Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Demonstrate leadership, Obama tells rebels
From The Hindu
Even as rebel forces swept through Tripoli and Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's whereabouts remained unclear, United States President Barack Obama issued a statement welcoming the rebel advances but implied that the Transitional National Council needed to “demonstrate... leadership” and that the Qadhafi regime had not yet drawn its last breath.
Mr. Obama said while the U.S. recognised the TNC as the legitimate governing authority in Libya, “at this pivotal and historic time, the TNC should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya.”
Mr. Obama's statement comes in the wake of continuing questions surrounding the composition of the rebel grouping, particularly its links to radical groups. Doubts about such links mounted last month following the death of a senior Libyan military leader, Abdul Fatah Younis.
While the perpetrators are yet to be identified, some analysts warned that rebel-linked extremist groups may have been responsible. However, following its recent recognition of the TNC the U.S. permitted the rebel grouping to open a consulate in Washington.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen echoed some of the uncertainty about the position of various groups involved in the Libyan conflict, calling on “Qadhafi's remaining allies and forces... to end their careers of violence. The world is watching them. This is their opportunity to side with the Libyan people and choose the right side of history.”
In his message Mr. Obama emphasised that rebel advances suggested that “the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point... [and] showing signs of collapsing”. However, he stopped short of saying the regime had collapsed entirely.
Calling on Mr. Qadhafi to “acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya”, Mr. Obama reiterated that the future of Libya was now in the hands of the Libyan people but the U.S. would continue to “stay in close coordination with the TNC”.
Even as rebel forces swept through Tripoli and Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's whereabouts remained unclear, United States President Barack Obama issued a statement welcoming the rebel advances but implied that the Transitional National Council needed to “demonstrate... leadership” and that the Qadhafi regime had not yet drawn its last breath.
Mr. Obama said while the U.S. recognised the TNC as the legitimate governing authority in Libya, “at this pivotal and historic time, the TNC should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya.”
Mr. Obama's statement comes in the wake of continuing questions surrounding the composition of the rebel grouping, particularly its links to radical groups. Doubts about such links mounted last month following the death of a senior Libyan military leader, Abdul Fatah Younis.
While the perpetrators are yet to be identified, some analysts warned that rebel-linked extremist groups may have been responsible. However, following its recent recognition of the TNC the U.S. permitted the rebel grouping to open a consulate in Washington.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen echoed some of the uncertainty about the position of various groups involved in the Libyan conflict, calling on “Qadhafi's remaining allies and forces... to end their careers of violence. The world is watching them. This is their opportunity to side with the Libyan people and choose the right side of history.”
In his message Mr. Obama emphasised that rebel advances suggested that “the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point... [and] showing signs of collapsing”. However, he stopped short of saying the regime had collapsed entirely.
Calling on Mr. Qadhafi to “acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya”, Mr. Obama reiterated that the future of Libya was now in the hands of the Libyan people but the U.S. would continue to “stay in close coordination with the TNC”.
Labels: Libyan crisis
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Qadhafi giving troops Viagra to encourage mass rape: top U.S. official
A top United States official has alleged that Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi supplied Viagra, a drug to treat sexual impotence, to his forces in order to encourage them to commit mass rape.
Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, reportedly brought up the Viagra issue “during a discussion about whether there is moral equivalence between the Qadhafi forces and the rebels.”
Media reports said that her statements were based on claims by the Al Jazeera news channel last month that “Libya-based doctors... had found Viagra in the pockets of pro-Qadhafi soldiers.”
The Guardian quoted an unnamed diplomat as saying “I was in the room when she mentioned Viagra... She listed human rights abuses by Gaddafi's forces, including snipers shooting children in the street and the Viagra story." The report added that Ms. Rice was “trying to persuade doubters that Libya was not just a civil war and that Qadhafi was encouraging human rights abuses.”
Diplomatic sources reportedly said that no one else present at the meeting responded to the allegation and it “did not cause a stir.”
However contradicting Ms. Rice, NBC News carried comments by U.S. military and intelligence officials to the effect that there was no evidence that Colonel Qadhafi's forces were being supplied Viagra and engaging in systematic rape in rebel areas.
According to media reports, “The officials added that although rape has been used as a weapon in many other African conflicts, they have not seen reports of that coming from Libya.”
Apart from the political angle Ms. Rice’s claim about the use of Viagra also begs the medical question of what effects the drug has on the human body. Speaking to The Hindu a doctor said, “Viagra does not affect libido, it only acts locally. Further it has a limited period of action.”
She added that the link between Viagra and sexual drive was “very weak,” and concurred that it would only result in mass rape in this case if the soldiers were anyway intent on committing rape and at the same time suffering from problems relating to sexual impotence.
Labels: Libyan crisis, Muammar Qadhafi, rape, Susan Rice, viagra
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Unjust war, Qadhafi tells Obama
From The Hindu
Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi has reached out directly to United States President Barack Obama through a letter in which he described NATO as engaged in an “unjust war against a small people of a developing country” and called on Mr. Obama to “keep NATO off the Libyan affair for good”.
Addressing Mr. Obama as “Our son” and “Excellency,” Mr. Qadhafi said Libya had already been subjected to an arms embargo and sanctions and furthermore it also “suffered a direct military armed aggression during [the former U.S. President, Ronald] Reagan's time.”
Reminding Mr. Obama that democracy and the building of civil society could not be achieved by means of missiles and aircraft, or by backing armed member of Al-Qaeda in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, Mr. Qadhafi said though Libyans had been “hurt more morally [than] physically,” Mr. Obama would still “always remain our son whatever happened”.
Wishing Mr. Obama luck in his 2012 presidential campaign, he said, “We still pray that you continue to be President of the USA. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaigne [sic]. You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action.”
Even as Mr. Qadhafi's letter reached the White House, it became clear that a former U.S. Congressman with Libyan connections, Curt Weldon, had travelled to Tripoli in a private capacity.
State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing that Mr. Weldon had not undertaken the trip at the behest of the U.S. government though he had informed the administration before travelling to Libya. Mr. Toner said, “I don't know if it is helpful or unhelpful... He is not representing the U.S. government.”
According to reports, Mr. Weldon had travelled repeatedly to Libya during the last decade, “becoming so close with the Qadhafi regime that the firm Weldon worked for even floated the idea of selling arms to Tripoli.” CNN reported that Mr. Weldon had returned to Libya at this time “to try to help negotiate a political settlement with Qadhafi and family”.
In an article, the New York Times said Mr. Weldon had travelled to Libya at the invitation of Mr. Qadhafi's chief of staff, and said his purpose was “to meet with Col. Qadhafi today and persuade him to step aside”.
Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi has reached out directly to United States President Barack Obama through a letter in which he described NATO as engaged in an “unjust war against a small people of a developing country” and called on Mr. Obama to “keep NATO off the Libyan affair for good”.
Addressing Mr. Obama as “Our son” and “Excellency,” Mr. Qadhafi said Libya had already been subjected to an arms embargo and sanctions and furthermore it also “suffered a direct military armed aggression during [the former U.S. President, Ronald] Reagan's time.”
Reminding Mr. Obama that democracy and the building of civil society could not be achieved by means of missiles and aircraft, or by backing armed member of Al-Qaeda in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, Mr. Qadhafi said though Libyans had been “hurt more morally [than] physically,” Mr. Obama would still “always remain our son whatever happened”.
Wishing Mr. Obama luck in his 2012 presidential campaign, he said, “We still pray that you continue to be President of the USA. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaigne [sic]. You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action.”
Even as Mr. Qadhafi's letter reached the White House, it became clear that a former U.S. Congressman with Libyan connections, Curt Weldon, had travelled to Tripoli in a private capacity.
State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing that Mr. Weldon had not undertaken the trip at the behest of the U.S. government though he had informed the administration before travelling to Libya. Mr. Toner said, “I don't know if it is helpful or unhelpful... He is not representing the U.S. government.”
According to reports, Mr. Weldon had travelled repeatedly to Libya during the last decade, “becoming so close with the Qadhafi regime that the firm Weldon worked for even floated the idea of selling arms to Tripoli.” CNN reported that Mr. Weldon had returned to Libya at this time “to try to help negotiate a political settlement with Qadhafi and family”.
In an article, the New York Times said Mr. Weldon had travelled to Libya at the invitation of Mr. Qadhafi's chief of staff, and said his purpose was “to meet with Col. Qadhafi today and persuade him to step aside”.
Labels: Libyan crisis, Muammar Qadhafi, NATO action
No-fly zone? Ask U.N., says Hillary
Treading with caution on the question of imposing a no-fly zone over Libyan territory, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refused to voice unambiguous support for the move. “It is important that this not be an American or a NATO or a European effort; it needs to be an international one,” she said.
While talk of a no-fly zone has been ongoing in Washington policy circles, the Obama administration has yet to commit itself to it. She said in media interviews this week a U.N. decision would be “very important” as a first step.
Touching upon the position of other nations, Ms. Clinton said, “The British and French Governments are going to the U.N. with a draft resolution that would authorise international action... The Gulf countries put out a statement yesterday saying that they would support a no-fly zone, and yesterday too, the Arab League... said [it] would not object to that.”
Ms. Clinton appeared to accord particular significance to Gulf States coming on board the plan. “We were very pleased that the Gulf States and the Arab League, which before had not supported any kind of action, have now said that they could so if the United Nations agrees.”
Asked pointedly whether the U.S. would support the no-fly zone per se, she said the U.S. would support the efforts that were being made, because “we think that the people of Libya themselves have to be supported... and we know how difficult this struggle is.”
In that context Ms. Clinton reiterated that the security situation in Libya had deteriorated and there was a loss of legitimacy of Muammar Qadhafi. “We believe that he has totally given up any legitimacy to power. When a leader turns against his own people, that is the end.”
Yet Ms. Clinton emphasised, as she had done earlier, the hope for a peaceful transition of power in Libya. The lack of clarity on which part of the country was being controlled by rebel forces and which parts Qadhafi continued to govern appeared to be stalling the implementation of the next course of action.
Labels: Libyan crisis, no-fly zone
Subscribe to Comments [Atom]
