Links to sites with updates:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-19">AJE Live Blog March 19 (today)
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/twitter-dashboard">AJE Twitter Dashboard
http://feb17.info/">feb17.info
http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks">Libya Alhurra (live video webcast from Benghazi)
http://www.libyafeb17.com/">libyafeb17.com
Twitter links:
http://twitter.com/#!/aymanm">Ayman Mohyeldin, with AJE
http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn">Ben Wedeman, with CNN
http://twitter.com/#!/tripolitanian">tripolitanian, a Libyan from Tripoli
http://twitter.com/#!/BaghdadBrian">Brian Conley, reporter in Libya
http://twitter.com/#!/freelibyanyouth">FreeLibyanYouth, Libyan advocate
http://twitter.com/#!/LibyaFeb17_com">LibyaFeb17.com twitter account
http://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya">ChangeInLibya, Libyan advocate
Useful links:
http://audioboo.fm/feb17voices">feb17voices
http://www.google.com/search?q=time+in+libya">Current time in Libya
http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerNew.php?country=libya">Prayer times in Libya
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x679332">Day 29 part 2 here.
Pictures from a pro-democracy rally in Tobruk after the UN resolution
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2059760,00.html">Libya's Rebels Celebrate the U.N. Resolution
Libya's beleaguered rebels may have gotten a reprieve. The United Nations Security Council not only passed a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya but authorized ground attacks on regime forces besieging the opposition stronghold of Benghazi. Many of the rebel fighters and residents who have fled the front lines to the eastern city of Tobruk in recent days had said that without speedy international assistance, disaster would unfold within the next 24 hours. At the news of the U.N. vote, Tobruk erupted immediately into celebratory gunfire, fireworks, and fog horns sounding from ships in the harbor. It was an emotional reaction that eclipsed rebel joy at their conquests of Brega and Ras Lanuf barely two weeks before — cities they have since lost.
In Gaddafi's capital, the regime's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told foreign journalists in a press conference at 2 a.m. Tripoli time that the Libyan government was "ready immediately" to implement a ceasefire, but needed further discussions with UN officials about the "technicalities."
Misurata today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJI57boOfEs&http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/18/president-libya-our-goal-focused-our-cause-just-and-our-coalition-strong">The President on Libya: "Our Goal is Focused, Our Cause is Just, and Our Coalition is Strong"
For decades, he has demonstrated a willingness to use brute force through his sponsorship of terrorism against the American people as well as others, and through the killings that he has carried out within his own borders. And just yesterday, speaking of the city of Benghazi -- a city of roughly 700,000 people -- he threatened, and I quote:
“We will have no mercy and no pity” -- no mercy on his own citizens.Now, here is why this matters to us.
Left unchecked, we have every reason to believe that Qaddafi would commit atrocities against his people. Many thousands could die. A humanitarian crisis would ensue. The entire region could be destabilized, endangering many of our allies and partners. The calls of the Libyan people for help would go unanswered. The democratic values that we stand for would be overrun.
Moreover, the words of the international community would be rendered hollow.And that’s why the United States has worked with our allies and partners to shape a strong international response at the United Nations.
Our focus has been clear: protecting innocent civilians within Libya, and holding the Qaddafi regime accountable.That’s why I have directed Secretary Gates and our military to coordinate their planning, and tomorrow Secretary Clinton will travel to Paris for a meeting with our European allies and Arab partners about the enforcement of Resolution 1973.
We will provide the unique capabilities that we can bring to bear to stop the violence against civilians, including enabling our European allies and Arab partners to effectively enforce a no fly zone. I have no doubt that the men and women of our military are capable of carrying out this mission. Once more, they have the thanks of a grateful nation and the admiration of the world.
I also want to be clear about what we will
not be doing. The United States is
not going to deploy ground troops into Libya. And we are not going to use force to go beyond a well-defined goal -- specifically, the protection of civilians in Libya. In the coming weeks, we will continue to help the Libyan people with humanitarian and economic assistance so that they can fulfill their aspirations peacefully.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x677397">Text of the resolution.
How will a no fly zone work? AJE reports:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWEwehTtK2kCanada:Norway:http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFOSN00509220110318">Norway to join military intervention in Libya
OSLO, March 18 (Reuters) - Norway will join the international military action against Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya, a Norwegian daily quoted the defence minister as saying on its website on Friday.
"We will contribute to the operation," Grete Faremo told the daily Verdens Gang. "But it is too early to say exactly in what way. Sending air capabilities would be natural."
Belgium:Qatar and the UAE:http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/776/?SID=e80884adc09a37d26904578a9b5978cb">Run-up for Western world’s next military commitment ... with unusual support
France and the United Kingdom, which spearheaded the diplomatic push in the Security Council for the implementation of a no-fly zone, received unusual but certainly very welcome support. According to a further unnamed AFP source, the Council confirmed that Qatar and the UAE will join the international effort.
Denmark:France:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19libya.html?src=twrhp">Following U.N. Vote, France Vows Libya Action ‘Soon’
UNITED NATIONS — Only hours after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorize military action, including airstrikes against Libyan tanks and heavy artillery and impose a no-flight zone to try to avert a rout of rebels by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. French officials said on Friday that military action would start “within a few hours” and news reports said British and French warplanes would spearhead the attack.
Italy:http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE72G2HE20110317">Italy to make bases available for Libya no-fly zone-source
TUNIS, March 17 (Reuters) - Italy is ready to make its military bases available to enforce a U.N. Security Counci resolution imposing a no-fly zone on Libya, an Italian government source told Reuters on Thursday.
United Kingdom:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12770467">Libya: UK forces prepare after UN no-fly zone vote
UK forces are preparing to help enforce a no-fly zone over Libya after the UN backed "all necessary measures", short of an invasion, to protect civilians.
United States:Jordan:"One month ago (Western countries) were sooo nice, so nice like pussycats," Saif says in a contemptuous sing-song tone.
"Now they want to be really aggressive like tigers. (But) soon they will come back, and cut oil deals, contracts. We know this game." -
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2058389,00.html">Saif Gaddafi
(Yeah, Saif, as if you weren't "cutting oil deals, contracts" with western states. Who are the 'tigers' now? Bombing your own people.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/feb/27/libya-tripoli-unrest-gaddafi-map">Click here for updated and interactive map
Military Installations
Oil Map
http://bit.ly/fe3P">Google Earth DL here to see positions of army and patrolling route of mercenaries
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=212059469427545728757.00049c4df2474b6543347&ll=31.203405,30.058594&spn=96.173452,183.867188&z=3">MAP of Protests across the Middle East