You are in the 236th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. This is a special edition to cover the unfolding events in Tripoli, the last stand against the Gaddafi Forces. (see links to previous diaries for this event at the bottom of the diary.)
Twitter tags #feb17 #libya #tripoli #mermaiddawn
Some inspirational messages Libyans:
(h/t
petral)
@taimur_ly تيمور عبد العزيز
Benghazi taught us courage, Misrata resistance, Nafousa determination, Zawiya perseverance, Tripoli patience. This is Libya @tripolicouncil
54 minutes ago via Echofon
(h/t downsouth )
Good Tweet
hishamjmatar Hisham Matar, Author
We've defeated Qaddafi in the battlefield, now we must defeat him in our imagination. We mustn't allow his legacy to corrupt our dream.
6 minutes ago
A more practical message from the Libyans:
(h/t
angry marmot )
TNC comments on post-Q role for NATO
AFP via Al-Ahram
Libya's rebel government envoy to the Cairo-based Arab League said Monday that his country will not allow NATO bases in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi's ouster, official MENA news agency said.
"Libya is an Arab and Islamic nation before NATO and after NATO," he said, adding, "the Libyans revolted from the 1970s against Western bases and there will be no non-Libyan bases."
Good reporting sources:
Al Jazeera English live TV
Al Jazeera English liveblog
Guardian Middle East liveblog
Feb17.info news aggregator and local reporting (live video feed), excellent resources such as maps and reliable Twitter streams to follow
BBC live coverage (video and text)
A Vision of a Democratic Libya - the guiding document of the revolution
Follow on Twitter:
Feb 17 voices
Al Jazeera English
LibyanYouthMovement
Sultan Al Qassemi
UPDATES FROM THIS POINT ON most recent on top (also in comments):
Reminding us that the fight is not over:
(h/t downsouth ) Fighting in Zliten
feb17libya Feb17Libya
Guardian: Fierce fighting in Zliten as #Gaddafi troops attack - feb17.info/news/live-liby… v#Libya #Feb17
9 seconds ago
(h/t
jpmassar)
Juan Cole's Top Ten Myths About The Libya War
1. Qaddafi was a progressive in his domestic policies.
2. Qaddafi was a progressive in his foreign policy.
3. It was only natural that Qaddafi sent his military against the protesters and revolutionaries; any country would have done the same.
4. There was a long stalemate in the fighting between the revolutionaries and the Qaddafi military.
5. The Libyan Revolution was a civil war.
6. Libya is not a real country and could have been partitioned between east and west.
7. There had to be NATO infantry brigades on the ground for the revolution to succeed.
8. The United States led the charge to war.
9. Qaddafi would not have killed or imprisoned large numbers of dissidents in Benghazi, Derna, al-Bayda and Tobruk if he had been allowed to pursue his March Blitzkrieg toward the eastern cities that had defied him.
10. This was a war for Libya’s oil.
He devotes a paragraph or two to each of his myths.
(h/t
petral)
Notes from Niz(alive and well) on Sunday's events
via @Niz_FGM
Below is a recap of 21/8 Tripoli events as they unfolded, morning to night:
1 - Can confirm internet is on in Tripoli. Not sure what the catch is. Could be an opportunity to get ip's & track location. Could be a part of operation Mermaid Dawn that we dont know about.
2 - Thuds of shelling, possibly tank fire or likely mortar fire, all night from east towards Tajoura. Stopped after sunrise.
3 - Shooting being heard in and around Fashloum and Noufleein districts. People shouting Allahu Akbar in Ben Ashour. shooting can he heard. Note - In the west, Maya is regimes last #Tripoli defence. After Maya is Janzour. Janzour IS Tripoli and is full of waiting FF.
4 - Names of our martyrs in Gergarish being filtered through to us. Allah accept them as martyrs and our nations heroes.5 - Confirm shelling of Sreem Street. Artillery units by Aalam Confectionery Shop. 32° 52'45.89"N 13° 10'25.57"E-Coordinates to Alalam Confectionery store area from which regime is shelling Sreem Street. The store is not related to the atrocity. It is just a landmark.
6 - Regime firing on the residential apartment blocks in Zaweeyat Al Dahmani area from the State TV studios nearby. Using 14.5mm rounds. Independence Flag now flying in Dahra. Calls of Allahu Akbar from Amuura Mosque, Ben Ashour.
7 - Tripoli is like EID now. There are people in cars with flags and there are calls of allahu akbar from everywhere. However other areas are under severe lockdown and people cannot leave the house. Its not yet over.
8 - Independence Flag Flying over Fashloum now. Women in Alqadisia ululating from windows with joy, takbeer heard throughout the streets.
9 - Calls of Takbeer from Abuhajar Mosque, Noufleein. Security from Aisha Gaddafi's compound still not surrendering.... Aisha Gaddafi compound has been breached. Reports of at least two security killed & two martyrs. Takbeer is deafening.
10 - Explosions in Ben ashour, not NATO. Heavy exchange of gunfire. Black smoke rising. Fughi compound surrounded in Ben ashour near Aldhul street, Fierce resistence from within Tripoli. Gaddafi portrait opposite to Aisha Gaddafi's compound in Noufleen has been removed, replaced with independence Flag.
11 - Prisoners in Tripoli are being released by prison guards who are asking forgiveness, and being told to run.
12 - FF have passed Ghot alshaal and have asked residence to stand on street corners to defend neighbourhoods. People are encouraged to stay in their homes and in their neighborhoods to guard their families and houses.
13 - Negotiations between G forces & FF at Giddaffi compound in Benashour to lay down weapons and they will not be harmed.
14 - Free calls for all mobile phones and the reception is pretty good, too.
15 - Snipers on rooftop of tallest building at junction of Jraba Street and Ras Ahsan. Coordinates to the Location of Snipers in Benashour 32°52'12.28"N 13°12'22.36" E
16 - Pockets of Regime Security in Furnaj opening fire on anyone and anything.
Map of neighborhoods in Tripoli (click on image for larger version):
http://feb17.info/...
map of West Libya, towns surrounding Tripoli (click on image for larger version):
(h/t Oujdi) This interactive google map is more up to date
View Larger Map again, I can't get google map embed to work here
(h/t bumblebums) I can't get the embed to work
there's an interactive Google map of Tripoli indicating where fighting has broken out.
This is the best map we've seen of Libya and what's happened where.
@IbnOmar2005 Ibn Omar
EXCELLENT PIC. How the media covered the "stalemate" in #Libya. Every outlet should see this. @CNN @BBC
(h/t Lawrence)
A blog post from a Libyan on Al Jazeera that I
would like to repost here.
I know from personal experience just how grateful Libyans are to all who gave them their solidarity and this blog post expresses that well:
LibyaInAbstentia
Thank you to all the people here who have stood with the Libyan people to what I hope will soon be the end. I hope that any of you who would like to visit Libya and see all the places you have been talking about and meet all the people you have been supporting will be able to. I know that I do mention God in my posts, I do not mean to offend anyone and I know that you are all good people no matter what your belief or you would not be here. I have to believe in God, I go to funerals for these young men, I have seen them badly hurt and I have tried to calm my children while they tried to sleep listening to battles in the neighborhood. Because I believe, I do pray for the best for each one of you who has given up time doing something else so that you could be here. That you know more about a place and people that you might not have thought of a year ago, means to me that there is hope not only for the future of Libya, but the future of the world. Apathy is the biggest threat to freedom and democracy. No matter what your opinions, you are not apathetic and you are all fighters for freedom and democracy. To those who consider themselves believers, God bless you, to those who do not, my sincere thanks and appreciation.
(h/t Lawrence)
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then this video about the early days of the Libyan Revolution speaks millions. Not only does it clearly show that the Revolution was initially peaceful, but also that it was an uprising that took place in basically every major town and city in Libya.
Links to previous Tripoli Battle diaries:
The Battle for Tripoli Part II
Breaking: The Battle For Tripoli Has Begun. W/ Updates. "All Hell Has Broken Out in Tripoli."
Witnessing Revolution #227: Battle of Tripoli or #MermaidDawn
Witnessing Revolution Diary #228: Battle of Tripoli continues
Witnessing Revolution Live Blog #229 - Libya |