deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 19:20:07 GMT -5
As on other threads, I will add articles to same type interest threads to save room on the zone , just go to last article to read thread that is headlined as the header--------------------------------------------- Turkey recognizes Libya rebels as gov'tIn a way, I was hesitating in posting debka's latest article, remember , they do think pieces of events, yet so many times they are right on..this one is out there, IMHO, yet with some of the topics and articles that ARE posted here by some...on second thought , why not. This one relates to Libya [ Did I spell it correctly this time ? ]. What their analist say will be with in a short time, the final attempt to remove Gaddafi from power, the possibility that Gaddafi might slip away, go to the desert and reconstitute sleeper cells of terrorist cells, individuals in Europe to strike back at those who are involved in trying to remove him from power. In a way it sounds like out of a Robert Ludlum novel, possible a Tom Clancy one..take your pick , so for those who enjoy that gendre, give it a read..and hope it is just a article of fiction. ------------------------------------------------------- www.debka.com/article/21082/------------------------------------------------------- Sun July 3, 2011 US and NATO prepare final assault on Qaddafi. He threatens terror DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 2, 2011, Qaddafi's game of chess - or end game? Libyan Ruler Muammar Qaddafi may have been bluffing when he said "The Libyan people are capable one day of taking the battle to Europe and the Mediterranean [chiefly Italy and France]" if NATO continues its air strikes, and …"throwing ourselves on Europe like swarms of locusts or bees" to attack "your homes, your offices, your families [who] would become legitimate military targets because you have transformed our offices, headquarters, homes and children into military targets which you say are legitimate." But the threat he relayed by audio to a huge pro-government rally in Tripoli Friday, July 1,may not be just a scare tactic but his last warning for NATO to abandon its large-scale, all-out military bid to kill or oust him, which debkafile's military sources report is in its last stage of planning. The coming coup de grace, expected in the next couple of weeks, is the hottest topic of discussion in the corridors of power and high-level military and intelligence get-togethers in London, Paris, Brussels, Moscow, Oslo, The Hague and Rome. It is expected to start in a couple of weeks with French and British troop landings on Libyan soil, to be followed in its last stages of by American forces. Despite US President Barack Obama's denials of direct military intervention in the Libya war – "American forces are playing only a limited support role in the NATO operation" – US sources made the following disclosure Thursday June 30: "The US Air Force and Navy aircraft are still flying hundreds of strike missions over Libya." Qaddafi views France's supply of weapons to Libyan rebels as the opening shot of the final act in the scenario for removing him. He is convinced now that NATO will not be thrown off course by diplomacy or political concessions – even his recent offer of UN-supervised elections to decide whether the Libya voter wants him to stay or go. If nothing else avails for his survival, debkafile's military and counter-terror sources report that Qaddafi has the options and resources for making good on his threat before or after being forced out of power. He could retire to the Sahel Desert, the desolate belt running north of the Sahara and stretching from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, and mount terrorist operations against Europe from there. He would operate from a sanctuary with the Tuareg tribes, which have links with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – AQIM and many of whom have been fighting for him as mercenaries. Incidentally, Western anti-terror agencies have never revealed that the July 7, 2005 London transport attacks, in which 56 people died and more than 700 were injured, were backed logistically by - and received their explosive devices from - al Qaeda's Tuareg followers. In the 1970s and 1980s, Qaddafi was a notoriously proactive anti-West terror-master and facilitator who sanctioned such operations as the blowing up of the Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish village of Lockerbie in which 250 people died; and the La Belle discothèque explosion in Berlin which killed two US army sergeants. Among the European and Asian extremists who were trained and supported by Libya were the radical left-wing Red Brigades' Italian, German and Japanese offshoots and the Irish Republican Army, the IRA. Libyan agents also took a hand in the East German external intelligence branch's covert operations in Europe. Some of the Libyan agents employed in this far-flung campaign of violence are still idle. It is not known whether or not Qaddafi has decided to reactivate his terror machine which almost certainly retains sleeper cells in parts of Europe – either to pre-empt or to avenge the massive NATO end-game for his rule. Saturday, July 2, in another bid to avert the offensive, the African Union announced Qaddafi had agreed to transitional negotiations between government and rebel representatives in Addis Ababa under the AU aegis. They would discuss "a consensual and inclusive transition" via an interim government and elections. This initiative left the way open for Qaddafi to seek refuge on the continent but not to be removed by force. But the Libyan ruler gave up on the NATO powers accepting any diplomatic solutions to the conflict after his own negotiations with rebel commanders in early June and the truce accord they reached (which was first revealed by DEBKA-Net-Weekly 493 on May 20) were roundly rejected by NATO which urged the rebels to fight on. In Madrid Saturday, July 2, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States and Spain won't let Qaddafi's threats of retaliatory attacks in Europe deter their mission to protect Libyan civilians and force him to leave power. "Instead of issuing threats, he should be putting the well-being and interests of his own people first," she said. "He should step down from power." Qaddafi has often been called unpredictable. On June 12, Russian chess master Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, having just played a game against the embattled Libyan ruler, warned that he was capable of catching his opponents off-guard with surprise moves. But in his war with NATO, he has just laid his pieces out on the table."
|
|
|
Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jul 2, 2011 19:40:14 GMT -5
>>> Despite US President Barack Obama's denials of direct military intervention in the Libya war – <<< ...well, didn't he just say, "Qaddaffi must go?"
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 19:46:00 GMT -5
Wow you read it all ready ? Impressive...
He's been saying it since almost the beginning..but this scenario, if true is really another step..and if he , Gaddafi, has that capability, the finances, the Gold, the contacts with these types of folks..in a way, you would think they are kind of old now, but to play along with the scenario, if he does, best he be removed from the scene. This crap is no longer the thing of fiction, to much of it is real today..and back in the day he WAS a player. The last thing the planet needs is a old disallusioned one with financial resources out there trying to get some payback for what ever paranoid delusional ideas he might have, wanting to just hurt people to just show he can..
|
|
handyman2
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 23:56:33 GMT -5
Posts: 3,087
|
Post by handyman2 on Jul 2, 2011 19:47:53 GMT -5
Should Quddaffi survive I doubt he will have the resources to threaten Europe plus from what I have read his mental capapcity is slipping. Kind of reminds me of the last couple of years of the Hitler regime. Now having said that a couple of his sons maybe could be a source of trouble. they seem to think like their father but I do not know if they have the influence as the father once did.
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 19:52:53 GMT -5
Should Quddaffi survive I doubt he will have the resources to threaten Europe plus from what I have read his mental capacity is slipping. Kind of reminds me of the last couple of years of the Hitler regime. Now having said that a couple of his sons maybe could be a source of trouble. they seem to think like their father but I do not know if they have the influence as the father once did. While they may have the same mind set , possible, I believe, from what I have read..if the family does have the wealth they are purported to have, supposedly in the desert, Gold in hugh quantities in Tripoli itself, all those type scenario's, I think they would just love to be some where safe and would love to be able to spend those funds in being international play boys as they were in the past..[Are there still international play boys so to speak, or did that go out with King Farouk?..oops, just realized , many here are scrambling with old Mr. Google, muttering , "King who?? how do you spell that again ".. ;D
|
|
|
Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jul 2, 2011 19:55:23 GMT -5
Wow you read it all ready ? Impressive... He's been saying it since almost the beginning..but this scenario, if true is really another step..and if he , Gaddafi, has that capability, the finances, the Gold, the contacts with these types of folks..in a way, you would think they are kind of old now, but to play along with the scenario, if he does, best he be removed from the scene. This crap is no longer the thing of fiction, to much of it is real today..and back in the day he WAS a player. The last thing the planet needs is a old disallusioned one with financial resources out there trying to get some payback for what ever paranoid delusional ideas he might have, wanting to just hurt people to just show he can.. ...but what would you suggest we do about people wanting payback?
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 19:56:59 GMT -5
Wow you read it all ready ? Impressive... He's been saying it since almost the beginning..but this scenario, if true is really another step..and if he , Gaddafi, has that capability, the finances, the Gold, the contacts with these types of folks..in a way, you would think they are kind of old now, but to play along with the scenario, if he does, best he be removed from the scene. This crap is no longer the thing of fiction, to much of it is real today..and back in the day he WAS a player. The last thing the planet needs is a old disallusioned one with financial resources out there trying to get some payback for what ever paranoid delusional ideas he might have, wanting to just hurt people to just show he can.. ...but what would you suggest we do about people wanting payback? In the case of this one ? Get to them first and do unto them what they would want to do to us..first.
|
|
|
Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jul 2, 2011 20:11:02 GMT -5
...but what would you suggest we do about people wanting payback? In the case of this one ? Get to them first and do unto them what they would want to do to us..first. ...I must admit that your response surprised me...
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 20:50:05 GMT -5
In the case of this one ? Get to them first and do unto them what they would want to do to us..first. ...I must admit that your response surprised me... why?
|
|
|
Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jul 2, 2011 21:15:05 GMT -5
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 2, 2011 21:36:27 GMT -5
Ahhh, I see , I possible am a pacifist ? No, not likely..but the fact that we get into so many wars it seems and the cost today..I participated in one and to this day, I have to ask why. Really can't afford them..but I believe in a strong defense, believe we are at war with a active enemy, and in Libya, I think part of the response we undertook was payback to the allies, their support in Afganistan, this was important to them besides what seemed to be happening by Gaddafi's actions, the potential for a blood bath , no real intelligence, it seemed Gaddafi was poised to do a lot of killing of innocents. I don't know about this latest debka's article..at times , when it's been found out their ideas were mistaken, their response have been "oops, sorry about that one " and off they would go on another..on the other hand, so much of their ideas and predictions have been right on, way before the normal media even have a clue, and before the actions are reported by the governments involved. Europeon nations landing on the shores in a few weeks? If so, you all can all say yep, dezi posted it..and if they don't..I guess I'll fall back on to the debka response.."oops ".. I question US boots on the ground .. I can see possible some form of Europeon response..special operations..forward observers..even the battle field leveler..artillery in some form..to break the Gaddafi supporters..US people, not sure , even special operations..but possible in a small way. But a pacifist or a isolationist , no that I am not..
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 3, 2011 21:17:27 GMT -5
Latest article, Turkey removes diplomat from Tripoli, recognizes new rebel government as the official representatives of Libya , offers a $200 million dollar loan to the Rebels.. ---------------------------------------------------------- english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201173145538817561.html--------------------------------------------------------- Africa Turkey recognises Libya rebels Foreign minister offers $200 million in aid as part of diplomatic shift away from Gaddafi. 03 Jul 2011 21:17 In Benghazi on Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu offered the rebels official recognition [AFP] Turkey has extended official recognition to Libya's rebels and offered at least $200 million in aid as part of a diplomatic shift away from the regime of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, met with rebel leaders in Benghazi during a one-day visit to the country on Sunday. He said his country now recognised the opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. At the same time, Turkey officially withdrew its ambassador from Tripoli. Salim Levent Sahinkaya had left the Libyan capital in March due to the fighting and had not returned or been replaced. Turkey has long maintained business ties with Gaddafi's Libya and initially expressed disapproval for NATO air strikes that sought to halt a regime advance on the rebel-held east. But since that campaign began, Turkey has distanced itself. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Davutoglu called Libya a "rising star" and said Turkey wanted to see the country succeed. Rebels back off Gaddafi 'retirement' offer After Davutoglu's press conference, a spokesman for the rebels retracted a statement made earlier by the opposition leader that Gaddafi could be allowed to "retire" if he gives up all his authority. Abdel-Hafiz Ghoga suggested that Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the chairman of the NTC, was expressing a personal view and said that the idea is "not part of any discussions on our part in negotiations". "Let Gaddafi show us one place in Libya where he hasn't harmed, tortured or killed people and he could stay there, but this place doesn't exist," Ghoga said on Sunday evening. In an interview with the Reuters news agency earlier in the day, Jalil said that the longtime Libyan leader is free to "retire" and stay in the country if he resigns from his position and gives up all power. Jalil said he made the offer to Gaddafi via the United Nations one month ago and had not received a response. Gaddafi now a 'wanted man' The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week issued an arrest warrant for Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam and his intelligence chief, Abdullah Sanussi, citing evidence of crimes against humanity committed against political opponents. The rebel leadership has said it will do its best to see the three men arrested, but it appeared from Jalil's interview that the offer to Gaddafi still stood. "If he desires to stay in Libya, we will determine the place and it will be under international supervision. And there will be international supervision of all his movements," he said. "As a peaceful solution, we offered that he can resign and order his soldiers to withdraw from their barracks and positions, and then he can decide either to stay in Libya or abroad." Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Benghazi, said news of the offer had been met with dismay by some residents and that it no longer stood, since Gaddafi was a wanted man. But Jalil still seemed to stand by it. He said the rebel council believed Gaddafi could be held in a military barracks or a civilian building. Jalil is Gaddafi's former justice minister; he defected in the early days of the uprising, which began in mid-February. There was no immediate reaction from the regime in Tripoli, where Gaddafi has been maintaining a tight hold in an effort to preserve his 41-year rule. Zuma diplomacy Meanwhile, South African President Jacob Zuma, who has failed so far in efforts to mediate an end to the conflict, announced he would be visiting Moscow to continue negotiations. He visited Tripoli at the end of May as a representative of the African Union (AU) but failed to secure a concession from Gaddafi, and the rebels rejected his effort. One sticking point has been disagreements over Gaddafi's future. The visit to Russia follows an AU summit in Equatorial Guinea, which sought to push a regional peace plan to end the conflict in the north African nation. The Kremlin said in a statement late on Saturday that Zuma and Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, held a telephone conversation in which they agreed to meet as soon as possible. "The heads of state agreed on a personal meeting in the closest time to agree and co-ordinate the ensuing steps for a solution to the internal Libyan conflict," it said.
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Jul 7, 2011 11:12:06 GMT -5
latest on Libya..Rebels take a important town on the way to Tripoli, Chinese and Russian diplomats are attempting to get rebels , Gaddafi supporters to negotiate a end to the conflict, and again it's being said Gaddafi may be willing to step down if certain guarantees are in place , it seems safe haven for him and his.. ---------------------------------------------------------- english.aljazeera.net/=============================== Africa Libyan rebels seize key western town Fighters take town of al-Qawalish after six-hour battle and move closer to cutting supply route to capital. Last Modified: 07 Jul 2011 07:57 "Rebels in Libya's western mountains have advanced a dozen kilometres, seizing a town in another step towards securing a key north-south road that would open the way to the capital, Tripoli. The rebels wrested the town of al-Qawalish from forces loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi after a a roughly six-hour battle on Wednesday. The two sides fought mostly at a distance, using heavy artillery, and black plumes of smoke could be seen rising from al-Qawalish in the afternoon, Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reported. Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports on the capture of al-Qawalish by rebel forces "Gaddafi forces have fled the town and [the rebels] have now gone in on foot to try and make sure that is the case, to try to clear it, to move house by house and see that in fact the area is clear of Gaddafi forces," he said. Al-Qawalish is about 50km west of Gharyan, the last city in the Nafusa Mountain range, which runs east from the border with Tunisia and has been controlled mostly by rebels since the uprising against Gaddafi broke out in mid-February. Gharyan - still controlled by the regime - lies astride a major north-south highway that connects Tripoli with Sabha, a town in the southern desert that is held by Gaddafi's forces and has been used to supply his troops and regime-held areas. The rebel fighters in Nafusa hope to take Gharyan and cut off Gaddafi's supplies. From Gharyan, they can also mount an advance on the capital. 'Important step' "The capture of the town of al-Qawalish is an important step in that direction," our correspondent said. "The overall strategy of these fighters is clearly to reach Tripoli." But while rebel advances in Nafusa been steady, they have also been slow, and the fighters must now take 50km of Gaddafi-held territory to reach Gharyan. As rebels scored military victories in the western mountains, their compatriots in the rebel-held cities of Misurata and Benghazi staged huge demonstrations to show their support. A helicopter, its shiny surface plastered with Libya's monarchy-era tricolour flag, hovered low above the crowd. Some fired their AK-47 rifles into the air in jubilation. A smaller demonstration was held in Misurata, which broke out of a loyalist siege in May but still endures near-daily rocket attack. The co-ordinated shows of support were meant to counter a pro-regime demonstration held in Tripoli last Friday, which saw an enormous crowd take to the capital's streets waving Gaddafi's all-green flag. Chinese effort Amid the continuing battles, a senior Chinese official held talks with rebels in Benghazi on Wednesday in renewed a bid to push for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Chen Xiadong, China's ministry chief for North African affairs, called on the rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces to begin negotiations for a ceasefire, Chinese state media reported. Chen also told Ali Essawi, the deputy head of the rebel group, that China considered the faction "an important dialogue partner", echoing comments made by senior Chinese officials on rebel diplomatic chief Mahmoud Jibril's visit to Beijing, China's capital, in late June. In an earlier development, an unnamed senior Russian official was quoted on Tuesday as saying Gaddafi would consider stepping down under certain circumstances. His departure, if realised, would meet the rebels' central demand. "The colonel is sending signals that he is ready to cede power in exchange for security guarantees," the daily Kommersant newspaper quoted the official as saying. The Russian source added that France appeared to be the country most willing to play a part in Gaddafi's potential transfer of power. He said Paris could choose to unfreeze some of the Gaddafi family's accounts and promise to help him avoid trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The rebels have rejected any proposed deal that would leave Gaddafi in power. The conflict in Libya has raged since March after protests broke out against Gaddafi's long rule, inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt."
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Aug 5, 2011 13:25:46 GMT -5
According to reports, it looks like Gaddafi may have lost another Son in this war of insurgency. I wonder, if true, if that just hardens his resolve to stay and fight or if it will get him to reconsider his options and possibble call it a day and , if not for himself, at least his family, the ones who are active in this uprising , putting it down and are exposed, to relize there is a good chance he may lose more of them , unless he orders those involved to stand down and go into secure quarters, and leave the fighting and resistence to change up to him...and what happens , just happens. --------------------------------------------- english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/08/20118575531382740.html--------------------------------------------- [Click on link to read complete article] --------------------------------------------- Africa Libyan rebels claim Gaddafi son killed Rebel spokesman says Libyan army commander Khamis Gaddafi killed in NATO airstrike on Zlitan, a claim government denies. Last Modified: 05 Aug 2011 11:37 "A Libyan rebel spokesman has claimed that a NATO airstrike on the western city of Zlitan has killed Khamis Gaddafi, one of the sons of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi. Mohammed Zawawi, a spokesman for the rebels, said on Friday that Khamis was among 32 people killed in the strike. "Overnight there was an aircraft attack by NATO on the Gaddafi operations room in Zlitan and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis," said Zawawi, a spokesman for the United Revolutionary Forces. A NATO official at operations headquarters in Naples, Italy, told the Reuters news agency that while he was aware of the report, he could not confirm it. "We cannot confirm anything right now, because we don't have people on the ground, but we are trying to find out what we can," he said. "NATO struck an ammunition storage at around 8:15pm [1815 GMT] in Zlitan and a military police facility within a combat area at around 10:45pm [2045GMT] in the area of Zliten yesterday," a NATO official told the AFP news agency, adding that it did not know if Khamis had been killed in those airstrikes. According to NATO's regular operational media update, the alliance flew 117 sorties on Thursday, of which 44 were flown as "strike sorties", indicating that munitions were carried. The targets hit included an "ammunition storage facility", a "military facility", two multiple rocket launchers and one surface-to-air missile system in Zlitan, the statement says. It also said that it hit two "military facilities" in Tripoli, in addition to 11 other targets in various areas."
|
|
Deleted
Joined: May 19, 2024 10:16:45 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 14:15:23 GMT -5
"American forces are playing only a limited support role in the NATO operation" –
I kind of have to wonder what "limited support role" means.
The government (this is a couple of months ago) came out & said that the action in Libya was going to cost a little over 500 million more than expected. That's 500 million PLUS the original cost estimate. You have got to wonder what the cost would be if it wasn't "limited".
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Aug 5, 2011 14:36:59 GMT -5
"American forces are playing only a limited support role in the NATO operation" – I kind of have to wonder what "limited support role" means. The government (this is a couple of months ago) came out & said that the action in Libya was going to cost a little over 500 million more than expected. That's 500 million PLUS the original cost estimate. You have got to wonder what the cost would be if it wasn't "limited". I think the problem on costs is more with the Europeons now and still don't understand why they are not releasing more of those frozen funds to the rebels as well as working out a deal, possible a bit of black mail but this is the real world..release more funds but also funds to be used to alleviate Europeon costs too..they have recognized the rebel government as the legitimate government, Britain has told Gaddafi diplomats to leave the country, wonder if tey have left? I also wonder if they trashed their Embassy before leaving..and three is a lot of Libyan funds frozen in Europe and I think we have over $35 Billion here too..if some of those $ were allowed to be used to pay for the war I am sure the Europeons would be more in tune with continuing the operation and I think a lot of the dissing here would go away too..and I belive it would be correct procedure to allow those funds, a part of them to be used for the wars cost of these allies..us included, especially for extra costs that are dedicated to the war itself..
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on Aug 8, 2011 17:01:25 GMT -5
possible because of the mysterious death of a Rebel General last week, under mysterious circumstances, however, the Generals command still fighting on the front lines and it seems that the rebels are getting closer to Tripoli as they capture strategic towns leading to the Capital..close to cutting off Gaddafi's supply lines if the capture one more strategic town leading to the Capital. It's suggested that rebels are ready to rise up in Tripoli with some help from outside if it can be gotten to them. ------------------------------------ english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/08/20118819142699446.html------------------------------------ [Click on link to read complete article] ------------------------------------ Libya's opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) has dissolved its executive board and asked Mahmoud Jibril, its chairman, to elect a new one. Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from the opposition stronghold city of Benghazi, said the news on Monday came unexpectedly. "This came completely out of the blue. There's a lot of speculation now that there is some sort of inner fallout following the murder of Abdel Fattah Younes, the commander of the opposition forces, more than a week ago." Birtley said there had been complaints over the handling of Younes' death by the NTC and the disbanding of the executive board could be related. However, he said he could not confirm if there had been any forced resignations or if any of the members would be rehired. Push to Tripoli Our correspondent said it was doubtful that the political moves would affect the opposition's push towards Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold, Tripoli. "Even the men who were said to be loyal to General Younes are said to be fighting in the frontline," said Birtley. Libya's opposition fighters had announced earlier on Monday that they would begin their push towards the capital but expected a tough fight, after capturing the town of Bir al-Ghanam on Sunday. The capture of Bir al-Ghanam was the biggest rebel breakthrough in weeks of largely static fighting on three fronts across Libya."
|
|