Libya: How Many Dirty Western Hands?

By: Felicity Arbuthnot

Source: Global Research

http://www.globalresearch.ca/libya-how-many-dirty-western-hands/

Oh what a tangled web they weave

When first they practice to invade
A sovereign nation and deceive
The world about their dark crusade.

(Michael Leunig, Poet, Cartoonist, 1945:)

This weekend a detailed article (1) suggested that a: “French secret serviceman, acting on the express orders of the then President Sarkozy, is suspected of ”the murder of Colonel Quaddafi”, on 20^th October last year.

Whilst bearing in mind that the NATO-backed insurgents now in power, who have near destroyed much of Libya, de-stabilised, terrorized and hope to carve up Libya’s resources for their, rather than the country’s benefit, have every reason to wish to disassociate themselves from the butchery of Colonel Quaddafi’s terrible death, the new allegations illuminate interesting points.

The French assassin, it is claimed, infiltrated the mob rabidly manhandling the Colonel, and shot him in the head.

“The motive, according to well placed (Libyan) sources”, was to prevent any chance of interrogation into Sarkozy’s links with Colonel Quaddafi.

The Mail previously revealed (2) quoting a French governmental briefing note published by an investigative website, that fifty million euros has been: “laundered though bank accounts in Panama and Switzerland … from Colonel Quaddafi, to fund (Sarkozy’s 2007) election as President”, which if correct: “would have broken political financing laws.” Sarkozy’s: “numerous visits to Libya” were also cited.

Further claims are that: “The Swiss account was opened in the name of the sister of Jean-Francois Cope, the leader of Mr Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party, and the President’s right-hand-man.”

Quaddafi’s son, Saif alIslam, whose life hangs in the balance and no doubt further so, should he be subject to the Libyan “judicial system”, has stated unequivocally regarding the Sarkozy campaign funding: “We have all the details and are ready to reveal everything … We funded it.”

No wonder Saif, also generous funder (£1.5 million) to his former place of, advanced study, the prestigious London School of Economics – where he also delivered the annual Ralph Miliband Lecture in May2010, named for the renowned academic and father of the former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his brother Ed, current Leader of the Labour Party – has been abandoned by the Western powers who had formerly welcomed him – then conspired in another illegal coup, this time in his country.

Sarkozy of course, on becoming President, memorably welcomed Colonel Quaddafi on a State Visit to Paris in December 2007, greeting him as “Brother Leader” and hosting his famed Bedouin tent next to the Elysee Palace.

Tony Blair, of course visited Quaddafi on many occasions, even flying in the Colonel’s private plane, pushing mega business deals. He too is mute on the horrors of the death and the fate of his children, grandchildren and country.

The Mail also makes the points that: “ The United Nations mandate which sanctioned (the misnamed ‘no fly zone’) expressly stated that the Western allies could not interfere in the internal politics of the country.”

“Instead the almost daily bombing runs ended with Quaddafi’s overthrow, while both French and British military ‘advisors’ were said to have assisted on the ground.”

“Now Mahmoud Jibril, who served as interim Prime Minister following Gaddafi’s overthrow, has told Egyptian TV: ‘It was a foreign agent who mixed with the revolutionary brigades to kill Gaddafi.’ “

Another Tripoli source, according to the paper, stated: “Sarkozy had every reason to try to silence the Colonel and as quickly as possible”, with a further “diplomatic source” also stressing Quaddafi’s threats to reveal the financial details of the funding to the 2007 French Presidential elections donations.

An interesting point, if correct, is made by Rami El Obeidi, the : “former head of foreign relations for the Libyan Transitional Council (who) said he knew that Quaddafi had been tracked through his satellite telecommunications system as he talked to: “the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.” Which begs an elephantine question: are the two murderous Western backed rampages against Libya and Syria and their leaders connected?

How much of alleged murky financial deals does Syria’s President also know?

Interestingly, Ben Oman Shaaban (22) one of those who attacked Colonel Quaddaffi was badly injured, seemingly by those loyal to the Colonel, in an attack in July. Flown to Paris for treatment, he died in hospital last week. Shabaan was said to have frequently brandished the handgun said to have killed the Colonel. If true, he would have interesting knowledge about the appalling events of the day.

Sarkozy has consistently denied receiving money from the Libyan Leader and was not available to give a comment to the Mail. Enquiries into “alleged financial irregularities “, are ongoing.

Worthy of mention is that in November 2007, just before Quaddafi’s Paris visit: “A US State Department cable had warned that those ‘who dominate Libya’s political and economic leadership are pursuing increasingly nationalistic policies in the energy sector’ and that there was ‘growing evidence of Libyan resource nationalism.’ ”

“The cable cited a 2006 speech in which Quaddafi said: ‘Oil companies are controlled by foreigners who have made millions from them. Now, Libyans must take their place to profit from this money.’ ”

“Quaddafi’s government had forced oil companies to give their local subsidiaries Libyan names. Worse, ‘labor laws were amended to ‘Libyanize’ the economy’, that is, turn it to the advantage of Libyans.” Goodness, shocking.

“Oil firms ‘were pressed to hire Libyan managers, finance people and human resources directors.’ ” (3)

Perhaps then it is no wonder all round, that on hearing of Colonel Quaddafi’s horrific death, President Nobel Obama declared it was a: “momentous day.” (BBC, 20^th October 2011.) Madam Clinton followed with a raucous laugh and: “We came, we saw, he died.”

There is only one certainty, in the whole shaming “regime change” in Libya, there are no clean hands.

And where is Colonel Quaddafi’s body?

Notes

1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210759/Gaddafi-killed-French-secret-serviceman-orders-Nicolas-Sarkozy-sources-claim.html#ixzz282zW9AoQ

2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2113910/Colonel-Gaddafi-gave- French-President-Nicolas-Sarkozy-42MILLION-fund-2007-election-campaign.html#ixzz283FmeGE0

3. http://gowans.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/gadhafis-crime-making-libyas-economy-work-for-libyans/

 

Hollande urges probe into Sarkozy's Gaddafi ties

French President Nicolas Sarkozy

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/239078.html

French presidential hopeful Francois Hollande has asked for an inquiry into suspected ties between President Nicolas Sarkozy and Libya’s slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Hollande’s Socialist party is urging prosecutors to verify reports that Gaddafi financed Sarkozy’s presidential campaign back in 2007.

Earlier, an investigative website revealed a document claiming that Sarkozy received 50 million euro (USD 66.32 million) from Gaddafi for his presidential race.

Mediapart said the agreement came after an October 6, 2006 meeting attended by Gaddafi's spy chief Abdullah Senussi, the head his African investment fund Bashir Saleh, close Sarkozy associate Brice Hortefeux and arms dealer Ziad Takieddine.

It claims that the 2006 document -- allegedly signed by Gaddafi’s former intelligence chief and later foreign minister Moussa Koussa -- were obtained “from the archives of the secret service” through former senior Libyan officials currently in hiding.

Sarkozy refuted the document as “crude forgery” and has lodged a lawsuit against the whistleblower website.

Media reports have recently cited his spokesman as accusing Hollande supporters of rigging up the “absurd” allegation. But Hollande’s spokesman insisted that the sitting president must clarify the issue.

Hollande and Sarkozy will compete in the second round of the French presidential election scheduled for May 6.

In March Sarkozy had to tackle similar allegations made by the former doctor of a French arms dealer who claimed to have set up the campaign donation.

"If [Gaddafi] had financed it, I wasn't very grateful," Sarkozy scoffed when questioned by a TF1 presenter, referring France’s lead role in the NATO campaign that led to Gaddafi’s brutal killing in October.

French politicians are strictly banned from receiving campaign contributions from foreign states, and a French judge is currently looking into allegations made in this regard.

The document has surfaced at a particularly sensitive time for Sarkozy, who lost the first round of the French presidential vote to his staunch Socialist rival, Hollande, who is currently holds the lead in the polls.

Hollande and Sarkozy are to confront each other at a television debate scheduled on Wednesday

French correction: EU wary of Sunday vote

France's Socialist Party (PS) candidate for the 2012 French presidential election Francois Hollande gestures as he delivers a speech during a campaign meeting in the French southwestern city of Bordeaux on April 19, 2012 (AFP Photo / Patrick Kovarik)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/elections-france-sarkozy-recession-529/

Campaigning is winding up for the French presidential hopefuls before voters hit the polls on Sunday. The results could have grave consequences for the EU’s flagging economy, as the socialist frontrunner threatens to veto the Fiscal Compact treaty.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande is expected to pip current president Sarkozy to the post in the first round of voting on Sunday. According to a survey by French newspaper Le Monde, Hollande is predicted to take 29 per cent of the vote, with Sarkozy close behind on 25.5 per cent.

Far-right candidate Marine le Pen, who favors the reintroduction of the franc, will likely take around 16 per cent, with left-wing hopeful Jean-Luc Melenchon bringing up the rear on 14 per cent.

A campaign blackout comes into effect on Friday evening in preparation for Sunday’s polls, from which a record 32 per cent of French citizens are expected to abstain.

Economic policy has taken center stage in the battle for the French presidency with each candidate promising voters a way out of the spiraling economic crisis.

Current head of state Nicholas Sarkozy has favored austerity measures to drag the country out of the financial downturn. But his billion-dollar cuts to the French welfare sector, an increased retirement age and unemployment of over 10 per cent have seen his popularity plummet recently.

In the wake of the economic recession Sarkozy suffered an image crisis, being branded upon his accession to the presidency as “the president of the rich.”

Despite a recent toughening of his policies, pledging to freeze France's funding of the EU and bringing back border controls, he has been unable to shake the stigma.

“Criticizing Europe can be a convenient scapegoat because it appeals to people who do not like the functioning of Europe, and it can divert responsibility: if something goes wrong, it's not the fault of the government or Nicolas Sarkozy, it is the fault of Europe,” said Eric Bonnet from the BVA Polling Institute

However, Sarkozy has got behind the European Union’s Fiscal Compact treaty, which ensures fiscal discipline in the subscribing countries, helping him win the support of German President Merkel for his candidacy.

In contrast, his primary rival Francois Hollande takes an altogether different approach to economic policy, threatening to jump ship from the eurozone treaty if it does not guarantee French growth.

While he accepts the need for greater budget discipline, he called for the French government to shy away from “saving for saving’s sake.”

He believes that combined austerity cuts in Europe will only serve to aggravate the crisis, increase the ranks of Europe’s unemployed and make it harder for the debt-racked economies to revitalize their economies.

A Hollande victory could result in a significant rupture in German-French relations, upsetting a partnership that has dominated eurozone economic policy in recent years.

Campaign critics have said that Hollande’s popularity is not, in fact, due to his policies, rather his opposition to Sarkozy’s increasingly unpopular cuts and camaraderie with Germany.

Political analyst Joseph Janning told RT that the French population is “uneasy about the fact that they are contributing to the failed policies in other parts of the union.”

Whatever the results of the French elections, it appears that France’s “honeymoon” period with Brussels is at an end.

“The big question is now ‘Europe for what?’ and ‘Europe for whom?’ Is it Europe for the bankers, Europe for trade, Europe for business? Or is it a Europe of citizens, a Europe of social rights,” Bruno Cautres, a political analyst from Sciences Po university, told RT.

Oil prices in euro soar over Iran’s sales cut to EU

On February 19, Iran’s Oil Ministry announced it had cut oil exports to British and French firms

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/228341.html

In the wake of Iran’s decision to halt oil exports to some European countries, oil prices, valued in euros, have hit a record high, dealing a severe blow to the eurozone’s debt-ridden countries.

Brent oil jumped to 93.60 euros per barrel on Thursday, beating the 2008's pre-financial crisis price of 93.46 euros.

Europe plunged into financial crisis in early 2008. Insolvency now threatens heavily-indebted countries such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain.

In New York on Thursday, light sweet crude for delivery in April, rose 64 cents to more than USD 108 per barrel, while the North Sea Brent crude for April delivery gained 60 cents to over USD 124 in morning trade.

The hike in oil prices comes on the heels of a report by Press TV last week that Iran would cut its oil exports to six European Union states, if they fail to sign long-term deals with Tehran.

Later on Sunday, Iran’s Oil Ministry announced that it had cut oil exports to British and French firms in line with the decision to stop the crude sales to six European states.

The move comes as Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi had earlier hinted at the possibility of Iran’s halting oil exports to certain European countries.

Meanwhile, the world's largest oil trader, Vitol, has warned that crude prices could spike above USD 150 per barrel if tensions with Iran escalate further.

EU foreign ministers agreed to ban oil imports from Iran on January 23 and to freeze the assets of the Iranian Central Bank across the EU in a bid to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran's nuclear program may include a military aspect, Tehran insists its nuclear work is civilian in nature.

Iran argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence indicating that Tehran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted towards nuclear weapons production.

Sarkozy target of thousands-strong rally

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/221828.html

Thousands of people have participated in a rally in Paris, attacking French President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans for dealing with the country's unemployment crisis, Press TV reports.

As France gauges the international fallout from losing its triple-A credit rating, Sarkozy has called for the formation of an emergency jobs council to try and boost his dipping popularity at home ahead of presidential elections, which are to be held in two rounds in April and May.

After a four-hour-long meeting at the Elysée Palace with labor and business leaders, the president on Wednesday announced an EUR 430 million (USD 550 million) plan to reduce unemployment and restart economic growth.

On Wednesday, the protesters took to the streets of the capital to voice discontent over the measures included in the plan.

activists have blamed Sarkozy's failed economic leadership for the official unemployment rate, which stands at over 10 percent, the unofficial figure amounting to over 17 percent, and the recent downgrading of France's credit rating by the New York-headquartered credit rating agency, the Standard & Poor's.

The downgrade comes, despite Sarkozy's having used to present himself as the person capable of steering the eurozone's second-largest economy out of crisis.

After the meeting, Sarkozy also said that he would introduce his employment plans before the end of January.

The president stated that he would shift part of the burden of social welfare from companies onto consumers and convince workers to agree to payment cuts in exchange for job security.

People rally in support of Gaddafi

Source: CCTV
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20110515/101873.shtml

Video Clip - English
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20110515/101999.shtml

Supporters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have rallied in Tripoli after his voice was broadcast on state television , and NATO air raids struck the capital.

In the recording, Gaddafi describes the NATO as a "cowardly crusader." It follows the remarks by Italy's foreign minister that Gaddafi had probably left Tripoli and likely had been wounded by NATO air strikes.

Libyan state television showed pictures on Saturday of supporters gathered outside the compound of the Libyan leader.

Similar rallies were also seen in front of the state television building and the broadcast centre for Voice of Africa in Tripoli.

The demonstrators chanted slogans in support of Gaddafi.

The broadcast was made after state television carried brief audio tape remarks it said were by Gaddafi in which he taunted NATO as a cowardly crusader whose bombs could not kill him.

Voice of Muammar Gaddafi, said, "I tell the coward crusaders. I live in a place where you can't get to me. I live in the hearts of millions."

Before the recording was aired Friday, a Libyan government spokesman declared that Gaddafi is still in the capital city and continuing to fulfill his leadership duties.

The comments came after the Italian foreign minister said Gaddafi had very likely left the Libyan capital and been wounded by NATO airstrikes. In an interview, Franco Frattini doubted Thursday's footage which showed Gaddafi meeting tribal leaders.

Gaddafi's compound has been a frequent target of NATO-led airstrikes, including an attack on April 30th where he is believed to have been inside but escaped unharmed.

NATO attacks cannot kill me: Gaddafi

Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179838.html

Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi has said air strikes carried out on his compound in the capital Tripoli by NATO warplanes can not kill him.

"I tell the cowardly crusader [NATO] that I live in a place they cannot reach and where you cannot kill me," Reuters quoted Gaddafi as saying in brief audio tape remarks on Friday.

"Even if you kill the body you will not be able to kill the soul that lives in the hearts of millions," he added.

Gaddafi's remarks come after Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the Libyan ruler had most probably been injured in a NATO air attack on his Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli on Thursday.

The Catholic bishop in Tripoli, Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, who had allegedly revealed the news of Gaddafi's injury to Frattini, dismissed the report on Friday, saying he had only remarked that Gaddafi was “under psychological shock from the death of his son.”

Gaddafi's youngest son, Saif al-Arab, and three of the leader's grandchildren were killed in a NATO air strike on April 30.

Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told journalists on Friday that Gaddafi "is in very good health, high morale, high spirits," and "he is in Tripoli," denying earlier reports that Gaddafi might have left the capital.

Several explosions were heard in Tripoli on Friday night and Saturday morning as NATO warplanes overflew the city. Smoke could be seen rising in the eastern areas, witnesses said.

White House says the US and NATO will continue the attacks against the Libyan regime until Gaddafi stops killing people.

Washington has stopped short of recognizing the National Transitional Council (NTC), which has been formed by Libya's revolutionary forces.

UN pulls intl. staff out of Libyan capital

Libyan government officials and members of the media inspect ruins of a house at the site of a NATO missile attack in Tripoli, Libya, April 30

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177751.html

The UN says it has pulled its international staff from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as attacks by Western countries and Libyan regime have deteriorated the security situation in the capital.

"The 12 United Nations international staff in Tripoli have temporarily left the capital and are in Tunisia," AFP quoted UN spokesman, Martin Nesirky, as saying in New York on Sunday.

Another UN spokesperson has acknowledged that they have left Tripoli as a result of unrest in the city.

"Apparently there was unrest in Tripoli and they've decided to leave the city," Stephanie Bunker, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on Sunday.

The international staff was dispatched to Libya last month when the UN made an agreement with the Libyan government to set up a humanitarian campaign in the African country.

The UN says the outgoing staff will continue to cover western Libya from neighboring Tunisia, adding that the UN local staff will not be affected by the decision which was taken after UN offices were attacked by outraged people.

The attacks on UN missions took place after Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son, Saif al-Arab, and three of his grandchildren were killed in an airstrike by NATO fighter jets.

Angry crowds also attacked UK and Italian embassies on Sunday in retaliation for killing of Gaddafi's family members. Reports said the British embassy was totally destroyed.

Following the UK embassy attack, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Libyan ambassador Omar Jelban had been given 24 hours to leave England, adding that Libya has once again violated its international responsibilities for protecting diplomatic missions.

Most Western countries got their staff out of Libya several weeks ago when NATO kicked off the airstrikes against Gaddafi forces with the claimed goal of protecting civilians. Italy, which shut its embassy in March, has lately joined military operation in Libya.

The Libyan government has said NATO's attack was “a direct operation to assassinate the leader of the country,” but the military alliance says they targeted a command and control building and their target was “military in nature.”

US Senator John McCain, top Republican on the US Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Sunday Gaddafi's command and control should be destroyed and “if he (Gaddafi) is killed or injured because of that, that's fine.”

McCain has repeatedly asked the administration of US President Barack Obama to step up military pressure on the Gaddafi regime.

NATO dismisses Gaddafi's truce offer

A wounded man from Niger walks with a stick as he waits to be evacuated with some 500 refugees near the port of the besieged Libyan city of Misratah on April 30, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177457.html

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operating in Libya has dismissed the country's ruler Muammar Gaddafi's proposal of a ceasefire.

Earlier, Gaddafi asked the NATO member states involved in Libya operations to start negotiations to stop the air attacks, saying he was ready to make oil contracts with Western countries if it was the real motive behind the strikes.

Despite Gaddafi's offer of a truce, his forces continued shelling the besieged city of Misratah, aggravating the humanitarian situation for the residents of the city.

Libyan revolutionaries say Gaddafi tanks took positions on the airport road Thursday night and shelled homes in Misratah, trying to get into the city but were kept back.

Gaddafi regime has threatened to attack any ships trying to get aid to people. Libyan government has said the only possible humanitarian route is by road and under the supervision of the army.

British Brigadier Rob Weighill, director of NATO operations in Libya, says they intercepted several Libyan boats putting anti-shipping mines outside the harbor of Misratah to cut aid route to the city. NATO said they deposed three mines early Friday.

UK to deploy troops on Libyan border

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177138.html

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox has announced plans to deploy British troops on the Libyan border with Tunisia.

In a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Fox claimed the British troops will be dispatched to the border to enforce “safe havens” for more than 30,000 civilian refugees fleeing from attacks by Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's troops, the Independent reported.

He also asserted that the troop deployment would be within the terms of a UN resolution authorizing military action in Libya.

Defying warnings that the UK may have to prepare itself for a long war, Fox reiterated that British operation in Libya “isn't time-limited.”

However, he rejected suggestions that the Libyan war has reached a stalemate, saying “politically, economically, [and] militarily, we are moving forward.”

Despite economic austerity measures adopted by the British government, the defense minister insisted that the required funds would be allocated to continue operations in Libya for as long as necessary.

“We are not going to be limited by pounds, shillings and pence but we have the resolve to see through the mission,” he said.

Since the revolution against Colonel Gaddafi's regime began in mid-February, tens of thousands have been killed and injured in clashes between Libyan revolutionaries and pro-Gaddafi forces.

US Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz estimated on Wednesday that the number of Libyan fatalities since the revolution in the North African country began may be as high as 30,000 people.

Meanwhile, many civilians have reportedly been killed since the Western coalition unleashed a major air campaign against Libyan forces on March 19 under a UN mandate, namely to “protect the Libyan population.”

US at risk of war with China, Russia

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176960.html
Click the link for Interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

The US is at the risk of a war with Russia and China as its main objective behind engineering the Libyan war and Syrian unrest is to remove the two world powers out of the Mediterranean, a former US official warns.

“Washington is all for invading against Libya and is putting more and more pressure to intervene in Syria because we want to ... clear China and Russia out of the Mediterranean,” Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary to US Treasury in Panama City said in an interview with Press TV.

On one hand, China has massive energy investments in eastern Libya and is relying on Libya and on the other hand, Russia has a large naval base in Syria and it gives it a presence in the Mediterranean, he pointed out.

“Those two countries are just in the way of American hegemony in the Mediterranean and certainly the Americans do not want a powerful Russian fleet stationed there and they certainly don't want China drawing energy resources,” Roberts added.

“Once Russia and China come to the conclusion that the Americans simply cannot be dealt with it in any rational way and are determined to somehow subdue them and do them damage, all kinds of escalations can result. This is the real danger and we're risking a major war,” the former senior US official cautioned.

Meanwhile, the US does not want to overthrow the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where both governments are using violence against protesters “Because they're our puppets and we have a large naval base in Bahrain,” Roberts argued.

Many civilians have reportedly been killed since the US-led coalition unleashed a major air campaign against Libya's regime forces on March 19 under a UN mandate to protect the Libyan population.

According to Libya's National Transitional Council, since the revolution against Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's regime began in mid-February at least 10,000 people have been killed and another 30,000 injured in clashes with pro-Gaddafi forces in the North African country, while 20,000 more are still listed as missing.

Elsewhere in Syria, scattered protests have broken out since mid-March. Several people have reportedly been killed in clashes between security forces and armed groups.

Roberts argued that “Washington was caught off guard by the outbreaks of protests in Tunisia and Egypt, but quickly learned that they could use and hide behind Arab protests to evict Russia and China without a direct confrontation ... so they've engineered these protests.”

In recent months, a wave of revolutions and anti-government uprisings has swept the Arab world.

In January, a revolution in Tunisia ended the 23-year ruling of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In February, another revolution led to the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after three decades of authoritarian rule.

Other revolutions have erupted in Yemen and Bahrain, while more anti-government upheavals have swept Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Algeria.

Meanwhile, more Arab countries are expected to witness similar revolts.

US OKs oil deals with Libya opposition

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177089.html

The United States has permitted oil deals with Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) in an effort to financially push the fight against the country's ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

The order, issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, will remove legal difficulties pertaining to the ownership of Libya's oil for potential buyers, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The move comes despite sanctions against Libya's oil sections previously imposed by the US and the European Union to pressure Gaddafi regime to stop killing civilians.

Opposition council's oil transactions will be managed by Qatar Petroleum or Vitol group of companies. The first oil shipment is expected to arrive in Singapore on Thursday and is planned to head for China after refueling.

Meanwhile, Russia's Premier Vladimir Putin says Libya's oil resources have been the main objective of the NATO-led military campaign in the North African country.

Washington has not formally recognized the TNC, a measure taken by Italy, France and Qatar. However, President Barack Obama has approved $25 million in non-military aid to opposition people who control the eastern parts of Libya.

US Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz says the opposition council is “working through the normal bugs that would be part of any stand-up transitional government ... in a country where you have not had politics for 40 years,” and thus deserves the US support.

US Senator John McCain has warned that the war in Libya could reach a stalemate if Washington does not arm the revolutionary forces fighting against Gaddafi regime. He also voiced opposition to the introduction of US ground forces in Libya.

Putin: Who authorized Gaddafi hit?

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L) gestures as he speaks during a press conference with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Copenhagen on April 26.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176906.html

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has criticized NATO over its military intervention in Libya, saying the West has violated the UN mandate by trying to kill Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

"They said they didn't want to kill Gaddafi. Now some officials say, yes, we are trying to kill Gaddafi. Who permitted this, was there any trial? Who took on the right to execute this man, no matter who he is?" Reuters quoted Putin as saying on Tuesday.

Putin's remarks come a day after NATO warplanes targeted a building inside Gaddafi's compound in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

After talks with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Copenhagen, the Russian premier said the so-called civilized societies have ganged up against Libya.

He seemed to be tacitly inferring that the West is attempting to gain control of the North African country's vast reserves of oil.

Since the outset of airstrikes against Libya, Russia has repeatedly criticized the West, saying UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which authorized a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians, is “a call for a crusade” and has backfired by causing civilian casualties.

“Surely people are being killed in these strikes -- Gaddafi is not there, he slipped away long ago, but peaceful civilians are dying,” Putin said.

Russia abstained in the UN Security Council vote which mandated a no-fly zone over Libya.

Meanwhile, in a move that will certainly not go down well at the Kremlin, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi recently said Italy will expand its role in Libya by allowing its air force to bomb selected military targets.

And on Tuesday, the US and British defense secretaries met at the Pentagon to discuss ways to step up military pressure on the Gaddafi regime, the US Defense Department said

US, UK concur on Gaddafi compound hit

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (L) and British Secretary of Defense Liam Fox (R) make remarks following their meeting at the Pentagon on April 26.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176901.html

The US and British defense secretaries have said that Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's compound was a “legitimate target” for attacks by NATO warplanes.

“We have considered all along command and control centers to be a legitimate target and we have taken those out elsewhere,” AFP quoted US Defense Secretary Robert Gates as saying on Tuesday.

Gates and British Defense Secretary Liam Fox met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss ways to step up military pressure on the Gaddafi regime, the US Defense Department said.

After the meeting, Fox said that opposition forces have gained momentum in their campaign against Gaddafi loyalists, forcing them to retreat.

"We've seen some progress made in Misratah. And it's very clear that the regime is on the back foot," Fox said.

The remarks come a day after NATO warplanes targeted a building inside Gaddafi's compound in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Several explosions were also heard in central Tripoli earlier and signals of Libya's state TV reportedly cut off after the blasts.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said Italy will expand its role in Libya by allowing its air force to bomb selected military targets.

Senator Lindsey Graham of the US Senate Armed Services Committee has urged NATO and the Obama administration to bomb Gaddafi's stronghold in Tripoli and “cut the head of the snake off.”

The main battlefield is still the besieged city of Misratah, where human rights groups say over 1,000 people have been killed by Gaddafi forces.

Russian FM calls for ceasefire in Libya

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176552.html

Russia's foreign minister has called for an immediate ceasefire in Libya amid the worsening humanitarian situation in the North African country.

In a telephone conversation with Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged implementation of UN Security Council resolutions in Libya, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

"It is necessary to unconditionally comply with the relevant resolutions made by the UN Security Council and ensure an immediate ceasefire," the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as saying.

The Libyan premier responded that Libyan officials would like to find a political solution to the conflict, adding that Tripoli is ready to fully observe UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973.

The two officials made the remarks on the same day that forces loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi unleashed a barrage of shells and rockets at the besieged western city of Misratah, killing dozens of people and injuring several others.

The humanitarian situation in Libya's third-largest city with a population of more than half a million has significantly deteriorated amid shortages of food, water and medical supplies as the result of a seven-week siege.

On March 17, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1973, authorizing NATO forces to pound positions belonging to Libyan regime "to save civilians from attacks by Gaddafi loyalists."

This is while NATO air attacks have killed many civilians in the eastern opposition-held areas of the oil-rich country, contradicting its main pledge of protecting people.

Resolution 1970 was also adopted on February 26 by the Security Council, which called for the freezing of Gaddafi's money overseas, as wells as travel bans for him and his family. It also called for a full-scale arms and trade embargo.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Lavrov said Russia is ready to cooperate with international organizations, including the African Union and the United Nations, to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the crisis and promote a peace settlement in Libya.

Lavrov on Thursday warned of "unpredictable consequences" as the "extremely risky" military operations by NATO forces and their allies show no sign of abating in the country.

"We are not happy about the latest events in Libya, which are pulling the international community into a conflict on the ground. This may have unpredictable consequences," Lavrov noted.

US begins drone strikes on Libya

Unmanned predator drones have started to patrol Libyan airspace

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176068.html

US President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed predator drones to attack targets in Libya as the UN warns about the humanitarian situation.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says American drones have carried out their first mission in Libya on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

Gates says the unmanned predator drones are an example of the military capabilities that the US can contribute to the NATO-led military campaign in Libya.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine General James Cartwright said that the predator drones would allow NATO to strike targets that "have started to dig themselves into defensive positions."

He also added that the drones are well suited for urban areas because of their ability to minimize “collateral damage” and to fly all day, giving them an "extended persistence on the target.”

The US plans to maintain at least two predator drones continuously in Libyan airspace, which carry Hellfire missiles and can stay in the air for 24 hours.

“We are trying to provide enough space, and in order to protect the opposition from Gaddafi's military to the extent we can, we are reducing his military capabilities,” Gates added.

The US already uses unmanned aircraft to carry out attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas, near the border with Afghanistan. Washington claims the attacks target militants, but most of the victims are civilians

Russia warns against Libya ground operation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176058.html

Russia's foreign minister says that a ground operation in Libya is 'extremely risky' and could have unpredictable consequences.

"We are not happy about the latest events in Libya, which are pulling the international community into a conflict on the ground. This may have unpredictable consequences," Reuters reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying in Slovenia on Thursday.

France, one of the main Western countries conducting airstrikes on Libya, has decided to send up to 10 military advisers to the North African country, reports say.

France has also promised to intensify NATO-led airstrikes to weaken Gaddafi's offensive.

Britain has also said it will send military officers to advise Libyan revolutionary forces.

"We can remember how instructors were first sent to some other countries, and later soldiers were sent there and hundreds of people died on both sides," Lavrov told a news conference.

In the meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that “President Barak Obama has approved the use of armed predator drones in Libya” to target Muammar Gaddafi's forces, Reuters reported.

Thousands of civilians have been killed since Western warplanes began their air assaults on Libya last month under a UN no-fly zone mandate.

Libyan anti-government forces, inspired by revolutions that toppled authoritarian rulers in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, are fighting to topple Gaddafi, who has ruled the country for over 41 years.

British MPs warn of Libya mission creep

British Royal Marine Commandos provide security for HMS Cumberland in port at Benghazi, Libya

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/175980.html

The UK parliamentarians have warned the coalition government of 'mission creep' in Libya, increasingly citing the example of the US war in Vietnam.

The warnings come after Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that a group of British Army officers will be deployed to Benghazi, where revolutionary forces are based, in a mentoring role to help the opposition camp coordinate its attacks on Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's troops.

“A number of experienced military officers would be sent to Benghazi to advise [opposition forces] on intelligence-gathering, logistics and communications. About 10 British and 10 French officers will make up a combined team run by a joint headquarters,” Hague claimed.

“The advisers will enable the UK to build on the work already being undertaken to support and advise the NTC [National Transitional Council] on how to better protect civilians," he added.

The decision has apparently been made after officials from countries engaged in the bombing campaign made it clear that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult.

Many believe military action is not securing the goal, which was the end of the Gaddafi regime, while more direct intervention would be unpopular at home and would breach UN Security Council resolutions on Libya.

The Security Council has voted for a no-fly zone to be enforced over Libya to prevent the regime's troops from bombarding civilians.

The British government's decision, however, provoked a political row at home with many members of parliament (MPs) citing the example of Vietnam, an open-ended and costly quagmire, Britain is required to avoid whatsoever.

"A lot of people will see this as mission creep, some of us as an inevitable outcome," said David Davis, a former Conservative home secretary.

"Sending advisers for a limited purpose is probably within the terms of Resolution 1973, but it must not be seen as a first installment of further military deployment. Vietnam began with a US president sending military advisers. We must proceed with caution," said the ex-Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

"This is clear evidence of mission creep. Now we are beginning to put military personnel on the ground, something that wasn't even discussed when we debated this issue," said MP John Baron.

In Libya, Gaddafi's foreign minister Abdul Ati al-Obeidi has said that deploying British military advisors to help rebel fighters would prolong fighting and harm chances of peace.

"We think any military presence is a step backwards and we are sure that if this bombing stopped and there is a real ceasefire we could have a dialogue among all Libyans about what they want - democracy, political reform, constitution, election. This could not be done with what is going on now," he said.

'Libya Depleted Uranium pollution to last for 1 billion years'

Image shows depleted uranium dust over an Iraqi tank

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/175663.html

Strong evidence shows that Western forces are using “depleted uranium” in their attacks on Libya and the country will remain polluted for a “billion years,” a journalist says.

“There is a lot of evidence that points strongly toward it. The way some of these armed vehicles and tanks have been hit look like it's pretty strong evidence that it is depleted uranium; it's the kind of explosive burn that you get from that particular ammunition,” said author and investigative journalist David Lindorff in an interview with Press TV.

“And certainly the US has been flying A10s, which generally use depleted uranium shells in their armaments,” he added.

Lindorff said the use of depleted uranium in weapons should be stopped “because they completely toxify [the battlefields] for a billion years.”

“So you've got this microscopic uranium dust wherever the weapons were used in the environment and anyone who lives there in the future of 'liberated' Iraq or 'liberated' Libya or 'liberated' Afghanistan or wherever they use these weapons is polluted with uranium dust for generations and generations to come.”

“We're seeing the results of that in Fallujah in Iraq where the birth defect rate is astronomical.”

The use of depleted uranium by US forces during the Iraq led to high rate of birth defects and cancer diagnoses in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in Libya since US-led forces launched aerial attacks on the North African country.

The war in Libya has so far killed around 10,000 people and injured over 50,000 others, reports say.

British MPs condemn PM over Libya

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/175016.html

British lawmakers have condemned Prime Minister David Cameron's talk of regime change in Libya as “outrageous”, saying he is illegally seeking to topple Muammar Qaddafi.

Members of Parliament (MPs) called for a recall of parliament on Friday, insisting that they had only supported the government in its attempt to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians as stipulated by the UN Security Council resolution 1973 last month, British media reported.

David Cameron drew MPs' condemnation when he published a joint article by US president Barack Obama, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy, boasting that Qaddafi “must go, and go for good”.

Cameron, Sarkozy and Obama penned a joint article, in which they dismissed a Libyan future with Qaddafi as "unthinkable", alleging that his staying on would represent an "unconscionable betrayal" by the rest of the world.

"It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government," said the article, which appeared on Friday in the London Times, The Washington Post and the French daily Le Figaro.

However, several Labour Party MPs in Britain put their weight behind the demand for the parliament to be recalled saying that it was outrageous to be talking about regime change in Libya.

“This joint letter makes it clear to the world that NATO will not stop till Gaddafi is removed. If that isn't regime change I don't know what is”, said John Baron, the Conservative MP for Basildon and Billercay.

"You only recall Parliament if there has been a material change of emphasis and this is a clear change of mission. The bottom line is that regime change is illegal under international law", added Baron who is also a member of the foreign affairs committee.

"What they have come out with is totally against what was agreed in Parliament", said Halifax MP Linda Riordan.

Thomas Docherty, a member of the defense select committee, said he would back a vote to authorize regime change in Libya, but he added, "this is well beyond what the House of Commons voted for. It is well beyond the resolution."

This is while that French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said in Paris, the US, Britain and France are thinking beyond UN resolution 1973, which authorizes action to protect Libyan civilians, and now seek regime change.

However, other world powers including the BRICS group -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - have urged that "the use of force should be avoided" as far as the Libya crisis is concerned.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has gone further, arguing that Resolution 1973 did not authorize military action of the kind being carried out in Libya by attack jets from NATO and some Arab countries.