Saturday, September 10, 2011

EGYPT - Anti-Israeli Protest




This time, the Israeli ambassador to Egypt has been chasen away by the Egyptian people. He fled to his country while masses stormed his embassy in Kairo, tearing down a security wall and, finally, the Israeli flag. Even though, never being in favour of any breach of international law, there is much understanding on my side. After 30 years of diplomatic relations between both countries, a frosty peace has been broken after the killing of Egyptian soldiers by Israeli guards at their common border. Yet, it is not the fact of the (probably accidental) killings alone that made people take to the streets. In fact, the border incident can be taken as a symbol of how Israel is dealing with anybody not in favour of their politics or just standing in the way when Israel is just punishing somebody else. Extensive shellings of all regions inhabited by Palestinians can be taken as a proof.

By the way, it's only some days ago that Turkish prime minister Erdogan demanded the Israeli ambassador to leave the country, following disagreement in the "boating affair" that had been incited by citizens from different countries to express their support for suffering Palestinians in Gaza. This might be just a diplomatic problem both sides are eager to solve behind the stage. Nevertheless, it shows how "political hurricans" in the Middle East are only beginning to turn against Israel.



Friday, September 09, 2011

LIBYA - Final Breakdown of Gadafi's Regime




14 of Muammar Gadafi's government officials have reportedly arrived in Niger. [Al-Jazeera, English service, September 9, 2011]

وزير العدل النيجري يقول ان معمر القذافي ليس في البلاد
The minister of justice of Niger stated that Gadafi is not in [his] country.
[Reuters, Arabic service, September 7, 2011]


وذكرت وكالة أنباء "أسوشييتد برس" أن حكومة النيجر أعلنت أول من أمس أنها "ترحب لأسباب إنسانية" بمجموعة مكونة من 13 ليبيا، ليس من بينهم القذافي، كانوا قد وصلوا في أربع سيارات يوم الثلاثاء. وأضاف البيان أنه لم يكن هناك أي قافلة من 200 سيارة كما ذكرت بعض وسائل الإعلام.
The [news] agency " Associated Press " reminds that the government of Niger has stated the day before yesterday that it would " receive with open arms for reasons of humanity " the group consisting of 13 Libyans, not comprising Gadafi, and who have entered [the country] in 4 cars on Wednesday. And they are agreed hospitality [on the basis of] not being here [with a] convoy of 200 cars like some [mass] medias remembered.
[Alquds.com, Al-Quds Al-Arabi Online, Palestinian daily, September 9, 2011]

اندلاع القتال حول المدن التي يسيطر عليها القذافي في ليبيا
Outbreak of fighting in Libya near those towns that are under control of Gadafi. [Swissinfo.ch, Arabic service, September 9, 2011]


محكمة الجنايات الدولية تطلب من الشرطة الدولية "الانتربول" اعتقال معمر القذافي
The International Court of Justice urges International Police [organization] Interpol [to care for] the arrest of Muammar Gadafi.
[Al-Jazeera, Arabic service, September 9, 2011]


The existing warrant for Gadafi includes his once powerful son Saif al-Islam and Gadafi's chief of security services Senoussi.
[Annotation: According to rebel forces, Senoussi's death has already been confirmed. His office was searched and all kinds of interesting documents were found already days ago. Such documents are partly dealing with Gadafi's security services working together with Western services like the CIA in the frame of "questioning" alleged terrorists outside of the United States in cooperating countries.]

Thursday, September 08, 2011

UPDATE - Gadafi about Flight into Niger

After yesterday's news on Gadafi convoys crossing the border to Niger, Gadafi himself feels obliged to renounce all speculations on his whereabouts in an audio message, broadcast by a Syrian TV station. Now, there are some who might say: He is lying whenever he opens his mouth. At least, there seem to be people in Chad, Niger or even Mauritania who are possibly waiting for Libya's former ruling class.



Latest News:

Today, Gadafi confidant Mohamed Abdul Quasim Al-Zwai was detained by Libyan rebel fighters. Al-Zwai was the secretary general of the General People's Congress during Gadafi's rule. He is reported for having said Gadafi would flee Libya heading for Niger. From there, he might possibly reach his final destination in Kenya or South Africa.



Who Cares for Gadafi's Whereabouts ?

When checking the visitor statistics for this blog of mine, I really found some recent entries from the region. As my statistics only record those address entries connected with a country identifier and which only make up to one third of all actual entries (with visitors from the U.S. it's even less), the observed visitor entries from Libya, Niger, Chad, Kenia, Mauritania and South Africa are highly significant.

Unfortunately, only the top ten visitor countries are recorded by my provider. Therefore single, double or triple requests from Central African countries like Niger and Chad could only be recorded on a daily basis or as "live visits" at any chosen moment. It should be noted that, due to poor infrastructure, visitors from Central Africa can be regarded as extremely rare even today. Being acquainted to fully documented visitor counts of more than 20.000 a month for another website of mine, I can assure you that I know exactly what I am speaking about.

Above: Daily visitor statistics for this blog on September 7, 2011. Visitors from Libya and Tunisia are accompanied by some very rare guests from Mauritania and even Central Asian Georgia.
Click to the image for a better resolution !


Of course, it cannot be ruled out that Gadafi has chosen the "Hitler way" for himself to leave the political stage. Maybe he is still hiding in Sirt or even Bani Waliid. Let's hope he will not be able to vaporize his ugly figure with the help of a mininuke he might have bought years ago from some sinister merchant on the black market. According to Al-Qaeda's Ayman Sawahiri, former deputy of Bin Laden, such "toys" of Soviet origin had been available in Central Asia for the ridiculous sum of about 1 million U.S. $. September 11, 2011, might be a decent opportunity for Gadafi to try if it still works and would ensure him an adequate place in the history books of future generations. Such are my thoughts when hearing that Libyan rebel fighters should be "closing on Gadafi" near Bani Waliid and Sirt, an information quite different from everything mentioned above on Gadafi's plans of fleeing the country.

U.S. made Mininuke

Wherever Gadafi might actually be, when it comes to his family and personal staff, there will still be life in the desert !

Anti-Gadafi Graffiti : Gadafi woman (wife or daughter) fleeing her country.


Gadafi Family Camping in the Desert (2005).

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

LIBYA - The End is Near

Negotiations between Libyan rebels and tribes' leaders near Bani Waliid. The local leaders agreed to convince Gadafi loyalists to surrender their stronghold Bani Waliid.


Abdullah Kanshil, leader of the rebel's delegation for negotiations (refer to pointing arrow in above picture).

مصادر في الثوار تتهم مسلحين تابعين للقذافي باتخاذ المدنيين في بني وليد رهائن و دروعا
According to the rebels, two armed followers of Gadafi are accused of taking citizens in Bani Waliid as hostages and [human] shields.

مصطفى عبد الجليل رئيس المجلس الانتقالي أمهل أنصار القذافي حتي 10 سبتمبر لإلقاء السلاح
Musdafa Abad al-Jalil, president of the Transitional Council, is granting the followers of Gadafi [a period of grace] until September 10 to lay down their arms.



UPDATE September 07, 2011:

Al-Jazeera [TV Morning News]

الجزيرة نت: القذافي في الطريق إلى تشاد أو النيجر
Al-Jazeera: Gadafi should be on his way to Chad or Niger.


Al-Nashra النشرة [Lebanese Daily - Online]

مصادر الحياة: انسحاب قوات القذافي للنيجر يمهد لاعلان تسوية سلمية
الأربعاء 07 أيلول 2011، آخر تحديث 06:27
Sources at Al-Khaia (*) are saying: Evacuation of Gadafi forces into Niger are facilitating the declaration of a peaceful arrangement.

[Comment: It seems that Gadafi loyalists, by their flight into Niger, intended to avoid being trapped at Bin Waliid and Sirt, such making it easier to reach an agreement with the rebels.
(*) = Al-Khaia is an influential Arabic newspaper, being quoted by the Lebanese daily Elnashra Online.]


Anti-Gadafi Graffiti

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.