Xandu posted:

And when dictatorships like Libya are on the Human Rights Council

quote:

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The full membership of the United Nations has suspended Libya from the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The U.N. General Assembly voted by consensus Tuesday on the council's recommendation to suspend Libya's rights of council membership for committing "gross and systematic violations of human rights." It is also expressing "deep concern" about the human rights situation in Libya.

Stroh M.D. posted:

That would make them fifth in the fight, if it is true that Denmark conducted operations yesterday.

Stroh M.D. posted:

I was fearing that, so I've tried to stay away from US media. Looks like media fails us yet again, if that's the case.

Cartouche posted:

Has anyone done testing on the water over there? I really have a hard time grokking the mindset of large groups like that. Is it a Jim Jones kool-aid drinking cult type of thing?

farraday posted:

Interesting blog post on The Arabist about the context for US military intervention.

http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/3/26/in-libya-it-was-consensus-vs-clarity-im-glad-obama-went-with.html

straw man posted:

"If we are told by a foreign Power -- what we shall do, and what we shall not do, we have Independence yet to seek, and have contended hitherto for very little." - George Washington

quote:

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The International Criminal Court prosecutor says he will seek arrest warrants in the coming weeks against three Libyans who appear to bear "the greatest criminal responsibility" for crimes against humanity in the current uprising.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo did not name the individuals.

He told the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that evidence indicates systematic attacks against civilians.

He said the evidence shows that Moammar Gadhafi's security forces have been systematically shooting at peaceful protestors, using the same tactics in multiple locations. He said information also shows that civilians in Tripoli and other government-controlled areas are subject to systematic arrests, torture, killings and enforced disappearances.

quote:

MISRATA, Libya (AP) -- A medical official says Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi's forces have bombarded an area near the port of Misrata while an international aid ship sent to evacuate fleeing migrant workers was docked.

Mahdi Bensasi of the Libyan Red Crescent says Wednesday's strike killed four migrants -- a women, a man and two children who were in a migrant camp nearby.

The ferry, chartered by the International Organization for Migration to evacuate nearly 1,000 migrant workers, had spent three nights outside Misrata waiting to come in. Last week, Gadhafi's forces were caught mining the harbor entrance. Two other rocket attacks struck the port earlier this week.

quote:

BRUSSELS (AP) -- NATO's top official says financing the rebels in Libya would help protect civilians there.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday that overthrowing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is not one of NATO's military objectives but civilians would be safer if he were gone.

"I am definitely in favor of taking all necessary measures to put the maximum pressure on the Gadhafi regime," Fogh Rasmussen said. "And I do believe it would be protection of civilians in Libya if Gadhafi was forced to step down. It would be helpful if the opposition were to be financed properly."

NATO's goals are halting attacks on civilians, the return of Libyan forces to their bases, and unhindered humanitarian access to all Libyans in need.

Brown Moses posted:

The AJE documentry on at the moment is real worth tuning in for, it's a really interesting perspective on the conflict, I'd highly recommend watching it now, or tuning in to one of the repeats. Some of it's very gory though, they don't pull punches.

Brown Moses posted:

Any they deem legal.

Gaddafi reared his head:




Probably not being filmed isn't helping his case.

"CBS News posted:

Ben Stein: "Arab Spring" is a fraud

Now, I am going to tell you the truth about the so-called "Arab Spring," and about the Middle East generally right now.

First, the "Arab Spring" as a force for democracy, human rights and peace in Egypt seems to me to be a fraud.

The dictator and his entourage who were kicked out in Egypt were pro-West, a bit restrained on Israel, open to free enterprise, and resistant to Iranian-sponsored terror.

Egypt is now rapidly becoming anti-Israel, pro-Iran, pro the Iranian-sponsored terrorist group Hamas, and very far from being pro-human rights. They are arresting businessmen right and left in Egypt just for the crime of being successful. They have arrested Mubarak's sons, and have said they plan to try Mubarak.

The most potent of the political forces in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, hates the United States, loathes Israel, condemns the killing of bin Laden (whom they praised as a martyr), and have been wedded to terror for their entire existence.

Oh, P.S, they are closely connected with Adolph Hitler.

They will probably take over Egypt completely sooner or later.

As the terrorist government of Syria cracks down on its own people, the U.N. Security Council does exactly nothing about it.

Has anyone noticed that the common denominator of all the successful Arab street movements is that they are sympathetic to Iran? When the dust settles, Iran is going to own the Middle East - except for maybe Saudi Arabia, if we have the guts to help them (which I very much doubt).

We are going to lose our pals in Bahrain - not nice guys, but pals of the U.S.A. anyway - and we are going to lose our pals in Yemen, and it will possibly have an actual al Qaeda government.

There is a gigantic regional coup by Iran taking place. We are doing very little, if anything, to stop it.

We are going to regret helping the Egyptians kick out Mubarak as much as we regret helping Khomeini force out the Shah.

You can call it "Arab Spring" if you want. But with Iran now the regional superpower, it is a lot more like an extremely bleak Mideast winter.

You heard it here first.

Brown Moses posted:

Bin Laden and friends think these sort of uprisings will inevitably lead to radical Islamic governments in those countries.

CNN posted:

A former U.S. congresswoman slammed U.S. policy on Libyan state TV late Saturday and stressed the "last thing we need to do is spend money on death, destruction and war."

The station is fiercely loyal to Moammar Gadhafi and her interview was spliced with what appeared to be rallies in support of the embattled Libyan leader.

"I think that it's very important that people understand what is happening here. And it's important that people all over the world see the truth. And that is why I am here ... to understand the truth," former Rep. Cynthia McKinney said during a live interview.

She said she was invited to Libya by the "nongovernmental organization for fact-finding," adding that she intends to bring more people to the country soon so that "they too can understand."

NATO warplanes have been pounding military targets since March after the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution to protect civilians by any means necessary as Gadhafi's forces try to quash a nearly three-month revolt against the leader's roughly 42 years of rule.

Gadhafi's government has repeatedly urged the international community to send fact-finding teams to Libya to report what's happening on the ground.

At one point during the interview, state TV cut to what it said were live airstrikes, hitting Gadhafi's compound.

"Is that a bomb?" McKinney asked.

"I want to say categorically and very clearly that these policies of war ... are not what the people of the United States stand for and it's not what African-Americans stand for," she told state TV.

The former Georgia representative also slammed the economic policies of U.S. President Barack Obama and said the government of the United States no longer represents the interests of the American people.

"Under the economic policies of the Obama administration, those who have the least are losing the most. And those who have the most are getting even more," she said. "The situation in the United States is becoming more dire for average ordinary Americans and the last thing we need to do is to spend money on death, destruction and war."

Separately, McKinney appeared on state-run Press TV this week in Iran. She was reported to be in Tehran attending the International Conference on Global Alliance Against Terrorism for a Just Peace.

Brown Moses posted:

AJA is apparently reporting that Gaddafi dropped 7000 troops off in Brega, then withdrew any vehicles they could use to pull back such as trucks, so they are pretty much forced to fight or flee in the desert on foot.

His idleness posted:

The rioters would have been dealt with

His idleness posted:

the vast majority of Libyans want no part of the rebellion.^{[citation needed]}
You are so nieve if you think this isn't about personal gain for the rebel leaders.^{[citation needed]}
The Brits had to go in and find figureheads for the western media because it started as a few hgundred demonstrators.^{[citation needed]}
Once they were offered money they came out of the woodwork.^{[citation needed]}
Still asking for money, to pay the Al Qaeda fighters from Afghanistan and Somalia.^{[citation needed]}
Mecenaries.^{[citation needed]}

His idleness posted:

The rebels are using and are backed by Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Al Qaeda.

automatic posted:

In the interest of making this thread readable again I will be ignoring his idleness from here on.


http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2011/0530/Islamist-militants-take-over-southern-Yemen-city


Looks like poo poo is flaring up in the South in Yemen, probably due to all of the troops heading north. I think this is the beginning of the end for Saleh. Up until yesterday/today I thought he might be able to pull some magic off- but with the huge funerals and now losing an entire city I don't see much hope for his dictatorship. I'm thinking collapse or full scale civil war within 3 months, tops.

automatic posted:

It's definitely a tough situation to work through. I mean, Saleh is a piece of poo poo- but the people looking to replace him seem like the same, if not worse. AQAP could have a big piece of a non Saleh government, depending on where the chips fall. Even if he pulls through somehow I don't know how friendly Saleh will be to us considering we have (rightfully) thrown him under the bus.

automatic posted:

Hey, can you please gently caress off? Your schtick is getting old.

ChaosSamusX posted:

Would an Al Qaeda controlled country be better or worse than the status quo in Yemen?

Xandu posted:

Chortles posted:

"Qatari military plane" signals to me "with the country in question's okay"...

ChaosSamusX posted:

I agree with the intervantion and Libya wholeheartedly, but how can you say that bombing falls short of 'hostilities'? I think bombing is a pretty drat hostile action.

shotgunbadger posted:

This whole thing is Bizzaro World. Republicans suddenly caring about illegal wars and Democrats suddenly explaining why THIS illegal war is totally an ok one.

quote:

The House has voted down a measure giving President Barack Obama the authority to continue the U.S. military action against Libya.

The vote was 295-123 on Friday. The congressional action has no immediate effect on American involvement but represents a repudiation of the commander in chief.

The vote marks the first time since 1999 that either House has voted against a military operation. The last time was over President Bill Clinton's authority in the Bosnian war.

House Republican leaders pushed for the vote, with rank-and-file members saying the president broke the law by failing to seek congressional approval for the 3-month-old war. Some Democrats accused the GOP of playing politics with national security.

Ace Oliveira posted:

Well, Assad has done that already. Turkey gave him a week for him to step down, or something like that. I don't know what Turkey will do if he doesn't step down, though.

Brown Moses posted:

People on Twitter are claiming the rebels are now about 3km south west of the centre of Zliten, and are digging in.

Lascivious Sloth posted:

So awesome.

quote:

Witnesses say supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad have attacked the U.S. embassy compound in Damascus, causing damage.

The Assad loyalists reportedly smashed windows and raised a Syrian flag on the compound on Monday. They also wrote anti-U.S. graffiti referring to the American ambassador as a "dog," the witnesses said.

The protesters are taking part in demonstrations outside the French and American embassies in the Syrian capital.

The protests Monday come days after the U.S. and French ambassadors visited the opposition stronghold of Hama in central Syria.

One witness, Hiam al-Hassan, said about 300 people had gathered outside the French Embassy. Hundreds of others were at the American diplomatic compound.

Al-Hassan said security guards at the French Embassy fired into the air to drive back protesters there.

A U.S. State Department source told CBS News rocks were thrown at the front gate, and some protesters made their way onto the compound's grounds, but at this time the crowd appears to be moving away from the Embassy. There was no breach of the Chancery building.

The protests also coincide with government-organized talks in Damascus on possible political reforms after four months of unrest against the Assad's regime.

quote:

SILVER SPRING, Md. - A Baltimore writer missing in Libya has been sighted in a prison in Tripoli, U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and the writer's mother said Thursday.

Matthew VanDyke went to Libya this winter to write about the uprising against Muammar Qaddafi. He was there about a week when he disappeared in March.

Ruppersberger's spokeswoman Jaime Lennon said there have been two independent sightings of the 32-year-old in a Tripoli prison and that the State Department was working to confirm them. The State Department did not immediately return a call for comment.

"This is good news. It's a lead and we're hopeful," Ruppersberger said in a statement. "We'll do everything we can to bring Matthew home safe and sound."

The writer's mother, Sharon VanDyke, said she learned about the sightings Monday and alerted State Department officials, but wanted to give them time to start checking on the information before telling a wider circle of family and friends early Thursday. She said she was told her son was in good health, but declined to say how she learned of the sightings.

Previously she had heard from a friend of her son that an unnamed man told him Matthew VanDyke was in a prison, but there was no specific person that officials could check with.

"It's exciting, a real adrenaline rush," VanDyke said. "That's the best news that we've had and it's credible enough for the State Department to move on."

VanDyke traveled throughout the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan, from 2007 to 2009. He visited Libya for six weeks in 2008 and had kept in touch with friends there, Sharon VanDyke said. He planned to be at home for a year working on a book on his travels, but he found himself distracted by the events in the Middle East, she said.

"My next thing is find him and get him home," VanDyke said. "At least now we know where he is."

Xandu posted:

That's not quite true. He's had the reporters that are barricaded in Tripoli deported, but he's actually detained a number of journalists who have been captured elsewhere, requiring significant diplomatic legwork to free them.

Young Freud posted:

He's going into "Downfall" mode?

Brown Moses posted:

The gently caress kind of a NATO report is this?