quote:

9:50pm: Libyan government rejects opposition’s conditions for ceasefire, says troops will not leave Libyan cities, according to Reuters.

quote:

Major overhaul in rebel organiz., they r now in grps of a certain # w/ commanders controlling grps + new leader of Free Libya Army
Rebels are also putting experienced fighters the front, and asking inexperienced to guard checkpnts, convoys, etc

Brown Moses posted:

Tripolitanian just posted a few bits on the rebel army re-organisation (or probably more accurately just organisation)


Probably would have helped to do that a little earlier.

1mpper posted:

Misplaced but reasonable arguments

Jut posted:

Garbage

Brown Moses posted:

Tripolitanian just posted a few bits on the rebel army re-organisation (or probably more accurately just organisation)


Probably would have helped to do that a little earlier.

t3ch3 posted:

What I still don't get is why the NTC must be recognized as a sovereign government.

Patter Song posted:

Recognizing them means unrecognizing Qaddafi, turning him into the illegitimate actor rather than the rebels transitional government.

quote:

“Asharq al-Awsat has also learned that Doctor Shikri Ghanem, the head of the national oil company, told his aides and a number of oil companies’ CEOs, that he was not satisfied with the current situation in Libya and that he did not agree with the way Gaddafi was handling the ongoing crisis. The sources added saying: “It has become clear that Gaddafi feels lonely and isolated. Even his personal behavior has changed since his last appearance on Tuesday. So far however, Gaddafi has not made any remarks or gestures that would point to his willingness to abandon or give up power. Until now, he does not seem willing to leave the country for good…”” - Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom

quote:

"Sources close to Gaddafi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Libyan leader was speechless upon hearing the news of Musa Kusa's defection, describing Gaddafi's reaction as being one of deep shock. The sources, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, claimed that Kusa travelled to Tunisia as part of an official mission on behalf of the Gaddafi regime, to carry out talks with western coalition states with the objective of finding a political solution to the current crisis. However after these talks reached a stalemate, Kusa decided to resign from his post as Libyan foreign minister, defecting from the Gaddafi regime, in the belief that the Libyan regime is on the verge of collapse.

quote:

ChangeInLibya BREAKING: I don't know what's going on in Tripoli but I'm inundated with reports of shots and fighting all over the city on FB

quote:

ChangeInLibya BREAKING: Reports that Colonel Abdelrahman AlSaid defected and IS NOW BESIEGING BAB AL-AZIZIYA Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli

t3ch3 posted:

Who cares? NATO's dropping bombs on Qaddafi. I hardly think turning up one's nose and saying, "Hehh you're no longer legitimate. These guys are in charge now and they're selling all your oil to Qatar!" is necessary.

quote:

ChangeInLibya: BREAKING: Rumours of more shooting near Bab Al Aziziya and something very big going on can some1 confirm shots? @acarvin @NicRobertsonCNN

quote:

- “…Seven Iranian espionage networks in Kuwait”
On April 1, the independent Al-Qabas daily carried the following report by the security editor: “With the rapid emergence of the political positions in regard to the death sentences issued against the members of the Iranian espionage cell, knowledgeable sources revealed that the network that was prosecuted was one of eight others in the country. The sources indicated that two of them were armed, and that the tourism attaché at the Iranian embassy, Ali Dhahrani, was the intelligence chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Kuwait and the Gulf region and that he left the country with three diplomats in December 2009 after their names were featured in the investigation into the case of the espionage network. The sources thus warned that the danger resided in the fact that one of the main accused in this case worked as an officer in the Kuwaiti army, and that the Revolutionary Guard intelligence branch tried to recruit Lebanese and Syrian natio nals.

“Moreover, it [the intelligence branch] tried to recruit groups from the Bidoun, and especially those working in the army or in sensitive security institutions. The sources also revealed that tourism attaché Al-Dhahrani attempted to recruit elements in cooperation with some companies operating in Kuwait and the Gulf under the cover of tourism, and that some of the elements of these networks were sent to receive training in Iran and some neighboring states. In the meantime, it is expected that the Iranian embassy will be asked to oust some diplomats next week. The sources continued that the members of the two armed networks received training in the use of arms and explosives, while the main source of concern resides in the fact that the espionage network was able to plant some elements in the military institution and especially the army, and that the latter managed to tap into sensitive information which was saved on computers.

“In this context, the knowledgeable sources stated that the main question for the time being revolved around whether or not the name of the tourism attaché at the Iranian embassy was actually Ali Dhahrani, and whether or not he was moving around the Gulf states under several fake names.” - Al-Qabas, Kuwait

quote:

BREAKING: Gunshots in FASHLOOM, DAHRA, TAJOURA and MOST IMPORTANTLY Bab Al-Aziziya Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli

AllanGordon posted:

Labeling Gaddafi as illegitimate is going to help fuel more defections.

Brown Moses posted:

More from ChangeInLibya:


That's a pretty specific and big rumour.

t3ch3 posted:

Moreso than the ongoing bombing campaign and arms shipments to the rebel forces? Does it hurt when you bend that far backwards to try to justify something?

ShababLibya According to #Libya Alyowm excaped prisoners from #BabAlAziziya shooting in the compound after seizing guards' weapons

AllanGordon posted:

And to justify what? UNSC voted on the no fly zone and you can't get much more justified than that.

Brown Moses posted:

BREAKING: Gunshots in FASHLOOM, DAHRA, TAJOURA and MOST IMPORTANTLY Bab Al-Aziziya Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli

Contraction mapping posted:

That's pretty insane. If this is confirmed then we're pretty much at the beginning of the end; Gadaffi's forces cannot possibly hold out very long if Tripoli falls apart.

t3ch3 posted:

Moreso than the ongoing bombing campaign and arms shipments to the rebel forces? Does it hurt when you bend that far backwards to try to justify something?

quote:

Reports that hundreds (or thousands) of prisoners escaped from Tripoli's largest prison and stole some weapons too

Slantedfloors posted:

You don't think someone who's sitting on the fence might be persuaded to join the Rebels if it's officially and internationally declared that a future Ghadaffi-Libya will be a pariah state, and that his supporters will be subject to severe travel or financial restrictions?

t3ch3 posted:

How is that not already the case?

quote:

LibyanDictator UNCONFIRMED reports of Sayd brigade turning on Gaddafi and shelling Bab Alaziziya.

Slantedfloors posted:

...because right now it's only the Ghadaffi family who are under those restrictions? As evidenced by the steady stream of unrelated polticians leaving the country? Who are presumably able to access their bank accounts and are not living in a box under a bridge?

t3ch3 posted:

And now, wrapping back around to my original questions, which nobody bothered to answer, why would putting travel and economic restrictions on Libyan government officials require sovereign recognition of the NTC and legitimization of deals they're making for access to Libyan natural resources?

Slantedfloors posted:

Because it would make them illegitimate non-state actors currently engaged in a war against the officially recognized Libyan government, similar to officials of the LRA or the Taliban.

quote:

Fairly prolonged period of machine gun fire in Tripoli around 4.30am local. Rumours circulating govt militia exchanged fire with protesters

farraday posted:

I would suggest tamping down on any optimism, even if the reports on gunfire are true it could just as easily being a clamp down on possibly wobbly elements in the regime.

Young Freud posted:

Ah, I remember hearing some stuff a couple weeks ago that arming the rebels was okay because of some sort of diplomatic doublespeak saying that the Qaddafi regime = Libya or something like that.

1973 posted:

4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or
arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory, and requests the Member States concerned to inform the Secretary-General immediately of the measures they take pursuant to the authorization conferred by this paragraph which shall be immediately reported to the Security Council;

1970 posted:

9. Decides that all Member States shall immediately take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from or through their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, and technical assistance, training, financial or other assistance, related to military activities or the provision, maintenance or use of any arms and related materiel, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel whether or not originating in their territories, and decides further that this measure shall not apply to:
(a) Supplies of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, and related technical assistance or training, as approved in advance by the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 24 below;
(b) Protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by United Nations personnel, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development works and associated personnel, for their personal use only; or
(c) Other sales or supply of arms and related materiel, or provision of assistance or personnel, as approved in advance by the Committee;

Young Freud posted:

I'm wondering if the rebel army prohibiting journalist is less about them reporting positions and more to keep the attention-seekers from getting in the way.