盟国：将继续空袭利比亚直到卡扎菲下台 Major Powers Pledge Aid for Libyan Rebels

Major Powers Pledge Aid for Libyan Rebels

 

盟国：将继续空袭利比亚直到卡扎菲下台

英国、法国和美国领导人说，北约联盟将把在利比亚的军事行动继续下去，直到卡扎菲下台为止。

英国首相卡梅伦、法国总统萨科齐和美国总统奥巴马说，让卡扎菲保持权力是对利比亚人民“违背良心的背叛”。三国领导人星期五在几家国际报纸发表联合声明，他们写道：“无法想象让一个企图屠杀自己人民的人在他们的未来政府中发挥作用。”

卡扎菲的女儿艾沙.卡扎菲星期五站出来为父亲辩护。她在卡扎菲在的黎波里的一座大院外召集数百名支持者。那座院落曾在1986年被美国空袭。她对人群说，如果她父亲辞职，那将是对所有利比亚人“羞辱”。

星期五，北约外长在柏林举行第二天的会议，争取克服分歧。北约各国在对利比亚的军事干预应如何进行的问题上意见不一。法英两国敦促盟国加大空袭卡扎菲军队的力度，但是其它国家对扩大军事使命有顾虑。

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague (R) talks with Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani before the start of the first contact group meeting on Libya in Doha, Qatar, April 13, 2011

  

Western and Arab diplomats have defended international military efforts in Libya and pledged to offer more monetary, political and humanitarian support for the Libyan opposition.

Diplomats from around the world met in Qatar Wednesday to coordinate an international aid response for the Libyan people.

Members of the so-called Libyan contact group include representatives from the U.S., Britain, France and other countries lending military support in Libya.  They agreed in a final statement to look into a "temporary financial mechanism" to help the rebels access and manage funds.

After the meeting, Qatar's crown prince urged Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down in a way that is "wise" and "peaceful."  He announced that Italy would host the group's next meeting during the first week of May. 

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the international community's actions to protect Libyan civilians caught in the country's bloody conflict are "necessary, legal and right."  An international alliance has been providing military support through NATO-led airstrikes.

In Benghazi, a spokesman for the rebels' Transitional National Council told reporters there is a possibility that three nations could supply them with arms.  He said discussions with these three nations were positive, but did not reveal which countries were involved in the talks.

Another rebel spokesman told delegates in Qatar that NATO is not doing enough to protect civilians.  However, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon defended the international community's efforts to suppress Gadhafi's military, saying the major powers have taken "decisive action" in Libya.

In Washington, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that U.S. fighter jets have been conducting strikes against Libya's air defenses during the past 10 days.  Although U.S. officials had announced earlier that America's role in Libya was now one of support rather than active combat, a Pentagon spokesman, Colonel Dave Lapan, said the U.S. has transferred an unspecified number of fighter jets to NATO command to conduct air strikes as assigned.

NATO took over command of the operation over Libya from the United States on March 31. The alliance has carried out airstrikes against government forces in Libya to enforce a U.N.-authorized "no fly" zone and protect civilians from attack by Gadhafi's forces.

Witnesses near the Libyan capital heard loud explosions close to Tripoli's airport Wednesday, but little news has trickled out about fighting on the main eastern and western fronts.

In Berlin Wednesday, Germany expelled five Libyan diplomats for allegedly intimidating Libyan citizens living in the country.  Germany's foreign ministry said the five must leave the country within a week.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron plan to hold talks in Paris late Wednesday to discuss the Libyan crisis.

At Least Seven Dead as Protests Rock Yemen

At Least Seven Dead as Protests Rock Yemen

 

People carry an injured protester after clashes with police in Aden Apr 13 2011

At least seven people have been killed in clashes in Yemen, where thousands of anti-government protesters across the country are demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure.

Most of Wednesday's deaths took place in the capital Sana'a, where rival forces traded gunfire.  Witnesses say President Saleh's military units clashed with forces led by Ali Mohsen, an army general who recently split from the president.

Mohsen's unit was manning a military checkpoint set up on a road leading to a main protest area.

Meanwhile, witnesses and medics say two people were killed and several injured in the southern port town of Aden after security forces opened fire at anti-government protesters.

Officials say the protesters were throwing rocks at police as they attempted to remove roadblocks in the city.

Clashes between Yemeni security forces and opposition activists have killed more than 100 people since the protests began two months ago.

The anti-government protests across Yemen on Wednesday were taking place after opposition leaders rejected a proposal from the Gulf Cooperation Council that called for President Saleh to transfer powers to a vice president.

The opposition said it turned down the plan because it protected the president and his family from prosecution and did not specify when he would step down.

President Saleh had indicated he was willing to accept the offer.  He had previously offered to end his 32-year rule, but only after new elections are held.

Libya: Nato foreign ministers hold talks in Berlin Libyan rebels have been battling Col Gaddafi's forces along the country's northern coast Continue reading the main story

利比亚军事行动“需要更多战机”

 

北约成员国对利比亚军事行动存有分歧

北约秘书长拉斯姆森向成员国外长表示，联军在利比亚的军事行动需要更多的战机。

在德国柏林召开的北约成员国外长会议上，拉斯姆森说，没有任何成员国主动提出愿意为利比亚的军事行动提供更多战机，不过他仍然抱有一线希望。

拉斯姆森在记者会上表示，利比亚领导人卡扎菲的部队将是盟军“每天每次打击行动的目标”。

英国和法国一直在游说其他北约成员国采取更多的行动，更多地参与打击行动。
不过，北约内部对利比亚的军事行动并非毫无分歧，土耳其和德国都对这一行动表示反对。
拉斯姆森说，卡扎菲部队改变了战术，将重型武器隐藏在人口稠密的地区，所以为了避免平民伤亡，联军需要更精密的装备能对地面展开更稳更准的打击。
就在北约部长讨论利比亚局势之际，利比亚的叛军说，在西部城市米苏拉塔又爆发了战斗。
一名反叛力量发言人被引述说，忠于卡扎菲的部队向该市发射了更多的火箭弹，打死了20多人。
利比亚反政府军请求北约发动更多的空袭，尤其是打击那些在米苏拉塔附近围困他们的卡扎菲军队， 并警告说，如果没有北约的帮助，有可能发生大屠杀。

北约是一个暴政犯罪团伙。

Libya: Nato foreign ministers hold talks in Berlin

Libyan rebels have been battling Col Gaddafi's forces along the country's northern coast

 

Foreign ministers from Nato countries are meeting in Berlin, amid differences among members over the air campaign to protect civilians in Libya.

The UK and France have been pushing for other countries to increase military pressure on Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Air strikes led by the US, France and Britain began last month. Nato has since taken leadership of the mission.
Several key member countries, including Spain and Italy, have not taken part in attacks on ground targets.
Tasks in Nato's Libya mission include policing the arms embargo with ships and enforcing the UN-backed no-fly zone.
The UK and France want more countries involved in the most aggressive role, that of attacking targets on the ground.
Only six out of Nato's 28 members - France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark - are conducting air strikes.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

---

For Nato this is both the best of times and the worst of times. After some hesitation on the part of the French, command of the Libya operation was transferred to the alliance, thus assuring its role as the pre-eminent military sub-contractor in the world.
But the alliance is much more than just a conductor of the military orchestra. It is above all a diplomatic body providing the political will, rationale and determination to conduct a given operation. And here Nato's members have been found wanting.
This was an unusual crisis from the outset, since it was really two countries - Britain and France - that made the running.
But leaving the Europeans in pole position meant problems. Only six members are actually conducting strike missions.
Inevitably, reluctance in some quarters and differing degrees of involvement send out a signal suggesting a lack of resolve and uneasiness about how this mission might end.

There are divisions within the alliance over the campaign, with Turkey and Germany opposed to the Libya mission.

Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez on Thursday said her country would continue to help police the no-fly zone and arms embargo, but reiterated that it would not send combat aircraft to Libya.
Although Italy is also refraining from carrying out air strikes, it allows missions to be flown from its territory.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold in eastern Libya, says the Berlin meeting must be seen as a diplomatic counter-offensive by Britain and France to try to increase the tempo, in face of members that are reluctant to do so.
'Renewed atrocities'
The Libya conflict is also being discussed by officials from the African Union and Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Cairo. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Arab League head Amr Moussa are among those attending.
The US has scaled back its role in Libya, though on Wednesday it clarified that US jets were still carrying out bombing raids on Libya's air defences.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is due to attend the meeting in Berlin, condemned the "continued brutal attacks on the Libyan people" by Col Gaddafi's forces.

Continue reading the main story

Nato role in Libya

• Alliance in full control of military operations since 31 March
• Nato has about 195 aircraft and 18 vessels under its control
• Mission includes enforcing arms embargo, policing no-fly zone, and carrying out attacks on ground targets
• 2,038 sorties flown in two weeks
• Six of 28 Nato members carrying out air strikes
• Members Germany and Turkey oppose military action in Libya

• Libya no-fly zone: Coalition firepower

"In recent days, we have received disturbing reports of renewed atrocities," she said in a statement.

Meeting in Paris late on Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and UK Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to step up military pressure on Col Gaddafi, a French official said.
The official, who briefed reporters on the meeting, said the coalition should have "all the means it needs", and that it should show "total determination" to end the sieges of the rebel-held western towns of Misrata and Zintan.
"The [rebel] Transitional National Council is not having problems finding the weapons they need and friends to show them how to use them," he added.
The official said France was not arming rebels, but "that doesn't mean we don't sympathise with those who do".
Britain said it was to provide the rebels with 1,000 sets of body armour, and that 100 satellite phones had already been sent.
'Financial piracy'
Libyan Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim accused Qatar of supplying rebels with French-made anti-tank missiles and sending military trainers, reports said.

He also said Lebanese militants from Hezbollah were helping the rebels. The claims could not be immediately verified.
On Wednesday the contact group, which includes Western powers, their Middle Eastern allies and international organisations, met rebel leaders in Doha, Qatar.
It agreed to continue to provide the rebels with "material support", and to consider channelling funds to them.
In Libya on Wednesday rebels reported more heavy fighting in Misrata, where Col Gaddafi's forces have been trying to dislodge them with bombardments and street attacks for weeks.
As the fighting continues, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that more than half of Libya's population of six million might eventually require humanitarian aid.
About 490,000 people had fled Libya since the conflict began in February, he said.

乌干达警方阻止反对派示威 Uganda: Politician Kizza Besigye shot in arm at protest Dr Besigye was arrested on Monday

乌干达警方阻止反对派示威

卢旺达反对派领导人贝西杰的手星期四被一颗橡皮子弹击中，当时首都坎帕拉正在举行抗议游行。贝西杰当时在参加反对食品和燃料价格上涨、要求工作的抗议游行，警方发射了催泪瓦斯和橡皮子弹，驱散示威者。坎帕拉一名记者告诉美国之音斯瓦希利语组，贝西杰右手第三根手指被击中。她说，手指折断了，不过预期贝西杰不会失掉这个手指。

星期一，贝西杰曾在一次类似的抗议活动中跟他的一些支持者一起被逮捕。美国国务院对这些逮捕行动表示关切，并呼吁乌干达政府尊重公民和平示威的权利。上个月，警方曾发射催泪瓦斯，驱散针对乌干达总统选举中舞弊传闻的抗议活动。贝西杰在2月选举中是乌干达总统穆塞韦尼的竞争对手。

 

Uganda: Politician Kizza Besigye shot in arm at protest

Dr Besigye was arrested on Monday, charged with inciting violence and later released

Continue reading the main story

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been injured after the military opened fire to disperse protesters in the capital, Kampala.

For the second time this week, the opposition asked people to walk to work to protest against rising prices.
Police had tried to arrest Dr Besigye but hundreds of his supporters surrounded him.
Eyewitnesses say the army then stepped in and during the effort to arrest him he was shot in the arm.
The injured opposition leader was then driven away by the military.
Dr Besigye was defeated by President Yoweri Museveni in February's presidential election but says the poll was rigged.
Before the vote, he had called for Egypt-style uprisings in case of fraud.
The police responded by banning public demonstrations.
Barricades
Several opposition politicians were arrested by the police in other parts of Kampala as they took part in the "walk-to-work" protest.
Opposition supporters tried to set up barricades and the police have also sealed off many roads in Kampala.
Protests against high food and fuel prices are also taking place in other towns.
The BBC's East Africa correspondent Will Ross says opposition started the walk-to-work campaigns on Monday, aware that any attempt to demonstrate in one place would be swiftly broken up by police.
Those who participated were small in number.
Opposition politicians, including Dr Besigye, were arrested, charged with inciting violence and later released.
Monday's police action was widely condemned by human rights groups and foreign embassies.
The Uganda Law Society said restrictions on constitutional freedoms were turning Uganda into a police state.
Dr Besigye has been defeated by Mr Museveni in three presidential elections, gaining 26% to the president's 68% in February.
The pair used to be allies - Dr Besigye was once Mr Museveni's personal physician.