The real thing

Berlin may have stayed out of the fight for Libya, but German companies hope to profit from its reconstruction. Several economic leaders have already visited the war-torn country to investigate business opportunities. But competition is fierce. spiegel

Note: whats about Syria? Ha,,, there's fewer oil than Libya...

A legitimate target

The reported deaths in a Nato air strike of a son of Muammar Gaddafi and three of his grandchildren has moved the battle for control of Libya on to a new plane. Mobs have sacked the British and Italian embassies in Tripoli, Britain has expelled Libya's ambassador in London, and Russian criticism of the coalition has intensified. Yet this should not come as a surprise. UN Security Council Resolution 1973 authorised "all necessary measures", a phrase allowing broad interpretation, to stop Col Gaddafi killing civilians.

From obvious targets such as tanks on the road to Benghazi, Nato has moved on to strike what it calls "command and control" centres: that is, any point from which government action against the rebels is being prosecuted. As the chief prosecutors are Col Gaddafi and his immediate entourage, they have become legitimate targets, whatever the coalition may say about targeting structures and not individuals. telegraph

Cut the head of the snake off

"My recommendation to Nato and the administration is to cut the head of the snake off, go to Tripoli, start bombing Gaddafi's inner circle, their compounds, their military headquarters in Tripoli," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN's State of the Union.

Senator John McCain, who has just returned from a trip to Benghazi, also supported bringing more pressure to bear on the Libyan regime, but warned that targeting dictators "is a little harder than you think".

"It's pretty obvious to me that the US has got to play a greater role on the air-power side," he told NBC's Meet the Press. "Our Nato allies neither have the assets, nor, frankly, the will." independent

Note: neither the assets nor the will...

No sign of Nato

The military difficulties were underlined when further details emerged of the death of British photographer Tim Hetherington, who was killed on Wednesday in a mortar attack along with a colleague, Chris Hondras. An Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Hetherington, 41, wrote in his last Twitter post on Tuesday: "In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Gaddafi forces. No sign of Nato." guardian


Drones can be used

Earlier this week Nato's commander, Lt Gen Charles Bouchard, described the situation within Misrata as being akin to "a knife fight in a phone booth". He said Gaddafi forces were hiding on the rooftops of mosques, hospitals and schools, and that they were shielding themselves behind women and children. guardian


Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros killed

Two leading photojournalists have been killed covering escalating violence in Misrata, and two other western photographers working with them were injured.

Oscar-nominated British documentary-maker Tim Hetherington, 40, co-creator of the Sundance-winning documentary Restrepo, was killed covering fighting between Muammar Gaddafi's forces and the opposition.

Chris Hondros, 41, a US Pulitzer finalist who works for Getty Images, was also killed. His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world. His awards include World Press Photo honours and the Robert Capa gold medal, one of the highest prizes in war photography. guardian

Berlin's Hesitancy in the UN and the World

The Russians did not use their veto, though the resolution included authorization to intervene militarily. The Chinese did not block the resolution, though it involved a deep intervention into Libya's internal affairs. The Americans voted for the resolution, though the International Criminal Court in The Hague, of which they disapprove, remained in play.

The Lebanese voted in favor, though it meant paving the way for attacks on a fellow Arab country. The South Africans and the Nigerians voted yes, even though their vote was a violation of African solidarity. And the Germans? They abstained. They had concerns -- not to mention state elections. spiegel

Note: "Even more serious than a possible end to the dream of "permanent" membership, though, is the impression that Germany abdicated responsibility at a historic moment -- instead of participating in the attempt to stop a lunatic dictator."

Libya's Stalingrad

The besieged and battered bastion has become Libya's Stalingrad. The fall of Misrata would not only be a huge symbolic and psychological triumph for Muammar Gaddafi, but also end significant opposition to his rule in the west of the country.

It is this defiance and determination only 150 miles from where he sits in Tripoli that seem to enrage the dictator of Libya. The daily rocket and artillery attacks are vengeful and often indiscriminate, destroying homes and killing and maiming civilians. More than 200 attacks have been launched in the past 48 hours, killing 40 people and injuring 105 others. independent

Gaddafi forces using cluster bombs

Rebels in Misrata, which came under heavy shelling yesterday from troops loyal to Colonel Gaddafi, claimed the dictator's forces had been using cluster bombs.

These pose a particular risk to civilians because they scatter small bomblets over a wide area. independent

Gadhafi forces attack rebel city in western Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's troops launched a powerful assault with tanks and rockets Friday on Misrata, the last major rebel city in western Libya, sending residents fleeing to increasingly crowded safe areas of the city that are still out of the Libyan leader's reach. yahoo/AP

Note: "Friday's attacks on Misrata — even as NATO foreign ministers meeting in Berlin debated handling of the Libya air campaign — highlight rebel worries that international intervention won't come fast enough or will be ineffective."

Allies say Gaddafi must go

A fresh hail of government rockets crashed into Misrata today after Western allies denounced a "medieval siege" of the city and vowed to keep bombing Muammar Gaddafi's forces until he stepped down. independent


Two days of talks without agreement

Nato foreign ministers, meeting in Berlin, ended two days of talks without agreement on calls by London and Paris to intensify the military action against the regime.

The alliance's Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told a closing news conference that the discussions on the deployment of additional warplanes would continue. independent

Note: would continue after how many (more) massacres by Gaddafi's forces? Why France and Britain (and US?) don't go further?

Nato must stop Misrata 'massacre'

Libyan rebels begged for more Nato air strikes today, saying they faced a massacre from government artillery barrages on the besieged city of Misrata, but Western allies squabbled over the air campaign.

Rebels said a hail of Grad rockets fired by besieging forces into a residential district of Misrata, Libya's third largest city, had killed 23 civilians, mostly women and children. independent


Nato commander pleads for better fighter jets

Admiral James Stavridis says precision ground-attack jets would help minimise civilian casualties. guardian

Gaddafi's forces continue their savage assault

The missiles came in at 3.20am, exploding in regular bursts, smashing down walls and shattering windows. The possible target was an oil depot, but again it was the civilians who paid a lethal price – as they had done so often in Misrata. Five bodies were dug out of the rubble and another 20 were wounded. The attack had taken place four hours after Muammar Gaddafi had supposedly accepted a peace deal to end this vicious civil war. independent

Note: "the attack had taken place four hours after Muammar Gaddafi had supposedly accepted a peace deal to end this vicious civil war."

Would not be acceptable

South African President Jacob Zuma says the Libyan government has accepted an African Union peace proposal to end the eight-week-old conflict.

A rebel spokesman said any deal designed to keep Colonel Gaddafi or his sons in place would not be acceptable. bbc

Note: Gaddafi is a murder and a war criminal. How can AU believe him? (well... AU is very used to deal with and trust bandits...). Gaddafi does not want the peace. Him just want - because absolutely need - to win some time.

No apology from Nato

Nato has refused to apologise for an attack on Libyan rebel forces in the east of the country in which at least five people were killed, saying it had not been informed that the rebels had tanks. independent

Note: it would be much better if it was only Europe to help "rebels" in Libya. Nato and US always make lots of collateral casualities. Europe should withdraw from Nato.

Gaddafi's men try to obliterate traces of massacre

The full history of what happened in Zawiya from mid February to mid March will not be written until Libya is free.

Even then it may be dwarfed by the probably greater carnage being wrought on his people by Gaddafi forces in the other western Libyan city of Misrata.

But for now it is as if the regime is trying to eliminate any memory of Zawiya's rebellion. independent

Iman al-Obeidi still missing

A petition demanding the release of a young Libyan women who stormed into a Tripoli hotel full of journalists and accused government soldiers of rape was on the way to reaching its target of half a million signatures on Saturday.

Iman al-Obeidi achieved worldwide celebrity after footage of her bursting into the Rixos hotel last Saturday and throwing open her coat to reveal scars and bruises was posted on the Internet.

"Words cannot express the courage Iman showed in speaking out - and we can only imagine the terror she must be facing right now in the hands of Kadhafi's infamous thugs," said Avaaz.org, organiser of the online campaign. yahoo/AFP

Regime moves towards deal

There is, however, deep hatred of the dictator and his family among the supporters of the revolution and the demands for retribution against the Gaddafis have ranged from trial on charges of human rights abuse, to forced exile. independent

Note 1: "charges of human rights abuse" and war crimes.

Note 2: "Saif al-Islam, who supposedly wants to remain to play a "constructive role" in a post-war Libya"? Ridicule! Him should be charged as his father.

Note 3: Europe must support "rebels" with heavy weapons and military training.

Missing Libya woman spurs reporters

Eman al-Obeidy hasn't been seen since she accused Gadhafi troops of a horrible assault. yahoo/thecutline


Syrian police shoot nine people dead

• Six die in assault on mosque in southern city of Deraa

• Activists call for mass demonstration on 'Dignity Friday'

guardian


Note: the most upset of all is that those Iranian's mullahs did break the very first and hopefully middle east uprising against those macabres dictators and their odd and unfair feudal system. They used the most vicious ways to successfully breakdown iranian protesters. Last year Iran did more than 250 executions.

Seeing through the fog

Killing Colonel Gaddafi cannot be a war aim, nor indeed regime change in Libya - though we may hope that happens.

Meanwhile, we should help the rebel forces. As former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind says, the arms embargo chiefly affects the rebels; it should instead be directed at the government side.

We should, nonetheless, be prepared for the possibility that the no-fly zone will not be conclusive: we could be in much the same position in a month's time as now. But that is still preferable to Colonel Gaddafi having things his own way. standard


Innocents still being attacked

One doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “They are talking about a ceasefire, they are talking about a no-fly zone, for me that does not mean anything. My people here are under attack. telegraph


The ineffectual Baroness Ashton

The ineffectual Baroness Ashton, the EU's foreign affairs guru, displayed her diplomatic naivety when she sided with the Germans in opposing a no-fly zone. telegraph


Gold reserves worth more than $6bn

Libya has declared gold reserves worth more than $6bn at current prices, thought to be held largely at home. bbc

Gadhafi vows 'long war'

TRIPOLI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" against the international military force that struck at his forces with airstrikes and dozens of cruise missiles that shook the Libyan capital early Sunday with the sound of explosions and anti-aircraft fire. In the capital of the rebel-held east, the Libyan leader's guns appeared to go silent. yahoo/AP


Bodies crowd Benghazi morgue

At least 24 bodies of fighters and civilians, many burnt beyond recognition, lay in the morgue of Benghazi's main hospital on Sunday.

The hospital's wards were filled with men, women and children wounded in Saturday's assault by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces on the rebels' eastern stronghold. independent


Gaddafi's tanks have reached the centre of Misrata

1.31pm: Reuters are now reporting that Gaddafi's tanks have reached the centre of the rebel-held city of Misrata.

"Two people were killed so far today by snipers. They (snipers) are still on the rooftops. They are backed with four tanks, which have been patrolling the town. It's getting very difficult for people to come out," one resident, called Sami, told Reuters by telephone.

"There are also boats encircling the port and preventing aid from reaching the town."

Abdelbasset, a spokesman for the rebels in Misrata, told Reuters: "There is fighting between the rebels and Gaddafi's forces. Their tanks are in the centre of Misrata ... There are so many casualties we cannot count them." guardian

Note: UN knew that it would happend... Did not France stop Gadaffi's war veihicles towards Benghazi and this city would be now under his will.