Friday, March 18, 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
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: King Abdullah expected to announce government reshuffle and anti-corruption measures in address to the nation.
Saudi Arabia's monarch will announce a government reshuffle, an anti-corruption drive and a promise to increase food subsidies to combat rising prices in an address to the nation, diplomats have said.
King Abdullah's speech - his first address since unrest began sweeping the Arab world - is expected after midday Muslim prayers on Friday, the state news agency reported.
The speech by the ailing 86-year-old monarch comes after several small demonstrations in the oil-rich kingdom. The monarchy could be worried about protests escalating into more intense gatherings.
Saudi diplomats, speaking to the Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity, said the king plans to replace the ministers of defence, higher education and religious affairs.
The defence minister is ailing, while intellectuals have criticised the minister of higher education for dumping billions on expensive projects that they said produced few results.
The diplomats said the king would not replace the head of the all-important oil ministry. Many Saudis have seen little benefit from their country's oil wealth. » | Source: Agencies | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain’s police rounded up opposition leaders at gunpoint and took over a major hospital as it continued a violent crackdown on a protest movement despite international calls for restraint.
Security forces again clashed with Shia demonstrators as the Sunni monarchy sought to quell the month-long protest movement, which is calling for constitutional reform. The Bahraini capital Manama was tense but calm as troops in armoured vehicles funnelled traffic into checkpoints at key bridges and junctions.
Security forces took control of Salmaniya medical centre, Manama’s main hospital. Doctors and opposition figures alleged that wounded Shia protesters were denied treatment and staff were harassed.
Seven opposition figures were rounded up in raids including Hassan Mushaima, the leading Shia dissident, who had recently returned from exile in London.
They have been accused of contacting foreign states and inciting murder and vandalism, according to a statement from the island state’s military officials. » | Ben Farmer, Manama | Thursday, March 17, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Washington’s U-turn is as swift as the reversal in Col Gaddafi’s fortunes.
Eighteen days ago, it seemed that the colonel’s 42-year rule in Libya was close to collapse. When David Cameron then suggested a no-fly zone, it was to protect the Libyan people from a last, vengeful exercise of force. The full weight of the American military establishment dismissed the idea as premature.
Then, suddenly, the White House came down on the side of even tougher action than Mr Cameron proposed. But the Libyan army’s swift advance on Benghazi means that the strategic purpose of a no-fly zone has changed dramatically. Even if Benghazi holds out longer than the other towns of the northern coast, the West and its allies will be coming to the aid of an enclave, not a population.
The ultimate purpose must be to drive Col Gaddafi out of power. » | Richard Spencer, Tripoli | Thursday, March 17, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Celebratory gunfire rang out across the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Thursday night after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorise air strikes against the forces of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
As imams at mosques in the coastal city took to loudspeakers shouting “God is greatest, God is greatest”, tracer bullets streaked across the night sky like fireworks and anti-aircraft fire punctuated the sound of cars honking their horns.
With the government’s forces closing in, the rebels had begged for military protection. Their pleas were only answered after a change of heart by the Barack Obama administration, which had opposed a no-fly zone for weeks but agreed to support the British and French initiative as opposition towns fell rapidly to the Libyan leader.
The decision at the UN appeared to have an immediate impact on Col Gaddafi’s thinking. Saif al-Islam, one of his sons, said there had been a change of tactics and that as a “humanitarian gesture” the Libyan army no longer intended to march on Benghazi, the rebels’ last major stronghold.
“He said that the army is not going to go into Benghazi. It’s going to take up positions around the stronghold,” said Nic Robertson, a CNN reporter who was telephoned by the son.
“The reason is they expect a humanitarian exodus. They expect people will be afraid of what’s going to happen, and he said the army will be there to help them get out.”
Earlier on state television, Col Gaddafi had promised a ruthless assault on the city.
“We will chase the traitors from Benghazi,” he told his troops. “Destroy their fortifications. Show them no mercy. The world needs to see Benghazi free.” » | Damien McElroy, Tripoli, Alex Spillius in Washington and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Friday, March 18, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Western forces could launch bombing raids against the Libyan regime as early as Friday after the UN backed international military action.
Colonel Gaddafi threatened retaliatory attacks on passenger aircraft in the Mediterranean last night if foreign countries launched air strikes against Libya.
“Any foreign military act” would expose “all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea” as targets for a counter attack, the Libyan regime said.
The warning was issued after America formally backed a joint British and French initiative for a no-fly zone over Libya and other military action against Col Gaddafi’s regime.Amid growing international concern at the deteriorating situation in the country, the first bombing raids, possibly by unmanned drones, could happen as early as today. There were reports last night that the first attacks would be unilateral actions by British and French air forces with logistical support from Arab states.
The United Nations was meeting to discuss the plan as Col Gaddafi’s troops massed on the outskirts of Benghazi, the last stronghold of rebel fighters.
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said that a no-fly zone would involve bombing ground targets. » | Robert Winnett,, Deputy Political Editor, Jon Swaine in New York and Richard Spencer in Tripoli | Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: UN security council expected to pass resolution calling for states to protect Libyan civilians as Gaddafi threatens counterattack
British, French and US military aircraft are preparing to defend the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi after Washington said it was ready to support a no-fly zone and air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Jets could take off from French military bases if a no-fly zone is approved in a fresh United Nations security council resolution authorising "all necessary measures short of an occupation force" to protect civilians.
France, which has led the calls for a no-fly zone along with Britain, has offered the use of military bases on its Mediterranean coast about 750 miles from the Libyan coast. Several Arab countries would join the operation.
The finalising of military preparations came as Gaddafi's forces closed in on Benghazi and warned that they would target all maritime traffic in the Mediterranean if they are targeted by foreign forces. In a statement broadcast on Libyan television, the defence ministry said: "Any foreign military act against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean sea to danger and civilian and military [facilities] will become targets of Libya's counterattack." "The Mediterranean basin will face danger not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term."
Gaddafi has warned Libyan rebels that his forces will invade Benghazi and show no mercy to fighters who resisted them. "No more fear, no more hesitation, the moment of truth has come," the Libyan leader declared, as he warned Benghazi residents that soldiers would search every house in the city and people who had no arms had no reason to fear. "There will be no mercy. Our troops will be coming to Benghazi tonight." » | Ewen MacAskill in Washington, Nicholas Watt, Ian Black in Tripoli, Ed Pilkington in New York and Luke Harding in Berlin | Thursday, March 17, 2011
VOICE OF RUSSIA: Interview with Guido Steinberg , expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
In the case of the US, the main interest is stability of oil and gas, not from Bahrain, I do not think it is exporting at all any more, but from Saudi Arabia, from the region in general, and that is why Bahrain is crucial. Secondly the US is interested in the NATO base in Bahrain which is important for them. Saudi Arabia sees Bahrain as kind of protectorate, and its interest is mainly defensive I would argue, it wants to keep Bahrain from falling under Shiite control, because it considers that the Shiite majority in Bahrain has been kind of the fifth column, and the fifth column of the Iranians. I do not think that this is necessarily correct, but if they keep on suppressing, discriminating against the Shia in Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain in the way they have been doing it in recent years, I think they might become Iranian fifth column. Bahrain itself is mainly interested in survival, it is a Sunni family, the royal family is the Sunni family, it is extremely corrupt, like all these ruling families in the Gulf, the state is a dictatorship, and of course the Shiites in the country want a different kind of government. And then Iran: and Iran is I think the most problematic question, they aim at building an Iranian hegemony in the region, in the region meaning in the Gulf region, but at the same time they have not been terribly active in recent years. I would argue that for the time being they are very much preoccupied with the domestic situation in Iran, but they keep an eye on what is going on in the Gulf, and as soon as they will have stabilized the situation in the country, as soon as the Americans have left Iraq, they will react to what is going on in Bahrain right now, because it is a Saudi step with the aim of deterring the Iranians to a certain extent. (+ audio) » | Kudashkina Ekaterina | Thursday, March 17, 2011
Global Voices »
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Air strikes were reported from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, and fierce clashes elsewhere, as forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi continued their offensive against opposition forces. » Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies | Thursday, March 17, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As nuclear panic began to spread around the world, supermarkets and pharmacies thousands of miles from Japan ran out of anything and everything rumoured to prevent radiation poisoning.
Russia saw a run on red wine and seaweed; in China people were buying massive amounts of salt, and chemists as far away as Bulgaria reported shortages of iodine tablets.
No matter how many scientists were wheeled out to reassure people that radiation levels outside Japan would not pose a threat to health, widespread distrust of official advice meant thousands placed more faith in rumours and old wives’ tales.
In China, the government called for calm after shoppers bought up huge quantities of salt in the mistaken belief that it contains enough iodine to block radiation.
Potassium iodide tablets, which prevent the body from absorbing radiation, have been handed out in Japan to those living near the stricken Fukushima power plant, and in China iodine is added to salt to help prevent iodine deficiency disorders.
The mere mention of the word iodine was enough to prompt panic-buying of salt amid fears that a change in the wind direction could blow a radioactive cloud across China from its near neighbour.
“We are entirely sold out of salt, and shoppers are now buying salt substitutes such as soy sauce, even though there is no connection,” said an exasperated supermarket worker in Shanghai. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, March 17, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)