Libia

[manzaricoh]

Noticias nada halagüeñas desde Libia:

Libya Islamists 'seize arms, take hostages'

Islamist gunmen take hostages, including soldiers, after storming arms depot, seizing weapons in Al-Baida.

Middle East Online

Al-Baida on fire

TRIPOLI - Islamist gunmen have stormed a military arms depot in Libya and a nearby port and seized numerous weapons and army vehicles after killing four soldiers, a security official said on Sunday.

The group also took several hostages, both soldiers and civilians, and is "threatening to execute them unless a siege by security forces is lifted" in Al-Baida, the official said, asking not to be named.

"This criminal gang assaulted an army weapons depot and seized 250 weapons, killed four soldiers and wounded 16 others" in the Wednesday operation in Derna, which lies east of Al-Baida and 1,300 kilometres from Tripoli.

"Army Colonel Adnan al-Nwisri joined them and provided them with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, three pieces of anti-aircraft artillery and 70 Kalashnikov" assault rifles, the source said.

On Friday, he said they attacked the port in Derna and seized an assortment of 70 military vehicles.

It was not immediately clear who the civilians were or where they had been taken hostage.

The group calls itself the "Islamic Emirate of Barqa," after the ancient name of a region of northwest Libya, and the official said its leadership is made up of former Al-Qaeda fighters previously released from jail.

The official said the same group was responsible for the hanging of two policemen in Al-Baida on Friday that was reported in Oea newspaper.

Justice Minister Mustafa Abdeljalil started negotiations late on Saturday for the hostage-takers to release their captives, he said. "But we will not negotiate over Libya's integrity under any circumstances."

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 23 people have died in Al-Baida since Tuesday in clashes between security forces and protesters against the four-decade rule of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

Over the past five years, Libya has freed around 850 prisoners from different Islamist groups, 360 of them since March.

Among those released were jihadists with ties to Al-Qaeda's Iraqi and North African franchises, including senior members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) such as its chief Abdelhakim Belhaj.

In November 2007, Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri allegedly said the LIFG had joined his network, in an unverified audio recording posted online.

But the Kadhafi Foundation headed by Seif al-Islam, son of Kadhafi, said in 2008 that Islamists held in Libyan prisons and previously linked to Al-Qaeda had renounced their ties.

LIFG was formed in the early 1990s in Afghanistan by Libyan militants who took up arms against Soviet occupation forces. Its stated aim is to overthrow Kadhafi's regime and establish an Islamic state.

The group was led from central Asia by Abu Laith al-Libi, a top lieutenant of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, until his killing in February 2008 in a US missile attack in Pakistan.

In March 2006, Libya released 84 jailed members of the country's banned Muslim Brotherhood movement held since the late 1990s.

Fifty-five of those freed returned to Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and reputed opposition stronghold that has been the scene of some of the deadliest anti-regime clashes over the past week.

In 1998, Libya arrested 152 Brotherhood members. In 2002, two members were sentenced to death, 73 to life in prison and 66 were acquitted, while the others were handed 10-year jail terms.

Those condemned, mainly students and academics, were accused of supporting or belonging to Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya al-Libiya, an Islamist group whose beliefs mirror those of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

The offenders are generally charged with violating Libya's Law 71, which bans political activity opposed to the principles of the 1969 revolution in which Kadhafi took power.

Evicting Libya's monarchy, Kadhafi has since ruled the country with an iron fist, imposing an ideology inspired by socialism and Islam that he presents as the ultimate evolution of democracy and is enshrined in his "Green Book."

http://middle-east-online.com/english/?id=44478

[manzaricoh]

En Libia si no se contiene la violencia pudiera ser caldo de cultivo de un país como Afganistan. Se habla de peticiones separatistas. Aquí un artículo interesante de las influencias tribales en el país:

Libyan Tribal Map: Network of loyalties that will determine Gaddafi's fate

22/02/2011

By Abdulsattar Hatitah

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Libyan tribes played an important role in the country's fight against Ottoman, and later Italian, colonialism, with many Libyan tribal members sacrificing their lives in this war. It is believed that there are currently around 140 different tribes and clans in Libya, many of which have influences and members outside of the country, from Tunisia to Egypt to Chad. However Dr. Faraj Abdulaziz Najam, a Libyan specialist in Social Sciences and History, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Libyan tribes and clans that have genuine and demonstrable influence on the country number no more than 30 [tribes and family clans].

In a country that has lived under the brutal dictatorship of one man for more than forty years, namely Colonel Muammar Gaddafi –of the Gaddafi tribe – the majority of Libyans depend on their tribal connection in order to obtain their rights, and for protection, and even in order to find a job, particularly in the state apparatus. In a study conducted by Dr. Amal al-Obeidi at the University of Garyounis in Benghazi, it was revealed that the two largest and most influential Arab tribes in Libya originated from the Arab Peninsula, and these are the Beni Salim tribe that settled in Cyrenaica, the eastern coastal region of Libya, and the Beni Hilal that settled in western Libya around Tripoli. However other Libyan researchers and expert also revealed that around 15 percent of the Libyan population have no tribal affiliation whatsoever, being descendents of the Berber, Turkish, and other communities.

The degree of political allegiance to the ruling regime in Tripoli varies from one tribe to the next, particularly over the forty years that Gaddafi has been in power. The tribe which has the strongest, and longest, ties to the Gaddafi region is the Magariha tribe, who which has yet to announce their position on the bloody demonstrations that have been taking place across the country for the past week. Former Libyan Prime Minister Abdessalam Jalloud, widely regarded as Gaddafi's right-hand man for much of his reign, is a member of the Magariha tribe. Gaddafi's own tribe, the Gaddafi tribe, had historically not been an important tribe in Libya prior to Colonel Gaddafi's ascent to power, and the Gaddafi tribe was not known for playing a major role in Libya's right against colonialism over the last 200 years.

The leadership of the Magariha tribe acknowledges a debt of gratitude to Gaddafi and his regime for securing the return of one of the tribe's members, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, from prison in Britain after he was convicted of being behind the Lockerbie bombing. However sources also told Asharq Al-Awsat that this has not prevented a number of youths of the Magariha tribe from participating – with members from other tribes – in the demonstrations and protests against Gaddafi's rule, especially in cities in eastern and southern Libya.

Experts say that the Magariha tribe is in the best position to carry out a coup against the Libyan leader, as many members of this tribe are in sensitive and senior positions of the Libyan government and security services. Whilst the Zawiya tribe is also in a strong position, and has threatened to stop the flow of oil into western Libya unless the authorities stop their deadly crackdown against the Libyan protestors.

Tribal influence in Libya is extremely important, particularly since the 1970s, with tribal affiliation being important with regards to obtaining employment in Libya's General People's Committees, as well as in the country's security apparatus.

The largest and most influential tribe in eastern Libya is the Misurata tribe, which takes its name from the Misurata district in northwestern Libya. The tribe has particularly strong influence in the cities of Benghazi and Darneh.

As for the Cyrenaica region, the most prominent tribe's in this area are the Kargala tribe, the Tawajeer tribe, and the Ramla tribe.

However the Misurata region has, over the past 50 years, become divided between those who belong to the traditional tribes that follow traditional tribal pursuits, and those who have given up this lifestyle and live in the region's urban centers.

Some of the more prominent tribes and families that have given up the Bedouin tribal culture in the Misurata region are: the el-Mahjoub clan, the Zamoura family, the Kawafi tribe, the Dababisa tribe, the Zawaiya tribe, the al-Sawalih tribe, and the al-Jarsha tribe.

As for the Kawar tribe, this is comprised of many sub-tribes of Arab descent, with some analysts saying that this tribe – which takes its name from the Kaouar region – is made up of as many as 15 smaller tribes.

The al-Awaqir tribe is centered in the Barqah region of Cyrenaica, and this tribe is well known for the prominent role that it played in the war against Ottoman and Italian colonialism. The al-Awaqir tribe has also historically played a prominent role in Libyan politics, including during the previous era of the Libyan monarchy as well as during Gaddafi's reign. Al-Awaqir tribal members have held senior positions within Gaddafi's regime, including ministerial positions.

As for Tobruk and the surrounding region, there are a number of prominent tribes in this area, including the Abdiyat tribe, that is made up of around 15 sub-tribes, and which is one of the most powerful tribes in the Cyrenaica region. The Masamir tribe is also an important tribe in this region, and although this tribe is known in Libya for its religious inclinations and piety, members of this tribe played a prominent role in fighting against Italian colonialism, particularly during the first half of the twentieth century.

As for the al-Mujabra tribe, this tribe has a strong presence south-west of Tripoli near the Al Jabal Al Gharbi district. Brigadier General Abu Bark Younis Jaber, Libyan head of the army, is also a prominent member of this tribe.

The Libyan Farjan tribe is centered west of the city Ajdabiya, and members of this tribe can be found in most of Libya's costal cities, including Sirte, Zilten, and Tripoli. The Fizan district, and the area around Tripoli, is the home to the Zawiya tribe, the Warfala tribe, the Magariha tribe, and the Maslata tribe. The majority of people in the city of Tripoli are affiliated to the Masrata tribe, such as the Muntasir clan, the Suni family, the Qadi family, the al-Bashti family, and many other prominent families.

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=3&id=24257

[kilo009]

Gabinete de Crisis en Moncloa, entre otras cosas, se tratará el suministro energético:

El gabinete de crisis lo forman el propio presidente, los tres vicepresidentes del Gobierno y los ministros de Exteriores, Defensa, Fomento y Presidencia, además del jefe de gabinete de Zapatero, el director del Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI) y el secretario de Estado de Seguridad. La reunión ha comenzado a las 20.00 horas. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/02/2 ... 94484.html

[anlloge]

Ahora informa Al Jazeera que el ministro del interior, Abdul Fatah Younis, anuncia su abandono del Gobierno de Gadafi y exhorta a unirse a la rebelión

[kilo009]

Además Anlloge, la zona oriental del país no está bajo el control de Gadafi, el Ejército se ha unido al pueblo, y por eso se bombardearon los depósitos de municiones.

Libia se va desmoronando.

Posibilidades:

-Secuestro de ciudadanos occidentales - españoles como motivo de represalia - presión.
-Ataques allá donde alcancen sus medios.
-Atentados terroristas financiados por el líer libio.

Por cierto, se está preparando una evacuación de españoles de Libia, supongo que ahora mismo habrá allí personal dando seguridad a los españoles o por lo menos a la Embajada.

[anlloge]

...por cierto, informan de que Daniel Ortega telefoneó a Gadafi para mostrarle su apoyo...nunca pierdas la oportunidad de quedar como un imbécil

[Florentech]

Tras perder el apoyo de varios embajadores y del ministro del interior el General Abdul-Fatah Younis, Al Jazeera informa de que en la zona este del pais los protestantes apenas se han encontrado con fuerzas de seguridad. Y casi el 95% de las tribus han dado la espalda también al dictador Libio.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/afric ... 99145.html

[kilo009]

A cuenta de los mercenarios de Gadafi, comentar que según he leído en The Washington Post,

*Los mercenarios estarían bajo mando de la Brigada de Khamis (nombre del hijo menor de Gadafi, más en este artículo de ABC http://www.abc.es/20110225/internaciona ... 10225.html), quien se habría encargado de traerlos a Libia.

*Las nacionalidades de estos mercenarios son de Guinea, Níger, Chad, Mauritania y Sudán

Las Fuerzas Paramilitares de Gadafi según el diario:

The exact number of paramilitary forces at Gaddafi's disposal is unknown. According to one estimate, there is a 3,000-man Revolutionary Guard Corps plus unknown numbers of fighters in the Islamic Pan African Legion, the People's Cavalry Force and various "people's militias."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 1022203809

[Loopster]

Auto-referencia, unos cuantos enlaces que pouse en el foro FAS, donde llevamos varios días con discusiones sobre el asunto:

http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.c ... 7&user=fas

[kilo009]

Me sigue preocupando la situación en Libia:

-parece que se avanza desde el este y el oeste hacia la capital
-Gadafi está armando a sus leales, y todo apunta a una carnicería.

Este tipo puede tener reacciones inesperadas, ya dije en su día de la posibilidad de rehenes occidentales; cortar el suministro de petróleo (los sublevados controlan la mayoría ya); ataque a donde lleguen sus posibilidades; por ahí leí que le quedaban armas químicas, etc.

Otra posibilidad, que AQ utilice esta crisis para instaurarse en Libia; para aprovechar y dar el salto a Europa, o incluso, para atacar a los Occidentales que hay atrapados en la zona.

Todo huele a intervención militar ONU/OTAN, descarto UE.