AFRICOM Related News Clips 24 Aug 2011

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TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

As Libyan Rebels Secure Tripoli, Search for Gadhafi Continues. (CNN)

24 August 2011Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- The six-month battle for control of Libya was all but ended, arebel leader said Tuesday, even though pockets of fighting remained inside and outsideof Tripoli.

Libya: NATO Plans Final Onslaught on Gaddafi's Forces. (The Guardian)

23 August 2011Nato to resume bombing campaign after 'tactical pause' as it emerges that rebels arebeing advised by SAS soldiers. British and Nato military commanders are planningwhat they hope will be a final onslaught on Colonel Gaddafi's forces to put an end to allresistance from troops loyal to the Libyan leader.

U.S., NATO Concerned about Libya's Stockpile of Weapons (CNN)

23 August 2011

The U.S. and NATO have been quietly talking to National Transitional Council officialsfor the last several weeks about securing Libya's remaining stockpiles of mustard gasand other weapons material in the event the Gadhafi regime fell, U.S. officials confirm.Topping the list of worries is Libya's stockpile of mustard gas.

U.S. Pledges No Ground Troops in Libya, But (Wired.com)

23 August 2011Through six months of war in the skies over Libya, the Obama administration has hadone big, fat red line: it wont put any troops on the ground. Except that red line turnedout to be permeable, as CIA operatives made their way to the shores of Benghazi. And

as the fall of Tripoli turns into a battle for the city, NATO isnt closing the door onsending western peacekeeping forces to Libyan soil.

Libya Rebels Launch Massive Attack on Kadhafi Compound (AllAfrica.com)

23 August 2011Libyan rebels on Tuesday launched a massive offensive on leader Moamer Kadhafi'ssprawling Bab al-Azizya compound in Tripoli, as the strongman's son refuted reports ofhis own arrest.


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Analysis: Could Libya split along tribal lines? (CNN)

23 August 2011London (CNN) -- Libya's fledgling National Transitional Council (NTC) -- a Benghazi-based political grouping of anti-Gadhafi rebels -- stands on the cusp of power.

But are skeptics justified in arguing that the NTC is incapable of holding togetherserious tribal and regional divisions to the point where political order will simplycollapse?

South Sudan: Hundreds Dead in Reprisal Attacks, Proposed Pipeline Scrapped(AllAfrica.com)

23 August 2011A series of cattle raids and reprisal attacks have left around 600 people dead and about

a 1000 others injured in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

South Sudan Clashes Kill 600, U.N. Calls for Talks (CNN)22 August 2011South Sudan--The U.N. on Monday called for reconciliation in the newly-establishedRepublic of South Sudan after fighting reportedly left at least 600 dead and at least26,000 cattle stolen.

U.S. has Nearly Doubled Air Attacks on Libya in Past 12 Days (CNN)

23 August 2011Washington -- As the rebels in Libya push closer to ending the regime of embattled Col.Moammar Gadhafi, U.S. warplanes have been increasing their attacks on governmentpositions as part of the NATO campaign.

How Did Gadhafi Keep His Scud Missiles for So Long? (CNN)

22 August 2011As his regime collapsed, Moammar Gadhafis forces fired a Scud-B missile at theadvancing rebels. This was same type of missile that Gadhafi agreed to eliminate aspart of his renunciation of weapons of mass destruction.

NATO Officials Say Campaign Effective but Not Model (Wall Street Journal)

23 August 2011The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Libyan air campaign succeeded in helping

rebel fighters on their way to Tripoli, but NATO's involvement lasted longer thanpoliticians hoped and increased U.S. anxiety about the group's reliance on Americanhardware, observers say.


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Thousands of Somalis Celebrate Islamist Retreat (AP)

23 August 2011MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) Thousands of Somalis attended a rally on Tuesday tocelebrate the withdrawal of Islamist rebels from bases in the Somali capital, even as themilitants executed three men accused of spying in a de facto court.

Liberia Votes in Contentious Referendum (AFP)

23 August 2011

MONROVIA Liberians voted Tuesday in a constitutional referendum, a key test for the westAfrican nation just weeks before its second post-war presidential election, which some

opposition leaders have boycotted.

Senegal-Based Journalists on Week-Long Orientation Visit to US Africa CommandHQ (Afrique Avenir)

23 August 2011 - A six-member delegation of journalists of media houses in SenegalMonday began a week-long orientation programme at the headquarters of the USAfrica Command (AFRICOM) in Germany.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website

Liberians vote on constitutional changes seen by UN as milestone in peace process

23 August Liberians went to the polls today to vote in a referendum on constitutional changes,a move described by the United Nations envoy for the West African country as a milestone in the

process to entrench peace and stability that has prevailed since the end of the civil war in 2003.

Ban calls on South Sudan to restore security after deadly ethnic fighting23 August Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Government of South Sudan to

restore security in Jonglei state, where recent ethnic clashes have claimed at least 600 deaths.

As starving Somalis flood into Ethiopia, UN sends in emergency aid team23 August The United Nations has deployed an emergency team to south-eastern Ethiopia

where 18,000 new refugees fleeing drought, famine and conflict in Somalia have recently pouredin, compounding a situation already fraught with high mortality from malnutrition and measles.

Darfur: UN-backed ceasefire commission holds inaugural meeting22 August A new ceasefire commission for Darfur held its inaugural meeting today, with thehead of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in the war-torn Sudanese

region saying it plants the seeds for enduring peace.

DR Congo: UN supporting probe as employee is implicated in mineral smuggling

22 August The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) said today it is fully cooperating with the authorities there who are investigating an


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attempt by a local UN employee to smuggle about one ton of cassiterite ore from the country toneighbouring Rwanda.

South Sudan: UN urges end to cycle of violence after deadly ethnic clashes

22 August The top United Nations official in South Sudan today called for an end to the cycle

of violence engulfing the newly independent countrys state of Jonglei, where hundreds ofpeople have been killed in recent days in fighting between ethnic groups.

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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

1 SEPT 2011

WHEN: September 1, 2011, 5:45 p.m. 7:30 p.m.WHAT: The Long Shadow of 9/11: Americas Response to TerrorismWHO: Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser to the President of RANDWHERE: RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St., Santa Monica, CACONTACT: [email protected] contact: http://www.rand.org/events/2011/09/01.html

8 SEPT 2011

WHEN: September 8, 2011, 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m.WHAT: Ten Years Later Public Diplomacy and the Arab World, Center on PublicDiplomacy at the Annenberg School, Conversations in Public DiplomacyWHO: Several Panelists (see website)WHERE: USC; Tutor Campus Center ForumCONTACT: [email protected] contact:http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/16973/

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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

As Libyan Rebels Secure Tripoli, Search for Gadhafi Continues. (CNN)

By the CNN Wire Staff24 August 2011

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- The six-month battle for control of Libya was all but ended, arebel leader said Tuesday, even though pockets of fighting remained inside and outsideof Tripoli.


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"The fall of the capital means the fall of the regime," said Mahmoud Jibril of theNational Transitional Council. "I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that, within the nextcouple of days, many other liberations will happen."

He added, "In Libya, you say: Chop the head and the veins will dry up."

Earlier in the day, the symbol of that head was ransacked as rebels stormed thepresidential compound in Tripoli after hours of heavy fighting. Celebratory gunfirerang out as rebels carted off weapons and knocked over statues depicting Libya'slongtime leader.

But the most-sought-after prize, Col. Moammar Gadhafi himself, remained elusive.

Where is Gadhafi? "It doesn't matter," said NTC Information Minister MahmoudShammam, who said rebel forces controlled 90% of the country. "In a few hours,

maximum a few days, we have a new Libya, a new, liberated Libya."

The fighting was not confined to Tripoli. Shammam said battles raged in several citiesacross the country. "We're fighting in three or four fronts right now," he said, adding,"our troops are limited."

Still, the business of transferring power was moving forward briskly, with plans totransfer the power base from Benghazi to Tripoli, he said. "Half of the government willbe in Tripoli tomorrow morning," he said, citing the ministries of oil, communications,interior, defense and health.

A stabilization team will ensure that the city is supplied with electricity and cleanwater, Shammam said.

In addition, the Zawiya refinery is working.

"The whole situation is not so bad," Shammam told CNN from Libya's border withTunisia. "Things are going to get better every day." But, he added, the work is daunting.Gadhafi left behind no institutions, no political parties, no civil society. "We have tobuild things from scratch," he said.

Critical to the rebels' ultimate success, he said, will be the release of money that hasbeen frozen in international banks. "We need to provide ourselves with a lot ofnecessities and we cannot do this without money," he said.

The rebels' immediate needs are puny compared to what they have lacked for years, hesaid. "Please, please, please, let the international community know -- we are hungry forfreedom, we are hungry for democracy, we are hungry for a state of law and order and


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we would like everybody, everybody everywhere in Arab countries and in theinternational community to support us and help us to get that."

But Gadhafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim remained defiant. "Moammar Gadhafi's rule isnot just over Tripoli," he told Arrai Television. "Moammar is loved by millions! From

the center of Libya to western Libya to the mountains of Libya to everywhere. So thefighting will continue."

He said that Libya's tribes had organized a military leadership. "The tribes areorganizing and heading to the capital in order to rescue it from gangs," he said in anapparent reference to the rebel forces.

In an interview Tuesday with CNN, former Gadhafi aide Bashir Saleh called for an endto the violence. "I appeal to everybody who has his arms to think before shooting --from our side or from the Gadhafi side. It's time to stop the bloodshed."

Asked what Gadhafi had told him during the uprising when he made similarcomments, Saleh said, "He say that he has a job and we have to continue our job. Job isto stop the rebellions, and we have the right to do so."

Gunfire was directed Tuesday evening into Gadhafi's compound. Rebels said Gadhafi'sforces were firing into the compound. There was no way to confirm who was doing theshooting.

A CNN team evacuated the compound because of the incoming fire. "There was tracer

fire and we could hear bullets coming past us,"

CNN's Sara Sidner said."

Everybodywas running."

Earlier, rebels said they had disarmed and captured some of Gadhafi's forces inside theBab al-Aziziya compound following an hours-long siege.

No members of the Gadhafi family were found there.

Some buildings in the compound were knocked down and some were afire. Rebelsseized weapons and munitions and carried them off.

A senior NATO official said the war was "not over yet, although it's close. We continueto watch for flare-ups from around the country, where there are still going to be pocketsof resistance. We are also watching the chemical weapons and Scud missiles to makesure they are not used in the endgame."

Jibril said it is important to begin a smooth transition immediately. "We're all Libyans,and we're all sons of this nation," he said. "There is no need for any score settling."


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Jibril said a planned meeting on Wednesday of international leaders would focus onorganizing aid for Libya. The meeting will include officials from the NTC, the UnitedStates, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Turkey,he said. The money would go toward paying salaries for Libyans and covering medical

treatment for those injured in the fighting, he said.

A stabilization team comprising technocrats from the Gadhafi regime is already insideTripoli working to get the business of running a country on track, he said. "We didn'twant what happened in Iraq to be repeated in Libya," he said, referring to the lootingand destruction of government offices and records in the wake of the overthrow oflongtime leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Of particular importance will be the re-establishment of the security and militarysectors, he said. "We're not focusing on the first layer of command, but on the second,

third and fourth. Those are professionals who were not involved in any bloodshed,putting down uprisings, not known to be corrupt or involved in torture practices in thepast."

What happens to Gadhafi if he is arrested "will be left up to the Libyan legal brains,"said Jibril. But he appeared adamant that the longtime ruler would be dealt with by hiscountrymen rather than handed over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague,which has issued a warrant for his arrest for crimes against humanity.

"Libyans are best placed to do this," he said. "We pledge that he will be treated fairly in

accordance with the law."

The country's top priority is to guarantee the security of the nation's oil wells and getproduction back on track, he said.

But much more remains to be done. "We are talking about rebuilding a whole nation,"he said. "Gadhafi was not only just the buildings, it was also the culture. And to get ridof this culture is not an easy task."

Doing that will require the dismantling and re-establishment of educational institutions"so that we rebuild a new culture."

In Gadhafi's tribal home of Sirte, fighting continued Tuesday. NTC spokesmanShamsiddin Ben Ali told CNN that Sirte would probably fall Tuesday or Wednesday, ina peaceful way, through negotiations.


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Al Jazeera aired an interview with a rebel colonel who said his forces were innegotiations with Gadhafi forces in Sirte and were considering offering amnesty to anyforces who cross over to the rebel side.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said a "reliable, affirmative"

statement from Gadhafi himself is needed to underscore that "the days of his leadershipare over."

His whereabouts and those of his family were unknown.

His compound had been damaged in recent weeks by repeated NATO airstrikes.Mahmoud Shammam, minister of information for the NTC, said NATO hit targetsTuesday inside the compound. NATO would not comment on specific actions it wastaking.

Earlier in the day, some Gadhafi forces dressed like rebels and tried to infiltrate rebelforces. In the midst of the urban warfare, loyalties were not always clear.

A CNN crew at the nearby Rixos Hotel heard explosions coming from the compoundthroughout the day, likely the sound of artillery shells being exchanged.

Bullets were fired into the windows of the hotel, and the crew holed up inside alongwith dozens of other international journalists.

"We're upstairs. It's very hot in the hotel. We've all got body armor on. We don't know

what to expect,"

CNN's Matthew Chance said.

Despite cheers of "victory" in the streets, some rebel officials have said the key to victorywill be the capture of Gadhafi himself.

Col. Roland Lavoie, a NATO spokesman, said Tuesday he had no idea where Gadhafiwas. But he added that it was not relevant. With the regime coming to an end, Gadhafiis "not a key player anymore," he said.

Russia's Interfax news agency, meanwhile, quoted the head of the World ChessFederation as saying he had spoken with Gadhafi and his son Mohammed by phone,and that Gadhafi said he was "alive and well in Tripoli and not going to leave Libya."

NATO said Tripoli was no longer "under Gadhafi control."

As the fighting raged Tuesday, those wounded faced a shortage of doctors, facilitiesand medical supplies.


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One clinic "has 40 beds, and all of the beds are taken," said Robin Waudo of theInternational Committee of the Red Cross in Tripoli. "Some of the people have beentreated or discharged and taken to other houses nearby in order to be treated."

Around the key city of Zawiya, a half-hour's drive west of Tripoli, tracer fire, anti-

aircraft guns and artillery were seen and heard.

Gadhafi had had a firm grip on Libya since a September 1969 coup. The rebellionagainst him began in February and has been aided by NATO airstrikes that began inMarch, under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians.

The Gadhafi regime's fall would follow revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt this year inwhat has become known as the Arab Spring. A number of other countries in the region -- including Bahrain, Yemen and Syria -- have also seen protests by citizens demandingmore freedom and a change in regime. In many cases, these demonstrations have been

met with brute force.

The Libyan revolt gained momentum rapidly in the past two weeks, with rebel forceslaunching their push on Tripoli over the weekend.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libya: NATP Plans Final Onslaught on Gaddafis Forces. (The Guardian)

By: Richard Norton-Taylor, Luke Harding, Julian Borger and Christopher Stephen.23 August 2011

NATO to Resume Bombing Campaign After Tactical Pause as it Emerges that Rebelsare being advised by SAS Soldiers. British and Nato military commanders areplanning what they hope will be a final onslaught on Colonel Gaddafi's forces to put anend to all resistance from troops loyal to the Libyan leader.

Heavy fighting raged around Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, in Tripoli, onTuesday afternoon as rebels rained artillery rounds, mortar shells and missiles onloyalist positions.

Columns of grey smoke billowed over the Libyan capital as witnesses reported abuildup of rebel troops and vehicles to the east of the compound.

Large convoys of rebel vehicles raced through deserted streets in an apparent show ofstrength after Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam claimed the government had "broken thebackbone" of the opposition.


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After being caught by surprise by the speed of the rebel advance on Tripoli, Nato chiefshave ordered what defence officials described a "tactical pause" in the bombingcampaign.

But the pause will not last long, and the bombing of what strategic targets are left in

Tripoli will resume, possibly as early as Tuesday night, alliance officials said.

The Guardian has learned that a number of serving British special forces soldiers, aswell as ex-SAS troopers, are advising rebel forces, although their presence is officiallydenied.

Two thousand rebel reinforcements arrived in Tripoli on Monday night after breakingthrough government lines near Zlitan, according to Guma al-Gamaty, the Londonrepresentative of the rebel National Transitional Council. "They should make adifference," he said.

More rebel fighters arrived by boat, and a separate convoy of jeeps and artillery washeading west from Misrata, according to rebels in the eastern city, which had beenbesieged by government forces for five months.

The sudden advance on the capital suggests co-ordination between the rebels and Natoplanners is not as effective as had been widely assumed.

On Tuesday, Nato commanders were analysing photographic and signals intelligenceprovided by spy planes looking at what defence chiefs call "patterns of life"

movements of people and vehicles in and around Gaddafi's compound.

British, Danish and Norwegian aircraft have been particularly active in striking targetsin Triploi. RAF jets have attacked the compound with 500lb Paveway bombs, but theyhave so far been directed at its perimeter walls and control towers.

The decision facing Nato commanders on Tuesday was whether the compound's coreand underground tunnels could be regarded as legitimate targets and weighing up therisks involved, notably to the lives of civilians and rebels. British defence chiefs are alsoaware of the dangers of being seen to be sanctioning assassination.

Nato planes can more easily spot groups of Gaddafi forces ambushing rebel convoys onthe streets of Tripoli, but defence officials say bombing them from the air would be fartoo risky.

Pilots are continuing to seek targets that are more clearly defined as military, includingcommand and control facilities, radar and surface-to-air missiles which are still beingoperated by troops loyal to Gaddafi, the latest strike figures put out by Nato indicate.


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British aircraft are seeking what pilots call "dynamic" targets targets seen by chance as well as "deliberate" planned targets.

The Guardian has previously reported the presence of former British special forces

troops, now employed by private security companies and funded by a number ofsources, including Qatar. They have been joined by a number of serving SAS soldiers.

They have been acting as forward air controllers directing pilots to targets andcommunicating with Nato operational commanders. They have also been advisingrebels on tactics, a task they have not found easy.

Britain's international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said there would be a"bumpy ride" over the coming days.

"There was a lot of confusion. There are quite long lines of communication involved,

"he

told the BBC. "It's inevitable in this situation, with the warfare going on as it is, thatthere will be some confusion."------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S., NATO Concerned about Libyas Stockpile of Weapons (CNN)

By: Barbara Starr23 August 2011

The U.S. and NATO have been quietly talking to National Transitional Council officials

for the last several weeks about securing Libya's remaining stockpiles of mustard gasand other weapons material in the event the Gadhafi regime fell, U.S. officials confirm.Topping the list of worries is Libya's stockpile of mustard gas.

"The opposition forces are being asked to keep track of what's going on" with bothweapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the regime's inventory of surface-to-airmissiles, a NATO official said.

"We have had direct eyes on the storage facilities" of the WMD for some time, theofficial said, including the use of satellites, drones and other surveillance aircraft.

The official also confirmed that intelligence personnel from the U.S. and other countrieshave been in Libya in recent weeks to help maintain security at various sites, althoughhe could not confirm Western personnel are currently at those locations. "Individualnations have folks on the ground," he said.


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A U.S. official also confirmed U.S. intelligence personnel have been involved inmonitoring WMD stockpiles inside Libya. Both officials declined to be identifiedbecause of sensitive intelligence matters.

"We hope those items don't get out of control" of the NTC, the U.S. official said. He also

noted the U.S. and NATO have told the NTC that now that it has been recognized bymany countries, its personnel must conduct themselves within the realm ofinternational law.

Congress is already underscoring the worry. "In particular, we must ensure that(Moammar) Gadhafi's stockpiles of advanced weapons, chemical weapons andexplosives don't fall into the wrong hands," said Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in a press statement. Rogers isalso concerned about the Libyan inventory of anti tank rockets and plastic explosives.

CNN reported earlier this year that Libya still has approximately 10 tons of the deadlyblister agent left in its arsenal, according to an assessment from the Arms ControlAssociation. Much of the material has been located at the Rabta chemical weaponsfacility south of Tripoli.

1n 2003, Libya agreed to destroy its entire chemical weapons arsenal, which includedsome 25 tons of mustard gas and 3,300 empty aerial bombs. The entire stock of shellsand bombs was literally crushed by bulldozers in 2004.

U.S. officials say any chemical weapons material that remains in Libya would be

difficult to"

weaponize"

into a form that could be used to conduct attacks, and it's notclear Libyan forces would follow any orders to conduct such attacks.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Pledges No Ground Troops in Libya, But (CNN)

By Spencer Ackerman23 August 2011

Through six months of war in the skies over Libya, the Obama administration has hadone big, fat red line: it wont put any troops on the ground. Except that red line turnedout to be permeable, as CIA operatives made their way to the shores of Benghazi. Andas the fall of Tripoli turns into a battle for the city, NATO isnt closing the door onsending western peacekeeping forces to Libyan soil.

During a press conference on Tuesday in Brussels, NATO spokeswoman OanaLungescu assured that there will be no NATO troops on the ground in the future.Only Lungescu left herself some wiggle room. Should the United Nations or Libyan


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revolutionaries request it, NATO is willing to help in a supporting role, she said,without elaborating.

Thats consistent with NATOs attitude from the start of the war. Adm. James Stavridis,NATOs military chief, testified to Congress in March that the possibility of a

stabilization regime exists after Moammar Gadhafis downfall.

But if NATO capitals (Paris? London?) might think about putting boots on the ground,Washington is loudly saying it wants no part. Leon Panetta, the secretary of defense,promised reporters on Monday that the U.S. was not at all considering any groundtroops. A host of administration officials lined up to echo that sentiment, emphasizingthe need for Libyans to oust Gadhafi themselves. (Even as NATO warplanes screamedoverhead.)

Still, the large-scale absence of U.S. ground forces hasnt been much of a problem for

NATO during the war. France and Britain deployed special operations forces to turn theLibyan rebels into disciplined soldiers. NATO maintains an official fiction that its nottactically aiding the rebels, as Col. Roland Lavoie, another alliance spokesman, saidTuesday all the while assuring Gadhafi loyalists that NATO retains precisionmunitions [that] allow us to take targets we have the capability to do so, and believeme, we will do so. Its possible that NATO members could send peacekeepers evenwithout a NATO mandate.

And there may not be much peace to keep in the near term. Fighting is intensifying inTripoli: Gadhafis son Seif emerged defiant hours after rebels announced they had

captured him, and Moammar Gadhafi is himself still at large. The only victory will bewhen Gadhafi is captured, said Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the head of the rebel governingcouncil.

Or even after that. Loyalist forces are heading to Gadhafi strongholds of Sirte and al-Jafra in the south. One of the biggest mysteries of the battle for Tripoli is why theallegedly potent Khamis Brigade, commanded by one of Gadhafis sons, didnt putup much of a fight on Sunday. Its possible that the brigade melted away to fight aguerrilla war, as Saddam Husseins Republican Guard did in 2003.

There would be no shortage of weapons for that fight. Rockets, rifles and missiles including intimidating SA-7 surface-to-air missiles are everywhere in Libya. (Even iftheyre not exactly quality weapons.) Gadhafi planted landmines along the easternroads as a deadly present for the revolutionaries. Militias with dubious loyalties havealready sprouted up where Gadhafis rule has fallen. And Gadhafi still has unsecuredstockpiles of chemical weapons.


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Put another way: even if the worst case scenarios of a Gadhafist insurgency dontmaterialize, theres no shortage of destabilizing factors in post-Gadhafi Libya. Its a lotto put on the shoulders of a fractious rebel government which, in fairness, deservescredit for avoiding chaos in areas like Benghazi that its controlled for months.

But destabilization is precisely what drives calls for escalation. Already, pundits likeRichard Haass, a Bush administration official who runs the Council on ForeignRelations, is urging President Obama to reconsider his assertion that there would notbe any American boots on the ground; leadership is hard to assert without a presence.Thats exactly why Panettas predecessor, Robert Gates, wanted the U.S. out of LibyaASAP.

NATO is hardly getting out. Lavoie pledged on Tuesday that since Gadhafis forcesgive no sign to stop terrifying the population, the air war will continue. Pieces ofartillery, radar sites and other targets in and around Tripoli will still be targeted,

Lavoie said, even waving away the non-capture of Gadhafi by saying, Im not sure itreally does matter. Left unsaid was when NATOs war in Libya can actually end, evenif Gadhafis rule is well and truly finished.----------------------------------------------------------------------

Libya Rebels Launch Massive Attack on Kadhafi Compound (AllAfrica.com)

By: Non-Attributed Author23 August 2011

Libyan rebels on Tuesday launched a massive offensive on leader Moamer Kadhafi's

sprawling Bab al-Azizya compound in Tripoli, as the strongman's son refuted reports ofhis own arrest.

Rebel fighters had warned earlier in the day they would imminently mount an attackbacked by captured tanks on the compound, in the centre of the capital.

The sound of the fighting was the most intense heard in the city since rebels arrivedsurged into the capital three days ago, as thick smoke billowed out of the complex.

The sky was filled with the sound of heavy and light machine guns as well as mortars,with the overhead roar of NATO jets that have been carrying out much more intense airraids than in recent days.

Even two kilometres (about a mile) from the fighting, the almost constant whistle offalling bullets could be heard from the rooftops, as the city's mosques chanted "AllahuAkbar" (God is the greatest).


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Exultant rebel fighters packed in trucks and cars have since Sunday streamed across thecapital of the oil-rich North African state, seizing control of Kadhafi's state televisionnetwork and Tripoli's seaside Green Square.

But the euphoria of their lightning entry into the heart of the capital, which sparked

celebrations and predictions that Kadhafi's days are numbered, has given way tocaution that the fighting is far from over.

US President Barack Obama called for "an inclusive transition" in Libya, demandingthat Kadhafi "explicitly" give up power and cautioned the rebels that their struggleswere "not over yet."

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, who on Monday had declared "The regimehas fallen, the turnaround is total", said on France Inter radio Tuesday: "In Libya thesituation is not totally at an end, far from it."

The opposition's image took a knock when its claims that Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islamhad been arrested were refuted by none other than the man himself, who appearedbefore cheering armed loyalists outside Bab al-Azizya in the early hours of Tuesday.

"Tripoli is under our control. Everyone should rest assured. All is well in Tripoli," Seiftold journalists at the compound, smiling broadly and flashing the V for victory sign.

"I am here to refute the lies," the 39-year-old said about reports of his arrest, andaccused the West of waging a "technological and media war to cause chaos and terror in

Libya."

Seif, who like his father is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimesagainst humanity, claimed the insurgents had suffered "heavy casualties" Mondaywhen they launched their first attempt to storm the Bab al-Azizya compound.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg insisted in London that the defiantappearance of Seif was "not the sign of some great comeback for the Kadhafi regime".

"He is not roaming freely through Tripoli. He and the remaining pro-Kadhafi forces arenow cornered, they are making their last stand, and it's only a matter of time beforethey are finally defeated," Clegg said.

The opposition also suffered another setback when Mohammed Kadhafi, the leader'seldest son, escaped from house arrest, according to the Libyan ambassador toWashington in an interview with CNN.


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Outside of the capital, the rebels said they had cut off a column of pro-Kadhafi troopsattempting to march on Tripoli from the city of Sirte, the leader's hometown.

According to a NATO officials in Brussels, loyalist forces fired a Scud missile in thedirection of the rebel-held western city of Misrata during Monday fighting.

The "surface-to-surface Scud" was launched "from the vicinity of Sirte," chief NATOspokeswoman Oana Lungescu said.

It "landed in the coastal area of Misrata, most likely in the sea or on the shore," she said,adding "we are not aware of damage or casualties."

The mood around Tripoli's iconic Green Square, renamed "Martyrs Square" by therebels, had been joyous on Sunday night, with fighters and their supporters dancingand waving the red, black and green flag of anti-regime forces.

But Tripoli residents have since become palpably nervous as the end game plays out.

"The Kadhafi era is over," rebel chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil told a news conference in theanti-Kadhafi stronghold of Benghazi, eastern Libya.

But while thanking NATO for its military support, he conceded that not all of Tripoliwas under rebel control and cautioned that "the real moment of victory is when Kadhafiis captured".

The whereabouts of the strongman are not known but the United States said it did notbelieve he has left Libya.

Kadhafi broadcast three defiant audio messages on Sunday, vowing he would neversurrender and urging the people of Tripoli to "purge the capital". But he has not beenseen in public for weeks as the rebels have crept ever closer.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fight for Tripoli: Gaddafis Son Vows To Fight On. (AlJazeera English) (Video)

By: Non-Attributed Author22 August 2011

Muammar al-Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam has appeared with his supporters on the streetsof Tripoli.

It had been reported that he was in the custody of opposition fighters.A short time ago the National Transitional Council said that Saif either escaped, orbecause of the inexperienced nature of some of the rebels, was mistakenly set free.


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"We are here. This is our country. These are our people and we live here and we diehere. And we are going to win because the people are with us, that's why we are goingto win. Look at them, look at them, in the streets - everywhere," Saif told the crowds.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Analysis: Could Libya Split Along Tribal Lines? (CNN)

By Shashank Joshi23 August 2011

The rebel army, fighting against Moammar Gadhafi's rule, is made up of dozens oftribes.

Libya has 140 tribes but only a couple of dozen are politically consequentialOne of the NTC's challenges is to equally redistribute Libya's oil revenues

The NTC will be forced to make messy compromises for the sake of stability

London (CNN) -- Libya's fledgling National Transitional Council (NTC) -- a Benghazi-based political grouping of anti-Gadhafi rebels -- stands on the cusp of power.But are skeptics justified in arguing that the NTC is incapable of holding togetherserious tribal and regional divisions to the point where political order will simplycollapse?

Consider the tribal question first. This requires some nuance. Libya has roughly 140tribes and clans, and some traverse the country's borders with Egypt and Tunisia. But

only a couple of dozen tribes are politically consequential.

Moreover, decades of urbanization have seen a dilution in tribal identity to the pointwhere many in a large city like Tripoli would see little political significance in theirmembership.

Gadhafi's own tribe, the Qadadfa, is small -- only 100,000 strong -- and concentrated inSirte, which might explain why the town appears to remain in government hands.But the regime was built with the co-operation of other groupings, including theWarfalla, Magarha, Warshafana and Tarhuna. Parts of these tribes have enjoyed long-standing government largesse and are consequently resented by those with less accessto patronage.

One of the NTC's greatest challenges is building institutions that can redistributeLibya's oil revenues in equitable fashion without giving the appearance of state-sponsored retribution.


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The reaction to the death of rebel leader Abdul Fattah Younes hints at the instabilitythat could result if grievances sharpen -- members of his tribe, the Obeidi, were furiousat the NTC's perceived role in his death and responded with armed checkpoints andovert threats.

If similar problems arise without the common objective of regime change to hold thecoalition together then that muscle flexing could escalate into something more corrosiveto the rule of law.

It is important, however, to note that this does not mean an insurgency is probable.Much depends on the inclusiveness and sensitivity with which the NTC assumes thereigns of government.

Senior members of the NTC -- including Mahmoud Jibril, the presumptive primeminister in waiting -- have every incentive to tread carefully.

Lastly, is the revolution vulnerable to hijacking by Islamists? This is almost certainly anexaggerated fear.

Islamists are more prevalent than has been reported, in part because the NTC wasafraid of alienating its international partners. This should not be surprising given thehistory of Islamist militants in eastern Libya and their participation in foreign wars. Itshould be admitted that we know little about their precise composition but it is alarmistto compare them to their battle-hardened Afghan counterparts.

They could take issue with some aspects of the pluralism envisaged by the NTC's draftconstitution but even that liberal document promises that sharia, or Islamicjurisprudence, will be "the principal source of legislation."

In the short-term, the NTC will be forced to make messy compromises for the sake ofpolitical stability -- it must protect those parts of the population that may have assistedor tolerated Gadhafi's soldiers and empower those western Libyan fighters who borethe brunt of the war's fighting.

But over time, only a pluralistic and flexible constitutional order will be able to channelthese political forces.-----------------------------------------------------------------


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South Sudan: Hundreds Dead in Reprisal Attacks, Proposed Pipeline Scrapped(AllAfrica.com)

By: Non-Attributed Author23 August 2011A series of cattle raids and reprisal attacks have left around 600 people dead and about

a 1000 others injured in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

Reports indicate that the latest wave of violence was triggered by the minority Murlegroup when they attacked villages of the larger Lou Nuer group in the Wuror and Piborcounties. In the process they destroyed villages, abducted women and children, andseized approximately 30 000 heads of cattle.

In a country where cattle rustling is often a bloody affair, the latest incident has leftmany fearing that the cycle of violence could further inflame inter-ethnic tensions inAfrica's new state.

Cattle raids pose one of the greatest security challenges for South Sudan, due to theirfrequency, scale and effects. With many armed civilians and limited alternative sourcesof livelihood, many in South Sudan resort to cattle rustling for economic survival, foodsecurity and for payment of dowry during marriages. The situation is not helped bycultural norms that portray the ownership of cattle as a sign of success. Added to theseis competition over grazing land and water resources.

The South Sudanese government, along with the United Nations Mission in SouthSudan, (UNMISS) and its predecessor the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)

have rarely had the logistical capacity or presence to prevent raids and retaliatoryattacks.

Despite UNMISS sending in a verification team and promising to "use its military assetsto try to deter further escalation", it is, in the short term, doubtfully that UNMISS or theSouth Sudan government would bring to an end these attacks given the levels of underdevelopment and the fact that civilians who possess arms outnumber the securityofficers.

The situation is also compounded by the poor infrastructure, which makes policingvery difficult.

On a different note, South Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit has revised plans toconstruct a pipeline through neighbouring Kenya. The construction of the pipelinecreated a great deal of international interest, but, arguably the total financial costsproposed by international oil companies, as well as the security risks, proved to beunsatisfactory to Juba.


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South Sudan will, instead, seek to continue negotiations with Khartoum over the usageof existing infrastructure and facilities, an area that has previously generated disputesover compensation and transit fees.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Sudan Clashes Kill 600, U.N. Calls for Talks (CNNBy Eszter Farkas22 August 2011

South Sudan--The U.N. on Monday called for reconciliation in the newly-establishedRepublic of South Sudan after fighting reportedly left at least 600 dead and at least26,000 cattle stolen.

The Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General, Hilde F. Johnson urgedrestraint Monday after fighting between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities in

Jonglei State, killed at least 600 and left more than 750 wounded.

Clashes broke out early Thursday morning and lasted through the day, South Sudanauthorities reported. The U.N. on Friday dispatched an assessment and verificationteam to two of the conflict areas.

The team found 28 casualties at one site and 30 at another along with a number of hutsburned to the ground, said Aleem Siddique, spokesman for the United Nations Missionin South Sudan.

The violence occurred when members of the Murle tribe attacked villages of the LouNuer, Siddique said.

Though the violence had largely stopped, reconciliation efforts were needed to maintainthe peace, he said."Peaceful dialogue is the primary means for reconciliation, and the tribal leaders need tosit down and work out their differences."

Between January and the end of June 2011, nearly 2,400 people had died in 330 clashesacross South Sudan, according to a July U.N. report. Most of these casualties resultedfrom cattle rustling incidents in Jonglei State's Pibor County.

Cattle rustling is a main source of insecurity in South Sudan as cows represent wealthand social status, and are used as "blood money" or compensation and payment ofdowries. According to a 2009 report by the International Crisis Group, "Sticks andspears have historically been used to carry out rustling and the violent disputes it oftencauses. However, the proliferation of small arms ... changed the nature of this practice,making raiding far more deadly."


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U.S. has Nearly Doubled air Attacks on Libya in Past 12 Days (CNN)

By Larry Shaughnessy23 August 2011

Washington -- As the rebels in Libya push closer to ending the regime of embattled Col.Moammar Gadhafi, U.S. warplanes have been increasing their attacks on governmentpositions as part of the NATO campaign.

New numbers released by the Pentagon on Monday show that the number of U.S. airattacks on Libyan air defenses, ground forces and other targets has nearly doubled overthe past 12 days, compared with air attacks in the first 132 days of the NATO mission.There was an average of 1.7 strike sorties a day from April 1 to August 10, comparedwith 3.1 strike sorties in the past 12 days.

The Pentagon release indicates that attacks by armed Predator unmanned planes havemore than doubled to 1.4 attacks a day, compared with .6 attacks a day between April 1and August 10.

The cost to the U.S. taxpayers for America's share of the Libyan mission, known asOperation Unified Protector, is approaching $1 billion.

As of July 31, the Pentagon had spent about $896 million. The U.S. had also sold itsallies and partners in Operation Unified Protectors more than $220 million worth of

ammunition, spare parts and fuel.

The Pentagon was also authorized to deliver up to $25 million worth of nonlethal aid toLibyan civilians. So far, it has used about $12.5 million of that authority by shippingMeals-Ready-To-Eat, boots, tents, uniforms and protective gear. The DefenseDepartment was able to tap its own stockpiles for this aid.Since June, the Pentagon has not received any more requests for additional nonlethalaid to be sent to Libyan rebels or civilians.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

How Did Gadhafi Keep His Scud Missiles for So Long? (CNN)

By Jeffrey Lewis22 August 2011

As his regime collapsed, Moammar Gadhafis forces fired a Scud-B missile at theadvancing rebels. This was same type of missile that Gadhafi agreed to eliminate aspart of his renunciation of weapons of mass destruction.


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Obviously, that didnt happen. So, how did Gadhafis Scud force outlast Gadhafihimself? Thats an interesting story.

Initially, Gadhafi only pledged to modify Libyas Scud-B missiles to comply with theMissile Technology Control Regime, the international effort to curb the spread of

unmanned delivery systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.According to an April 2004 article by Judy Miller, Libya had decided to convert themissiles so that their range was less than 185 miles with a payload of less than 1,100pounds. Libyan and U.S. officials, according to Miller, were discussing a monitoringarrangement to ensure that the conversion was irreversible. If that sounds odd to you,it certainly sounded odd to arms control blogger Paul Kerr, who got a U.S. official toadmit that the United States is not sure the plan is feasible. (Apparently, theLibyans considered reducing the fuel tanks or adding weight to the missile.)

Eventually, the United States persuaded Gadhafi to just eliminate the Scud-B force. In

September 2004, the U.S., UK and Libya signed a Trilateral Agreement on theDisposition of Scud-B Missiles that committed Libya to eliminate its Scud-Bs by agenerous September 2009 deadline.

The U.S. offered to take 10 Scud-B missiles off Gadhafis hands, according to a February2005 Yediot Aharonot article, but the Libyans seized the opportunity to demand fromthem to buy all the 417 missiles in their possession at the astronomic total of $834million. The U.S. does, on occasion, use live Scuds in missile defense tests, but wasntwilling to part with more than $800 million for a Scud force that was aging and suffersfrom maintenance problems.

Once Libya agreed to eliminate, rather than modify, the Scud-B force, Libya beganseeking a replacement. Gadhafi, as Alex Bollfrass reported in 2007 in Arms ControlToday, eventually settled on the Russian Iskander-E. Libyan officials may have believedthat the United States was obligated to help Libya procure a replacement. They appearto have been upset to learn that the United States objected to the Iskander sale, insteadsuggesting shorter-range Russian and Ukrainian alternatives that Libya deemedunacceptable. Washington was also not enthusiastic about Libyas bid to join theMissile Technology Control Regime, which Tripoli believed would ease future missileprocurement.

It seems the United States relented on the issue of the Iskander-E after a few months,but by then the Russian price had doubled. The Libyans were incensed or at leastacted incensed by all this and refused to eliminate the Scud-B force until areplacement was procured, preferably the Iskander-E at the original purchase price.The September 2009 deadline came a went. A pair of cables released by Wikileaks pickup the story at this point and fill in some of the details outlined by the two articles inArms Control Today.


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There are any number of interesting cables that document the broader Libyandisillusionment with the United States, including a standoff over the removal of somehighly enriched uranium that Max Fisher detailed in The Atlantic.

The most detailed WikiLeaked cable on the Scud-B issue is an account of a February2010 meeting between General Ahmed Azwai, the head of Libyas Scud-B destructionprogram, and Gene Cretz, the U.S. Ambassador in Tripoli, entitled, Libya Insists Ballin U.S. Court on Scud B Alternative. Azwai recounts the torturous negotiations overthe Scud-B missiles following the 2004 trilateral agreement, ultimately arguingsomewhat melodramatically that I will not allow 12,000 Libyan soldiers to remainunarmed and vulnerable. If I give up their weapons before I have a replacement, theywill turn on me.

Obviously, they may have had other reasons for turning on him.

A second cable adds an interesting wrinkle to this story. While the U.S., UK and Libyawere formally haggling over the Iskander-E issue, Saif al-Qadhafi approached the U.S.Ambassador in Tripoli in September 2009 and suggested that France might sell Libya itsSCALP air-launched cruise missile. (I have discussed SCALP sales to the UAE andSaudi Arabia in a pair of previous posts.) France separately, however, told the US thatselling SCALP to Libya was too sensitive. In the February 2010 cable, Cretzspeculated that the the proposal may have been an independent move by Saif.

This is, as far as I can tell, basically where we were when the Arab Spring hit, Gadhafis

grip faltered and allied aircraft started a noncooperative threat reduction programaimed at eliminating the remaining Scud-Bs. The initial launch of a Scud-B promptedspeculation about an impending blitz of Scud missiles that never materialized.

There are any number of really interesting aspects to this story.

The most interesting aspect to me is Libyas insistence on getting as close to the MTCRthreshold as possible. It seems likely that Libya intended to reduce the amount ofconventional explosive in the warhead of any replacement system, as Iraq did with theal-Husayn missile, to maintain a conventional deterrent at ranges significantly in excessof 300 km. I had forgotten that, after the 1986 U.S.-led bombing raid on Tripoli, Libyafired two conventionally-armed Scud-B missiles fired at U.S. naval facilities on theItalian island of Lampedusa. If we had a deterrent force of missiles able to reach NewYork we would have directed them at that very moment, Gadhafi explained.

I am always struck at how much value certain Middle Eastern potentates place inconventionally-armed ballistic missiles. I have never really understood the Saudidecision to purchase medium-range ballistic missiles from China because such missiles


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are simply too inaccurate for a conventional warhead to offer much military utility.Perhaps, however, I might feel differently about the political value of such weapons if Ihad, as the Saudis did, a front row seat for the War of the Cities. Saddam certainlydecided that 190 kg of explosive was enough as long as it got there.

This is, in a way, the question that Brian Palmer at Slate attempted to answer in hisessay Why Do So Many Dictators Use Scud Missiles? Palmers conclusion is that aScud is the easiest way to terrorize nearby enemies. It is easy to forget that the firstuse of ballistic and cruise missiles the V weapons were Nazi efforts to terrorize theBritish during World War II. It seems Middle Eastern leaders value being able to shootback, if only for the sake of reprisal. Libyas interest in SCALP a very expensive airlaunched cruise missile as a replacement for the relatively low-tech Scud-B castsrecent cruise missile purchases by the UAE and Saudi Arabia in this somewhat differentlight.

Perhaps there is a missile race underway in the Middle East, but we just havent noticedit.------------------------------------------------------------------------

NATO Officials Say Campaign Effective but Not Model (Wall Street Journal)

By Alistair McDonald, John W. Miller, Nathan Hodge. Contributions from StephenFidler and David Gauthier-Villars23 August 2011

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Libyan air campaign succeeded in helping

rebel fighters on their way to Tripoli, but NATO's involvement lasted longer thanpoliticians hoped and increased U.S. anxiety about the group's reliance on Americanhardware, observers say.

NATO officials say the campaign won't necessarily be seen as a template for furtherintervention in the Middle East. The Libyan campaign had United Nations backing,giving it a legitimacy that the U.N. isn't likely to bestow too readily on otherinterventions, observers say. Cash-strapped Western governments and their war-wearypublics have little appetite for more costly and riskier military adventures.

Many defense analysts, and many rebel fighters, say NATO's intervention was decisivein the campaign. By mid-March, Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces had pushed back thedisorganized and lightly armed groups of rebel fighters into their eastern Libyanheartland. But as Libyan tanks massed outside the rebels' Benghazi base, NATO jetslaunched a series of strikes, beginning five months of bombardment.

On Monday, nobody at NATO or in its main contributor nations was calling a victory,but officials talked of cautious optimism about the end of Col. Gadhafi's regime.


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NATO's campaign immediately rendered Col. Gadhafi's air force impotent, boughtrebel fighters time to arm, train and organize, and evened out the fight by destroyingCol. Gadhafi's heavy weaponry and his command centers. Among its deadly tally,NATO said it hit 1,130 military facilities, 555 tanks and armored vehicles and 275

command centers.

"How could the regime direct forces centrally if every time they opened a satellitephone there was a NATO bomb dropping on them?" said Shashank Joshi, an expert insecurity at London-based think tank the Royal United Services Institute.

U.S. military officials say they don't believe any one single military factor turned thetide against Col. Gadhafi over the weekend. NATO military operations and Americandrones helped, but "the cumulative military, economic and diplomatic effects causedthe people of Libya simply to say 'enough,' " a senior U.S. military official said.

The campaign had positive hallmarks. NATO allies reached an agreement to act indays, in contrast to their procrastination before intervening to stop massacres in theBalkans in the 1990s. Should the fighting in Libya draw to a quick close, NATO willhave achieved its aims without losing any of its own personnel and with only one planedowned.

NATO has already begun talks about the logistics of drawing down operations, whichhave mainly been based in Naples, Italy. However, "a number of things would have toopen up for us to pull out," a NATO official said.

For the moment, NATO will stay battle-ready. Col. David Lapan, a Pentagonspokesman, said on Monday that U.S. aircraft were still "flying the majority" of bothsurveillance and refueling sorties. "In the coming days, you'll still see us providingthose missions," he said, referring to the surveillance missions.

Despite its successes, the intervention is unlikely to act as a template for future NATOmissions, NATO officials say. The Libyan campaign was against a maverick leader withfew friends around the world. That made it easier to get the U.N. mandate thatauthorized the use of "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.

Some nations, such as Russia and South Africa, have argued that NATO overreached itsmandate of protecting civilians and became the rebellion's air force, an argument thatwould likely be used against future U.N. backing.

There were also special factors motivating NATO to intervene in Libya. The country ison Europe's doorstep. Fears of an uncontrolled exodus of Libyans to the Continent,coupled with Col. Gadhafi's history of sponsoring terrorism in the West, were among


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the motivations offered by leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron forsupporting the move.

The Libyan campaign underscored the increasing defense vulnerabilities of cash-strapped European governments, which have been cutting military budgets. The heads

of the navy and air force in the U.K.perhaps Europe's biggest military powersaidLibya stretched their services to the limit. As the campaign stretched into summer someEuropean politicians increased their criticism of the commitment, while others noted ithad taken less time for a NATO air campaign to dislodge the Serbs from Kosovo in1999.

While the U.S. withdrew from offensive operations early in the campaign, NATO wasdependent on America for so-called key enablers, such as air-to-air refueling andairborne intelligence gathering. Over a quarter of NATO's sorties to date have beencarried out by the U.S.

Libya "does reinforce the reality that European powers are spending less on defensethan in the past," said Anthony Cordesman, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategicand International Studies in Washington.

Some European defense officials say that without U.S. input NATO could still havesubdued the regime's military, but it would have taken much longer. Some analystsdoubt even this.

The refusal of some European countries to contribute to the campaign or take part in

combat missions enraged then-U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said Europewas increasingly relying on the U.S. taxpayer to subsidize its defense.

Some analysts say that as the U.S. cuts its own defense budget and rebalances its foreignpolicy priorities toward the fast-growing Pacific region, the very future of NATO couldbe questioned.-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thousands of Somalis Celebrate Islamist Retreat (AP)

By ABDI GULED23 August 2011

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) Thousands of Somalis attended a rally on Tuesday tocelebrate the withdrawal of Islamist rebels from bases in the Somali capital, even as themilitants executed three men accused of spying in a de facto court.

Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali addressed the rally at Mogadishu's Konisstadium, which was a training ground for the insurgency until they pulled back from


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their bases earlier this month. He said Somali troops had overcome many difficulties todrive al-Shabab rebels from the capital.

Much of the fighting was also done by a 9,000-strong African Union force supportingthe U.N.-backed government, and Ali acknowledged them in his speech.

"Thanks to our army, AMISOM and our people," he said, using the abbreviation for theAfrican Union Mission in Somalia. "Our troops made those achievements despitedifficulties they face, including lack of salary and camps. Within a short period we shallget rid of (al-Shabab) from the country."

Residents attending the rally said they were tired of being intimidated by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab.

"We are free and started a new comfortable life when (al-Shabab) left us," said

demonstrator Makay Aden."We pray they will not come back. They killed many of our

people, beheaded bodies were scattered on our streets when they were here."

Elsewhere in Mogadishu, Islamist judge Sheik Omar Al-Qadi said two men and a 16-year-old boy were executed for spying. He said they were killed by firing squad in thenorthern neighborhood of Deynile.

Witness Ali Abdulqadir Yusuf said the militia summoned residents to watch with amegaphone and masked men tied the three to poles before executing them. Al-Shababfrequently carries out public executions or amputations.

Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years. Currentlyal-Shabab holds much of southern and central Somalia. They are refusing to allow manyaid groups access to their territory although the U.N. says some areas are suffering fromfamine.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liberia Votes in Contentious Referendum (AFP)By Zoom Dosso23 August 2011

MONROVIA Liberians voted Tuesday in a constitutional referendum, a key test for the westAfrican nation just weeks before its second post-war presidential election, which someopposition leaders have boycotted.

Opposition parties have fiercely opposed the referendum which could change the election dateand candidacy requirements in the midst of campaigning for presidential and legislative elections

on October 11.


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The main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) decided before the vote to boycottthe referendum, and on Tuesday morning candidate Reverend Kennedy Sandy refused to vote as

an error emerged on ballot papers.

One of the questions voters have to decide on is whether to change the retirement age for the

chief justice to 75 (the 'yes' option) instead of the current 70-years-old, which should be the 'no'option.

However the ballot paper asks voters to choose between 75 (yes) or 75 (no) which is not

consistent with the way the other law proposals are formulated.

"This is a very serious error and I was only informed about this today. This is fraudulent and theentire process needs to be cancelled," said Sandy, of the Liberia Transformation Party (LTP)

who lived in America since 1989, recently returning to run for office.

"I hereby declare that I am no more casting my vote," he told journalists at the Betthel Church in

Congotown.

National Electoral Commission spokesman Bobby Livingstone confirmed the mistake.

"We noticed this error a week before the referendum (but) we could not delay the processbecause of that. So if you mark 'yes' it means you agree, if you mark 'no' it means you are against

it."

This could prove confusing for many voters in the west African country where some 75 percent

of the population is estimated to be illiterate and observers have raised concerns over voter

education around the referendum.

Voter Cecilia Davids, 52, told AFP after voting: "I did not know how to vote and I asked them to

explain to me how to vote. They also explained to me what I have to vote for, so I decided to

vote no."

Some 1.8 million people have registered to vote, however turnout was low across the country,

where voting began at 08H00GMT and would finish at 18H00GMT.

"I think this is because people don't have an interest in the referendum, they are maybe waiting

for the presidential election," an election offical told AFP.

The stickiest change proposed under the referendum will amend the length of time presidentialcandidates must have lived in Liberia from 10 years to five consecutive years.

This clause was suspended in 2005 elections since most candidates had just recently returned

from exile.

Observers say that if the change is passed, it could open up the field to more opposition parties,

increasing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's chances of re-election.


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The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, said in a report last week that if thisclause was changed "the courts would probably have to interpret its possible effect on the fast

approaching election."

Winston Tubman, the flagbearer for the CDC who called for a boycott told AFP: "It is

unconstitutional because we don't hold a referendum in the middle of an electoral campaign."

Another key change would shift the election date to November 8, to avoid the logistical

nightmare of holding the polls in the middle of the rainy season.

The final change aims to do away with expensive run-off elections in local and legislative polls

and have public officers elected by a simple majority.

Carrying out two significant electoral events back to back is a herculean task for election

officials in the country whose infrastructure and roads remain in tatters after having been

destroyed in successive civil wars between 1989 and 2003, which left some 150,000 people

dead.

Observers have raised concerns over rising political tensions in recent weeks and some 1,900

police have been deployed around the country for the referendum.

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Senegal-Based Journalist on Week-Long Orientation Visit to US Africa CommandHQ (APA)

By: Non-Attributed Author

23 August 2011 - A six-member delegation of journalists of media houses in SenegalMonday began a week-long orientation programme at the headquarters of the USAfrica Command (AFRICOM) in Germany.

The group was received at the Kelley Barracks, the AFRICOM base in the capital ofGermanys Baden-Wurttemberg state Stuttgart, located some 600km south-west of theGerman capital Berlin.

They were received by the AFRICOM headquarters chief of staff, Major General HD

Polumbo, on behalf of AFRICOM commander General Carter F. Ham who is currentlyon a mission in Kenya.

The journalists from print, news agencies and television (Sud FM, APS, APA, RTS, etc)will during their stay meet with senior military officials and subsequently briefed onAFRICOM programmes especially those being expedited in Senegal.


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ARICOM officials will also dilate on their level of cooperation with African nations ingeneral not only in respect of military drills but also on humanitarian activities, thefight against terrorism and drug trafficking among others.

Since October 2008 AFRICOM has been one of nine so-called Unified Combatant

Commands of the US Department of Defense devoted solely to the welfare of the 54African countries. Issues revolving around Africa have been under the purview of theEUCOM which focuses on Europe.

Egypt comes under both AFRICOM and the CENTCOM which is responsible for USsecurity interests in 27 Arabian Gulf and Central Asian countries.

Egypts uniquely dual relations with both commands stemmed from the fact that thenorth African country falls under CENTCOM which deals with issues relating to theMiddle East and AFRICOM which is involved in African issues.

According to its mission statement, AFRICOM aims to protect US national securityinterests by strengthening the defense capabilities of African states and regionalorganizations and, when directed, conduct military operations, in order to deter anddefeat transnational threats and to provide a security environment conducive to goodgovernance and development.

AFRICOM has been holding such interactive programmes with African mediapersonnel in the past with a viewing to explaining its core objectives.

AFRICOM Related News Clips 24 Aug 2011

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