Libya Unrest, Gaddafi Regime Slammed by World, UN Security Council Closed Session to Discuss Libya

I watched coverage of Libya's uprising last night on BBC.  It was heartbreaking and absolutely horrifying.  I cried my eyes out as a couple of Libyans, who hid their identity for fear of reprisal, told the world what was happening in Tripoli right then and there.

A young man and a young woman spoke, separately.  They were both weeping and trying to control their hysteria as they cried out to the world about the violence being visited upon innocent people of all ages by the regime's mercenary army.   Shooting Libyans down mercilessly and for no reason.  One girl just went out onto her balcony to see what was happening.  The young woman speaking said she watched helplessly as the girl was shot to death.  Deliberately.

I felt so helpless.  I was helpless.  I wanted to be able to give comfort, or safety or succor of some sort to these brave young Libyans speaking out knowing they could be killed for it.  They were so terrified and traumatized, surrounded by bestial violence, their friends and family members either already killed or in grave danger.  Just because they wanted to be treated with respect.

By last night, reports were that Gaddafi had left Libya and was on his way to Venezuela and that his son Saif al-Islam had taken over and was vowing to crush the rebellion using whatever means he could.  He used his mercenary army and ordered military aircraft to fire on protesters.

I felt so achingly sad for the people who were even then being mown down at the behest of a sick man's ego.  For some, freedom comes at such a cost.

This morning I see that Gaddafi has let himself be videoed, talking from a small car with the door open, in the pouring rain.  Holding an umbrella so he won't get wet.  Right, we don't want him to suffer inconvenience in any way.  After everything that has happened, all the lives that have been cruelly sacrificed, this is what he had to say:

"I was talking to young people tonight at the Green Square but I had to come here to prove that I am in Tripoli not in Venezuela and to refute the malicious rumors by those wicked channels."  What an abject coward.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to Gaddafi yesterday, and urged that freedom of speech and assembly be protected in Libya.   I’m glad to hear that the UN Security Council is to meet in closed session to discuss Libya’s problems.

Libyan diplomats  around the world have either resigned in protest or spoken out strongly against the regime.  Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN in New York Ibrahim Dabbashi called the situation “genocide” and said he would do whatever he could to protect the freedom of Libyans.  He pleaded with the UN to impose a no-fly zone, and to try Gaddafi for human rights violations and war crimes.

The General Committee for Defence which has recently been set up, has said its forces would cleanse Libya of anti-government elements.  Libyan state TV has of course denied the reports of violence, calling them lies and rumors, the tools of psychological warfare used by those who seek, out of jealousy, to undermine the morale and stability in Libya.  The protesters have been described as gangs of misguided youths, terrorists who had been fed hallucinogenic pills by foreigners with agendas.

But it’s a losing battle.  A number of army and airforce units have joined the rebellion against Gaddafi’s regime which is now having to put out fires everywhere, without and within, with no support from anybody in the world.   Although foreign journalists are tightly restricted, making it hard to verify reports, it is clear that the opposition now has control of eastern cities of al-Bayda and Benghazi, and almost every sector of Libyan society now opposed Gaddafi.   Justice Ministger Pustapha Abdul Jalil has resigned because of the regime’s use of excessive violence.

Gaddafi’s days are numbered.  It’s unfortunate that there are some similar regimes in South America which might be willing to give him refuge if he does flee.  When he does.  Until then, my thoughts and prayers are with the Libyan people.  I hope the international community pulls its weight and soon.