Ajaylat

Transcription

By the middle of February 2011 Libya was to witness an unprecedented crisis. Events which were characterized by widespread armed violence. In modern times an unknown phenomenon to the Libyan people or in-depth the broader region. Soon the Libyan people were to find themselves racked by an internal conflict, a government demonized by the world's media and their country bombed by coalition of the world's most powerful and influential nations. Subsequently Libya faced punitive economic sanctions. The sanctions prevented the importation of oil. They also included the seizure of Libyan currency being printed abroad. And the freezing of the stock company involved in the oil profits distribution program, a state run welfare program for the elderly, the disabled, widows, orphans, and low-income families, through which they were provided with investments of over five hundred Libyan dinars per month. It is little wonder that many Libyans see what is happening as a concerted effort to deny them their basic human rights. A campaign by specific countries who have a history of antagonism towards Libya conducted through international institutions whose impartiality they now question. How did this happen? How did the United Nations institutions get involved? And how was the UN Security Council misled and convinced to intervene into the internal affairs of a sovereign country and to take one side in a purely Libyan conflict. Libya was not isolated from the events that we witness throughout the region. Libya is located between Tunisia and Egypt. Both of these countries witness peaceful popular demonstrations on the beginning of 2011. Situation erupted in Tunisia leading to the departure of President Ben Ali from the country. Egypt also witnessed similar events. But what happened in Libya? Calls for demonstrations on the 17th of February 2011 emerged on Facebook at the beginning of 2011. The date of the 5th anniversary of the killing of thirteen people in Benghazi who were killed by embassy guards at the Italian consulate on the 17th of 2006 when demonstrators attacked the Italian consulate protesting against the Italian minister and a member of the extreme right wing Italian northern league who had previously insulted Islam by wearing a t-shirt displaying an insulting cartoon of the prophet Mohammed. The calls for the February 17th demonstrations were met by other voices who were calling for restraint and the preservation of stability and security in Libya. They also opened up a Facebook campaign. Families of the thirteen victims of the Italian consulate incident issued a statement that was published in the mass media in which they declared their opposition to the demonstrations on this occasion and accused the demonstration organizers of disrespect and cynically seeking to benefit politically from the blood of their children especially since they had already received legal redress and compensation. Muammar al-Gaddafi met with them on the 15th of February 2011. And they expressed their positions and concerns to preserve the peace and stability of Libya. On the 15th of February 2011 police and security officers in Benghazi arrested Fahti Terbil. He is the coordinator of the association of victims of the Abu Salim prison riot 1996. After he incited people in Tripoli to head for Abu Salim prison under the pretext that the prison was burning and he urged them to storm the prison and free the prisoners. Some members of the association being led by Terbil mediated fazed release and he was released on the same day after he had confessed to making up the allegation that the prison being in flames in order to inside the demonstration. Although the mediators had agreed to act as guarantors, members of the association gathered in front of the police station and staged a demonstration immediately following the release of Terbil. They then proceeded to march for ten kilometers and reached al-Sharaa square. At the same time a pro government counter demonstration was staged in the streets of the city. Violence erupted. Security forces separated the two sides with water cannons and there were no casualties on that day. On the morning of 16th of February a group of lawyers staged a demonstration in front of the north Benghazi court calling for legal and political reforms. This was covered by the mass media and the demonstration passed peacefully without incident and at the same time reports were received that religious fundamentalists previously returned from Afghanistan, Guantanamo and Iraq were emerging to try and spread their influence on the unfolding events. In Benghazi on the evening of the 16th of February a crowd set ablaze three police stations and the headquarters of the internal security force as well as the public attorney's office. Six people were killed. Simultaneously in the city of al-Baida police stations and internal security headquarters in the center of al-Baida were attacked. Hussain Al-Juayfee military barracks in the center of Benghazi and the al-Abrak airbase 25km from Benghazi came under unexpected attack. The video shows that soldiers did not open fire on the demonstrators it shows them retreating to the center of the barracks and only firing into the air as the attackers advanced within the barracks. Attackers stormed Hussain Al-Juayfee and Shahat military barracks as well as the al-Abrak airbase. They seized a variety of weapons and detained a number of soldiers, who were guarding al-Abrak base and the airport. All of the soldiers were slaughtered. And another was hanged in public in the main square in Darna close to al-Sahaba mosque. In the city of Zawiyah 40 kilometers west of Tripolis army bases and ammunition depots were attacked in the early morning when security guards were caught off guard. Weapons were seized, the attackers brought light and medium arms and tanks into the main square of the city and the number of the people in the square rapidly increased. When more tanks and anti-aircraft guns were brought in, they began distribution of weapons in a manner that will enable them to resist the authorities. The covers on the tank cannons demonstrate that they had never been used before. The following day armed rebels began digging trenches and the square was turned into a heavily armed fortress, with the help of Libyans and a number of foreigners. In Misrata 200 kilometers east of Tripoli, rebels waged an armed attack from several directions on Misrata airbase and took control of it with the help of small and medium weapons they had seized from a military camp in the city. Apparent events were emerging in different cities. Police stations and internal security headquarters were attacked. Attackers took advantage of the orders given to police and security agencies to remove weapons from police stations and not to open fire under any circumstances. A number of administrative headquarters were vandalized and set ablaze and military camps in Zawiyah, Sabratha, Ajdabia, Dernah, and Zintan among other places were the targets of attacks of rebels who stole large quantities of arms and ammunition. In Benghazi on the 17th of February, following the burial of victims of the previous day, the Benghazi main police station was targeted. At the same time others attacked El Fadeel Abu Omar barracks in a determined attempt to capture it. Confrontations between the attackers and soldiers began at 5 pm and continued until midnight. The attackers attempted to enter the barracks but failed. 14 peoples were killed. On February 18th, attackers used TNT explosives, Molotov and heavy vehicles, which they have stolen from Libyan and foreign companies to demolish the wall of the barracks. As the conflict raged 24 people were killed. February the 19th the battle against El Fadeel Abu Omar barracks continued. Attackers now used machines guns stolen from military camps in Shahat city 220 kilometers east of Benghazi. On the 20th of February attacked used tanks, bombs and light riffles for the first time in an attack. This day witnessed also the first suicide attack carried out by Ahmedi Sebou against the gates of the barracks. He used explosives and gas cylinders. The attackers eventually succeeded in storming the barracks. And this day witnessed more victims from both sides. It is a matter of fact that with regards to the events witnessed in Benghazi, most of the victims on both sides in the confrontation died at the gates of the military camps and polices stations as these places were being stormed. All of these sides were locations which were at least 15 kilometers from the usual places where peaceful demonstrations are traditionally held. Several cities in the east and west of Libya fell in the hands of armed rebels in, what was clearly a pre-planned and coordinated process. In the areas of the unrest all police stations were set ablaze. The rebels stormed most of the military camps in the country. They confiscated different types of weapons. Including 250 tanks, 73 armored vehicles, 112 artillery pieces, 176 anti aircraft machine guns, 254 rocket launchers, 222 light machine guns, 3628 rifles and large quantities of ammunition. According to military sources it is now possible that the rebels possess more firepower then that's of neighboring countries. As the country fell into unprecedented armed violence, far removed from the relatively peaceful demonstrations and in other countries, the widespread Arab mass media suppressed the facts and began fabricating stories and news pictures. They deliberately spread rumors cited from unidentified eye witnesses and unconfirmed sources. Shortly afterwards the international news agencies began citing the same false reports, without checking the truth of the original stories or the reliability professionalism or objectivity of the original sources. The case for the truth was further undermined when international and regional organizations and constituted members of the UN relied without question on the false media reports and failed to consult the Libyan authorities or indeed send their own fact-finding commissions. A proposal welcomed by the Libyan government and demanded by resolution 1970. The passing of resolution 1970 and 1973 was predicated on three unchallenged and unconfirmed media based allegations. First: That the Libyan authorities had opened fire on peaceful unarmed demonstrators, committed atrocities and killed thousands. Secondly: The Libyan authorities have deployed aircrafts to bomb residential districts in Tripoli. Thirdly: That the Libyan authorities had employed mercenaries brought in from several African nations to confront Libyan demonstrators and to commit crimes. However... With regards to firing at peaceful demonstrators: The facts refute the mass media reports. Demonstrations are commonplace in Libya. In Benghazi everyone knows that families of the Abu Salim Prison campaign, one of the most vociferous and bitterest campaigns have been organizing demonstrations in the streets of Benghazi for many years and continued to do so under the protection of security personnel. By looking into the reality of the events and the places where victims died, the facts are that most of the victims were killed at the gates of the gates of the military camps, while storming them by force in an armed attempt to seize weapons and ammunition. Whilst these are verifiable facts that the greater numbers of people were killed after the rebels formed the armed militias and began to head westwards to attack even more Libyan cities. Also the number of casualties in a single rebel attack and retreat supported by NATO air cover and bombing exceeded that's of all the victims who died in the storming of all the military camps at the beginning of these events and any fact-finding commission would verify this. Among the reports that aggravated international and domestic opinion and the further justification for passing UN Security Council resolution 1970 was the supposed bombardment of residential districts in Tripoli by planes. Districts such as Fashloom, Suq al-Juma'a and Jamahiriya street in the center of Tripolis. In spite of the rapid denials on the part of the Libyan foreign affairs department of such reports as well as the accounts of residents of these districts during interviews on the Libyan television the bias international media continued to propagate the false reports and the great surprise was that members of the security council believed the false reports and passed an unsound resolution based on these falsifications, without verifying the allegations through the normal procedures in such cases. Such as the formation of an impartial fact-finding commission. As soon as the major international news agencies arrived in Libya, they discovered that these reports were baseless. And western governments began to retreat from propagating the allegations. Nevertheless the damage had already been done. The dye was cast. The decision had already been taken and acted upon. On the question of the use of mercenaries. Libya is a multiracial and multicultural society. It's citizens are Arab, European and black African descent. In addition Libya has a considerable number of black African migrant workers. The rebels have waged a racist campaign against black Libyans under the pretext that they were African mercenaries fighting alongside Libyan armed forces. Not a single mercenary was shown on camera. Despite allegations made concerning the capture of such mercenary. This is one of the supposed mercenaries. He is in fact a Libyan army soldier who lived in the city of Al Ajaylat. His name is Hisham al-shushan. He appeared on Aljazeera satellite channel being presented as a mercenary who was shown no mercy when he was hanged on a public bridge in the city of al-Baida 200 kilometers east of Benghazi. The rebels accusations did not stop at accusing black Libyans of being mercenaries. They also accused citizens of other African nations. The number of Africans in Libya prior to the crisis had reached more than one million. Black migrant workers fleeing to Egypt, as a result of the conflict, testified that when they were captured in Benghazi and al-Baida they were forced to wear Libyan military uniforms and confess that they were mercenaries. The net result of the false media reports and the spurious UN resolutions and consequent bombing of Libya has served to terrorize more than 82% of the civilian population, who were denied their human right to live in peace and security. Despite taking to the streets by the thousands on a daily basis against the bombardment protesters failed to convince the world that they too were humans who were concerned at the loss of life and the denial of peace and security. Cities that were no longer under the control of the state spiraled into chaos. Rifles and tanks became commonplace in the main streets. In the absence of the state security apparatus and with the release of prisoners, crimes spread and violations such as killing, kidnapping, rape, the execution of detainees escalated daily and armed rebels committed crimes against humanity. In a square in the city of Misrata 200 kilometers east of Tripoli after controlling the city rebels committed a heinous crime. They cut the limbs of a soldier and they cut out his heart and trampled it. In Benghazi the situation was no better. Rebels committed cold-blooded crimes. A captured prisoner was cut into pieces and among the shocking crimes that were carried out in a public square upside Benghazi court house, the [former] seat of the transitional national council. These images document the execution of a Libyan soldier. After being tortured and then decapitated by a sword. All of this is being carried out in a building next to the court. Where information gathered indicates that the basement of the building was being used as a prison, a place for interrogation and torture until death. The city of al-Baida 200 kilometers east of Benghazi was not spared from such crimes against humanity. Crimes there included the execution of captured Libyan soldiers following an oral interrogation for a few minutes. The executions hold the hallmarks of al-Qaeda. Despite the proliferation of such images on the internet, not a single satellite channel, which propagated the fabrications, has aired these crimes. As the rebels have continued to commit more crimes not a single voice of condemnation was raised by human rights organizations. Researchers looking into the crisis and its causes realize that Libya as in the rest of the Arabic and Islamic world has suffered from the emergence of extremist groups. Libya has waged a fierce war against them. A war which reached its climax in the 1990s. The struggle ended by the crushing of these movements and the curtailing of their activities. However... It seems that sleeper cells may still have been present. Libyan authorities did not confine themselves to resolving problem through security measures alone. An initiative by the Gaddafi charity organization commenced dialogue with leaders of these groups. Whether they were those who were captured and imprisoned or those who'd recently returned from Afghanistan, Iraq or Guantanamo. The dialogue resulted in a declaration by the leadership of the Libyan fighting Islamic groups to renounce violence once and for all, in a significant intellectual book known as the intellectual reference. Consequently during the course of the last two years 705 members of the group were released in three stages. The last group consisting of a 105 members was released on 15th of February 2011. The date coincided with the beginning of the events. In hindsight one has to question whether they had really renounced violence. The dress and rituals of some of the armed rebels was not the only indication of the presence of extremist among the ranks. In addition to the method of fighting, executions on a mass scale were carried out under religious slogans typical of al-Qaeda groups. However... The assertion of fundamentalist involvement became more apparent when these groups established the control over some cities. Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, leader of the Libyan fighting Islamic group declared himself emir of the city of Derna 200 kilometers east of Benghazi. He was assisted by Qumu who recently returned from Afghanistan and had been a former Guantanamo detainee. This information was released by various western intelligence agencies. In addition reports in American and European newspapers that interviewed this leadership disclosed training camps supervised by al-Hasidi and Qumu. Islamic magreb al-Qaeda did not conceal its mourning of its members when NATO forces mistakenly bombed rebels west of al-Ajdabiya. Also a leader of al-Qaeda, Abu Yahya al-Libi, appeared on the internet instigating al-Qaeda members in Libya to fight and advise them to gather the largest quantity of weapons possible, taking advantage of the golden opportunity offered by the deteriorating security situation in Libya. Aiman az-Zawahiri appeared in a recording urging his followers in Libya to fight the Libyan army and NATO. Battles in the city of al-Brega in the beginning of April 2011 witnessed the death of the extreme leader Abdel Latif al-Tarhuni who had returned from Afghanistan and who had disappeared from view in the past few years. He was believed to have been in the Dafur region of Saddam. However he appeared as a field commander in the ranks of the armed rebels during attacks on central and western Libyan cities. He died in al-Brega 240 kilometers west of Benghazi. His funeral was held in Benghazi and attended by several members of the transitional national council, including the spokesperson of the council Abdul Hafiz Ghoga. Other information indicates that Islamic magreb al-Qaeda and other extremists operate training camps in Benghazi in addition to other cities in the eastern mountains areas of Libya. Countries throughout the world have faced and continued to face civil wars and armed conflicts. They do so without the intervention of United Nations, even when intervention may be justified. By the passing of Security Council resolution 1970 and 1973 a dangerous legal precedent has been set. A precedent that now threatens peace and security not just in Libya but throughout the region. The intense media campaign spread fear within Libya, supported by the involvement of members of governments of powerful nations. Such as the British foreign minister William Hague, who in a deliberate fabrication announced that Muammar al-Gaddafi had fled Libya for Venezuela. This intimidated Libyan ambassadors and representatives to defect and desert from their posts. Despite the fact that the UN resolutions were based on unconfirmed media reports and passed in violation of normal procedure and practice concerning these resolutions Libya accepted Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973. They further accepted and proposed the implementation of a fact-finding commission - called for in resolution 1970. However... The coalition forces and NATO who were entrusted with applying the no-fly-zone did not confine themselves to the resolutions. They are not protecting civilians. Indeed in violation of international law they have taken the resolution as an excuse to carry out a wide-scale war of aggression. They have intervened on one side of a civil conflict to accomplish their own military, political and economic objectives. This is a matter that now calls for the urgent intervention of the United Nations secretary general and permanent members of t security council. They should end the legal bombing and intervention and they should precede to investigate the serious incident and bring all those responsible for legal transgression to justice.