi Not A Target Of Western Airstrikes
After two days of strikes by western forces on Libyan air defenses, the Pentagon said the military is not going after Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. Jon Decker reports. Video Courtesy of Reuters

Libya, Lies and Lessons to Be Learned

Calls Grow for Allies to Stop Air Strikes on Libya

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: „UN-Resolution ist Aufruf zum Kreuzzug“ : Der russische Ministerpräsident Putin hat den Westen wegen des Vorgehens in Libyen scharf kritisiert. Präsident Medwedjew hält dagegen Vergleiche mit Kreuzzügen für „unangebracht“. » | M.L.; F.A.Z. | Montag, 21. März 2011

YNET NEWS: Putin joins fierce opposition to Libya ‘crusade’: Russian PM slams 'US foreign policy trend of interfering in other countries' affairs.' Qaeda to rebels: Don't trust Americans » | News agencies | Monday, March 21, 2011