Libyan rebels lay down terms for ceasefire

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

Opposition offers ceasefire if Gaddafi halts attacks against rebel-held cities but battles rage for Brega and Misrata.

Last Modified: Apr 01 2011 14:43

Libyan rebels will agree to a ceasefire if Muammar Gaddafi pulls his military forces out of opposition-held cities and allows peaceful protests against his regime, according to an opposition leader.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the opposition's interim governing council based in Benghazi, spoke during a joint press conference on Friday with Abdelilah Al-Khatib, the UN envoy. Al-Khatib is visiting the rebels' de facto stronghold of Benghazi in hopes of reaching a political solution to the crisis embroiling the North African nation.

Abdul-Jalil said the rebels' condition for a ceasefire is "that the Gaddafi brigades and forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom".

=snip=

Abdul-Jalil said the regime must withdraw its forces and lift all sieges. He stressed the ultimate goal was still to oust Gaddafi. "Our aim is to liberate and have sovereignty over all of Libya with its capital in Tripoli," he said.


Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/04/201141134110527219.html

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Much more detail and a video report at the link above.

Libyan opposition sets conditions for cease-fire

By BEN HUBBARD and RYAN LUCAS, Associated Press – 2 hrs 25 mins ago

BENGHAZI, Libya – Libya's rebels will agree to a cease-fire if Moammar Gadhafi pulls his military forces out of cities and allows peaceful protests against his regime, an opposition leader said Friday as rebels showed signs that their front-line organization is improving.

=snip=

Fighters said fresh forces were coming in, mostly ex-military, but also volunteers with not quite a month of training. The rebels also appeared to have more communication equipment such as radios and satellite phones, and were working in more organized units, in which military defectors were each leading six or seven volunteers.

The untrained masses who have rushed in and out of the fight for weeks with no apparent organization were barred from the front line. They stayed to the rear, to hold the line temporarily in case Gadhafi's forces attempt to flank the rebels.

"The problem with the young untrained guys is they'll weaken us at the front, so we're trying to use them as a backup force," said Mohammed Majah, 33, a former sergeant. "They have great enthusiasm, but that's not enough now."

full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110401/ap_on_bi_ge/af_libya

[David__77]

1. Are they willing to discuss the terms with a Tripoli representative?

If the Tripoli authorities were smart, they'd ask for talks right away... but they're probably not lol...

[No Elephants]

2. 3 dimensional chess?

[pinboy3niner]

3. Are rebels' military improvements the result of training by CIA team in Libya?

From the NYT news blogs:





April 1, 2011, 9:32 am


Latest Updates on Libyan War and Mideast Protests

By ROBERT MACKEY

...


11:01 A.M. |C.I.A. Already Training Libyan Rebels, NPR Reports.


My colleagues Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt reported on Wednesday that the Central Intelligence Agency "has inserted clandestine operatives into Libya to gather intelligence for military airstrikes and to contact and vet the beleaguered rebels battling Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces, according to American officials."

Now National Public Radio reports that it has confirmed that a C.I.A. team inside eastern Libya is also training rebel fighters.

"The C.I.A. team is there to train them how to shoot, how to fight, how to have military discipline," NPR's Deborah Amos reported from Cairo. "They are joining a team of former Libyan military officers who are now training about 30,000 young Libyans in the rebel stronghold to also improve discipline, improve communications and make it into a more coherent fighting force."

This could explain a mysterious development along the front near the the eastern Libyan oil town of Brega described to the BBC News live blog by Nick Springate, a correspondent on the scene, just over an hour ago. The BBC blog reported:

for the first time, rag-tag rebel forces have been bolstered by a number of well-armed, seemingly well-trained soldiers in full military attire. It's not clear where they've come from, our correspondent says, but their very presence has boosted morale on the front line.

Our correspondent says the rebels are now starting a major onslaught on Brega, having given a boisterous reception to two key rebel figures - the former interior minister and the former head of the armed forces.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/


The full NPR story is here:

CIA Operatives Gathering Intelligence In Libya
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/31/135005728/cia-operatives-gathering-intelligence-in-libya


:hi:

[Turborama]

4. Interesting, thanks man. A reporter on AJE was pointing out earlier that they have walkie talkie's

...which they hadn't seen them use before.

Communication is key. Those guys were all over the place and didn't know their ass from their elbow.

This must be the non-lethal assistance Obama (or was it Gates?) was referring to the other day.

[nalnn]

8. Earlier

Early in this adventurous little jaunt, I seem to recall that walkie-talkies/satellite&radio-sets etc. were among the 'humanitarian' supplies being brought up to the borders and being airdropped over rebel held positions.

[Godhumor]

10. Al Jazeera is reporting that rebels are screening potential "soldiers" now

Only allowing those with military experience of some kind into the cities and keeping those out (Move in light of inexperienced rebels shooting themselves) who are seen as a potential liability. Entirely possible that this has resulted in better tactics, grace under fire, etc.

[BOG PERSON]

14. lol what military improvements

that is some pure, unequivocal BS you're posting :thumbsup:

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended, I hope their offer is accepted, the Libyans deserve the right

to self-determination.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

[Turborama]

12. It's been declined. The news is just breaking.

You're welocme, Uncle Joe. Thanks for the K&R and input.

[gateley]

6. K&R - hadn't seen this and Tamron Hall just mentioned it was coming up. This

is really something.

[AllTooEasy]

7. Good Luck with That! Qaddafi is too much of an asshole to expect...

...a peaceful resolution. I'm against war(mankind's ultimate stain), but since Qaddafi isn't...I hope the rebels blast him!!!

[nalnn]

9. A few thoughts about this cease fire.

1. Qaddafi could use this to his advantage on the ground militarily. Unlikely due to the NATO air forces.
2. This could spell the end of the rebellion as it may lose support and momentum for not being seen as actively going after the regime.
3. This could be a respite in which 'advisers' are given time to train the rebels up on more modern tactics and strategies with which to fight the regime.

[Uncle Joe]

11. It seems to me, if peaceful protests are allowed, that trumps everything.

Even if the rebels can't bring the general Libyan populace to their side, the idea of Freedom of Speech will take hold and other oppositions will naturally percolate to the surface, possibly leading to a form of democracy for the people of Libya.

If Gaddafi allows peaceful protests, freedom of speech and the establishment of a legitimate opposition and the people still stay with him, his hand will be strengthened and even if he doesn't come out on top, history will treat him more kindly for allowing these inherent rights to take hold.

In short I believe this could be a win win situation for all the Libyan People.

I also believe that if Gaddafi doesn't allow free expression for the people, this will be seen as an act of cowardice and his support will continue to erode in Libya as a whole.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Terms are usually laid down by whoever's winning