Saturday, March 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has rejected UN-backed military intervention as an illegal act in a series of letters to world leaders.
The 68-year old told President Barack Obama that his forces were battling al-Qaeda within Libya.
A spokesman read out the letter at a press conference in Tripoli.
"Our son, the president of US," the letter to the US leader said. "I have said to you before that even if Libya and US enter into a war, God forbid. I have all love for you as a son.
"I have all Libyan people with me, and I am prepared to die and they are prepared to die with me. We are confronting al Qaeda and nothing more.
"What would you do if you found them controling American cities with the force of weapons." » | Damien McElroy, Tripoli | Saturday, March 19, 2011
BBC: Pro-Gaddafi tanks are inside Libya's rebel stronghold of Benghazi, a BBC journalist has witnessed, as the city came under attack.
A jet appears to have been shot down over the city in spite of a declared ceasefire and a UN no-fly resolution.
World leaders are due to meet in Paris to discuss military action.
The rebel leader has appealed to the international community to stop the pro-Gaddafi bombardment, but the government denies claims of attacks.
"Now there is a bombardment by artillery and rockets on all districts of Benghazi," Mustafa Abdul Jalil told Al Jazeera television. "There will be a catastrophe if the international community does not implement the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
"We appeal to the international community, to the all the free world, to stop this tyranny from exterminating civilians."
UN Secretary General ban Ki-moon says the world must "speak with one voice" on Libya.
The new UN resolution authorised "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians. (+ video) » | Saturday, March 19, 2011
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain could face terrorist attacks backed by Libya if Colonel Gaddafi clings to power, David Cameron has warned.
The Prime Minister told MPs that Britain’s own national security "interests" will be at risk if the Gaddafi regime survives in Tripoli.
British officials said that the Government’s leading role in international efforts to topple Gaddafi could increase the threat of reprisals from the Libyan leader and his followers.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Gaddafi regime was considered one of the most active state sponsors of terrorism in the world, supporting and funding groups including the IRA.
The Gaddafi regime also paid compensation to the families of the 270 people killed when a Pan-Am airliner was bombed over Lockerbie in 1988.
Following the September 11th attacks on the US in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Gaddafi sought a rapprochement with the West and is largely believed to have ended his support for terrorist activities.
However, Western intelligence officials fear that the current Libyan crisis could potentially see him return to state sponsorship of terror, in reprisal for Western support for his opponents. » James Kirkup | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya: Tripoli on edge as regime enters new phase in fight to survive – Silver knives glinted in the afternoon sunshine as a tribal nomad in a blue headdress swatted carelessly with a fly whisk but the Friday market at Tripoli's old city walls offered no respite from Libya's troubles. » | Damien McElroy, Tripoli | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE SPECTATOR: Just as the British press is venerating David Cameron in the aftermath of last night’s UN resolution, so too the French press is praising President Sarkozy. In fact, the whole administration is basking in his reflected glory. Le Figaro describes Sarkozy’s and Prime Minister François Fillon’s roles in obtaining the UN Resolution and preparing the French military for action; the Defence minister also receives a hearty appraisal.Even the Presidency’s determined adversaries have expressed more than grudging respect. The left-wing newspaper Libération applauds Foreign Minister (and grand old man of Gaullism) Alain Juppé’s success in bringing the fractious United Nations to resolution. In recent days, the paper has also reported that the French Left aligned behind Sarkozy on this issue.
Libération has also given some space to David Cameron: it frequently refers to the ‘joint Anglo-French operation’ and today it included Cameron’s Commons statement in its Libyan live-blog. Other French newspapers have been more reticent about Britain’s role. Le Figaro mentions Cameron in passing and Le Monde, the ‘newspaper of record’ in France, has taken a patriotic line. Although it acknowledges that the UN Resolution was a joint effort with Britain and other nations, it is presented as an achievement for ‘la France’. Particular praise is reserved for the ‘solemn letter’ that Sarkozy personally wrote to members of the UN Security Council before yesterday’s vote. » | David Blackburn | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya crisis: David Cameron emerges as a bold statesman – MPs of all political colours paid tribute to David Cameron's role in securing the United Nations resolution on Libya. » | Andrew Porter | Friday, March 18, 2011
My comment:
To talk of Cameron and statesmanship in the same breath is something I find rather odd at this stage. Forgive me if I'm missing something; but what has he done yet that would classify him as a statesman? Since when did declaring war on a madman in the desert count? In any case, it is far too soon to talk of statesmanship. Let us see first how this crisis unfolds. We haven't yet ousted the 'Mad Dog.' And he may prove to be far more formidable an enemy than either Cameron or Sarkozy can imagine. Gaddafi could yet turn the Mediterranean into a fireball. God only knows what he's got lined up the sleeve of his jalabi for us. One thing is certain: He's not going to give up without one almighty fight. And remember this: He's in a corner. He's like a trapped rat! A trapped rat is a dangerous rat! So before we start talking of statesmanship, let us first see how well Cameron performs. – © Mark
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces pushed into the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Saturday, defying world demands for an immediate ceasefire and after France's U.N. envoy predicted an imminent military action.Libyan rebels shot down a warplane that was bombing their eastern stronghold Saturday as the opposition accused Moammar Gadhafi's government of defying calls for an immediate cease-fire an launching a sea and land assault[.]
"The explosions started about 2 a.m. Gaddafi's forces are advancing, we hear they're 20 kms (12 miles) from Benghazi," Faraj Ali, a resident, said.
Gaddafi's forces advance into Benghazi pre-empted an international meeting hosted by France to discuss military intervention in Libya. The meeting will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Arab leaders.
"We saw Gaddafi's tanks, cars and missile trucks less than five km away," a rebel figher giving his name as Mohammed told Reuters.
Libya had declared a unilateral ceasefire on Friday after the U.N. Security Council authorised a no-fly zone over Libya.
But the United States accused Gaddafi of defying international demands for an immediate ceasefire, and France's U.N. envoy predicted military action within hours of the Paris meeting on Libya on Saturday.
Libyan rebels said they were being forced to retreat by Gaddafi's forces. Black plumes of smoke could be seen on the road to the west of the city, a witness said. » | Saturday, March 19, 2011
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Deutschland hat sich in der Entscheidung über die Flugverbotszone über Libyen enthalten - und sich damit in der westlichen Welt isoliert. Die Folge ist ein diplomatischer Schadensfall höchsten Ausmaßes für Berlin und auch für Westerwelle persönlich.Kurz nach neun Uhr am Freitagmorgen steht ein übermüdeter Außenminister im Auswärtigen Amt. Die Nacht war kurz, bis zuletzt gab es Telefonate auf allen Ebenen mit dem Ziel, genügend Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrates zur Enthaltung zu bewegen, um einen Militäreinsatz gegen Libyen zu verhindern. Nun muss Guido Westerwelle die Frage beantworten, ob er sich international und innerhalb der EU isoliert habe. „Wir haben uns enthalten“, sagt er und fügt hinzu, „gemeinsam mit so bedeutenden Ländern und auch Partnern wie Brasilien, wie Indien, wie Russland und auch China“, was freilich auch hieß, dass er sich damit gegen die bislang bedeutenderen Partner Amerika, Großbritannien, Frankreich und auch Portugal stellt.
Damit ist eingetreten, was Westerwelles Vorvorgänger Joseph Fischer 2003 kurz vor dem Irak-Krieg befürchtete: die Isolierung Deutschlands in der westlichen Welt – ein diplomatischer Schadensfall höchsten Ausmaßes für Berlin und auch für Westerwelle persönlich. Seinerzeit war Europa in „alt“ und „neu“ gespalten. Diesmal aber steht Deutschland an der Seite Chinas und Russlands. Im Auswärtigen Amt hatte es lange nicht nur die Hoffnung gegeben, wenn zumindest auch Portugal mit Deutschland stimme, könne man glaubhaft machen, in der Libyen-Frage gebe es in Europa nun einmal einen Dissens. Zudem setzte Berlin darauf, Moskau und/oder Peking würden durch ihr Veto einen Militäreinsatz verhindern. » | Von Majid Sattar, Berlin | Samstag, 19. März 2011
DIE PRESSE: Ein mit schwarz-gelber Mehrheit beschlossenes Gesetz bringt eine Reihe von verschärften Regelungen für Migranten und soll Zwangsehen bekämpfen. Die Opposition lehnt das Gesetz ab.
Für in Deutschland lebende Migranten gilt künftig eine Reihe verschärfter Regelungen. Ein vom Bundestag am Donnerstag mit den Stimmen von Schwarz-Gelb beschlossenes Gesetz sieht Sanktionen für den Fall vor, dass Neuzuwanderer nicht in ausreichendem Maße an den verpflichtenden Integrationskursen teilnehmen. Solange ein entsprechender Unterricht, in dem auch Deutsch gelehrt wird, nicht absolviert ist, wird die Aufenthaltserlaubnis jeweils nur für höchstens ein Jahr gewährt. Die Opposition sprach sich gegen die Neuregelung aus und votierte bei der Abstimmung dagegen. » | Ag. | Donnerstag, 17. März 2011
leJDD.fr: Alors que la situation en Libye pourrait très prochainement basculer, les mouvements de révolte se poursuivent dans d’autres pays du monde arabe. Au Yémen, la répression se fait sanglante: une cinquantaine de personnes ont été tuées par les forces de l’ordre.Il y a deux jours à peine, la contre-offensive sanglante menée par le colonel Kadhafi en Libye augurait de sombres perspectives pour le printemps des révolutions arabes. Commencé en Tunisie, poursuivi en Egypte, le mouvement s’est étendu à de nombreux pays, des rives de la Méditerranée jusqu’au Golfe persique. L'hypothèse d’une victoire du dictateur libyen menaçait l’avenir des révoltes menées dans d’autres pays, au premier rang desquels, Bahreïn et le Yémen. Après l’adoption d’une résolution de l’ONU sur le cas libyen jeudi, les manifestants n’ont pas cédé face à la répression.
Le président yéménite, Ali Abdallah Saleh, a proclamé vendredi l’état d’urgence. Les forces de l’ordre ont tiré sur la foule qui manifestait dans la capitale, Sanaa, pour exiger le départ du dirigeant au pouvoir depuis 32 ans. Bilan: 46 morts, au moins, et 400 blessés. Le président des Etats-Unis, Barack Obama, a fermement condamné ces violences. "J’appelle le président Saleh à tenir sa promesse d'autoriser les manifestations à se dérouler pacifiquement", a-t-il ajouté. » | Adrien Gaboulaud (avec agences) - leJDD.fr | Vendredi 18 Mars 2011
TIME: The 45 helmeted men, armed with rifles, their faces masked, came for Ibrahim Sharif at 2 a.m. on Friday. They hopped the fence and entered his home, carted him off to jail — or Saudi Arabia — no one's really sure. "They were ringing the bell and shouting 'open, open, open,'" the dissident's wife, Fareeda, told TIME later that day. "Ibrahim told them to lower their guns, to calm down. They took him anyway. It took less than 10 minutes." The vans outside, she said, sported the insignia of Bahrain's national security forces.
Sharif, the leader of the Bahrain's opposition Waad party, was among several key anti-government activists arrested in a wave of pre-dawn raids on Thursday and Friday. At 4 a.m., on Friday, shortly after the raid at Sharif's home, the Waad headquarters was set on fire. All that remains of the two-story office building are charred walls and office furniture, gutted meeting rooms, giant shards of glass littering the floor. In a subsequent press conference, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, dismissed the blaze as a random act of arson. But it comes as the regime of his cousin, King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa, stages an increasing ferocious crackdown against the Shi'ite majority, a campaign abetted by the unprecedented prescence of Saudi Arabian troops sent in to preserve the Sunni monarchy.
Until the end of last week, the political opposition had been rapidly been gaining steam, and support. Then, on March 11, the government let lose with the first of a series of increasingly ferocious responses. Now, Waad party leaders and even younger activists fear for their safety. On Friday morning, TIME received a text message from a protest organizer who said he had been warned that a crackdown on youth was underway. He said he had not left his [home?] for more than a day. "The streets are not safe," he texted, adding that his bank accounts had been frozen, phone tapped and every move monitored by police. » | Karen Leigh | SITRA | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The rise of the Tea Party has seen an increase in extreme legislation across the US, ranging in from a bill in Montana saying global warming is good for the state to a suggestion in Missouri to end restrictions on child labour.Earlier this month Utah's state legislature approved a bill that would recognise gold and silver as legal tender as alternatives to more foldable forms of currency. It needs only the governor's signature to become law.
Similar moves are under consideration in a dozen other states, where legislators are outraged by soaring deficits and the federal government's promiscuous dollar-printing.
The Utah bill is among an abundance of proposals made by Tea Party-backed Republicans who were elected to state assemblies last year.
Others include a bill in South Dakota to make every adult carry a gun, a bid in Arizona to nullify federal laws.
In Montana, House Bill 278 would authorise arming citizens' militias against invaders, even though the state borders Canada.
Wyoming and Tennessee are among 14 states that have either passed or are contemplating legislation to ban sharia law, though objectors say that Islamic justice has yet to be presented as an alternative to US law.
Many proposals in the states will never become law, and state legislators have a tradition of eccentricity which is regarded with a measure pride by politicians of all stripes as truly representative of the nation.
But taken collectively, the new plans reveal an anxiety among grassroots conservatives about the direction of the country under President Barack Obama, a fierce devotion to single issues – such as opposing Islam – and at times a yearning for a rose-tinted past. » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Friday, March 18, 2011
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Reports from Libya say pro-government forces have entered the western outskirts of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, with the city's south also believed to be under heavy bombardment. » | Source: Agencies | Saturday, March 19, 2011
YNET NEWS: Several thousand gathered in Deraa chant 'God, Syria, Freedom' and anti-corruption slogans; state TV reports of other; amateur videos show similar rallies in Homs, BaniyasSyrian security forces killed four demonstrators on Friday in the southern city of Deraa as they took part in a peaceful protest demanding political freedom and an end to corruption in Syria, a human rights activist said.
Akram al-Jawabra, Houssam Abdelwali Ayash, Ayham al-Harri and a member of the Abu Aoun family were among several thousands who where chanting "God, Syria, Freedom" and anti-corruption slogans, accusing the family of President Bashar Assad of corruption, when they were shot dead by security forces who were reinforced with troops flown in by helicopters, the activist said.
"Hundreds of protesters were wounded and many were snatched by the security force from the hospital where they had been taken and removed to an unknown location," he added.
Plain-clothes Syrian police broke up a protest after Friday prayers at the main mosque in central Damascus, dragging away at least two activists, AFP reporters witnessed.
"There is no God but God," a crowd inside the men's section of the Omayyed Mosque chanted in crescendo after Friday prayers at noon. » | Roee Nahmias, agencies | Friday, March 18, 2011
الثورة السورية تشتد في يومها الرابع -- السلطات تغلق الجامع الاموي في دمشق لاحتواء المتظاهرين، والاف يتظاهرون في حمص ودرعا واستخدام خراطيم مياه لتفريق المتظاهرين
YNET NEWS: Syria: Israel behind anti-government rallies – Hundreds take part in 'day of rage' demonstrations in Damascus, Deir ez-Zor and Halab; Syrian official says 'many residents received inciting text messages originating in army base in Palestine » | Roee Nahmias | Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Related »
Friday, March 18, 2011
WELT ONLINE: Bahrainische Streitkräfte haben ein Denkmal auf dem Lulu-Platz in Manama zerstört. Das Bauwerk war zum Symbol für die Protestbewegungen geworden.
Die bahrainischen Streitkräfte haben ein Denkmal auf einem zentralen Platz der Hauptstadt Manama zerstört, das zum Symbol für die seit Wochen anhaltenden schiitischen Proteste gegen die sunnitische Regierung geworden war. Das 90 Meter hohe Monument auf dem Perlenplatz sei „ein schlechtes Andenken gewesen“, begründete Außenminister Chalid bin Ahmed al Chalifa die Maßnahme bei einer Pressekonferenz. » | dapd/sv | Freitag, 18. März 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain’s authorities have demolished the Pearl Roundabout monument which had become the symbolic heart of the country’s protest movement as forces continued a crackdown.The monument was flattened two days after police used armoured vehicles and tear gas to sweep away a month-old Shia protest camp which had gathered around the monument.
State media said the monument, acknowledging Gulf unity and the kingdom’s pearl fishing history, was removed in a “facelift” to boost traffic flow.
Bahrain's most prominent Shia cleric criticised Britain and America for doing nothing to stop the violent crackdown by the Sunni monarchy against anti-government protests.
Sheikh Issa Qassem told a congregation of around 1,500 worshippers that protesters should remain peaceful, but that they would "bend to no one but God."
He gave the defiant Friday sermon before the funerals of two Shia men who died in clashes with the security forces earlier this week as the crackdown continued. » | Ben Farmer, Manama | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi was on Friday night warned that he must surrender large swathes of Libya or face military action from Britain, France and other Western countries this weekend.British warplanes were poised to participate in bombing raids against tanks and other targets after David Cameron and Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to the Libyan leader.
The Prime Minister said that Britain would not tolerate Libya "festering" on Europe's borders, alluding to fears that Col Gaddafi may support terrorist attacks in this country.
In a statement on Friday night, the US president warned Col Gaddafi that he must withdraw troops from towns previously held by rebels, including Misurata and Zawiyah. The regime should also stop its advance on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi immediately, he said, and basic services including water and electricity should be returned to the areas.
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said that the "final result" of international action against Libya must be Col Gaddafi's departure from power. » | l | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Libya: Obama tells Gaddafi to withdraw or face UN-backed air strikes » | Ewen MacAskill in Washington, Patrick Wintour, Ian Black in Tripoli, and Nicholas Watt | Friday, March 18, 2011
LE FIGARO: Les deux pays se sont beaucoup rapprochés lors de la préparation de l'accord de défense signé à Londres en novembre. Ils se partagent aujourd'hui les lauriers du succès diplomatique obtenu jeudi à New York.Quelques heures après le vote aux Nations unies de la résolution autorisant l'usage de la force contre la Libye, David Cameron s'est rendu vendredi matin à la Chambre des communes pour dévoiler son intention de mobiliser les forces aériennes britanniques contre le régime du colonel Kadhafi. «Nous allons envoyer sans tarder des Typhoon (Eurofighter), des Tornado, des avions de ravitaillement et des avions de surveillance, a-t-il expliqué. Les préparatifs pour déployer ces avions ont commencé, et d'ici quelques heures, ils vont partir vers des bases aériennes où ils seront à pied d'œuvre.» » | Par Cyrille Vanlerberghe | Vendredi 18 Mars 2011
Dieses Video ist in Schwyzertüütsch ausgestrahlt worden.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Reports of violence as residents of three towns fill the streets in demonstrations against the government.
Protests have erupted in at least three towns across Syria in the most serious case of unrest in decades for a country that has been ruled with strict emergency laws for almost half a century.
Witnesses reported that at least three people had been killed by security forces in the southern city of Deraa on Friday, where anti-government demonstrators had gathered after midday prayers.
The three were reportedly among several thousand people in the city who chanted "God, Syria, Freedom" while accusing president Bashar al-Assad's family of corruption.
Witnesses said security forces were reinforced with troops who landed in the city's football stadium in helicopters.
"The confrontations are ongoing. They are heavy," a witness told the Reuters news agency.
Hundreds of protesters were reported to have been injured. » | Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Friday, March 18, 2011
DAILY EXPRESS: INEFFECTUAL, invisible, unable to honour pledges and now blamed for letting Gaddafi off the hook. Why Obama’s gone from ‘Yes we can’ to ‘Er, maybe we shouldn’t’...
Let us cast our minds back to those remarkable days in November 2008 when the son of a Kenyan goatherd was elected to the White House. It was a bright new dawn – even brighter than the coming of the Kennedys and their new Camelot. JFK may be considered as being from an ethnic and religious minority – Irish and Catholic – but he was still very rich and very white. Barack Obama, by contrast, was a true breakthrough president. The world would change because obviously America had changed.
Obama’s campaign slogan was mesmerisingly simple and brimming with self-belief: “Yes we can.” His presidency, however, is turning out to be more about “no we won’t.” Even more worryingly, it seems to be very much about: “Maybe we can… do what, exactly?“ The world feels like a dangerous place when leaders are seen to lack certitude but the only thing President Obama seems decisive about is his indecision. What should the US do about Libya? What should the US do about the Middle East in general? What about the country’s crippling debts? What is the US going to do about Afghanistan, about Iran?
What is President Obama doing about anything? The most alarming answer – your guess is as good as mine – is also, frankly, the most accurate one. What the President is not doing is being clear, resolute and pro-active, which is surely a big part of his job description. This is what he has to say about the popular uprising in Libya: “Gaddafi must go.” At least, that was his position on March 3.
Since then, other countries – most notably Britain and France – have been calling for some kind of intervention. Even the Arab League, a notoriously conservative organisation, has declared support for sanctions. But from the White House has come only the blah-blah of bland statements filled with meaningless expressions and vague phrases. Of decisive action and leadership – even of clearly defined opinion – there is precious little sign.
What is the Obama administration’s position on the protests in the Gulf island state of Bahrain, which the authorities there are savagely suppressing with the help of troops shipped in from Saudi Arabia? What is the White House view on the alarming prospect of the unrest spreading to Saudi Arabia itself? Who knows? Certainly not the American people, nor the leaders of nations which would consider themselves allies of America.
The President has not really shared his views, which leads us to conclude that he either doesn’t know or chooses, for reasons best known to himself, not to say. The result is that a very real opportunity to remove an unpredictable despot from power may well have been lost. Who knows when or if such an opportunity will come along again? » | Anna Pukas | Friday, March 18, 2011
HT: Always On Watch »
HT: Always On Watch »
BBC: Unidentified gunmen firing on an anti-government rally in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have killed at least 39 people and injured 200, doctors told the BBC.The gunmen fired from rooftops overlooking the central square in what the opposition called a massacre.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared a national state of emergency but denied his forces were behind the shooting.
US President Barack Obama condemned the violence, urging Mr Saleh to allow peaceful protests.
In a statement, he said those responsible for Friday's violence "must be held accountable".
Separately, France demanded an end to attacks "by security forces and armed pro-government groups... against people exercising their rights to free speech and demonstration", Reuters reports. (+ video) » | Friday, March 18, 2011
BBC: Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi must obey the UN's demands or face military action, US President Barack Obama says.
Mr Obama said Thursday's UN resolution, which called for an immediate ceasefire, was not negotiable.
He said the entire region could be destabilised if Col Gaddafi was allowed to continue attacking his own people.
Earlier, the Gaddafi regime announced it had stopped fighting with the rebels, and promised to follow the UN security council resolution.
Mr Obama said Col Gaddafi's troops must pull back from rebel-held towns including Benghazi, and the authorities must allow in humanitarian aid.
"If he does not comply, the international community will impose consequences," said Mr Obama. "The resolution will be enforced by military action." » | Friday, March 18, 2011
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Tripolis - Libyen beugt sich dem internationalen Druck und hat ein Ende der Kämpfe gegen die Aufständischen verkündet.
Doch Gegner des Machthabers Muammar Gaddafi berichteten aus Misrata, der Beschuss halte an.
Mehrere Stunden nachdem der UN-Sicherheitsrat einen Militäreinsatz erlaubt und Großbritannien schon mit der Verlegung von Kampflugzeugen begonnen hatte, erklärte Libyens Außenminister Mussa Kussa am Freitag in Tripolis: "Wir akzeptieren die UN-Resolution." Doch Frankreich und Großbritannien blieben skeptisch: "Wir müssen sehr vorsichtig sein", sagte ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums in Paris Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Gaddafi bekomme jetzt Angst, die Bedrohung für die Zivilisten habe sich aber nicht geändert. Ähnlich äußerte sich der britische Premierminister David Cameron in der BBC: Machthaber Muammar Gaddafi werde an seinen Taten gemessen, nicht an seinen Worten.
Immerhin hatte sich Gaddafi noch am Morgen unbeeindruckt von der UN-Resolution gezeigt und die von Aufständischen gehaltene Stadt Misrata im Westen des Landes erneut unter Beschuss nehmen lassen. Und sein Sohn Saif al-Islam hatte laut Fernsehsender Al Dschasira erklärt, Libyen kümmere sich nicht um die Resolution des UN-Sicherheitsrates. Außerdem würden Anti-Terror-Kräfte nach Benghasi im Osten des Landes geschickt, um die Rebellen zu entwaffnen. » | © Reuters | Freitag, 18. März 2011
REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS - Le gouvernement français a lancé vendredi une série de consultations politiques et diplomatiques avant de lancer avec ses alliés des opérations militaires en Libye contre les forces fidèles à Mouammar Kadhafi.
Le porte-parole du gouvernement, François Baroin, a annoncé que la France participerait à ces opérations qui seront menées "rapidement", voire "dans quelques heures", après le vote, jeudi soir à New York, d'une résolution du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies autorisant le recours à la force et l'instauration d'une zone d'exclusion aérienne au-dessus de la Libye.
Il a précisé qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'occuper la Libye mais d'aider le mouvement de révolte à prendre le dessus sur les forces de Mouammar Kadhafi.
"Quand je disais quelques heures ou rapidement (...), sans donner de lieu stratégique ou de nature de frappes, je ne suis pas sûr que quoi que ce soit puisse faire entendre raison à cette dictature terroriste ou sanguinaire", a-t-il dit sur RTL.
Une intervention terrestre n'est pas envisagée. » | Yves Clarisse, avec le service France et John Irish, édité par Gilles Trequesser | Vendredi 18 Mars 2011
REUTERS FRANCE: La Libye décrète un cessez-le-feu après le vote à l'Onu : TRIPOLI - Les autorités libyennes ont décrété un cessez-le-feu pour protéger les populations civiles et elles sont prêtes à un dialogue, a annoncé vendredi le ministre libyen des Affaires étrangères. » | Par Maria Golovnina et Michael Georgy | Vendredi 18 Mars 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A golden onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral that the French fear could become a Russian spy base is to be built at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, according to plans unveiled yesterday.The Franco-Russian SADE-Arch group of architects has been chosen to build the white building from among 10 bidders. The tallest of its five 88ft-high gilded domes will dramatically alter the Paris skyline as it rises above the surrounding 19th century buildings on Paris' Quai Branly.
Overlooking the Seine and a stone's throw from France's most famous landmark, the cathedral will be wreathed in a huge glass solar-panelled roof, which chief architect Manuel Nunez Yanowsky said was designed to evoke an immense waterfall but also symbolically "the veil of the Mother of God".
Archbishop Marc d'Egorievsk, who represents the Moscow patriarchy, said the £30 million project was chosen as it "blends orthodox tradition and the modernity of a city like Paris."
The cathedral will be part of an "Orthodox centre" comprising a vast 3,400 square metre public garden with terraces as well as a library, classrooms, a reception hall and lodgings for church representatives.
Assuming municipal authorities give final planning permission, it will be the first Russian monument to be built in the French capital in more than a century. » | Henry Samuel in Paris | Friday, March 18, 2011
VOICE OF AMERICA: Saudi Arabia's king, seeking to keep unrest sweeping the Arab world at bay, promised reforms on Friday and cash incentives to residents.
In a nationally televised speech after midday Muslim prayers, King Abdullah praised his security forces for helping keep the country's stable during recent demonstrations in the kingdom.
When he finished his short speech, news anchors then read a series of royal decrees. They included promises of wage increases, and cash gifts. The government also vowed an anti-corruption drive. » | Friday, March 18, 2011
FT.COM: Saudi king disappoints reformist hopes » | Abeer Allam | Friday, March 18, 2011
BANGOR DAILY NEWS: BREWER, Maine — As the world watches Japanese officials struggle to stabilize nuclear power plants damaged by the major earthquake and tsunami last week, Californians are going online to order gas masks and chemical suits from Brewer, according to Maine Military Supply owner Frank Spizuoco.
“Hundreds of gas masks daily are going out the door,” he said Thursday. “It’s pretty crazy. It reminds me of the frenzy after 9-11.”
People in California are ordering gas masks and related gear, including chemical suits, jackets, gloves, pants and boots, Spizuoco said. » | Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN Staff | Posted: Thursday, March 17, 2011; Friday, March 18, 2011
MAIL ONLINE: The bitter, bloody feud between the two branches of Islam, the Sunnis and the Shi’ites, has gone on for centuries and now this vicious sectarian strife is exploding again in Bahrain, threatening to cause an even greater conflict in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The implications of the worsening hostility for the world are nightmarish, for the entire region could soon be gripped by turmoil, bloodshed and economic meltdown. What was naively seen a few weeks ago as a fight between freedom and autocracy could descend into an epic clash between two Muslim ideologies, the savagery made all the worse by their long history of enmity.
The roots of the hostility between Sunni and Shia lie not in profound theological differences, but in the political intrigues that took place in the Muslim world in the 7th Century. When the Prophet Mohamed died in AD 632, the question of the succession to his leadership was dominated by family rivalries and disputes.
Essentially, there were four candidates to succeed as ‘caliph’, or leader, and one group in particular, which went on to form the Shi’ites, strongly favoured the claims of Ali, the grandson of Mohamed. Even the name, Shi’ite, derives from ‘party of Ali’. But three times in succession, Ali was passed over as each of the other candidates was chosen before him.
The opposition to Ali deepened the sense of anger among his supporters. Eventually, in this climate of tribal factionalism, Ali became the fourth caliph, though the indignation of his followers was provoked when he was then brutally assassinated.
The tribal feuding in the post-Mohamed era reached its climax at the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. This is really the key moment in the creation of the Shi’ite movement, the point at which the fissure was permanently established.
At the battle, Ali’s grandson, Hussein, was killed and, in the aftermath of his death, he came to be regarded by the Shi’ites as a martyr. The split between the Shi’ites and the opposing faction which took on the name Sunni, or ‘tradition’, has existed ever since that battle, causing endless sectarian trouble across the Middle East and the Arab world.The division soon acquired the trappings of theology. In turn, this has worsened the bigotry and hatred. » | John R Bradley | Friday, March 18, 2011
AHRAM ONLINE: Qatar officials acknowledges sending troops to Bahrain as part of GCC forces
Qatari troops are part of the Gulf forces deployed to Bahrain to put down Shiite-led protests against the Sunni dynasty there, said a Qatari military official.
"The duty of the Qatari force participating in the Peninsula Shield force is to contribute in restoring order and security" in Bahrain, Qatar news agency QNA quoted Colonel Abdullah Al-Hajri as saying late Thursday.
This is the first official confirmation of Qatar's contribution to Gulf troops in Bahrain.
"As a Qatari force we are receiving our orders from the head of the joint Peninsula Shield Force. There are no Qatari forces outside the Peninsula Shield" in Bahrain, Hajri said.
Earlier this week, more than 1,000 Saudi troops and around 500 Emirati troops entered the strategic Gulf kingdom, home to the US Fifth Fleet.
The move was met with strong criticism from Iran and followed by Tehran and Manama withdrawing their respective ambassadors. » | AFP | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya has declared a ceasefire in the country to comply with a United Nations resolution passed overnight.
Moussa Koussa, the Libya foreign minister, announced that the ceasefire would be "immediate" and would result in "an immediate stop to all military operations".
"(Libya) takes great interest in protecting civilians," he said, adding that the country would also protect all foreigners and foreign assets in Libya.
The announcement came as David Cameron said RAF warplanes would be in places in the "coming hours".
Military action follows a United Nations Security Resolution, backed by Britain, France and the US. The Arab League has also called for a no-fly zone, and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are expected to contribute forces to any military operation.
Mr Cameron's statement came amid reports that Western forces could launch bombing raids against the Libyan regime within hours after the UN backed international military action. » | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE JERUSALEM POST: Saif al-Islam responds to UN Security Council decision to authorize military strikes on Libya; France, Norway to join int'l military action.Libya is not afraid of a UN resolution authorizing military strikes to protect Libyan civilians, Al Arabiya television quoted Saif al-Islam, one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons, as saying on Friday. Al Arabiya did not say where or when he made the remark.
The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to authorize military force against Gadhafi’s forces.
“Today the Security Council has responded to the Libyan people's cry for help,” US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said. “This Council's purpose is clear: to protect innocent civilians.”
France and Norway announced Friday that they will join the international military action against Gaddafi's forces.
French government spokesman Francois Baroin said on Friday that "The French, who led the calls [for action], will of course be consistent with military intervention." Asked to specify what that meant, he said "they will participate" in operations.
The UN resolution demands the "immediate establishment of a cease-fire and a complete end to violence and all attacks, and abuses, of civilians." The resolution stipulates that member states, upon notification to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, can “take all necessary measures...to protect civilians and civilian populated areas, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory." » | Reuters and Jordana Horn | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: CAIRO—Egypt's military has begun shipping arms over the border to Libyan rebels with Washington's knowledge, U.S. and Libyan rebel officials said.
The shipments—mostly small arms such as assault rifles and ammunition—appear to be the first confirmed case of an outside government arming the rebel fighters. Those fighters have been losing ground for days in the face of a steady westward advance by forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
The Egyptian shipments are the strongest indication to date that some Arab countries are heeding Western calls to take a lead in efforts to intervene on behalf of pro-democracy rebels in their fight against Mr. Gadhafi in Libya. Washington and other Western countries have long voiced frustration with Arab states' unwillingness to help resolve crises in their own region, even as they criticized Western powers for attempting to do so.
The shipments also follow an unusually robust diplomatic response from Arab states. There have been rare public calls for foreign military intervention in an Arab country, including a vote by the 23-member Arab League last week urging the U.N. to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. » | Charles Levinson and Matthew Rosenberg | Thursday, March 17, 2011
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Crisis Triggers an Exodus From Tokyo: Governments, Airlines Take Steps to Get Citizens Out; American Family Decides 'It's Time to Leave' » | Mariko Sanchanta | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: LONDON—The U.K. welcomed what it said was a "significant change" in the U.S. position on no-fly zones over Libya after a week of frustration from Britain and France at what they saw as foot-dragging by other nations on the issue.Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Wednesday night said the U.S. believed preparations should be made for military action that goes beyond a no-fly zone to protect Libyans under threat from forces loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
"The situation on the ground has evolved and… a no-fly zone has inherent limitations in terms of protection of civilians," Ms. Rice said.
The British and, in particular, France have led the charge to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. » | Alistair MacDonald and David Gauthier-Villars | Thursday, March 17, 2011
GMA NEWS ONLINE: TUNIS — Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombarded the rebel-held city of Misrata on Friday with heavy weapons, rebels and residents said.
"There have been heavy bombardments since 7 o'clock (0500 GMT) this morning. They are bombing everything, the houses, the centre of the city," rebel Saadoun told Reuters by phone.
"It's the heaviest bombardment I have seen so far."
The sound of heavy artillery could be heard in the background.
Al Arabiya television said an unspecified number of people were killed and wounded and several mosques, schools and residential buildings badly damaged in the attack on the city of 300,000, about 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli.
The attack began hours after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution endorsing a no-fly zone and military attacks on Gaddafi's forces to protect civilians. » | Reuters | Friday, March 18, 2011
LE FIGARO: L'ONU a donné jeudi soir son feu vert à une opération militaire. La Libye n'a «pas peur», a rétorqué vendredi l'un des fils de Mouammar Kadhafi, Seif al-Islam. Paris, Londres et Washington ont commencé à coordonner une stratégie.
Les frappes militaires interviendront «dans quelques heures» et les Français y «participeront», a annoncé vendredi le porte-parole du gouvernement François Baroin. Le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU a voté jeudi soir en faveur d'un recours à la force contre les troupes du colonel Mouammar Kadhafi, ouvrant la voie à des frappes aériennes en Libye. La résolution 1973 adoptée par le Conseil autorise en effet «toutes les mesures nécessaires» pour protéger les civils et imposer un cessez-le-feu à l'armée libyenne. » | Par Thomas Vampouille | Vendredi 18 Mars 2011
REUTERS: Bahrainis to bury dead protester amid crackdown: Hundreds of Bahrainis gathered on Friday to bury an activist killed in a crackdown on mainly Shi'ite Muslim protesters that has angered Iran and raised tensions in the world's largest oil-exporting region. » | Erika Solomon | MANAMA | Friday, March 18, 2011
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