As the uprising in Libya enters its ninth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
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(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)
February 22
11:37 am Many eyewitness in Tripoli have reported extreme violence in the past 48 hours: Fighter jets bombarding and heavily armed mercenaries using high-caliber, perhaps even anti-aircraft guns on protesters. So far, though, almost no images or videos have emerged of the attacks. LibyaFeb17.com just posted what they say are a few pictures of Tripoli on Monday. Here's one of a burned-out "Public Hall":
11:26 am Ali al-Essawi, the resigned Libyan ambassador to India, has told Al Jazeera's Prerna Suri that he is afraid to return to his country. He has confirmed the use of fighter aircraft on civilian protesters and said foreign mercenaries from what appear to be African countries are "massacring" his people.
11:17 am An intriguing story out of Bangladesh: A. H. Elimam, Libya's ambassador to that country, has dropped out of sight and communication following his resignation late last night. Nicolas Haque, our correspondent there, says that he last spoke to Elimam at around 9 am local time and that there was "a sense of panic" in his voice. Elimam told Haque that he might not be able to do an interview they had scheduled for later today and gave him an email address to use if he turned off his phone.
The Bangladesh foreign ministry and other diplomats in the country say they can't confirm Elimam's whereabouts. Sources have told Haque that Elimam felt threatened by an intelligence officer in the Libyan embassy - one of the four staffers there and a man who apparently came from the same village as Muammar Gaddafi. Elimam was also concerned about the safety of his family in Libya, Haque said.
11:09 am Former British Foreign Minister Lord David Owen tells us that he believes a "military intervention" in the form of a no-fly zone is an immediate necessicity in Libya.
10:50 am Carlos Latuff, a provocative cartoonist who often focuses on Arab and Arab-Israeli politics, has come out with this, a reference to the treatment of protesters in the past 24 hours:
10:21 am Andrew Solomon, a journalist who has written on Libya previously, published a new piece in the New Yorker magazine called "How Qaddafi Lost Libya". Some selections from Solomon's analysis of Gaddafi's "strategic errors":
-Retreating from his son's "plans for reform". Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was an asbolute failure at introducing progress on the economy and communications infrastructure, but the plans gave people hope.
-Hoarding the wealth. Despite Libya's oil-fed prosperity and small population (six million), Gaddafi failed to fulfill "even the most basic government obligations".
-Ignoring the youth bulge. A third of the population is under 15, but Gaddafi made no effort to reach out to them or ameliorate youth unemployment.
10:09 am Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri files our first report from the border with Libya:
10:02 am Israeli president Shimon Peres, who is in Spain, said on Monday that it was "an irony of history" that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi recently called for "a Middle East without Israel" but that it now appeared that "there will be a Libya without Gaddafi". Officially, the Israeli government has had no reaction to the violent revolt in Libya.
9:44 am Nazanine Moshiri is now reporting for us from the Tunisia-Libya border, near Ras Ajdir, around 175km west of the capital, Tripoli. She reports that Libyan border police are still present - we hear they are absent in the east - and are taking telephones and money from people crossing into Tunisia, "leaving people with only their clothes".
9:43 am Here's a newly established website to memorialize victims of Libya's violence (similar to one set up for the uprising in Egypt): http://1000memories.com/libya. It counts 57 dead so far, almost all without photographs, some of them unknown.
9:34 am The International Coalition Against War Criminals, a collection of non-profit organizations formed in 2009 to focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has reported 519 deaths, 3,980 wounded and at least 1,500 missing in Libya since the start of demonstrations last week.
9:26 am Reuters: Egypt will reinforce its border with Libya with "border guards" and will open the crossing at the northwestern town of Saloum for "sick and injured," the country's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has announced.
9:23 am Folks on Twitter point us to a Time magazine article on Libya from this past April:
In the latest sign of change, the first U.S. ambassador to Libya in 37 years hosted 100 Libyan women at his house one February evening for the first American cultural event in decades. American singers shimmied across the stage in tight dresses, belting out Broadway show tunes like "All That Jazz" and "New York." "For years this place was Slumberland," says Sami Zaptia, a Libyan business consultant in Tripoli. "Now everyone wants to get on the Libya gravy train."
9:12 am Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Cairo that as of midnight, around 4,000 Egyptians had returned from Libya through Saloum, in the northwest corner of Egypt.
9:03 am We just spotted this seven-minute video, allegedly of fighting in the streets of Tripoli on Sunday night after the speech by Saif Gaddafi, the leader's son. The description says that youths who tried to burn a picture of Muammar Gaddafi near Green or Martyrs' Square were dispersed by gunfire, and you can certainly hear extremely heavy firing in the clip.
Thousands of protesters reportedly took the square on Sunday night before being confronted by Gaddafi supporters and armed troops; some witnesses on the ground say hundreds were killed in the ensuing violence. In the clip, you can hear the men yelling repeatedly "There is no God but God" and "God is great" to encourage themselves:
8:30 am As we discuss the kind of ammunition being used against Libyan protesters, here's a video allegedly of a sniper operating in Tripoli last night:
And another video, one of the clearest yet, showng the alleged "mercenaries" who are controlling security in Tripoli at the moment. Numerous Libyans in the country and abroad - including resigned officials - have said that the armed men have been brought in by Gaddafi's regime and paid to attack civilian protesters. Those sources frequently describe the troops as "Africans" who come from bordering countries Chad and Niger:
8:20 am There have been multiple reports out of Libya that security forces there are using "high caliber" or "anti-aircraft" weapons against civilian protesters. We've seen video of Libyans holding spent rounds, both large and small, comparing the two for cameras. To get a sense of what high caliber really means, look at this photo:
The round second from right is standard 5.56mm - of the type used by NATO forces, as the photo illustrates. The round on the far left is .50 caliber and has reportedly been used against protesters. Sources in Tripoli who have spoken with doctors in the capital also said some believe explosive rounds are being used.
One blogger noted: "I had a discussion with my brother, who’s currently training in the police academy, about weapons that law enforcement/the military uses. Do you want to know what police departments who even have these bullets use them for? Immobilizing vehicles and shooting through walls ... These bullets are designed to shred things much tougher than the human body."
7:40 am We've been told that the UN Security Council will have "informal consultations" regarding Libya at 9:00 am local time in New York City, beginning in around eight hours.
7:28 am CNN's Ben Wedeman, a Cairo-based reporter who covered the uprising in Egypt, is the first international journalist known to enter Libya. In an article posted last night, Wedeman describes the scene after entering through the border with Egypt:
"Your passports please," said the young man in civilian clothing toting an AK-47 at the Libyan border."For what?" responded our driver, Saleh, a burly, bearded man who had picked us up just moments before. "There is no government. What is the point?" He pulled away with a dismissive laugh.
On the Libyan side, there were no officials, no passport control, no customs.
I've seen this before. In Afghanistan after the route of the Taliban, in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Government authority suddenly evaporates. It's exhilarating on one level; its whiff of chaos disconcerting on another.
7:24 am Maryam Elomani, a protester in Tripoli who is also a fifth-year medical student, tells us this morning that she was present at a hospital when dead and injured - all 17 to 34 years old - arrived last night. All injuries were in the head, chest or spine, she said, but she added that the streets of Tripoli are quiet at the moment.
Elomani, like many others, described the security forces firing on protesters as "Africans" - foreigners from outside Libya.
7:07 am Libya's deputy UN ambassador has called on the longtime ruler to step down. The Libyan ambassador to the US says he can no longer support Gadhafi; the ambassador to India plans to resign, and the ambassador to Bangladesh has quit to protest the killing of family members by government troops.
6:51 am A resident of east Tripoli tells AFP over the phone:
It's definitely the end of the regime. This has never happened in Libya before. We are praying that it ends quickly
What is happening in #Libya is senseless , ruthless brutality against innocent people .. God help them.
6:31 am More than 200 very vocal protesters are demonstrating at the Libyan embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The Libyan Ambassador says he has realigned himself with the people of Libya and is supporting the demonstrators.
6:22 am Khaled Al Ga'aeem, under-secretary of Libya's foreign ministry, phoned Al Jazeera on Monday night. Here is a translation of the ensuing conversation.
6:14 am UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that he had nearly an hour long telephone conversation with Gaddafi.
As I said extensively to Colonel [Muammar] Gaddafi this morning over the phone, I urged him that human rights and freedom of assembly and freedom of speech must be fully protected.
This is a fundamental principle of democracy. I sincerely hope that the current situation will be resolved peacefully through dialogue -- a broad-based dialogue involving all the parties concerned.
6:05 am Gaddafi spoke on Libyan state TV early on Tuesday, reportedly from outside his house:
I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs
5:50 am The UN Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Libya, diplomats have said.
3:32 am Crowdsourced Googlemap of violence by Gaddafi loyalists against protesters in Libya.
3:18 am Photo retrieved via @ammr
3:07 am Hacktivist group Anonymous issues statement in solidarity with Libya protesters.
3:05 am A 2009 US diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published today by Afterposten asks which of Gaddafi’s sons is best positioned to take over in any power struggle following the end of their father’s rule. Read full cable here.
2:00 am A group of Libyan army officers have reportedly issued a statement urging fellow soldiers to “join the people” and help remove Gaddafi from power
1:42am In a statement released by the UN, Ban Ki-moon is said to be “outraged” at reports that Libyan authorities shot at demonstrators from war planes and helicopters.
Such attacks would constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law
1:40am Libya's deputy ambassador Dabbashi to UN: "No fly zone should be called over Libya"
1:20 am Al Jazeera Arabic reports that adverts appear in Guinea and Nigeria offering would-be mercenaries up to US $2000 dollars per day
1:09 am Any news of that address by Gaddafi? No. We recommend you stay tuned to our TV stream for the latest news - by clicking here. And if you're in the US, you can Demand Al Jazeera on your cable provider...
1:01am Reports flowing in of protests in solidarity with Libyan anti-Gaddafi activists being organised in London, Berlin, Paris, Washington DC, Cairo, New York City... Check the #Libya tag on Twitter for details in your area
12:59 am Financial Times reports oil groups are preparing to shut down operations in Libya
12:53 am Dozens of students and political activists have been arrested in Zimbabwe for watching Al Jazeera's reports on uprisings in north Africa, reports the New York Times.
12:49 am Reports emerge that BP is preparing to evacuate its employees from Libya. The corporation has major contracts with Libya, the EU's third-largest supplier of oil
12:45 am Regular Al Jazeera contributor Marc Lynch has written this interesting piece, weighing the merits and pitfalls of foreign intervention in Libya. Check it out for yourself here.
It is time for the United States, NATO, the United Nations and the Arab League to act forcefully to try to prevent the already bloody situation from degenerating into something much worse.
12:41 am State TV is airing "confessions" by Tunisians in Libya saying they were behind the uprising.
12:34 am Images of bodies gutted in the attacks are too harrowing to be shown. Our colleagues on the TV side of the newsroom have had to pixellate the bloodied bodies, where limbs have been hacked off and torsos maimed.
12:32 am Saif Gaddafi denies any airstrikes on Libyan cities
12:30 am Further reports that Libyan border guards have abandoned the eastern border with Egypt
12:22 am Deputy FM denies use of mercenaries against Libyan citizens
12:20 am Still waiting for that speech from Gaddafi.
12:17 am Once the Libyan foreign minister comes off air, we'll bring you a translated transcript of the fascinating exchange as soon as possible. Watch this space. Or follow Al Jazeera correspondent Rawya Rageh on Twitter @RawyaRageh who is tweeting about it constantly...
12:15 am Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, issued a statement on Libya:
The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm. We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones. The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly. Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government.
12:11 am Al Jazeera Arabic presenter tries to corner Khaled al-Gaeim, deputy foreign minister, to allow the network into the country to report on events there.
If you don't trust our coverage, why are you on air with us now?
Deputy FM:
I called in to tell you about your dismal coverage, and to say that you do not own the airwaves
12:09 am Libyan deputy foreign minister denies any massacres have occurred in Benghazi or anywhere else in the country. He then blames Al Jazeera for "inciting strife".
What do you gain from your coverage? More employees?
12:06 am Calls for solidarity protests around the world spread globally across online social networks.
12:03 am Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Istanbul, says a plane sent earlier today to pick up some of the 25,000 Turkish workers in Libya had to turn back after approaching the country - because there was no-one left in air control facilities
12:01 am Online reports say Darnah city now under attack from "mercenaries".
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