Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Pieces of Puzzles in UK-Libya relationship
Saif al-Islam Alqadhafi, close friend of UK
Saif al-Islam Alqadhafi is currently Chairman of the Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity and Development based in Tripoli, Libya. He received his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics in 2009. The topic of his thesis was The Role of Civil Society in the Democratization of Global Governance Institutions: From ‘Soft Power’ to Collective Decision-Making? He received a Masters Degree in Business from Vienna’s IMADEC University in 2000. He graduated with BSc in Engineering from Tripoli’s Al Fateh University in 1994. (source: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2010/20100525t1830vLSE.aspx)
London School of Economic and Libya
The statement from London School of Economic dated 21 February 2011:-
The School has had a number of links with Libya in recent years. In view of the highly distressing news from Libya over the weekend of 19-20 February, the School has reconsidered those links as a matter of urgency.
LSE Enterprise has delivered executive education programmes to Libyan officials, principally from the Economic Development Board, and managers. That programme has been completed, and no further courses are in preparation. We have also received scholarship funding in respect of advice given to the Libyan Investment Authority in London. No further receipts are anticipated.
LSE Global Governance - a research centre at the School - accepted, with the approval of the School's Council, a grant from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, chaired by Saif-al-Islam, one of Colonel Gaddafi's sons and an LSE graduate. This note| from LSE Global Governance explains how that money has been used to date, on a North African programme of study, principally involving civil society issues. In current difficult circumstances across the region, the School has decided to stop new activities under that programme. The Council of the School will keep the position under review.
The School intends to continue its work on democratisation in North Africa funded from other sources unrelated to the Libyan authorities.
The university is now facing increasing pressure over Saif Gaddafi’s PHD thesis amid questions over its academic authenticity. Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow who is demanding a government inquiry into the donations, told the Telegraph: “The only way the LSE can restore its name is for the entire council to resign.“People like Shami Chakrabarti [the human rights campaigner] who is a member of the LSE council from 1 Aug 2008 - 31 July 2011] should hang their heads in shame,” he said. “The university wasn’t just accepting money from Libya, it was holding lectures saying how wonderful Col Gaddafi was.”. The Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation made a £1.5m donation to the LSE in 2009, although only £300,000 reached the university. (source; The Telegraph dated 5-3-2011)
LSE Global Governance
LSE Global Governance is a leading international institution dedicated to research, analysis and dissemination about global governance. Based at the London School of Economics, the Centre aims to increase understanding and knowledge of global issues, to encourage interaction between academics, policy makers, journalists and activists, and to propose solutions.
LSE Global Governance was founded by Lord Professor Meghnad Desai in 1992 as the Centre for the Study of Global Governance. Since then, the Centre has grown considerably and the pioneering work of Meghnad Desai has been augmented by the work of Anthony Giddens, David Held and Mary Kaldor as well as a group of talented younger scholars.
Today it is led by co-directors Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science David Held, Professor of Global Governance Mary Kaldor and Professor of Economics Danny Quah.
A major focus of LSE Global Governance's work is the way in which globalisation affects regional dynamics. At present, they work mainly concentrates on the Middle East and South East Europe.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi & LSE
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader, reported plagiarised other people's work in his doctoral thesis. Saif was awarded a PhD in 2008 by the LSE's Centre for the Study of Global Governance. A year later he made a donation of £1.5m to the university via the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation.
Saif's thesis is entitled: "The role of civil society in the democratisation of global governance institutions: from 'soft power' to collective decision-making?" In it he analyses "the problems involved in creating global governing institutions that are more just and more democratic".
(source: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/75772,people,news,lse-investigates-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-over-phd-plagiarism-claims)
It was reported by Telegraph, a UK newspaper that "There have been claims that sections of the 429 page essay on “democratising global governance institutions were plagiarised. One section which clearly was not copied, however, was an interview with Tony Blair. The Thesis states: “Tony Blair notes that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, where oil companies publish the payments they make to government, allowed civil society in countries like Angola to start asking government’s tough questions about corruption.” The footnote states: “Comment from Tony Blair in private communication with the author of this thesis.” (source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
Lord Professor Meghnad Desai
Meghnad Desai is professor of economics and director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics. In 2003, he retired as Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance. He is a Labour party peer in Britain’s upper house of parliament. His books include Marx’s Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism (Verso, 2004) and, Rethinking Islamism: The Ideology of the New Terror(IB Tauris, 2006)
Lord Professor Meghnad Desai is on record as defending the London School of Economics in its relationship with the the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation and served as an examiner for Saif al-Islam Muammar Al-Gaddafi's PhD thesis. He expressed disappointment at a speech Saif Gaddafi subsequently made on Libyan state TV declaring the Gaddafi family's willingness to "fight to the last bullet", observing that "he was not behaving as if he had had an LSE education."(source: wikipedia)
January 28, 2005 The New York Times
Libya unveiled its most sweeping proposals for economic reform in 35 years as part of a new national strategy aimed at ushering the country into the modern economic era. The multi-pronged initiative would streamline government, speed up privatization and liberalize the media sector in a bid to begin a transition from what remains essentially an authoritarian regime to a more liberal economy that is competitive in the region, Seif el-Islam el-Qaddafi, son of the country's ruler, Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, and Abdulhafid Mahmoud Zlitni, the chairman of Libya's National Planning Council, said Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. The need to impress international investors prompted Qaddafi to invite nearly a dozen foreign experts to Libya last year to help study how changes could be woven through government and the economy. The gathering included Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School , Daniel Yergin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning economist, Mark Fuller, the chief executive officer of the consulting company the Monitor Group, and Lord Meghnad Desai, director of the London-based Center of Global Governance.
(source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/28/news/28iht-libya_ed3_.html)
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, UK Labour Party Prime Minister
Blair's role as Prime Minister was particularly visible in foreign and security policy, including in Northern Ireland, where he was involved in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. From the start of the War on Terror in 2001, Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of US President George W. Bush, notably by participating in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq. Blair is the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, the only person to have led the Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories, and the only Labour Prime Minister to serve consecutive terms more than one of which was at least four years long. He was succeeded as Leader of the Labour Party on 24 June 2007 and as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007 by Gordon Brown.[4] On the day he resigned as Prime Minister, he was appointed the official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East.The Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international and supranational entities involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Quartet are the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia. The group was established in Madrid in 2002 by the Spanish Prime Minister Aznar, as a result of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Tony Blair is the Quartet's current Special Envoy.
Tony Blair, Britain's former prime minister, signed a so-called "Deal in the Desert" with Libya in March 2004, which paved the way for oil contracts worth billions, leading to a close relationship that has come under increasing criticism
Mr Blair resigned from his post of British Prime Minister on 27 June 2007
In a report by Telegraph dated 28th Feb 2011 , Tony Blair used his final foreign trip in 2007 as prime minister to sign a confidential deal with Muammar Gaddafi to train Libyan special forces and supply him with Nato secrets.The full version of the accord makes clear the extent to which Mr Blair agreed to co-operate with the Gaddafi regime on defence matters.
Under the terms of the deal, Britain was committed to “exchanges of information and views on defence structures, military and security organisations; exchanges of visits by experts and exchange of printed materials in the field of military education and science; exchanges of information on current and developing military concepts, principles and best practice, and the conduct of joint exercises’’.
The two countries also agreed to co-operate in “training in operational planning processes, staff training, and command and control; training of personnel in peace support operations; training co-operation relating to software, communications security, technology and the function of equipment and systems; exchanges of information and experience in the laws of armed conflict; and the acquisition of equipment and defence systems’’.
On May 29, 2007, during a visit to Muammar al-Gaddafi by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, British Petroleum (BP) signed a $900 million exploration and production agreement with the Libyan National Oil Company. The agreement, which will likely involve an estimated USD $2 billion in investment, covers three massive, largely unexplored tracts. The NOC signed the agreement with the LIA as BP’s 15% partner in a production sharing agreement (PSA).
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said the former prime minister has secured a consultancy role with a state fund that manages the country's £65billion of oil wealth.In an exclusive interview, Saif described Mr Blair as a 'personal family friend' of the Libyan leader and said he had visited the country 'many, many times' since leaving Downing Street three years ago.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284132/Tony-Blair-special-adviser-dictator-Gaddafis-son.html)
The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA)
The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) is a government entity headquartered in Tripoli, Libya. It was established on August 28, 2006, by Decree 208 of the General People's Committee of Libya (GPC) with estimated capital of $40 billion. LIA is a holding company that oversees and manages government investment funds in various areas including agriculture, real estate, infrastructure, oil and gas and in shares and bonds. The Libyan Investment Authority is considered to be a sovereign wealth fund.
The Libyan Investment Authority, Libya's sovereign wealth fund, and the Central Bank of Libya hold a combined 7.5% stake in UniCredit SpA, making Libya the top shareholder in Italy's biggest bank.(source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703610604576158620438188598.html)
Governments across the world are deciding whether the assets of the LIA should be considered assets of the Gaddafi family and should be frozen. They are still weak in their judgment and cannot understand the meaning of Authoritarian governance under Col Gaddafi. Who does not know him? Some are worried of the impact and implication of the action to the country. They still are dreaming for a just and fair treatment for the dictator. "Libya was Gaddafi and Gaddafi was Libya.", many known, yet the "democratic government" does not know.....
The UK Treasury has frozen the assets of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, but has not said if the Libyan Investment Authority's (LIA) assets are included(source: BBC)
In UK, Pearson announced last summer that the LIA had taken a significant stake in the publisher, which owns the Financial Times and Penguin. Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) had acquired 24,431,000 ordinary shares in the company. On further investigation, Pearson has reasonable cause to believe that the LIA may have acquired an additional 2,141,179 shares resulting in a total interest in 26,572,179 shares. This represents 3.27% of the company’s issued share capital. Pearson CEO Marjorie Scardino was reported now uncomfortable with LIA’s 3.27% Holding, and a statement was issued on 1-3-2011.(source: http://www.pearson.com)
It was reported that London hedge fund – FM Capital Partners run by ex-Merrill, Bear Stearns and Rabo Securities trader Frederic Marino – which was set up in 2010, is 55% owned by the Libyan Africa Investment Portfolio (a $6bn SWF, whose parent company is the LIA) and has some close ties to the North African nation.(source: http://news.efinancialcareers.co.uk/newsandviews_item/newsItemId-31160)
LIA also recently set up a hedge fund in London and has bought a host of properties in the UK, paying £155m for Portman House, a 146,550 square foot retail complex on Oxford Street, and £120m for an office at 14 Cornhill opposite the Bank of England in the heart of the City.(source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/)
These are the pieces of puzzles from UK, it is connected and dissociate now; there were links here and there. But there are many unanswered questions in the double standard on democracy........ the country know the dictator well, know the Foreign Wealth Fund, know the country's human right records, know the past history....yet the fund was pouring in like hot money into their country without questions, a friendly investment...they are engaging, and building up the financial position of a dictator step by step.....from education institutions, business, to the government.. a full participation deserved for a friendly nation.
Someone should write a new PHD thesis, "The Role of Dictatorship in the sponsorship of Global Governance Institutions & its friendly nations: From sovereign wealth fund to arms deal", may be a PHD will be awarded for the effort....hopefully not the result of permanent head damage(PHD)......but the result of actual academic research.....
Failure in corporate governance, global governance, and self governance....it is not about wrong judgment, it is about knowing the fact and historical background of dictator, yet still total engaging in the building of dictatorship in the country in full strength....including military support....
Now, who kill democracy and support Authoritarianism?
The Greediness and Blindness of the democracy champion, the decay of political and financial morals.....where is the integrity of once a highest standard British gentleman?....
Now let us open our eyes to see how the "democracy champion", the "human right advocates" and their companions' real faces. The empire has no clothes.....
Shame.....
Related articles
1. Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Lord Desai, economist and author, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-lord-desai-economist-and-author-1771006.html
2. Please help us, my good friend Tony Blair: Gaddafi's son asks for former PM's help to 'crush enemies', http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360472/Libya-Gaddafis-son-asks-Tony-Blairs-help-crush-enemies.html#ixzz1FMgQcsJR
3. Tony Blair, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair
4. Libyan Investment Authority, http://en.wikipedia.or /wiki/Libyan_Investment_Authority
5. Libyan Investment Authority, http://www.swfinstitute.org/swfs/libyan-investment-authority/
6.Statement regarding the Libyan Investment Authority, http://www.pearson.com/investors/announcements/?i=1388
7. Tony Blair our very special adviser by dictator Gaddafi's son, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284132/Tony-Blair-special-adviser-dictator-Gaddafis-son.html
8. Factbox: Libya owns stakes in several European bluechips, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41720060/ns/world_news-africa/
9.Libya's oil money has made it major world shareholder, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/21/libya-oil-money-major-world-shareholder
10. UK sought arms deals with Libya in Nov., http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167623.html
11. Tony Blair linked to arms trade with Libya, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6832402.ece
12. Outrage over UK arms sales to Libya, http://www.wilpf.plushost.co.uk/content/view/119/1/
13. The Empire has No Clothes, http://www.wilpfinternational.org/statements/2011/Libya.pdf
14. Libya: LSE feared 'embarrassing' Gaddafi's son over donation,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8362602/Libya-LSE-feared-embarrassing-Gaddafis-son-over-donation.html
15. LSE Director steps down, http://www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/03/director_steps_down.aspx
16.Membership of Court and Council of LSE, http://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/directoriesAndMaps/committeesAndWorkingGroups/council/membership.aspxMembership
Libya - Military action
An international campaign to force Colonel Moammar el-Gaddafi out of office gathered pace on Monday as the European Union (EU) adopted an arms embargo and other sanctions, as US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton bluntly told the Libyan leader to surrender power "now, without further violence or delay."(source: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/gaddafi-must-surrender-power-now-says-hillary-clinton-88506)
The Telegraph reported that David Cameron and other Western leaders are on the brink of ordering military action against Col Muammar Gaddafi amid fears that the Libyan dictator could use chemical weapons against his own people
The Prime Minister disclosed that he would not rule out “the use of military assets” as Britain “must not tolerate this regime using military forces against its own people”. Britain and America are also thought to be considering arming rebel forces in Libya.
The Pentagon announced that the Americans had begun “repositioning forces” around Libya to provide “flexibility”. The French also announced that they would back a possible military intervention with Nato partners.
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
These countries are the one who had help build up military power of Colonel Moammar el-Gaddafi....they are involve in the petrol politic of the country. Will they be independent in their action? or will they create another dictator that will listen to them or provide economic benefits to them in future?.....their independence is suspected and in doubt.....
The countries had caught pants off with the development of Jasmine uprising in the North African and Arabic countries. Their strategists did not forecast the events, and they are not prepare for the downfall of their supported friends. Will they take the opportunity to rectify their strategic position in the region?.....to crate another friendly dictator that they can use in their global strategy?....may be CIA are already in the country ready for action......
They are the one that created tension spots in the world......based on their global strategy or foreign policy...
Are they really an independent country that volunteer to help Libyan based on merely humanitarian ground?......or there are hidden agenda?......
Any military action against Libya must be a UN action; not NATO, not US alone. We must remember what happen to Iraq, and avoid some countries taking advantage of the political situation to strengthen their strategic advantage. The issue of Libya is not only concern USA or Nato, but also other part of the world. It is human right issue, it is humanitarian issue. Other countries are also concern on the development and are sad that Col Muammar Gaddafi is killing his own people. But we cannot let some country from no where near Libya, to take their own action without the consent of the world body, UN.
The Libya people should be the one decided their future, their government and their destiny.
Libya protesters need support from the world, the world body, that is the United Nation. Can the UN now act as world body to initiate unilateral action?. USA or NATO are not the legal representative of UN, they still need the consent from the world, UN.
It should be UN action; not USA action ; or NATO action.....
USA is not the world body, NATO is not the world body; neither they are world police. It is United Nation....
Tony Blair used his final foreign trip as prime minister to sign a confidential deal with Muammar Gaddafi to train Libyan special forces and supply him with Nato secrets.(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk). And now the same country is asking for action to fight for Libya people???.....the question of integrity, independence, transparency.....as a stake holders in the political situation of the country.
Unless, unless there are invitation of help from Libya, specifically for USA or Nato... But these countries are not independent, they have their interest on Libya, they are the arms suppliers to Col Muammar Gaddafi's government, they have interest in the oil politic involve the country. Will they act independently without hidden political agenda, volunteer to help just merely for humanitarian justification? The answer is remote....they are interest party in the development of dictatorship in Libya....
So the action must be from the world, with Arabic country take a major role; or at least the countries without any direct interest in Libya, which will reduce any future impact on 3rd country taking the advantage from the country. It must be the world action....
European states, who obtain a substantial part of their oil and gas supplies from Libya, have been exploring a wide ranging of options to end the violence in Libya, fearing that high oil prices could inflict damage on their fragile economic recovery. As stake holders or active participants engaged in Libya, they are eager to use military force to end the political crisis.
The question is...... if taking action now, United Nation. Where are you?...
Related articles
1. Arab unrest: Winners and losers, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12599515
2. Libya revolution: Future scenarios and the West's role, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12577484
3. Libya protests: The Gaddafi family tree, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12531442
4. Libya: West ready to use force against Col Gaddafi amid chemical weapon fears, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353559/Libya-West-ready-to-use-force-against-Col-Gaddafi-amid-chemical-weapon-fears.html
5. Libya: Tony Blair agreed to train Gaddafi’s special forces in 'deal in the desert’,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353501/Libya-Tony-Blair-agreed-to-train-Gaddafis-special-forces-in-deal-in-the-desert.html
6. Libya: Italy repudiates friendship treaty, paving way for future military action , http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8352658/Libya-Italy-repudiates-friendship-treaty-paving-way-for-future-military-action.html
7. U.N. Council Poised to Adopt Report Praising Libya's Human Rights Record,
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/28/council-poised-adopt-report-praising-libyas-human-rights-record/
8. U.S. to restore relations with Libya, http://articles.cnn.com/2006-05-15/us/libya_1_moammar-gadhafi-libyan-american-terrorism-list?_s=PM:US
9. Situation of Human Rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: Statement by Navy Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Human Rights Council - 15th Special Session - Geneva, 25 February 2001), http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10760&LangID=E
10. Fazed by Libya link, Britain's LSE rejects funds,http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE71R2EJ20110228
11. Libya: LSE 'should strip Gaddafi's son of PhD', http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8350867/Libya-LSE-should-strip-Gaddafis-son-of-PhD.html
12. Government minister advised Libya on al-Megrahi release, says WikiLeaks,http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23919199-government-minister-advised-libya-on-al-megrahi-release-says-wikileaks.do
The Telegraph reported that David Cameron and other Western leaders are on the brink of ordering military action against Col Muammar Gaddafi amid fears that the Libyan dictator could use chemical weapons against his own people
The Prime Minister disclosed that he would not rule out “the use of military assets” as Britain “must not tolerate this regime using military forces against its own people”. Britain and America are also thought to be considering arming rebel forces in Libya.
The Pentagon announced that the Americans had begun “repositioning forces” around Libya to provide “flexibility”. The French also announced that they would back a possible military intervention with Nato partners.
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
These countries are the one who had help build up military power of Colonel Moammar el-Gaddafi....they are involve in the petrol politic of the country. Will they be independent in their action? or will they create another dictator that will listen to them or provide economic benefits to them in future?.....their independence is suspected and in doubt.....
The countries had caught pants off with the development of Jasmine uprising in the North African and Arabic countries. Their strategists did not forecast the events, and they are not prepare for the downfall of their supported friends. Will they take the opportunity to rectify their strategic position in the region?.....to crate another friendly dictator that they can use in their global strategy?....may be CIA are already in the country ready for action......
They are the one that created tension spots in the world......based on their global strategy or foreign policy...
Are they really an independent country that volunteer to help Libyan based on merely humanitarian ground?......or there are hidden agenda?......
Any military action against Libya must be a UN action; not NATO, not US alone. We must remember what happen to Iraq, and avoid some countries taking advantage of the political situation to strengthen their strategic advantage. The issue of Libya is not only concern USA or Nato, but also other part of the world. It is human right issue, it is humanitarian issue. Other countries are also concern on the development and are sad that Col Muammar Gaddafi is killing his own people. But we cannot let some country from no where near Libya, to take their own action without the consent of the world body, UN.
The Libya people should be the one decided their future, their government and their destiny.
Libya protesters need support from the world, the world body, that is the United Nation. Can the UN now act as world body to initiate unilateral action?. USA or NATO are not the legal representative of UN, they still need the consent from the world, UN.
It should be UN action; not USA action ; or NATO action.....
USA is not the world body, NATO is not the world body; neither they are world police. It is United Nation....
Tony Blair used his final foreign trip as prime minister to sign a confidential deal with Muammar Gaddafi to train Libyan special forces and supply him with Nato secrets.(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk). And now the same country is asking for action to fight for Libya people???.....the question of integrity, independence, transparency.....as a stake holders in the political situation of the country.
Unless, unless there are invitation of help from Libya, specifically for USA or Nato... But these countries are not independent, they have their interest on Libya, they are the arms suppliers to Col Muammar Gaddafi's government, they have interest in the oil politic involve the country. Will they act independently without hidden political agenda, volunteer to help just merely for humanitarian justification? The answer is remote....they are interest party in the development of dictatorship in Libya....
So the action must be from the world, with Arabic country take a major role; or at least the countries without any direct interest in Libya, which will reduce any future impact on 3rd country taking the advantage from the country. It must be the world action....
European states, who obtain a substantial part of their oil and gas supplies from Libya, have been exploring a wide ranging of options to end the violence in Libya, fearing that high oil prices could inflict damage on their fragile economic recovery. As stake holders or active participants engaged in Libya, they are eager to use military force to end the political crisis.
The question is...... if taking action now, United Nation. Where are you?...
Related articles
1. Arab unrest: Winners and losers, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12599515
2. Libya revolution: Future scenarios and the West's role, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12577484
3. Libya protests: The Gaddafi family tree, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12531442
4. Libya: West ready to use force against Col Gaddafi amid chemical weapon fears, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353559/Libya-West-ready-to-use-force-against-Col-Gaddafi-amid-chemical-weapon-fears.html
5. Libya: Tony Blair agreed to train Gaddafi’s special forces in 'deal in the desert’,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353501/Libya-Tony-Blair-agreed-to-train-Gaddafis-special-forces-in-deal-in-the-desert.html
6. Libya: Italy repudiates friendship treaty, paving way for future military action , http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8352658/Libya-Italy-repudiates-friendship-treaty-paving-way-for-future-military-action.html
7. U.N. Council Poised to Adopt Report Praising Libya's Human Rights Record,
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/28/council-poised-adopt-report-praising-libyas-human-rights-record/
8. U.S. to restore relations with Libya, http://articles.cnn.com/2006-05-15/us/libya_1_moammar-gadhafi-libyan-american-terrorism-list?_s=PM:US
9. Situation of Human Rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: Statement by Navy Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Human Rights Council - 15th Special Session - Geneva, 25 February 2001), http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10760&LangID=E
10. Fazed by Libya link, Britain's LSE rejects funds,http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE71R2EJ20110228
11. Libya: LSE 'should strip Gaddafi's son of PhD', http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8350867/Libya-LSE-should-strip-Gaddafis-son-of-PhD.html
12. Government minister advised Libya on al-Megrahi release, says WikiLeaks,http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23919199-government-minister-advised-libya-on-al-megrahi-release-says-wikileaks.do
Monday, February 28, 2011
The hypocrisy of Democratic countries
It is the democracy that support dictatorship, that breed dictatorship....it is democracy that let the crazy demon go as dictator and kill the civilian, the people of his own country....
This democratic countries are the strong human right advocates, the strong democracy champions. Why?....
What a hypocrites they are; the double standard of democracy, and human right....
What a shame....
Western arms helping Libyan forces massacre anti-regime rebels, EU documents reveal
European and British arms firms supplied Libya with hundreds of millions of pounds of military hardware which is now being used by its armed forces to put down the revolt against Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
The European Union's latest arms control report, released in January, said member states issued licences for the sale of £293.2 million worth of weapons and weapons systems to Libya in 2009 alone.
Britain issued arms firms licences for the sale of £21.7 million worth of small arms, ammunition, ordinance, aviation components, armoured and protective equipment and military electronics.
Malta, which issued licences worth £67.9 million, was the largest European arms supplier to Libya in 2009. The sales, which were almost certainly re-exports of equipment bought elsewhere, were entirely made up of small arms – the kind of equipment now being used by Libyan forces to fire on unarmed protesters.
Germany issued licences for the sale of £47e_STnSmillion of military hardware, mainly vehicles and spare parts, France, approved £20.6 million of sales and Belgium a total of £19.04 million.
The sales were part of an intense competition between Russian and European manufacturers. Libya began a modest rearmament effort starting in 2004, when the United States and EU lifted sanctions imposed because of its support of terrorist groups.
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8350862/Western-arms-helping-Libyan-forces-massacre-anti-regime-rebels-EU-documents-reveal.html)
and now they said again...
Libya: US ready to offer 'any type of assistance' to rebels
The Obama administration on Sunday said it was ready to offer "any type of assistance" to Libyans seeking to oust Col Muammar Gaddafi, as the US president's aides attempted to ward off criticism that Washington had acted too slowly to prevent the massacre of opponents of the Libyan regime.
"I think it's way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we're going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8351230/Libya-US-ready-to-offer-any-type-of-assistance-to-rebels.html)
Finally the SWOT analysis have been done by the strategists of the democracy champions, human right advocates......after many lives had gone....
Please avoid playing global political games for own selfish political and economic gains at the expense of the human right of other countries. Who supply arms to the dictator in the country to strengthen his political position(and also their position)? It just remind us of how another dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was groomed and supported by the democratic countries at the earlier stage.....
Are you sure there are true democracy champion, human right advocates?.....it is just a political games(they called it global strategy), and we ordinary people suffered from their plays.....Democracy can be used as a platform to create dictatorship, some leaders of democratic countries are dictators in their own way, especially in global politic. They are like demon in Democracy, using democracy and human right as their platform and political tools for the global strategy. But actually they have hidden agenda.....look at the arms dealings, petrol politic, are they telling the true on democracy and human right?......
Ordinary people just want the basic human right to live, live in better global environment, better future for mankind, for the world.....
May be it is time their people throw some Jasmine flowers to them, to remind them their military arms supplies had developed the situation today.
What a shame.....
Related articles
1. As the United Nations works feverishly to condemn Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi for cracking down on protesters, the body's Human Rights Council is poised to adopt a report chock-full of praise for Libya's human rights record.
Read more:U.N. Council Poised to Adopt Report Praising Libya's Human Rights Record
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/28/council-poised-adopt-report-praising-libyas-human-rights-record/
2.Libya: Tony Blair agreed to train Gaddafi’s special forces in 'deal in the desert’,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353501/Libya-Tony-Blair-agreed-to-train-Gaddafis-special-forces-in-deal-in-the-desert.html
3. Why Gaddafi's British apologists should hand their heads in shame, Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1361625/Libya-crisis-Gaddafis-British-apologists-hand-heads-shame.html
4. Britain must 'look again at relationship with Arab dictators', says David Cameron in thinly veiled swipe at Blair, Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361505/Britain-look-relationship-Arab-dictators-says-David-Cameron-British-weapons-used-uprisings.html
5. Britain gives Libya £2 million in aid over past five years,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8336793/Britain-gives-Libya-2-million-in-aid-over-past-five-years.html
6. Ex-UK PM imposed arms deal on Libya, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167622.html
7. Russia could 'lose US$4b' in Libya arms deals, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_639504.html
8. Guns to Gadhafi - Libyan Arms Deals Come Back to Haunt Europe ,http://puscaspuscas.blogspot.com/2011/02/guns-to-gadhafi-libyan-arms-deals-come.html
9. France and Libya sign arms deal, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6928880.stm
10. Why is Saudi Arabia stockpiling US weapons?, http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/saudi-arabia/101022/why-saudi-arabia-stockpiling-us-weapons
11. Libyan Opposition Leaders Slam U.S. Business Lobby's Deals With Gaddafi ,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/24/muammar-gaddafi-us-business-lobby_n_827769.html
12. Britain and Libya unveil energy and arms deals, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/world/africa/30iht-30libya.5922646.html
This democratic countries are the strong human right advocates, the strong democracy champions. Why?....
What a hypocrites they are; the double standard of democracy, and human right....
What a shame....
Western arms helping Libyan forces massacre anti-regime rebels, EU documents reveal
European and British arms firms supplied Libya with hundreds of millions of pounds of military hardware which is now being used by its armed forces to put down the revolt against Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
The European Union's latest arms control report, released in January, said member states issued licences for the sale of £293.2 million worth of weapons and weapons systems to Libya in 2009 alone.
Britain issued arms firms licences for the sale of £21.7 million worth of small arms, ammunition, ordinance, aviation components, armoured and protective equipment and military electronics.
Malta, which issued licences worth £67.9 million, was the largest European arms supplier to Libya in 2009. The sales, which were almost certainly re-exports of equipment bought elsewhere, were entirely made up of small arms – the kind of equipment now being used by Libyan forces to fire on unarmed protesters.
Germany issued licences for the sale of £47e_STnSmillion of military hardware, mainly vehicles and spare parts, France, approved £20.6 million of sales and Belgium a total of £19.04 million.
The sales were part of an intense competition between Russian and European manufacturers. Libya began a modest rearmament effort starting in 2004, when the United States and EU lifted sanctions imposed because of its support of terrorist groups.
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8350862/Western-arms-helping-Libyan-forces-massacre-anti-regime-rebels-EU-documents-reveal.html)
and now they said again...
Libya: US ready to offer 'any type of assistance' to rebels
The Obama administration on Sunday said it was ready to offer "any type of assistance" to Libyans seeking to oust Col Muammar Gaddafi, as the US president's aides attempted to ward off criticism that Washington had acted too slowly to prevent the massacre of opponents of the Libyan regime.
"I think it's way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we're going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8351230/Libya-US-ready-to-offer-any-type-of-assistance-to-rebels.html)
Finally the SWOT analysis have been done by the strategists of the democracy champions, human right advocates......after many lives had gone....
Please avoid playing global political games for own selfish political and economic gains at the expense of the human right of other countries. Who supply arms to the dictator in the country to strengthen his political position(and also their position)? It just remind us of how another dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was groomed and supported by the democratic countries at the earlier stage.....
Are you sure there are true democracy champion, human right advocates?.....it is just a political games(they called it global strategy), and we ordinary people suffered from their plays.....Democracy can be used as a platform to create dictatorship, some leaders of democratic countries are dictators in their own way, especially in global politic. They are like demon in Democracy, using democracy and human right as their platform and political tools for the global strategy. But actually they have hidden agenda.....look at the arms dealings, petrol politic, are they telling the true on democracy and human right?......
Ordinary people just want the basic human right to live, live in better global environment, better future for mankind, for the world.....
May be it is time their people throw some Jasmine flowers to them, to remind them their military arms supplies had developed the situation today.
What a shame.....
Related articles
1. As the United Nations works feverishly to condemn Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi for cracking down on protesters, the body's Human Rights Council is poised to adopt a report chock-full of praise for Libya's human rights record.
Read more:U.N. Council Poised to Adopt Report Praising Libya's Human Rights Record
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/28/council-poised-adopt-report-praising-libyas-human-rights-record/
2.Libya: Tony Blair agreed to train Gaddafi’s special forces in 'deal in the desert’,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8353501/Libya-Tony-Blair-agreed-to-train-Gaddafis-special-forces-in-deal-in-the-desert.html
3. Why Gaddafi's British apologists should hand their heads in shame, Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1361625/Libya-crisis-Gaddafis-British-apologists-hand-heads-shame.html
4. Britain must 'look again at relationship with Arab dictators', says David Cameron in thinly veiled swipe at Blair, Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361505/Britain-look-relationship-Arab-dictators-says-David-Cameron-British-weapons-used-uprisings.html
5. Britain gives Libya £2 million in aid over past five years,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8336793/Britain-gives-Libya-2-million-in-aid-over-past-five-years.html
6. Ex-UK PM imposed arms deal on Libya, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167622.html
7. Russia could 'lose US$4b' in Libya arms deals, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_639504.html
8. Guns to Gadhafi - Libyan Arms Deals Come Back to Haunt Europe ,http://puscaspuscas.blogspot.com/2011/02/guns-to-gadhafi-libyan-arms-deals-come.html
9. France and Libya sign arms deal, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6928880.stm
10. Why is Saudi Arabia stockpiling US weapons?, http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/saudi-arabia/101022/why-saudi-arabia-stockpiling-us-weapons
11. Libyan Opposition Leaders Slam U.S. Business Lobby's Deals With Gaddafi ,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/24/muammar-gaddafi-us-business-lobby_n_827769.html
12. Britain and Libya unveil energy and arms deals, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/world/africa/30iht-30libya.5922646.html
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Liberating Libya - Uprising continue...
The news have been blocked. The silence revealed may be more killings of the civilians
Jamal al-Hajji, an activist who initiated a Facebook call for "day of rage" protests against the Qaddafi regime on Feb. 17. No news from him....
Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has vowed to fight on and die a "martyr"
Gaddafi Is Using Foreign African Mercenaries to Crush Libyans' Revolt
Saif al-Islam appeared on state television and blamed the violence and protests, including "acts of sabotage and burning," on "foreign agents," and in particular, Israel, echoing the attempts made by other Arab leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen to dismiss and downplay the unrest.67 He said that the unrest "may cause civil war" and referred to the civil war in Libya in 1936. He also said that Libya was different from its neighbours. He ended by warning, "We will fight to the last man and woman and bullet. We will not lose Libya. We will not let Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and BBC trick us"(source: wikipedia)
Gaddafi on 13 February warned against the use of Facebook, and security organisations arrested several prominent internet activists and bloggers
On 23 February Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini stated that according to his information 1,000 people had died so far
Jamal al-Hajji, an activist who initiated a Facebook call for "day of rage" protests against the Qaddafi regime on Feb. 17. No news from him....
Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has vowed to fight on and die a "martyr"
Gaddafi Is Using Foreign African Mercenaries to Crush Libyans' Revolt
Saif al-Islam appeared on state television and blamed the violence and protests, including "acts of sabotage and burning," on "foreign agents," and in particular, Israel, echoing the attempts made by other Arab leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen to dismiss and downplay the unrest.67 He said that the unrest "may cause civil war" and referred to the civil war in Libya in 1936. He also said that Libya was different from its neighbours. He ended by warning, "We will fight to the last man and woman and bullet. We will not lose Libya. We will not let Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and BBC trick us"(source: wikipedia)
Gaddafi on 13 February warned against the use of Facebook, and security organisations arrested several prominent internet activists and bloggers
On 23 February Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini stated that according to his information 1,000 people had died so far
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Libya & Direct Democracy
After popular movements overturned the rulers of Tunisia and Egypt, its immediate neighbours to the west and east, Libya experienced a full-scale revolt beginning in February 2011.[23][24] By 20 February, the unrest had spread to Tripoli. In the early hours of 21 February 2011, Seif al-Islam, oldest son of Muammar Gaddafi, spoke on Libyan television of his fears that the country would fragment and be replaced by "15 Islamic fundamentalist emirates" if the uprising engulfed the entire state. He warned that the country's economic wealth and recent prosperity was at risk, admitted that "mistakes had been made" in quelling recent protests and announced that a constitutional convention would begin on 23 February. This convention would have the aim of reforming and democratising the constitution.[citation needed] Shortly after this speech, the Libyan Ambassador to India announced on BBC Radio 5 live that he had resigned in protest at the "massacre" of protesters.
Rumours began to circulate as to the whereabouts of Gaddafi, with unsubstantiated sources claiming that he had fled the country, possibly to Venezuela.[25][26] Gaddafi appeared on Libyan state TV to deny these rumours, stating "I want to show that I'm in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs".[27] Two Libyan Air Force colonels flew their F-1 Mirage jets to Malta and defected after refusing orders to bomb protesters
View Larger Map
Libya (Arabic: ليبيا Lībiyā), officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Arabic: الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الإشتراكية العظمى Al Jamāhīriyyah al 'Arabiyyah al Lībiyyah aš Ša'biyyah al Ištirākiyyah al 'Uẓmā), is a country located in the Maghreb region of northern Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the south east, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west.
With an area of almost 1,800,000 square kilometres (700,000 sq mi), Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa by area, and the 17th largest in the world.[4] The capital, Tripoli, is home to 1.7 million of Libya's 6.4 million people. The three traditional parts of the country are Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. Libya has the highest HDI in Africa and the fourth highest GDP (PPP) per capita in Africa as of 2009, behind Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. These are largely due to its large petroleum reserves and low population.[5][6] Libya is one of the 10 richest oil producing countries.
Independent since 1951, Libya has been ruled from 1969 to the present by Muammar al-Gaddafi, who rose to power in a military coup. Still ongoing anti-government mass protests began in the country in mid-February 2011
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi(Arabic: معمر القذافي Muʿammar al-Qaḏḏāfī About this sound audio (help·info); also known simply as Colonel Gaddafi; born 7 June 1942) has been the leader of Libya since a coup in 1969.[1]
On 1 September 1969, a small group of junior military officers led by Gaddafi staged a bloodless coup d'état against King Idris while he was in Turkey for medical treatment. His nephew, the Crown Prince Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi, had been formally deposed by the revolutionary army officers and put under house arrest; they abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic.
From 1972, when Gaddafi relinquished the title of prime minister, he has been accorded the honorifics "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" or "Leader and Guide of the Revolution" in government statements and the official press.[2] With the death of Omar Bongo of Gabon on 8 June 2009, he became the longest serving of all current non-royal national leaders and he is one of the longest serving rulers in history. He is also the longest-serving ruler of Libya since Libya, then Tripoli, became an Ottoman province in 1551.
Gaddafi based his new regime on a blend of Arab nationalism,[10][11] aspects of the welfare state,[12][13][14] and what Gaddafi termed "popular democracy",[15] or more commonly "direct, popular democracy". He called this system "Islamic socialism", and, while he permitted private control over small companies, the government controlled the larger ones. Welfare, "liberation" (or “emancipation” depending on the translation),[16] and education[17] were emphasized. He also imposed a system of Islamic morals,[18][19] outlawing alcohol and gambling. Like previous revolutionary figures of the 20th century such as Mao and his Little Red Book, Gaddafi outlined his political philosophy in his Green Book to reinforce the ideals of this socialist-Islamic state and published in three volumes between 1975 and 1979.
n 1977, Gaddafi proclaimed that Libya was changing its form of government from a republic to a "jamahiriya" – a neologism that means "mass-state" or "government by the masses". In theory, Libya became a direct democracy governed by the people[20] through local popular councils and communes.[21] At the top of this structure was the General People's Congress,[22] with Gaddafi as secretary-general. However, after only two years, Gaddafi gave up all of his governmental posts in keeping with the new egalitarian philosophy.
Gaddafi followed Gamal Abdel Nasser's ideas of pan-Arabism and became a fervent advocate of the unity of all Arab states into one Arab nation. He also supported pan-Islamism, the notion of a loose union of all Islamic countries and peoples. After Nasser's death on 28 September 1970, Gaddafi attempted to take up the mantle of ideological leader of Arab nationalism. He proclaimed the "Federation of Arab Republics" (Libya, Egypt, and Syria) in 1972, hoping to create a pan-Arab state, but the three countries disagreed on the specific terms of the merger. In 1974, he signed an agreement with Tunisia's Habib Bourguiba on a merger between the two countries, but this also failed to work in practice and ultimately differences between the two countries would deteriorate into strong animosity.
(source: extract from wikipedia)
So far, after the Tunisian uprising, and the contagion of civilian unrest spread to many Middle East countries and North African countries; Libya is the most violent response from the ruling government. The dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi make use of his own mercenaries or so called "Gaddafi's death squads", mainly employed from the African countries, to open fire on civilian. The use of military plans to bomb the civilian objects, are the sign of struggle to hold on to the power.
The following are report extracted from article "Gaddafi urges violent showdown and tells Libya 'I'll die a martyr", dated 22-2-2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/muammar-gaddafi-urges-violent-showdown. The statement revealed the full color of the dictator for the 41 years in Libya.
"Muammar Gaddafi set the stage for a violent, final showdown to crush Libya's popular uprising by urging loyalists to take to the streets to fight "greasy rats" in the pay of enemies ranging from the US to al-Qaida.
In an angry, ranting and often incoherent speech, the beleaguered Libyan leader ignored evidence of repression and bloodshed, including new reports of death squads, to insist that he would die in his homeland rather than flee abroad.
"I am not going to leave this land," Gaddafi vowed in a live broadcast on state TV. "I will die as a martyr at the end … I shall remain, defiant. Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time."
Speaking in front of the Tripoli compound bombed by US planes in 1986, he invoked the spirit of resistance to foreign powers and warned that the US could occupy Libya like Afghanistan. He claimed protesters were on hallucinogenic drugs and wanted to turn Libya into an Islamic state. They deserved the death penalty, he said, waving his Green Book".
Libyan are the bravest, of all the various Jasmine Uprising contagion events; they faced the most dangerous situation, and yet were courageous to take up the challenge for their future. Hat off to them, and wish that they will all succeeded to have a new life and new government in Libya. Many may have disappeared and never return, they have lost their lives. It is the most violent struggle by the dictator, they open fire to civilian, they use military plane to bomb the civilian objects....what a demon in the dictator, the "direct, popular democracy", it is actually demon go crazy.....in his own definition of democracy....
It let us open an eye on the meaning of democracy, western, social or any form; is there a real democracy if the system is not for the people for the love of mankind. It can be any form, the political system must be for the betterment of mankind....not only form but substance...
If you look at global politic, the dictatorial system survived because of superpowers playing dirty political games, for the benefits of their respective global strategy. Democratic governments support dictatorship, to indirectly help to suppress the people, allow them to be deprived of their basic human right when they are the human right advocates in their own country. But for the sake of their global strategy, strategic positions, petroleum politic; they exercise double standards and closed their eyes on the suffering of the people of the country of the dictator they supported. The democracy and human right policy is different in home policy and foreign policy where there are always hidden agenda.....
......just look at the political history of the Libya, you can see how the superpowers played their roles to continue support the dictatorship.... and this is the people, the ordinary people, the young people, who have been longing for the days of freedom(especially information freedom), that exploded at the same time, and spread as contagion effect to every hearts of ordinary people, that stand up and fight for their basic human right....
1. In August 2003, two years after Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's conviction, Libya wrote to the United Nations formally accepting 'responsibility for the actions of its officials' in respect of the Lockerbie bombing and agreed to pay compensation of up to US$2.7 billion – or up to US$10 million each – to the families of the 270 victims. The same month, Britain and Bulgaria co-sponsored a UN resolution which removed the suspended sanctions
In March 2004, British PM Tony Blair became one of the first Western leaders in decades to visit Libya and publicly meet Gaddafi. Blair praised Gaddafi's recent acts, and stated that he hoped Libya could now be a strong ally in the international War on Terrorism. In the run-up to Blair's visit, the British ambassador in Tripoli, Anthony Layden, explained Libya's and Gaddafi's political change thus:
"35 years of total state control of the economy has left them in a situation where they're simply not generating enough economic activity to give employment to the young people who are streaming through their successful education system. I think this dilemma goes to the heart of Colonel Gaddafi's decision that he needed a radical change of direction."[47]
2. On 15 May 2006, the US State Department announced that it would restore full diplomatic relations with Libya, once Gaddafi declared he was abandoning Libya's weapons of mass destruction program. The State Department also said that Libya would be removed from the list of nations supporting terrorism.[48] On 31 August 2006, however, Gaddafi openly called upon his supporters to "kill enemies" of his revolution and anyone who asks for political change within Libya.
3. In July 2007, French president Nicolas Sarkozy visited Libya and signed a number of bilateral and multilateral (EU) agreements with Gaddafi.
4. In October 2008 Libya paid $1.5 billion into a fund which will be used to compensate relatives of the
1. Lockerbie bombing victims with the remaining 20%;
2. American victims of the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing;
3. American victims of the 1989 UTA Flight 772 bombing; and,
4. Libyan victims of the 1986 US bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi.
As a result, President Bush signed Executive Order 13477 restoring the Libyan government's immunity from terror-related lawsuits and dismissing all of the pending compensation cases in the US, the White House said.[
5. On 30 August 2008, Gaddafi and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi signed a historic cooperation treaty in Benghazi.[54][55][56] Under its terms, Italy will pay $5 billion to Libya as compensation for its former military occupation. In exchange, Libya will take measures to combat illegal immigration coming from its shores and boost investments in Italian companies.[55][57] The treaty was ratified by Italy in 6 February 2009,[54] and by Libya on 2 March, during a visit to Tripoli by Berlusconi
(source: wikipedia)
Not the "human right advocates", not the "democracy champions"; where are their voices? they still want the dictators they supported to continue, to continue support the status quo, not to adversely affect their benefits in the countries, especially petrol right, arms sales, military position etc, or whatever their hiden agenda.....
The so called "human right advocates", the "democracy champion" are silence this time; the outlook of the events may be adversely affect their global strategic plan of their respective countries.........this time their strategists failed them....they are all surprise by the events, and got caught pants off....
Beware of Pseudo freedom, false democracy....they served a different master...
Related articles
1. Gaddafi urges violent showdown and tells Libya 'I'll die a martyr', http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/muammar-gaddafi-urges-violent-showdown
2. Muammar al-Gaddafi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_al-Gaddafi
3. The Green Book, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Book
4. Libya, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya
Rumours began to circulate as to the whereabouts of Gaddafi, with unsubstantiated sources claiming that he had fled the country, possibly to Venezuela.[25][26] Gaddafi appeared on Libyan state TV to deny these rumours, stating "I want to show that I'm in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs".[27] Two Libyan Air Force colonels flew their F-1 Mirage jets to Malta and defected after refusing orders to bomb protesters
View Larger Map
Libya (Arabic: ليبيا Lībiyā), officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Arabic: الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الإشتراكية العظمى Al Jamāhīriyyah al 'Arabiyyah al Lībiyyah aš Ša'biyyah al Ištirākiyyah al 'Uẓmā), is a country located in the Maghreb region of northern Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the south east, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west.
With an area of almost 1,800,000 square kilometres (700,000 sq mi), Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa by area, and the 17th largest in the world.[4] The capital, Tripoli, is home to 1.7 million of Libya's 6.4 million people. The three traditional parts of the country are Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. Libya has the highest HDI in Africa and the fourth highest GDP (PPP) per capita in Africa as of 2009, behind Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. These are largely due to its large petroleum reserves and low population.[5][6] Libya is one of the 10 richest oil producing countries.
Independent since 1951, Libya has been ruled from 1969 to the present by Muammar al-Gaddafi, who rose to power in a military coup. Still ongoing anti-government mass protests began in the country in mid-February 2011
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi(Arabic: معمر القذافي Muʿammar al-Qaḏḏāfī About this sound audio (help·info); also known simply as Colonel Gaddafi; born 7 June 1942) has been the leader of Libya since a coup in 1969.[1]
On 1 September 1969, a small group of junior military officers led by Gaddafi staged a bloodless coup d'état against King Idris while he was in Turkey for medical treatment. His nephew, the Crown Prince Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi, had been formally deposed by the revolutionary army officers and put under house arrest; they abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic.
From 1972, when Gaddafi relinquished the title of prime minister, he has been accorded the honorifics "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" or "Leader and Guide of the Revolution" in government statements and the official press.[2] With the death of Omar Bongo of Gabon on 8 June 2009, he became the longest serving of all current non-royal national leaders and he is one of the longest serving rulers in history. He is also the longest-serving ruler of Libya since Libya, then Tripoli, became an Ottoman province in 1551.
Gaddafi based his new regime on a blend of Arab nationalism,[10][11] aspects of the welfare state,[12][13][14] and what Gaddafi termed "popular democracy",[15] or more commonly "direct, popular democracy". He called this system "Islamic socialism", and, while he permitted private control over small companies, the government controlled the larger ones. Welfare, "liberation" (or “emancipation” depending on the translation),[16] and education[17] were emphasized. He also imposed a system of Islamic morals,[18][19] outlawing alcohol and gambling. Like previous revolutionary figures of the 20th century such as Mao and his Little Red Book, Gaddafi outlined his political philosophy in his Green Book to reinforce the ideals of this socialist-Islamic state and published in three volumes between 1975 and 1979.
n 1977, Gaddafi proclaimed that Libya was changing its form of government from a republic to a "jamahiriya" – a neologism that means "mass-state" or "government by the masses". In theory, Libya became a direct democracy governed by the people[20] through local popular councils and communes.[21] At the top of this structure was the General People's Congress,[22] with Gaddafi as secretary-general. However, after only two years, Gaddafi gave up all of his governmental posts in keeping with the new egalitarian philosophy.
Gaddafi followed Gamal Abdel Nasser's ideas of pan-Arabism and became a fervent advocate of the unity of all Arab states into one Arab nation. He also supported pan-Islamism, the notion of a loose union of all Islamic countries and peoples. After Nasser's death on 28 September 1970, Gaddafi attempted to take up the mantle of ideological leader of Arab nationalism. He proclaimed the "Federation of Arab Republics" (Libya, Egypt, and Syria) in 1972, hoping to create a pan-Arab state, but the three countries disagreed on the specific terms of the merger. In 1974, he signed an agreement with Tunisia's Habib Bourguiba on a merger between the two countries, but this also failed to work in practice and ultimately differences between the two countries would deteriorate into strong animosity.
(source: extract from wikipedia)
So far, after the Tunisian uprising, and the contagion of civilian unrest spread to many Middle East countries and North African countries; Libya is the most violent response from the ruling government. The dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi make use of his own mercenaries or so called "Gaddafi's death squads", mainly employed from the African countries, to open fire on civilian. The use of military plans to bomb the civilian objects, are the sign of struggle to hold on to the power.
The following are report extracted from article "Gaddafi urges violent showdown and tells Libya 'I'll die a martyr", dated 22-2-2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/muammar-gaddafi-urges-violent-showdown. The statement revealed the full color of the dictator for the 41 years in Libya.
"Muammar Gaddafi set the stage for a violent, final showdown to crush Libya's popular uprising by urging loyalists to take to the streets to fight "greasy rats" in the pay of enemies ranging from the US to al-Qaida.
In an angry, ranting and often incoherent speech, the beleaguered Libyan leader ignored evidence of repression and bloodshed, including new reports of death squads, to insist that he would die in his homeland rather than flee abroad.
"I am not going to leave this land," Gaddafi vowed in a live broadcast on state TV. "I will die as a martyr at the end … I shall remain, defiant. Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time."
Speaking in front of the Tripoli compound bombed by US planes in 1986, he invoked the spirit of resistance to foreign powers and warned that the US could occupy Libya like Afghanistan. He claimed protesters were on hallucinogenic drugs and wanted to turn Libya into an Islamic state. They deserved the death penalty, he said, waving his Green Book".
Libyan are the bravest, of all the various Jasmine Uprising contagion events; they faced the most dangerous situation, and yet were courageous to take up the challenge for their future. Hat off to them, and wish that they will all succeeded to have a new life and new government in Libya. Many may have disappeared and never return, they have lost their lives. It is the most violent struggle by the dictator, they open fire to civilian, they use military plane to bomb the civilian objects....what a demon in the dictator, the "direct, popular democracy", it is actually demon go crazy.....in his own definition of democracy....
It let us open an eye on the meaning of democracy, western, social or any form; is there a real democracy if the system is not for the people for the love of mankind. It can be any form, the political system must be for the betterment of mankind....not only form but substance...
If you look at global politic, the dictatorial system survived because of superpowers playing dirty political games, for the benefits of their respective global strategy. Democratic governments support dictatorship, to indirectly help to suppress the people, allow them to be deprived of their basic human right when they are the human right advocates in their own country. But for the sake of their global strategy, strategic positions, petroleum politic; they exercise double standards and closed their eyes on the suffering of the people of the country of the dictator they supported. The democracy and human right policy is different in home policy and foreign policy where there are always hidden agenda.....
......just look at the political history of the Libya, you can see how the superpowers played their roles to continue support the dictatorship.... and this is the people, the ordinary people, the young people, who have been longing for the days of freedom(especially information freedom), that exploded at the same time, and spread as contagion effect to every hearts of ordinary people, that stand up and fight for their basic human right....
1. In August 2003, two years after Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's conviction, Libya wrote to the United Nations formally accepting 'responsibility for the actions of its officials' in respect of the Lockerbie bombing and agreed to pay compensation of up to US$2.7 billion – or up to US$10 million each – to the families of the 270 victims. The same month, Britain and Bulgaria co-sponsored a UN resolution which removed the suspended sanctions
In March 2004, British PM Tony Blair became one of the first Western leaders in decades to visit Libya and publicly meet Gaddafi. Blair praised Gaddafi's recent acts, and stated that he hoped Libya could now be a strong ally in the international War on Terrorism. In the run-up to Blair's visit, the British ambassador in Tripoli, Anthony Layden, explained Libya's and Gaddafi's political change thus:
"35 years of total state control of the economy has left them in a situation where they're simply not generating enough economic activity to give employment to the young people who are streaming through their successful education system. I think this dilemma goes to the heart of Colonel Gaddafi's decision that he needed a radical change of direction."[47]
2. On 15 May 2006, the US State Department announced that it would restore full diplomatic relations with Libya, once Gaddafi declared he was abandoning Libya's weapons of mass destruction program. The State Department also said that Libya would be removed from the list of nations supporting terrorism.[48] On 31 August 2006, however, Gaddafi openly called upon his supporters to "kill enemies" of his revolution and anyone who asks for political change within Libya.
3. In July 2007, French president Nicolas Sarkozy visited Libya and signed a number of bilateral and multilateral (EU) agreements with Gaddafi.
4. In October 2008 Libya paid $1.5 billion into a fund which will be used to compensate relatives of the
1. Lockerbie bombing victims with the remaining 20%;
2. American victims of the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing;
3. American victims of the 1989 UTA Flight 772 bombing; and,
4. Libyan victims of the 1986 US bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi.
As a result, President Bush signed Executive Order 13477 restoring the Libyan government's immunity from terror-related lawsuits and dismissing all of the pending compensation cases in the US, the White House said.[
5. On 30 August 2008, Gaddafi and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi signed a historic cooperation treaty in Benghazi.[54][55][56] Under its terms, Italy will pay $5 billion to Libya as compensation for its former military occupation. In exchange, Libya will take measures to combat illegal immigration coming from its shores and boost investments in Italian companies.[55][57] The treaty was ratified by Italy in 6 February 2009,[54] and by Libya on 2 March, during a visit to Tripoli by Berlusconi
(source: wikipedia)
Not the "human right advocates", not the "democracy champions"; where are their voices? they still want the dictators they supported to continue, to continue support the status quo, not to adversely affect their benefits in the countries, especially petrol right, arms sales, military position etc, or whatever their hiden agenda.....
The so called "human right advocates", the "democracy champion" are silence this time; the outlook of the events may be adversely affect their global strategic plan of their respective countries.........this time their strategists failed them....they are all surprise by the events, and got caught pants off....
Beware of Pseudo freedom, false democracy....they served a different master...
Related articles
1. Gaddafi urges violent showdown and tells Libya 'I'll die a martyr', http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/muammar-gaddafi-urges-violent-showdown
2. Muammar al-Gaddafi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_al-Gaddafi
3. The Green Book, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Book
4. Libya, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bahrain
Bahrain (Listeni /bɑːˈreɪn/), officially Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: مملكة البحرين Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn, English: Kingdom of the Two Seas), is a small island country with approximately 1,234,596 inhabitants (2010), located near the western shores of the Persian Gulf and ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide.
Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world.
Bahrain is known for its oil and pearls. The country is the home of many large structures such as the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour and other skyscrapers, and proposes to build the 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high supertall Murjan Tower. The Qal’at al-Bahrain (The Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun) has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8] The Bahrain International Circuit is the race course where the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix takes place.
Bahrain is the Arabic term for "two seas", referring to the freshwater springs that are found within the salty seas surrounding it. Bahrain is a borderless island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times. Bahrain's strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Portuguese, the Arabs, and the British.
Oil was discovered in 1932 and brought rapid modernization to Bahrain.
Bahrain People
Just over half of the population are Arabs, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but only minority of them are Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising nearly half of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign.[1]
The population is mostly Muslim and includes both the majority Shia and minority Sunni sects. Bahrain is also the only Persian Gulf Arab state with an active Jewish population, and has the largest Christian minority within the Persian Gulf Arab states. Roughly 1,000 Christians hold Bahraini citizenship, with the closest country, Kuwait, only having approximately 200. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain,and the G.C.C but English is widely used. Southern Persian (Bushehr) dialect is widely spoken by Bahrainis of Persian descent ajam and others. Many Bahrainis have a working knowledge not only of English but Hindi and Urdu as well.
In spite of its rapid economic development, Bahrain remains, in many respects, essentially Arab in its culture.
Bahrain is an absolute monarchy headed by the King, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; the head of government is the Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalīfa bin Salman al Khalifa, who presides over a cabinet of twenty-five members, where 80% of its members are from the royal family. Bahrain has a bicameral legislature with a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, elected by universal suffrage and an upper house, the Shura Council, appointed by the king. Both houses have forty members.
Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa assumed the throne in March 1999 upon the death of his father, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the ruler of Bahrain since 1961. He continued to implement democratic reforms, including the transformation of Bahrain from a hereditary emirate to a constitutional monarchy, and in so doing changed his status from emir to king. He also pardoned all political prisoners and detainees, including those who had been arrested for their unsubstantiated participation in the 1996 bombings as well as abolishing the State Security Law and the State Security Court, which had permitted the government to detain individuals without trial for up to 3 years. Because of the changes that the King Khalifa has implemented during his reign, Bahrain has not experienced a resurgence of political violence.
The first round of voting in the 2006 parliamentary election took place on 25 November 2006, and in the second round Islamists hailed a huge election victory.[48]
The opening up of politics has seen big gains for both Shīa and Sunnī Islamists in elections, which have given them a parliamentary platform to pursue their policies.
The government of Bahrain has actively cooperated with the international community in general and the United States in particular to combat global terrorism. Basing and extensive over flight clearances that it has granted U.S. military aircraft contributed to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom. The government of Bahrain has cooperated closely on criminal investigations linked to terrorism. Likewise, it has taken steps to prevent terrorist organizations from using the nation’s well-developed financial system. Not all of Bahrain’s citizens have applauded their government’s efforts, however, particular vis-à-vis its support for U.S. initiatives. Several anti-American demonstrations took place in 2002, during one of which the U.S. embassy was attacked with firebombs, and again at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
The country's first female cabinet minister was appointed in 2004 when Dr. Nada Haffadh became Minister of Health, while the quasi-governmental women's group, the Supreme Council for Women, trained female candidates to take part in the 2006 general election. When Bahrain was elected to head the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 it appointed lawyer and women's rights activist Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa as the President of the United Nations General Assembly,[55] only the third woman in history to head the world body.[56] The king recently created the Supreme Judicial Council[57] to regulate the country's courts and institutionalize the separation of the administrative and judicial branches of government;[58] the leader of this court is Mohammed Humaidan.
In November 2005, al Muntada, a grouping of liberal academics, launched "We Have A Right", a campaign to explain to the public why personal freedoms matter and why they need to be defended.
In 2007, Al Wefaq-backed parliamentary investigations are credited with forcing the government to remove ministers who had frequently clashed with MPs: the Minister of Health, Dr Nada Haffadh (who was also Bahrain's first ever female cabinet minister) and the Minister of Information, Dr Mohammed Abdul Gaffar.
The major Bahraini citizen protests are occurring currently, following some and coincident with other Arab world protests in succession of 2010–2011 democracy demonstrations. The protesters selected 14 February as a day of protest to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter.[62]
On February 18 2011 the Guardian reported: 'Five people are believed to have been killed and scores injured after Bahraini security forces raided thousands in a peaceful protest in Pearl Square in the early hours of Thursday morning.' [63] The situation is currently active and changing.
(extract from wikipedia)
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet — the centerpiece of Washington's efforts to confront Iranian military influence in the region. This revealed the close military relationship with USA, and Bahrain is having strong strategic position in USA's foreign policy. Will the current event in Bahrain worry USA?.
The demonstrators are emulating the protesters in Tunisia and Egypt, attempting to bring political reform in the country. Will Bahrain follow Tunisia and Egypt?....It seems that the contagion effect is really on in the middle east, there will be changes in political position of many countries in the region. Looking at the faces of the demonstrators, they are ordinary people, mainly young people...the people is telling the world, the country, that they have enough and it is time for change. The voices of people, the power of people, the wave of people power..... no one can stop it now....
The internet technology has allowed the people all over the world to see the differences, the facebook as social network to help the communication, the youtube to see the actual action, the blog and e-mail, the websites....no wonder the first thing the dictator government do is to stop the internet service. May be their actual enemy is the internet and they still cannot see the actual picture and hear the voices of the people....may be they should open a facebook account instead of banning it....
Now, will the people power spread to other part of the world?....and change the position of global power?....let us wait and see....
People power is the trends, and it is contagion; beware all dictators....it is really hot now....
Related articles
1.History of Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bahrain
2. Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain
3. Culture of Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bahrain
4. Human rights in Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Bahrain
5. Libya, Yemen crack down; Bahrain pulls back tanks, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_mideast_protests
Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world.
Bahrain is known for its oil and pearls. The country is the home of many large structures such as the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour and other skyscrapers, and proposes to build the 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high supertall Murjan Tower. The Qal’at al-Bahrain (The Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun) has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8] The Bahrain International Circuit is the race course where the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix takes place.
Bahrain is the Arabic term for "two seas", referring to the freshwater springs that are found within the salty seas surrounding it. Bahrain is a borderless island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times. Bahrain's strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Portuguese, the Arabs, and the British.
Oil was discovered in 1932 and brought rapid modernization to Bahrain.
Bahrain People
Just over half of the population are Arabs, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but only minority of them are Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising nearly half of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign.[1]
The population is mostly Muslim and includes both the majority Shia and minority Sunni sects. Bahrain is also the only Persian Gulf Arab state with an active Jewish population, and has the largest Christian minority within the Persian Gulf Arab states. Roughly 1,000 Christians hold Bahraini citizenship, with the closest country, Kuwait, only having approximately 200. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain,and the G.C.C but English is widely used. Southern Persian (Bushehr) dialect is widely spoken by Bahrainis of Persian descent ajam and others. Many Bahrainis have a working knowledge not only of English but Hindi and Urdu as well.
In spite of its rapid economic development, Bahrain remains, in many respects, essentially Arab in its culture.
Bahrain is an absolute monarchy headed by the King, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; the head of government is the Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalīfa bin Salman al Khalifa, who presides over a cabinet of twenty-five members, where 80% of its members are from the royal family. Bahrain has a bicameral legislature with a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, elected by universal suffrage and an upper house, the Shura Council, appointed by the king. Both houses have forty members.
Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa assumed the throne in March 1999 upon the death of his father, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the ruler of Bahrain since 1961. He continued to implement democratic reforms, including the transformation of Bahrain from a hereditary emirate to a constitutional monarchy, and in so doing changed his status from emir to king. He also pardoned all political prisoners and detainees, including those who had been arrested for their unsubstantiated participation in the 1996 bombings as well as abolishing the State Security Law and the State Security Court, which had permitted the government to detain individuals without trial for up to 3 years. Because of the changes that the King Khalifa has implemented during his reign, Bahrain has not experienced a resurgence of political violence.
The first round of voting in the 2006 parliamentary election took place on 25 November 2006, and in the second round Islamists hailed a huge election victory.[48]
The opening up of politics has seen big gains for both Shīa and Sunnī Islamists in elections, which have given them a parliamentary platform to pursue their policies.
The government of Bahrain has actively cooperated with the international community in general and the United States in particular to combat global terrorism. Basing and extensive over flight clearances that it has granted U.S. military aircraft contributed to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom. The government of Bahrain has cooperated closely on criminal investigations linked to terrorism. Likewise, it has taken steps to prevent terrorist organizations from using the nation’s well-developed financial system. Not all of Bahrain’s citizens have applauded their government’s efforts, however, particular vis-à-vis its support for U.S. initiatives. Several anti-American demonstrations took place in 2002, during one of which the U.S. embassy was attacked with firebombs, and again at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
The country's first female cabinet minister was appointed in 2004 when Dr. Nada Haffadh became Minister of Health, while the quasi-governmental women's group, the Supreme Council for Women, trained female candidates to take part in the 2006 general election. When Bahrain was elected to head the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 it appointed lawyer and women's rights activist Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa as the President of the United Nations General Assembly,[55] only the third woman in history to head the world body.[56] The king recently created the Supreme Judicial Council[57] to regulate the country's courts and institutionalize the separation of the administrative and judicial branches of government;[58] the leader of this court is Mohammed Humaidan.
In November 2005, al Muntada, a grouping of liberal academics, launched "We Have A Right", a campaign to explain to the public why personal freedoms matter and why they need to be defended.
In 2007, Al Wefaq-backed parliamentary investigations are credited with forcing the government to remove ministers who had frequently clashed with MPs: the Minister of Health, Dr Nada Haffadh (who was also Bahrain's first ever female cabinet minister) and the Minister of Information, Dr Mohammed Abdul Gaffar.
The major Bahraini citizen protests are occurring currently, following some and coincident with other Arab world protests in succession of 2010–2011 democracy demonstrations. The protesters selected 14 February as a day of protest to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter.[62]
On February 18 2011 the Guardian reported: 'Five people are believed to have been killed and scores injured after Bahraini security forces raided thousands in a peaceful protest in Pearl Square in the early hours of Thursday morning.' [63] The situation is currently active and changing.
(extract from wikipedia)
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet — the centerpiece of Washington's efforts to confront Iranian military influence in the region. This revealed the close military relationship with USA, and Bahrain is having strong strategic position in USA's foreign policy. Will the current event in Bahrain worry USA?.
The demonstrators are emulating the protesters in Tunisia and Egypt, attempting to bring political reform in the country. Will Bahrain follow Tunisia and Egypt?....It seems that the contagion effect is really on in the middle east, there will be changes in political position of many countries in the region. Looking at the faces of the demonstrators, they are ordinary people, mainly young people...the people is telling the world, the country, that they have enough and it is time for change. The voices of people, the power of people, the wave of people power..... no one can stop it now....
The internet technology has allowed the people all over the world to see the differences, the facebook as social network to help the communication, the youtube to see the actual action, the blog and e-mail, the websites....no wonder the first thing the dictator government do is to stop the internet service. May be their actual enemy is the internet and they still cannot see the actual picture and hear the voices of the people....may be they should open a facebook account instead of banning it....
Now, will the people power spread to other part of the world?....and change the position of global power?....let us wait and see....
People power is the trends, and it is contagion; beware all dictators....it is really hot now....
Related articles
1.History of Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bahrain
2. Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain
3. Culture of Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bahrain
4. Human rights in Bahrain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Bahrain
5. Libya, Yemen crack down; Bahrain pulls back tanks, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_mideast_protests
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Peace return to Cairo
Peace has returned to Cairo, it is the victory for the Egyptian people. The Egyptian people has been fighting hard for their country, for the democracy of their country, for freedom, and the human right of people. It make history as Facebook revolution, where the people over the world has seen the power of social media, facebook create an impact on the heart of people, which become contagion and evolved into a people movement. A history where the world will remember...
Political analyst Diaa Rashwan at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. "They searched for their freedom and now they have it." " Now, it's time for phase two, he adds: "Building a new regime. Who are the possible candidates?
A free election to choose their own government is the priority.
And the Egyptian people need to open their eyes carefully to choose a candidate that really love Egypt , love democracy, love people, respect human right. otherwise, the fruit of the famous Egypt Uprising will be robbed by a wolf from somewhere with the name of democracy, but is actually demon go crazy...to rob the fruit of the uprising....they may be with the name of religion, human right, democracy, social reform, or.....many political platform they can use.....another dictator will possibly come up later....
Will the real democracy come to Egypt? the climax is over, but there are work to be continue, Egyptian people still have to be aware and alert for politician wearing the clothing of democracy but actually a opportunist or puppet for certain power group, be it form the West or Arab bloc. The effort of people uprising must be for the benefits of the people, the Egyptian, who has make history....The majority has stand up and voiced their desire for a better Egypt, let the politician(minority) follow the people, the majority.....that is real democracy.
Salute to the youth of Egypt, they are the future of Egypt; who will transform Egypt to a great country like it once was......
The rainbow has not come, Egyptian people is still need to be alert...
Related article
1.Egypt: The key questions answered, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egypt-the-key-questions-answered-2213292.html
2. Ruling Egypt After Mubarak: Presidential Contenders Emerge, http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110212/wl_time/08599204878900
Political analyst Diaa Rashwan at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. "They searched for their freedom and now they have it." " Now, it's time for phase two, he adds: "Building a new regime. Who are the possible candidates?
A free election to choose their own government is the priority.
And the Egyptian people need to open their eyes carefully to choose a candidate that really love Egypt , love democracy, love people, respect human right. otherwise, the fruit of the famous Egypt Uprising will be robbed by a wolf from somewhere with the name of democracy, but is actually demon go crazy...to rob the fruit of the uprising....they may be with the name of religion, human right, democracy, social reform, or.....many political platform they can use.....another dictator will possibly come up later....
Will the real democracy come to Egypt? the climax is over, but there are work to be continue, Egyptian people still have to be aware and alert for politician wearing the clothing of democracy but actually a opportunist or puppet for certain power group, be it form the West or Arab bloc. The effort of people uprising must be for the benefits of the people, the Egyptian, who has make history....The majority has stand up and voiced their desire for a better Egypt, let the politician(minority) follow the people, the majority.....that is real democracy.
Salute to the youth of Egypt, they are the future of Egypt; who will transform Egypt to a great country like it once was......
The rainbow has not come, Egyptian people is still need to be alert...
Related article
1.Egypt: The key questions answered, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egypt-the-key-questions-answered-2213292.html
2. Ruling Egypt After Mubarak: Presidential Contenders Emerge, http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110212/wl_time/08599204878900
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has finally stepped down
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has step down. He is finally down. Victory for Egyptian people. A new chapter is begin for the country.
It is celebration in Egypt for 2 weeks people movement...Congratulation all Egyptian people.
It is celebration in Egypt for 2 weeks people movement...Congratulation all Egyptian people.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Hijacking the Tunisian revolution
2010–2011 Tunisian protests and resignation of Ben Ali
In response to the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests, Ben Ali declared a state of emergency in the country, dissolved the government on January 14, 2011, and promised new legislative elections within six months. But on that same day Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi went on state television to say he was assuming power in Tunisia. Unconfirmed news reports, citing unidentified government sources in Tunisia, said that the President had left the country.[62][63] Gannouchi based his speech on Article 56 of the Tunisian constitution. However, the head of Tunisia's Constitutional Court, Fethi Abdennadher,[64] confirms that Gannouchi violated the constitution, as Article 56 is not applicable to current circumstances and requires a President. Article 57 of the constitution states that the President of the Parliament should take the executive power and organize an election in 45 to 60 days. It was soon confirmed, however, that Ben Ali had indeed fled, allegedly taking 1.5 tons of the country's gold with him.[65] On January 26, 2011, INTERPOL confirmed that its National Central Bureau (NCB) in Tunis has issued a global alert via INTERPOL's international network to seek the location and arrest of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and six of his relatives.
Jasmine Revolution
Dubbed the Jasmine revolution, Tunisia's uprising was driven by the youth of the country. It all started with a young man who set himself ablaze, igniting a popular rebellion. The young dominated the scene and over the past month dozens of young people have been killed confronting the authority's use of deadly force. In a country where half the population is under the age of 25, that is a lot of disenfranchised, disenchanted ... just plain dissed young people. It was a popular, organic revolt, with no external influence or firebrand clerics leading it. There was really no prominent leadership at all - just young people expressing their seething frustrations and taking to the streets. Some have called it the Facebook or Twitter revolution because social media played a critical role in fanning the flames of discontent and spreading the news to a captivated world. But is Tunisia's Jasmine revolution entering a new phase? Driven by the youth and trade unions, are professional politicians now hijacking the Tunisian uprising? How do the young people of Tunisia feel about the course their revolution is taking? In this special show from Tunis, Inside Story presenter James Bays discusses.
Will professional politician and opportunists hijacking the fruit of Jasmine Revolution?......
Relaed article
1. Is Tunisia the first domino to fall?, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8263177/Is-Tunisia-the-first-domino-to-fall.html
2. AP Interview: Tunisian opposition fears chaos, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibaLEW6gksH1eo7jwYgvu2v5kwvg?docId=8f6e3124b57c4656bfa8598b0bfba15e
3. Tunisia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia
In response to the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests, Ben Ali declared a state of emergency in the country, dissolved the government on January 14, 2011, and promised new legislative elections within six months. But on that same day Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi went on state television to say he was assuming power in Tunisia. Unconfirmed news reports, citing unidentified government sources in Tunisia, said that the President had left the country.[62][63] Gannouchi based his speech on Article 56 of the Tunisian constitution. However, the head of Tunisia's Constitutional Court, Fethi Abdennadher,[64] confirms that Gannouchi violated the constitution, as Article 56 is not applicable to current circumstances and requires a President. Article 57 of the constitution states that the President of the Parliament should take the executive power and organize an election in 45 to 60 days. It was soon confirmed, however, that Ben Ali had indeed fled, allegedly taking 1.5 tons of the country's gold with him.[65] On January 26, 2011, INTERPOL confirmed that its National Central Bureau (NCB) in Tunis has issued a global alert via INTERPOL's international network to seek the location and arrest of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and six of his relatives.
Jasmine Revolution
Dubbed the Jasmine revolution, Tunisia's uprising was driven by the youth of the country. It all started with a young man who set himself ablaze, igniting a popular rebellion. The young dominated the scene and over the past month dozens of young people have been killed confronting the authority's use of deadly force. In a country where half the population is under the age of 25, that is a lot of disenfranchised, disenchanted ... just plain dissed young people. It was a popular, organic revolt, with no external influence or firebrand clerics leading it. There was really no prominent leadership at all - just young people expressing their seething frustrations and taking to the streets. Some have called it the Facebook or Twitter revolution because social media played a critical role in fanning the flames of discontent and spreading the news to a captivated world. But is Tunisia's Jasmine revolution entering a new phase? Driven by the youth and trade unions, are professional politicians now hijacking the Tunisian uprising? How do the young people of Tunisia feel about the course their revolution is taking? In this special show from Tunis, Inside Story presenter James Bays discusses.
Will professional politician and opportunists hijacking the fruit of Jasmine Revolution?......
Relaed article
1. Is Tunisia the first domino to fall?, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8263177/Is-Tunisia-the-first-domino-to-fall.html
2. AP Interview: Tunisian opposition fears chaos, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibaLEW6gksH1eo7jwYgvu2v5kwvg?docId=8f6e3124b57c4656bfa8598b0bfba15e
3. Tunisia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia
The hero - Wael Ghonim
The sea of people pulsated with energy, galvanized by the words of Wael Ghonim, the young Google executive who got the Mubarak treatment — 12-day disappearance, blindfolding, interrogation....for his country, Egypt.
Heroes are the ones in the street, and he is one of them. The street heroes make him a Egyptian hero, a national hero.....
Wael Said Abbas Ghonim (Arabic: وائل سعيد عباس غنيم, IPA: [ˈwæːʔel sæˈʕiːd ʕæbˈbæːs ɣoˈneːm]) (born 23 December 1980 in Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian Revolutionary, Internet activist, computer engineer and since January 2010 the Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa.[2] He became an international figure and energized pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt after his emotional interview[3] following 11 days of secret incarceration by Egyptian police.
Wael Ghonim was born to a middle-class family on 23 December 1980 in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in the United Arab Emirates.He earned a computer engineering degree from Cairo University in 2004 and a MBA in marketing and finance from the American University in Cairo in 2007
(source: wikipedia)
Timeline
* 1998–2002 — Helped in the launch of one of the most visited websites in the Arab world[6]
* 2002–2005 — Marketing and Sales Manager of Gawab.com, the leading e-mail service provider in the Middle East[7][8]
* 2005–2008 — Founder and General Manager of Mubasher.info, the leading Arabic financial portal in the Middle East[7]
* November 2008–January 2010 — Regional Product & Marketing Manager of Google Middle East and North Africa based at Google Egypt[9]
* January 2010–Present — Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa based at Google's UAE office in Dubai Internet City in Dubai
Ghonim persuaded Google to allow him to return to Egypt, citing a "personal problem".[12] After his arrival, he disappeared on 27 January 2011 during the nationwide unrest in Egypt. His family told Al-Arabiya and other international media that he was missing. Google also issued a statement confirming the disappearance. Many bloggers like Chris DiBona and Habib Haddad campaigned in an attempt to identify his whereabouts. On 5 February 2011, Mostafa Alnagar, a major Egyptian opposition figure, reported Wael Ghonim as alive and detained by the authorities and to be released 'within hours'.[13] On 6 February 2011, Amnesty International demanded that the Egyptian authorities disclose where Ghonim was and to release him.[14]
2011 Egyptian protest involvement
Ghonim was released on 7 February, after 11 days in detention. Upon his release, he was greeted with cheers and applause when he stated: "We will not abandon our demand and that is the departure of the regime." He appeared on the Egyptian channel DreamTV on the "10:00pm" programme, where he praised the protesters, urging that they deserved attention more than he did, and calling for the end of the Mubarak regime, describing it again as 'rubbish'. He also asserted his allegiance to Egypt, saying that he would never move to the United States, the homeland of his wife.[15][16] Becoming a symbol of the revolution in Egypt,[17] Ghonim stated that he is "ready to die" for the cause.[18] On 9 February, Ghonim addressed the crowds in Tahrir Square, telling the protesters: "This is not the time for individuals, or parties, or movements. It's a time for all of us to say just one thing: Egypt above all
(source: wikipedia)
This video is upload from youtube, it is in arabic, for all Egyptian in Egypt
Remember his name for Egypt....
Related article
1. Profile: Egypt's Wael Ghonim, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12400529
2. http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/8/the_heroes_are_the_ones_in
3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/feb/08/egypt-activist-wael-ghonim-google-video
4. Egypt crisis: the young revolutionaries who sparked the protests, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8317055/Egypt-crisis-the-young-revolutionaries-who-sparked-the-protests.html
5. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_wael_ghonim_20110210/?ln
6. Wael Ghonim, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wael_Ghonim
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/opinion/10iht-edcohen10.html
Heroes are the ones in the street, and he is one of them. The street heroes make him a Egyptian hero, a national hero.....
Wael Said Abbas Ghonim (Arabic: وائل سعيد عباس غنيم, IPA: [ˈwæːʔel sæˈʕiːd ʕæbˈbæːs ɣoˈneːm]) (born 23 December 1980 in Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian Revolutionary, Internet activist, computer engineer and since January 2010 the Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa.[2] He became an international figure and energized pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt after his emotional interview[3] following 11 days of secret incarceration by Egyptian police.
Wael Ghonim was born to a middle-class family on 23 December 1980 in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in the United Arab Emirates.He earned a computer engineering degree from Cairo University in 2004 and a MBA in marketing and finance from the American University in Cairo in 2007
(source: wikipedia)
Timeline
* 1998–2002 — Helped in the launch of one of the most visited websites in the Arab world[6]
* 2002–2005 — Marketing and Sales Manager of Gawab.com, the leading e-mail service provider in the Middle East[7][8]
* 2005–2008 — Founder and General Manager of Mubasher.info, the leading Arabic financial portal in the Middle East[7]
* November 2008–January 2010 — Regional Product & Marketing Manager of Google Middle East and North Africa based at Google Egypt[9]
* January 2010–Present — Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa based at Google's UAE office in Dubai Internet City in Dubai
Ghonim persuaded Google to allow him to return to Egypt, citing a "personal problem".[12] After his arrival, he disappeared on 27 January 2011 during the nationwide unrest in Egypt. His family told Al-Arabiya and other international media that he was missing. Google also issued a statement confirming the disappearance. Many bloggers like Chris DiBona and Habib Haddad campaigned in an attempt to identify his whereabouts. On 5 February 2011, Mostafa Alnagar, a major Egyptian opposition figure, reported Wael Ghonim as alive and detained by the authorities and to be released 'within hours'.[13] On 6 February 2011, Amnesty International demanded that the Egyptian authorities disclose where Ghonim was and to release him.[14]
2011 Egyptian protest involvement
Ghonim was released on 7 February, after 11 days in detention. Upon his release, he was greeted with cheers and applause when he stated: "We will not abandon our demand and that is the departure of the regime." He appeared on the Egyptian channel DreamTV on the "10:00pm" programme, where he praised the protesters, urging that they deserved attention more than he did, and calling for the end of the Mubarak regime, describing it again as 'rubbish'. He also asserted his allegiance to Egypt, saying that he would never move to the United States, the homeland of his wife.[15][16] Becoming a symbol of the revolution in Egypt,[17] Ghonim stated that he is "ready to die" for the cause.[18] On 9 February, Ghonim addressed the crowds in Tahrir Square, telling the protesters: "This is not the time for individuals, or parties, or movements. It's a time for all of us to say just one thing: Egypt above all
(source: wikipedia)
This video is upload from youtube, it is in arabic, for all Egyptian in Egypt
Remember his name for Egypt....
Related article
1. Profile: Egypt's Wael Ghonim, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12400529
2. http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/8/the_heroes_are_the_ones_in
3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/feb/08/egypt-activist-wael-ghonim-google-video
4. Egypt crisis: the young revolutionaries who sparked the protests, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8317055/Egypt-crisis-the-young-revolutionaries-who-sparked-the-protests.html
5. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_wael_ghonim_20110210/?ln
6. Wael Ghonim, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wael_Ghonim
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/opinion/10iht-edcohen10.html
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Alexandria Library
Ancient Library of Alexandria
The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, seems to have been the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 48 BC. After its destruction, scholars used a related library in the temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city, founded on the collection of Pergamum, which was given by Mark Antony to Cleopatra. This library was described as the "daughter library" and was also a temple to the god Serapis.
The library was conceived and opened either during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter (323–283 BC) or during the reign of his son Ptolemy II (283–246 BC)[2]. Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC Julius Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas' attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea.[3] Edward Gibbon describes how the daughter library was also destroyed by Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, who ordered the destruction of the Serapeum in 391.[1]
Intended both as a commemoration and an emulation of the original, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 near the site of the old library
Alexandria, ancient capital of Egypt
Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in April 331 BC as Ἀλεξάνδρεια (Alexándreia). Alexander's chief architect for the project was Dinocrates. Alexandria was intended to supersede Naucratis as a Hellenistic center in Egypt, and to be the link between Greece and the rich Nile Valley. An Egyptian city, Rhakotis, already existed on the shore, and later gave its name to Alexandria in the Egyptian language (Egyptian *Raˁ-Ḳāṭit, written rˁ-ḳṭy.t, 'That which is built up'). It continued to exist as the Egyptian quarter of the city. A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt and never returned to his city. After Alexander's departure, his viceroy, Cleomenes, continued the expansion. Following a struggle with the other successors of Alexander, his general Ptolemy succeeded in bringing Alexander's body to Alexandria. Alexander developed into the main Greek city of Egypt, with an extraordinary mix of Greeks from many cities and backgrounds;it was also home to the largest Jewish community in the world.
The early Ptolemies kept it in order and fostered the development of its museum into the leading Hellenistic center of learning (Library of Alexandria), but were careful to maintain the distinction of its population's three largest ethnicities: Greek, Jewish, and Egyptian. From this division arose much of the later turbulence, which began to manifest itself under Ptolemy Philopater who reigned from 221–204 BC.
In ancient times, Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. It was founded around a small pharaonic town c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great. It remained Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand years, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641, when a new capital was founded at Fustat (Fustat was later absorbed into Cairo). Alexandria was known because of its Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its library (the largest library in the ancient world); and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Ongoing maritime archaeology in the harbor of Alexandria, which began in 1994, is revealing details of Alexandria both before the arrival of Alexander, when a city named Rhacotis existed there, and during the Ptolemaic dynasty.
According to the earliest source of information, the pseudepigraphic Letter of Aristeas, the library was initially organized by Demetrius of Phaleron,[5] a student of Aristotle, under the reign of Ptolemy Soter (ca.367 BC—ca.283 BC).
Built in the Brucheion (Royal Quarter) in the style of Aristotle's Lyceum, adjacent to and in service of the Musaeum[6] (a Greek Temple or "House of Muses", hence the term "museum"), the library comprised a Peripatos walk, gardens, a room for shared dining, a reading room, lecture halls and meeting rooms. However, the exact layout is not known. This model's influence may still be seen today in the layout of university campuses. The library itself is known to have had an acquisitions department (possibly built near the stacks, or for utility closer to the harbour), and a cataloguing department. A hall contained shelves for the collections of scrolls (as the books were at this time on papyrus scrolls), known as bibliothekai (βιβλιοθῆκαι). It was rumored that carved into the wall above the shelves, a famous inscription read: The place of the cure of the soul.[7]
The first known library of its kind to gather a serious collection of books from beyond its country's borders, the Library at Alexandria was charged with collecting all the world's knowledge. It did so through an aggressive and well-funded royal mandate involving trips to the book fairs of Rhodes and Athens[8] and a policy of pulling the books off every ship that came into port. They kept the original texts and made copies to send back to their owners. [9] This detail is informed by the fact that Alexandria, because of its man-made bidirectional port between the mainland and the Pharos island, welcomed trade from the East and West, and soon found itself the international hub for trade, as well as the leading producer of papyrus and, soon enough, books.
Other than collecting works from the past, the library was also home to a host of international scholars, well-patronized by the Ptolemaic dynasty with travel, lodging and stipends for their whole families. As a research institution, the library filled its stacks with new works in mathematics, astronomy, physics, natural sciences and other subjects. Its empirical standards applied in one of the first and certainly strongest homes for serious textual criticism.[citation needed] As the same text often existed in several different versions, comparative textual criticism was crucial for ensuring their veracity. Once ascertained, canonical copies would then be made for scholars, royalty and wealthy bibliophiles the world over, this commerce bringing income to the library.
Ancient and modern sources identify four possible occasions for the partial or complete destruction of the Library of Alexandria:
1. Julius Caesar's Fire in The Alexandrian War, in 48 BC
2. The attack of Aurelian in the 3rd century AD;
3. The decree of Coptic Pope Theophilus in AD 391;
4. The Muslim conquest in 642 AD or thereafter.
(source: wikipedia)
The daughter library - The Temple of Serapis
Many writers seem to equate the Library of Alexandria with the Library of Serapis although technically they were in two different parts of the city. Library of Serapis was the daughter library or sub-library of Library of Alexandria. This library, found in the Rhakotis or Egyptian sector, was open to all, not just to royally pensioned scholars, and had copies of many of the Museum's scrolls((Ellen Brundige, 1991).
The Temple of Serapis was built around 300 BC by Ptolemy 1. The Serapeum (or Sarapeion) was a great temple dedicated to the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis in ancient Alexandria.
Ptolemy I Soter was a childhood friend and trusted general of Alexander the Great, and eventually took over rule of Egypt after the Macedonian's death. In an effort to unite the religions and cultures of the Egyptians and Greeks, Ptolemy I invented a new god, Serapis. He took a cult statue from Sinope and brought it to Alexandria, saying that he had been bidden to do so in a dream.
Serapis was the patron deity of the Library of Alexandria.
A second "daughter" library, the Serapeion, was soon established in the temple of Serapis, a popular god invented by the Ptolemies as a synthesis of Zeus, Pluto, Osiris, and the Apis bull. This library, found in the Rhakotis or Egyptian sector, was open to all, not just to royally pensioned scholars, and had copies of many of the Museum's scrolls(Ellen Brundige, 1991)
The temple was infamously destroyed by Bishop Theophilus and his Christian mob in 391 AD.
Very little of the temple remains today, but visitors can enter the underground chamber that contained a cult image and the library and see some artifacts from the temple in the city's Greco-Roman Museum.
View Larger Map
The New Library - Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah (English: Library of Alexandria; Arabic: مكتبة الإسكندرية) is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It is both a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity, and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this earlier center of study and erudition represented.
The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974, when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library, between the campus and the seafront, close to where the ancient library once stood. The notion of recreating the ancient library was soon enthusiastically adopted by other individuals and agencies. One leading supporter of the project was current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; UNESCO was also quick to embrace the concept of endowing the Mediterranean region with a center of cultural and scientific excellence. An architectural design competition, organized by UNESCO in 1988 to choose a design worthy of the site and its heritage, was won by Snøhetta, a Norwegian architectural office, from among more than 1,400 entries. At a conference held in 1990 in Aswan, the first pledges of funding for the project were made: USD $65 million, mostly from the Arab states. Construction work began in 1995 and, after some USD $220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on October 16, 2002.
Related articles
1. Library of Alexandria, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria
2. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliotheca_Alexandrina
3. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Official website, http://www.bibalex.org/Home/Default_EN.aspx
4. The Burning of the Library of Alexandria, by Preston Chesser ,dated Jun 1, 2002, http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=9
5. The Temple of Serapis, http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/greece/paganism/serapeum.html
6. Alexandria's Famous Library, http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/02files/Library_Alexandria.html
7. Serapeum, Alexandria, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/alexandria-serapeum
8. The Decline of the Library and Museum of Alexandria,by Ellen Brundige, dated December 10, 1991,http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/alex.htm
9. Alexandria, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria
The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, seems to have been the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 48 BC. After its destruction, scholars used a related library in the temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city, founded on the collection of Pergamum, which was given by Mark Antony to Cleopatra. This library was described as the "daughter library" and was also a temple to the god Serapis.
The library was conceived and opened either during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter (323–283 BC) or during the reign of his son Ptolemy II (283–246 BC)[2]. Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC Julius Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas' attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea.[3] Edward Gibbon describes how the daughter library was also destroyed by Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, who ordered the destruction of the Serapeum in 391.[1]
Intended both as a commemoration and an emulation of the original, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 near the site of the old library
Alexandria, ancient capital of Egypt
Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in April 331 BC as Ἀλεξάνδρεια (Alexándreia). Alexander's chief architect for the project was Dinocrates. Alexandria was intended to supersede Naucratis as a Hellenistic center in Egypt, and to be the link between Greece and the rich Nile Valley. An Egyptian city, Rhakotis, already existed on the shore, and later gave its name to Alexandria in the Egyptian language (Egyptian *Raˁ-Ḳāṭit, written rˁ-ḳṭy.t, 'That which is built up'). It continued to exist as the Egyptian quarter of the city. A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt and never returned to his city. After Alexander's departure, his viceroy, Cleomenes, continued the expansion. Following a struggle with the other successors of Alexander, his general Ptolemy succeeded in bringing Alexander's body to Alexandria. Alexander developed into the main Greek city of Egypt, with an extraordinary mix of Greeks from many cities and backgrounds;it was also home to the largest Jewish community in the world.
The early Ptolemies kept it in order and fostered the development of its museum into the leading Hellenistic center of learning (Library of Alexandria), but were careful to maintain the distinction of its population's three largest ethnicities: Greek, Jewish, and Egyptian. From this division arose much of the later turbulence, which began to manifest itself under Ptolemy Philopater who reigned from 221–204 BC.
In ancient times, Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. It was founded around a small pharaonic town c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great. It remained Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand years, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641, when a new capital was founded at Fustat (Fustat was later absorbed into Cairo). Alexandria was known because of its Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its library (the largest library in the ancient world); and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Ongoing maritime archaeology in the harbor of Alexandria, which began in 1994, is revealing details of Alexandria both before the arrival of Alexander, when a city named Rhacotis existed there, and during the Ptolemaic dynasty.
According to the earliest source of information, the pseudepigraphic Letter of Aristeas, the library was initially organized by Demetrius of Phaleron,[5] a student of Aristotle, under the reign of Ptolemy Soter (ca.367 BC—ca.283 BC).
Built in the Brucheion (Royal Quarter) in the style of Aristotle's Lyceum, adjacent to and in service of the Musaeum[6] (a Greek Temple or "House of Muses", hence the term "museum"), the library comprised a Peripatos walk, gardens, a room for shared dining, a reading room, lecture halls and meeting rooms. However, the exact layout is not known. This model's influence may still be seen today in the layout of university campuses. The library itself is known to have had an acquisitions department (possibly built near the stacks, or for utility closer to the harbour), and a cataloguing department. A hall contained shelves for the collections of scrolls (as the books were at this time on papyrus scrolls), known as bibliothekai (βιβλιοθῆκαι). It was rumored that carved into the wall above the shelves, a famous inscription read: The place of the cure of the soul.[7]
The first known library of its kind to gather a serious collection of books from beyond its country's borders, the Library at Alexandria was charged with collecting all the world's knowledge. It did so through an aggressive and well-funded royal mandate involving trips to the book fairs of Rhodes and Athens[8] and a policy of pulling the books off every ship that came into port. They kept the original texts and made copies to send back to their owners. [9] This detail is informed by the fact that Alexandria, because of its man-made bidirectional port between the mainland and the Pharos island, welcomed trade from the East and West, and soon found itself the international hub for trade, as well as the leading producer of papyrus and, soon enough, books.
Other than collecting works from the past, the library was also home to a host of international scholars, well-patronized by the Ptolemaic dynasty with travel, lodging and stipends for their whole families. As a research institution, the library filled its stacks with new works in mathematics, astronomy, physics, natural sciences and other subjects. Its empirical standards applied in one of the first and certainly strongest homes for serious textual criticism.[citation needed] As the same text often existed in several different versions, comparative textual criticism was crucial for ensuring their veracity. Once ascertained, canonical copies would then be made for scholars, royalty and wealthy bibliophiles the world over, this commerce bringing income to the library.
Ancient and modern sources identify four possible occasions for the partial or complete destruction of the Library of Alexandria:
1. Julius Caesar's Fire in The Alexandrian War, in 48 BC
2. The attack of Aurelian in the 3rd century AD;
3. The decree of Coptic Pope Theophilus in AD 391;
4. The Muslim conquest in 642 AD or thereafter.
(source: wikipedia)
The daughter library - The Temple of Serapis
Many writers seem to equate the Library of Alexandria with the Library of Serapis although technically they were in two different parts of the city. Library of Serapis was the daughter library or sub-library of Library of Alexandria. This library, found in the Rhakotis or Egyptian sector, was open to all, not just to royally pensioned scholars, and had copies of many of the Museum's scrolls((Ellen Brundige, 1991).
The Temple of Serapis was built around 300 BC by Ptolemy 1. The Serapeum (or Sarapeion) was a great temple dedicated to the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis in ancient Alexandria.
Ptolemy I Soter was a childhood friend and trusted general of Alexander the Great, and eventually took over rule of Egypt after the Macedonian's death. In an effort to unite the religions and cultures of the Egyptians and Greeks, Ptolemy I invented a new god, Serapis. He took a cult statue from Sinope and brought it to Alexandria, saying that he had been bidden to do so in a dream.
Serapis was the patron deity of the Library of Alexandria.
A second "daughter" library, the Serapeion, was soon established in the temple of Serapis, a popular god invented by the Ptolemies as a synthesis of Zeus, Pluto, Osiris, and the Apis bull. This library, found in the Rhakotis or Egyptian sector, was open to all, not just to royally pensioned scholars, and had copies of many of the Museum's scrolls(Ellen Brundige, 1991)
The temple was infamously destroyed by Bishop Theophilus and his Christian mob in 391 AD.
Very little of the temple remains today, but visitors can enter the underground chamber that contained a cult image and the library and see some artifacts from the temple in the city's Greco-Roman Museum.
View Larger Map
The New Library - Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah (English: Library of Alexandria; Arabic: مكتبة الإسكندرية) is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It is both a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity, and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this earlier center of study and erudition represented.
The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974, when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library, between the campus and the seafront, close to where the ancient library once stood. The notion of recreating the ancient library was soon enthusiastically adopted by other individuals and agencies. One leading supporter of the project was current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; UNESCO was also quick to embrace the concept of endowing the Mediterranean region with a center of cultural and scientific excellence. An architectural design competition, organized by UNESCO in 1988 to choose a design worthy of the site and its heritage, was won by Snøhetta, a Norwegian architectural office, from among more than 1,400 entries. At a conference held in 1990 in Aswan, the first pledges of funding for the project were made: USD $65 million, mostly from the Arab states. Construction work began in 1995 and, after some USD $220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on October 16, 2002.
Related articles
1. Library of Alexandria, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria
2. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliotheca_Alexandrina
3. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Official website, http://www.bibalex.org/Home/Default_EN.aspx
4. The Burning of the Library of Alexandria, by Preston Chesser ,dated Jun 1, 2002, http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=9
5. The Temple of Serapis, http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/greece/paganism/serapeum.html
6. Alexandria's Famous Library, http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/02files/Library_Alexandria.html
7. Serapeum, Alexandria, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/alexandria-serapeum
8. The Decline of the Library and Museum of Alexandria,by Ellen Brundige, dated December 10, 1991,http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/alex.htm
9. Alexandria, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria
Faces of Egypt (National Geographic Society)
Destination: Egypt
Pyramids
Tombs of Ancient Egypt
Nubian Wedding
Pyramids
Tombs of Ancient Egypt
Nubian Wedding
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Power of Social Media & Egypt Uprising
The people power, the power of the social media....
It is Internet Revolution of Egypt....
Wael Ghonim, Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa.
Google, Facebook.....
The revolution using the social media; it remind me of revolution using letter hiding in moon-cake in ancient China. By using communication tools,the message was passed to the masses, the message of revolution, the message of people; for democracy , for better Egypt....for freedom from bondage...
The movement to drive Mubarak out has been built on the work of online activists and fueled by deep frustration with an autocratic regime blamed for ignoring the needs of the poor and allowing corruption and official abuse to run rampant. After years of tight state control, protesters emboldened by the Tunisia unrest took to the streets on Jan. 25 and mounted a once-unimaginable series of protests across this nation of 80 million.
The repercussions were being felt around the Mideast, as other authoritarian governments fearing popular discontent pre-emptively tried to burnish their democratic image.
Social media help to spread democracy....no wonder they are worry...
After Tunisia, Egypt; which is the next country? Dictators beware....
You can ban the facebook, you can ban youtube, you can ban bloggers; but there is always loop holes. And we have wikileaks, wikipedia,......
It is Internet Revolution of Egypt....
Wael Ghonim, Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa.
Google, Facebook.....
The revolution using the social media; it remind me of revolution using letter hiding in moon-cake in ancient China. By using communication tools,the message was passed to the masses, the message of revolution, the message of people; for democracy , for better Egypt....for freedom from bondage...
The movement to drive Mubarak out has been built on the work of online activists and fueled by deep frustration with an autocratic regime blamed for ignoring the needs of the poor and allowing corruption and official abuse to run rampant. After years of tight state control, protesters emboldened by the Tunisia unrest took to the streets on Jan. 25 and mounted a once-unimaginable series of protests across this nation of 80 million.
The repercussions were being felt around the Mideast, as other authoritarian governments fearing popular discontent pre-emptively tried to burnish their democratic image.
Social media help to spread democracy....no wonder they are worry...
After Tunisia, Egypt; which is the next country? Dictators beware....
You can ban the facebook, you can ban youtube, you can ban bloggers; but there is always loop holes. And we have wikileaks, wikipedia,......
Obama's delemma in Egypt Uprising
USA is always promoted themselves as democracy champion, Human right champion. But when the Egyptian people called for the help from the democracy champion, President Obama was undecided, he was in dilemma what to do. May be he is waiting for his strategists to come up with the SWOT analysis, what is the benefit for the change in government. That is the hidden agenda for whatever USA done. What is the benefit to the USA? that is the ultimate agenda of their foreign policy. Not democracy, not human right. There are no standard, it is the benefits that count.
If you are the champion of democracy, the champion of human right; you will act promptly regardless of races,religion, location. You should support the people for their choice of government, it is their country, not your country. You should support them as human right advocate, regardless of religion, race or location. The issue is democracy, human right and it affect the people, the neighbor, the world ; not what USA benefit from the change. If you are true champion of democracy, you decided on the basis. USA have all his right and liberty to think for themselves, but please do not portray as world champion of democracy...you are like any country, the benefit of the country come first; so why double standard and use own standard to judge others?.....
May be USA was worried about Muslim Brotherhood as future ruler, but Nobel laureate Mohamad ElBaradei insists that "the Mubarak government uses its Islamic opposition as an excuse for continue authoritarian rule.". Some said USA support ElBaradei, as candidate for the next President, so what he said may have some truth?....
The actual force behind the crisis is the youth of Egypt, the ordinary people, inspired by Tunisia, which trigger the anger that has been hidden in their heart. The threshold point has broken, the personal anger exploded into a crowd effect, it become contagion and the emotion spread. Just simple, the voices of people, the anger of the people; ordinary people. It is people power. Like Philippine, like Burma, it need support from the other stakeholder to achieve their objective. They need a champion to help them..... and yet the democracy champion has to count their cost.
It revealed the actual face of the democracy champion. Remember Iraq, how the CIA helped the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, and later disposed him when he no longer meet their objective in the Middle East strategy. Remember how the CIA was involved in Tibet. And many that they have support and the dictatorship for the country was evolved. Are they the champion of democracy?....
Muslim Brotherhood is now allied with legal Egyptian political groups and tied to Egyptian professional unions, university campuses, and social welfare programs, the Brotherhood is a “peaceful” group that “could draw moderate Muslims who identify with [its] ideology to participate in electoral politics, thereby isolating violent jihadis.” Indeed, the Brotherhood denounced a recent terrorist attack in Egypt as a “cowardly act” and is not on the U.S. State Department’s terrorist list....Though banned by Mubarak’s regime from participating in parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood has 17 supportive representatives in the Egyptian Parliament and is supporting ElBaradei’s leadership role in forming a new government without Mubarak(source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20110131/cm_atlantic/themuslimbrotherhoodthefutureofegypt6780).
Some are worried this is the Islamic Wave and not Movement for democracy....or is it a uprising of Pan Arab Movement?
Some said the results of the current uprising in Egypt will look like Iran's 1979 revolution. There will be another Ayatollah Khomeini. Many who fear that Egypt's revolution will turn out like Iran, envision the Muslim Brotherhood as the post-revolutionary autocratic regime. They say, "Revolutions are dangerous, and the post-revolutionary period is often autocratic". That is USA's actual worry, they are not worry about democracy, the human right, they are worry about the strategic position if there is the change of government when their good friend Mubarak was out. If he meet their strategic requirement, he still can continue as dictator; and the human right of the Egypt people is secondary.....they only ask for reform. To USA, Saddam Hussein can be good friend if he meet their strategic objective....and be a good follower like UK.
May be the recent economic problem has make USA weaker in their global strategic position; they can only focus and use differentiation strategy. China is more strategic importance to think about other region. Their concern is focus on Korea, Japan, Taiwan bloc; The Arabic bloc; and Africa can be of secondary. The strategic goal is still economy. The up and coming economic rivals from China and India. Forget about Burma, forget about Egypt, may be to USA, they are like East Timor, peanut in their strategy position.
We respect their worry, it hold water in a way. But this is emergency call from Egypt people; why are they holding on their help?.....USA's middle east strategy and the threat to their power base, the threat to Israel if the new government of Egypt is hostile to Israel, are the main causes for worry....
Democracy is demon go crazy if use for ultimate motive; true democracy should be for the benefit of the people. Not the absolute democracy to do whatever they like, the liberty without restriction, and double standard democracy, which will create another demon, the dictatorship....may be democracy is only for superpowers, to do whatever they like, without constraints, like the king with liberty to do anything...is it democracy?. Dictator has "democratic right" too, as demon that can do anything, can go crazy; democracy champion can also be a dictator under he disguise of democracy, to do whatever thing they like, they have military power. I am the champion, you follow my style, my rule of democracy games. Otherwise you are against "democracy".... so who is the actual champion of democracy?...USA is a hypocrite as democracy champion.
Democracy or Demon, Whatever that happen, only the Egypt people has the right to determine their future; to choose their own government, their own way of life, without disturbing others.....if they want Egyptian Ayatollah Khomeini, or even Egyptian Saddam Hussein, that is their choice, their democratic right, their human right. We have no right to choose for them....
Just pray that there will not be any opportunist who robbed the fruit of people uprising in Egypt, pray that the event in Egypt will bring peace and stability to Egypt as well as the world. Where people benefits, not the superpowers, the rulers, the politicians; but the ordinary people.
Best wishes to Egypt people....let the Red Sea open for them....
Related articles
1. Nasrallah: Egyptians fighting for Arab dignity, http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=235394
2. Pan-Arabism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Arabism
3. The Muslim Brotherhood: True or False, http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2011/02/08/the-muslim-brotherhood-true-or-false/
If you are the champion of democracy, the champion of human right; you will act promptly regardless of races,religion, location. You should support the people for their choice of government, it is their country, not your country. You should support them as human right advocate, regardless of religion, race or location. The issue is democracy, human right and it affect the people, the neighbor, the world ; not what USA benefit from the change. If you are true champion of democracy, you decided on the basis. USA have all his right and liberty to think for themselves, but please do not portray as world champion of democracy...you are like any country, the benefit of the country come first; so why double standard and use own standard to judge others?.....
May be USA was worried about Muslim Brotherhood as future ruler, but Nobel laureate Mohamad ElBaradei insists that "the Mubarak government uses its Islamic opposition as an excuse for continue authoritarian rule.". Some said USA support ElBaradei, as candidate for the next President, so what he said may have some truth?....
The actual force behind the crisis is the youth of Egypt, the ordinary people, inspired by Tunisia, which trigger the anger that has been hidden in their heart. The threshold point has broken, the personal anger exploded into a crowd effect, it become contagion and the emotion spread. Just simple, the voices of people, the anger of the people; ordinary people. It is people power. Like Philippine, like Burma, it need support from the other stakeholder to achieve their objective. They need a champion to help them..... and yet the democracy champion has to count their cost.
It revealed the actual face of the democracy champion. Remember Iraq, how the CIA helped the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, and later disposed him when he no longer meet their objective in the Middle East strategy. Remember how the CIA was involved in Tibet. And many that they have support and the dictatorship for the country was evolved. Are they the champion of democracy?....
Muslim Brotherhood is now allied with legal Egyptian political groups and tied to Egyptian professional unions, university campuses, and social welfare programs, the Brotherhood is a “peaceful” group that “could draw moderate Muslims who identify with [its] ideology to participate in electoral politics, thereby isolating violent jihadis.” Indeed, the Brotherhood denounced a recent terrorist attack in Egypt as a “cowardly act” and is not on the U.S. State Department’s terrorist list....Though banned by Mubarak’s regime from participating in parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood has 17 supportive representatives in the Egyptian Parliament and is supporting ElBaradei’s leadership role in forming a new government without Mubarak(source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20110131/cm_atlantic/themuslimbrotherhoodthefutureofegypt6780).
Some are worried this is the Islamic Wave and not Movement for democracy....or is it a uprising of Pan Arab Movement?
Some said the results of the current uprising in Egypt will look like Iran's 1979 revolution. There will be another Ayatollah Khomeini. Many who fear that Egypt's revolution will turn out like Iran, envision the Muslim Brotherhood as the post-revolutionary autocratic regime. They say, "Revolutions are dangerous, and the post-revolutionary period is often autocratic". That is USA's actual worry, they are not worry about democracy, the human right, they are worry about the strategic position if there is the change of government when their good friend Mubarak was out. If he meet their strategic requirement, he still can continue as dictator; and the human right of the Egypt people is secondary.....they only ask for reform. To USA, Saddam Hussein can be good friend if he meet their strategic objective....and be a good follower like UK.
May be the recent economic problem has make USA weaker in their global strategic position; they can only focus and use differentiation strategy. China is more strategic importance to think about other region. Their concern is focus on Korea, Japan, Taiwan bloc; The Arabic bloc; and Africa can be of secondary. The strategic goal is still economy. The up and coming economic rivals from China and India. Forget about Burma, forget about Egypt, may be to USA, they are like East Timor, peanut in their strategy position.
We respect their worry, it hold water in a way. But this is emergency call from Egypt people; why are they holding on their help?.....USA's middle east strategy and the threat to their power base, the threat to Israel if the new government of Egypt is hostile to Israel, are the main causes for worry....
Democracy is demon go crazy if use for ultimate motive; true democracy should be for the benefit of the people. Not the absolute democracy to do whatever they like, the liberty without restriction, and double standard democracy, which will create another demon, the dictatorship....may be democracy is only for superpowers, to do whatever they like, without constraints, like the king with liberty to do anything...is it democracy?. Dictator has "democratic right" too, as demon that can do anything, can go crazy; democracy champion can also be a dictator under he disguise of democracy, to do whatever thing they like, they have military power. I am the champion, you follow my style, my rule of democracy games. Otherwise you are against "democracy".... so who is the actual champion of democracy?...USA is a hypocrite as democracy champion.
Democracy or Demon, Whatever that happen, only the Egypt people has the right to determine their future; to choose their own government, their own way of life, without disturbing others.....if they want Egyptian Ayatollah Khomeini, or even Egyptian Saddam Hussein, that is their choice, their democratic right, their human right. We have no right to choose for them....
Just pray that there will not be any opportunist who robbed the fruit of people uprising in Egypt, pray that the event in Egypt will bring peace and stability to Egypt as well as the world. Where people benefits, not the superpowers, the rulers, the politicians; but the ordinary people.
Best wishes to Egypt people....let the Red Sea open for them....
Related articles
1. Nasrallah: Egyptians fighting for Arab dignity, http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=235394
2. Pan-Arabism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Arabism
3. The Muslim Brotherhood: True or False, http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2011/02/08/the-muslim-brotherhood-true-or-false/
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