Letters From Inside Libya (Distressing TOON)

[Turborama]

[pinboy3niner]

1. Wow!

And the pleas of the victims reflect accurately what Libyans are expressing in their twitter messages. Now, foreign national evacuees are testifying to the accuracy of those messages. In their own words, they describe "a massacre."

I heard one evacuee say in an interview today: "I SAW CARNAGE" and "THIS IS A HORRIBLE CRIME!"

[Turborama]

2. THOUSANDS of civilians being killed in Libya

Pressure mounts on Security Council to end Libya deaths
By Tim Witcher (AFP) – 2 hours ago

UNITED NATIONS — UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday demanded decisive action by the UN Security Council against Moamer Kadhafi's bloody crackdown in Libya, warning that any delay would add to the growing death toll.

Ban's call and an emotional speech by the Libyan ambassador to the United Nations -- in which he mentioned the actions of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot -- jolted the council into ordering a special meeting on Saturday to consider a sanctions resolution against Kadhafi.

Britain, France, Germany and the United States have drawn up a resolution which says the attacks on civilians could amount to crimes against humanity. It calls for an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze against Kadhafi and his entourage.

=snip=

The UN leader said more than 1,000 people have already been killed in the Libyan bloodshed. Libya's deputy UN envoy said earlier that thousands had been killed.

More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gZ6y7SpH003FMyZrVHdAm0-Llvdg?docId=CNG.1de3d3e808bdef630857a5569202a6df.951

I've heard reports that Gadaffi's death squads are burning the victims to hide the evidence of their crimes against humanity.

[pinboy3niner]

3. Civilian casualties are being waaay under-reported

I heard one foreign national evacuee estimate on cable news today that there have already been 5,000 Libyans murdered. I'd regard it as an educated guess--but a good one.

What is really ridiculous is that Gaddafi's thugs are removing bodies from morgues, hospitals and the streets in an effort to hide their crimes. How can those idiots not know that their mass graves will be found and exposed?

Already, remains have been found of those they executed and then burned, and video evidence is already on the web.

The GOOD thing, though, is that the time and energy G's thugs are spending on this concealment means less time and energy available for them to commit their murders. :)

Thank God for small favors...

btw, I stole your graphic:

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The world community will have to intervene if tnis

goes too much longer... and you can bet that some people here will go as to how this is a distraction, yada, yada, yada... .yes in spite of WI I go to the BBC to read reports at least four times a day. This fits the description of the Genocide Convention. Oh and when the international community finally does, it will be led by the US.

We may not be doing it yet. since assets are getting into position... the British have SAS on standby... they did not announce that just because... and several European nations are sending naval assets... and powers are ratcheting up the pressure... including Sarkozy telling Qadaffi to quit.. france is a close ally as close as you get with that madman that is. So did Italy, which Qadaffi does the most bidness with.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I read somewhere, don't ask me, so much going on

that some of the mercs were not shot but turned over to international authorities. If, and depends on my memory remembering this, this story is right... those minows will be used to build the crimes case. Since officially it is not a warzone (even if it smells and looks like one) war crimes cannot be used. But the Genocide convention can.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I didn't know that about war crimes not applying

Luckily, that's not the only avenue for dealing with crimes against humanity.

I've seen reports of mercs being protected and captured in some places and executed in others--which is about what you'd expect.

AC/360 aired a video tonight of of a protester shielding one wounded merc from an "angry mob" with his own body. Another vid elsewhere showed the bodies of mercs who'd been executed with their hands tied behind their backs.

In any case, the evidence against the regime already is overwhelming. If Gaddafi stays in Libya, he probably will never see a trial. The people will visit their own justice upon him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. I know it is very technical

but since we do not have anybody recognizing anybody as a legal combatant... (that would be easy to solve), it is not technically a warzone. But Genocide convention does not make those distinctions. The only thing in the agreements that could be used from Geneva is violating hospitals.

Genocide is a special case of not warcrime but crimes against humanity.

In the end, who cares. if he stays he'd better chose his piece of sand. Nobody is going to give him those niceties.