GADDAFI ARMING CIVILIANS: Residents of Tripoli have said that Muammar Gaddafi is arming civilian supporters in strategic parts of the city, as well as moving gangs, to control movement and silence protesters.
Just yesterday, February 25, during an address to a crowd of supporters in Green Square, Gaddafi had said he would do just that while telling his remaining faithful listeners that they had to prepare to defend the nation as he faced the biggest challenge to his rule. Apparently today he kept strong on his promise.
This seems to be in retaliation to another move in Benghazi over the last days where the citizens in control had decided to distribute captured weapons to citizen in a plan to march on Tripoli.
The reports came a day after Gaddafi’s militiamen opened fire on protesters demanding that Gaddafi step down killing many. A report which was however declared as false by Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam in a Tripoli press conference yesterday. He also declared all reports about atrocities and attacks on civilians as lies and fabrications.
Another unrelated but interesting piece of news is that Gaddafi's 'voluptuous' Ukrainian nurse is 'heading home'. While this sounds normal under the circumstances it must be noted that Galyna Kolotnytska has been in Tripoli for the last 9 years and it is reported that Gaddafi has a high dependency on this particular nurse as she caters for the Leader's health and well-being - poor sod, I almost feel sorry for him!
The news was given by her daughter Tatyana who released an interview to a local Ukrainian daily. She stated that her mother called her and told her that there is shooting, fighting and everything else they show on television. Speaking in a calm voice, her mother asked her not to worry, and said she will be home soon.
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised strong objections to imposing sanctions on Libya, saying innocent people would suffer and accusing world powers of making "calculations" over oil. In a televised public speech that referred to the Libyan crisis he said, "Any intervention will make the process even more difficult. It will harm not the administration but the Libyan people. You cannot secure world peace by resorting to sanctions in each and every incident."
"We call on the international community to approach Libya not with concerns about oil but with conscience, justice and universal human values," he said, adding that the internation community should work for a remedy to stop the suffering of the Libyan people.
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised strong objections to imposing sanctions on Libya, saying innocent people would suffer and accusing world powers of making "calculations" over oil. In a televised public speech that referred to the Libyan crisis he said, "Any intervention will make the process even more difficult. It will harm not the administration but the Libyan people. You cannot secure world peace by resorting to sanctions in each and every incident."
"We call on the international community to approach Libya not with concerns about oil but with conscience, justice and universal human values," he said, adding that the internation community should work for a remedy to stop the suffering of the Libyan people.
Following my visit to the docks to snap a pic of HMS York this afternoon, I made my way to where the "Roma" was berthed. From the dock I could see loads of Chinese nationals on the upper decks, in all it is reported to be holding around 2,200 persons. The chinese had to stay aboard the ship as they did not seek any accomodation on the island, though their stay aboard should not offer any hardships since the "Roma" looks like a pretty nice cruise liner.
A visit to the airport later revealed that one massive China Eastern Airlines - A343 jet was already waiting to pick up some of the people on the "Roma". As I was there a second Eastern Airlines jet landed and parked next to it (see pictures below)
It has been reported that some 1,600 of the 2,200 Chinese who arrived in Malta this morning are expected to be put on flights home by tonight. Quite an amazing feat for the Chinese Government to have coordinated this considering China is not exactly next door!
On a shorter trip back home will also be 90 of the 250 Britons who arrived on the HMS Cumberland last night, the rest are taking a break here.
The Americans, Canadians and some other nationalities who arrived on the 2 catamarans yesterday were housed in a number of local hotels and they will be making their own arrangements to travel back home. I went into Valletta this morning and I could see quite a few of them browsing around and sightseeing.
The Maltese government said this afternoon it was formally advising all Maltese to leave Tripoli today on the two Virtu' Ferries catamarans which returned to Libya in the early hours of the morning. The two catamarans which yesterday brought over around 500 persons (mainly american citizens) are currently waiting at Tripoli harbour. They are plaaning to cast off at 6 p.m. (Malta time).
Air Malta's flight to Tripoli late this morning was cancelled as the situation around the airport was described as having deteriorated.
In a statement, the airline said it regretted any inconvenience to its passengers however the decision has been taken in the best interest of the safety of its passengers and crew.
"Air Malta will continue to assess the situation and will resume its operations when it will be considered to be safe enough to do so."
Both events seem to indicate a drastic worsening of the current situation in Libya.
What I posted this morning about a rumour that the HMS York could join in this mission turned out correct. As can be seen by the picture below the vessel has already reached Malta and is currently berthed in the Grand Harbour.
The "HMS York" is a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Its purpose in Malta is not as yet disclosed but it is assumed that the vessel is on standby for assistance to the Frigate HMS Cumberland and possibly for any eventual developments in the crisis.
The latter vessel, the HMS Cumberland has already left the island on its way back to Libya (assumed destination Benghazi) to pick up further persons escaping the divided country.
As can also be seen from the picture above it is no longer sunny in Malta, it's all grey clouds and raining!
The Canadian Air Force has deployed a giant C-17 Globemaster aircraft to Malta to help in the evacuation of its citizens from Libya. The plane arrived last night and is expected to leave for Tripoli later this morning. The C-17 has been designed for rapid strategic airlift, even from unmade runways.
Meanwhile, Britain has sent another Chinook heavy lift helicopter to Malta, joining another two Chinooks which arrived yesterday, all three choppers are still currently in Malta.
The German military Frigate and supply ships I reported the other day have also left Malta yesterday late afternoon presumably towards Libyan waters.
2,216 Chinese, 9 Maltese, 20 Croatians, 2 Italians and 4 Vietnamese workers amongst others arrive on the "Roma", a Grimaldi Lines passenger ship chartered by China just enetered the Grand Harbour.
Actually the HMS Cumberland brought around 250 Britons not 150 as I reported earlier.
The journey from Benghazi took around 30 hours in unpleasant weather conditions, and paramedics were on hand to help out the visibly shattered passengers.
The HMS Cumberland came into the Grand Harbour in Valletta around midnight yesterday and reportedly carried around a 150 mostly British nationals and some Maltese. Informed sources advise that the Frigate is to make a second emergency mission to Libya to rescue more Britons from the crisis-hit country. There is also a rumour that the HMS York could be soon joining in this mission.
Launched in 1986, the Royal Navy "HMS Cumberland" is a Broadsword Class Frigate which ironically was heading back to the U.K. to be scrapped in the coming April when it was redeployed to Libyan and Maltese waters for this special mission. The vessel which forms part of the sixth frigate squadron has a rich history and even was on station during the First Gulf War.
Good morning to all from Malta. We have a nice sunny day which augers well for more salvage trips and crossings to get more people out to safety. I woke up this morning with yesterday's events still fresh in my mind and am somewhat tired as I stayed up till 2:00 am in order to await the arrival of the HMS Cumberland and to follow the situation. The british ship did in fact arrive at the Grand Harbour but I did not post the event as I did not want any of you to miss yesterday's great happenings...
By now the two Catamarans should have made it back to Libya but I have no news of that yet, will keep you posted.
Buffy, glad to do so and I will strive to continue giving these updates as I know that there are so many people out there wanting to know what's happening...
I'm here right now listening to some interviews taken from passengers on local media and it brings tears to my eyes to hear some talking of carnage and killings they witnessed while others talk of the fear and the stress of this situation, yet others speak of being forced to leave homes, belongings and even family and friends behind. One talked of her mother who had never left Libya in her life and now here she is with just a suitcase and an unknown future.
Most people here talk and argue about world politics, armies, wars, dictators and magic solutions but what I have seen today is something very different - we have to remember that whatever happens it is not who wins or who loses but the human tragedy which the common people pay often at the cost of their own lives.
Hi again all! I have just returned from the harbour, I just had to go down and see the first batch of people coming in myself and I can tell you it was an idescribable and moving experience to see all those people coming in, tired, proven but happy to have finally reached safety. There were young and old, couples, and even families with small children and some pets as well! Most were in good health and only a small number were given medical attention by medical teams on the quay.
The place was full of activity with ambulances on standby, supply vehicles with emergency packs, coaches to pick them up, taxis and a number of local and foreign journalists ready with their cameras and mikes to take a few interviews. Most weren't much in the mood for that as they had just endured a rough 8 hour journey which one woman described as 'a very bumby ride' which is no surprise considering the boat met with some 15 foot waves.
On being questioned on the situation back in Tripoli there were mixed responses, some talked of machine-gun fire, explosions, fighting and aircraft flying above yet others said that while they heard of happenings and saw chaotic scenes on TV they themselves did not see anything as the area where they came from was relatively calm. Still most described the situation as tense and the nights as especially frightening. Others talked of having had to pass through armed checkpoints to reach the harbour.
About one hour later the second Catamaran made into harbour and more evacuees made it ashore. The majority of the arriving people were Americans with some carrying labels identifying them as embassy officials. I came across some Canadians, Britons and even some Libyans and a handful of Maltese, one of which works as a nurse in a Tripoli hospital and who gave us a touching description of the suffering of the Libyan people and said she will go back the first chance she gets.
Malta braces itself for the first mass influx of evacuated persons from various nations. Starting within hours and throughout the night Malta is expecting close to 6000 persons.
They shall arrive as follows:
3,000 workers from Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam 2,000 Chinese, as well as 13 Maltese, on the ferry Roma 300 Britons, 2 Maltese are due to arrive on the HMS Cumberland 500 Americans & Canadians, 49 Britons, 4 Maltese on 2 catamarans
Figures are approximative but very encouraging to think that so many people would have made it to safety!
The flight planned by the Maltese private company to pick up a number of people stranded on a desert oil rig which was blocked yesterday by a sand storm has in fact been done today. The successful mission was done via a chartered flight by Medavia Malta in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a result a number of Maltese were rescued.
The plane flew direct from Malta to an airstrip near the remote inland oil rig, picked up the workers, stopped at Tripoli to pick up more workers, and then flew on to Malta.
It appears the workers had been concerned about dwindling supplies of food and water and fears that oil installations would be bombed. Flight clearance was granted by Libyan authorities after two days of negotiation.
Hi all, I just went down to the harbour and I could already see preparations under way for the imminent arrival of the two catamarans. Police are already on site and keeping the area clear of vehicles to make way for pickup.
I have also found out that sometime following disembarkation of all passengers both catamarans will once again return to the Libyan capital overnight to evacuate more workers.
This time the Maria Dolores, which takes 600 people, has been contracted by a private company to evacuate its workers while the owning company Virtu Ferries will be sending the San Gwann, which can carry 400 people, to be used by anyone who needs to flee the country.
Also while there I had a look at the French and Italian warships still at port which by the way look so awesome lit up at night and I have also found out that the French Navy 'Tourville' is not a Frigate as had been reported in the press but a Destroyer.
Still missing in our lovely harbour is the HMS Cumberland which we are expecting in earnest.
In Tripoli, security forces opened fire indiscriminately on worshippers leaving prayers, desperate to prevent any new protests on the weekly Muslim day of rest, residents told AFP by telephone.
Two people were killed in the Fashlum neighbourhood, several more in Sug al-Jomaa, witnesses said. Both are eastern suburbs where security forces had opened fire on previous days, but sustained gunfire was also reported in the western district of Ghut Ashaal.
With police and troops deployed in force outside their mosques, prayer leaders followed texts for their sermons that had been imposed by the authorities calling for an end to "sedition," worshippers said.
In Libya's third city Misrata, 150 kilometres (100 miles) east of the capital, residents were expected to turn out in force for the funerals of 30 people killed as they helped evict regime loyalists, a resident said.
With some 500 loyal troops of the Hamza Brigade still holed up at a nearby air base, volunteers were helping to fortify the city with containers and sandbags, the resident told AFP by telephone.
The second city Benghazi, where the unprecedented protests against Gaddafi's four-decade rule first erupted, remained firmly in the hands of rebels, an AFP correspondent said.
But the initial euphoria of the eastern city's liberation was giving way to fear that its weak defences could be vulnerable to a counter-attack.
At the barracks of the Al-Saiqa (Thunderbolt) special forces unit, an officer who gave his name as Colonel Said said: "For now, we are readying ourselves here. We are expecting an attack on Benghazi at any moment."
In the city's courthouse square where the demonstrations started, the faithful gathered for their first Friday prayers free of Gaddafi 's rule.
Delivering his sermon alongside the coffins of three men killed in the violent uprising, prayer leader imam Salem Jaber vowed: "We will not abandon Tripoli," to chants of "Allahu akhbar (God is greatest) from the congregation.
Already depleted, Gaddafi's regime faced fresh defections, including that of his cousin and close aide Kadhaf al-Dam, who quit "all his official functions," Egyptian state media reported.
Libya's ambassadors to France and to the UN cultural organisation UNESCO also resigned, the latest in a string of foreign envoys to announce they were "joining the revolution."
Protesters in the Libyan capital Tripoli braved deadly fire from loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi today as his opponents in other cities braced for a fightback by a regime suffering new defections.
Unconfirmed reports also claimed that Mitiga airforce base just outside Tripoli has fallen to rebels after a series of defections. The base had been used by aircraft which bombed Benghazi and other locations, and confirmation of the development would mean a major turning point in the fight against Col Gaddafi.
I'm no expert on oil fields but do know that shutting one down is easier said than done and leaving them unattended could also prove dangerous however Libyan forces may decide to attack them in retaliation and thus personnel there are in grave danger.
The resupply operations mentioned is more for food, equipment, weapons, and/or troops that may be required in a salvage or counter offensive operation. However all that is simply conjectures at this point, for all we know they may be intended for evacuations in remote areas.
It has been reported that Tripoli has closed its airspace, so much so that an Egypt Air aircraft circling outside Libyan airspace has not been allowed to land. This update comes from Air Malta’s Crisis Operations Room.
Pilot Charles Pace, who operated Air Malta’s flight from Tripoli which landed here at 1.30 p.m., said that the apron in Tripoli was now practically deserted and the feeling was an eerie one with the situation being very different to that described by the pilots who had operated earlier flights. He added there was absolute calm and emptiness with very little happening.
Air Malta’s country manager in Libya Anthony Dalli returning to Malta from Tripoli today said there had been around 6,000 people at Tripoli Airport and another 2,000 outside and Air Malta representatives had run in and out of the terminal carrying a Maltese flag to attract the attention of any Maltese there.
One of the people on the Crisis Intervention Team, who represented the airline’s insurers, said that Libya had been declared a war zone and as a result the premium the airline had to pay for each flight had shot up.
It was pointed out that pilots and crew manning Air Malta flights to Libya were doing so voluntarily.
As I had reported some days ago, it has been reported that would-be passengers making their way to Tripoli Airport, were being stopped and checked, having their mobile phones, cameras and other electronic equipment taken away.
Two British Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters landed in Malta this afternoon, augmenting the RAF effort which already includes two Hercules transport aircraft.
The large Chinooks are seen as ideal aircraft for rescuing people in areas where there are no runways, such as the desert.
Both Britain and Malta have spoken of the difficulties they face in evacuating workers from desert oil rigs. Such heavy-lift aircraft have also been used for resupply operations and the insertion of special forces.
In a bid to hold on to power, the Libyan government announced on Friday that it plans to raise wages, increase food subsidies and give special allowances for all families, according to Reuters quoting Libyan TV reports.
The reports said that every family will receive about 500 Libyan Dinars to help cover increased food prices, and that salaries for some public sector workers would increase by 150 percent.
Catamarans Update: As I presumed this morning the two Catamarans chartered by the US to evacuate Americans from Libya will be sailing today in spite of some rough seas still reported.
They are expected to leave Tripoli at 1300h this afternoon and be back in Malta by 1930h, a spokesman for the Virtu Ferries (the owning company) has said.
So in another detailed update from local authorities following the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council Brussel's meeting, it has come to light that at least five EU member states are opposing the idea of burden sharing in case of a mass invasion by potential Libyan refugees.
Unofficial sources have named these countries as Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom.
I would personally like to express my sincere thanks to the leaders of these countries!
zeus911 Forum Posts (1,000)
The First Catamaran, the "Maria Dolores" has just entered the Grand Harbour just minutes ago!!! 
Libya - Latest Updates
Maybe they're building electronic camels, lol! Don't know but I suppose they work in the oil industry?