TRIPOLI — Entering Libya from Tunisia, the roughly 115 mile drive to Tripoli currently provides a fascinating if unsettling introduction to the current situation in Tripoli. By the time I arrived at the hotel, my mouth tasted as if I had sipped kerosene and my clothes reeked of the same. The reason is that the acute petroleum products shortage has meant that Tunisians and others are transporting for quick cash, whatever they can get to Tripoli to supply thousands of cars that are stranded along the roadside without fuel in their tanks.
Just about every opened car trunk I observed being inspected randomly at more than 50 check points between Jerba, Tunisia and Tripoli, Libya, were jammed with full plastic fuel containers. Many apparently leak and over the past three months have left a heavy pall and stench for nearly one hundred miles. Some trucks, loaded with perhaps close to 1,000 55-gallon drums of gasoline seemed quite ready to topple over from being seriously top-heavy with the center of gravity being at tire level. Bread, children toys as well as dry and canned goods also fill many cars.
The western press tend to stay in their hotel and seem fairly biased in favor of the rebels. For sure, what the BBC is saying about what happens on the streets at night is nonsense. I needed to use the internet at their hotel and returned to mine at 3:00 a.m. and the streets were quiet with a modest police presence at key intersections. Currently, it is very peaceful here with most shops open, and people going about their lives.
Since the beginning of NATO operations, a total of 12,887 sorties, including 4,850 strike sorties, have been conducted. On Monday, June 27, there were 142 sorties and 46 strike sorties. A total of 17 NATO ships are patrolling the central Mediterranean sea off Libya. To date 1,546 ships have been intercepted and 127 boardings made.
Weapons used on Libya include tow missiles, mk 82, 83 and mk 84 bombs, i.e. 500, 1,000, and 2,000 pound, and an assortment of missiles.
A Libyan government report will detail NATO terrorism and crimes against the civilian population that have included what it says have been thus far been the bombing of 294 civilian targets, and the killing and wounding of a total of 6,232, according to the Libyan Red Crescent Society statistics. These civilian targets include the Libyan Down’s Syndrome Society, a school that provided speech therapy, handicrafts and sports sessions for disabled children as well as Tripoli’s Nassar University, homes, schools, medical facilities, and food storage warehouses. The bombings of these sites are all outlawed by the Geneva Conventions and constitute NATO war crimes. An additional large documentation project by international organizations is expected to be completed by July 30, 2011.
Those who have pulled together the initial but detailed stats include the Libyan Red Crescent and “The Fact Finding Committee on the Current Events in Libya.” When the July study is published it will surprise many.
NATO is running out of targets. It is now rocketing local village police personnel who are stationed along certain intersections and roundabouts. When you approach a checkpoint it’s blacked out and the officers come out with a small light to check you out.
The main attitude one encounters on the streets of the old city, such as Avenue Omar Muktar, is defiance and strong nationalist support for Libya’s Revolution.
“It’s our country. What choice do we have but to defend it?” is a commonly expressed sentiment. One woman asked me, “Shall I take off my white Hijab and wave it to surrender when the NATO troops come to my neighborhood or shall I wear my green scarf and fire my weapons. For sure my choice is the second!”
A Libyan businessman, who admits he has lots of free time these days, and who was educated at George Washington University, commented: “UN Security Council Resolution 1973 authorized the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya to supposedly protect civilians from Muammar Gaddafi. The reality is that we need NATO to just to declare ‘mission accomplished’ and then stop slaughtering our ‘protected’ people?”
The June 27 International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants issued for Muammar Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, and Libya intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanoussi, however pleasing to the “rebels” and NATO, probably won’t have much effect on negotiating a settlement between the two camps and certainly the warrants will not facilitate a voluntary regime change. Quite likely, the warrants’ effects will tend toward the reverse, with the Libyan government ignoring but ridiculing the much criticized ICC and pointing out its historical pattern of targeting African leaders. At Tripoli’s Rixos Nasser Hotel, just a few hours after the arrest warrants were announced, Libya’s Justice Minister and a high ranking Foreign Affairs official did just that and then refused to take any questions from the large gathering of western journalists of whom Libya is distrustful, given the spate of recent false press reports that have been exposed as hoaxes.
Colonel Qaddafi and his supporters proclaim that they will prevail in reunifying Libya and probably before Ramadan which begins, this year, in early August.
They argue that the “rebels” are increasingly fighting among themselves and are losing popular support. It’s an argument similar to the one the “rebels” are using to explain how their victory is all but assured, also by the end of Ramadan.
Tuesday morning, during a long discussion with an official at the Libya People’s Congress headquarters in Tripoli, the General-Secretary told me that more than two million of the 3.5 million Libyans over 18 years have been armed and are training to fight NATO when/if they arrive on the ground.
Virtually everyone who is asked gives assurances that Qaddafi will not flee but will, if necessary, die defending his country. More than once officials confidently stated that Qaddafi will be here after US President Obama is rejected by the American people in the 2012 election.
Support for this idea is found in the seemingly widespread support Qaddafi appears to enjoy and also certain “benefits” resulting from a certain Libyan pride in five million citizens still full of resistance after 100 days of facing 27 countries.
NATO’s bombs have united the people; forced the sometimes too comfortable population to face the future, even one without Gaddafi; demonstrated the media strikes with false stories are stronger than the military assault in some respects; shown that the “Arab system” i.e. Arab League is worthless; and shown that it’s the poor people of Libya who believe in the Revolution and are remaining loyal to it.
The rebels have exposed the Muslim Brotherhood as a US partner; shown the true nature of the Jihadists, Al Qaeda, and NATO itself; shown that the African Union has a key function to perform; and shown that Libya is not divisible because of its social and economic interdependency.
Libya must reform and reject the IMF system and learn from its mistakes in trusting the US and certain countries in 2002 when it gave up certain weapons systems and placed billions of dollars in American banks.
Due to the crisis, women have stepped forward and are surprising many by “taking charge” of many governmental functions and encouraging the population to defend their country. Libyans are saying that they have to rejuvenate their revolution and rely on themselves. Nearly everyone is claiming that Libya was deceived in the 2004 negotiations and agreement with the US and Western countries. They admit that they have paid a big price in terms of lives lost and infrastructure damage.
Libya also intends to continue their gold based currency project and to improve relations with African countries. Libya’s squeezing the former French colonial power out of most of Africa is one motive of that country to seek regime change.
Regime Change?
President Obama is likely to be defeated in 2012, according to former Bush advisor Karl Rove and a swelling number of US political pundits. The US economy is very weak and unlikely to experience a significant recovery by Election Day. Key voter groups are rejecting Obama partly because of his war of choice in Libya, which is seen as a bad strategic decision with NATO’s actions increasingly becoming a deadly farce with his justification increasingly ridiculed and the cost now more than 500 billion USD.
In addition, the unemployment is approaching 10%, with close to 14 million Americans out of work, with half of them having been without work for more than six months. They remember that Obama promised much better, declaring that his February 2009 stimulus would cause unemployment to peak at 8% by the end of summer 2009 and drop to roughly 6.8% today.
Gallup has reported Obama’s job approval rating this week at 45%, down from 67% at his inaugural. Among the groups showing a larger-than-average decline since 2009 are whites (down 25 points); older voters (down 24); independents and college graduates (both down 23); those with a high-school education or less, men, and Southerners (all down 22); women (down 21 points); and married couples and those making $2,000-$4,000 a month (down 20). This all points to severe trouble in suburbs and mid-sized cities in states likes Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
Moreover, approval among younger voters has dropped 22 points, and it’s dropped 20 points among Latinos. Even African-American voters are less excited about Mr. Obama than they were and many deeply oppose his policies, and he tends to be weakest on issues voters consider most important. In the June 13 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 56% disapprove of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy. Fifty-nine percent in the Economist/YouGov poll of June 14 disapprove of how he’s dealt with the deficit.
The White House is reportedly becoming reconciled to the fact that Qaddafi may remain in the Libyan leadership.
Whether Obama will be re-elected is increasingly uncertain.
Gaddafi has survived assaults of various types from US Presidents’ Ford, Carter, Reagan, George Bush I, Clinton, George Bush II, and Obama. Vegas book makers are giving odds he’ll be the leader of Libya’s Fatah Revolution after the voters retire Obama, whose broken promises included telling them that the US would be involved in Libya for days, not months.
The Responsibility to Protect is for China and Russia to Automatically Veto at the United Nations Security Council for 30 days any Proposal that any one or more of England, France, and America may Vote For, or if any one or more of England, France, and America Abstain from Voting for in order to Deceive Others.
This is because they are more Intelligent and Cunning than others, and their only goal to gain the advantage over others, including those they delude to Vote for their Resolutions, or those they delude to Abstain from Voting for their Resolutions at the United Nations Security Council, or at other forums.
I do not mean to insult others, and it is not an insult to saying that they are less intelligent and more gullible that England, France, and America, because this is Just A Proven FACT.
If People do not know who is more intelligent and cunning then they are, then they are Dumb Oxen, and that is A Proven FACT.
Please, Please, Please, I BEG you to take it as an Insult if you are too stupid to understand these basic things.
The reason for this is that if the Stupid Ones take it as an insult, then it will be on their Minds Longer, and because it is on their Minds Longer, they may Eventually come to learn a thing or two.
If you do not believe or understand these things, then just look at their countries, and look at yours, and Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, you will realize the FACT of these Basic things.
If England, France, and America come to you with their carefully crafted lies of their false concerns, and with their subtle, tricky, and superficially plausible arguments, then you should know that they have Schemed and Planned Evil, and that they want you to be their Accomplices.
They want you to be their Accomplices in Evil even at your own expense, but they will convince you that it was in your Self Interest to their Accomplices.
They will Bribe some with False Promises, or with Money, but they will recover the Bribed Money many Times Over, because they are More Intelligent and Cunning than others.
The Wise Ones will Vote against it, even though you know that you will be falsely labelled as a friend of terrorists, or some other slander, but you must say that they are the Real Terrorists.
The Greatest Enemies to the Human Race are what can be called Anglo-France.
The Main Countries of Anglo-France is defined as Britain, America, France, and Canada, while Australia, New Zealand, and certain Colonies of the French Empire, and some of the British Commonwealth are also part of Anglo-France.
It would be interesting to see just how big Anglo-France really is on the World Map, and even in Africa.
We can clearly see that that if you give England, France, and America even an inch; then, they will take a mile.
There are News Items saying that France is supplying the Anglo-French Coup Plotters with Weapons, even though the United Nations Security Council Resolution said that there should be an Arm Embargo on all of Libya.
Libya and America are not part of the International Criminal Cabal’s jurisdiction, and so this International Imperialist Tool should pronounce War Crimes on Cameron, Sarkozy, Harper, and Obama.
This is not only because Emperor Obama is hypocritically trying to teach others about Democracy and the Rule of Law, but it is because Dictator Obama is a Premeditated Cold Blooded Mass Murderer according to even American Law.
Obama had no excuse, even before the first day that he began mass murdering innocent People in Cold Blood, because he knew that the Constitution did not authorize him to go to War with Libya without Congressional approval.
There are a few American People who know that Mr Peace Prize Obama should be Impeached for his Despicable Crimes, but the Congress needs an Emperor, because they want to set up a Military Dictatorship in America.
Countries can point to Libya to correctly discourage any moves for democratic elections in their own Countries, even though many of those Countries have own type of democracy, and even superior democracies than Anglo-France.
Intelligent and Educated People know that problems, even Evil will exist on this Earth, because they are Students of History, and this is why the United Nations Charter said that Nations should Mind Their Own Business.
What this means is that they should not takes sides in disputes within Nations, because it is up to the People themselves to resolve their differences.
It is fine if another Person or Organization, offers to assist as a Neutral Mediator, and in this regard, the African Union have been the most constructive, and China and Russia have also been constructive promoting a Ceasefire and the start of Negotiations.
The Fact that England, France, and America, Cannot be trusted to obey any Law, or to keep any Treaty or Agreement, or even to follow any Honest and Decent Principles.
This means is that it is not anyone’s business to even condemn the actions of any Country, and they should remain silent.
This is because if anyone condemns it, then England, France, and America will use this as an indication that they can commit Illegal Genocide on a Country, and make matters far worse, and increase the killings of People, and sufferings on People, just because something bad is happening in a Country.
It has been shown on numerous occasions that England and America has been the Planners, Instigators, Sponsors, and the Financiers, of Revolutions and Coups, and that they have on numerous occasions blamed the Victims for the Crimes that England and America have Premeditatedly Schemed, Planned and Committed.
Many People are thinking of how this problem of the real Terrorists, of Anglo-France can be dealt with.
England and America know Natural Human Reaction related to the story of the boy who Cried Wolf, but they will not acknowledge it, but will continue to slander those who think for themselves, and who follow the Principle of Minding their Own Business.
This is why the only way to deal with Anglo-France is for the rest of the World to boycott all Goods and Services from England, France, America, and Canada, because these are the main Regions of Anglo-France.
Canada is good for boycotting all Goods and Services, because they may start to sing a different tune to their neighbour America.
This will have an impact how Americans think, because Canada is a Western English Speaking Country, and a Neighbour of America.
Then, and only then, Might they reluctantly begin to practice that the Responsibility to Protect their Economies, comes with the Obligation to Mind their Own Business.
This comment is an updated comment, and it contains much new information, and it has more explanations.
The first thing to understand is that the America and its NATO Puppets are Premeditated Cold Blooded Murderers; they are Hardened Liars and Malicious Slanderers, they are Corrupt Thieves, and their Evil Deeds knows no limit.
The other thing to note is that Libya has shown the World that the greatest threat to peace and security on this planet are the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council.
Unless the United Nations is seriously and properly reformed, then smaller Countries would be wise not to grant this Corrupt Organization any more legitimacy, by withdrawing their membership from the United Nations Organization.
This is because these Countries will Legitimize their own extinction, and that is why they should leave, and makes lots of noise while doing it, and continue to make noise after they leave that Corrupt Organization.
The General Assembly of the United Nations needs to bring certain matters to a Vote.
The first Reform should be that there are 11 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council.
Another Reform should be the Abstaining to Vote on any Resolution by any Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council is a VETO just like the United Nations Charter says.
We know that the dual Evils of the Soviet Union and the American King set the dangerous precedent that abstaining to Vote was not a Veto, but it was effectively a Yes Vote, rather than the No vote that the United Nations Charter states.
These two Evil Empires were Partners when it was in their mutual interests, and neither the Soviet Union, nor hypocritical America could be bothered with Constitutions, Laws, Treaties, or Democratic Principles, because it was just too much of a fuss.
A Vote by two thirds Vote by the General Assembly of the United Nations is a Veto to anything the 11 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council may pass.
The other reform should be that Only the General Assembly by a two thirds Vote of the General Assembly of the United Nations can authorize war, and if there is to be any International Criminal Court, then the Past and Present Leaders of the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council Must be the First to go to Trial.
It is important to know just who American Led NATO are, because it will help to find a proper Roadmap for a end to the Conflict in Libya.
The African Union has stated that Libya’s Government and the rebels in Benghazi have undertaken to start a National Dialogue.
There are many People who want a Ceasefire in Libya, which will lead to Negotiations that will bring Peace, Security, and Prosperity to all of Libya’s Civilians.
I know that Many of the African Union have Good and Honest Intentions in this Regard, and I will just say that there could be People wondering if the proposals made by the African Union ad-hoc committee; while it sounds nice, perhaps it is an Anglo-French proposal that is designed to fail.
If there are any Anglo-French aspects that were Cleverly and Secretly Slipped in by Puppets of the French African Colonies and Puppets of the English African Colonies, then perhaps the African Union ad-hoc committee proposals need to be fine tuned, given the benefit of hindsight and the experience of the NATO induced conflict in Kosovo.
History teaches us that while the NATO Dictated Martti Ahtisaari Plan for Kosovo did contain good elements, it was done only for appearances, and it did fail, because was designed to fail, because it was a NATO trick.
The Kosovo Negotiations were giving artificial timelines to achieve a negotiated settlement.
The Albanians of Kosovo were promised independence by America, and so they did not have to negotiate in good faith, but they only had to run the clock, and then say that a settlement was not able to be reached, and then they Unilaterally declared independence, because that is what they wanted in the first place.
The Lessons People can learn from the initial NATO Kosovo negotiations was that it had artificial timelines imposed on it, and perhaps the Libyan Negotiation should not have timelines.
Another feature of the NATO Dictated Martti Ahtisaari Plan for Kosovo was that the proposal was already decided by NATO, and Serbia was just expected to follow it.
The NATO Nazi Puppet, Martti Ahtisaari, was not an impartial Mediator, but he was given orders by NATO or America, because NATO spelt backwards is USA.
I would suggest that the African Union Mediators make no suggestions that are Specific, but rather their suggestions should be Generic, or Specifically Generic.
The first Generic thing that needs to be agreed upon is that there is a Ceasefire, and Most of the suggestions that the African Union, made sound appropriate, even if Some Of It was Secretly and Cunningly Slipped in by Puppets of the French African Colonies and the English African Colonies on the African Continent.
The African Media says that Both Parties in the conflict have committed themselves to immediately start the Negotiations in accordance with paragraph 2 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.
Since Both Parties have stated this, then it is up to Both Parties to Negotiate a Roadmap that will enable the suspension of hostilities, a Comprehensive Ceasefire, National Reconciliation, and arrangements related to the Good Government of Libya, even though there will be a team of African Union mediators to assist the process, rather than guide it.
Governments of the African Union ad-hoc committee said that the American led NATO should stop its Unjustified and Illegal Terrorist Attack on Libya, so that the Ceasefire to Protect Civilians can begin.
Furthermore, because Both Parties have committed themselves to start an inclusive dialogue process; any interference by Foreign American Led NATO War Mongers is only Designed to delay the Protection of Civilians, and to delay National Dialogue and National Reconciliation.
The African Union committee said in its proposals: “Without prejudice to the outcome of the dialogue, the ceasefire shall, among others, entail the following:
Lifting of the siege imposed on cities and cantonment of all troops, militias and armed elements from all parties;
End to all attacks against, and abuses of civilians, including Libyans who were forced to flee their country;
Release of all prisoners and other individuals detained in relation with the current hostilities;
And, the facilitation of unrestricted and unhindered access to the civilian population by all international humanitarian agencies and workers.”
The arms embargo, as provided for in the relevant provisions of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 shall remain in place on the entire Libyan territory, at least until the completion of the Negotiations.
The imposition of the no-fly zone as provided for in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 will be lifted by the United Nations Security Council.
It may be Advisable for a least one year to have Eastern Libya as a Highly Autonomous Province of Libya, using the China and Taiwan Model with possible elements of the China and Hong Kong Model, until a series of National Referendums can be held on Libya’s Future Constitution.
The reason I say this is, because we have heard that the Western Fund Managers are saying that the Libyan Investments may have lost Money; but any unreasonable losses on Libyan Investments have been stolen by the West.
I think that if all of Libya goes to an Election at the same time, then America and other Western Countries will say that the Libyan Voters can only get more Money back if they Vote only for NATO approved Candidates.
This is why I think that all Libyans should try to get their Money back first, and after that, Eastern Libya can have a Parliamentary Election if that is what is Negotiated between West Libya and East Libya.
Any Elections should only take place after the Libyan Funds are unfrozen and distributed Fairly, Justly, and Equitably among All of Libya.
I think that the Money to pay for the damages of the war should be distributed fairly, and justly, and equally over all of Libya, and then if there is any money left it should be distributed equally to Western Libya, and to the East Libya Transitional Council.
At least three years after East Libya has had an Election, then and only then could West Libya have an Election, if this is what West Libya and East Libya agree upon, and if it is confirmed by a series of Referendums.
This will allow East Libya to have had its Second Election, and after East Libya has had its Second Election, West Libya could have their First Election.
I need to say that as far as my own opinions are concerned, it is up to Both Libyan Parties to decide how much of it, if any, is applicable to their situation.
It is also up to Both Libyan Parties to decide how much of what the African Union, or any other Genuine Impartial Country or Group of Countries might suggest.
It is up to West Libya and East Libya should decide for themselves, and they should take them time in order to gain advice from those who are the friends of the Libyan People.
The Fact that Eastern Libya claims that it wants Democracy; then they might consider having the British Westminster Parliamentary System with individual Constituencies that have very close to equal numbers of Voters in each Electorate.
They do not need a lengthy Constitution, and just like the British do not have a lengthy Constitution, but only the few words of “The Sovereignty of Parliament” is their unwritten Constitution.
History tells us that with such a Constitution, England became the Greatest Empire in the History of the World.
All a Democracy needs as a Constitution is a Constitution with three sentences that I provide in the next paragraph.
The Principle of One Vote One Value will be applied to the Parliamentary System with individual Constituencies that have close to equal numbers of Voters in each Electorate. The Majority Vote in Parliament is the Law, and the Parliamentary terms cannot last more than three years between Democratic Elections. Any sharing of Libya’s Natural Resources will be in accordance with the Principles of Genuine Fairness, True Justice, and Proper Equity.
It is Highly Undemocratic to want any Libyan Citizen to leave their Country, because no Democratic Country does that.
If the Libyan Guide is to face Trial, then it should be in Libya with an Uncensored International Media, because that is the Only Way he could receive a Fair Trial.
It is Highly Undemocratic to say who can and who cannot stand for Election to Public Service, because that is up to the Voters to decide, and not NATO.
Any sharing of Libya’s Natural resources will be in accordance with the Principles of Genuine Fairness, True Justice, and Proper Equity.
The African Union committee proposed that the International Community should facilitate the lifting of sanctions imposed on Libya, in particular the unfreezing of the Libyan assets abroad.
This is because Economic Sanctions are Genocide, and a War Crime, and they are Crimes against Humanity.
The African Union committee also said measures, including sanctions should be taken against those who will undermine the Negotiations and Settlement Process.
These are some of the African Union’s proposals, and I have added some of my own opinions in this comment.