Libyan Revolution Tweets, Day 12 (or 14*), Part 2

[Catherina]

Libyan Revolution Tweets, Day 12 (or 14*), Part 2

Today's threads: Part 1

#Feb17 Youth organizers invite Gaddafi's collaborators to stand under his umbrella ella ella ella ella ella http://bit.ly/faa34E

"We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. Plan A is to live and die in Libya. Plan B is to live and die in Libya. Plan C is to live and die in Libya."
- Saif Islam Qaddafi during interview

*I called this Day 12 because the official start date was #Feb17 but the kickoff was 2 days early so in reality today is day 14.

Previous Day 11 threads: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

The world’s 100 largest arms dealers, excluding Chinese vendors, sold weapons for $401 billion in 2009, with US vendors in first place

Threads for Days 1-9 are in my journal

"I was born in Tunisia, I persevered in Egypt, I sacrificed myself in Libya, I have fought in Yemen&Bahrain. I am Freedom, I will not die."
- Libyan4life Jeel Ghathub

LibyanThinker The Libyan Thinker
Remains of Soldiers Burned to Death for Not Shooting Protesters in #Libya http://www.twitvid.com/YXKOT & http://tinyurl.com/4d6a57n

MAP of Protests across the Middle East



Google Earth DL here to see positions of army and patrolling route of mercenaries

Please rec if you read these so I know if the effort here is worth it.

[pinboy3niner]

1. K&R and Good morning, Catherina!

[Catherina]

3. Good morning! Demos in Tripoli? Good. catching up real quick,

hope today is decisive for the ppl.

[pinboy3niner]

5. I hope so, too

Ending the bloodshed is top priority.

[Catherina]

2. BREAKING: tunnels in Benghazi (underground prisons) screams still being heard, but ppl can not >>

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
BREAKING: tunnels in Benghazi (underground prisons) screams still being heard, but ppl can not be found, they request the map #Libya #Feb17
17 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

4. Every time some Arabs die in riots, we have to reassure the world that the oil flow is safe. >>

iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
Every time some Arabs die in riots, we have to reassure the world that the oil flow is safe. Isn't it a little shameful and degrading?
6 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

6. G tried to bribe them with money & guns. They took the money and the guns, and kicked him out>>

iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
Yesterday we reported that Gaddafi tried to bribe Kufra/Al-Jawf with guns & cash, and it failed. More details: http://j.mp/eNlRB9 #Libya
2 hours ago



iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
Gaddafi tried to bribe them with money & guns. They took the money and the guns, and kicked him out! http://j.mp/eNlRB9 #Libya
2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply


Their statement here, in Arabic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBBDBkwZ5gM&feature=player_embedded

[joshcryer]

18. Hahaha, that's hilarious. HILARIOUS.

[Catherina]

7. Revolutionaries shoot down Libyan military aircraft near Misrata and capture its crew

BreakingNews Breaking News
by iyad_elbaghdadi
Anti-Gadhafi forces shoot down Libyan military aircraft near Misrata and capture its crew, witness tells Reuters
2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply



AlArabiya_Eng Al Arabiya English
by iyad_elbaghdadi
REUTERS: anti-Gaddafi protesters shot down a military aircraft near Misrata and captures its crew #alarabiya #Gaddafi #Tripoli #Feb17
2 hours ago

[pinboy3niner]

8. TIME IN LIBYA RIGHT NOW = 3 PM

Libya time = U.S. EST +7, PST +10

[defendandprotect]

59. KR

[Catherina]

9. Rpt: situation on road from Azawiya to Tripoli

iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
An eyewitness managed to get from Azawiya to Tripoli and recounted what he saw. #Libya
13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply


Along the Azawiya-Tripoli road, there are 5 checkpoints with tanks, anti-aircraft guns, infantry, and mercenaries. #Libya

Checkpoints are manned with up to 15 infantry, out of which some are from brigades under #Gaddafi's sons command. #Libya

The last checkpoint is in an area called Jaddeim, which is only 5-10 kms away from Azawiya. #Libya

This last checkpoing at Jeddeim is more heavily manned, which is alarming. Very close to Azawiya, too close for comfort. #Libya

People are stopped at the checkpoints and searched. Anyone "suspicious" is bound, blindfolded, and taken away. #Libya
10 minutes ago

Arabs with a non-Libyan dialect are given hell. Esp. Tunisians and Egyptians. #Libya
10 minutes ago

Once you enter Azawiya, it's with the people. Safe & secure but on extreme alert. #Libya
9 minutes ago

Of course there were multiple failed attempts by #Gaddafi to get into Azawiya, for some reason he seems intent on trying some more. #Libya

No news about how well armed people are in Azawiya, which concerns me. Too many die to stop any #Gaddafi attack. #Libya
7 minutes ago

Authorities in Tripoli have become extra paranoid; sending out spies to know who is communicating with the outside.

In Tripoli, they are also monitoring phones, which is why people are taking extra precautions now.

People in Tripoli are afraid the more #Gaddafi feels the noose tighten, the more paranoid and bloodthirsty he becomes

Ordinary, even non-activist Tripolitanians are taking the brunt of his paranoia.

Beyond Azawiya, seems that pro-#Gaddafi Khweldi brigade is still situated around Sorman.

They had a raid into Sibratha yesterday, still waiting for more info about that.
1 minute ago

[Catherina]

20. Rpt: situation on road from Azawiya to Tripoli, Pt 2

iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
Residents of Al-Khums reported seeing #Gaddafi agents with money to win over "supporters" for their boss. #Libya
7 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

People are saying that morale of pro-#Gaddafi troops is very low, some are refusing orders, others deserting, some in-fighting. #Libya
6 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

In Misurata, reports that a helicopter downed earlier today. Don't know if it's the same as that reported before, or a second one. #Libya

Note that in Misurata, it seems at least some #Gaddafi troops captured are regular Libyans, maybe those "armed supporters" of his. #Libya

I predict more attacks/attempts on Azawiya and Misurata. Worried about Azawiya, proud of Misurata. #Libya

Anyway, that was my report. I'm here for a few minutes for replies, then will be away for a couple hours. #Libya
2 minutes ago

iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
@
@poisoningno I heard that report. May God be with them. My reports concentrate on the Tripoli area, as you have seen.

[Iterate]

10. Blog: how the UK team went after 16 signatures needed from #HumanRights Council

@FCOHumanRights: Blog: how the UK team went after 16 signatures needed from #HumanRights Council members to hold Special Session on #Libya http://ow.ly/44Dzm

Bob Last
Senior Human Rights Advisor, Geneva

The Human Rights Council broke new ground this week and I ended up rather in the thick of it. On Tuesday, as part of the UK’s decision to do everything it can to hold the Gaddafi regime to account, the team in Geneva went after the 16 signatures needed from Human Rights Council members to hold a Special Session on Libya. I’d spent the morning at hospital with my wife who is due to have a baby soon, and had to ignore my hyperactive blackberry, which sat in my pocket screaming for attention through its incessant vibrations. Clearly something big was afoot.

No Council member had ever been subject to a Special Session before so getting the required support in the space of a day was a big ask. But in a dizzying whirlwind of diplomatic overdrive I and my colleagues set about getting enough countries to sign up before dinner time. Happily, after a slow start the signatures came steadily through. I was hugely impressed by the way in which my colleagues from all regions worked their hardest to get permission from their capitals to sign up. It goes to show that diplomats who care about what they’re doing can make a difference.

...more
http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/last/entry/libya

That's one deeply broken institution where human rights advocates have been doing battle for decades with nearly every member state, as nearly every member state has something to hide.

[Catherina]

11. Saadi gaddafi phones al qarni (respected saudi scholar) asks him to tell libyans to respect 'rulers

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Saadi gaddafi phones al qarni (respected saudi scholar) asks him to tell libyans to respect 'rulers of Libya) #Libya #Feb17
3 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

13. al qarni refused to back Saadi Gaddafi, telling him i visited Libya and witnessed destructio

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Back to earlier tweet, al qarni refused to back Saadi Gaddafi, telling him i visited Libya and witnessed destruction #Libya #Feb17
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

12. Helicopter shot down over misrata, crew are now captured by pro democracy protesters

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
BREAKING: Helicopter shot down over misrata, crew are now captured by pro democracy protesters #libya #Feb17 #gaddaficrimes
2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

14. Liberated parts of Libya claim streets clean no looting, proved do not need foreign interventio

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Liberated parts of Libya claim streets clean no looting, Libya has proved they do not need foreign intervention, Tripoli next #Libya #Feb17
21 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

15. Liberated parts claiming Life is safer then before, all very excited for the complete fall >>

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Liberated parts of Libya claiming Life is safer then before, all very excited for the complete fall of gaddafi and a new free #Libya #Feb17
21 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

16. BREAKING: Anti Gaddafi protests now taking place in Tajoora Tripoli

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
BREAKING: Anti Gaddafi protests now taking place in Tajoora Tripoli #Libya #Feb17
20 minutes ago

[defendandprotect]

60. LIBYA HURRA -- !!

[Catherina]

17. Hague: Libya should be suspended from UN human rights council

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Hague: Libya should be suspended from UN human rights council #Libya #Feb17 #gaddaficrimes
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply


Not just Libya. Look in a mirror big colonial powers and arm dealing, war causing countries

[Poboy]

19. recommend

[Oceansaway]

21. thanks...n/t

[Catherina]

22. #tripoli is awake and anti gaddafi groups have begun protests

adeb91 A
#libya #tripoli is awake and anti gaddafi groups have begun protests
6 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

23. fighting taking place #Misrata and #Gaddafi forces still surrounding #Zawiya

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya Al Jaz reports fighting taking place #Misrata and #Gaddafi forces still surrounding #Zawiya
2 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

24. Western world reporting how well organised and peaceful the east #libya is out of G's ctrl

adeb91 A
Western world are reporting how well organised and peaceful the east #libya is now that its out of #gaddaficrimes control
2 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

25. 'If law fails CIA 2 assassinate Assange' US y not Gaddafi then? Leave Assange ALONE. We r watching u

Facfortia jh
by rstripolina
#Libya 'If law fails CIA will assassinate Assange' US #why not #Gaddafi then? Leave Assange #ALONE. We are watching you @Libya #feb17
23 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[defendandprotect]

61. K

[Catherina]

26. UK Foreign Sec:'there will be a day of reckoning & the reach of international justice can be long'

fieldproducer Neal Mann
by Catherina_Guate
UK Foreign Sec on violence from the regime in #Libya 'there will be a day of reckoning & the reach of international justice can be long'
25 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

27. NicRobertsonCNN, rpt from #Zawiya , #Libya on Sunday.

NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Our story from #Zawiya , #Libya on Sunday. http://tiny.cc/iacz4
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/02/27/robertson.libya.zawiya.trip.cnn

[Catherina]

28. Journos can now enter Libya from the west through southern #Tunisia to the Nafousa mountains

Gheblawi Ghazi Gheblawi
Journalists now can enter Libya from the west through southern #Tunisia to the Nafousa mountains which is all under popular control #Libya
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[sasha031]

34. k/r

[Catherina]

29. UK, France & Germany, all advocating democracy in Libya, armed G for 3 yrs, hypocrites

jojiphilip Joji Philip
by ChangeInLibya
UK, France & Germany, all advocating democracy in Libya, helped arm Gaddafi over last rhree years - such Hypocrites
13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

30. concerns we have re: foreign intervention - mustn't happen

libyansrevolt Libyans Revolt
by ChangeInLibya
Read this for more info on concerns we have re: foreign intervention - mustn't happen http://bit.ly/h3RtPg #libya #feb17
3 hours ago

On International Intervention and the Dire Situation in Libya
8 Feb 23 2011
by Asli Bali and Ziad Abu-Rish

...

The first test of any would-be interventionist is this: do no harm. And there is very little evidence that direct intervention in the Libyan case could meet this test. For instance, calls for a no-fly zone by Libya’s Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. (drawing on the Iraqi precedent of the 1990s) and an air campaign by others (drawing on the Kosovo precedent from 1999) would surely fail this test. Neither option would shield the Libyan civilian population from the regime’s coercive apparatus (which is not principally aerial) and both options may entail serious costs to civilians by freezing or exacerbating the situation on the ground. Beyond raising questions of enforcement (would international forces fire on Libyan aircraft?), a no-fly zone might well block one method of escape for Libyan civilians or close an avenue for defections by members of the air force, such as the four pilots that are known to have flown out and defected in disobedience of direct orders to bomb civilians. Alternatively, air strikes run the risk of serious damage to both the civilian population and infrastructure. In short, any intervention must be crafted to offer real support to the civilian population of Libya, which direct forms of coercive intervention like no-fly zones or air strikes would not. But are there other forms of intervention that would be better suited to the task? Given limited knowledge of Libya’s internal dynamics at present and the heavy-handed interventionist toolkit developed to date by the international community any such option must be approached with caution.

Coercive options should be taken off the table. Absent the political will to commit ground forces to serve as a meaningful buffer between the regime and the population, any coercive intervention will do more damage (particularly to civilians) than good. Further, even if the political will existed for forceful intervention to offer direct protection to Libyan civilians, history suggests that the ultimate outcome of such intervention would still be harmful. Aside from the obvious potential threats to the civilian populations from the presence of foreign troops on their soil, including risks from a ground conflict and risks associated with the possibility of a prolonged presence, there are additional considerations that weigh against such intervention. At a time when the regime appears to be crumbling from within, as a result of the courageous mobilization of its own people, to engage in an eleventh hour intervention runs the very serious risk of depriving the Libyan people of their control over the hard-won transition they have initiated. To rebrand the Libyan uprising with the last minute trappings of international liberation (read: “Made in the West”) would do a serious disservice to the achievements of the protesters. Of course, none of this is to absolve the international community of its obligation to support Libyan civilians. Rather, we seek to identify a principled course of action that speaks to the dire situation, our responsibilities towards it, and the power relations that frame it.

In the immediate context, the most appropriate role for the international community is in providing humanitarian assistance and desisting from any further support to the regime. In addition to condemning the regime’s resort to violence, there are at least five modalities for the provision of such assistance, all of which should be employed immediately, with the support of the Security Council. First, all borders should be opened and appropriate facilities created to allow Libyan civilians to flee regime violence. If various governments are going to create exit routes through charter flights and land crossings for their own citizens, they also need to create a mechanism for Libyans to get out. Second, all available means for providing direct humanitarian assistance on the ground to the Libyan population should be utilized, including aid convoys to eastern Libya through Egypt and to western Libya through Tunisia. Third, al-Qaddafi’s assets and those of remaining elements of the regime should be frozen and kept in safe keeping to be given to whatever post-Qaddafi system emerges. Fourth, governments with ties to Libya should immediately sever all military ties, withholding delivery of materiel and cancelling all outstanding contracts. Finally, an arms embargo should be imposed preventing the sale or delivery of military equipment or personnel (including foreign mercenaries) to the Libyan state security forces. Sanctions that target military materiel, services and the movement of reinforcements from among foreign mercenaries are essential. Sanctions that go beyond these aims would run the risk of causing more harm to civilians than to the regime.

Beyond these measures, several other recent suggestions for intervention – ranging from direct coercion to demands for immediate international criminal accountability – raise a number of troubling implications that should give pause to those acting in solidarity with the Libyan people. Returning to our earlier consideration of what distinguishes the Libyan case from those of Tunisia and Egypt, it is important to underscore the international context when considering outside intervention. Tunisia and Egypt were both regimes with strong ties to the West and central to the regional order. The Libyan regime’s position is at best isolated and at worst adversarial with respect to the West. The difference this makes in the risk calculations of the regime and the dangers associated with calls for intervention is significant. Intervention in support of regime change in Libya presents the West with a window of opportunity to shape the transition of a relatively oil-rich North African country, potentially replacing an irritant with a new client. Where the emphasis of Western interests in the Tunisian and Egyptian cases has been on stability, in the Libyan case the goals will likely be rapid transformation. For instance, in a post-transition Libya, individuals with ties to the West or experience with energy markets might emerge as favored interlocutors, identified with international approval as “moderate” and “appropriate.” To invite forceful international intervention in the last days of the current regime might empower external interveners to make such choices, potentially at the expense of the preferences of the Libyan people. Particularly in light of how little is known about the current political dynamics among opposition groups within Libya, international intervention may entail a particularly high risk that the narrative framing of events will be captured by external actors in ways that are adverse to local Libyan choices.

...

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/725/on-international-intervention-and-the-dire-situation-in-libya

[Catherina]

31. Libya's Berbers join the revolution in fight to reclaim ancient identity

Gheblawi Ghazi Gheblawi
Libya's Berbers join the revolution in fight to reclaim ancient identity gu.com/p/2nd9j/tw via @guardian #Libya
15 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Libya's Berbers join the revolution in fight to reclaim ancient identity
Mountain tribes in the west, also called Amazigh, unite with opposition after decades of Gaddafi repressing their identity


Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Zentan
guardian.co.uk, Monday 28 February 2011 13.01 GMT


Anti-Gaddafi rebels in Nalut, western Lybia. Photograph: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images

...

The following morning we went with Talibi, the poet-commander, to a small hill overlooking the highway. Talibi was planning an attack on the border post between Tunisia and Libya so that medical aid and opposition leaders could enter from the west.

Talibi shouted in Amazigh into his two mobile phones. His small guerrilla force of a dozen heavily-built tribesman milled around him, waiting for the order to attack. Between them they had four Kalashnikovs, a few hunting rifles and a stick.

...

When the order was given the tribesmen raced in five pick-ups towards the border. The Libyan policemen opened the gate and let the tribesmen inside without a bullet being fired. As the cars slid to a halt one Libyan soldier ran out of a back door clutching his rifle.

...

"The ultimate plan is to co-ordinate with our brothers from the east and march to Tripoli," said the security leader. "The plan was start marching yesterday, but that was postponed. You see the situation is flexible so we can't really plan, but we have to send armed men to Tripoli. Those are unarmed people who are being massacred. We have to help them."

...

[Catherina]

32. route 4 humanitarian aid being secured from S Tunisia to the west of Libya through Nafousa mountains

Gheblawi Ghazi Gheblawi
A route for humanitarian aid is being secured from southern #Tunisia to the west of #Libya through Nafousa mountains
13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

33. airforce preparations underway to undertake sorties over musrata to attack key positions

HafedAlGhwell Hafed Al Ghwell
Just got this note from a friend in Tripoli a little while ago:rnrnDearest Haf... http://biggertwitter.com/s/n4v7io/
13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply


Just got this note from a friend in Tripoli a little while ago: Dearest Hafed, I have just, this instant, received info from my second cousin, who is a military engineer based in tripoli, that there are airforce preparations underway to undertake sorties over musrata to attack key positions. He did not indicate what kind of aircraft are being prepared nor when the sorties will occur. He also did not indicate what these 'key positions' were. More due to a lack of knowldege rather than a reluctance to divulge. I dont know what to do with this info. I have informed some of my media contacts including Margaret. I trust you will make better use of this info than i. I also will immediately get in touch with some contacts in musrata to warn. Best wishes.

At 13:23 on 28/2/11

[Catherina]

35. ex- #Gaddafi executioner General Ahmed el-Gatrani,"Our brothers in Tripoli say: "We are fine so far

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya defected ex- #Gaddafi executioner General Ahmed el-Gatrani,"Our brothers in Tripoli say: "We are fine so far, we do not need help'.
14 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

That's another one for the ICC

[Catherina]

36. he's kidnapping university students & using them as a human shield?! SERIOUSLY? when will this end!!

juhina_ jay_Libya
what the hell? he's kidnapping university students and using them as a human shield?! SERIOUSLY? when will this end!! #Gadafi #libya
11 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

37. Farrakhan: Libya's Gadhafi remains a friend

feb17libya Feb17Libya
#feb17 Farrakhan: Libya's Gadhafi remains a friend http://f.ast.ly/qpnt3 #@shabablibya
7 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Farrakhan: Libya’s Gadhafi remains a friend
Posted on February 28, 2011 by main

– Sun Feb 27, 9:15 pm ET

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan says Moammar Gadhafi has always been a friend and he won’t distance himself from the Libyan dictator.

Farrakhan spoke Sunday at the Chicago-based organization Saviours’ Day convention.

Farrakhan didn’t talk specifics about the deadly uprisings in Libya, but the 77-year-old said no leader has been loved by 100 percent of his people.

Farrakhan also said that if Gadhafi is persecuted for crimes against humanity, the same should apply to former President George W. Bush for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

...


http://feb17.info/media/farrakhan-libyas-gadhafi-remains-a-friend/

I'll give him the last one but shame on you Farrakhan. Disgusting.

[Catherina]

38. ppl angry that all ex-Gaddafi loyalists creeping in2 high positions-openly invited by ex-Min >>

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya Al jaz reports ppl angry that all the ex-Gaddafi loyalists are creeping in2 committees positions-openly invited by ex-Min of Justice
7 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

They better be. That self appointed committee of Gaddafi crooks claiming to speak for Libya and dealing with Washington needs to be neutralized and eliminated

[Catherina]

41. ex- Gaddafi Min of Justice appointed himself leader of Interim gov without support of ppls >>

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya Proved ex- Gaddafi Min of Justice Abud #Ajleil appointed himself leader of Interim govt without support of ppls committees as claimed
8 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

44. Natl Counc. says ex- #Gaddafi crony who declared Int Gov just expressing his own personal opinions

MilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya #National #Council says ex- #Gaddafi crony Abdel #Ajleil who declared Interim govt -just expressing his own personal opinions #feb17
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Right. He was holed up with Gaddafi three days ago forming that *personal opinion*

[Catherina]

49. Natl Counc says it does not support crony Min of Justice attempts to negotiate with #Gaddafi

ilitantNews Stephen Morgan
#Libya National Council says it does not support ex-Gaddafi jailor Min of Justice Abud #Ajleil 's attempts to negotiate with #Gaddafi #feb17
11 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[defendandprotect]

62. LIBYA HURRA -- !!

[Catherina]

39. An update from Tripoli: The Regime's Al-Qaeda Charm Offensive in Operation

HafedAlGhwell Hafed Al Ghwell
An update from Tripoli --------rnrnrnThe Artificial Calm Prevails.rnrn ... http://biggertwitter.com/s/myqxmg/
8 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

An update from Tripoli -------- The Artificial Calm Prevails. 28th Feb 2011 Last night saw another comparatively quiet night go by in Tripoli. People were out till relatively late (8pm) queuing up for their 500 LD “gift” from the regime. This was the talk of the day yesterday. An sms message inviting all who possess a ‘family book’ to present themselves to the nearest bank to claim a bonus 500 LD. No repayments, no proof of employment, no-one exempt. Allegedly ‘free money’. My usual drive around the city to assess the situation in various districts was unusual today. For the first time since arriving on Monday 21st Feb, we had to deal with Tripoli’s mundane, yet characteristic, traffic. There were long queues of people as usual, but this time not just for bread, but at banks. Queues which snaked out onto the pavements along the streets. More and more people were arriving at the local banks, clutching at their oversized ‘family book’ ready to receive their gifts. There was lively debate at these queues, almost subtle arguments, but to my regret I did not stop to investigate. You could almost feel a weight of guilt on some of the people queuing up, but this is merely speculation, and my personal interpretation of the body language of those patiently, and sometimes impatiently, waiting.

Later in the evening I decided to stop near one of the lines in the Ben Ashour district. The general mood was not positive and was not what you would expect from what is effectively free distribution of money. People were calling to other people over the street: ‘Hey, did you get yours?’, to which another man would reply ‘No!!! I need to get a photocopy’. Other replies included ‘No, they told me to come back in 3 days’ and ‘No, im not queuing anymore’. Asking around friends and family, the consensus is that no body has actually received 500 LD yet, but I can not confirm this 100%. The general understanding is you need to wait 3 days, as the banks have not yet been issued the funds. Ive had a few debates over the ‘gift’ with some friends and families. The majority of people I know refuse to accept this ‘gift’ as it amounts to bribery, and a mere charm offensive is not going to rid a people of 42 years of hate. However, it must be said that the people I have spoken to are of a similar socio-economic class and can, perhaps, afford to make a stand against a free 500 LD – almost double the monthly minimum wage of civil servants in Libya. Many simply cannot afford to turn away the money. Many claim that this is indeed their money. Oil revenue that they have been denied for years. The very reason that they are protesting. The indignity of not reaping the benefits of the god given natural resources of the land on which they live. So, for many, this is their revolution. Others are purely pro-regime and fuel the fire of the charm offensive. ‘See what we can have if Gaddafi stays’ I have heard reports of people saying. Very short sighted, and in the very least, extremely amnesic.

Last night we received another sms. The charm offensive continues in earnest. ‘People of Tripoli are hereby invited to make package donations to the people of the East which will be sent free of charge at the central postal office on Zawya Street”’. My father, for one, is extremely sceptical. His fear is that these parcels and packages will be rigged with bombs, pills, drugs, weapons, only for the regime to claim to have made a ‘catch’ and to say ‘I told you so’ in their drive to convince the world that this is a drug fuelled, alQaeda backed, alcohol driven anarchy. As if this is some terrorist rock festival taking over the country. I myself remain both sceptical and disinterested. The regime no longer has legitimacy in my eyes, so I will not spend any time or effort in exploring the nature of its charm offensive claims. Whether people finally receive their 500LD or whether parcels actually arrive in Benghazi to help those in need, the regime remains on its last legs and my focus is on the streets and in the mood and aspirations of the people around me. And for as long as the people aspire to the fall of the regime, I will stay in this country to see that it happens.

http://biggertwitter.com/user/HafedAlGhwell/status/myqxmg/

[Catherina]

40. we are now finding ourselves explaining to the world y we do not want foreign military intervention

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
over a week in2 the Libyan Revolution, we are now finding ourselves explaining to the world why we do not want foreign military intervention
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

42. 2 clear messages, first No fly zone, second is aid. For Interv will turn Libya into Somalia or Iraq

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
There are 2 clear messages, first No fly zone, second is aid. Foreign intervention will turn Libya into a Somalia or Iraq #Libya #Feb17
12 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

43. The Libyan ppl will finish this, we started it and we are almost finished

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
The Libyan people will finish this, we started it and we are almost finished Inshala, each day a new town/city is liberated #Libya #Feb17
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

45. We have lost the fear, very soon this tyrant will be ousted by the peaceful people of #Libya

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
We have lost the fear in Libya and very soon this tyrant will be ousted by the peaceful people of #Libya #Feb17 Inshala
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[JanDutchy]

47. using anti-aircraft weapons on protesters

1218 GMT: A terrified doctor tells the BBC World Service that pro-Kadhafi forces have started using anti-aircraft weapons on protesters in Libya's third largest city of Misrata.

"We are not able to send the ambulance because they are shooting at the ambulance," the doctor tells the BBC

[Catherina]

46. w\ foreign intervention we'd see new groups being formed & wud become the next Iraq

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
With foreign intervention we will see new groups being formed, for and against and we will be the next iraq with all due respect #Libya
11 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

48. Many talk about terrorists, Libya has no terrorists we r1 people united, but foreign intv >>

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Many people talk about terrorists, Libya has no terrorists we are one people united, but foreign intervention will change everything #Libya
11 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

50. From today we must expect this from the media, we are all united against military intervention

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
From today we must expect this discussion to start to take place across the media, we are all united against military intervention #Libya
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

51. There is 1 terrorist in Libya & 1 group only, gaddafi and the pro gaddafi's,

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
There is one terrorist in Libya and one group only, they are called gaddafi and the pro gaddafi's, the peaceful people will win ia #Libya
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

52. If outside world would like to help, there are organisations set up and charities

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
If the outside world would like to help the people of Libya, there are organisations set up and charities #Libya #Feb17
9 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[defendandprotect]

63. KR

[Catherina]

53. have a clear vision, we c freedom on horizon, all of Libya united & will oust gaddafi ourselves

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
The Libyans have a clear vision, they see freedom on the horizon, all of Libya has united and will oust gaddafi themselves ia #Libya #Feb17
10 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

54. Saif warned us in his initial speech, about a divide or for mil inter, we will prove him wrong

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
Saif warned us in his initial speech, about a divide or foreign military intervention, we will prove him wrong on both Inshala #Libya #feb17
9 minutes ago

[Catherina]

56. problem with a no-fly zone...#Gaddafi will send out a plane full of women & children!!

libya_7orra Libya 7orra
@
@ShababLibya there's a problem with a no-fly zone, they moment they implement it, #Gaddafi will send out a plane full of women & children!!
9 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Catherina]

55. have started work on a website in both english and arabic, use this fb discussion to pass your ideas

ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
http://on.fb.me/i7RHJC we have started work on a website in both english and arabic, use this fb discussion to pass your ideas to us #Libya
9 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[JanDutchy]

58. Gaddafi still in Aziziah castle

ibya+Bahrain+Yemen
Machahir123
Machahir123 25 OF Gaddafi still in Aziziah castle in Tripoli.libya 17feb 55 seconds ago · reply

[Catherina]

57. Part 3 here

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x527587