Category Archives: Libya

Libya’s Uprising / Revolution ثورة ليبيا

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Revolution In Libya

Libya: 17 February, 2011-

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“شبر شبر بيت بيت دار دار زنقا زنقا فرد فرد”

[Early in the uprising, Gaddafi threatened those who opposed him to pursue and fight them ‘inch by inch, house by house, alley by alley [zanga zanga] …  A tautology that’s worked at his own expense in the end.]

 

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Protests in Libya first erupted on February 15 following the arrest of Fathi Terbi, a human rights lawyer who represented the “relatives of more than 1,000 prisoners allegedly massacred by security forces in Tripoli’s Abu Salim jail in 1996,” the BBC reported.  On 17 February 2011 a series of peaceful protests that spread across the country were met with military force by the Muammar Qaddafi regime. The protests escalated into full scale armed clashes between anti- and pro-government forces. The forces opposing Gaddafi established a government based in Benghazi named the National Transitional Council whose stated goal is to overthrow the Gaddafi-led government and hold democratic elections.

On 26 February, 2011 he United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya from pro-Gaddafi forces. Further UN resolutions were passed freezing the assets of Gaddafi and ten members of his inner circle, and restricting their travel. The resolution also referred the actions of the government to the International Criminal Court for investigation, and an arrest warrant for Gaddafi was issued on 27 June.

On August 21 Libyan rebels took control of most of Tripoli, celebrating the victory in Green Square. Gadhafi’s defenders quickly melted away. On August 23, rebels overran the colonel’s Bab al-Aziziya compound through its north gates and stormed inside.

 Libya : New Libya National Anthem ( Revolutionist ) 2011. Subtitle ENG

 

“Operation Odyssey Dawn.” What’s in a Name?

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Why are Military Actions in Libya Called “Operation Odyssey Dawn”?

“Operation Odyssey Dawn” began Saturday (March 19th) in Libya, when French warplanes opened fire on four pro-Gaddafi tanks headed to Benghazi.

An international coalition agreed to initiate airstrikes following the UN Security Council resolution on Libya (see last post). which authorized “all necessary measures” short of a ground invasion to defend civilians from attacks by units loyal to Libyan leader.

Phase One started the same day with the involvement of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada.

U.S. military’s nickname for the no-fly zone in Libya is “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”

According to the Washington Post “The Pentagon permits military commanders to assign two-word nicknames to military exercises or operations using instructions laid out in a carefully crafted Defense Department naming policy. The instructions assign each military command a certain set of words that must be used to select the name’s first word. AFRICOM is assigned to use pairings of words that start with JS to JZ, NS to NZ and OA to OS … A recent headquarters exercise was called Judicious Response, and another recent operation used the NS to NZ range, leaving OA to OS as the only option …

So how did commanders select “Odyssey Dawn”?

A group of lieutenant colonels and majors met several weeks ago in the early planning stages of the operation and agreed that Odyssey was the only usable word in the OA to OS range. Then, “they sat around and brainstormed for a random word that went well with it.””

Here’s what countries enforcing the resolution name “Operation Odyssey Dawn” 

*Canada: Operation Mobile

*France: Opération Harmattan

*United Kingdom: Operation Ellamy

*United States,  Italy,  Denmark,  Norway: Operation Odyssey Dawn

*NATO: Operation Unified Protector (arms embargo)

UN security council resolution 1973 (2011) on Libya – full text

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The UN Security Council has passed a resolution authorising “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya from pro-Gaddafi forces.  Read the full text of the resolution passed at UN headquarters in favor of a no-fly zone and air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi.

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Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Security Council

6498th Meeting (Night)

Security Council Approves ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya, Authorizing ‘All Necessary Measures’ to Protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions

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ARABIC text of UN security council resolution 1973 (2011)

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مجلس الأمن

قرار مجلس الامن

القرار  ١٩٧٣

الذي اتخذه مجلس الأمن في جلسته ٦٤٩٨ ، المعقودة في ١٧ آذار/مارس ٢٠١١

إن مجلس الأمن،

إذ يشير إلى قراره ١٩٧٠

المؤرخ ٢٦ شباط/فبراير ٢٠١١

وإذ يعرب عن استيائه لعدم امتثال السلطات الليبية للقرار  ١٩٧٠
وإذ يعرب عن القلق ا لبالغ إزاء تدهور الوضع وتصاعد العنف والخسائر

الفادحة في صفوف المدنيين، …………… الخ

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Libya UN Resolution 1973:

Text analysed (BBC)

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[Gaddafi’s flag]

Feb 26, 2011
Security Council
SC/10187/Rev.1**Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New YorkSecurity Council 6491st Meeting* (PM)

In Swift, Decisive Action, Security Council Imposes Tough Measures on Libyan Regime, Adopting Resolution 1970 in Wake of Crackdown on Protesters Situation Referred to International Criminal Court;Secretary-General Expresses Hope Message ‘Heard and Heeded’ in Libya

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دستـور لـيبيـا

أصدرته  “الجمعية الوطنية الليبية” في 7 أكتوبر 1951

وألغاه الإنقلابيون في أول سبتمبر 1969

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Libyan Constitution

(Libyan Constitutional Union)

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Libya’s Constitution

[English Translation]

Promulgated by the “National Constituent Assembly” on

7th October 1951

Abolished by a Military Coup d’etat on

1st September 1969

The Arab democratic wave: how the EU can seize the moment

Report – n°9, March 2011 [PDF]

The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)

Following the extraordinary events that have been unfolding across the Arab world, the EUISS has opened an online debate to discuss the implications of the Arab democratic wave for EU foreign policy. The EUISS has invited academics, policymakers, think tankers and other influential voices from a variety of backgrounds including from North Africa, the Middle East and Europe to contribute to this pluralistic online debate.

North Africa & the Middle East 2011

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Revolutions in North Africa & the Middle East, 2011

Description: This collection, selected by the Library of Congress, documents the events in Northern Africa and the Middle East in 2011 after the Tunisian uprising. Content includes blogs, social media and news sites about Egypt, Yemen, Sudan and other African countries. These sites contain content in Arabic, English, and French.

Jasmine Revolution – Tunisia 2011

Description: This collection consists of websites documenting the revolution in Tunisia in 2011. Partners at Library of Congress and Bibliothèque Nationale de France have contributed websites for this collection, and the sites are primarily in French and Arabic with some in English.

Tunisia and the spark that launched uprisings

(The Washington Post)

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By Marc Fisher, Saturday, March 26,

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handar4How a slap sparked Tunisia’s revolution – CBSNews

Tunisia and the spark that launched uprisings

Broadcast: February 20, 2011 / 13:37 minutes

Bob Simon reports from Tunisia, where protests against the repressive government not only toppled its autocratic ruler, but sparked the uprising in Egypt that forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign.