Tuesday, September 06, 2011

LIBYA - Chinese Weapons for Gadafi ?

During the last 24 hours, CNN reported about China having delivered weapons to the Gadafi regime, at a time when the revolution was already on its way. The Chinese government in Beijing affirmed that talks between Gadafi's envoys and representatives of the Chinese armament industry had taken place, even though without substantial result. Libyan rebels, on the other hand, declared that Chinese weapons had already been stored in Algeria and were ready for transportation to Libya. Algerian authorities were not expected to hamper that deal because of a silent agreement between Gadafi and the Algerian government. Here is now what different Chinese sources are saying on that subject of foreign arms being delivered to Libya.


Gadafi meeting with the Algerian president at the
40th anniversary of Gadafi's takeover of power.






中国军火商向卡扎菲卖武器?
利比亚反对派搞双重标准

2011年09月05日 21:50 - CAIXUN.COM
Did Chinese arms dealer [really] sell weapons to Gadafi ?
Libyan rebels are dealing with double standards.







西方极度不安:中国神秘武器惊现利比亚?
2011年3月30日 15:18 - CHNMILITARY.COM
The West feels extremely uneasy: Are China's mysterious
weapons [really] frightening present Libya ?


The article deals with highly sophisticated weaponry reaching troops loyal to Gadafi. In fact, it's not Chinese arms that are worrying the West but rather Russian technology of the late 1990ies like two handheld missile systems named SA-24 and SA-18 which are referred to as very efficient.



The following text in Chinese is followed by a summary in English:

从70年代美国空袭利比亚,一架F—111被击落,到1991年海湾战争、1999年科索沃战争,许多美国、法国、英国战斗机,敢于低空2000米内挑战炮盘,被打的凌空爆炸。进入2000米内挑战高射炮,和自杀没有本质区别。

利比亚陆军的56式四联高射机枪来自中国仿制的苏制ZPU-4四联装高射机枪。核心是四挺KPV14.5毫米高射机枪,是二战后苏联装备的主力轻型防空武器。中国仿制品大量出口中东国家,价格便宜,质量也不错,方便阿拉伯国家构筑自己的低空防护网。

Another chapter of the Chinese article deals with F-111 fighters of U.S. origin used for many years in their battles against different countries. Libya downed one of them during an air raid, and it seems something like suicide for an F-111 pilot to approach an antiaircraft gun position at low altitude.

Here now comes a remark about the ZPU-4 antiaircraft gun as used by the Libyan army and which is, in fact, a KPV 14.5 gun generally used by the former Soviet Union after World War II. A "cheap Chinese imitation of that gun" (Chinese military source quoted!) has been delivered to East Asian and even Arabic countries.

COMMENT:
Everything included in this article could lead the reader to an estimation like this: The West delivered the real big stuff to Libya in exchange to decent behaviour of Libyan rebels ("Democracy Yes - Islamic Terrorism No") while China delivered just the usual "firecrackers" at a low price.






美国担心利比亚武器流失 化学武器可能流入敌手
发布时间: 2011-08-24 11:49:31 - CHINACOURT.ORG
U.S. worried about drain of Libyan weapons - Chemical
weapons possibly leaking into the hands of the enemy


Friday, September 02, 2011

CHINA - Unusual Case of Espionage



Introduction:
Only recently, CNN and BBC had the news that a high-ranking officer of China's People's Liberation Army PLA held a lecture at National Defence University. During his lecture he spent about ten minutes to mention important cases of foreign espionage on China that were at least partly unknown in the West. These ten minutes he spoke happened to be recorded by some unknown witness and found their way to community networks serving China and the rest of the world. It is namely the most astonishing spy case of a Chinese diplomat that made me carry out further investigations on the web bringing about some additional facts. By the way, all translations have been made by me:



金一南少将是中国军方最高学府国防大学战略研究所的所长。 博士生导师金一南教授作了国防教育报告。 金一南少将对听课的学员们发表讲话时说,一些因腐败罪名而受到审判的官员实际上是犯了间谍罪。

Major general Jin Yi Nan is the director of China's highest institution for military studies, the Institute for Strategic Research at National Defence University. A supervisor for [graduate] students studying for a doctorate, Professor Jin Yi Nan gave an instructive lecture on national defence. In front of students attending his speech, major general Jin Yi Nan said that some officials, being accused and brought to trial, really committed the crime of espionage.

BBC - CHINESE SERVICE (August 29, 2011):

金一南少将披露的案件包括前中国驻韩国大使李滨以及中国核工业集团总经理康日新向国外出卖情报的事件。
The cases disclosed by major general Jin Yi Nan include the incident of former Chinese ambassador to [South] Korea Li Bin, as well as that of top manager Kang Ri from China's nuclear industry group and who freshly sold information to foreign countries.

李滨向韩国方面出卖机密,导致中国在朝鲜核问题上作出妥协。

金一南说,李滨因腐败罪名被判处7年有期徒刑是因为间谍事实令人很尴
尬。

金一南在视频中反问,“整个世界上哪个国家的大使为别国当间谍?”

Li Bin sold secrets to the [South] Korean side, leading China to issue a compromise in the question of [North] Korea's nuclear [activity]. Jin Yi Nan said: Li Bin, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for a crime of corruption because a spy actually makes the people very embarrassed. Jin Yi Nan, in the video sequence [distributed], put the rhetorical question: "What country in the entire world has an ambassador who becomes a spy for another country ?"


Above:
Header of website for the Chinese embassy in Seoul/South Korea.

As this spy case of former ambassador Li Bin is highly unusual and rather interesting, here are all essential dates on the proceeding of his career. I guess, these informations I found on a Chinese website will make it easier to understand how a high-ranking member of China's ruling party could ever come to his decision to feed foreign authorities with top secret facts on China's negotiation strategy in the frame of talks about North Korea. Maybe, there is no money involved in that mysterious case but the firm will of an insider to bring an end to all those long-lasting negotiations about Kim Jong Il's "private lawn" that don't lead to anything but help the lunatic dictator (image below) survive just another year.



CHINESE WEBSITE (undated):

李滨(1956年7月-),北京人,中国外交官,曾任中国驻韩国大使,后因向韩国提供情报而被捕。 李滨早年曾赴朝鲜留学,毕业于金日成综合大学。1977年进入外交部工作,历任中国驻朝鲜大使馆职员,外交部亚洲司科员、随员、三秘,驻朝鲜大使馆三秘、二秘等职。1991年升任亚洲司处长。1994年任中国驻韩国大使馆参赞,1997年再次来到朝鲜担任公使衔参赞。2001年出任中国驻韩国特命全权大使。期间他被韩国情报部门吸收为间谍。2005年至2006年间任朝鲜半岛事务大使,同时兼任亚洲司副司长。2006年5月起挂职担任山东省威海市副市长。同年12月,被中国国家安全部门传讯调查,后被“双规”。2007年1月,在调查后被分配到外交部
下的中国国际问题研究所任研究员。此后,他因经济案等原因被判处有期徒刑七年。 另外据《华盛顿邮报》的报道,李滨与朝鲜领导人金正日私交甚密。

Born in July 1956, Li Bin attended school in [North] Korea in his early years. Having finished school, he studied at Kim Il Song University. In 1977 he began to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he succeeded on his post as a staff member at the Chinese embassy in North Korea: Section member of the Foreign Ministry's Asian department, attaché, third secretary, third secretary at the embassy in North Korea [and] second secretary. 1991 he was promoted as head of the Asian department and became counsellor at the Chinese embassy in South Korea in 1994. In 1997 he returned to North Korea as a counsellor with the rank of a minister. In 2001 he [finally] became China's "ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary" for South Korea. During that time he became a spy of the South Korean intelligence department. Between 2005 and 2006 he became "ambassador for affairs relating to the Korean peninsular" and concurrently held the post of a deputy chief of the Asian department.
.....

It was in 2006 that Li Bin finally became subject of an inquiry on espionage and was assigned the job of a research fellow at China's Institute for the Research of International Questions until he received a seven years' sentence in 2007.



The following quotation of an official military source is confirming that Jin Yi Nan's revealing of the facts was really intentionally made:

CHNMILITARY.COM (August 31, 2011):

中国国防大学教授金一南少将日前作题为“苦难辉煌”演讲时, 罕有地大谈近年被外国情报机构收买,出卖情报的中共官员近十人叛变案。这是中国军方首次公开证实这些谍案,部分案情更是首度披露。

The day before, professor major general Jin Yi Nan from National Defence University said in his lecture on "When suffering becomes glorious": Rarely recent years' talk was about foreign intelligence structures' bribery and the treason cases of almost ten officials within China's Communist Party that were selling [national] secrets. This is the first public confirmation of those spy cases by China's military defence. Part of the cases' conditions are even more considered for being revealed in the first place.




In order to underline my estimation of politics being involved in that unusual spy case rather than bribery, I have added some information on North Korea's cyberwar against its Southern neighbour quoted from different sources. There is clear evidence that North Korea is trying to carry out a severe blow against the hated West, using its trained cyberwarriors and who are working abroad in China, Russia and other countries.

NEW TANG DYNASTY TV, June 14, 2011
(An anticommunist Chinese source):



韩:朝鲜黑客攻击会令国家部分瘫痪

South Korea: Hackers from North Korea
can paralyse part of the country


【新唐人2011年6月15日讯】韩国国防部长金宽镇星期二(6月14日)表示,朝鲜黑客发动的网络攻击可能会令韩国部分处于瘫痪。

韩国国防部长金宽镇金宽镇在首尔召开的会议上表示,本月早些时候朝鲜向韩国现役和前军官发送了带有病毒的电子邮件。

New Tang Dynasty, June 15, 2011:
South Korea's Minister for Defence Kim ... ... said on Tuesday June 14: The cyber attack launched by North Korean hackers might cause part of the country to be paralysed.

South Korea's Defence Minister stated at the opening of a conference: Early this month, at certain times, North Korea transmitted virus infected emails towards active and retired [army] officers in South Korea.

「朝鲜的网络威胁一直在持续,他们现在攻击我们军官们的电子信箱,这种威胁还在持续,将来他们如果攻入我们网络防卫脆弱的部门,会给我们社会带来混乱,并令我们国家部分处于瘫痪。」

" North Korea imposes a continuous and sustained threat on the internet. Now, they are attacking our [army] officers' mailboxes. This kind of threat is a sustained one. In the future, if they broke into our weak department for internet security, they could cause future chaos to our society and [even] bring parts of our country to a standstill. "


上个月韩国一家银行的网络遭到黑客攻击,数百万客户在一周多的时间内无法使用银行信用卡,韩国检察官说发动攻击的黑客是朝鲜政府支持的专家,他们此前曾对韩国政府和公司发动攻击,朝鲜对此予以否认。

In the first period of this month [i.e. June 2011] the network of a South Korean bank encountered a cyberattack. More than one time, one million customer accounts were unable to use the bank's credit check. According to the South Korean public procurator, those hackers who launched the attack are specialists supported by the North Korean government and who had launched [similar] attacks directed against the South Korean government and [private] companies already before. This is being denied by North Korea.


知底的人也得认为的是:德国的公司“ KCC 欧洲“ (柏林)是朝鲜的同伙在互联网工程。(参考:柏林的日报“日镜“ 12/2003)
- Ulysses

AL-JAZEERA, June 20, 2011
(In-depth report / English):

North Korea recruits hackers at school


As South Korea blames North Korea for a recent slew of cyberattacks, two defectors share their experiences, as a hacker and trainer of "cyberwarriors" in the reclusive communist country: Original Article

Below: Location of North Korea's cyberwar unit in Pyongyang.



Tuesday, August 30, 2011

LIBYA - Gadafi Family in Algeria



Late Night Update merged into original text !


ثوار ليبيا يضغطون باتجاه سرت, و الجزائر تؤكد دخول أفراد من عائلة القذافي إلى أراضيها
Libyan rebels are pushing forward in the direction of Sirt [above picture], and Algeria confirms the entry of persons belonging to the Gadafi family on their territory.


According to Algerian authorities, two sons of Gadafi [below picture: Hannibal (left), Mohammed (right)], his daughter and his wife are among the group that fled into Algeria.




Above picture:
Lots of calcinated carcasses of prisoners left behind by Gadafi troops.

The conservative Algerian government indicated it allowed members of the Gadafi clan to enter the country for "humanity reasons" and because they "should not belong to a group of persons that are subject to a United Nations resolution on crimes against humanity under the Gadafi regime". This Algerian point of view is being contested by the Libyan opposition.


المقتل خميس القذافي و عبد الله السنوسي
The Killing of Khamis al-Gadafi and Abdullah al-Sanussi

على صعيد متصل قال المتحدث العسكري باسم المعارضة الليبية أحمد باني الاثنين إن المعارضة لديها معلومات "شبه مؤكدة" بأن رئيس المخابرات الليبية عبد الله السنوسي قتل يوم السبت مع خميس ابن معمر القذافي
The military speaker of the Libyan opposition, Ahmed Bani al-Asnin, communicated that a [direct] confrontation led to the conclusion "identity granted" [and thereby confirmed] that the chief of Libya's secret service, Abdullah al-Sanussi, died on Saturday [August 27] together with Khamis, a son of Gadafi.
[Al-Jazeera, August 30, 2011]



Above picture:
Died for His Father's Regime - Khamis al-Gadafi

Below picture:
Shame and Scandal in the Family -
Saadi Gadafi Wants to Join the Revolution






الموقف الجزائري من الثورة الليبية

Algerian Position towards Revolution in Libya


الجزائر تستقبل أعضاء من عائلة القذافي الهاربية من ليبيا
Algeria is receiving members of the Gadafi clan fleeing from Libya.

الجزائر: موقفنا من المجلس الوطني يحدده الموقفان العربي و الأفريقي
Algeria [says]: Our position towards the National Council [of Libya] restricts the Arabic and African positions.

الجزائر فقدت الغطاء العربي لموقفها الذي يرفض الاعتراف بالمجلس الوطني
Algeria loses the "Arabic cap" in its position which rejects the recognition of the National Council [of Libya].

انعدام الثقة حكم العلاقة بين الجزائر و ثورة ليبيا منذ اندلاعها
An absence of confidence is governing the relations between Algeria and the Libyan revolution since its outbreak.

ثوار ليبيا اتهموا الجزائر مرارا بدعم القذافي
Libyan rebels have accused Algeria many times of supporting Gadafi.

الثوار الليبيون اتهموا الجزائر بتنسيق جلب المرتزقة للقتال إلى جانب القذافي
The Libyan rebels accused Algeria of coordinating the provision of mercenaries for the battle at Gadafi's side.

الجزائر اتهمت الثوار أكثر من مرة بتوفير غطاء للتدخل الأجنبي في المنطقة
Algeria accused the rebels more than once of granting cover for the intrusion of foreigners into the region.

وزير خارجية الجزائر استبعد في أبريل الماضي انتصار الثوار على قوات القذافي
Last April, the Algerian minister of foreign affairs rejected a [possible] victory of the rebels over Gadafi forces.

وزير الداخلية الجزائري تنبأ بتأزم علاقات بلاده مع ليبيا في حال توليهم حكمها
The Algerian minister of the interior predicts difficult relations of his country with Libya in case [Libya's] regime would flee [the country].


Evaluation of political relations between Algeria and the National Transitional Congress of Libya (NTC) by Al-Jazeera, Arabic Service, August 30, 2011. All translation made by Ulysses.




Direct from Mecca: Prayer on the Muslimic Feast of Ending the period of Fasting.



Sunday, August 28, 2011

LIBYA - No Negotiations with Gadafi

According to CNN and FOX News, Saadi Gadafi should have contacted Libyan rebels to offer negotiations intended to "save the country", thereby obviously acting on behalf of his father (FOX News, Al-Jazeera). Libyan National Transition Council NTC has already rejected any negotiations with the Gadafi clan when the African Union demanded a shared representation of Libya in the AU " with the Gadafi administration sitting side by side with the rebels ". As many African nations already recognized the provisional NTC government together with the Arab League members and many other countries, the African Union's decision could only be understood in the frame of Gadafi's support for that institution at a time when he was able to pump much of Libya's oil money into his ambitious plans for an "African Renaissance" where he could play a decisive role with the help of the African Union.

There are rumours that Libyan rebel forces have been recently supported by UK special forces. [Al-Jazeera]

Saturday, August 27, 2011

LIBYA - Tracking Gadafi



القذافئ إلى مصير صدام حسين
أو أمير حرب في الصومال

Gadafi will either share his fate with Sadam
Hussein or turn into a Somalian warlord

- الشرق الأوسط, August 27, 2011 -


قبل أقل من أسبوع و أحد فقط على احتقاله بالذكرى ال42 لتوليه السلطة عام 1969 , بدا أمس أن العقيد الليبي معمر القذافي يتجه لملاقاة مصير الرئيس العراقي الراحل صدام حسين أو التحول إلى أحد أمراء الحرب في الصومال, في حين يضيق الثوار المناهضون له الخناق عليه و على فلول قواته العسكرية و كتائبه الأمنية سواء داخل العاصمة الليبية طرابلس أو خارجها.ـ
Yesterday, less than a week ago and only [shortly before] the 42nd anniversary celebrations [reminding] his access to power in 1969, Libya's Colonel Muamar Gadafi started to face either the fate of the deceased Iraqi president Sadam Hussein or [his] transformation into one of the warlords in Somalia. At the moment when hostile rebels pressed against him, the suffocation of himself and of the remainings of his military forces and his security units has brought much trouble to the inside and outside of the Libyan capital of Tripolis.
[Quotation from an article published by the Saudi paper
"Middle East" al-Shark al-Awsad الشرق الأوسط]

وكالة أنباء الشرق الأوسط: موكب من 6 سيارات مصفحة عبرت إلى تونس و ربما كانت تقل القذافي
Information from the office of "Middle East" [Saudi daily al-Shark al-Awsad]: A convoi of 6 armoured vehicles passed [the border] in the direction of Tunis and it might be [they evacuated] Gadafi.
[Al-Jazeera TV, Arabic channel]


INFO:
Rumours about Gadafi and his family fleeing into Algeria, possibly via Tunisia, have been propagated by Al-Jazeera on their web service. The "Egyptian source" cited by Al-Jazeera might be the Kairo offfice of the Saudi paper "Middle East" because the above quoted article has been composed there as well.
Algeria rather than Tunisia would make sense as a temporary resort for the Gadafi clan because of a more "stable" situation in that country which, up to now, experienced only some low-level uprising in the past.

Below: Map of Algeria.






利比亚反对派说仍不知卡扎菲及其家人下落
2011年08月28日10:15 来源:新华网 手机看新闻

Libyan rebels say they still don't know
the whereabouts of Gadafi and his family

- People's Daily Online, August 28, 2011 -


埃及官方通讯社中东社此前引用利比亚反对派消息人士的话说,一个由6辆装备了铁甲的奔驰车组成的车队26日早晨从利比亚进入阿尔及利亚境内,卡扎菲及其儿子可能在车内。这引发了新一轮对卡扎菲藏身何处的猜想。
The official Egyptian news agency "Middle East" earlier cited what a news source from among the Libyan rebels had told them. A motorcade composed of six armoured vehicles entered the Libyan boundary region of [Ras] Ajdir at high speed, early morning on August 26. It is possible that Gadafi and his sons were inside these cars. This has started a new round of guessing on where Gadafi is hiding.
[Quotation of an article from People's Daily - Online edition, Beijing]




INFO:
Only shortly after that mysterious convoi headed for Tunisia, the above named boundary post was given up by Gadafi loyalists. It is now serving the rebels as an important stronghold for incoming supply to their units in Western Libya. [Al-Jazeera]
As to the "official" Egyptian news agency "Middle East" there might be some confusion with the "Middle East" daily publication, well-known all over the region. By the way, it is difficult to find out who is really behind that Saudi publication, generally known in the region by its Arabic name "al-Shark al-Awsad" which makes it even more important to rely on Al-Jazeera as an independent source of information due to the liberal attitude of the ruling dynasty in Qatar, the traditional home of Al-Jazeera and still its base for the Arabic program.

Friday, August 26, 2011

LIBYA - New Beginning


دور أممي بليبيا ودعوتها لنبذ "التطرف"ـ

International role for Libya while being
urged to abstain from "radicalism"


سارعت الولايات المتحدة إلى حث المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي الليبي على نبذ "التطرف" بمجرد إعلان قرار أممي بصرف مبالغ مالية إلى الثورة تحول من الأموال الليبية المجمدة بالأرصدة العالمية. وأعلنت الأمم المتحدة أن المسؤولين في ليبيا ما بعد القذافي يرحبون بدور أممي لبناء "ليبيا الحديثة".ـ
The United States hurried up to encourage the Libyan National Council of Transition [NTC] to abstain from radicalism since the proclamation of an international resolution on the reflow of an extensive sum such that the revolution [could] transform Libya's frozen assets into global reserves.
United Nations [UN] declared that those responsible in Libya [after] Gadafi are eager to accept an international role in the construction of a "New Libya". ...


INFO:
It's about a sum exceeding 1,5 billion $ of frozen assets in the U.S.A. and South Africa, now to be transferred to Libya. That sum should be seen together with about 2 billion $ of private donations in favour of the revolution. Moreover, a very large sum in the range of 10-80 billion $ of frozen assets in other countries is still waiting to be released. [Al-Jazeera and CNN]


من جهة أخرى، قال لين باسكو وكيل الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة للشؤون السياسية إن الانتقالي يريد أن تلعب المنظمة دوراً في ليبيا المرحلة المقبلة. وأشار إلى أنها بدأت بالفعل البحث في كيفية مساعدة المنظمة للحكومة الليبية الجديدة المرحلة المقبلة بغية تحقيق الديمقراطية الحرة التي يرغب بها الليبيون، وترغب بها الأمم المتحدة.ـ
... On the other hand, said Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the United Nations, wishes the transitional [council] to [play the part of] the [essential] organization in Libya's next future. He indicated that [the council] [already] began with an active investigation on how to participate in the organization of a new Libyan government for the coming era, with the goal to realize an independent democracy as wanted by the Libyan [people]and by the United Nations [as well].
[Source: Al-Jazeera, Arabic website, August 26, 2011]




ثوار ليبيا ينقلون مركز سلطتهم إلى طرابلس و 20 دولة إفريقية تعترف بالمجلس الانتقالي
Libyan rebels are transferring the center of their administration to Tripolis and 20 African countries are about to recognize the Transitional Council [as the legitimate government of Libya].
[Source: Al-Jazeera, Arabic Channel, August 26, 2011]




Horrible scenes at Abu Salim Hospital, South of Bab Al-Aziziya and in the neighbourhood of a last stronghold of Gadafi troops [lower highlighted point on below map]. Lots and lots of decomposing bodies remained as hospital personnel fled during extensive fighting and sniper attacks:




Thursday, August 25, 2011

LIBYA - Comment from China

Like many other countries, China as well is involved in different industrial projects on Libyan territory. That's why any Chinese statements on the proceedings of the Libyan revolution should be most useful to the rebel government. I therefore added recent Chinese remarks extracted from Beijing's semi-official People's Daily (Online edition Renmin Wang).

[中国]外交部:希望利比亚实现政权平稳过渡
[China's] Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Hope for Libya to realize a smooth and steady transition of the ruling power.
[Headline, August 24]

国际社会着手应对利比亚过渡进程
The international community is lending a hand to Libya's transition process.
[Headline, August 25]
...
反对派表示,将在两日内将总部迁往的黎波里,在8个月内举行议会和总统选举。
这一最新事态表明,反对派武装基本控制了首都和全国范围内绝大部分地区,后
卡扎菲时代来临,国际社会纷纷对此作出反应。
...
The opposition has indicated that [their] general headquarters, in command during [these] two days of heading for Tripolis, held a parliamentary [meeting] in August together with [their] president elect. The latest state of affairs makes it clear that the military base of the opposition has gained control over the capital and, within the whole country's range, most part of the region. The post-Gadafi era arrived and a numerous and shocked international community has to respond to that fact.
[August 25]

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

LIBYA - The Day After

Last Barking of an Ugly Dog



كلمة مسجلة للعقيد الليبي معمر القذافي تنقلها قناتا العروبة و الرأي
"Recorded speech from Libya's Colonel Muamar Gadafi passing by [TV] channel Al-Aruba and Al-Rai."



Above: The man in charge of a planned embassy bombing in Tunis and that should be directed against members of the Arab League.



Above: Mahmoud Jibril, president of the National Transitional Council NTC of Libya, holding a speech considered to be important after the victorious end of siege of the Gadafi compound in Tripolis:
جبريل يثمن دور دولة قطر خلال الأشهر الستة الماضية و يشكر الدور الذي قامت به دولة الإمارات
"Jibril appreciates the role the state of Qatar [was playing] during the six passed months and is grateful to the part the [United] Emirates had taken."



Above: Tribal areas of Libya, each area shown in a different color. Some tribes in the Southern regions are still in favor of Gadafi's regime.

الرئيس الروسي يرى أن في ليبيا سلطتين و يدعوهما إلى التحاور
"The Russian president remarks that there are two powers in Libya and calls them to enter into a dialogue."

News Summary on latest events in Tripolis:



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

LIBYA - Gadafi Compound Invaded




Breaking news of the hour: Rebels just took over Col. Gadafi's heavily embattled home at Bab Aziziya in Tripolis. Scenes of celebration on the compound.





كاميرا الجزيرة داخل "بيت الصمود" حيث منزل القذافي في باب العزيزية
A camera of Al-Jazeera entered the "House of Determination", the residence of Gadafi at Bab Al-Aziziya.



عبد الحكيم بلحاج
رئيس المجلس العسكري لثوار طرابلس
Abad al-Hakim Balakhaadj, presiding the military council for the rebel [forces] of Tripolis.



قائد قوات الثواق بطرابلس: 90% من باب العزيزية مؤمن تماما
The leader of rebel forces in Tripolis [said]: 90% of Bab Al-Aziziya are entirely secured.
قائد قوات الثوار بطرابلس: هجمنا على باب العزيزية من 4 محاور و انهارت دفاعاته فجاة
The leader of rebel forces in Tripolis [added]: Our attack on Bab Al-Aziziya [was directed along] 4 axes and proceeded as a sudden eruption.



LIBYA - Street War in Tripolis

Here is a series of images that describe the current situation in Tripolis:

- Smoke over the Gadafi compound after intensive shelling.



- Map of the vast Gadafi compound near Bab Aziziya, including housing for the Gadafi family and government members, bunkers etc..



- Map of Rixos hotel near the Gadafi compound and where many international journalists are being trapped at the moment. Matthew Chance, senior international correspondent for CNN reports:"I am in my hotel room, lying on my belly to avoid being hit by shelling."




- Scenes of extensive shelling as shown by Al-Jazeera.



- An Al-Jazeera correspondent trying to transmit his report.



- Civilians fleeing urban warfare.



Additional remarks:
This morning, after I made a short update based on material provided by Al-Jazeera, it came to my attention that Saif al-Islam Gadafi and his brother Mohammed managed to escape from rebel custody. Saif al-Islam, the more dangerous one, even took a "ride of triumph" through the tiny area held by loyal troops. Eager to get more information, I tried Al-Jazeera and CNN, but both TV stations seemed to have other problems than to report on the news of yesterday. I point this out in order to give my visitors an idea how fast things are changing now in Tripolis and how fast priorities might change as well in a fierce urban warfare.

Monday, August 22, 2011

LIBYA - The Fall of Tripolis



UPDATE August 23, Morning News:

اشتباكات متقطعة بين الثوار و كتائب تابعة للقذافي في بعض جيوب المقاومة في طرابلس
Occasional confrontations between rebels and units of Gadafi followers in certain pockets of resistance in Tripolis.

الثوار ينصبون حواجز تفتيش في طرابلس لمنع أي خرق أمني في ظل وجود بعض جيوب المقاومة
Rebels are installing fortified checkpoints in Tripolis to avoid any security breach in the shadow of such existing pockets of resistance.

مضادات النيتو تسقط صاروخ سكود أطلقته كتائب القذافي من مدينة سرت الليبية
Gadafi units in the town of Sirt al-Libia launched a Skud missile directed against Nato [forces].



The Fall of Tripolis

سقوط طرابلس


Rebels at Bab Aziziya in Tripolis last night. The ancient fortress
became only recently known when Gadafi held his most militant
and often quoted speech there at the beginning of the uprising.
Nevertheless, the nearby complex where Gadafi's living quarters
are being expected, is still under control of government troops.
Moreover, heavily armed loyalist troops are being expected
heading for the area. The Arabic subtitle on the above picture
is reading:
"[News agency] Reuters referring to sources from among the
rebels: High death scores of rebels during battles with Gadafi
units in Tripolis."



This morning, both, Al-Jazeera and CNN reported about
the capture of three Gadafi sons, including Saif Al-Islam
(left side of above picture), recently referred to as the
"de facto prime minister of Libya". Another one, Mohammed
Gadafi (right side) and who has been rather less involved
in politics, managed to phone Al-Jazeera TV at the time
when rebels stormed into his home. Any pictures that might
have been taken during or immediately after the arrests
have not been released by the rebels up to now (i.e.
12:00 am GMT).

As to Colonel Muammar Gadafi himself, his whereabouts
are still being unknown. There are rumours that his camp
might negotiate with African states, especially with South
Africa, to find asylum there, but this has not been confirmed
by any side.






Saturday, August 20, 2011

LIBYA - Latest News



UPDATE August 21:

Rebels On the Way to Tripolis

الثوار في الطريق إلى طرابلس




سيطرة جزئية للثوار بطرابلس
Local domination of protesters in Tripolis

مراسل الجزيرة: الثوار الليبيون يعلنون أنهم وصلوا إلى الساحة الخضراء في وسط طرابلس
According to a correspondent of Al-Jazeera, Libyan rebels declare they have reached Green Square in the center of Tripolis.
[Editor's remark: Since, Green Square has been renamed into Martyr's Square.]

ثوار ليبيا يدخلون قاعدة معيتيقة و يشتبكون مع كتائب القذافي المتحصنة فيها
Libyan rebels are entering the [air]base of [Maeitika] and are meeting with Gadafi units that are barricaded there. [Refer to the above image!]







مراسل الجزيرة نقلا عن الثوار: بدء عملية تحرير طرابلس بانتفاضة من داخل العاصمة
A correspondent of Al-Jazeera reported from the rebels: Beginning of an operation for the liberation of Tripolis with an uprising from within the capital.
[Al-Jazeera, Arabic Service - Late Evening News]



الثوار الليبيون ينسحبون من المنطقة الصناعية في البريقة بعد يوم من السيطرة عليها
Libyan rebels retreat from the region of al-Sanayia in Brega the day after they got control of it.

The oil refinery of Brega has been taken over by rebel units.

Gadafi's hometown of Sirte is still in the hands of government troops. Rebels are trying to cut off their supply line into Sirte.

While parts of al-Zaouiya are still under fire, rebels encircled Gadafi troops near the Tunisian border. Official Tunisian sources reported a movement of unidentified Libyan units on Tunisian territory.

Most important victory of the day is the fall of Zlitan township into the hands of the rebels. Zlitan (shown as a highlighted point at the right side of the map) is situated at the coastal road to Tripolis.

Source: Al-Jazeera, Arabic Service


LIBYA - Chinese Military Analysis

The following text has been extracted from a review written by an editor of Beijing's People's Daily Newspaper (online edition), a semi-official source of PR China. As Chinese commentators are usually competent and well informed when it comes to the development of a military conflict abroad, it is worth to consider what they are saying. Therefore, I chose some characteristic quotations from the Chinese article and made a translation. In order to facilitate reading, I added three own subtitles:

利比亚首都遭战略包围卡扎菲政权或挺不过8月底?
The Libyan capital is suffering from a strategy of besieging
the Gadafi regime. Can it resist until the end of August ?




U.S. and Russian position in the battle for Libya

 连日来,利比亚反对派不断推进的反攻,似乎也令西方看到了某种希望。
For some days, the counterattack of the Libyan opposition, while continuously pressing forward, seemingly led the West to foster certain hopes.

美国白宫新闻发言人杰伊15日坦言:“越来越清楚的一点是,卡扎菲政权(的倒台)指日可待。”多名美国官员也表示,现在完全有理由相信,利比亚反对派武装“肯定有能力控制全国”。
A press spokesman [...] for the U.S. White House admitted: " One point becomes steadily clearer: The ouster of Gadafi's regime will mark a longed-for day. " (*) Many U.S. officials express [their opinion] that now all those are right who initially believed that arming the Libyan opposition [gave them]" without any doubt the ability to get the whole country under control ".
(*) = A more common word construction than 可待 uses the Chinese character 苛 instead of 可 which represents the same syllable. If the original character was replaced, the phrase would change its meaning to:
"(The ouster of) Gadafi's regime will mark a day of rigorous treatment."

最让国际社会感到意外的是,原本支持卡扎菲的俄罗斯也突然转变立场。俄罗斯总统新闻局12日表示,俄总统梅德韦杰夫已签署总统令,落实联合国安理会第1973号决议,全面禁止与利比亚的空中交通,冻结利比亚领导人卡扎菲亲属及亲信的资产,并禁止其中部分人员进入俄罗斯境内。
Namely the international community felt the unexpected when Russia ( that was originally supporting Gadafi ) suddenly changed its position. On [August] 12, the Russian president's press office declared that Russian president Medvedyev just signed a presidential order to carry out UN Security Council's resolution No. 1973 dealing with a total inhibition of air traffic over Libya, the freezing of assets from Libya's leader Gadafi, his family, his relatives and his nearest followers and, furthermore, the prohibition of entrance into Russia's territory for the mentioned persons.

Gadafi's military position and the resulting consequences

The following is a quotation of two U.S. officials' evaluation after the failed launch of a Scud missile at rebel positions in the oil port of Brega:
… 还是标志着战争进入新阶段。因为这枚“飞毛腿”导弹的射程达800公里,“说明卡扎菲手中可能还有些存货,甚至还有生化武器”。
... [The use of a Scud missile] can mark as well the war entering into a new phase. Because of the Scud missile's range of fire amounting to 800 km, " it is clear that Gadafi possibly holds in his hand as well further 'goods in stock', even comprising biological and chemical weapons."

除了导弹威胁外,即便利比亚反对派武装兵临的黎波里城下,这些训练不足的武装人员要想以巷战的方式拿下首都,还得付出相当的生命与时间代价。
The missile threat left beside: Even if armed soldiers of the Libyan opposition are getting close to Tripolis, these insufficiently trained fighters have to consider the art of street fighting in order to take over the capital. They have to deliver the corresponding amount of lives according to the 'cost' [i.e. death toll] per time unit.

有消息称,由卡扎菲儿子亲自指挥的近卫部队眼下已全面收缩到的黎波里城内,如果再加上忠于卡扎菲的民众,那么,双方在首都的武力争夺前景将不容乐观。
News are saying that those Special Guards, personally commanded by Gadafi's son, are retreating from all sides into Tripolis, just under [his] eyes. If then such masses loyal to Gadafi are increasing even more to [an enormous] extent, both sides in the capital's militant fighting must not [be guided by] an optimistic view.

此外,西方国家与利比亚反对派武装之间松散的作战协作也是一个大考验。分析人士指出,一旦交战双方开始近距离的地面厮杀,那么,拥有空中力量的北约反而失去了技术与军事优势,只能坐等双方地面战的结果。
Furthermore, the arming of Libya's opposition, a rather slack way of waging war and cooperating, is also some kind of a testing procedure. Analysts are pointing out that once war has started between two parties as a short distance and earth-bound man-to-man fighting to such an extent, then NATO [forces] with all their power [to control] airspace, nevertheless will lose technical equipment [in an effort to achieve] military predominance. All they can do is to sit and wait for the outcome of both parties' ground war.

Libya under the influence of Al-Qaeda

更让国际社会担心的是,“基地”组织北非分支最新发布的录像和其他宣传资料显示,利比亚战争和其他“阿拉伯之春”已经让该组织找到了“扩大地盘,加强影响力”的基础,利比亚及其邻国都已开始出现“基地”组织成员的身影。
What is worrying Western societies even more are those recently propagated videos and other propaganda material from the North African branch of Al-Qaeda organization, demonstrating [one fact]: The Libyan war and other [manifestations] of the "Arabic Spring" are already urging the organization to search for a [tactical] base to "increase its domain and strengthen its influential power". In Libya and its neighbouring states the shadow of Al-Qaeda and its members already emerged.

Link to the original source, published on August 17, 2011.




Tuesday, August 16, 2011

LIBYA - Rebels on the Road to Victory





ثوار ليبيا يصعدون هجماتهم في البريقة و الزاوية و انتشار أمني مكثف لقوات القذافي في طرابلس
Libyan rebels intensify their assaults in Brega and al-Zaouiya and deployment of intense security [measures] among Gadafi forces in Tripolis. [Al-JAZEERA]


利比亚首都遭战略包围 卡扎菲政权或挺不过8月底?
The Libyan capital is suffering from a strategy of besieging
the Gadafi regime. Can it resist until the end of August ?

[Question discussed by People's Daily - Online Edition (Renmin Wang)
on August 17, 2011, after recent proceedings of the Libyan rebels.]


Video and Map: Latest advances of the Rebel Army in Western Libya. The most important coastal road, linking Tripolis with Eastern Libya and the Tunisian border in the West, is now being blocked at Misrata in the East and al-Zaouiya in the West. Al-Jazeera, Arabic Service, on August 16, 2011.

=> Misrata

Map: The blue arrow in the map of Western Libya is pointing at the most probable position of the above traffic sign. The important coastal town of Misrata, now in the hands of the rebels like al-Zaouiya, is situated at the right side of the map but has not been included.
- Click to the maps for a better resolution ! -

For comparison, another map of North-Western Libya has been added and which is dating back to March 5, 2011. On this map, three places are marked by red stars as war zones where continuous military resistance against the Gadafi regime took place. These places are (from left to right) Sabrata, al-Zaouiya and Misrata. At that time, especially the people of Misrata suffered much hardship as their town had been shelled by Gadafi troops from both sides, i.e. from land and sea. NATO bombardment finally put an end to that shelling. The Southern parts of Western Libya were still under control of the regime. Some time later, the Rebel Army got access to the Tunisian border and established a badly needed line of supply for ammunition and material.




According to Egyptian sources, the Libyan deputy minister of the interior has arrived in Kairo together with all of his family. When questioned, Ibrahim Moussa, the speaker of Gadafi's government, denied the deputy minister might have fled his country saying instead that he recently suffered from too much stress and needed some time to come to terms with himself. [Different Sources]