Posted on Mon, March 21, 2011 at 23:57 pm CET
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Middle East on Fire: March 21, 2011

Events are happening so fast that I can only summarize, trying to add some analytical depth to each development. So here goes… Continue reading

Topics: Egyptian Revolution • Iranian Protests • Libya War • Syria • The Middle East • U.S. Middle East Policy 
Posted on Fri, March 18, 2011 at 19:38 pm CET
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Libya Declares Ceasefire after UN Resolution, but Fighting Continues

Muammar Gaddafi’s government says it will end military operations in line with UN resolution but reports of attacks continue… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Britain • France • Libya War • Norway • United Nations 
Posted on Fri, March 18, 2011 at 02:54 am CET
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UNSC Authorizes Strikes on Libya, Five Air Forces set to Attack Libya, Gaddafi Threatens Reprisals

The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to authorize military force against Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadhafi’s forces… Continue reading

Topics: France • Libya War • Maghreb • U.S. Middle East Policy • United Nations 
Posted on Thu, March 17, 2011 at 00:02 am CET
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Crisis and Civil War in Libya

Here’s an (self)interview by Barry Rubin with Barry Rubin about what’s happening in Libya and U.S. foreign policy… Continue reading

Topics: Libya War • Maghreb • U.S. Middle East Policy 
Posted on Tue, March 15, 2011 at 00:37 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Swiss Citizens Back in Libyan Custody

Swiss Charge Stefano Lazarotto confirmed that the two Swiss citizens – held in Libya for more than a year – had been detained by… Continue reading

Topics: Libya • Portugal • Switzerland • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Tue, March 15, 2011 at 00:36 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Swiss Charge Optimistic on Release of Two Businessmen Detained in Libya

Swiss Charge Stefano Lazarotto remains optimistic about the release of two Swiss businessmen who have been detained in Libya… Continue reading

Topics: Libya • Switzerland • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Tue, March 15, 2011 at 00:35 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Swiss President Merz Apologizes to Libya for Hannibal Gaddafi Arrest

In a bid to win the freedom of two Swiss citizens who have not been permitted to leave Libya for over a year, Swiss President… Continue reading

Topics: Libya • Switzerland • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Mon, March 14, 2011 at 20:25 pm CET
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Syria sends Gaddafi arms

As Washington commended the Arab League for approving a proposed no-fly zone over Libya and European powers drew up plans for… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Islamic Countries • Libya War • Syria • United Nations 
Posted on Sat, March 12, 2011 at 01:50 am CET
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U.S. Head of Intelligence James Clapper Should Be Fired

If the Obama Administration would listen more to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates it might salvage its foreign policy… Continue reading

Topics: China • Iran • Libya • Russian Federation • The Middle East • United States of America 
Posted on Wed, March 9, 2011 at 20:40 pm CET
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Egypt and the Middle East: Romanticism Meets Reality

The projected million-women march turned out just 400 and they were harassed and in some cases attacked. Meanwhile, thousands of Muslims and Christians… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Democracy • Egyptian Revolution • Global Islam • Jasmine Revolution • Libya War • The Middle East 
Posted on Wed, March 9, 2011 at 17:30 pm CET
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Gaddafi: The Libyan People ‘will take up Arms against Western Powers’ if Attacked

The Libyan people will take up arms against Western powers if they seek to enforce a no-fly zone in their country’s airspace… Continue reading

Topics: Libya • Libya War • NATO • The Middle East • U.S. Middle East Policy • United Nations 
Posted on Sat, March 5, 2011 at 20:04 pm CET
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WikiLeaks: Gaddafi Risked Nuclear Disaster in Libya after UN Slight

A potential “environmental disaster” was kept secret by the US last year when a large consignment of highly enriched uranium in Libya came close to cracking open… Continue reading

Topics: Libya • Russian Federation • United Nations • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Sun, February 27, 2011 at 17:51 pm CET
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UNHRC: World Praise for Libya 4 Months Ago

Libya is a member of the UN’s top Human Rights Body – the Human Rights Council. The majority of members of the UN General Assembly… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Global Islam • Human Rights • Islamic Countries • Libya • The Middle East • United Nations 
Posted on Sun, February 27, 2011 at 16:10 pm CET
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End is Near for Qaddafi: Rebels Take Over Most of Libya

Virtually the entire world has turned against Qaddafi, with the Arab League, the United Nations Security Council and Western powers demanding he end his slaughter… Continue reading

Topics: Arab League • Arab Spring • Democracy • Libya • Libya War • The Middle East • United Nations 
Posted on Sat, February 26, 2011 at 13:40 pm CET
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Islamic Union Students Protest Massacre of Libyans by Gaddafi Regime

A number of university students from across the country staged a demonstration outside the United Nations office in Tehran to voice… Continue reading

Topics: Iran • Libya • Libya War • The Middle East 
Posted on Fri, February 25, 2011 at 20:29 pm CET
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Libya: US Military Advisers in Cyrenaica

Hundreds of US, British and French military advisers have arrived in Cyrenaica, Libya’s eastern breakaway province… Continue reading

Topics: Britain • France • Libya • Libya War • United States of America 
Posted on Fri, February 25, 2011 at 01:57 am CET
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Egypt’s Revolution: The More They Reassure Us, The More We Worry

I think I was the first person to warn that the Egyptian revolution wasn’t all roses but also had a dangerous amount of thorns… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Arab-Israeli Conflict • Democracy • Egyptian Revolution • Hamas • Islamism • Israel • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • Jasmine Revolution • Libya War • Muslim Brotherhood • The Middle East 
Posted on Thu, February 24, 2011 at 01:26 am CET
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Media and Middle East: Wow, These People are Repressive Dictators! Who Knew?

For those of us who have been trying to talk about Middle East dictators for a long time it is amusing to see how people are lining up to be “horrified” by… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Democracy • Human Rights • Islamic Countries • Islamic Fundamentalism • Libya • The Media • The Middle East 
Posted on Wed, February 23, 2011 at 19:38 pm CET
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Libya and UN’s Human Rights Policy

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called for an immediate end to violent repression of Libya protests in a… Continue reading

Topics: Human Rights • International Law • Libya • Libya War • Satire • United Nations 
Posted on Tue, February 22, 2011 at 19:54 pm CET
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TV Speech: Defiant Gaddafi Vows to Fight On and Die ‘as a Martyr’ Rather Than Quit

In a televised speech punctuated by long pauses, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi gave a long, rambling speech on Libyan State TV in which he… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Democracy • English • Libya • Libya War • The Middle East 
Posted on Tue, February 22, 2011 at 17:41 pm CET
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Libyan Ambassadors Resign Posts to Protest Bloody Crackdown

The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday Libyan diplomats all over the world resigned from their positions, in protest a bloody crackdown against… Continue reading

Topics: Arab League • Arab Spring • Bangladesh • Democracy • Human Rights • Indonesia • Libya • Libya War • Malaysia • The Middle East 
Posted on Tue, February 22, 2011 at 02:18 am CET
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WikiLeaks: ‘Internecine Warfare’ in the Gaddafi Family

The leader of the Libyan revolution presides over a “famously fractious” family that is powerful, wealthy, dysfunctional and marked by internecine struggles… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Libya • Libya War • Switzerland • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Tue, February 22, 2011 at 01:38 am CET
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WikiLeaks: A Gaddafi Family Portrait

US embassy cables shed light on Gaddafi family – including son Saif al-Islam, who vowed in TV address to eradicate enemies… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Libya • Libya War • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Mon, February 21, 2011 at 01:22 am CET
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Libyan Revolt Spreads Despite Violent Crackdown

Multiple eyewitnesses have reported that Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, was in the hands of protesters and their military allies after several days… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Democracy • Libya • Libya War • The Middle East 
Posted on Thu, January 13, 2011 at 00:58 am CET
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The Libyan Al-Quds 5 Convoy Reaches the Gaza Strip

Some of the activists of the Libyan Al-Quds 5 convoy flew to the El Arish airport in Egypt on January 4 and 5. Each plane held 20 activists and 80 tons of medical and other humanitarian equipment. The equipment entered… Continue reading

Topics: Anti-Israelism • Gaza and Westbank • Gaza Flotillas and Convoys • Hamas • Humanitarian Aid • Libya