Focus of Libya conflict shifts to Qatar

International contact group meets Transitional National Council in gradual step towards international recognition.

Middle East Online

By Marc Burleigh - BENGHAZI

The focus of the Libyan conflict shifts to the Gulf state of Qatar on Wednesday, with the rebel shadow government being given the chance to address an international contact group. Libya's former foreign minister Mussa Kussa will be present in Doha, but rebels made it clear he would not be representing them in any way at talks ahead of the meeting. An African Union peace plan for Libya was in tatters after rebels stuck to their demand that Moamer Gathafi step down and NATO came under pressure to drop more bombs on the strongman's forces. The Libyan opposition's Transitional National Council will address the contact group, an invitation that marks another step in the armed rebel group's gradual march toward international recognition as an alternative voice for Libya's people. In London on March 29, the TNC was not permitted to attend the plenary session of an international ministerial conference on the crisis, although its envoys held bilateral talks with several world powers on the sidelines. But French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said this time, TNC members "will appear before the contact group." Since London, with Gathafi continuing to defy NATO air strikes and with mounting calls for him to quit, the opposition council has gained support and recognition, notably from France, Italy and Qatar. Valero said France would welcome the group playing a bigger role at the Wednesday meeting of around 20 countries, at foreign minister level, and international bodies. Speaking in Doha, rebel spokesman Mahmud Shammam said "we want to move from the de facto recognition of the council to an internationally recognised legitimacy." The rebels were keen to distance themselves from Kussa, the former foreign minister. "He's not connected to (the) Transitional National Council in any way or shape," media liaison official Mustafa Gheriani told AFP. The British Foreign Office said Kussa was leaving Britain to travel to Qatar for talks ahead of the meeting. The African Union peace plan looked to be dead in the water after rebels dismissed a ceasefire out of hand. Having managed to secure Gathafi's agreement to a truce, the AU delegation encountered resistance from the rebel leadership in Benghazi, who argued that the initiative was obsolete and insisted Gathafi be forced to quit. "Due to a political demand set as a precondition by the Transitional National Council to launching urgent talks on the implementation of a truce, it was not possible at this stage to reach an agreement on the key issue of a cessation of hostilities," an AU statement said. In Benghazi, rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said the African initiative did not go far enough. "From the first day the demand of our people has been the ouster of Gathafi and the fall of his regime," he said. "Gathafi and his sons must leave immediately if they want to be safe... Any initiative that does not include the people's demand, the popular demand, essential demand, we cannot possibly recognise." The rebels also doubted Gathafi would adhere to a truce. "The world has seen these offers of ceasefires before and within 15 minutes (Gathafi) starts shooting again," TNC spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said. With outgunned rebel forces making little headway in their bid to oust Gathafi's regime, British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged NATO allies to intensify military operations in Libya. "We must maintain and intensify our efforts in NATO, that is why the United Kingdom has in the last week supplied additional aircraft capable of striking ground targets threatening the civilian population of Libya," Hague said. "Of course it would be welcome if other countries also do the same," he said in Luxembourg before a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "There is always more to do." Thousands of lives had been saved thanks to air strikes that were launched by Western powers on March 19. These prevented Gathafi's forces from storming Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, three weeks ago, Hague said. "A huge amount has been achieved in Libya but clearly there is more to be done," he continued. "Of course, to have any viable, peaceful future for Libya, Colonel Gathafi needs to leave." His comments came just hours after his French counterpart, Alain Juppe, had said France's NATO allies were not pulling their weight in Libya and their forces should do more to help destroy Gathafi's heavy weaponry. "NATO must fully play its role, and it is not doing so sufficiently," the minister told France Info radio, adding that France would bring the matter up with EU ministers on Tuesday and with NATO in Berlin on Thursday. France which, with Britain and the United States, led the drive for air strikes, was sceptical about handing political control of the operation to the Western alliance. In Washington, the Pentagon said it had no plans to alter its role in the air campaign in Libya, with NATO allies taking the lead in air strikes. "We're not reassessing whether or not we should stick with the strategy," said press secretary Geoff Morrell. The US military's ground-attack aircraft remained on standby pending a request from the allied commander of the air operation, officials said. On the ground, there were reports that rebels and Gathafi forces have again clashed in the mountainous western region around Zintan. And in Luxembourg, TNC official Ali al-Isawi said Gathafi's troop had killed 10,000 people since the rebellion broke out in mid-February, with another 30,000 wounded and 20,000 missing. There is no way to independently confirm those figures. Meanwhile, Gathafi's son, Seif al-Islam, acknowledged that it was time for "new blood" in Libya, but said talk of his father stepping down was "truly ridiculous." "The Libyan guide (Gathafi) does not want to control everything. He is at an advanced age. We would like to bring a new elite of young people onto the scene to lead the country and direct local affairs," he told France's BFM TV.

Dissident Yemen army unit, police clash

Four policemen, officer in army unit that has sided with anti-regime protesters killed in overnight clash north of Sanaa.

Middle East Online

Brothers in arms SANAA - Four policemen and an officer in an army unit that has sided with anti-regime protesters were killed in an overnight clash at a checkpoint north of Yemen's capital, a military official said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Yemen's army shot dead an anti-regime protester and wounded four others in clashes in the main southern city of Aden on Wednesday, medics and witnesses said. The army opened fire on anti-regime protesters who were trying to block roads in the city, in an attempt to implement a general strike which they have vowed will take place every Saturday and Wednesday, the sources said.

Mubarak, two sons detained for 15 days

Mubaraks are to be asked about allegations they were connected to crimes of assault against protesters in Egypt.

Middle East Online

By Ines Bel Aiba - CAIRO

The inquiry begins Egypt's ex-president Hosni Mubarak has been placed in detention for 15 days, prosecutors said Wednesday shortly after state media reported his two sons had also been detained. In a statement on the public prosecutor's Facebook page, a spokesman said the prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud authorised the detentions "as part of an inquiry into the use of force against protesters during the unrest in January and February." Mubarak was admitted to hospital on Tuesday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh shortly after suffering a heart attack during questioning by prosecutors, state media said. It was not immediately clear where his 15-day detention would take place. Earlier, state television said Mubarak's two sons had also been detained. "It has been decided to imprison Gamal and Alaa for 15 days for the needs of the inquiry," the report said. They are accused of incitement to fire at demonstrators during a popular uprising that lasted from January 25 till February 11 when Mubarak reluctantly stepped down. Nearly 800 people died during the uprising. A security source said the two brothers were heading for the Tora prison in Cairo from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where they were interrogated. On Sunday, public prosecutor Abdel Magid Mahmud ordered the inquiry, as part of a sweeping probe into corruption and abuse. The Mubaraks were to be asked about allegations that they were "connected to the crimes of assault against protesters, leading to deaths and injuries", the official MENA news agency said. Prosecutors had begun questioning Mubarak and his son Gamal earlier on Tuesday, Justice Minister Abdel Aziz al-Guindi said, adding that the questioning over acquiring wealth illegally had not yet started "as that will be handled by the department of illicit gains". State television reported that Mubarak had refused to eat or drink since he received news on Tuesday morning that he was to be questioned. He was admitted by his bodyguards to the VIP wing of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital, the report said, adding that the hospital was not accepting any patients except for emergency cases. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the hospital, as well as a heavy military police presence, the television said. The former president was dressed in a black and white track suit, a witness said. Asked if Mubarak was in good health, hospital director Mohammed Fathallah replied: "Somewhat." The state-owned daily Al-Ahram, citing sources in Sharm el-Sheikh, said on its website that Mubarak had gone to hospital "under the pretext of being unwell in order to avoid facing questioning". The former president was also to be quizzed about allegations of graft, MENA added. The prosecutor's summons came after the broadcast of an audio tape in which Mubarak defended his reputation and after weeks of mounting protests calling for him to be put on trial. In the audio message aired on the pan-Arab television network Al-Arabiya, Mubarak complained he was the victim of a smear campaign. He pledged his assistance in a probe of his family's foreign assets, but his defiance in threatening lawsuits against the media angered Egyptians who have been pressing for his trial. After he resigned, Mubarak and his family moved to a residence in Sharm el-Sheikh. Although he is subject to a travel ban, his relative freedom has been a thorn in the side of the military rulers. Weekly protests demanding his trial have attracted tens of thousands and eventually led to a deadly clash with soldiers early Saturday after they tried to clear an overnight demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Mubarak suffers heart attack during grilling

CAIRO: Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak suffered a “heart crisis” Tuesday during questioning over the killing of protesters and embezzling of public funds and is now in intensive care, state media said.

Mubarak’s admission came as prosecutors began questioning his sons, Alaa and Gamal, in the south Sinai capital of Al-Tor, a judicial source said.

Mubarak was admitted to the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital in the Red Sea resort where has been living with his family since nationwide protests forced him to step down in February.

State television reported that Mubarak had refused to eat or drink since he received news Tuesday morning that he was to be questioned.

On Sunday, public prosecutor Abdel Magid Mahmud ordered the inquiry, as part of a sweeping probe into corruption and abuse.

Nationwide protests that erupted on Jan. 25 forced Mubarak to give up his 30-year grip on power and hand the reins to a military council.

“Mubarak was admitted to the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital this afternoon, amid a very heavy security presence in the town,” a security source told AFP.

He was admitted by his bodyguards to the VIP wing of the hospital, state television reported, adding that the hospital was not accepting any patients except for emergency cases.

Police cars and ambulances surrounded the hospital, as well as a heavy military police presence, the television said.

The former president was dressed in a black and white track suit, a witness said.

Asked if Mubarak was in good health, hospital director Mohammed Fathallah replied: “Somewhat.”

The state-owned daily Al-Ahram, citing sources in Sharm El-Sheikh, said on its website that Mubarak had gone to hospital “under the pretext of being unwell in order to avoid facing questioning.”

The Mubaraks were to be asked about allegations that they were “connected to the crimes of assault against protesters, leading to deaths and injuries,” the official MENA news agency said Sunday.

The riots, which saw repeated clashes between protesters, and police and Mubarak loyalists left an estimated 800 people dead and more than 6,000 injured.

The former president was also to be quizzed about allegations of graft, MENA added.

The prosecutor’s summons came after the broadcast of an audio tape in which Mubarak defended his reputation and after weeks of mounting protests calling for him to be put on trial. In the audio message aired on the pan-Arab television network Al-Arabiya, Mubarak complained he was the victim of a smear campaign.

– Agence France-Presse

Hosni Mubarak detained over corruption allegations

Former Egyptian president's arrest follows detention of his two sons on Tuesday night

Adam Gabbatt, Jack Shenker and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 April 2011 08.22 BST
Article history

Hosni Mubarak was brought to hospital on Tuesday night after reportedly suffering a heart attack during questioning. Photograph: DENNIS BRACK/POOL/EPA

Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak, has been detained as authorities in the country investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of his authority.

His detention comes after the 82-year-old reportedly suffered a heart attack while being questioned on Tuesday night.

Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have also been detained after being questioned over corruption claims into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A statement from the prosecutor general's office announcing Mubarak's detention said the ongoing investigation was into allegations of corruption, the squandering of public funds, and the abuse of authority for personal gain.

"The prosecutor general orders the detention of former president Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," it said.

Egypt's interim government issued subpoenas to Mubarak and his sons over the weekend, compelling them to testify in court over claims that they illicitly acquired wealth and abused their power during the former president's reign.

The announcement of their detention came just hours after Mubarak was hospitalised with heart problems in Sharm el-Sheikh. He has been in internal exile in the Red Sea resort since Egypt's mass uprising earlier this year.

In a sign his health may not be in immediate danger, justice minister Mohammed el-Guindi said questioning of the former president continued in hospital.

While the ex-president was in hospital – where he is expected to remain for the period of his detention – his sons were taken for questioning to a local court by prosecutors from Cairo.

Gamal Mubarak, his younger son, was a top official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father before 18 days of popular protests brought down the regime on 11 February.

An angry crowd of 2,000 people gathered outside and demanded the two be arrested.

Then, in the early hours of the morning, the head of provincial security in the South Sinai told the crowd that Gamal and his businessman brother Alaa would be detained.

"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got … 15 days," said Major General Mohammed el-Khatib, as the crowd erupted in cheers.

As a police van with drawn curtains took away the two brothers, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their shoes, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.

About 800 people are estimated to have been killed during the protests as police opened fire and cracked down on the crowds. Authorities are now investigating government officials for their role in ordering the violence.

Gamal is also believed to be the architect of Egypt's privatisation program and economic liberalisation, which has brought in billions in foreign investment but has also widened the gap between rich and poor.

Many of his close associates were billionaires and held top positions in the ruling party and the government.

Egypt detains Mubarak and sons over corruption, abuse of authority

Statement posted on prosecutor general's office Facebook page says ongoing investigation is in place into orders to open fire on demonstrators during recent upheavals.

By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service

Egypt's prosecutor general announced Wednesday a 15-day detention for former President Hosni Mubarak to investigate accusations of corruption and abuse of authority, hours after announcing the detention of his sons Alaa and Gamal.

News of the reported detention order came a day hours after Mubarak, 82, was hospitalized with heart problems as investigations began over his own role in corruption and suppressing the protests that eventually led to his ouster.

	Ousted Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak attends a meeting with South Africa's President Jacob Zuma at the presidential palace in Cairo October 19, 2010.
	Photo by: Reuters

The former Egyptian president was deposed Feb. 11 after 18 days of popular protests and has been under house arrest in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for the last two months.

According to a statement posted on the Facebook page of the prosecutor general's office early Wednesday, Mubarak, as well his sons have been detained for 15 days.

"The prosecutor general orders the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," it read.

The statement says the ongoing investigation was into the orders to open fire on demonstrators as well as any abuse of the president's authority for personal gain.

Deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's sons Gamal (R) and Alaa (L) try their video camera as they wait for the fourth total solar eclipse of the 21st century in Sallum, on the border with Libya.AFP

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Mubarak's reported detention came just hours after Egyptian prosecutors ordered the detention of his two powerful sons over their role in violence against protesters and corruption allegations are investigated.

Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are, like their father, to be detained for 15 days, Egyptian state television said on Wednesday. State prosecutors are probing accusations of embezzlement.

Many of Mubarak's top associates are now being questioned for their activities in the previous regime, but the detention of his sons is by far the most startling development since his Feb. 11 removal from office.

Gamal Mubarak, his younger son, was a top official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father before popular protests brought down the regime.

While the ex-president was in the hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he has been living since being removed from power, his sons were taken for questioning to the nearby courthouse by prosecutors from Cairo.

An angry crowd of 2,000 people gathered outside and demanded the two be arrested.
In the early hours of the morning, the head of provincial security in the South Sinai told the crowd that Gamal and his businessman brother Alaa would be detained.

"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got ... 15 days," said Maj. Gen. Mohammed el-Khatib, as the crowd erupted in cheers. Egyptian state television later confirmed the order.

As a police van took away the two brothers, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their flip-flops, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.

In the two months since Mubarak stepped down, the council of generals ruling the country have initiated a series of investigations of top regime officials.

Leaders across the Mideast are looking to escape Mubarak's fate

Mubarak's investigation, as well as that of two of his sons, is one of the most important measures undertaken by the new regime to calm an anxious Egyptian public.

By Zvi Bar'el

Three leaders, Muammar Gadhafi, Bashar Assad, and Ali Abdullah Saleh, are certain they can still escape the fate of Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Each of them decided to violently repress popular unrest; all of them are promising reforms without committing to a timetable; and each and every one of them has decided to ignore both international pressure and Arab attempts at compromise.

The most intense battle is being waged in Libya, where 300 people have reportedly been killed in the city of Misrata alone, with gunfights also reported in the rebel-controlled city of Ajdabiya. Despite the persistence of clashes, NATO forces have cut back on their attacks on ground targets, thus taking away much of the military backing they provided to the rebels, who have subsequently been forced to withdraw from their western advance.

	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak receiving Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, Nov. 30, 2004.
	Photo by: AP

Meanwhile, Mubarak continues to provide the top story coming out of Egypt, after collapsing on Tuesday during questioning and rushed to a Sharm El-Sheikh hospital.

The investigation of Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, centering on allegations of embezzlement and killing protesters, is one of the most important measures undertaken by the new regime to calm the public, some of which has begun to express frustration at what looks like foot-dragging en route to political and economical reform.

But, by the evening hours Egyptian television stations were already reporting developments in Mubarak's medical condition, citing estimates he had a heart attack, and adding that his investigation has been continuating even in the hospital. As such, the controversy surrounding political reform is replaced with the question of should or not shouldn't Mubarak be allowed out of the country for medical treatment.

Defecting Libya Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, who also ran the country's intelligence for a while, said in London that Libya could turn into a new Somalia if a decisive military victory was not achieved.

Koussa was travelling to Qatar on Tuesday, a fact that drew scathing criticism against the U.K. for allowing the man suspected of planning the 1988 Lockerbie bombing out of the country.

However, his warning did not seem to impress the United States. Washington, for now, has decided to object to continued ground strikes in Libya, saying it would stick to preventing attacks targeting civilians by the Libyan air force.

The U.S. decision has developed into a full-blown dispute between France and Britain, who support continued ground attacks and even in sending ground troops, and other NATO states, led by Turkey, who opposed such a move.

All the while, proposals for a diplomatic compromise, like those submitted by Turkey and the African Union, were rejected by both Gadhafi and the rebels, who are unwilling to accept any deal that does not explicitly mandate the ouster of Gadhafi and his family.

And so, as Western countries argue over the modes of military attack, Gadhafi can continue his violent struggle, one which could turn into a draw-out war of attrition.

Assad is better off than Gadhafi for several reasons. He isn't facing armed forces such as the Libya rebel groups, there are no reports of defecting military of Baath party officials, and mostly because the Western pressure on Assad isn't close to the kind of international involvement seen in Libya.

Washington may condemn the violent repression, but it has yet to demand Assad's ouster. And so, the Syrian president can surround the city of Banias with his tanks, shoot at the residents of Bayda, lay strict curfews against Daraa, cut power lines and internet service, and arrest hundreds of activists and protesters, creating the impression that the Syrian agenda will not be set in the street but in the presidential palace.

Unlike Libya, Tunisia, or Egypt, the Syrian army is inseparable from the country's regime, who also "owns" the country's economy. The possible fall of Assad's regime would mean, thus, much more than the loss financial benefits enjoyed by the regime and the president's family.

The military itself could become a target of public wrath, as would the Baath party. So theoretically, if Assad would be willing to enact far-reaching changes, he would encounter stiff resistance from the army and from the owners of the country's economical monopolies.

In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is willing to test the ability of his opposition to topple him, as he leans on some of the tribal leaders which continue to support his rule, or on those accepting the compromise according to which a gradual leadership change would take place through new elections.

These proposals and others are rejected by those who demand Saleh's immediate ouster as a condition for any compromise. Even here it seems that Yemen could fall into a war of attrition, perhaps not as violent that taking place in Libya, but still one that disrupts and poses a danger to everyday life.