Archive: libya
20th August 2011
This week the Libyan National Transitional Council issued its "Draft Constitutional Charter" – a sort of provisional constitution for the country in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Gaddafi.
The Project on Middle East Democracy lists some of its specific provisions here, but a more revealing… Read more
2nd June 2011
The revelation that "retired" soldiers are operating in Libya with the blessing of Nato countries, under the guise of working for private security companies, has sparked new debate about the use of ground forces there.
This raises two separate issues – one legal, the other political. Politically,… Read more
13th May 2011
Following the comparatively swift exits of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt, we now have three Arab leaders who face serious challenges to their power but are proving more much difficult to dislodge: Gaddafi in Libya, Salih in Yemen and Assad in Syria. Which of them, I wonder will be the… Read more
27th March 2011
Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is touting a "transition" plan for Libya, according to the Saudi-owned newspaper, Asharq Alawsat.
Saif's plan "would see him take over control of Libya from his father during a transitional period during which Libya would transform from a revolutionary state to… Read more
18th March 2011
For reference purposes, I have added the text of the two most recent UN Security Council resolutions on Libya to the documents section of this website.
Posted by Brian Whitaker, 18 March 2011
3rd March 2011
During my first and only visit to Libya, in 2004, I came across a book entitled "Libya and the XXI Century". Since copies were on offer free of charge and the author was Gaddafi's playboy son, Saif al-Islam, I decided to take one.
Inside the front cover it says:
"Taken from a University Thesis… Read more
2nd March 2011
The tribal dimension in the Libyan uprising has not received much attention so far – probably because hardly anyone outside the country knows much about it. It certainly is a factor, but how big a factor is still unclear.
Several recent articles cast a bit more light on the tribal situation and its… Read more
18th January 2011
Almanara, the Libyan opposition website whose disappearance I reported yesterday, is now back on line and saying that it was attacked by Gaddafi's security people. Al-Jazeera has a storyabout it (in Arabic).
Besides declaring his support for the ousted Tunisian president, Gaddafi has also been… Read more
17th January 2011
Yesterday, I noted that a Libyan opposition website, Almanara, had posted videos showing disturbances in Libya during the last few days. After that, something odd happened: the website disappeared. Trying to access Almanara this morning, I simply got an error message.
Conceivably this could be just… Read more
16th January 2011
Just two days after the overthrow of President Ben Ali in Tunisia, videos are circulating of disturbances in neighbouring Libya. Needless to say, this is causing a good deal of excitement on Twitter.
Colonel Gaddafi has been in power for almost 42 years, compared with a mere 23 for Ben Ali. In his … Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
