On the Verge of Interference

The new Libyan opposition government in Benghazi is taking chances to be rendered aid from the EU. Brussels is attempting to get into contact with this revolutionary governmental structure. At the same time, analysts refer to the mentality of the Arab people and categorically warn against any interference, explaining that they would settle down without any assistance. However, it looks like the new government is aware of unpredictable consequences that may follow external aid.

Revolutionists Are in Control

Libyan opposition has formed a transitional government. The new government is based in Benghazi. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, formerly Libya’s justice minister, has proclaimed himself the head of the temporary government. He said that he would include representatives of all tribes, cities, and other inhabited localities, and even delegates from the expatriate community into the new government. According to Mustafa Abdel Jalil, they plan to prepare the country for elections within next three months. Foreign media believes that this man is getting ready to take power from Gaddafi and has the American support to do so. But he denies any connections with Washington. He also said that his supporters do not wish for interference by any foreign powers and, if such interference takes place, there “will be a more powerful” response compared to the reaction against the leader of Jamahiriya. Libyan ambassadors to the U.S. and the U.N. have approved the plan to form a transitional government and to hold elections.

New powers in Benghazi are waiting for the opposition to overthrow Gaddafi in Tripoli. But, according to Mustafa Abdel Jalil’s words, if they need any aid, Benghazi will be there to help. "What we want is an air embargo to stop Gaddafi bringing in mercenaries," said the former Justice Minister in his interview with SkyNews.

News from Battlefronts

Tripoli and Sirte remain under Libya authorities’ control. Sitre is the all-important hydrocarbon port of the country. But Moammar Gadhafi assured, in his Sunday interview with the Arab media, that just 1/4 of the territory is under the wave of unrest whilst the other part is under authorities’ control. Additionally, exactly half of the civilians are “all right.”

At the same time, he admitted that there are calls for change inside the country influenced by people abroad. “What happens in Libya makes any scenario possible to develop. Signs of civil war and foreign interference are evident,” said Gaddafi’s son.

Mussa Ibrahim, an official representative of the Libyan government, explained today that it’s the West and al-Qaida who want to breed chaos in Libya. Terrorists want to create a “crescent of terror” in North Africa; the West wants to get the Libyan oil.

Gaddafi himself, according to the media, is now at the Bab al-Azizia fortress in the southern part of Tripoli. The building is surrounded by three rows of concrete walls. “Gaddafi will commit suicide or will be assassinated attempting to resist the opposition,” said former Interior Minister Abdel Fattah Younes al-Abidim.

The opposition took under control the city centre of Az Zawiyah, about 60 km west of Tripoli, on Sunday, Feb. 27. The whole division of the Libyan army had deserted the town, announcing insubordination to Gaddafi and joining the opposition. The local police did the same. However, the town is surrounded by a tight ring of Gaddafi’s loyal forces; that’s why further development of conflict is still possible. Besides, there are two more towns, Misrata and Homs, to the west of Libya that are controlled by the opposition. A seaport of Tobruk is also under control of the opposition. Looters ransacked Gaddafi’s villa in El-Baida, stealing everything, including the plumbing. By Monday evening, information was leaked from Tripoli that the opposition had entered the outskirts of the city. This information is not confirmed.

Sanctions Are at Their High Point

“We condemn and consider absolutely inadmissible the use of military force against peaceful demonstrations,” said Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s representative to the U.N. after the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Libya. He also pointed out that the passed and adopted resolution imposes targeted measures regarding a number of people, but does not give “even indirect sanction to armed intervention to Libya because it could only worsen the situation.”

The discussion was held on late Saturday evening. The core of the measures is an embargo on direct or indirect selling of arms, an embargo on supplying technical equipment to Libya’s regime, training, financial and other aid related to military activity, and provision of armed mercenaries irrespectively of a mercenary’s country of origin. The travel ban list has 16 names close to Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, including: seven of his sons and his daughter; Colonel Abdullah Al-Senussi, the director of Libya’s intelligence service; General General Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber, the Minister of Defense; Abdulkader Usuf Dibri, head of Libya’s security service, and other top officials. The family’s bank accounts abroad are frozen. The International Criminal Court has put the Libya case under investigation. The ICC prosecutor will have to address the Security Council within two months of the adoption of the resolution and every six months thereafter on actions taken pursuant to the resolution.

Fifteen member-states of the U.N. Security Council have also called for an investigation of the deaths of civilians in Libya by the International Criminal Court, and to bring the guilty to justice. Today, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the ICC prosecutor, has announced the beginning of preliminary investigations on crimes in Libya.

Don’t Print National Currency Abroad

Earlier, the U.S. announced unilateral sanctions: visas issued to Gadhafi’s family and close friends had been canceled. President Barack Obama called on Gadhafi to resign. The U.S. president has signed an order to impose financial sanctions on Gadhafi, members of his family and his government. It’s also known that Barack Obama had a phone negotiation with Angela Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany. They both agreed the regime is not legitimate.

The United Kingdom has withdrawn diplomatic immunity for these people. London banks hold, as some analysts say, about 20 billion pound sterling. There is also some property owned by Gadhafi in the British capital.

It’s become known today that David Cameron, the U.K. prime minister, has signed an order that imposes an export ban to a new lot of printed Libyan banknotes and, thereby, has prevented Tripoli from receiving their national currency in time. There is a special intergovernmental agreement between London and Tripoli. In compliance with the agreement, Libyan dinars are printed in Britain in quantities defined by the Libyan government, the BBC reports. Authorities in Tripoli asked permission to export an estimated $1.5 million worth of currency to Libya. London authorities have refused the currency export based on fears that “the money could be used to fund further repression of anti-government protesters.” In fact, it means that the British government does not recognize the government of Libya.

The European Union has imposed an embargo on selling weapons and other equipment that could be used for the suppression of unrest in Libya; an asset freeze of Moammar Gadhafi, members of his family and his close circle; and a travel ban to the EU of the people listed. Moreover, Maya Kociyanchich, the press secretary of the EU's foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, said they are trying to establish a connection with the Libyan opposition. If that’s really true, then it is possible that Mustafa Abdel Jalil, former justice minister and current head of transitional government in Benghazi, will receive prompt and direct support. Authorities in Washington, in turn, have also promised to provide the Libyan opposition with any support needed.

It’s worth noting that analysts categorically warn against any interference in the internal Arab conflicts. Yevgeny Primakov, the Middle East expert and former Russian foreign minister, commented today that “nobody should interfere in these events now. Nobody.” He refers to the mentality of the Arab people and their history: “Cases of military intervention from the outside often lead to counterproductive results.”

About Humanism

“The use of military force against civilians is unacceptable, as occurred in Libya, causing hundreds of civilian deaths. Russia condemns the violence and demands its immediate cessation in accordance with international humanitarian law,” Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, stressed today during the 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. According to him, any interference is unnecessary: “These problems should be addressed by the peoples of the affected countries themselves, without coercion or external interference, peacefully and within legal frameworks.”

Lavrov’s colleague, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, stated that authorities in Libya “have lost the legitimacy to govern.” And she has promised that her country “will continue to explore all possible options for action. As we have said, nothing is off the table so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyans.”

Along with that, she announced additional sanctions imposed against Iran. “Iran, for example, has consistently pursued policies of violence abroad and tyranny at home,” she said, obviously with the worsening situation in Bahrain in mind, where the U.S. Navy base is located.

Meanwhile, a humanitarian catastrophe in Libya is evident. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, about 100,000 refugees have fled the country. There is a lack of food, medication and doctors. Hospitals of Benghazi provide medical help to over 2,000 people injured with different degrees of severity. The situation in other countries cannot be evaluated. Medical staff from Egypt has arrived to assist Libyan doctors.

A mass outcome troubles Europe as it faces lots of issues to solve. In order to stop the avalanche of refugees, Libya needs to be immediately supplied with humanitarian aid and medications, said the head of the Malta Ministry of Foreign Affairs the other day.

The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have united in their efforts to supply food and medication to Libya. Two UAE airplanes are ready to convey goods from Marmaris to this country. France also intends to send an airplane with humanitarian aid. The addressee is Benghazi. Egypt has already assigned four caravans with humanitarian aid to be sent by the land frontier.