Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:44:00 PM CET
US stresses limits to military role in Libya
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday Libyans themselves would decide the future of their country and stressed the limits of U.S. military involvement there, despite a heavy American-led assault on Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Gates, speaking as he flew to Russia, said the U.S. will not have a "preeminent role" in the coalition that will maintain a no-fly zone over Libya, and expected to turn over "primary responsibility" for the mission to others within days.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:40:00 PM CET
NATO confirms interest in Finnish view on Libya operation
NATO has confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat that it is interested in the possibilities of Partnership for Peace countries like Finland to take part in the alliance’s actions in Libya in enforcing the arms export ban and the no-fly zone imposed on the country. Earlier on Monday Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) said that Finland had not yet received any requests for such participation. On Monday, Stubb is in Brussels, attending a meeting of European Union foreign ministers.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:39:00 PM CET
‘Nato must take over Odyssey Dawn’
Nato should take over the command of the military operation against Libya that has so far been carried out by France, Britain and the United States, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Monday.
Operation Odyssey Dawn was launched on Saturday to enforce a United Nations Security Council resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, as a way to stop Muammar Gaddafi's forces from bombing civilians.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:35:00 PM CET
Split leaves NATO on sidelines of Libya strikes - But Germany and Turkey have also displayed reluctance about a NATO role.
A European diplomat said: "We don't know who's doing what with separate commands."
France, whose fighter jets launched the first salvos in the campaign against Kadhafi on Saturday, has resisted handing the baton to NATO, fearing a backlash from the Arab world if the alliance intervenes.
"France are the only ones opposed to a unified command under NATO. It is completely isolated," the diplomat said.
But Germany and Turkey have also displayed reluctance about a NATO role.
A day after the Arab League questioned Western strikes despite having given its support for a no-fly zone, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Berlin was comforted by its decision to stay out of the conflict.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:24:00 PM CET
Confirmed: Morocco Qatar UAE Jordan to join foreign air raids on Libya
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 2:00:00 PM CET
Libya Releases 4 Times Journalists
The Libyan government released four detained New York Times journalists Monday, six days after they were captured while covering the conflict between government and rebel forces in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. They were released into the custody of Turkish diplomats.
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Topic: AUSTRIA - on March 21, 2011 at 11:55:00 AM CET
Image der ÖVP laut Pühringer nicht angekratzt
Die Partei hätte schnell reagiert und Konsequenzen gezogen, angenehm seien die Vorfälle rund um Norbert Kapeller [missbräuchliche Verwendung eines Behindertenausweis] und Ernst Strasser aber nicht, sagt Landeshauptmann und ÖVP-Chef Josef Pühringer.
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Topic: AUSTRIA - on March 21, 2011 at 11:39:00 AM CET
ÖVP Frauen - Bitte keine Zukunft gestalten! Nicht ihr!
Die Tiroler ÖVP-Frauen präsentieren in einem Kurz-Video ihr mittelalterliches und borniertes Rollenverständnis von Frau und Mann
Von den Tiroler ÖVP-Frauen ist frau schon so einiges gewohnt. Seit einigen Tagen allerdings kursiert - anfangs auch auf der Tiroler ÖVP-Frauen Homepage - auf Youtube ein "Imagefilm" der es in der Zeit des beginnenden Libyen-Krieges und der nuklearen Bedrohung in Japan sogar in die "Zeit im Bild 1" geschafft hat.
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Topic: AUSTRIA - on March 21, 2011 at 11:20:00 AM CET
MEP Dr. Ernst Strasser ÖVP [ex-Innenminister] - „Ich bin ein Lobbyist, ich bin immer sehr diskret“
Ernst Strasser, Ex-Innenminister und zuletzt EU-Parlamentarier, ist seit Sonntag Videostar auf YouTube und Facebook. Zu sehen ist Strasser in einem Gespräch, in dem es simpel um den Sachverhalt „Gesetze gegen Geld“ geht. Ein Team der „Sunday Times“ hatte Strasser ebenso wie einige andere EU-Politiker im Visier. Strasser bekam am Sonntag die Order, den Hut zu nehmen. Jetzt erklärte er erneut, er habe jene, die ihm Geld angeboten hätten, nur überführen wollen. Gegen sich selbst sieht Strasser eine Kampagne laufen. Sein Rücktritt sei jedenfalls kein Schuldeingeständnis.
Der EU-Parlamentarier und frühere Innenminister Ernst Strasser (ÖVP) geht: Von Parteichef Josef Pröll offenbar vom Krankenbett aus zum Rücktritt aufgefordert, nimmt Strasser den Hut. Aber, wie er am Montag gegenüber dem Ö1-Morgenjournal erklärte, nur, weil eine Kamapgne gegen ihn am Laufen sei.„Zur Beweisübergabe ist es nicht gekommen“
Diese Beweise tatsächlich zu übergeben, dazu sei es nicht mehr gekommen, so Strasser. Zweifel an der Glaubwürdigkeit dieser Erklärung wies Strasser zurück: Sollte ihm jemand anderer die Geschichte so argumentieren, würde er es ihm „selbstverständlich“ glauben - mehr dazu in oe1.ORF.at.
update: Als Erfolg der ÖVP-Abgeordneten nannte Strasser, auch EVP-SWIFT-Chefverhandler, beispielsweise das Bankdatenabkommen EU-USA (SWIFT) ots.at via
update2: "Die heutigen Enthüllungen der 'Sunday Times' machen alle bisherigen Erklärungsversuche von Ernst Strasser völlig unglaubwürdig. ......." oevp.at
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 9:05:00 AM CET
Operation Odyssey Dawn explained (Day 2)
In a few words Day 1 of Operation Odyssey Dawn saw the Build-up, the French “show of force”, and the evening TLAM attack. More information can be found in my first debriefing that explains in details what happened (and why). In the meanwhile new details about the first hours of air war surfaced bringing some interesting analysis. First of all the initially denied involvement of 3 B-2 bombers was confirmed. As happened during Operation Allied Force in 1999, the stealth bombers operated directly from Whiteman AFB, Missouri with the support of many tankers along the route. They dropped 40 conventional bombs on an unspecified airbase and, interestingly, to render them much more invisible, even to HF, VHF and UHF listeners that have been exploiting the possibility to listen to radio communications in the clear broadcasted by LiveATC.net, the B-2 used a REACH callsign, usually allocated to tanker, transport and support aircraft.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 8:59:00 AM CET
PSYOPS is is airborne again! USAF EC-130J tail nr 00-1934 callsign STEEL 74 in orbit near Libya at FL250
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 21, 2011 at 8:59:00 AM CET
Libya's opposition leadership comes into focus
Libya has descended to a situation tantamount to civil war, with forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in the west pitted against rebels from the east. However, one of the biggest problems faced by Western governments has been in identifying exactly who the rebels are.
Many of the rebels, including former Libyan Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil and former Interior Minister Gen. Abdel Fatta Younis, defected early on from the Gadhafi regime and represent what came to be the Transitional National Council (TNC), which promptly lobbied Western government for support after its formation. In light of logistical and maintenance capabilities militarily, further defections would certainly help the rebels achieve victory, though there has been no sign of such defections.
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