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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi's


Libyan provisional government forces on Friday launched fierce full-scale assaults on two of Muammar Gaddafi's last strongholds in the country, Bani Walid and Sirte, the town in which he was born. Here are some facts about the towns making a last stand: BANI WALID * The desert town 150 km (93 miles) south of Tripoli was the first point of focus for new rulers, the National Transitional Council (NTC), when they secured the capital and began looking to exert their control over the whole country. It has been besieged by their forces for more than two weeks now. * At first they tried to negotiate a surrender with the town's elders but that failed. * One major reason they failed to reach agreement is that Bani Walid is the main stronghold of Libya's Warfalla tribe -- the country's largest with a population of up to 1 million, out of a total Libyan population of around 6.6 million. * The Warfalla, together with the Gaddafa and the Magarha, were traditionally considered the pillars of Gaddafi's rule, dominating the security services and the ranks of the military. Though their support for Gaddafi was inconsistent and their leadership is scattered, many of them benefited from closeness to his government and access to his oil wealth. They now fear reprisals from the NTC. * Bani Walid has been described as being "in a valley, reached through several other valleys, in one big valley". This difficult and rocky terrain has also played a part in keeping the anti-Gaddafi NTC fighters at bay. Gaddafi loyalists are dug into the valleys with rocket launchers and sniper positions. * The town has several very steep roads leading to its centre, where the brunt of Gaddafi loyalists are believed to be. They have been pouring oil down those streets to stem the NTC advance. SIRTE * Gaddafi was born in a Bedouin tent just outside the ancient Mediterranean village in 1942 and it has always had a special place in both his affections and his development plans for Libya. * Sirte is about 450 km east of Tripoli and lies almost exactly halfway between the capital and Benghazi, the cradle of the revolution that toppled Gaddafi after 42 years in power. * During his time as leader, Gaddafi turned it from a sleepy hamlet into a bustling town that acted as Libya's de facto capital, hosting the country's toothless parliament and international meetings. Gaddafi often hosted heads of state here, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2007. * The African Union was founded at a summit in Sirte, on Sept. 9, 1999. State-owned Afriqiyah Airways marks that date by painting the motif "9.9.99" on the tail of each of its jets. Gaddafi often proposed the idea of creating a "United States of Africa" with Sirte as its capital. SABHA * Sabha, 700 km from Tripoli and deep in the country's southern deserts, is the last major town before much of the country becomes thinly inhabited and cut-off from its cities. * It was here Gaddafi declared "the dawn of the era of the masses" in a famous speech. * Sabha is well-known as home to a large population of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa -- many of them now terrified they will be attacked and possibly killed if and when the NTC takes the town. * African mercenaries -- from countries including Uganda, Senegal, Chad and Niger -- were captured fighting alongside Gaddafi soldiers during the war. When the NTC took over, some of its fighters took their anger out on the Africans, killing several and raping some African women, rights groups say. * But Libya also has a large population of sub-Saharan African migrant workers. The International Labour Organisation says thousands of them are trapped in Sabha, including women and children. JUFRA AND THE SOUTHERN DESERTS * Another smaller oasis, Jufra, is still believed to be under the control of Gaddafi loyalists. Some NTC officials have mentioned the possibility of a massive arms cache there. * Battles could also potentially erupt in the vast deserts in the south of the country. Gaddafi loves to talk about his Bedouin origins and some NTC officials privately concede he could probably do quite well in the desert, perhaps even bettering the nine months Iraq's Saddam Hussein spent on the run.

Yemen Update


Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets during Friday prayers in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in protest against the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Protester Nezar Salem said peaceful demonstrations would continue despite attempts to turn rallies violent by the opposition. “We want to send a message to the remains of the family of the regime that we are continuing our peaceful revolution. We will end our revolution peacefully God willing. Despite their attempts to drag us into violence and use force, we will continue being peaceful,” Nezar said. Another protester at the demonstration, Ahmed Hassan voiced a similar sentiment of peaceful progress. Demonstrators have grown increasingly frustrated by their inability to loosen Saleh s grip on power. Saleh, recovering in Saudi Arabia from a June assassination attempt, is holding on to power despite international pressure to quit and eight months of protests against his 33-year rule. The United States and Saudi Arabia fear unrest in Yemen will embolden al Qaeda s Yemen-based regional wing to launch strikes on the region and beyond. In other parts of the capital thousands of others gathered to express their support of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s rule. Mohammed Yehia al Hakimi who was taking part in the pro-government rally said he had travelled from another city to support the constitutional legitimacy of Saleh’s rule.

Flood in Pakistan 2011


This has been estimated by the local officials and Western aid groups. More than 300,000 people have been moved to shelters. Some 800,000 families hit by last year s floods are still homeless. Aid groups have warned of a growing risk of fatal diseases. Last year, the military took charge of rescue and relief efforts, along with aid groups. The army is active again in the latest disaster. But some Pakistanis are growing impatient with it as well. Juman and his extended family fled when water as high as 12 feet (3.6 metres) raged through their village. Home has been a thatched hut on a roadside for several weeks in another village called Mohammad Yusuf. “We go to the army and we have been asking for food, but they beat us with sticks and told us to leave," said Juman, who added he was turned away because the army camp was already overwhelmed. “They scared us away.” The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, is seen as the only institution that can handle crises in the nuclear-armed South Asian nation. Pakistan s cash-strapped government already faces many challenges, from growing frustration over power cuts to a stubborn Taliban insurgency. Disillusionment with the state can drive young men to join militant groups waging a violent campaign to topple the U.S.-backed government. Some flood victims are turning to the Al Khidmat charity which is linked to the most influential Islamist party in Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). JI is not believed to have ties with the Taliban or other banned groups. Nevertheless, its relief efforts in last year s floods and other natural disasters helped discredit the government because of its relative efficiency. At a camp consisting of rows of white tents, green and blue JI flags flutter. Organisers wearing bright orange vests and badges organise flood victims. People have to drink rain water and wash clothes in it but there is some relief. “When we arrived there wasn t a camp here. They set the camp up and gave us the tents,” said Shabira, 35, holding her baby. “Now we are getting food every day.” Pakistani leaders are facing pressure on the diplomatic front as well. Islamabad s ties with Washington have been heavily strained since a unilateral US raid killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town in May. There were signs that ties were under repair when the allies recently spoke of counter-terrorism cooperation. But fresh tension has emerged. A US warning on militants based in Pakistan, blamed by Washington for this week s attack on the US Embassy in Kabul, works against counter-terrorism cooperation between the two allies, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. It was referring to comments by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that Washington would do whatever it takes to defend American forces in Afghanistan from Pakistan-based militants۔ Gilani may have wanted to meet senior American officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to try to patch up ties with Washington, the source of billions of dollars in aid. Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is expected to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the United States on Sept. 18. She will be addressing the General Assembly in Gilani s place.