TRIPOLI — One of the jokes heard at this week’s massive pro-government Friday post-prayer rally at Green Square—in most of the other Arab countries Fridays are days of rage against the government du jour, but in Libya, Friday prayers are followed by massive pro-Qadaffi rallies, attended two weeks ago by close to 65% of Tripoli’s population—is about how each morning Libya’s leader, following early morning Fajr prayers, dons his formal uniform, complete with those huge epaulets, and salutes the small NATO flag he tapes to his bathroom mirror as he moves from place to place dodging NATO drones and assassins.
“Our leader does this”, one young lady informed me first with a wide smile and then growing serious, “because the NATO bombing of Libyan civilians, which the US/NATO axis claims Qaddafi is doing, has caused his popularity to skyrocket among our proud and nationalist tribal people. I am one example of this. Yes, of course we can use some new blood and long overdue reform in our government. Which country cannot? But first we must defeat the NATO invaders and then we can sort out our problems among our tribes including the so-called ‘NATO Rebels.’”
Since the beginning of the NATO operation on March 31, the alliance has conducted nearly 15,000 sorties, including close to 6,000 bombing missions, according to NATO’s media office in Naples, Italy. The most recent attacks reported on July 9 included 112 sorties and 48 bomb/missile attacks, and that is about average.
The two most active embassies in Libya these days are the Russian and the Chinese. On February 25, according to the Bulgarian Embassy staff, which was falsely rumored to be currently handling US consular services (whereas it appears no one is doing this here in Libya), the US Embassy essentially ordered all EU and NATO Embassies to pack up and join their chartered plane and boats. Libyan officials tell visitors that they were shocked by the fast exodus. “They did not even say goodbye. Suddenly they were on their way to the airport,” one Foreign Ministry advised during a meeting last week.
The Russian and Chinese leadership has grown increasingly critical of NATO’s actions in Libya and are now firmly demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Some cynics here are pointing out that these countries, unlike NATO, know exactly what they are doing and it includes the realization that they have an excellent chance to obtain many billions of dollars in lucrative contracts, which every official interviewed here has sworn, not one Libyan Dinar of which will ever again go to any NATO country, when its aggression is finally repelled.
It is partly this realization that it’s “all or nothing” that keeps the US and its potent military asset, NATO, focused on assassinating Colonel Qaddafi and breaking his civilian support base. If Qaddafi lives, NATO loses and so do the current major oil industry contractors who are reportedly becoming depressed from seeing reports of all the Russian and Chinese businessmen arriving in Libya.
NATO, Diplomatic, and Congressional sources confirm that the Obama Administration erred badly in thinking that Libya’s regime would collapse “in a few days, not weeks” as Obama assured the American public who has to pony up the estimated $5 billion in costs through July 31, 2011. Obama’s egregious miscalculation may cost him his presidency if the economy does not.
As one student at Tripoli’s Al Fatah University commented, “What your American government has done in the region to destroy yourselves since 9/11 is amazing to Libyans. Now you are going to fight us? Why? You already had all our oil you wanted at a bargain prices, we stupidly put our sovereign funds in US banks and we did not even bother Israel much. Every day that NATO bombs, it kills more Libyan civilians. We sacrificed nearly one-third of our population or more than one million of our brothers and sisters expelling the Italians 70 years ago. Doesn’t anyone in your government study history? We are not Bahrainis or Syrians. We are armed and will use our weapons. Among the errors our leadership has made, one of the worst is that it believed the US agreements we made in 2004. The Iranians and North Koreans laugh at us for trusting you and giving up our nuclear and biological weapons programs. Believe me dear, if Qadaffi leaves power you will miss him because the Libyan people will be tougher against your projects than he has been.”
On Sunday, July 10, France seemingly allied itself with Russia and China in calling on NATO to immediately stop its counterproductive and counterintuitive bombing, as more countries witness public demonstrations against NATO’s actions in Libya. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said in Paris that it was time for Qaddafi loyalists—which France acknowledges have been rapidly increasing in number—and Libyan rebels “to sit around a table to reach a political compromise” because, he said, “there was no solution with force.”
NATO and the Obama administration can have no part of a dialogue because they will be the major losers if peace comes to Libya without Qadaffi leaving power.
No sooner had the French Defense Minister spoken on July 12, reflecting also the views of the British and Italian military, than the US State Department issued a statement insisting that “the United States will continue efforts as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) coalition to enforce a U.N. Security Council-authorized no-fly zone in Libya designed to protect civilians under threat of attack.” The spokesman did not mention that the no-fly zone was achieved back in March in 48 hours and that no Libyan aircraft have flown since. Mission accomplished 100 days ago.
Hillary Clinton repeated her earlier words, “Our efforts in Libya will take time, but let there be no mistake that the political, military, and economic pressure on Qaddafi continues to grow. The allies will continue to increase pressure until the Libyan people are safe, their humanitarian needs met, and a transition of power is fully under way.”
And so it goes. On July 9, NATO claimed its aircraft carried out another “precision strike on a pro-Qaddafi missile firing position near Tawurgha, south of Misrata. According to its media office, “NATO intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance were conducted over a period of time to ascertain the military use of the site. It was confirmed as being used to launch indiscriminate attacks on Libyan civilians in the area and a staging area by pro-Qaddafi villagers, including planning attacks on rebel forces near the port and city of Misrata.” The next morning, local inhabitants denied that the farm had any military activity on the property and an examination of the farm buildings failed to discover any.
NATO is getting hammered by critics, including during its press conferences, especially by reporters from such groups as Jane’s Defense Weekly, who know a thing or two about weapons and war. Last week Jane’s ridiculed the NATO commander who claimed that seeing satellite dishes on roofs was evidence of a particular site being a “Command and Control Center.” Jane’s found that assertion silly.
Congressional sources have been demanding answers from NATO, including the following incidences of civilian deaths caused by NATO’s bombs and rockets (70% of which are US supplied, raising serious legal and political questions under the 1976 US Arms Export Control Act) and which were forwarded by a Congressional NATO liaison staffer for comment. The exact cases sent to NATO from the US Congressional included the following with a demand for an explanation:
1. On May 13, a peace delegation of Muslim religious leaders having arrived in Brega to seek dialogue with fellow Sheikhs from the east of Libya, was bombed at 1 a.m. in their guesthouse by two US MK 82 bombs. Eleven of the Sheikhs were killed instantly and 14 were seriously injured. NATO claimed the building housed a “Command and Control Center.” All witnesses and the hotel owner have vehemently denied this claim.
2. During the early morning of June 20, 8 US missiles and bombs supplied to NATO targeted the home of Khaled Al-Hamedi and his parents and family. Fifteen family members and friends were killed, including Khaled’s pregnant wife, his sister, and three of his children. NATO said it bombed the home because it was a military installation. Witnesses, neighbors and independent observers deny there was ever any military installation or troop presence on the property.
3. In late June, on the main road west of Tripoli, a public bus with 12 passengers was hit by a TOW missile, killing all the passengers. NATO claimed that public buses are being used to transport military personnel. Foreign observers, including this one, unanimously aver that they have not seen military personnel in Tripoli, including tanks; APC’s or even military equipment.
4. On June 6, at 2:30 a.m. the central administrative complex of the Higher Committee for Children in central Tripoli, two blocks from this observer’s hotel, was bombed with a total of 12 bombs/rockets. The complex housed the National Downs Syndrome center including its records and vital statistics office, the Crippled Women’s Foundation, the Crippled Children Center, and the National Diabetic Research Center.
5. On June 16, 2011 at 5 a.m. NATO bombed a private hotel in central Tripoli, killing three people and destroying a restaurant and Shisha smoking bar.
NATO response was to thank the Congressional office for the “interesting” information and then to explain, as NATO has been doing ad nauseum recently, that, “By using civilian sites for military purposes, the Qadhafi regime has once again shows complete disregard for the welfare of Libyan civilians.”
NATO’s response continued, “Clearly, the main issue for NATO are allegations of civilian casualties, but it’s important that we put those allegations in context of the NATO mission. Each and every civilian death is a tragedy. Obviously, more than we would like to see, sometimes, due to a technical failure, one of our weapons does not strike the intended military target. We deeply regret these tragic accidents and we always convey NATO condolences to the families of all those who may have been involved.”
NATO’S response continued: “When NATO believes we have caused civilian casualties we will say so and we will do it as swiftly as we can establish the facts. If you look at our track record after nearly 15,000 sorties and nearly 5,000 strike sorties you can see we have taken utmost care to avoid civilian casualties and will continue to do so. Finally, let me assure your Office that our mission fully complies with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and our mandate remains to use all necessary means to prevent attacks and the threat of attack against civilians and civilian populated areas.”
As international pressure builds on the White House to call off the NATO bombing campaign, several proposals are being discussed within the African Union, the Russian and Chinese Embassies, and even between the “NATO rebels” and representatives of the Libya government in Tripoli.
One possible scenario might be for Libya to offer Obama and NATO a fig leaf which would include Colonel Qadaffi “retiring to his tent to write and reflect” while dialogue takes places among the Libyan people, including the tribes and 600-plus People’s Congresses, which of course should have been allowed to take place as Congressman Dennis Kucinich and others insisted back in February, before NATO invaded.
We didn’t trust NATO at the beginning of this psychopathic attack on the people of Libya. Unfortunately psychopaths can be very convincing liars. Maybe the French are genuine in their desire for a withdrawal in face of Russian and Chinese pressure. But then again they may only be hoping the Libyans would let down their guard. I find it strange that the French would go against the Americans now unless they were leading the Americans up the garden path all along.
How dare America maliciously and callously suggest that someone has lost legitimacy, without firstly acknowledging that America lost any and all legitimacy a very long time ago.
According to the legitimacy of America’s Falsely Claimed Democratic Values, Do ALL the People of Libya have a legitimate claim to the wealth and resources of Libya, and to the Government of their Collective choosing?
Or is ONLY those who America deems fit to eat and live to have a legitimate claim to the wealth and resources of Libya, and to the Government of America’s choosing?
We see the American White Plutocratic Plan for Africa, where they want to tell the Non-Whites who their Leaders should be, and who their Government should be.
The English, French, and Americans know that they can Puppetize the Leaders of Black African Countries, because the Non-White Leaders cannot be like President Bill Clinton and have Public Affairs, but they must keep it Secret from their Wives that they like White Women.
We know that the English, French, and America like to invite Black African Leaders to White London, White Paris, and White Washington for what is Euphemistically called High Level Talks and invite to attend Secret Drunken Parties where there are White Women at those Secret Drunken Parties.
Barack Obama is a Constant Reminder that Barack Obama’s father liked White Women, and we know that the New Coup President of France’s Colony of the Ivory Coast is married to a White Woman.
The Media has said regarding the recent Coup in the Ivory Coast: “Sarkozy, when mayor of Neuilly, officiated over the marriage of new coup president of the Ivory Coast, and Sarkozy was in regular contact with the new coup president of the Ivory Coast, and Sarkozy managed the overthrow of the previous government in minute detail.”
The Fact that the Black Coup President of the Ivory Coast has a White Wife, means that she is a Constant Advertising Temptation for the Black African Leaders to stay with the British Commonwealth of Puppet Colonies, and with the French Puppet Colonies.
It was cunning of the French to arrange this, because the White Wife can always sow doubts in the minds of the Black Wives that their Black Husbands like White Women, and thereby gain secrets that their Black Husbands have told their Black Wives, and the White Wife of the President of the Ivory Coast then passes on those Secrets to White France and White France will tell White England.
If America were interested in protecting Civilians, then they would have done something to stop the decades of sufferings, injustices, and murders of the Palestinian People.
If America was truly interested in protecting Civilians, then they would not have sponsored a Coup Attempt in Libya, along with trying to install their Puppets one way or another, but they would allow the Libyans to negotiate their own future.
If England, France, and America were serious about protecting Civilians, then they would order a ceasefire, and let the African Union mediate a Peaceful Negotiated Solution for the Libyan Civilians.
America who is always Hypocritically Lecturing others like Little Children about Democracy and the Rule of Law, has never suggested that the American Constitution, the United Nations Charter, or International Law be Obeyed.
The African Union needs to know that the White Terrorist Colonialists and Imperialists, along with their Puppet Uncle Tom Barack Obama, fully consider the Black People of Africa to be Dogs that need to be Recolonized.
This is because the White Euro-American Plutocrats consider the People of Africa to be both Racially Inferior, and Intellectually Inferior to the White Plutocratic Elites and their Corrupt and Bribed Puppet Politicians.
Adding to my comment above it seems that with the Americans, the French, the Russians and the British(?) negotiating separately with the Libyan Government the murkiness of what is going on over Libya is becoming clear.
It is obvious that it is all about oil and all want Libyan oil for themseles. So the real war is between the Americans, the French/British, the Germans, the Italians (note they now have been excluded), the Chinese ang probably even the Russians all jockeying for pole position.
It will be interesting to see who is going to be excluded next and if the war will spread.
The reason that Hillary Clinton wants to help Al-Qaeda in East Libya, is because Al-Qaeda is Vital help Hillary Clinton become the Empress of America.
There are many Loyal and Patriotic America Citizens who are Independent Investigative Journalists, who have proven that Al-Qaeda is an American created and funded Organization.
Al-Qaeda and America are Secret Allies who pretend to be Enemies, and the American Dictators need Al-Qaeda as an excuse to do away with the American Constitution and to take away Americans Freedoms and Liberties.
Even though the Mujahideen were not created by the President Bill Clinton, Hilary Clinton saw that Al-Qaeda was useful to her, because it would give her reasons to ignore the American Constitution, and set up a Military Dictatorship.
We know that the Power Hungry and Criminally Insane Hillary Clinton said the words, “We Are the President”, during the Official Presidency of her part time husband during 1992 to 2000.
The American Constitution only allows for one President, and that one President is Elected by the American Voters, and to go against that arrangement meant that a Person was not obeying the American Constitution because it was an inconvenience.
We see that Both Presidents Clintons have long sought to make America a Military Dictatorship, and they have found Barack Obama to be their way of achieving this Evil Objective.
We should never underestimate the Cunning and Deceptive Smooth Talk of Power Hungry and of the Criminally Insane People like Hillary Clinton, who many People believe is the Real President of America.
Slick Willy can take it or leave it at being Emperor, because he does not have the drive like one of his Mistresses, President Hillary Clinton; because, President Bill Clinton would rather be doing other things, as Monica Lewinsky and many others can testify.
Hillary Clinton is using the Cunning of her part time President Bill Clinton, and she could be allowing her part time husband flexibility as to female companionship in his part time retirement, as long as President Bill Clinton Tutors her with his Cunning to help her make America a Military Dictatorship.