forces pushed toward the rebel-held oil port of Brega as Western nations grappled with measures that would halt the Libyan leader’s advance.
Qaddafi’s soldiers moved on Brega after seizing Ras Lanuf, about 410 miles (660 kilometers) east of the capital, Tripoli, rebel fighter Adel Idriss, 31, said yesterday by telephone from the frontline. The city was being bombarded by air, sea and land, Al Jazeera television said, citing its correspondent.
The Associated Press reported that government forces had seized Brega, though the insurgents claimed that they moved back in after nightfall. Al Jazeera reported that the rebels had killed 25 pro-Qaddafi fighters and taken 20 prisoners.
The 22-nation Arab League on March 12 urged the United Nations to impose an air exclusion zone over Libya, an area that would likely be patrolled by U.S. and allied warplanes. Momentum in the conflict has shifted toward Qaddafi’s forces, which have used armor and aircraft to drive back insurgents trying to end his four-decade rule of Libya, the holder of Africa’s largest oil reserves.
“There is a worry that a no-fly zone could spread beyond just a no-fly zone and become a war,” said Dirk J. Vandewalle, professor of government at Dartmouth College. “From the point of view of the U.S., there is a fear of engaging in a third war in a Muslim country.”
Schumer said the U.S. has learned from experience that “it’s much better to do it in a multilateral way with all the nations of the world on board rather than do it unilaterally.”
The U.S. and U.K. issued statements praising the Arab League stance without committing to action. France will “accelerate” efforts to help protect Libyan civilians, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said, according to an e-mailed statement yesterday. Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, is scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Arab League officials today to discuss Libya. The foreign ministers of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations meet in Paris today.
“After the Arab League backed the proposal, the U.S. and Britain are now capable of going to the Security Council,” Vandewalle said. “The bar for opposing a no-fly zone has been raised higher.”
Grounding the Libyan air force alone won’t halt Qaddafi’s advance, he said.
“What is needed is stopping Qaddafi’s tanks and heavy artillery, so a no-fly zone is not enough.”
Oil, which has risen about 20 percent in three weeks of fighting in Libya, fell in New York on March 11, bringing last week’s decline to 3.1 percent. Oil for April delivery tumbled $1.54 to $101.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest settlement since March 1.
Qaddafi is cracking down on dissent in Tripoli, which has “gripped the city with fear,” New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement on its website.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney issued a statement calling the Arab League action an “important step” that shows the Qaddafi regime “must be held accountable.” He didn’t mention a no-fly zone, saying the U.S. was preparing “for all contingencies.”
The U.K. foreign office, in a statement, said the Arab League request “is very significant and provides important regional support” for the idea of a no-fly zone, which it called “one option” under consideration.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the head of the opposition’s interim governing council, told the Associated Press in an interview that “we will have a catastrophe in Libya” if a no-fly zone isn’t imposed.
The civil war in Libya is the deadliest conflict to emerge from popular protests across the Middle East inspired by the overthrow of longtime leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.
Al Jazeera reported March 12 that one of its journalists, cameraman Ali Hassan Al Jaber, was shot dead while returning to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi after filing a report on the fighting.
In Yemen, up to 100 people were injured after security forces opened fire at protesters in the capital Sana’a, Sahwa, a Yemeni opposition website reported. Seven others were injured in the city of Taiz, said Bushra al-Maktari, a protest organizer in the town.
Ebrahim Sharif, the head of the opposition National Democratic Action Society, said the prince’s overtures wouldn’t “pull people off of the streets.”
“This isn’t sufficient enough to bring us to talks,” he said. “There are a lot of things that are missing. A constituent assembly is what is necessary. A referendum can’t solve our problems.”
Thousands of Bahrainis have been protesting since last month for free elections, as well as more housing and job opportunities. Bahrain’s al-Wefaq group, the kingdom’s largest Shiite Muslim opposition bloc, wants “significant steps” from the government before heeding the call for national dialogue, Abduljalil Khalil, head of al-Wefaq’s bloc in parliament, said Feb. 22.
More than 100 protesters were injured with fractures and from smoke inhalation after riot police removed tents that demonstrators set up, Ali Jaafar, a doctor at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, said in a phone interview.
The U.S. “strongly condemns” the Bahrain and Yemen violence, the White House said in an e-mailed statement. It urged both governments to exercise “restraint.”
Qaddafi’s soldiers moved on Brega after seizing Ras Lanuf, about 410 miles (660 kilometers) east of the capital, Tripoli, rebel fighter Adel Idriss, 31, said yesterday by telephone from the frontline. The city was being bombarded by air, sea and land, Al Jazeera television said, citing its correspondent.
The Associated Press reported that government forces had seized Brega, though the insurgents claimed that they moved back in after nightfall. Al Jazeera reported that the rebels had killed 25 pro-Qaddafi fighters and taken 20 prisoners.
The 22-nation Arab League on March 12 urged the United Nations to impose an air exclusion zone over Libya, an area that would likely be patrolled by U.S. and allied warplanes. Momentum in the conflict has shifted toward Qaddafi’s forces, which have used armor and aircraft to drive back insurgents trying to end his four-decade rule of Libya, the holder of Africa’s largest oil reserves.
“There is a worry that a no-fly zone could spread beyond just a no-fly zone and become a war,” said Dirk J. Vandewalle, professor of government at Dartmouth College. “From the point of view of the U.S., there is a fear of engaging in a third war in a Muslim country.”
‘More Likely’
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” yesterday, said “the Arab League’s decision makes a no-fly zone more likely.”Schumer said the U.S. has learned from experience that “it’s much better to do it in a multilateral way with all the nations of the world on board rather than do it unilaterally.”
The U.S. and U.K. issued statements praising the Arab League stance without committing to action. France will “accelerate” efforts to help protect Libyan civilians, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said, according to an e-mailed statement yesterday. Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, is scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Arab League officials today to discuss Libya. The foreign ministers of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations meet in Paris today.
Brussels Meeting
The Arab League decision may increase pressure for action. North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders meeting in Brussels on March 11 said a UN mandate was needed before they would proceed.“After the Arab League backed the proposal, the U.S. and Britain are now capable of going to the Security Council,” Vandewalle said. “The bar for opposing a no-fly zone has been raised higher.”
Grounding the Libyan air force alone won’t halt Qaddafi’s advance, he said.
“What is needed is stopping Qaddafi’s tanks and heavy artillery, so a no-fly zone is not enough.”
Oil, which has risen about 20 percent in three weeks of fighting in Libya, fell in New York on March 11, bringing last week’s decline to 3.1 percent. Oil for April delivery tumbled $1.54 to $101.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest settlement since March 1.
Qaddafi is cracking down on dissent in Tripoli, which has “gripped the city with fear,” New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement on its website.
‘Lethal Force’
“Qaddafi and his security forces are brutally suppressing all opposition in Tripoli, including peaceful protests, with lethal force, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch said.In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney issued a statement calling the Arab League action an “important step” that shows the Qaddafi regime “must be held accountable.” He didn’t mention a no-fly zone, saying the U.S. was preparing “for all contingencies.”
The U.K. foreign office, in a statement, said the Arab League request “is very significant and provides important regional support” for the idea of a no-fly zone, which it called “one option” under consideration.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the head of the opposition’s interim governing council, told the Associated Press in an interview that “we will have a catastrophe in Libya” if a no-fly zone isn’t imposed.
Paris Meeting
President Barack Obama, speaking to reporters at the White House on March 11, said the U.S. and NATO continue to consider a “wide range of options” as they are “slowly tightening the noose on Qaddafi” and those around him with economic sanctions and other measures. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to meet with Libyan opposition members in Paris, where she arrives today for meetings with European allies.The civil war in Libya is the deadliest conflict to emerge from popular protests across the Middle East inspired by the overthrow of longtime leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.
Al Jazeera reported March 12 that one of its journalists, cameraman Ali Hassan Al Jaber, was shot dead while returning to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi after filing a report on the fighting.
In Yemen, up to 100 people were injured after security forces opened fire at protesters in the capital Sana’a, Sahwa, a Yemeni opposition website reported. Seven others were injured in the city of Taiz, said Bushra al-Maktari, a protest organizer in the town.
Bahrain Unrest
In Bahrain, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said in a statement yesterday that he is committed to starting a dialogue with the opposition that would address demands including “a parliament with full authority,” a “government that represents the will of the people” and the creation of “fair voting districts.”Ebrahim Sharif, the head of the opposition National Democratic Action Society, said the prince’s overtures wouldn’t “pull people off of the streets.”
“This isn’t sufficient enough to bring us to talks,” he said. “There are a lot of things that are missing. A constituent assembly is what is necessary. A referendum can’t solve our problems.”
Thousands of Bahrainis have been protesting since last month for free elections, as well as more housing and job opportunities. Bahrain’s al-Wefaq group, the kingdom’s largest Shiite Muslim opposition bloc, wants “significant steps” from the government before heeding the call for national dialogue, Abduljalil Khalil, head of al-Wefaq’s bloc in parliament, said Feb. 22.
‘Excessive Force’
Earlier yesterday, Bahrain’s Federation of Trade Unions called for a general strike in response to “excessive force” used by police to remove protesters from the Financial Harbor in Manama, the federation said in an e-mailed statement.More than 100 protesters were injured with fractures and from smoke inhalation after riot police removed tents that demonstrators set up, Ali Jaafar, a doctor at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, said in a phone interview.
The U.S. “strongly condemns” the Bahrain and Yemen violence, the White House said in an e-mailed statement. It urged both governments to exercise “restraint.”
0 التعليقات
Post a Comment