Following the arrival of the "Knossos Palace" Ferry in the early hours of this morning, a second ferry carrying 1,200 workers has docked in Grand Harbour, the second major arrival today as the evacuation of workers from Libya continues to gain momentum.
The "MV Ionian Star" arrived from the town of Misurata, which fell to anti-Gaddafi protesters last week after a bloody battle. Many of the workers on board are Chinese.
The French Navy "FS Tourville" which I reported yesterday of having been moved to near harbour opening, is still here. I have information that the Destroyer may depart tomorrow.
The Royal Navy Frigate "HMS Cumberland" is on its way to Valletta from Benghazi. It is expected to enter the Grand Harbour this afternoon (1400 local time)
It is rumored that a Republic of Korea Navy Destroyer may be arriving here in the coming days.
In the meantime it also seems that the Italian Navy Corvette, "Fenice" may have left harbour but I have no visual confirmation as yet.
France has announced it is sending two planes with humanitarian aid to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.
Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, said the planes would leave "in a few hours" for Benghazi with doctors, nurses, medicines and medical equipment.
"It will be the beginning of a massive operation of humanitarian support for the populations of liberated territories," he told RTL radio.
Reuters news agency reports opponents of the Libyan leader have held off an attack by pro-government forces and shot down a military aircraft near the town of Misurata.
An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio station. Protesters captured its crew," Reuters reported, citing a witness, Mohamed.
"Fighting to control the military air base (near Misurata) started last night and is still going on. Gaddafi's forces control only a small part of the base. Protesters control a large part of this base where there is ammunition."
"Misurata is still under the control of the protesters," he said
The Greek ferry Knossos Palace arrived in Malta during the night, bringing some 2,000 more workers from Libya. Many are Chinese.
Up to three more ferries are expected in harbour today, along with the catamaran Maria Dolores, on its third trip from Tripoli, and the British frigate Cumberland, carrying around 200 workers on its second trip from Benghazi. A South Korean frigate which is also picking up workers in Libya is due in harbour tomorrow.
One of the Hercules aircraft salvage missions yesterday including a Maltese Anthony Formosa, who recounted his ordeal to the local media.
Mr Formosa visibly still shaken by events told PBS how the security personnel guarding their oil rig camp abandoned them in order to join their hometowns in the revolt. At this point all remaining personnel grouped together and decided to head to a nearby airfield in a caravan of vehicles. However they hopped between three remote desert landing strips south of Benghazi without success. At two points the group was threatened by bands of armed ‘desert thieves’ where in one incident they got away by giving them a number of vehicles, upon which the thieves reportedly started firing in the air in celebration.
Failing to find any operating airports, the group of around 40 sought shelter in a nearby village for five tension-filled days where however the anti-Gaddafi villagers welcomed them and gave them food and shelter.
Apparently having been tipped on the pickup, the group finally made their way to a nearby airstrip which was under the control of anti-government protesters where the RAF Hercules picked them up to safety.
Mr Formosa said that at that point no one knew where they were being taken and initially the flight was both dangerous and vulnerable as the plane hugged the land to evade radar. To his delight, he later learnt that the plane was heading to his own island home.
The BBC reported how some of those rescued described the moment a Hercules was shot at above a strip south west of Benghazi, forcing it to abandon a landing.
One British oil worker said: "The aircraft took two hits on the right hand side of the fuselage, you just heard "bang bang" as the rounds actually struck."
After failing to land at two blocked off fields, the Hercules was trying again at a third when the firing started, forcing them to abort.
The Ministry of Defence said: "We can confirm that during the operation... one of our C130 aircraft appears to have suffered minor damage consistent with small arms fire.
"There were no injuries to passengers or crew and the aircraft returned safely to Malta."
The shooting which occured south west of Benghazi shows that pro-Gaddafi fighters are not limited to the Tripoli area.
One of three RAF Hercules aircraft which performed a second rescue mission to Libya from Malta yesterday (Sunday) was shot at and suffered some damage, but no one was injured, the British Ministry of Defence has said.
The three aircraft returned safely to Malta in the evening bringing 150 oil workers. It was the second, daring, rescue mission carried out by the Royal Air Force and UK special forces deep in the Libyan desert.
The plane suffered minor damage after coming under small-arms fire, the Ministry of Defence revealed.
Thanks Buffy, you're right, I've had a pretty tough weekend going on at this and running around the island to confirm things. But it is thanks to great feedback like yours that gives me the energy to go on. Off to bed soon as its back to work tomorrow but promise to fit in some updates as well!
Libya retains 9.5 tonnes of deadly mustard gas but no longer has weapons to deliver it, a watchdog agency has said, amid international concern that embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi might resort to its use.
Michael Luhan, spokesman for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), told Reuters the chemicals were under the army's control but were stored in a remote location far from the capital Tripoli, Gaddafi's main bastion.
"As far as we have been able to verify, and we have no information that indicates anything to the contrary, Libya destroyed the entire stockpile of its chemical weapons munitions - a cache of several thousand aerial bombs that are designed for chemicals - in early 2004, seven years ago," he said by telephone from the OPCW's base in The Hague.
Luhan declined to say where the mustard gas was located but added: "It's nowhere near Tripoli, let's put it that way." "It's kept in a location which is only for that purpose. It's a depot guarded by the military."
I cam across that earlier John, but i haven't found any confirmation from other sources yet. Still if so I'd say it would have been a family member not Gaddafi himself. We'll have to wait and see...
IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you know or are in contact with any Foreigners or Family members still in Libya, all major governments are calling on their citizens to leave the country immediately. The situation in Libya is expected to escalate rapidly and foreigners in the country may be at higher risks than they themselves may envisage.
At this point the airport at Benghazi is out of action while the one at Tripoli is closed, with only one-off pickup operations with miltary transport planes known to have landed in the last days.
Land routes are still possible especially via the Tunisian border which is currently open. Other options are the Egyptian and Algerian borders depending on one's vicinity. Travelling in certain areas by any means is however not considered safe for various reasons including armed militias, mercenaries, fighting, high levels of lawlessness and even armed bandits in certain areas. Various incidents have been reported on such routes and any travelling is best kept to daylight hours.
Best route out at the moment is via sea: Known pickups tomorrow Monday 28th include a number of Turkish boats - Two are due to arrive in Tripoli at 0900, one at Ras Lanouf at 0400 local and one at Misratah at 0200. Two Maltese Catamarans in Tripoli at 0600. A Russian ship is due to leave Ras Lanouf for Malta early morning and a German ferry which is due to leave Ras Lanouf at 1100.
All times are expressed in Libya local time (GMT +2)
While it had been reported earlier that opposition forces had secured the city of Zawiyah just 50km from the capital, forces loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are reported to have surrounded the city. The regime's forces include a number of Tanks as residents brace themselves for for a potential attack at any moment.
Al Jazeera reports quote a Zawiyah resident as saying "We are expecting an attack at any moment, we are forming rotating watchgroups, guarding the neighbourhood."
Police stations and government offices inside the city have been torched and anti-Gaddafi graffiti painted of walls.
Hundreds of protesters in the city centre chanted "Gaddafi Out". Some stood on top of a captured tank, while others crowded around an anti-aircraft gun. Women stood on top of buildings cheering on the men in the crowd below.
An effigy of Gaddafi hung from a light pole in the main square.
According to the same report, opposition forces said they had seized weapons and even tanks which they would use to defend themselves.
Evacuation efforts in Malta going smoothly so far. In spite of the approx. 6,000 persons evacuated to Malta up to this point, things are going well and everything is in hand. The biggest challenges where of course the entry of the "Roma" with around 2000 mainly Chinese nationals and the "Toscana" with about as many Brazilians amongst others.
However co-ordination between the Maltese Police, the Army, the Civil Protection Department, Government Officials, Airport Authorities as well as the staff of the relative Embassies are proving a smooth and satisfactory operation.
Visiting both the departure lounge at Malta International and the harbour earlier today I could see that while both centers where a hub of activity, both places where operating well. This has been mainly being achieved by coordinating flights to the respective countries while an impromtptu coach depot has been setup near the docks only taking one coach full at regular intervals to give time to each group to check-in for their flights without much hassles. For this reason, check-in counters are being opened hours prior to departure and a large presence of civil protection personnel assisted by police are coordinating the operation.
The two Catamarans have returned to the Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta from Libya.
The Catamarans in question, the "Maria Dolores" and the "San Gwann" (in case you wondered that's "St. John" in Maltese), are only 2 of the fleet operated by Virtu Ferries. They have returned with some 300 passengers in their second rescue trip.
As I reported in an earlier post, the passengers included 2 VIPs, namely the Maltese and Portugeese Ambassadors to Libya. It is expected that both vessels are to return to Libya for a third evacuation trip tonight. Weather permitting, it takes around 6 hours to cross the channel.
In their first trip Friday, the Catamarans where in worldwide attention as they rescued hundreds of Americans, including diplomats and American Embassy staff as well as a number of other nationalities, around 500 persons in all.
As has happened in previous landings, tonight's arrivals were greeted by paramedics and staff from the Civil Protection Department who offered food and medical attention.
In addition to the Maltese Ambassador aboard the Maltese Catamarans, Maltese media also report the Portugese Ambassador to Libya as being aboard and heading to Malta.
The British Frigate HMS Cumberland was in Benghazi harbour today to assist the departure of those remaining British nationals. It was scheduled to leave harbour at around dusk.
The Foreign Office had earlier advised British nationals to reach harbour in good time. Assuming the Frigate departed as expected it should then be heading back to Valletta, Malta. The last such trip took the Cumberland around 30 hrs mainly due to the rough sea. The Captian had stated that the ship was kept at a lower speed in order to make the trip for the evacuees picked up less traumatic considering the weather conditions.
I expect that conditions for this crossing should be better.
A British Royal Air Force Hercules transport aircraft has returned to Malta after a second rescue mission from Libya. It has been surrounded by buses and sources told timesofmalta.com that it has brought 126 passengers from Libya.
This appears to have been the second military operation held in as many days by the RAF to pick up foreign workers from the Libyan desert.
It is believed that three Hercules took part. They flew off from Malta in the afternoon.
It is not known where the Hercules in today's mission landed.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed earlier today that yesterday's operation was not held with Libyan authorisation.
Media reports said that British special forces as well as tribesmen and oil workers were involved in securing the landing strips.
In the news conference I reported earlier, the Maltese PM, Dr. Gonzi revealed more details regarding the Libyan Plane turned back last week which was reported as carrying Gaddafi's daughter Aisha.
The Prime Minister said today that the passengers on the Libyan plane which was refused landing permission in Malta included pilots who intended to fly back to Libya two Mirage fighter aircraft brought here by defecting pilots.
He said a request by Libya for the planes to be returned had been denied and the planes were still here.
The request by their pilots for political asylum is still under consideration.
Dr Gonzi insisted that the plane that was denied landing permission did not carry Gaddafi's daughter, as widely reported in sections of the media.
In a development in neighboring Tunisia, the Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi has resigned over protests. His resignation wildly requested by protestors comes after 3 people were killed in violent protests.
"I am not ready to be the person who takes decisions that would end up causing casualties," he added. "This resignation will serve Tunisia, and the revolution and the future of Tunisia."
BBC's Paul Moss says "Mohammed Ghannouchi, had served under the country's old dictatorship, and as far as they were concerned, until he went, their revolution was unfinished."
This should give us something to consider for a possible post-Gaddafi era.
zeus911 Forum Posts (1,000)
Libya - Latest Updates Part II
The British Frigate "HMS Cumberland" enters the Grand Harbour just now as expected.It is still docking as I write...