Recent developments in Libya suggest the political power struggle between moderates and the country's conservative old guard is back in full swing -- a spat some speculators trace to a rift in the inner circle of leader Moammar Kadafi's family.
Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi sees no reason to submit a passport photo along with his U.S. visa application. After all, one of Kadafi's aides explained to an American diplomat, the colonel's picture is all over Tripoli.
"Any one of hundreds of billboards could be photographed and shrunken to fit the application's criteria," the aide said, according to one of a series of diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks website.
In the end, Kadafi was persuaded to have his picture taken, but the exchange is one of numerous illuminating anecdotes to surface from the latest WikiLeaks filing, which includes highly sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables.
Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi has ordered the release of 20 detained journalists working for media outlets affiliated with his reform-minded son amid apparent rising tensions between moderates and the nation's old guard.
Kadafi also asked that an investigation be opened into the matter, reported Libya's Jamahiriya News Agency, or JANA.
The reporters, who include six women and Egyptian and Tunisian citizens, were reportedly picked up by the Libyan security forces in arrest sweeps late last week in Tripoli and the city of Benghazi.
Consider yourselves warned: registering "sex-positive" anything in Libya is a bad idea.
Earlier this week, sex and tech writer Violet Blue took to her blog to announce the Libyan government had seized her URL shortening service vb.ly, "the Internet's first and only sex-positive URL shortener."
Cute little .ly domain names have been all the rage for a while now, but many casual users of similar URL-shortening services like bit.ly and ow.ly may not know that the .ly stands for Libya, or, as it's formally known, the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Vb.ly was intended as a "tolerant" service for sharing NSFW [not safe for work, i.e. porn] links, but did not actually provide graphic content (Unless you count the picture of Blue drinking a beer in a halter top on the homepage, which apparently the Libyan authorities did.)
A decision by Libyan authorities to dramatically increase bread prices for the first time in more than 30 years is stirring anger and debate among regular citizens and intellectuals alike.
While bread prices in the socialist country presided over by Moammar Kadafi have always been and -- are still technically -- subsidized by the government, some regard the near 100% raise as yet another sign of Libya's leaning toward capitalism and the free market.
"The state is trying to gradually evade its role in subsidizing bread, and the Libyan citizen might end up paying the bill for the increase in wheat and bread prices," financial analyst Ahmed Khamissi says. He added that the price hike is the government's way of covering up corruption, especially the involvement of black market tradors in determining bread prices.
According to the new tariff, a 100-gram loaf of bread will be sold for 0.25 Libyan Dinar ($0.2) and 0.5 Dinar ($0.4) for 200-gram loafs.
Six weeks after the deadly takeover of the Mavi Marmara, Israel's naval
blockade of Gaza faces its next challenge as another aid ship has set
off with its sights on reaching the Palestinian port.
The Amalthea, sailing under a Moldovan flag, left Greece on Saturday
carrying 2,000 tons of food, medicine and other supplies in a mission
organized by the Gaddafi International Development Foundation, a charity headed by
Seif Islam, son of Libyan ruler Moammar Kadafi.
Youssef Sawani, executive director of the organization that earned U.N.
accreditation as an NGO two years ago, said Sunday they sought no
provocation. Before leaving port the day before, he told Al Jazeera they
were just fulfilling their international responsibility under the
"legal and humanitarian approach adopted everywhere." If everyone
refrains from action because Israel says it won't allow it, nothing will
change and "the people of Gaza will starve," Sawani said.
Israel says indeed it will not allow 'it', meaning direct access to
the Gaza port, and that no one is starving in Gaza. Defense Minister
Ehud Barak called the act a "needless
provocation" and said cargo could be transfered to Gaza following
inspection at the Israeli port of Ashdod.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said in all his recent meetings abroad he found broad support for
Israel's decision to lift the civilian blockade on Gaza while "strictly
maintaining the security blockade," as well as the understanding that
Israel was doing this to keep weapons out and its citizens safe.
Traffic
on diplomatic channels has been busy in recent days as Israel has made
efforts to prevent the ship from sailing. Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman discussed the matter with his Greek, Egyptian and Molodovan
counterparts. Israeli ambassador to the U.N., Gabriela Shalev, sent a
letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon seeking help in prevent the ship
from setting off while asserting Israel's right to keep ships from
violating the naval blockade.
Sunday saw conflicting reports as to the ship's final destination.
Reports that the ship had agreed to head for the Egyptian port of El
Arish, including from official Greek sources, were denied later as the
captain said Gaza as a destination remained unchanged. Israel suggested
the ship continue to Egypt or dock at Ashdod for inspection; Gaza is not
an option.
The Times has obtained a lengthy letter by the son of Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi to the president of Germany, complaining about the European nation's support for Israel.
Saif Islam Kadafi, the 38-year old son of Libya's long-ruling leader and the president of the Libyan charity Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, said in the letter that he was troubled by alleged plans by the German government to provide Israel with more high-tech naval warships -- a deal he claimed would be paid for by German taxpayers.
In the letter (PDF 1 MB), he rebuked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for providing Israel with more offensive military capacity.
"We have read with great surprise about the news reports indicating that the German government will support the state of Israel by offering gifts in the form of a sophisticated submarine and two missile boats," said the letter, published on the stationery of the foundation he heads. "I do not think that the German taxpayers seek the enhancement of the offensive capacity of the world's greatest human-violating state in the world."
Recent media reports say Israel is currently "discussing" a potential purchase of a sixth Dolphin submarine from Germany. Israel is reported to have three of these already, all of which are equipped with high-tech military technology and capable of launching nuclear-armed cruise missiles. Two additional Dolphins are currently being built for the Jewish state in Kiel and are scheduled to arrive in Israel in two years.
While some relatives of the 14 men who died as they were trying to illegally cross the Libyan border from Egypt accused security forces of opening fire on their sons, others are claiming that it was a mine explosion that resulted in the tragic event.
Thirty-one men were trying to enter Libya through the Egyptian desert last week when -- according to one survivor -- they were fired upon at Sidi Barrani near the Libyan border.
On top of the dead, 11 were injured. Six others managed to escape and find their way past the Libyan checkpoints.
Having long touted neutrality and moderation in world affairs, Switzerland is now being accused of fanning the flames of religious extremism by voting in a referendum to outlaw the building of mosque minarets.
Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi, long accused of supporting militant groups throughout the Middle East, says the Swiss are now supporting terrorism, at least indirectly.
The famously long-winded Kadafi spoke for 78 minutes this weekend on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his rule, according to Libyan television, which carried the speech live.
Kadafi said the vote late last month will help Osama bin Laden recruit associates.
"Switzerland has done the so-called Al Qaeda, or the terrorists, the biggest favor," he said.
Libyan leader Moammar
Kadafi’s first trip to the United Nations is not going as smoothly as planned.
Qaddafi, who is to address the United Nations in New York later this month, originally counted on staying in an Englewood, N.J., estate owned by the Libyan government until protests by residents and New Jersey politicians dissuaded the Libyan delegation.
After the U.S. Secret Service met with Englewood police to discuss security arrangements, there was wide public outcry against Kadafi's visit, exacerbated by the release of Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi, who was convicted in connection with the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Thirty-eight of the victims called the Garden State home.
New Jersey Gov. John Corzine put it bluntly:
"Kadafi is not welcome in New Jersey.... I am angry, like every other New Jerseyan and every other American, about the release of Abdel Beset al-Megrahi."
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As usual, Libyan leader raised eyebrows Monday with his incendiary but hilarious remarks at the Arab summit in Doha.
As the Emir of host Qatar welcomed Saudi King Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz al Saud, Libyan President Moammar Kadafi interrupted him addressing the Saudi king, saying:
"I seize the opportunity to tell my brother Abdullah, you have been evasive and scared of confrontation for six years. I want to assure you today not to be scared. I am telling you after six years it was proved that lies stand behind you and your grave awaits you. You were created by Britain and protected by the U.S. I consider the personal issue that lasted between you and me is over and I am ready to visit you as well as receive you."
