Mondoweiss Online Newsletter

NOVANEWS

 

• Construction in settlements has quadrupled since the end of the temporary ‘freeze’

• This issue isn’t going away (divestment initiatives in Vermont and Minnesota)

• Palestine is MIA in NYT hail to the Arab protesters

• Harvard gives stage to Steve Walt and Porter Speakman to talk about Christian Zionism

• Anthony Weiner is blasted for false claims re occupation

• Netanyahu breaks the seal on the discussion of a ‘binational state’

• A Dutch company helping to build the wall seeks to evade responsibility

• Inspired by Egypt, young Palestinians lead movement to end division

• Why Al Jazeera is better

• Donkey in Libya: ‘I understand you, but he doesn’t’

 
 

Construction in settlements has quadrupled since the end of the temporary ‘freeze’

Mar 05, 2011

Kate

and other news from Today in Palestine:

Land, property, resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing
Construction in West Bank settlements quadrupled since end of temporary freeze
Haaretz 5 Mar — According to data by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, settlers began building over 114 houses during the 10-month settlement freeze, and began construction of over 427 houses since October 2010. According to the data, over 114 housing units that settlers started building during the 10-month settlement freeze have been completed, as well as over 1,175 housing units which were started before the temporary moratorium. The data also reveals that construction of over 427 housing units has begun since October 2010. The Central Bureau of Statistics noted, however, that the data is based on partial information, and that there has also been a dramatic rise in illegal construction in West Bank outposts that has not been officially documented.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/construction-in-west-bank-settlements-quadrupled-since-end-of-temporary-freeze-1.347303
Settlers chop down 500 trees in Nablus
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 4 Mar — Settlers chopped down more than 500 olive trees owned by Palestinians in the West Bank district of Nablus on Friday, Palestinian Authority officials said. Residents of the illegal Shvut Rachel settlement raided Qusra village and chopped down the trees, said Ghassan Doughlas, PA official for settlement affairs in the northern West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365413
Settlers attack Palestinian villagers
NABLUS, (PIC) 5 Mar — Jewish settlers attacked on Saturday villagers of the Irak Burin south of Nablus city and tried to storm their village but were repelled by its inhabitants, local sources said. Eyewitnesses told the PIC that the settlers from Bracha settlement attacked Palestinian farmers and shepherds near the village and threw stones at them. They said that inhabitants of the village rushed to aid their compatriots and violent clashes ensued with both sides throwing stones at each other.
Last night groups of armed settlers stormed the village of Raba east of Jenin city to terrorize its inhabitants, witnesses said, adding that the around 20 armed settlers riding bicycles roamed the streets for 20 minutes while chanting anti Arab slogans and threats.
In Bethlehem, settlers dumped stones and sand west of the village of Artas, locals said, adding that the tens of trucks routinely dump such refuse in the same area threatening its environment.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
Settlers desecrate mosque in al-Khalil
AL-KHALIL, (PIC) 4 Mar — Dozens of fanatic Jewish settlers, at dawn Thursday, stormed the Nabi Younis [Jonah] Mosque in the town of Halhoul to the north of the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil. Local sources told PIC that more than a hundred fanatic settlers, some of them armed, stormed the mosque under the protection of IOF troops and carried out Talmudic rituals inside and outside the mosque, challenging the feelings of the residents. The local resident also said that the IOF troops closed the northern entrance to the town at the Nabi Younis Junction for several hours to facilitate the settlers’ access to the mosque.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
When buying dinner becomes dangerous / Maysa Abu Ghazala
Jerusalem – PNN/Exclusive 4 Mar – On Thursday, February 24, 20-year-old Mohamed Gharib of al-Issawiya village near Jerusalem was driving home, bringing dinner from a restaurant in Jerusalem … When they reached the intersection leading to the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, their car broke down. “As I was trying to see what happened to the car, three settlers stopped and offered to help,” Mohammad recalled. “I thanked them and as I was speaking to them in Hebrew, they realized I was Arab. They started calling me bad names, then one of them pulled his gun and shot me in the knee.”… “Doctors installed a device to make me walk,” he said, “but now I can’t leave my bed on my own”
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9651&Itemid=63
Two Palestinian families threatened with eviction in Beit Hanina
4 Mar — Another case of implementation of  ‘the right of return’ to Jews in East Jerusalem: Kol Yisrael Radio reported today that the Jerusalem local court ordered two weeks ago the eviction of two Palestinian families from their homes in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. The attorney of the families said that they will appeal against the decision to the district court. 
http://settlementwatcheastjerusalem.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/two-palestinian-families-threatened-with-eviction-in-beit-hanina/
Israeli authorities demolish temporary homes of Palestinian family
LOD, (PIC) 2 Mar — Israeli municipality teams escorted by 200 policemen, some of them masked, razed the temporary (caravan) homes of the Palestinian family Abu Eid after their homes were demolished a few weeks ago in Lod. Witnesses said that the policemen brutally assaulted the family members, even women, who tried to block the demolition and arrested some of them. The Arab 48 website said that a number of women were hospitalized after the attack and that among the detainees was a disabled man.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
IOF storms OJ suburb; detains 80 Jerusalemite children in two months
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC) 3 Mar — Israeli occupation forces and municipality teams stormed a number of suburbs in Beit Hanina, to the north of occupied Jerusalem, on Wednesday, eyewitnesses reported. They said that the municipality vehicles escorted by a military unit roamed the suburbs of Ashqariya, Wadi Al-Dam, and Marwaha, without breaking into citizens’ homes. Citizens said that such tours are usually followed by serving demolition notices at the pretext of unlicensed construction. They recalled that the municipality recently handed tens of demolition notices including one to the Burj Al-Mara tower and its 22 apartments inhabited by 150 citizens.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2b
Hamas condemns accelerated Aqsa Mosque conversion drilling
GAZA, (PIC) 5 Mar — Hamas has strongly condemned Israeli drilling operations on the historical Umayyad palaces running along the Aqsa Mosque as a “blatant infringement on the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim people, and on the history and civilization of Jerusalem.”  According to reports, Israel has been increasing construction of a network of bridges and iron stairs in the historical area to transfer it to facilities of the alleged second temple.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%
West Bank chaos just a stone’s throw away / Gideon Levy
Haaretz 4 Mar — An old rattletrap, some despondent villagers, a unit of Civil Administration soldiers and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country … For our part, we arrived late in the morning at the encampment, a collection of International Red Cross tents erected in place of the demolished dwellings, and near the water wells which had also been destroyed.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/west-bank-chaos-just-a-stone-s-throw-away-1.347086
Rightist ‘Day of Rage’ showed police holding their own against settlers
4 Mar — Right-wing activists who organized a “day of rage” on Thursday were hoping to deter the government from dismantling outposts, but the protest appeared to show instead that the police are quite capable of holding their own … The demonstrators did have a few brief successes
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/rightist-day-of-rage-showed-police-holding-own-against-settlers-1.347006
Violence / Attacks / Incursions

Palestinian boy claims police beat him
Ynet 3 Mar — An 11-year old boy arrested in east Jerusalem for throwing stones claims officers beat him while his hands were tied. Hospital tests confirm the boy sustained injuries to the eye, head, and stomach …  Later that evening, he vomited blood and his parents took him to the hospital. There, doctors found that the boy was suffering from a fractured bone in his eye cavity as well as head and stomach wounds.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037421,00.html
Witnesses: Airstrike targets central Gaza
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 5 Mar — Israeli warplanes struck a car in central Gaza Friday morning causing no injuries, witnesses said. Locals said Israeli fighter jets fired two missiles near the An-Nuseirat refugee camp, destroying a jeep belonging to a resistance fighter. Many Israeli drones were hovering over Gaza at the time of the raid, residents said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365392
Jeep fires gas inside shop, 7 children inside
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 3 Mar — A tear gas grenade was fired from a speeding Israeli military jeep in to a minimarket in Bir Ayyub district of Silwan last night. Inside the shop, owned by Palestinian resident Hammouda Siyam, were 7 children, all whom suffered severe asphyxiation due to gas inhalation. Eyewitnesses report that a second gas canister was fired at the shop 10 minutes later as the jeep drove past again.
http://silwanic.net/?p=12833
Undercover forces seize 12-year-old boy in Silwan
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 3 Mar — Undercover Israeli forces arrested a 12 year old Palestinian boy from Silwan yesterday afternoon. Walid Zaloom was seized by plainclothes Israeli officers in the Ein Silwan area during clashes that swept through the village yesterday. Confrontations took place between Palestinian residents and the Israeli military, concentrated largely in Ras al-Amoud. A heavy presence of soldiers was seen throughout Silwan.
http://silwanic.net/?p=12836
4 youth arrested in dawn raid on Silwan
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 3 Mar — Israeli forces raided Silwan today at dawn, arresting 4 local children. The boys arrested are aged between 13 and 15 years, and are scheduled to appear in the Israeli Magistrates Court on charges of stone-throwing in the near future
http://silwanic.net/?p=12839
Clashes reported in Silwan
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) 4 Mar — Violent clashes erupted in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday afternoon, a local activist said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365473
OPT Protection of Civilians Weekly Report – 23 Feb – 1 Mar 2011
UN OCHA 4 Mar — 2 March: Initial reports indicate that the Israeli authorities demolished dozens of residential shelters and animal pens in the Khirbet Tana community (Nablus governorate). Israeli forces vandalized nine caves in the same community. The same day, Israeli forces demolished a water cistern, a cave, two tents and an animal pen in the Al Baqʹa area and Khashem ad Daraj Bedouin community in the Hebron governorate due to the lack of building permits….
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MCOI-8EMD7P/$File/full_report.pdf
Activism / Solidarity
The struggle for al-Araqib is the struggle for Palestine / Ameer Makhoul
EI 4 Mar — Al-Araqib was the last village I visited before my arrest. Al-Araqib is not just a village, but the very heart of a nation and a people. On 5 May 2010, I was there under the tent of Sheikh Sayah, a local leader. There was a big crowd after the destruction and the reconstruction of the village. We met there until late at night, taking advantage of the desert darkness.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11844.shtml
Injuries reported as soldiers fire on protest
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 5 Mar — Israeli forces violently shut down a demonstration led by women north of Jerusalem on Saturday, organizers said. Border police fired tear gas and rubber-coated bullets at the protesters marking International Women’s Day at the Qalandiya checkpoint.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365823
Anti-wall protest near Ramallah
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 4 Mar — Israeli authorities sent infantry forces into the village of An-Nabi Saleh on Friday in order to prevent the residents from holding their weekly demonstration against the wall and settlements.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365481
Palestinians at home, abroad protest division, leadership
EI 4 Mar — Palestinian civil society groups are preparing for a day of mass sit-ins on 15 March, to protest the widening split between Palestinian political and resistance factions as Israel’s illegal occupation grinds on. As The Electronic Intifada reported, most of the groups involved in the 15 March organizing are led by Palestinian youth who are gravely concerned by the prospect that legislative elections, called for September by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, could occur without the involvement of opposition parties.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11843.shtml
Aid convoy to Gaza / Abdullah Saeed, South Africa
Arab News 5 Mar — Near the end of June this year, the African continent will witness the historic crossing of the first land-based humanitarian aid relief convoy that will journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to the besieged and occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza.
http://arabnews.com/opinion/letters/article298782.ece?comments=all
World Social Forum puts Palestine solidarity into action
EI 2 Mar — Tens of thousands of activists gathered in Dakar, Senegal for the 2011 World Social Forum (WSF) in February. Hundreds of workshops and assemblies on social justice struggles around the world were held at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, including a series of presentations on the Palestinian struggle for liberation and the growing global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli apartheid.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11835.shtml
Warning: BDS success answered by ‘Boycott Arab goods’ smear / Stuart Littlewood
I-P 4 Mar — Congratulations, BDS campaigners. Your global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions effort is hurting Israel so much that panic-stricken propaganda bosses are casting about in desperation for something to hit back with… for example, the libelous press release which portrays yours truly and other Palestine freedom campaigners as promoters of a new movement boycotting Arab goods. This tissue of lies arrived the same day as news that Israel is spending $1.6 million to train “new media warriors” in the use of social media tools for disseminating the regime’s endless stream of disinformation.
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/03/warning-bds-success-answered-by-%E2%80%98boycott-arab-goods%E2%80%99-smear/
Siege / Restriction of movement
Palestinians threaten to close Kerem Shalom crossing
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 5 Mar — The administrative board of the Gaza Strip’s Private Transport Association has threatened to shut down Kerem Shalom crossing in protest over Israel’s closure of the bulk goods Karni crossing … “Closing the Karni crossing will add more suffering and freight will go up. The Salah Addin Street can’t cope with the large number of trucks carrying the cargo from the southern Gaza Strip to the north. The roads are not well paved, and the street already sees too many road accidents because the traffic is always congested,” Salim explained. He added that the Kerem Shalom crossing was not equipped to receive goods for a population of over 1.6 million. “It is only barren land without any facilities like rest rooms, water or electricity,” he said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365645
Gaza’s crossings squeezed shut: Gisha’s response to closing of Karni crossing
3 Mar — Gisha expresses concern that today`s closing of Karni Crossing will further restrict the ability of Palestinian residents of Gaza to engage in dignified, productive work. Rather than considering opening new crossings, as Israel promised as part of its ‘easing’ of the closure, Israel is squeezing shut one of the last gateways into Gaza, pushing all access into the small southern Kerem Shalom Crossing. Kerem Shalom can accommodate just 250 trucks per day, as opposed to the 1,000 truck per day capacity of Karni, Gaza’s commercial lifeline. Since 2007, Israel has closed three of Gaza`s four commercial crossings. Currently, Israel is allowing 40% of Gaza`s need for incoming trucks, and just 1% of its outgoing needs, despite promises to lift the ban on exports.
http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=45354
Sole Gaza crossing closed until Sunday
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) 4 Mar — Israeli authorities decided to close the only operating crossing on the Gaza border on Friday and Saturday, Palestinian officials said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365407
Anglican bishop of Jerusalem sues Israel over visa refusal
Guardian 4 Mar — The Anglican bishop of Jerusalem has launched legal action against the Israeli government after it refused him and his family a residency visa for the city.The Right Reverend Suheil Dawani, who is Palestinian by birth and US educated, has been denied the visa for more than six months after anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations against him of illegal land transactions and forgery.Suheil Dawani appeals against deportation order tied to claims he made illegal land transactions with Palestinians
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/04/anglican-bishop-jerusalem-sues-israel
The ‘illegal’ bishop of Jerusalem and the Christian exodus from the ‘holy’ land / Eileen Fleming
IP 3 Mar –“Israel is destroying the local Christian community. It is only a matter of time before Christians and Muslims will be unable to survive culturally and economically. I witness the strangulation of East Jerusalem, and the deprivation of her non-Jewish residents’ religious rights every day. Even the United States seems to have been taken in by Israeli spin.” — Mother Agapia Stephanopolous (sister of ABC News commentator, George Stephanopolous)
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/03/the-illegal-bishop-of-jerusalem-and-the-christian-exodus-from-the-holy-land/
Center: Israel denies British volunteers entry to West Bank
NABLUS (Ma‘an) — …Israeli officers stopped a delegation of 12 Scottish Youth Initiative volunteers on the Jordanian border with the West Bank. The volunteers were interrogated for seven hours before Israeli officials denied them entry, the HAYAT Center for Civil Society Development said. The group was due to participate in a one-week youth exchange program between the West Bank city of Nablus and its twin city Dundee.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365747
17 years after Goldstein massacre, Hebron city center paralyzed
B’Tselem 3 Mar — Zlikhah Muhtasab, 49, is one of the few Palestinians still living on Shuhada Street in the center of Hebron. The street, one of Hebron ‘s main thoroughfares, links the north and south of the city and passes by the major markets, the Old City , the Tomb of the Patriarchs and al-Haram al-Ibrahimi, and Israeli settlement compounds. Since October 2000, Israel has forbidden Palestinians to walk or drive on the street, although no valid military order for the closure has been presented. Along with other restrictions on Palestinian movement in the area, this has led to an economic collapse of the city center. Many residents have left, and the area has become a ghost town.
http://www.btselem.org/english/Hebron/20110303_Hebron_17_years_after_Goldstein_Massacre.asp
War crimes
Israeli bombs spread cancer in Gaza
PressTV 4 Mar — The number of cancer patients has been climbing in Gaza due to the use of depleted uranium by the Israeli military during its onslaught on the impoverished enclave two years ago, medical sources say.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168114.html
Detention
Mossad kidnaps Gaza engineer in Ukraine, now held incommunicado in Israeli prison
Tikun Olam — A Ukrainian news source reported in late February that the Mossad kidnapped the chief engineer of Gaza’s only power plant in Ukraine … Now an Israeli source confirms that Dirar Abu Seesi (note correct spelling) is being held incommunicado in an Israeli prison where he’s being interrogated. My source does not yet tell me what he’s charged with, but one can presume if a detainee is being interrogated it’s on an intelligence-security related issue … But Abu Seesi may be a different case.  As the chief engineer of Gaza’s power plant he may know a good deal of technical information Israel would like to have about the plant, how it operates, how it can be shut down.  In fact, given the success of Stuxnet in penetrating Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel would have a definite interest in being able to penetrate the Gaza plant with a remote program and shut it down during hostilities without having to destroy it as it did during Operation Cast Lead … If these reports are true, then the Mossad is continuing its violation of the sovereignty of other nations and kidnapping foreign nationals on foreign soil.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/03/03/mossad-kidnaps-gazan-engineer-in-ukraine-now-held-incommunicado-in-israeli-prison/
IOF detains 7 Palestinians including crippled man; 90 in al-Khalil in February
AL-KHALIL, (PIC) 3 Mar — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained seven Palestinian citizens in pre-dawn incursions in West Bank cities on Thursday, the Israeli radio said. The broadcast quoted an IOF spokesman as saying that the arrests were made in Bethlehem and Al-Khalil districts. Meanwhile, locals said that an IOF unit stormed the village of Shuyukh east of Al-Khalil city before dawn Thursday and took away two brothers, one of them crippled.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
Muhammad al-Za‘tari: Innocent, accused of stabbing settlers, and tortured for five months
Jerusalem –PNN/Exclusive – 3 Mar — Muhammad was arrested on September 24, 2010 and accused of stabbing an Israeli settler in the al-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem.  At the time of his arrest, he was 14 years old. … Muhammad explained the interrogation methods in an interview with PNN:
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9645&Itemid=56
Mandela: IOA holds Palestinian woman in cell with homicide convicts
RAMALLAH, (PIC) 3 Mar — The Mandela institution catering for prisoners and human rights said that the IOA imprisoned Palestinian woman Samha Hijaz in one cell with Jewish homicide convicts before being transferred to Talmund jail. Lawyer Buthaina Dakmak of the institution said that Samha was arrested on 8/2/2011 after female conscripts found a mobile phone in her possession while on her way to visit her brother Yasser in Askalan jail.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2b
A rare instance of justice at the Ofer military court / Joseph Dana
3 Mar — Nonviolent organizer Issa Amro was released from military prison this morning in a rare case of swift justice for Palestinians in the Israeli legal system.  Amro, the director of the Hebron-based NGO Youth Against Settlements, was one of the organizers of Friday’s international day of action to open Shuhada street … This morning, a hearing was set for Amro in the Ofer military prison. Before the judge even arrived, the state dropped its charges against Amro.
Also in Ofer today, journalist and activist Mahmoud Al-Jabari, 20, was released from the military prison after the state dropped stone throwing charges against him. Al-Jabari was arrested during last Friday’s Hebron demonstration with an Israeli activist. The Israeli was released after three hours but Al-Jabari was detained and charged with stone throwing. Today, the military court decided to drop charges against him for lack of evidence. His mother attended the trial and even brought a photo of her son with Israeli President Shimon Peres taken last year. It might have swayed the judges’ opinion enough to grant the young journalist freedom.
http://josephdana.com/2011/03/a-rare-instance-of-justice-at-the-ofer-military-court/
Report: Israel illegally interrogates, tortures children
IMEMC 2 Mar — The Palestinian Ministry of Detainee Affairs published a new report Wednesday documenting the torture of children as young as seven in Israeli prisons. Since the beginning of this year, Israeli soldiers have abducted 150 children and all of them were interrogated during the course of their imprisonment. Many were subjected to harm treatment such as hitting, psychological abuse, violence and the threat of violence without a parent or adult representative present.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60761
Israel rearrests Hamas lawmaker
PressTV 3 Mar — Israeli forces have rearrested a Hamas legislator, Azzam Salhab, outside the occupied southern West Bank town of al-Khalil, also known as Hebron. Salhab, 54, who was released from prison five months ago, was once again arrested along with some other legislators on Wednesday while passing through an Israeli checkpoint on the road between Ramallah and al-Khalil, AFP quoted Palestinian security officials as saying on Thursday. The other legislators were released later on, while Salhab was transferred to Etzion detention center, north of al-Khalil. This is the third time that Salhab is being arrested. But Israeli military said they had no record of his previous arrests. Salhab is not the only one to be rearrested by Israeli forces. Dozens of the 64 Hamas lawmakers and members Israel detained in 2006 have been rearrested in recent months.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168086.html
Palestinians and Egypt
9 Palestinians return to Gaza from Egypt jail
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 4 Mar — …Two of the freed men were identified as Abdallah Abu Raya and Nedal Hamada, affiliates of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades. Egyptian authorities released 12 Palestinians from the Al-Aqrab prison on Thursday, a spokesman for the families of the detained said … There are an additional 32 Palestinians who remain in Egyptian custody, according to families who have been in touch with the prisoners.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365411
Body of Gazan killed in Egypt brought back via tunnel
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) 5 Mar — The body of a Palestinian man murdered in the Egyptian city of Rafah was returned to the Gaza Strip via a smuggling tunnel on Friday night, local sources said. The body of Adel Madhi, 32, was taken to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital in the Gaza-side of Rafah, a border town, Palestinian sources said. Madhi was shot dead by an unidentified gunman.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365608
Political news
EU’s Ashton mulls scrapping Mideast envoy job
BRUSSELS (AFP) 4 Mar — European Union chief diplomat Catherine Ashton has decided to leave the post of special envoy to the Middle East empty while she considers whether to scrap the position, diplomats said Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365495
Abbas: Palestinian state must become permanent member of UN
Haaretz 5 Mar — During a press conference with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in Ramallah on Saturday, Abbas argued that now is the time to have an independent Palestinian state – based on the 1967 borders – that would become a permanent member of the United Nations by September … Moreover, Abbas reiterated that he will not accept any Israeli peace initiative if it calls for temporary borders for a future Palestinian state and said that he has yet to be notified of the new plan that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce in the coming weeks.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-palestinian-state-must-become-permanent-member-of-un-1.347290
Netanyahu: Binational state would be disastrous for Israel
Haaretz 4 Mar — Comment comes as Prime Minister expected to present Mideast peace initiative after weeks of intense international pressure over the apparent peace talks deadlock   … In private talks recently, Netanyahu has reportedly begun discussing the growing threat of a binational state. “This trend will intensify and become stronger,” Netanyahu told his advisers. “However there are those in Israel who think that one state is a good idea. I think it is a disaster.”
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-binational-state-would-be-disastrous-for-israel-1.346999
Netanyahu wants 40% of West Bank under Israeli control
Arab News RAMALLAH 5 Mar — A senior Palestinian official on Friday said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded to keep 40 percent of West Bank under Israeli control for an extended period. Netanyahu told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel wants this percentage of West Bank territories as part of a peace agreement, said Nabil Sha‘ath, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, in an interview with the Voice of Palestine Radio.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20110305044328/Netanyahu%20wants%2040%25%20of%20West%20Bank%20under%20Israeli%20control
Barak: Make-up of government is problematic for advancing peace
Haaretz 3 Mar — The defense minister says in an interview that government’s right-leaning coalition isn’t suitable for advancing direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He added that in order for the government to make progress in this area, it would be more convenient if Kadima, which is a more center-leaning party, was part of the coalition.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/barak-make-up-of-government-is-problematic-for-advancing-peace-1.346960
Israelis ‘fear greater peace pressure’: poll
JERUSALEM (AFP) 5 Mar — Most Israelis believe their country will come under increased international pressure to strike a peace accord with the Palestinians in the aftermath of massive Arab uprisings, public radio said on Saturday, citing an opinion poll.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110305/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestinianspeacediplomacy
Erekat: Negotiations staff are Palestinians
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 5 Mar — All the staff in the Palestine Liberation Organization’s negotiating teams are Palestinian by origin, outgoing chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Friday … Erekat noted that all the department’s employees were Palestinians, regardless of where they lived. Some were refugees living in exile and others had left appointments at the world’s most prestigious universities to offer their services to the PLO. Erekat demanded an end to “the frantic campaign against the negotiations department” which he said only served the Israeli occupation.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365583
Fatah officials demand Abbas fire Western-backed Fayyad
Reuters 3 Mar — Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has no significant political base of his own but wields substantial power as a former World Bank economist.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/fatah-officials-demand-abbas-fires-western-backed-fayyad-1.346968
Chile’s Pinera seeks to push peace on Mideast trip
JERUSALEM (AFP) 4 Mar — Chile’s recognition in January of a Palestinian state was aimed at helping end the Middle East conflict, President Sebastian Pinera said on Friday. Speaking to reporters on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem, Pinera said Chile wanted to help the two sides work towards a peace agreement that would see both living within their own states with internationally recognized borders.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365544
Hamas confirms new unity plan underway
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 5 Mar  — Hamas is preparing an initiative to restore national unity, the movement’s spokesman said … The initiative is in its final drafting and will be proposed to the other Palestinian factions soon, the spokesman said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365533
Fayyad takes questions on Facebook
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 3 Mar — Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah has been busy lately on his Facebook page. On Wednesday, he published videos answering questions posed to him through the social networking site. He discussed the new cabinet with Palestinians on Facebook and with Palestinian civil society institutions.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365204
Other news
Salafi group: Hamas detained leader
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 4 Mar — Sources in the At-Tawhid militant group on Friday confirmed reports that Hamas detained its leader in Gaza on Tuesday. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday that security forces detained Hisham Saidani from his home in Al-Maghazi refugee camp.  Saidani is a leader of the Salafi faction, which is the armed wing of the Army of Islam and has links to Al-Qaeda. According to Haaretz, Hamas raised its security alert level in fear of reprisals from the group.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365459
Gaza Bedouin turns tent into Internet cafe
GAZA, March 4 (Xinhua) — …Abu Shabab, a 21-year-old Bedouin living near the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, established an Internet cafe in a tent, which was erected on a 5-square-meter area next to his small house and once used as a greenhouse. The small cafe enables the villagers, who lack the simplest means of communication due to deteriorating economical situation, to surf the Internet and get in touch with the outside world.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-03/05/c_13762587.htm
Hundreds march in Tel Aviv to protest deportation of foreign workers’ kids
Haaretz 4 Mar — Relief organizations staged a demonstration in Tel Aviv Friday in a renewed effort to prevent the deportation of foreign workers’ children, which is expected to occur imminently. A counter-protest took place at the entrance to Meir Park, where the relief organizations were demonstrating, with south Tel Aviv residents shouting, “Enough with the baby visas!”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/hundreds-march-in-tel-aviv-to-protest-deportation-of-foreign-workers-kids-1.347179
Israel grows ever harsher in treatment of migrants / David Elkins
WASHINGTON, Mar 2, 2011 (IPS) – A new report from the Global Detention Project (GDP) on Israel’s immigration detention policies reveals the tough reality behind the feel-good story offered in the Academy Award-winning “Strangers No More”, an inspirational documentary about students from migrant families who attend the Bialik-Rogozin school in Tel Aviv … “Many countries have adopted harsh migrant detention policies in recent years,” says Michael Flynn, the GDP’s lead researcher. “But the Israeli government’s policies stand out.” According to Flynn, the government’s reaction appears to be spurred by several factors. “On the one hand, Israeli officials appear to be acutely sensitive to ethnic differences because of the country’s preoccupation with remaining a Jewish state,” he said.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54691
Top Israeli professors charge Bar Ilan University with political persecution
Haaretz 3 Mar — Some 70 prominent lecturers from various universities nationwide this week accused Bar-Ilan University of political persecution and denying lecturers promotion and tenure due to their political opinions and activity.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/top-israeli-professors-charge-bar-ilan-university-with-political-persecution-1.346793
Rabbi: Boycott MK married to gentile
Ynet 3 Mar —  Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, head of the Zomet Institute dedicated to merging Halachic Judaism with modern life, has launched a scathing attack on a Knesset Member of the Independence faction over her marriage to a non-Jewish man. He made his statement following reports that Wilf would be appointed chairwoman of the Knesset’s Education Committee.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4028422,00.html
Fence separates haredi, secular Jerusalem kids
Ynet 4 Mar — After playing together for six months, haredi, secular children separated by fence at Jerusalem kindergartens; secular father slams ‘catastrophe,’ says site that previously offered hopes for coexistence ‘turned into ghetto’
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037666,00.html
Analysis / Opinion
The necessity procedure: Laws of torture in Israel and beyond, 1987-2009 / Itamar Mann & Omer Shatz
This article traces the history of the regulation of torture in Israel, and shows how it foreshadowed the legal understanding of torture in the United States in the wake of “The War on Terror.” Part I of the article demonstrates how the celebrated Israeli Supreme Court decision in Public Committee v. Israel, traditionally understood as a bold prohibition of torture, should instead be seen as institutionalizing and managing torture. Since Public Committee, the Israeli executive and the judiciary worked hand in glove to protect this regime, which we label necessity management … We argue that this regime, which originated in the undemocratic political context of occupation, foreshadowed protections for torturers under the Bush and the Obama administrations.
http://www.legalleft.org/2011/02/the-necessity-procedure-laws-of-torture-in-israel-and-beyond-1987-2009/
Arabs challenge Israeli hasbara / Ramzy Baroud
5 Mar — When the Libyan people took on their reviled dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, Israeli officials seemed puzzled by the alarming and unprecedented trend of popular awakenings in the Arab world. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has claimed that these awakenings are only proof of the ‘weakening’ of the Arabs – even at a time when international consensus points to the opposite conclusion.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365494
A transformative generation / Abdaljawad Hamayel
5 Mar — …the revolts have not only set ablaze the monarchies and the once seemingly robust authoritarian regimes, but it has also set ablaze a set of Middle-Eastern experts who became too comfortable with the once static and unchanged realities of the Arab world. These are the same experts that judged the Arabs for their passivity, alluding to their culture or to their religion or the socio-economic factors that have contributed to what they saw as an entrenched docility, or as famously placed by the New York Times’ Roger Cohen as the ‘captive Arab mind’.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=364985
Legal Affairs: Forgive and forget? / Ron Friedman
JPost 5 Mar — In an effort to heal the rifts caused by the 2005 Gaza disengagement, the Knesset a year ago passed a law granting pardons and erasing criminal records of people who were charged for offenses relating to resistance to the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Shortly afterward, 12 left-wing activists, many of whom have been arrested during protests against the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in east Jerusalem, filed a petition with the High Court claiming the law was unconstitutional because it discriminated between offenders on the basis of their political leanings. They asked that it either be revoked or expanded to include all offenders who were indicted for the same offenses regardless of their political orientation.
http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=210729
West Bank wind of change / Joseph Dana & Jesse Rosenfeld
As protests multiply across the Arab world and grassroots resistance grows in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority faces popular anger for its investment in a failed ‘peace process’
http://josephdana.com/2011/03/west-bank-wind-of-change/
Palestinians may be looking for peace beyond Washington / Jonathan Schachter
Could it be that the PA has made a strategic decision to move away from the United States and put its fate more squarely in the hands of Europe and the UN?
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/palestinians-may-be-looking-for-peace-beyond-washington-1.347068
Wrong side / Uri Avnery
5 Mar — OF ALL the memorable phrases uttered by Barack Obama in the last two years, the one that stuck in my mind more than any other appeared in his historic speech in Cairo in the early days of his term. He warned the nations not to place themselves “on the wrong side of history.” It seems that the Arab nations took heed of this advice more than he might have anticipated. In the last few weeks they jumped from the wrong to the right side of history. And what a jump it was! Our government, however, is moving in the opposite direction. It is determined, so it seems, to get as far away from the right side as possible.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1299325474/
Roots of the Arab revolts and premature celebrations / James Petras
I-P 4 Mar — Street-based movements lack the organization and leadership to project, let alone impose a new political or social order. Their power is found in their ability to pressure existing elites and institutions, not to replace the state and economy. Hence the surprising ease with which the US, Israeli and EU backed Egyptian military were able to seize power and protect the entire rentier state and economic structure while sustaining their ties with their imperial mentors.”
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/03/james-petras-roots-of-the-arab-revolts-and-premature-celebrations/
Iraq, Other Mideast
Thursday: 11 Iraqs killed, 31 wounded
At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 31 more were wounded in newly reported violence. Only one of a small number of attacks was significant, and it was the cause of most of today’s casualties. In response to weeks of demonstrations, Massoud Barzani, president of Iraqi Kurdistan, has called for early elections in the semi-autonomous region. Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile,demanded the Kurdish government recall Peshmerga fighters who are illegally operating in Kirkuk province.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/03/03/thursday-11-iraqis-killed-31-wounded-2/
Friday: 3 Iraqis killed, 1 wounded, journalists beaten
Although security forces, for the most part, used passive methods to dissuade protestors from gathering across Iraq, thousands of Iraqis overcame their fears in at least 10 cities. The protests, however, were smaller than last Friday’s, which turned deadly thanks to overzealous troops. As expected, reports of violence are scant; however, the full extent of last week’s protests was unclear until at least the following day. At least three Iraqis were killed and one more was wounded.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/03/04/friday-3-iraqis-killed-1-wounded-journalists-beaten/
The people on the street document casualties – why can’t governments? / John Sloboda
Guardian 2 Mar – Those who have died in the Arab uprisings are being memorialised. War victims have a right to the same attention … An informed global citizenry armed with open sources of global information means that the genie is out of the bottle as far as holding perpetrators of violence to account is concerned. A new website, Every Casualty, hosted by the Oxford Research Group, taps into this new energy. It provides information about and from the growing number of projects around the world that document casualties of conflict.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/02/arab-uprisings-casualties-war-victims
Saudi Arabia bans protest rallies
AJ 5 Mar — Interior ministry vows to use all steps “to prevent attempts to disrupt public order” following recent Shi‘a protests.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201135143046557642.html
Oman’s ruler dismisses ministers
AJ 5 Mar — Gulf state’s sultan replaces two ministers as protesters demand an end to government corruption and better wages.
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/03/20113565533194678.html
Egypt security building stormed
AJ 5 Mar — Protesters in Alexandria enter state security headquarters, saying officers destroyed documents to cover up past abuses.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201134228359128.html
Egypt ex-minister pleads not guilty
AJ 5 Mar — Graft trial of Habib al-Adly, the first member of Hosni Mubarak’s ousted regime to be tried, put off until April 2.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/2011359752154613.html
Protests continue in Yemen
AJ 5 Mar — Thousands of protesters gather in cities and towns across the country to demand that the president step down.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201135111245876717.html
Jordan protesters hold strong
AJ 4 Mar — Demonstrations in capital continue for tenth week, but government rejects calls for reforms.
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/03/20113418201846991.html
Anti-government protests in Bahrain
AJ 4 Mar — Thousands converge in the capital, and in a neighbouring town, one day after clashes between Sunni and Shi‘a communities
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201134161558262343.html

 

This issue isn’t going away (divestment initiatives in Vermont and Minnesota)

Mar 05, 2011

Philip Weiss

Both these stories are in the mainstream press. Here’s a divestment initiative at the University of Vermont:

“Israel is able to occupy and colonize Gaza and the West Bank because of corporations that construct the settlements, build walls and checkpoints, and supply the military hardware needed to control a civilian population,” Nolan Rampy, a graduate student who supports the latest divestment proposal, said in an e-mail. He added that “the divestment strategy addresses the only issue corporations are going to respond to: profits.”

And here’s a group pressing the Minnesota State Board of Investment to divest.

The group Minnesota Break the Bonds says Israeli bonds held by the state should be sold for moral and legal reasons, saying the “investment in Israel supports an apartheid system in both Israel and the Occupied Territories that causes thousands of civilian deaths, many of whom are children, and which involves the widespread abuse of human rights.”

Palestine is MIA in NYT hail to the Arab protesters

Mar 05, 2011

Philip Weiss

The New York Times record of protests across the Middle East ignores the nonviolent protests that have been going on for years in Palestine. But this is the heading:

Middle East Protests: A Country-by-Country Look

The latest reports from Times correspondents along with social media updates on the protest movements shaking countries across the Middle East and northern Africa.

Harvard gives stage to Steve Walt and Porter Speakman to talk about Christian Zionism

Mar 05, 2011

Philip Weiss

On Monday at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Porter Speakman Jr. will screen his film, “With God on our Side,” an examination of the theology of Christian Zionism, then after the film he and Steve Walt will have a conversation about it.

Per Speakman: “Christian Zionism teaches that because Jews are God’s chosen people, they have a divine right to the land of Israel. Aspects of this belief system lead some Christians in the West to give uncritical support to Israeli government policies, even those that privilege Jews at the expense of Palestinians, leading to great suffering among Muslim and Christian Palestinians alike and threatening Israel’s security as a whole.” The event will be held at 6:30 PM, Land Auditorium in the Belfer Center, 79 JFK St. Cambridge.

Anthony Weiner is blasted for false claims re occupation

Mar 05, 2011

Philip Weiss

A couple more comments re the debate the other night between Anthony Weiner and Brian Baird at the New School. From a smart friend who watched it here:

Baird was remarkable–particularly the answer near the end where he concedes Weiner might have been exposed to danger had he traveled to Gaza; the way Baird thinks aloud and does not sacrifice complexity. The subtext of Weiner’s remarks, even his physical posture–arms rigidly folded, looking the other way, etc.–seems to be to have been this: “It is ignoble for Jews to be asked to accept ‘terms.’ From anyone. So the U.S. support of Israel imposes no obligation on Israel and confers no right to request cooperation by the U.S.”

Even more unstated/unconscious: “It is right for Israel to dictate terms to a weaker authority in negotiations between unequals; also, to choose whom to negotiate with. Given the overwhelming reality of anti-Semitism, this imposition when it comes from Israel is nothing but justice with the necessary precautions.” His ignorance about the borders was shocking; symptomatic, too, that he regards his ignorance as irrelevant. This should have been a moment for someone to step in and rehearse the finding of international law.

And this is from Ziad Jilani at ThinkProgress, reprising the Brooklyn congressman for his shocking assertions on Thursday night in New York. Full post at the link. Excerpt:

At one point during the debate, Weiner began to say that the West Bank was more relatively prosperous than Gaza in part because there is no Israeli occupation there (although there is an enormous blockade). [NYT’s Roger] Cohen pointedly asked Weiner if he was really serious in claiming that Israel is not currently occupying the West Bank, which is the position of the international communityand the United States. Weiner repeatedly insisted that there was no occupation there, even going as far as telling Cohen he agreed that there was “no IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] presence there”:

WEINER: You can see a difference in the development in the West Bank with 11 percent year over year growth, with no Israeli occupation there either, with increasing access to checkpoints —

COHEN: What about area C, D,

WEINER: Hold on, maybe this would be helpful

COHEN: No occupation in the West Bank, did I hear you right?

WEINER: Yes.

COHEN: Have you been to the West Bank lately?

WEINER: Yes.

COHEN: You didn’t see the IDF there?

WEINER: In Ramallah? No. In Nablus? No. Now can I tell ya there might be some people in this room who think Jerusalem is occupied.

COHEN: Well hold on a second there, let’s stick to the West Bank. You’re saying there is no IDF presence there?

WEINER: No.

Netanyahu breaks the seal on the discussion of a ‘binational state’

Mar 05, 2011

Robert

Take a look at this in Haaretz:

Netanyahu has warned in recent days during closed meetings that “a binational state would be disastrous for Israel,” and therefore it is necessary to undertake a political move that will remove this threat.

The fact that Netanyahu addressed the subject matter of binational state is very important. Once the subject matter is brought up, it can be discussed and debated. You can imagine asking Netanyahu, “Why would it be disastrous? Can you state precisely why?” When he answers, this also can be addressed directly.

A Dutch company helping to build the wall seeks to evade responsibility

Mar 05, 2011

David Cronin

On a recent visit to Ramallah, I heard a fascinating tale about two entrepreneurial brothers and how they are trying to evade prosecution for aiding Israeli apartheid.

Doron Livnat is the director of Riwal, a Dutch company that supplied cranes used in building the 650-kilometre wall that snakes through the West Bank. In October last year, Riwal’s headquarters in Dordrect, The Netherlands, were raided by the country’s national crime squad, investigating a complaint into the firm’s activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The probe has led to a hasty corporate makeover, with Riwal changing the name of its Israeli subsidiary to Rom. Rik Maaskant, a spokesman for Riwal, told me there is “no relationship whatsoever” between the two firms now. Yet there are several coincidences indicating that his assurance should be treated skeptically:

1. Under a 2003 international crimes law, any Dutch citizen can be prosecuted for violating human rights anywhere in the world. Doron Livnat has dual Dutch and Israeli nationality. Should we be surprised, then, that his brother Adi, who does not have Dutch citizenship, has been placed in charge of Rom?

2. Both firms continue to have an almost identical logo: it is oval-shaped with the name of the firm marked in yellow against a dark blue background. The only discernible difference between the logos of each firm is that the name Riwal is featured in one and Rom in the other.

3. Riwal has a reputation for being economical with the truth. It even supplied false information to a government minister in the past.

The involvement of Riwal in the wall’s construction first came to light in 2006 when a Dutch TV documentary was broadcast, showing that its cranes were being used in Hizma, a village on the wall’s route. After Bert Koenders, a member of parliament with the Dutch Labor party, protested at Riwal’s activities, the then foreign minister Ben Bot said he did not have “any indication” that the Dordrecht-based company was assisting the project. Bot stated that the cranes in question were owned by a firm called Lima. It soon transpired, however, that Bot had been misled by Riwal’s management. Although he described Lima as Israeli, it was in fact Dutch-owned and had been authorised to use the brand name Riwal.

By all accounts, Bot was furious at being deceived. Despite making his displeasure known in Dordrecht, Riwal cranes remained a visible fixture at various spots along the wall. In the summer of 2007, for example, Riwal-branded machinery was found next to the village of Al-Khader, near Bethlehem.

The case against Riwal was brought by Al Haq, a Palestinian human rights group, which had gathered photographic evidence of how cranes and other equipment supplied by the company were used in the construction of the wall. According to Al Haq, the building of the wall may have involved the crimes of apartheid and persecution. Both offenses are covered by the Dutch international crimes act.

“The building of the wall potentially entails committing the crime of apartheid,” said Salma Karmy, a representative of Al Haq. “It results in the commission of inhuman acts in the context of a regime aimed at the domination of one racial group over another. We’re saying that the Dutch company Riwal was an accessory to this and other crimes. The crimes were primarily committed by the Israeli government but Riwal helped knowingly.”

It will be interesting to see how the case progresses, not least because there could be repercussions for the overall Dutch relationship with Israel. While the judicial system in the Netherlands is nominally impervious to political meddling, the relatively new Dutch government would doubtlessly prefer that the investigation is dropped. Uri Rosenthal, the foreign minister, is regarded by Israel as one of its most reliable supporters in Europe. At the beginning of March, he upbraided the United Nations Human Rights Council for approving too many resolutions critical of Israel.

Doron Livnat, meanwhile, is a prominent figure in two of the key groups belonging to the pro-Israel lobby in the Netherlands. He is a board member for the Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) and president of a team advising Collective Action Israel (known by its Dutch acronym CIA).

Based in The Hague, CIDI has consistently campaigned in favour of the apartheid wall, ignoring how it was declared illegal by the International Criminal Court in 2004. An article on the CIDI website claims that the wall has “saved countless lives from terrorist attacks”. Amsterdam-based CIA collects funds for the training of Israeli soldiers, particularly on the use of advanced technology. In February, it hosted a tour of the Netherlands for Tsahal, a band of musicians serving in the Israeli army.

Riwal, as it happens, enjoys name recognition well beyond the construction industry. Thanks to a sponsorship deal, its logo is emblazoned on jerseys worn by FC Dordrecht, a soccer team playing in the Dutch First Division. Time will tell if the Livnats’ support for Israeli apartheid proves to be an own-goal.

David Cronin’s book Europe’s Alliance With Israel: Aiding the Occupation is published by Pluto Press (www.plutobooks.com)

Inspired by Egypt, young Palestinians lead movement to end division

Mar 05, 2011

Vittorio Arrigoni

Translation by Daniela Loffreda.

The mighty flow of blood and hope from Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrein, Algeria and Lybia has also washed over young Palestinian minds in Gaza. What started as a stream has become a torrent and will soon spill its banks. Palestine’s 25 January will be 15 March. Palestinians are working hard to mobilize thousands of people to the squares of Ramallah and Gaza on the day which has been named “The Day of Reconciliation” rather than “The Day of Anger”.

The lessons learned from the Egyptian Revolution have refreshed the pride of young Gazawi as Muslims and Christians from various social classes were able to drive out a powerful dictator who seemed to be nailed to his throne. They are ready to explode into a strong and rational demand for the “End of Division,” ie the end of the division between Fatah and Hamas.

“We chose the 15 March because for us Palestinians, it is a day without political significance or special celebrations. The basis for our popular initiative is absolutely non political and independent from all political factions. We do not accept groups that even remotely identify with any party”, says 22 year old Assad.

When I met up with Assad Saftawy, Shamallakh Mohammed, and Mohammed Al Sheikh at the Coffee Gallery in downtown Gaza City, the tension was so high, one could cut it with a knife. Shortly before I had arrived, the boys got an unwelcome visit from undercover Hamas police who seized their computers and cell phones.

“Why are Hamas so afraid of you?” I ask them.

“Although we have been clear from the very beginning that our intentions are for a call to heal the fracture between Ramallah and Gaza due to so much suffering, apparently they suspect that there is someone among us who is connected to “The Revolution of Honor”, Fatah’s day of anger initiated a few weeks ago but deserted by people in droves. Besides this, all Arab leaders fear the spontaneous demonstrations of young people. “The funny thing is that senior government officials here, such as the deputy of Hamas’ Ahmed Yousef, declared publicly that he was in support of our initiative”, said 22 year old Mohammed Al Sheikh.

Anyone wishing to join the initiative for the movement on 15 March may have to contend with explicit threats from either the mukabarat in their dark uniforms or maybe a raid in a crowded coffee house by undercover Hamas security forces like the one today. The politics of double games wear two kinds of suits.

“Do you think they have the same problems even in Ramallah?” I ask.

24 year old Mohammed Shamallakh responds: “Of course. And like us, they too are willing to go to jail. We will not hide. Feel free to write our real names. In front of the tv cameras politicians pay lip service to all their good intentions regarding a possible reconciliation, but we know that in reality, they are enjoying many privileges in this stalemate. Young people are tired of being at their windows, watching life pass before their very eyes. Because of the feud between Hamas and Fatah, I have lost three scholarships, the opportunity to travel, work and create a family. Every day that passes is like a year and I do not want to begin living at 40 or 50 years of age. If our leaders are so short-sighted as to not have control of the situation, understand the needs of the people, then on 15 March we will show them that it’s time to put aside internal disagreements and work together in order to end the siege and occupation “.

Not only are large numbers of youths expected to mobilize from the center of Gaza City and Manara Square in Ramallah, but also Palestinians in Israel, various European cities and the world are ready to hit the streets.

“We need all the international support we can get so that it doesn’t get repressed by police violence and we can accomplish our goals to have an event as significant as we want it to be, for the good of all Palestinians”, continues Mohammed. “The difference between us and our Tunisian and Egyptians brothers is that we don’t want to break a system, but rather sew it back together. Then new elections can take place and the PLO could be reconstructed with the presence of Hamas. In this way there could be better salaries, improved living conditions and less unemployment. We will be able to get back that freedom of expression and civil rights which are now being smothered by both Fatah and Hamas.”

I bring to Mohammed’s attention the problem of external interference in the choice of Palestinian leadership and the recent scandals brought to light by the publishing of the cables by Al Jazeera which show the close collaboration of PLO leasdership and Israel.

“If we can be as smart as the guys who taught us how to move in Tahrir square, whoever governs us will have no choice. And this is our intention, nail Hamas and Fatah into a corner and force them to have real dialogue, to work for the people and against the Israeli occupation. The 6 million refugees outside of Palestine implore them as well.”

I asked them what they recalled from 14 June, 2007, the bloody day in Gaza when Palestinians slaughtered Palestinians without any mercy at all.

Their enthusiastic faces suddenly became bleak. Even though through the years, each of these three boys had lost friends and relatives at the hands of the Israelis, they all agreed in saying that day was the saddest day in recent Palestinian history.

“There were snipers and gunfire everywhere throughout the Gaza Strip. It was impossible to distinguish who was killing whom. Since then, our future has certainly been dead” says Assad Saftawy anguishly.

Before offering them a shisha, I ask them about how their parents took to the initiative.

Mohammed Shamallakh: “My father advised me to give up on the idea. You must know that I suffer from a particular situation: in Ramallah they are convinced that I am a militant from Hamas. In Gaza, that I belong to Fatah. But I do not side with one or the other and the initiative of 15 March will not be manipulated by anyone. We are only asking in a loud and strong voice for the end of the divisions”.

Assad: “I’m slowly convincing my father, in the meantime my brothers and my sisters have already sided with me”.

Mohammed Al Sheikh: “My father is already with us and has promised to attend the event. And he will not be alone, my mother will also come. The problem is that I suspect they want to participate so that they can defend me! “

As the smoke rises from the arghile and begins to brood over our heads, I get the distinct feeling that Mohammed’s parents are probably not wrong.

Vittorio Arrigoni has lived in Gaza City since 2008. A freelance journalist, peace activist and Italian member of the ISM (International Solidarity Movement), He writes predominatly for the newspaper Il Manifesto. He is the author of Gaza Stay Human (Gaza. Restiamo umani) and blogs at: http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com.

Why Al Jazeera is better

Mar 05, 2011

Issa Khalaf

NPR’s News Blog reported:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went out of her way Thursday to single out the Al Jazeera TV news network for its work in covering recent uprisings throughout the Middle East.

“You’ve got a global—a set of global networks—that Al Jazeera has been the leader in, that are literally changing people’s minds and attitudes,” Clinton told members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Her remarks are a marked shift from the hostility expressed toward Al Jazeera by many conservatives, as well as some officials under former President Bush.

“Viewership of Al Jazeera is going up in the United States because it’s real news,” Clinton said Thursday.

“You may not agree with it, but you feel like you’re getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials and, you know, arguments between talking heads, and the kind of stuff that we do on our news,” Clinton said. “Which, you know, is not particularly informative to us, let alone foreigners.”

This is progress, compared to George W’s hostility towards Al Jazeera’s alleged anti-Americanism. In a piece by NPR, Deborah Amos quotes Satnam Matharu, the network’s director of communications as saying that, “We had figures that indicated that we had 2,500 percent increase in traffic; 60 percent of that traffic was from the United States of America”…

So what is it about Al Jazeera (“The Peninsula”) that’s won grudging praise from Hillary who admits that American news organizations are unable to inform and who implies that officials watch the network far more than they would admit? To me, it’s not just about organizational and technical matters of global network or lack of commercials or format or, thankfully!, the absence of talking heads and assorted poseurs who essentially know nothing about, say, the Middle East region, much less their country’s actual behavior and how it’s perceived and experienced by the world outside. Nor about American professors of media and journalism talking the anodyne language of the press or media in society, their analysis, understanding, and perceptions limited by their cultural provincialism. Or Charlie Rose show-type chatter by American journalists conversing on the intrepidness of, yes, American journalists uncovering, oh such amazing stuff, heroically, even romantically reporting from faraway (embedded) battlefields, essentially saying little and assuming a default American innocence.

Is it the network’s smart studio layout and production sophistication, its multicultural awareness employing white, brown, black, Asian anchors and reporters? Its dignified, intelligent, poised, bilingual/multilingual, Arab female anchors and reporters, a curious view to those informed by oppression of Arab women? Its in-depth special reports and programs, such as “Empire” and “Witness”? The apparent, perceived crisp intelligence of spoken British-English of most of its anchors and journalists? The authentic experts, from America to the Middle East to China, consulted on every conceivable topic in every part of the world? It’s probably all those things, real and perceptual, but it’s something deeper.

The reality is that even free media reproduce their own cultures—their prejudices, biases, their Weltanschauung, even though they try hard, we assume, to report facts and be objective. American media reflects the American’s way of seeing and apprehending the world, and that’s essentially through an American nationalist lens. Add to this the fact of corporate ownership that has limits on deep, critical, reporting and analysis of America’s dominant financial and economic institutions, and you have quite uninteresting and uninformed reporting. Al Jazeera is also not free from cultural limitations, and if it seems, on its reporting of American policy in the Middle East or Palestine, biased, it’s reflecting the region’s world view (and I dare say much beyond)—and of course what seems like criticism to American officials is quite objective to the rest of the world.

Al Jazeera’s superiority is, to me, a matter of seeing, understanding, and perceiving at many levels that the vast majority of Americans typically cannot. Al Jazeera is emblematic of a more complex, contextualized understanding of life representing, for lack of better term, a third world or perhaps old world view. We Americans, unlike Europe or the rest of humanity, have not experienced revolutions or transformations of regime, violent class conflict, genocide, tyranny, religious wars, wars on our soil (with the exception of the Civil War), occupation, suffering and so on. We had our revolution and it’s all been linear progress and plenty since—or so that’s how we perceive our history. We believe our country’s actions are always benevolent in nature and purpose, even beseeching the world to emulate our success. We don’t easily relate to the idea of a nexus of power between economic and political elites, how those privileged determine much of what goes on in the vast majority of the world’s societies, economies, and polities. We tend to see the “free market” as a panacea for all ills, an abstract totemic thing we virtually worship, a replacement of moral, public, and civil society space. The right wing radio talk show wing nuts even believe that American media is hopelessly leftist and liberal and socialist and anti-American, for everything about us is right and just and good. We are a profoundly status quo nation, hardly comfortable with revolution and fundamental questions and critiques of socio-economic and political change yet proudly insistent that we were born of one, revolution that is.

Our media is like our movies, pitting good against evil, hero against anti-hero, usually narrated with a happy-ending, typically portraying, along with ubiquitous commercials, a fantasy America populated with affluent people with nice homes and cars and vacations and gadgets and happy children. News, certainly 24-hour news, is ideally supposed to educate, inform, edify, offer a new perspective, a new way of seeing an issue or others. Instead, American news is lame and has that inescapable quality of entertainment about it. Also, the idea that our nation is motivated by anything less than noble goals and delusions of benign American power out to do good is profoundly rooted in American culture, and it shows in the news. We don’t act ideologically, like “communists” and “socialists,” we don’t have “ideology,” but merely wish to bestow our great values, freedom and democracy, on the rest of the world. We are impatient with detail and complexity, with nuance and context in understanding social movements and histories. We apply military power for good. Americans will fiercely hold on to their core myths regardless of the reality. How we see the world, based on our own experience, is how we, the mainstream media, report it.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, because of the legacy of the black experience, see at many levels that white Americans, part of the dominant majority worldview, generally cannot. They get it, including, I’m willing to bet, on Palestine, as do virtually every black American I’ve spoken to about this topic. Oppression, exclusion, marginality will do that; will make one far more aware and perceptive of life and the other guy, the guy who has power and is in control. In the end, Al Jazeera’s amounts to reporting that understands the world with a depth, nuance, and context that American media simply cannot replicate.

Al Jazeera producers, hosts, anchors, reporters—Arab, European, Asian, and African—do apply context and depth (as do American reporters who absorb Al Jazeera’s organizational culture and mission). They come from societies with a thousand year history; they get it. Consider Anderson Cooper’s enthusiastic reporting for freedom and good and anti-tyranny in Egypt and Libya. A great thing to be sure, but notable for its naivete, its form over substance, its lack of meaningful observation or insight, its inability to go beyond the surface, its reliance on in-house experts. This is typical of American media. Contrast this with a typical field reporter for Al Jazeera (Arab or European), who can relate from her/his own experience and background, understands at deeper levels the discourse of “state” and “society,” the meaning of authoritarianism, dictatorship and monarchy, the complexity and cynicism of human behavior, the importance of religion or spirituality in human, including Muslim, life, the role of money, wealth, class in the unfolding of political and social change. In this way, Al Jazeera’s reporting and specials anywhere in the world, particularly the third world, contain unique critical analysis and reporting. It’s “real news,” as Hillary has it.

Al Jazeera minces no words about its advocacy for liberalization and change in the Arab world, and of course it’s been signally instrumental, along with the Internet, in this regard. I assume Hillary, from her remarks, is happy with this, but of course the problem is that we’re not happy if the message, the narrative of our role, is not spun exactly, precisely as we want it, to avoid any questions, any whiff, of hypocrisy, lies, and double standard. To accuse Al Jazeera of biased or unprofessional reporting is not to see ourselves and to betray our annoyance at being unable to control others’ perspective on our policies. To say that it’s unbalanced on Palestine-Israel is to deny the permanent near (mainstream media) blackout on the brutal reality of Israel’s occupation and the facts that inform it. Everything is permissible to openly talk about, investigate, report, including Arab revolution of the acceptable kind—except Palestine.

Is not the network ultimately doing what Westerners say they want to see, a free media that relentlessly questions the prevailing assumptions, received wisdoms, and authorities? Unfortunately, satellite and cable owners refuse to carry Al Jazeera for something other than the false, benign explanation of competition with American networks, and that is fear of “real news” about Israel.

(4 March 2011)

Donkey in Libya: ‘I understand you, but he doesn’t’

Mar 05, 2011

Seham

This donkey in Benghazi, pictured at the great Feb. 17 site, wears a sign that says, “I understand you, but he doesn’t understand.”

Now other news from Libya:
Qadhafi’s Crimes

Report: Pro-Gadhafi forces enter Libyan town Zawiyah; dozens killed
The rebellion in Zawiyah has been an embarrassment to Libyan authorities who are trying to show they control at least the west of the country. 
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-pro-gadhafi-forces-enter-libyan-town-zawiyah-dozens-killed-1.347261?localLinksEnabled=false

Gaddafi fights to regain control
Embattled Libyan leader launches military and diplomatic offensive in a bid to cling to power as rebels close in on him.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/03/2011355948541399.html
AJE “A helicopter was shelling us. Still, victory will be ours” Video from Ras Lanuf hospital
This video has been posted online in the past few hours, and purports to show the hospital mortuary in Ras Lanuf dealing with the injured – and the corpses – resulting from yesterday’s fighting in the city. The video contains footage the viewer may find disturbing. Translations are below the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twTu4OXKoXg&feature=player_embedded

At least 30 killed as fighting rages in Libya’s east
The rebellion in Az Zawiyah – the closest rebel-held territory to the capital and also the site of an oil refinery – has been an embarassment to the Libyan authorities who are trying to show they control at least the west of the country.
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/03/201134161217430734.html
Libyan paramedics targeted by pro-Gaddafi forces
Libyan medical teams tell Amnesty International how they came under fire from pro-Gaddafi security forces while carrying out their work.  Libyan medical teams have told Amnesty International how they came under fire from pro-Gaddafi security forces yesterday while carrying out their work.  Two medics from the Libyan Red Crescent trying to retrieve a body near the town of Misratah were injured by shooting from a nearby military installation belonging to the Hamza Brigade, a military force loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi.  “This was a deliberate attack on medical professionals, who were wearing full medical uniform and arrived in two clearly marked Red Crescent ambulances,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/libyan-paramedics-targeted-pro-gaddafi-forces-2011-03-04
Colonel Abdullah Al Mahdi: Death Toll 6,000
March 4 (Bloomberg) — The conflict in Libya between government troops and opponents of leader Muammar Qaddafi has left 6,000 people dead, the [opposition] forces spokesman, Colonel Abdullah Al Mahdi, said on Al Jazeera television today. Al Mahdi, who defected from Qaddafi’s military, said the [opposition] has captured 50 mercenaries, including some from Niger and Chad, and will next target the capital, Tripoli.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-04/libya-rebel-forces-say-6-000-killed-in-conflict-tripoli-is-next.html
Gaddafi forces hit Libyan rebels
A doctor at one of the hospitals in rebel-held territory, where casualties were being treated from the fierce clashes round the refinery town of Raslanuf on Friday, said there were “many dead and wounded” by rocket fire from loyalist defenders.
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/gaddafi-forces-hit-libyan-rebels-20110305-1bidu.html
Fighting rages in Libya’s east
At least 30 civilians killed after Gaddafi loyalists try to retake rebel-held town of Az Zawiyah, witnesses say.
http://english.aljazeera.net//video/africa/2011/03/201134161217430734.html
Battle For The City of al-Zawiyah: Raw Video
Warning – Video contains graphic footage depicting the reality and horror of war and should only be viewed by a mature audience

Breaking News: AFP reporters saw 11 bodies in the morgue, “horrifically disfigured and burnt”
http://feb17.info/media/breaking-news-revolutionaries-find-20-dead-bodies-handcuffed-at-a-base-in-ras-lanuf/
13-year-old Boy Among Killed in Brega
The Guardian Reports: A 13-year-old boy was killed when pro-Gaddafi forces tried to retake Brega on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch is reporting. It says Hassan Umran was herding goats when he was shot in the head. The organisation’s emergencies director, Peter Bouckaert, visited a morgue in Ajdabiya to try to establish a death toll from Wednesday’s fighting. Peter also provided us with excellent updates from Alexandria during the Egyptian protests.
http://feb17.info/media/13-year-old-boy-among-killed-in-brega/
FEB 17 Voices: Witness from Zawiyah (English Translation)
A witness from Zawiyah describes the massacre that occurred today. They have buried two people already, and many people are injured.
http://feb17.info/media/feb-17-voices-witness-from-zawiyah-english-translation/
Rebel spokesman: Blast at weapons depot outside Benghazi
BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — A huge explosion on Friday ripped through a military weapons depot outside Benghazi, the main city held by Libyan rebels fighting Moamer Kadhafi, a spokesman for the rebel leadership said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365562
Report: Attack by Gadhafi forces on Libya arms dump kills 17
Earlier in day, 30 were reported killed when forces loyal to the Libyan leader shelled and captured parts of Zawiyah, a town near Tripoli that had been taken over by rebels.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-attack-by-gadhafi-forces-on-libya-arms-dump-kills-17-1.347230?localLinksEnabled=false
Battles erupt in key cities, moving Libya closer to civil war
Anti-Qaddafi forces seized a key town Friday, but are facing a crackdown in Tripoli. Meanwhile, Benghazi suffered its first assault from the regime in two weeks.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/TCqamRtFQDw/Battles-erupt-in-key-cities-moving-Libya-closer-to-civil-war
Gaddafi fights back in key city
Heavy casualties are reported as Colonel Gaddafi’s forces attack the rebel-held Libyan city of Zawiya, with clashes also reported in Tripoli and other cities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12652613

Libyan govt source: ‘Pockets of resistance’ in Zawiyah
TRIPOLI (AFP) — There are “pockets of resistance” in Zawiyah, near Tripoli, a Libyan government source said, after state television reported loyalist forces had retaken the city from rebels on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365524
Inside Story – Muammar Gaddafi: Fighting for survival?
Protests in Libya continue to be met with harsh violence and the death toll has now topped 1,000. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is warning Muammar Gaddafi, the country’s leader, that he will be held criminally responsible for his regime’s reaction to the protests that have been taking place since February 15. It took only five days for Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, to confirm that there was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. And for the first time in the court’s history, the probe is being actively supported by the US and other long-standing critics of the ICC, including China and Russia. The investigation is seen as a way to pressure Gaddafi loyalists to defect, thus weakening the war against the rebels. But is ICC involvement an incentive for the Libyan leader to respect human rights or will he simply fight harder for his political survival so as to avoid prosecution?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7x4MfOqpsg&feature=player_embedded

Loyalist Forces Open Fire on Tripoli Protesters, New York Times
KIRKPATRICK, TRIPOLI, Libya — Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi opened fired with tear gas and what a witness described as live ammunition to scatter protesters who had gathered after Friday noon prayers outside a mosque in a restive neighborhood of Tripoli, chanting slogans and defying the authorities’ attempt to lock down the capital., Young demonstrators hurled rocks at the militia forces cruising the Tajura neighborhood in blue trucks, but the crackle of fire from what sounded like automatic weapons panicked the protesters and they fled in several directions.
http://feb17.info/media/loyalist-forces-open-fire-on-tripoli-protesters/
Kadafi’s forces squelch anti-government protest but fail to seize Libyan rebel stronghold
Hundreds of demonstrators call for Moammar Kadafi’s downfall in Tripoli but are quickly dispersed by security forces. Rebels continue to hold nearby Zawiya after an assault organized by one of the embattled leader’s sons. Meanwhile, unrest continues in Yemen and Iraq. Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi’s security forces crushed an anti-government protest in the capital Friday but failed in their attempts to advance on a nearby rebel stronghold.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/APr8D4e24JQ/la-fg-mideast-unrest-20110305,0,1203936.story
Forces fire tear gas as Libya protesters
March 4, 2011-TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have fired tear gas at protesters marching in the capital Tripoli, calling for the Libyan leader’s ouster.  The security forces fired at least five cannisters of tear gas at the crowd of around 1,500 protesters in the Tripoli district of Tajoura. The crowd briefly scattered, but rejoined to continue their march, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
http://feb17.info/media/forces-fire-tear-gas-as-libya-protesters/
Arabiya reports Brega attack, residents unaware
BREGA, Libya, March 4 (Reuters) – Al Arabiya news network said on Friday that Muammar Gaddafi’s forces renewed their bombing of the Libyan oil terminal of Brega, but three sources in the town said they were not aware of any new attack.  Two rebel sources and one civilian told Reuters that they had not heard any renewed bombing, but were checking the report.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/arabiya-reports-brega-attack-residents-unaware
Gaddafi forces bomb in oil town of Brega-Arabiya
BREGA, Libya, March 4 (Reuters) – Muammar Gaddafi’s forces renewed their bombing of the Libyan oil terminal town of Brega in the east of the country on Friday, Al Arabiya news network reported.  Two sources in Brega told Reuters they had not heard a new attack, but were checking the report.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/gaddafi-forces-bomb-in-oil-town-of-brega-arabiya
Airstrikes in Brega
http://feb17.info/video/airstrikes-in-brega-march-3/
Battle for Brega Airport
http://feb17.info/video/battle-for-brega-airport/
GRAPHIC: Footage of soldiers executed by Gaddafi forces for refusing to shoot protesters
This is the real movie that demonstrates the falsity of Gaddafi run state tv which accused the rebels of executing these soldiers after muting the audio and filtering sections of it. The fact of the footage is that there was a group of Libyan soldiers who refused to obey orders to shoot their fellow Libyans and they were executed by the regime and its mercenaries. We can see at the end of the footage a dying soldier who is being encouraged to say the testimony of faith. We ask God to accept the martyrs of this nation.
Translation:
Cameraman: These guys have been killed here. You can see the bullet shells strewn all over.
Cameraman: He said from AzZawiyah, he said Mu’ammar sent him…
Man: Say there is no god except God
Another man: There is no god except God
Cameraman: Give him water. Alright alright, don’t give him too much, you might kill him
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/graphic-footage-of-soldiers-executed-by-gaddafi-forces-for-refusing-to-shoot-protesters/
Wounded in Ajdabiya
This video taken on March 2nd shows the injured civilians that were wounded during bombing and clashes with Gaddafi forces.
http://feb17.info/video/hospital-in-ajdabiya-march-2/
Injured protester in Brega (March 1st)
http://feb17.info/video/injured-protester-in-brega-march-1st/
Interview with ambulance driver near Misrata
http://feb17.info/video/interview-with-ambulance-driver-near-misrata/
‘Men Found Buried Alive’ At Gaddafi Compound
Sky News has uncovered disturbing new evidence of the barbarity of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya east, where the opposition movement has seized control. Libyan revolutionaries in Benghazi claim to have rescued seven prisoners that had been buried alive. They say the group was found entombed in a small underground cell in the city’s dreaded government compound – forbidden territory for 40 years, now overrun by the forces of revolution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oex0RyhWeoE&feature=player_embedded
http://feb17.info/media/underground-prisions-revealed-in-benghazi/
Libya has ‘significant’ stockpile of chemical weapons, NBC News
More than decade ago, a Washington writer penned a novel based on Moammar Gadhafi’s willingness to use chemical weapons.  Called “Circle William,” the novel was based on a supposed plot by Gadhafi to use chemical weapons against the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem and a ship christening ceremony in Norfolk, Va. Predictably, the plot failed because of the heroic efforts of two brothers.
http://feb17.info/media/libya-has-significant-stockpile-of-chemical-weapons/
Libyan officials bar reporters from leaving hotel, Reuters
Libyan authorities blocked foreign journalists from leaving their hotel to report on expected protests by opponents of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after Friday prayers.  When journalists including Reuters reporters tried to walk out of the gates of the main media hotel, to the south of Tripoli city center, security guards blocked their way.  A Libyan government spokesman said journalists were being kept in the Rixos hotel because their presence could trigger violence from what he described as affiliates of al Qaeda.
http://feb17.info/media/libyan-officials-bar-reporters-from-leaving-hotel/
Sky News: Saif Al Gaddafi says bombs were dropped to scare protesters
Libya, Brega Gaddafi’s Son Saif Al-Islam Tells Sky News Forces Have Not Bombed Civilians In Brega
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzKPn99JKVc&feature=player_embedded
Brega bombings to scare off militia – Gaddafi son
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – Libyan government bombing raids on the eastern town of Brega were designed to scare off militia and to gain control of oil installations, Saif al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, told Sky News on Thursday.  “First of all the bombs (were) just to frighten them to go away,” he said in an interview in his car. “Not to kill them. “I’m talking about the harbour and the oil refinery there. Nobody would allow the militia to control Brega. It’s like allowing someone to control Rotterdam harbour in Holland.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/libya-saif-idUSLDE7221X920110303
Casualties mount as battle for Libya continues
BENGHAZI, Libya (IPS) – The walls outside the al-Jalah Hospital in downtown Bengazi are covered with posters of missing persons, mostly teenagers and young men who disappeared after the protests began. Inside, hundreds of gunshot victims recover from the street battle between Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and Benghazi’s citizens.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11842.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Gadhafi counts on planes, militias to survive
CAIRO (AFP) — Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi is relying on militias, mercenaries and Soviet-era airpower to prop up his regime as he tries to fight back against rebels in the east, analysts said.  A bid by Kadhafi loyalists to retake the eastern oil port of Brega has thrown the spotlight on the relative strengths of the regime’s forces and the ragtag opposition army.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365378
Kadafi forces show Libya’s northwest under government control
Government-run checkpoints have replaced those set up by rebels. Along the 110-mile stretch between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, there were few visible signs of the unrest reported in recent days.  A burned-out police station and the absence of the once-ubiquitous portraits of Col. Moammar Kadafi are evidence of what happened here recently. The camouflage-clad soldiers wielding AK-47s and glaring at passing motorists show who is in charge now.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/QNM9OO_3vqo/la-fg-libya-west-20110304,0,2475506.story
Kidnapping campaign in Tripoli
Al JazeeraThe Network of Free Ulema in Libya has said that pro-Gaddafi forces have been carrying out kidnappings in advance of tomorrow’s planned demonstrations.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/kidnapping-campaign-in-tripoli/
Libyan authorities accuse al Qaeda of sending in drugs
TRIPOLI, March 3 (Reuters) – Libyan authorities accused al Qaeda on Thursday of trying to smuggle 37 million painkillers into the country to alter the minds of young people to join a revolt against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.  Mahmoud Ali, who said he was the head of Libya’s anti-narcotics department, said authorities had intercepted shipments of Tramadol which had originated in Dubai and were purchased by a Libyan drug dealer with ties to al Qaeda.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libyan-authorities-accuse-al-qaeda-of-sending-in-drugs
Rage, fear and pain at Ajdabiya hospital in Libya
AJDABIYA, Libya (AFP) — “Gadhafi did this!” screams the armed man guarding the gate into Ajdabiya hospital, as a pick-up truck rushes past with another gunshot victim. The gate closes, and the guard, beside himself with rage, shouts at journalists trying to get in that they should clear off. “Move! Move!” he says, pointing to the street.  Eventually, a calmer head prevails and points out another way in.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365377
Gaddafi’s son says no need for foreign mediation
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – Saif al Islam, the son of Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi, said on Thursday there was no need for any foreign role in ending Libya’s crisis when asked about a mediation offer by Venezuela. Saif said in an interview with Sky News that he had not heard about the offer by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, but added: “We have to say thank you … but we are able and capable enough to solve our issues by our own people … ourselves. There is no need for any foreign intervention.” “…They are our friends, we respect them, we like them, but they are far away. They have no idea about Libya. Libya is in the Middle East and North Africa. Venezuela is in Central America. We appreciate this.”
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7222DT20110303
Slick operator
How Saif Gaddafi used Libyan oil money to seduce the West.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-12626320
Gaddafi and sons determined to survive: insiders
Libyan strongman Moamer Gaddafi and his sons are determined to hold onto power and save their skins by every means possible, even if it takes a bloodbath, regime insiders and diplomat say.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/03/140077.html
Saif Gaddafi talks to Al Jazeera
One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al Islam, has been the public face of the regime since the unrest began. He has accused the international media, including Al Jazeera, of blowing the crisis out of proportion. In an interview with Anita McNaught, he repeated the allegation claiming the West was trying to take over Libya’s oil. You can watch the full Talk to Al Jazeera interview with Saif Al Islam Gaddafi at 15:30 GMT on Friday.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi calls on international community not to interfere in Libyan affairs
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s second-son and presumed heir, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, gave an exclusive telephone interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, during which he provided his account of the current situation in the country, and looked towards the future. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had previously been portrayed as something of a political reformer prior to the current crisis, however he has lately issued statements strongly supporting the Libyan regime, toeing the government-line that the protests have been incited by foreign terrorist groups, and even threatening the Libyan people with a civil war in which the regime “will fight to the last minute, until the last bullet.”
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24364
Translated video: Libyan sister raises morale!
A call from a Libyan sister. A call to all those who are free. A call to the eagles of Libya. Today is your day, tomorrow is your day free people of Libya. I tell every mother and every sister: Get up, and encourage your father, encourage your brother and encourage your husband and tell him GO OUT and don’t be scared, behind you are men, behind you is the mother of the free, behind you is a sister. Tell him GO OUT with a zaghroota (a type of sound made moving the tongue left and right and breathing out), bring them out my countrymen, go out! Tripoli must be free tomorrow.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/translated-video-libyan-sister-raises-morale/
The Opposition
Battle to oust Libyan tyrant intensifies
Moammar Gadhafi’s forces fought their way into the rebel-held western town of Zawiya Friday, leaving at least 30 civilians dead, but rebels said they had captured the eastern town of Ras Lanuf, extending their hold on eastern Libya.Another 17 people were killed Friday night in a raid by Gadhafi loyalists on an arms depot on the outskirts of Libya’s second city of Benghazi in the east of the country.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125643
Libyan rebels locked in battles
Libyan rebels are locked in battles with Gaddafi forces on two fronts, while apparently accidental blasts in a Benghazi arms depot kill at least 17.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12654670

Ras Lanuf Falls to Rebels, Juan Cole
In a major push west, rebel forces in Libya are said by Reuters to have taken the major petroleum and refining town of Ras Lanuf on the Mediterranean coast east of the capital of Libya, consolidating their control over the east of the country and its resources. 
http://www.juancole.com/2011/03/ras-lanuf-falls-to-rebels.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+juancole%2Fymbn+%28Informed+Comment%29&utm_content=Twitter

Breaking: New Photos from Ras Lanuf
http://feb17.info/media/breaking-new-photos-from-ras-lanuf/

Libya rebels: Victory or death
Libya clashes widen, unrest in Tripoli as Gaddafi supporters open fire on protestors.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037682,00.html
Zawiyah rebel commander killed in clashes
TRIPOLI, March 4 (Reuters) – A leader of rebels in Zawiyah was killed in clashes on Friday with forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi trying to retake the rebel-held town near the capital, a rebel spokesman said.  “Many people were killed in Harsha, which is now occupied by them,” rebel spokesman Youssef Shagan told Reuters by telephone, referring to a small town just outside Zawiyah.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/zawiyah-rebel-commander-killed-in-fighting-with-pro-gaddafi-forc
Libyan opposition leaders to get advice from UK military
British move comes as Interpol issues a global alert against Muammar Gaddafi and 15 other in an effort to enforce sanction.  Britain is to send a team of experts capable of giving military advice into eastern Libya to make contact with opposition leaders as the struggle for control of the country escalates.
http://feb17.info/media/libyan-opposition-leaders-to-get-advice-from-uk-military/
African Mercenary Captured
An African mercenary is captured in the eastern regions of Libya. Amid the chaos, the men are torn between taking his life or sparing him. Shouts of “Don’t hit him…Don’t hit him, he has surrendered,” and “God is Great!” come from the onlookers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MMmpNvQDyKU
http://feb17.info/media/african-mercenary-captured/
Funerals held in Libya’s Ajdabiya
Mourners have been paying their respects to the opposition fighters who died in air raids on the Libyan towns of Brega and Ajdabiya. Six men were killed when Muammar Gaddafi’s forces attacked Ajdabiya. Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland reports.

Protests in Tripoli after prayers
Libyan security forces are using tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters from the streets after Friday prayers in Col Gaddafi’s stronghold of Tripoli.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12644435

Mass Demonstration in Misrata
On March 4, after Friday prayers, a huge demonstration was launched from the mosque of Shaikh Ahmed in the city of Misratah and headed towards the center of the city near the People’s Hall. It was estimated that 100,000 people demonstrators were present all denouncing the crimes of Gadaffi and confirming their support and solidarity to the people of Tripoli
http://feb17.info/media/misrata-mass-demonstration/

Ajdabiya demonstration
On March 2nd , hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the eastern city of Ajdabiya to show support for freedom and to bury and honor those who died in their city. Ajdabiya was bombed by government aircraft’s on February 28, March 1, and March 2. Despite the attempts to kill and deter protesters, Ajdabiya remains under civilian control and they are still coming out- loud and proud.
http://feb17.info/video/ajdabiya-demonstration-march-2/
Libyan rebels set out conditions
Rebels in eastern Libya have said they will not engage in negotiations unless Col Muammar Gaddafi quits and goes into exile.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12643311
BREAKING – Spokesman for Benghazi’s Military Council: We have 10,000 recruits and volunteers
The spokesman for the Revolution’s Military Council in Benghazi has just informed Al Jazeera that they currently have 10,000 recruits and volunteers. They are currently in the process of organising them in preparation for the mission of liberating the remaining cities in the west of Libya and will begin mobilising this force westward soon.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/breaking-spokesman-for-benghazis-military-council-we-have-10000-soldiers-and-military-volunteers/
BREAKING: Families of Misratah offered 200,000 Libyan Dinars to stop protesting
Reliable sources have reported to Almanara Media from that cities of Misratah and Nalut that Colonel Gaddafi has sent negotiators to them in the hopes of reconciliation and to stress that Gaddafi is willing to oblige all their demands.  The same sources also said that the negotiators had offered 200,000 Libyan Dinars to each family in Misratah that is prepared to go back to normal life, stop demonstrating and be reigned under the rule of Gaddafi once again.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/breaking-families-of-misratah-offered-200000-libyan-dinars-to-stop-protesting/
Everyone helps in Benghazi
This is a video of 11 year old Ayman who took on the responsibility of being a traffic officer in Benghazi.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/everyone-helps-in-benghazi/
Youth make Statement from Qal’aa
To the group of Libyan brothers in the East and West of Libya, and the North and South (Allahu Akbar/God is Great). To the noble group that sacrifices themselves for the freedom of Libya from this tyrannical regime of Gaddafi. God accept the martyrs into Paradise (Allahu Akbar/God is Great) And against the oppressor Gaddafi, who is trying to create chaos (and disunity) between the tribes of Libya. I assure you your plan is not going to affect us.  And he (Gaddafi) will not get what he wants, God willing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y9Pg8CixI_o
http://feb17.info/media/youth-make-statement-from-qalaa/

Rebels solidify their hold on Port Brega oil facility
Opposition fighters say they drove Moammar Kadafi’s forces back to another town. The Kadafi loyalists launched airstrikes on rebel targets but there were no casualties, residents say. Libyan rebels solidified their hold on a key coastal oil complex Thursday by fortifying their positions a day after Moammar Kadafi’s forces attempted to seize the nation’s second-largest petroleum and natural gas facility.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/8d44eAHIbJk/la-fg-libya-fighting-20110304,0,1292437.story
Brega: ‘The last checkpoint of Libya’s revolution’ – video
Libyan rebels staff a checkpoint near the eastern oil terminal town of Brega, describing it as the “last point of the February 17 revolution” against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/mar/03/brega-checkpoint-libya-revolution
Benghazi: Headquarters of the ‘new Libya’
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said he will investigate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his sons and senior aides for crimes against humanity.  Thousands of people are thought to have died after security forces targeted protesters in unrest which began in mid-February. The BBC’s Lyce Doucet reports from Benghazi, where the greatest alleged atrocities took place.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12643534?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Benghazi Journal: In Libya, ‘We Won.’ Then a Rebel Becomes a Martyr.
After the jubilation of turning back government forces in battle, the mourning and funerals for the dead.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/africa/04funeral.html

Libyan rebels honor ‘martyrs’
After the battle for Port Brega, rebels bury more fighters, including a man who had returned from Britain to check on family but was drawn into the fighting to protect a rebel-held oil town.  Khaled Zarok Attghdi did not intend to go to war after he returned home to Libya from Manchester, England, four days ago to check on family.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/ZoJXkYYvir0/la-fg-libya-martyrs-20110304,0,970531.story
Weighing the options
Can Libya’s rebels break the stalemate with Gaddafi?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12642997
Take the fight to Qaddafi? In eastern Libya, not yet.
In eastern Libya, thousands of young men are signing up to fight Qaddafi. But at one checkpoint, the lack of any professional military leadership suggests a move on Tripoli is unlikely quite yet.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/4aiVc7KJtWI/Take-the-fight-to-Qaddafi-In-eastern-Libya-not-yet
Humanitarian Crisis
Surgeon speaks about his experience in Libya
Ahmed Radwan is an Egyptian vascular surgeon working as a volunteer in the town of Brega, treating patients wounded in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. In a video sent to Al Jazeera, he describes surgeries he carried out in Ajdabiya in the last two days.

Nurses asking people to donate blood in Benghazi
Benghazi hospitals suffer from a severe shortage in medicine and blood. Dedicated nurses and doctors took to the streets of Benghazi to the streets to request blood donations from the people.  Female nurse: “Lets go people. We need blood donations. We need blood donations now.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNR3BpLQkxw&feature=player_embedded

International Medical Corps Teams in Libya & Tunisia Addressing Needs of Those Affected by Deadly Clashes
March 3, 2011 – Los Angeles, California – International Medical Corps’ emergency response team in Benghazi, Libya is assessing needs of those affected by the violence as well as distributing critical supplies to health structures serving the local population.   An additional International Medical Corps team is in Tunisia which is experiencing a large influx of refugees fleeing the violence.  The team conducted an assessment at the border in Tunisia and identified that some 25,000 Bangladeshis and Eritreans are on the Tunisian side of the border and are in need of assistance. They determined that on the Libyan side the situation is firmly in control of Qaddafi forces and that access for humanitarian agencies is still not possible. International Medical Corps has additional team members preparing to deploy to the border on the western part of Libya.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/international-medical-corps-teams-in-libya-tunisia-addressing-needs-of-those-affected-by-deadly-clashes
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya
http://www.facebook.com/LibyanMedicalRelief

Libya preventing refugees from leaving as fighting escalates
‘Libya no good!’ chanted refugees who had already made it across the Tunisia-Libya border. The flow of refugees has suddenly dropped 80 percent.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/XkImPnVtsyQ/Libya-preventing-refugees-from-leaving-as-fighting-escalates

U.S. flies aid to Tunisia, plans refugee airlift (Reuters)
Reuters – The U.S. military was flying aid supplies to Tunisia on Friday and will return there on Saturday to evacuate refugees who fled violence in neighboring Libya, the Pentagon said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110304/wl_nm/us_usa_mideast_humanitarian
Refugees airlifted from Tunisia
Humanitarian supplies flown in to aid refugee camps and Egyptians evacuated, though 10,000 Bangladeshis remain stranded.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/03/20113421954195507.html
Libya crisis: photo selection
Photos illustrating the ICRC’s response to the ongoing crisis in Libya. Media outlets are encouraged to download and use these photos, which are also available in high resolution.  These photos were taken on 2 March 2011.  The images show ICRC medical staff and Libyan doctors assessing the emergency response capacity of Al Bayda hospital in the eastern Libyan city of Al Bayda, following over two weeks of violent unrest in the country.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/photo-gallery/libya-photos-2011-03.htm
Humanitarian crisis at Libya’s borders
Dr. Hany El-Banna, the president of The Humanitarian Forum, has travelled to the Libyan borders with Tunisia and Egypt with Islamic Relief, Muslim Hands, Humanitarian Appeal and the Human Relief Foundation to deliver aid.  With a population of 6.4 million from which 1.5 million are migrant workers the majority of which are Egyptians.  As of today, as many as 172,874 people have crossed into neighbouring countries, with 91,175 in Tunisia alone due to recent unrest. In its latest situation report, the UN estimates that over 20,000 people are waiting at the Tunisian border for onward travel and transit camps have been set up.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/humanitarian-crisis-at-libyas-borders

Tragedy on Libya’s borders
While world media were awash Friday in stories of the battles for Zawiya and Raslanuf, with reports focusing on strategic outposts controlling oil and refineries, a humanitarian tragedy continued to unfold on Libya’s borders.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=17&article_id=125613
UN plans to launch Libya crisis appeal on Monday
LONDON (AlertNet) – The U.N. aid chief will launch an appeal on Monday for international funding to help those caught up in Libya’s escalating violence, including tens of thousands of migrant workers who have fled into neighbouring countries, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Thursday.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/un-plans-to-launch-libya-crisis-appeal-on-monday
Libya refugee exodus continues
Concerns persist over thousands of African migrants who, afraid of being targetted, remain trapped in the country.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201133222231394110.html
Migrant workers stranded in Libya
As violence between pro- and anti-Gaddafi supporters continues to subsume Libya, migrant workers have found themselves out of work – and in desperate need of a ticket home. Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley speaks with the thousands who remain stranded in the coastal town of Benghazi, where their food and water supplies are dwindling. Many feel destitute and abandoned, as lucrative jobs in the oil rich country have been lost in the uprising. While many countries have moved to evacuate their nationals, some governments appear to have forgotten their expatriate workers in Libya, leaving tens of thousands of people with little choice but to wait.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0Od3wm5_c&feature=youtube_gdata

Libyan rebels accused of targeting blacks
Rights groups say African migrant workers and black Libyans face beatings and detention by rebel fighters who suspect them of being mercenaries hired by Moammar Kadafi to put down the rebellion. About a dozen African men stood lined along a hallway of the courthouse in the eastern city of Benghazi. The men were suspected of being mercenaries fighting on behalf of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi and had been rousted from their homes in the morning, turned in by residents responding to a rebel campaign urging them to report “suspicious people.”
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/HwjFkXZpcqU/la-fg-libya-mercenaries-20110305,0,5517806.story

Mistaken for mercenaries, Africans are trapped in Libya
African workers left behind as international companies evacuate and African embassies close are trapped in a Benghazi camp, too afraid to take the trek to Egypt’s border.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/d_-00XkY7KI/Mistaken-for-mercenaries-Africans-are-trapped-in-Libya
On Libya-Tunisia border, refugees plead for help to go home
More than 95,000 refugees have crossed the remote desert border post at Ras Ajdir, Tunisia, in the past 10 days. President Obama said the US military would help transport home refugees from Libya, and the European Commission boosted aid.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/UtIo2rOMx-0/On-Libya-Tunisia-border-refugees-plead-for-help-to-go-home
Developments
Live Blog – Libya March 4
As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.
http://english.aljazeera.net/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-4
Gadhafi demands suspension of UN sanctions
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Moammar Gadhafi’s regime on Friday demanded that the UN Security Council suspend sanctions taken against the Libyan leader over his crackdown on opposition protesters.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=365574

Libyan ambassador: The U.S. must do more to stop Qaddafi’s massacre
Libyan Ambassador to the United States Ali Aujali, who joined the opposition in the early days of the crisis, issued an urgent plea for the United States to take more aggressive actions against the Libyan government in an interview with Foreign Policy today., Aujali strongly supported the implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya, calling it “a historic responsibility for the United States.” He also criticized the arguments about the risks of no-fly zone, which have been made by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other military officials. “When we say, for example, that the no-fly zone will take a long time, that it is complicated — please don’t give this regime any time to crush the Libyan people,” he said.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/04/libyan_ambassador_the_us_must_do_more_to_stop_qaddafi_s_massacre

Interpol: Gaddafi Alert Issued
PARIS — Interpol has issued an international alert for Moammar Gadhafi and 15 other family members and close associates to help enforce international sanctions against the Libyan strongman and his regime.  The international police organization said Friday that Gadhafi, his relatives and allies “have been identified as being involved in or complicit in planning attacks, including aerial bombardments, on civilian populations.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/interpol-gaddafi-alert-is_n_831375.html
UN set to adopt report praising Libya’s human rights record
The report shows countries applauding and commending Libya as they note “with appreciation the country’s commitment to upholding human rights on the ground.”
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/adopt+report+praising+Libya+human+rights+record/4362346/story.html

UN council delays soft report on Libya’s record
The routine report was prepared before the recent uprisings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/03/AR2011030302636.html

Al Jazeera English: Gaddafi under world court investigation
The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has said that Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and his key aides, will be investigated for possible crimes against humanity. Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Thursday he would be holding Gaddafi’s government to account over reports of atrocities committed against peaceful protesters. Hundreds have been killed in the uprising against Gaddafi’s 40-year rule and thousands injured. Alan Fisher reports from The Hague in the Netherlands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu0psWjPb8c&feature=youtube_gdata
International Criminal Court Begins Libya Inquiry
The inquiry will focus on Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, several of his sons and members of his inner circle, the chief prosecutor said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/africa/04hague.html

Trial of Gadhafi over Sadr’s disappearance gets under way
BEIRUT: The Judicial Council adjourned Friday its first trial session against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and a number of his aides over the disappearance of Iranian-born Lebanese Shiite cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=125640

Libyan Minister Impersonated As Imam Sadr in Rome, Then Assassinated
Libyan Leader Muammar Al Gadhafi’s lies are only exposed more as more stories related to his statements surface, out of which are those related to the abduction of Sayyed Moussa Sadr. Libyan Minister Impersonated As Imam Sadr in Rome, Then Assassinated(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Libyan Leader Muammar Al Gadhafi’s lies are only exposed more as more stories related to his statements surface, out of which are those related to the abduction of Sayyed Moussa Sadr.  In this context, Najib Mohammad Aghribil, the nephew of Libyan Minister commissioned to Lebanon revealed that on the 1st eve of the civil war, his Uncle Saleh Zayed Abdel Karim impersonated as Sayyed Moussa Al Sadr traveled to Roma to fabricate evidence that lead to a conclusion that Imam Moussa Sadr had left Libya to Rome, but he was liquidated by his (Gadhafi’s) personal assistant.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=229214

Pentagon cites evidence of Libya using air power
“We have seen very clearly broadcast reports showing effects of air power being used. Whether or not those were used on rebels, I can’t say but … there is evidence they have used air assets and drop coordinates,”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110303/pl_nm/us_libya_usa_pentagon
Obama Declares Gaddafi Must Leave
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama insisted Thursday that Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi “step down from power and leave,” his most explicit statement of support for rebels challenging Gaddafi’s four-decade rule in a region convulsed by uprisings against authoritarian regimes. Gaddafi has vowed to stay.  Obama did not rule out establishing a “no-fly” zone over Libya, a move that his Pentagon chief said a day earlier would amount to an act of war because it would require bombing Libya’s air defenses. Although Obama said he was considering a full range of options, he emphasized the U.S. role in helping refugees and heading off a humanitarian crisis.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/03/obama-gaddafi-leave-now_n_831062.html
Obama keeps door open to military options in Libya
WASHINGTON – President Obama says he is looking at the “full range” of military and non-military options to defend the Libyan people against attacks from the forces of Col. Moammar Kadafi, explicitly including the possibility of enforcing a no-fly zone over the country and not ruling out the possibility of air strikes.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/cytNoNRX_MY/sc-dc-obama-libya-20110303,0,7660880.story
Key lawmakers back no-fly zone over Libya as Obama hesitates
Liberals and conservatives in Congress say Western forces should protect Libyan rebels from Moammar Kadafi’s air force. President Obama, however, appears to be sending contradictory messages.  President Obama’s reluctance to use military force in Libya’s civil upheaval is putting him at odds with key players in Congress and undermining White House efforts to be seen as backing political reform in the Middle East.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/nROCpvQPdts/la-fg-obama-libya-split-20110304,0,5357952.story
U.S. troops arrive in Greece in Libya buildup
Some 400 U.S. Marines arrived at an American naval base in Greece in a buildup of U.S. forces around revolt-torn Libya, even as European governments shied away Thursday from possible military action.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-03-us-troops-libya_N.htm

India opposes no-fly zone, use of force in Libya
“Among BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, questions have been raised and reservations expressed,” she said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=176489
Cameron’s no-fly plan is ‘shambolic’, says US
David Cameron’s handling of the Libya crisis was denounced as “shambolic” as tensions grew between London and Washington over the Prime Minister’s suggestion that a no-fly zone could be imposed over the north African state.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/camerons-nofly-plan-is-shambolic-says-us-2231908.html
US defence secretary Robert Gates slams ‘loose talk’ about no-fly zones
David Cameron appears to be on a collision course with Washington after the US defence secretary warned of the dangers of “loose talk” about imposing a no-fly zone on Libya.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/03/robert-gates-dismisses-no-fly-zone
Obama says Libya stalemate a danger
WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was concerned a bloody stalemate could develop between Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebel forces but gave no sign of a willingness to intervene militarily.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/obama-says-libya-stalemate-a-danger
Germany says action against Libya counterproductive
“We do not participate, and we do not share a discussion of military intervention, because we think this would be very counterproductive,” Westerwelle said at a meeting of central European foreign ministers in Slovakia.
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7221VP20110303
Obama administration now dealing with rogue Libyan ambassadors and ignoring faxes from Qaddafi
The Obama administration has decided switch the focus of its Libya diplomacy toward dealing with Libyan representatives in Washington and New York who have decried the regime, after the Libyan government in Tripoli stopped taking its calls.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/03/obama_administration_now_dealing_with_rogue_libyan_ambassadors_and_ignoring_faxes_f
Qaddafi Said to Accept Venezuelan Offer for Help
A top aide to the Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chávez, said Colonel Qaddafi accepted a proposal to negotiate a solution to the turmoil in Libya, but one of the colonel’s sons appeared to reject the idea.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/americas/04venezuela.html
Chavez Libya talks offer rejected
United States, France and opposition activists dismiss Venezuelan proposal to form a commission to mediate crisis.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201133231925866727.html
Chavez: Gadhafi wants U.N. to visit Libya
(CNN) — Venezuela’s president says embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was receptive to the idea of an international commission coming to the North African country when the two heads of state spoke this week.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/04/libya.venezuela.chavez/
Chavez: I won’t condemn ‘my friend’ Gadhafi
We don’t support invasions, or massacres, or anything like that no matter who does it. A campaign of lies is being spun together regarding Libya,” said Chavez, in a televised speech to a crowd of graduates who had just received diplomas from state universities. “I’m not going to condemn him (Gadhafi),” he said. “I’d be a coward to condemn someone who has been my friend.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41843862/ns/world_news-americas/
Hugo Chávez stands by his man, Muammar Qaddafi. But can he bring peace to Libya?
Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez has proposed a ‘Peace Commission’ to mediate Libya’s civil conflict. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa today said the offer is ‘under consideration.’
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/mx8vDFG7_HI/Hugo-Chavez-stands-by-his-man-Muammar-Qaddafi.-But-can-he-bring-peace-to-Libya

Ship Carrying £100m of Gaddafi Regime Intercepted in UK
A ship carrying £100million in cash to Colonel Gaddafi’s regime in Libya has been intercepted in British waters.  The cargo ship sailed from Britain and tried to dock in Tripoli at the weekend – but decided to return home as the country descends into civil war.
http://feb17.info/media/ship-carrying-100m-of-gaddafi-regime-intercepted-in-uk/
U.S. business community asks for leeway on Libya sanctions
A group of U.S. companies that do business in Libya is asking the Treasury Department to take measures to protect them despite wide-ranging sanctions announced by President Barack Obama last week. National Foreign Trade Council President William Reinsch wrote a letter on March 1 to Adam Szubin, the head of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), asking for several clarifications on how the Libya sanctions will be implemented and whether U.S. companies will be able to protect their assets there and keep paying their local employees. In the letter, obtained by The Cable, Reinsch also said he represents the U.S.-Libya Business Association, which is composed of U.S. businesses dealing with the Libyan government.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/03/us_business_community_asks_for_leeway_on_libya_sanctions
Other
Transparency Report: Google Search (Unencrypted), Libya Traffic Divided by Worldwide Traffic and Normalized
http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/traffic/?r=LY&l=WEBSEARCH&csd=1298681286531&ced=1299286086531

World can handle choked oil supplies: Geithner
WASHINGTON – The world can pump enough extra oil and has enough stashed in reserve to limit price shocks from sustained turmoil in the Middle East, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday.  “There is considerable spare oil production capacity globally, and we and other major economies possess substantial strategic reserves of oil,” Geithner told Congress. “If necessary, those reserves could be mobilized to help mitigate the effect of a severe, sustained supply disruption.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/03/world-can-handle-choked-oil-supplies-geithner/
WikiLeaks: How the Cola war was won in Libya
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An unpublished U.S. diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks tells the previously undisclosed story of how an American corporate powerhouse — the $35-billion Coca-Cola Co. — got caught up in a fierce fraternal dispute between two of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/03/wikileaks-how-the-cola-war-was-won-in-libya/
Second Front: Battle on for Libya’s Hidden Wealth
Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, founded by a son of the country’s ruler, provided access to the elite of both Europe and the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/business/global/04sovereign.html
LSE’s head resigns over school’s links with Libya
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) – The director of the London School of Economics and Political Science has resigned over links with Libya’s ruling family, including accepting funds from a charity run by a son of Muammar Gaddafi.  The prestigious university’s council also said on Thursday it had commissioned an independent inquiry into the school’s relationship with Libya and with Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/court-backs-britons-extradition-to-us-over-bribery
Dictator’s Nurse Is Silent
KIEV, Ukraine—The personal nurse of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi kept her silence Monday after returning home to Ukraine from the side of a man she apparently called “Papa.”  Galyna Kolotnytska, described in a diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks as a “voluptuous blonde” who “travel[s] everywhere” with Col. Gadhafi, spent her first full day back in Ukraine holed up in her apartment in Brovary, a small town near Kiev, refusing to speak with the roughly 30 reporters swarming outside her modest building.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704615504576172003628315800.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Solidarity with Libya
Translated: Libyan Embassy staff in Rabat Morocco join the revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxgr1hcx5nM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/translated-libyan-embassy-staff-in-rabat-morocco-join-the-revolution/
Venezuela Protesting against Chavez’s proposal to mediate in Libya 03-04-11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DoE0_wMwj8c
Toronto demonstrations – Feb 19
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/toronto-demonstrations-feb-19/
Analysis/Op-ed
Back in Libya after decades in exile, a dissident takes on Kadafi
Since his return in late December, a longtime opposition group leader has become more vocal in his denunciation of Moammar Kadafi. But some experts say such groups have been gone too long to be of much help to the rebels in the streets. He remembers the desperate pleas of the men at the gallows as they were about to be hanged. Their faces were hidden by black hoods.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/jzXbNUOGXiU/la-fg-libya-dissident-20110305,0,7091819.story

The Libyan conundrum: Don’t let him linger | The Economist
As reluctant as I am about intervention, this is a reasonable compromise: “But if the Libyan regime starts killing people in their thousands—and especially if it uses helicopter gunships or aircraft—diplomatic reluctance should melt away. Too often the world has dithered open-mouthed as evil men have slaughtered Darfuris or Rwandans with impunity. Outsiders, led by the UN, must help Libya’s emerging transitional councils with humanitarian aid. The UN Security Council may yet have to be persuaded to restore peace by invoking the ample power of Chapter VII. And if that proves unattainable, the widest possible coalition of the willing, ideally including Libya’s Arab neighbours, must protect Libyan civilians by arming the opposition and defending them from aerial attack.”
http://www.economist.com/node/18283825?story_id=18283825
Facing death in Libya, Issandr El Amrani
Our sometime correspondent Abu Ray just got back from Libya. Here’s what he wrote.  Death has been a lot on my mind since coming to Libya. It’s not that I’ve been in any real danger, it’s just it’s sort of out there, all around me and hard to ignore. The other day, we were driving back from Bayda, a medium size town nestled in a stunningly beautiful Green Mountain area of Libya. A high mass of wildflower studded fields set in the middle of an otherwise arid coast.  It had been a long day of chasing an elusive politicians and visiting decrepit military bases trying to find out if the rebel east really had a shot of marching on Tripoli. There was some success, but mostly we were exhausted after a long day, like so many other long days since we came roaring across the Egyptian border into Libya a week before.
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/3/4/facing-death-in-libya.html
Eight Non-military options for Libya
Carne Ross, a former British diplomat, outlines eight non-military options to address the situation in Libyan.
http://feb17.info/media/eight-non-military-options-for-libya/
Gaddafi’s survival could end the Arab revolt | Simon Tisdall
If the uprising in Libya is to succeed, then international effort, via the Arab League, must help the people to help themselves. The giddy prospect of a third “Facebook revolution” in the Middle East, with Libya swiftly following Tunisia and Egypt into a brave new post-autocratic era, is fading from view. The growing military and diplomatic stalemate, both inside and outside the country, suggests efforts to topple Muammar Gaddafi could fail, at least in the short term.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/gaddafi-libya-revolt-arab-league

The university funding system is set up to invite supper with the devil | Stefan Collini
The exalted status of ‘external funding’ at UK universities has led to a willingness to take risks over the legitimacy of the source. Revelations about the London School of Economics’ Libyan connections have highlighted the pressure that universities are under to accept money from businessmen and foreign governments, leading many commentators to give their recommendations about the length of spoon required for supping with the devil. But there is a wider point here that needs exploring: the fetishising in contemporary British universities of “external funding”. This category embraces not only the kinds of deal at issue in the LSE case, but all forms of income that are “external” to the institutions’ own recurrent budget.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/university-funding-lse-libya-legitmacy-source
The LSE’s Libya connection is only the tip of the iceberg | Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang
After losing its Fabian roots, the London School of Economics has engaged in an unseemly scramble for funding. Howard Davies’s resignation is a welcome development as controversy grows around the schools acceptance of dodgy donations from the Libyan regime. However, Davies’s departure does little to address the underlying issue that is endemic to the institution as a whole; at LSE, money talks. Libya is just the tip of the iceberg, and this resignation should not divert the public attention from the real benefactors who have lurked around the LSE for years.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/04/lse-howard-davies-libya-uae
Leftists for Saddam, leftists for Qadhdhafi, As’ad AbuKhalil
I just can’t stomach those leftists who stood with Saddam, and who are standing today with Qadhdhafi.  There is nothing leftist about those two reprehensible tyrants.  Those two tyrants are very similar, as I argue in my Al-Akhbar article for this coming Saturday.  They both were unpopular and charismatic and suffering from an acute case of Nasser’s syndrome.  They both wanted to be intellectuals and novelists.  Tariq Aziz tells that Saddam was sending him his last novel manuscript a day before the US invaded his country.  There are tyrants with talents and neither of the two were. At least Stalin was really well-tread and wrote very well (he wrote his own books too), while Mao was really smart and wrote good poetry.  You can’t even compare the aphorisms of Mao to the drivel of the two lousy tyrants.  Oh, and I never treated the clown, Chavez as a leftist.  I view him more as a clown in the same league with Sa’ib `Urayqat but with different momentary politics.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/03/leftists-for-saddam-leftists-for.html
As Gaddafi Forces Launch New Attacks, Reports on the Ground from a Divided Libya
Forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi have launched fresh air strikes on Libyan towns captured by anti-government opposition in a popular uprising over the past two weeks. Gaddafi has lost control of the eastern half of Libya, and thousands of protesters are thought to have been killed by Gaddafi’s forces. We get reports from two journalists on the ground in Libya: McClatchy’s Nancy Youssef in Brega, and The Observer’s Peter Beaumont in Tripoli. [includes rush transcript]
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/3/as_gaddafi_forces_launch_new_attacks
Road map for ending ‘Tripoli’s siege’
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi responded violently to peaceful demonstrations in Benghazi, east of Libya, on Feb. 17. This led to an uprising that engulfed the whole country, and forced him to take bunker in “Bab al-Azizia” military base in the center of the capital Tripoli.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=125558
From Libya’s Qaddafi to Sudan’s Bashir: Key International Criminal Court inquiries
The International Criminal Court today announced it would investigate Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and several members of his inner circle for crimes against humanity in Libya’s ongoing uprising. It is the second-ever ICC investigation into a sitting head of state, and one of only a handful of inquiries into crimes committed by world leaders.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/4OHnG5zCat4/From-Libya-s-Qaddafi-to-Sudan-s-Bashir-Key-International-Criminal-Court-inquiries
Audio: Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way
Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way. Based upon different versions of U2′s Sunday Bloody Sunday. With quotes of the son of Khadaffi, Khadaffi himself, even Hitler…, the French president Mr. Sarkozy, the United Nations, the American president Mr. Barack Obama and so many others !Concept & audio editing by Belgian radio producer & presenter Dimitri Stuer of the national private radiostation “Nostalgie” (http://www.nostalgie.eu).Dedicated to the people of Libya, fighting for democracy and freedom.Spread this audio, spread the message of peace, freedom and democracy.Spread the human rights.
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/audio-libya-bloody-libya-tells-the-news-in-a-u2-way/
From Libya With Love
In February 2007 Harvard professor Joseph Nye Jr., who developed the concept of “soft power,” visited Libya and sipped tea for three hours with Muammar Qaddafi. Months later, he penned an elegant description of the chat for The New Republic, reporting that Qaddafi had been interested in discussing “direct democracy.” Nye noted that “there is no doubt that” the Libyan autocrat “acts differently on the world stage today than he did in decades past. And the fact that he took so much time to discuss ideas—including soft power—with a visiting professor suggests that he is actively seeking a new strategy.” The article struck a hopeful tone: that there was a new Qaddafi. It also noted that Nye had gone to Libya “at the invitation of the Monitor Group, a consulting company that is helping Libya open itself to the global economy.”

From Libya With Love

Real News Video: Libya: Supporting Libyan Revolution, Opposing Foreign Intervention
Hamid Dabashi: If US intervenes in Libya, will be act of imperialism; Gaddafi defies democratic will of his people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-o_BwK9AUk&feature=player_embedded

TV coverage of the Libyan crisis is just a snapshot. We need to know more | Ian Jack
The conflict in Libya is dominating the news. And yet most of us know so little about the country. Brega has fallen to Gaddafi. No, Brega has stood firm and Gaddafi has been driven back. The reports are clear, then ambiguous, then clear again. An aircraft flashes in the sky and a bomb explodes on the horizon. Nearer the camera, men are standing through the sunroofs of their cars waving guns: death to Gaddafi. Then, with a change of correspondent and location, the next shot shows women waving green flags and ululating: long live Gaddafi. “How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is,” as Neville Chamberlain said in 1938, “that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing“.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/05/ian-jack-on-saturday-libya

A Proposal for Italibya
Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi is known for his proposal of a state called Isratine. I would propose another state by the name of Italibya. Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has already sounded the alarm that taking a stroll in downtown Milan can cause one to think that one is not in fact in Europe but rather in Africa. In 2009 Italy test-drove a convenient way to deal with attempts by the formerly colonized to violate the territory of their colonizers, and hailed Tripoli’s acceptance of over 200 Africans discovered in small boats off the coast of Malta.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/03/04/proposing-italibya/
A new beginning? — Tariq Ali on the Arab uprisings
Our good friend Tariq Ali on the Arab uprisings and the US response. You can ignore the neocon Uncle Tom who appears afterwards.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/03/03/a-new-beginning-tariq-ali-on-the-arab-uprisings/
Roots of the Arab Revolts; Premature Celebrations, James Petras
Most accounts of the Arab revolts from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq and elsewhere have focused on the most immediate causes: political dictatorships, unemployment, repression and the wounding and killing of protestors. They have given most attention to the “middle class”, young, educated activists, their communication via the internet, (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 16, 2011) and, in the case of Israel and its Zionists conspiracy theorists, “the hidden hand” of Islamic extremists (Daily Alert Feb. 25, 2011).
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16696
The law alone can save Arab revolutions
Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak are gone. Caretaker governments are in place. The television cameras may have moved on to Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, but events in Tunisia and Egypt are entering a very critical phase. What happens behind the scenes in the coming weeks and months will determine whether recent changes in the Arab world will lead to meaningful reforms that can last.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=125588#axzz1FVHbcvRd
At the heart of the Arab revolts: a search for dignity
When Muammar Qaddafi recently asked Libyans to rely on his ‘moral authority,’ an ever more sophisticated Arab generation widely read the request as an insult to their intelligence.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/Y67IaeE04Eo/At-the-heart-of-the-Arab-revolts-a-search-for-dignity
Is entertaining dictators worse than normalizing apartheid?
As international stars face widespread criticism for having earned huge fees entertaining Libya’s Gaddafi family, Nada Elia and Laurie King ask why artists who entertain apartheid Israel should not be held to exactly the same standard.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11840.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29

Cartoons
Carlos Latuff, “Obama for Freedom in Libya” (Cartoon)
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/latuff040311.html