Battle for Tripoli
Live coverage of the Libyan unrest threatening Muammar Gaddafi's rule
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@ Gryphon Taj At independence from Italy in 1951, Libya ranked last in the world in economic development. In the 2010 U.N. Human Development Index, which measures a nation’s general well-being (tracking life expectancy, education and standard of living), Libya ranked 53rd out of 169 countries — ahead of China, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Before the NATO bombing campaign began, Libyans received universal education and health care and
had the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rate in Africa. Mr. Gaddafi is also credited with investing some $20 billion in the largest irrigation scheme
in the world, the Great Man-made River project, which pumps water to the coastal cities where fresh water is scarce.
If NATO want to be real humanitarians why not do something in North Korea or Syria? If only they had oil worth fighting for! -
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The United Nations should play the central role in rebuilding Libya following violence that has continued since rebels drove Muammer Gaddafi from his stronghold in Tripoli, Russia's Foreign Ministry says.
"We proceed from the position that work in the post-conflict development of Libya must be carried out exclusively under the aegis of the U.N. Security Council," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich speaking at a news conference. -
Libyan rebel government leader Mahmood Jibril has warned of dangerous destabilisation without urgent financial help from the West to restore services and pay government salaries.
"The biggest destabilising element would be the failure of the (rebel) National Transitional Council to deliver the necessary services and pay the salaries of the people who have not been paid for months," Jibril said at a news conference in Milan after meeting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"Our priorities cannot be carried out by the government without having the necessary money immediately," he said. -
AJA reporter in #Tripoli: clashes at #Gaddafi farm near airport #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:24:11 PM -
AJA: Arab League recognizes the TNC. #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:24:43 PM
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Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni said it will take six to eighteen months to resume its oil production in Libya depending on the fields.
"It will take time. I would say 6-18 months," Scaroni said after a meeting between Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Libyan rebel government leader Mahmood Jibril.
Scaroni said Eni's focus was on getting its Libyan gas flows working again and reiterated he was not concerned about Eni's contracts in Libya.
He said there had been no talks about new contracts at the meeting. -
AJA reporter in #Tripoli: Large group of opposition fighters have surronded a pocket of resistance in Abu Slim #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:30:20 PM
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More than 30 men believed to be fighters loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have been killed at a military encampment in central Tripoli and at least two were bound with plastic handcuffs, indicating they had been executed.
A Reuters reporter at the scene in the Libyan capital said he counted 30 bodies riddled with bullets in an area where there had been fighting between Gaddafi forces and rebels.
Five of the dead were at a field hospital nearby, with one in an ambulance strapped to a gurney with an intravenous drip still in his arm. -
AJA reporter in #Tripoli: opposition fighters expect to enter area of resistance in Abu Slim shortly. #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:36:10 PM
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Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says the United Nations should take "urgent" action to unfreeze Libyan assets and said NATO must continue operations until the North African country was fully secured.
Davutoglu's comments were made during an opening speech at the start of a Libya Contact Group meeting of senior diplomats in Istanbul who are discussing the next steps for the country. -
AJA: Jibril thanked Berlusconi in a press conference earlier today for releasing 350 m Euros to support TNC #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:41:12 PM
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AJA: Libyan embassy in Moscow has lowered #Gaddafi regime's green flag #Libyaby feb17voices via twitter 8/25/2011 12:41:24 PM
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Fighting has broken out around a hotel in the centre of the Libyan capital, with rebels on the hotel roof firing at snipers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in nearby buildings.
A Reuters reporter in Tripoli's Corinthia hotel said rebels in front of the building were using anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades to target the snipers. He said other rebels were firing at the snipers from the hotel roof.
The Corinthia hotel is about 1.5 km (a mile) from Tripoli's central Green Square and opposite the city's ancient medina, or old city. -
Fierce fighting has erupted in central Tripoli, with heavy exchanges of machinegun fire between rebel forces and soldiers loyal to deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a Reuters correspondent reports.
The fighting is taking place in the vicinity of the Corinthia Hotel. "There is shooting going on and it's too dangerous (to go further into the city)," a rebel soldier said at a checkpoint. -
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Seen from Iran, Libya is either the latest dictatorship to fall to an "Islamic awakening" that will unite the Muslim Middle East, or a new foothold for the treacherous West to assert its economic and political domination over the region.
Iran hopes Gaddafi domino will fall the right way -
@ Carlos - wasting money on white-elephant irrigation schemes (90% of which was a military transport scheme - with a few stretches of irrigation to fool the rest of the world), and having a passable health and education system (though most people still had to travel to Tunisia for healthcare - Libyans spent $5bn on healthcare in Tunisia per annum because of failings in their own health system) does not in any way excuse Gaddafi for years of murder and torture which means nearly every family in Libya has lost a relative to the regime. Libya may have been in a better position in terms of GDI than much of Africa, but it could and should have been in a better position than most of Europe. You may be impressed by his spending, but his people were not. After all, it was their money he was spending - and they did not ask him to fund half the terrorist organisations in the world and half the civil wars in Africa when he should have been building roads and schools at home. And as BlackEagle says, a prison is still a prison, even if you have a TV.
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rebels have tanks dug in now to defend the town of Ras Lanuf. They're going to need themby robcrilly via twitter 8/25/2011 1:16:35 PM -
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@ Carlos- i read your comments and i must say that if you like qaddafi so much why dont u take him in ur country??! We had enough of his BS and spending our money on his own personal interests rather than his own people's welfare.... we have the resources to be better than Dubai!! FYI the prince of UAE visited tripoli in early 70s and said that he wished his country would be the same,,,,40 years later look at where UAE is and libya!!! i'll give u a small example, for the first time ever i was able to talk to my family on the phone and be critical of qaddafi,,,, u can not understand how that lil tiny act of freedom made me feel...great joy
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Rebel brigade from Misrata continuing assault south of Rixos against remaining Gaddafi forces - arms dump find will prove extremely usefulby Tom Rayner via twitter 8/25/2011 1:37:38 PM -
Earlier were shown a huge ammunition dump in the grounds of Rixos hotel. At least 6 deep pits full of bullets, bombs and rockets. #tripoliby Tom Rayner via twitter 8/25/2011 1:37:43 PM
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Final point: tweeting is near impossible. We have no mobile network or internet access. Only able to now via a satellite data link.by Tom Rayner via twitter 8/25/2011 1:37:47 PM
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Heavy fighting near Corinthia Hotel, 1.5km away from #Tripoli Martyrs Square #Tripoli #Libya AJEby dovenews via twitter 8/25/2011 1:42:47 PM -
Sky News Alex Crawford: There is definitely a gun battle around the apartment buildings, but it is unclear who is inside them #Libya #Geb17by feb17libya via twitter 8/25/2011 1:49:24 PM -
Libyan rebel chief warns of disorder without help
By Silvia Aloisi
MILAN, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The head of Libya's rebel government warned on Thursday of dangerous destabilisation in the country unless financial aid from the West arrives quickly to help restore services to the population.
Mahmoud Jibril spoke after meeting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said Rome had begun unfreezing 350 million euros ($504.3 million) of Libyan funds in Italian banks to help the rebel movement govern Libya.
Berlusconi said the unfreezing marked a first step in a broader effort to unblock all of the North African country's assets in Italy, the former colonial power.
Italy, once Libya's closest ally in the West, froze around $8 billion of Libyan assets as part of sanctions against Muammar Gaddafi, whose 42 years in power appeared at an end this week.
"The biggest destabilising element would be the failure of the (rebel) National Transitional Council to deliver the necessary services and pay the salaries of the people who have not been paid for months," Jibril told a news conference in Milan. "Our priorities cannot be carried out by the government without having the necessary money immediately." -
Rather than fighting, i would think media and propaganda tactics would be a better option for the Rebels. As seen in the situation at the Rixos hotel yesterday, these pro-Gaddafi loyalists have no idea what is happening outside and are apparently fighting to the death for the last few yards of land in Tripoli for no reason. It is clear that the Propaganda tactics that Gaddifi had been using has a major effect on his supporters. The NTC should do its' utmost best to quash these ideas.
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@Sam From what I understand of the tactical situation the fighting is taking place in built-up areas where probably a high number of civilians are still present. NATO cannot provide air support where there is such a large chance of hitting civilians, especially with the sniping tactics and the hostages in the Rixos hotel.
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A rebel fighter opens a door of the Corinthia Hotel after gunfight with forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli August 25, 2011. Fierce fighting erupted in central Tripoli on Thursday, with heavy exchanges of machinegun fire between rebel forces and soldiers loyal to deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a Reuters correspondent reported. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi
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UAE's Israel deal met with Arab dismay but quiet welcome in Gulf
JERUSALEM From cries of "betrayal" to fears about "falling dominoes", the deal making the United Arab Emirates the third Arab state to forge ties with Israel stirred anger and dismay around the Middle East, but a cautious welcome from the UAE's Gulf allies.