africom related news clips 24 june 2011

8/6/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips 24 June 2011

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United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office24 June 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Huge explosions, aircraft heard in southern Somalia(AFP)(Somalia) Huge explosions were heard early Thursday near the southern Somalitown of Kismayo, followed by the sound of aircraft, a local elder and an Islamistofficial said.

Aircraft attack rebel base in south Somalia-rebels(Reuters)(Somalia) Unidentified aircraft attacked an insurgent base near the southernSomali port of Kismayu late on Thursday, wounding a number of fighters, alShabaab officials and residents said.

U.S. Says Gadhafi Might Flee Tripoli(WSJ)(Libya) Intelligence Shows Libyan Leader Considering Leaving Capital for Safety, as

White House Defends Bombing Campaign.

Clinton argues for continued US role in Libya mission as House nears vote to

cut off money(AP)

(Libya) Scrambling to turn back the fiercest congressional challenge to thepresidents military authority on Libya, Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton pleaded with House Democrats on Thursday to continue U.S. militaryinvolvement in the NATO-led operation.

Congresss Choice on Libya(NYT)(Libya) House Republicans are gearing up to vote, likely Friday, on whether toauthorize continued United States support for NATO-led military operationsover Libya. There are two main proposals and a clear choice to be made. Wefear they are leaning in a wrongheaded and dangerous direction.

Libyan rebel ambassador: Get it together, Washington!(Foreign Policy)(Libya) The Libyan rebels are running out of money, but the Obamaadministration and Congress can't get their act together to provide urgentlyneeded help to those fighting against Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi,according to the rebel's top envoy in Washington.


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Libyan Rebels Defend NATO After Errant Strikes(VOA)(Libya) A rebel military spokesman called NATO a legitimate force that is doingits job, carrying out the United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians.

Sudan's Abyei: US proposes UN peacekeeper force(BBC)

(Sudan) The United States has tabled a draft resolution at the UN calling formore than 4,000 peacekeepers to be sent to the disputed Sudanese region ofAbyei.

U.N. Security Council to work on Sudanese issues(CNN)(Sudan) The U.N. Security Council will take up a draft resolution that wouldestablish an interim peacekeeping force for the disputed border region of Abyei,U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told reporters Thursday.

Protests Against Electoral Law Turn Violent(AllAfrica)

(Senegal) Demonstrators clashed with police outside Senegal's NationalAssembly on Thursday as they protested against a constitutional amendmentchanging the rules of presidential elections.

Generals Respond to Tsvangirai(The Herald)(Zimbabwe) MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is a national security threatrather than a political one and security forces are justified to participate inpolitics to defend the country, Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba hassaid.

UN News Service Africa BriefsFull Articles on UN Website

y Security Council calls on Darfur combatants to make peace based onDoha declaration

y UN to investigate reports of rape in eastern DR Congoy With new Prime Minister in place, UNurges Somalis to move forward on

transition

y ICC prosecutor seeks authorization to probe Cte dIvoire violencey Sudan: UNmission urges immediate release of all arrested staff members

-------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, June 24th at 12:30pm to 1:30pm; United States Instituteof PeaceWHAT: Liberia Through the Eyes of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, AfricasFirst Elected Female Head of StateWHO: Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia


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Info: http://www.usip.org/events/liberia-through-the-eyes-president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-africa-s-first-elected-female-head-s

WHEN/WHERE: From 8:30am on July 29th to 4:00pm on July 31st; OmniShoreham Hotel, 2500 Clavert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

WHAT: 2011 World Congress of the Society for International Development(SID)WHO:Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank; Prime Minister RailaOdinga, Kenya; President Joaquim Chissano, the former President ofMozambiqueTOPICS: Economic Progress, Human Development, Global Health, Governanceand Citizenship, Science and Technology, and Gender EqualityInfo:http://www.interaction.org/event/2011-world-congress-society-international-development-sid

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 30th from 3:00pm to 4:30pm; The BrookingsInstitutionWHAT: Corruption, Impunity and Inequality: Emerging Discontent andVolatility in AfricaWHO: John Githongo, Britains Independent Commissioner for AidInfo: http://www.brookings.edu/events.aspx----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Huge explosions, aircraft heard in southern Somalia (AFP)

By Unattributed AuthorJune 23, 2011MOGADISHU Huge explosions were heard early Thursday near the southernSomali town of Kismayo, followed by the sound of aircraft, a local elder and anIslamist official said.

We heard huge explosions. Then a few minutes later we heard the sound ofaircraft. We are not yet sure what it was," Abdulahi Ise, the elder, said.

He added that the explosions came early in the morning in the area of Qandal, afew kilometres outside Kismayo, a port town controlled by Al-Qaeda linked

Shebab Islamists.

A Shebab official in the Kismayo area said his men had reported an aerialbombing raid on a Shebab base.

"The military aircraft of the enemy carried out an aerial bombardment on a basewhere some mujahedeen fighters were staying. Initial reports indicate several


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mujahedeen fighters including muhajirs (foreigners) died," the official said,refusing to be named.

"We believe the aircraft belonged to the US," he added.

The United States has in the past few years launched several raids on Somalia,targeting senior regional Al-Qaeda figures.

In January 2007 a US air raid left dozens of people dead at Ras Kamboni in thefar south of Somalia. It was coupled with a second raid 155 kilometres furthernorth.

One of the presumed targets of those raids was Al-Qaeda's chief in east AfricaFazul Abdullah Muhammad, who was gunned down earlier this month in ashootout at a roadblock in Mogadishu after he made a wrong turn.

Fazul was believed to be behind the August 1998 embassy bombings in Nairobiand Dar es Salaam, the worst attack by Al-Qaeda until the September 2001attacks on the United States.

In March 2008 the US military said it fired at least one cruise missile intoSomalia, targeting an Al-Qaeda leader.

Reports from Mogadishu said that strike killed at least 10 people, including anAl-Qaeda military leader Aden Hashi Ayro.

Ayro trained with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and had been linked to the deaths offoreign aid workers in Somalia. He is also thought to have been a target of the2007 US air strikes.

Another senior Al-Qaeda figure in the region, the Kenyan Saleh Ali SalehNabhan, wanted for the 2002 attacks on Iraeli targets on the Kenyan coast, waskilled in September 2009 in another US raid on south Somalia.

In November 2002, Al-Qaeda killed 15 people when gunmen led by Nabhanattacked the Israeli-owned Paradise Hotel in Mombasa and fired two missiles atan Israeli charter airliner in Kenyan airspace the same night, missing it.

Outgoing CIA chief Leon Panetta, who is poised to become the next US defensesecretary, said earlier this month that the Shebab were looking to extend theiroperations and carry out attacks abroad.


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"The threat from Al-Shebab to the US and Western interests in the Horn of Africaand to the US homeland is significant and on the rise," Panetta said in writtenresponses to the Senate Armed Services committee.

"Al-Shebab leaders, who have claimed affiliation with Al-Qaeda since 2007, are

developing ties with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and are showing anincreasing desire to stage international terrorist attacks in addition to their acts ofviolence inside Somalia," he said in a written text.

The Shebab still control most of south and central Somalia and roughly half ofthe capital Mogadishu despite gains in recent months by the African UnionAMISOM forces that are propping up the transitional government the Shebab aretrying to topple.------------------Aircraft attack rebel base in south Somalia-rebels (Reuters)

By Mohamed AhmedJune 23, 2011MOGADISHU Unidentified aircraft attacked an insurgent base near thesouthern Somali port of Kismayu late on Thursday, wounding a number offighters, al Shabaab officials and residents said.

Al Shabaab insurgents with links to al Qaeda control much of southern andcentral Somalia along with parts of the capital Mogadishu. They have beenfighting the U.N.-backed government and African Union troops for severalyears.

The presence of the largely Western-funded African troops has helped theinsurgents champion a nationalist cause and recruit several hundred foreignfighters, some with a direct link to al Qaeda, analysts say.

Kismayu residents said the aircraft -- some said helicopters, others said planes --attacked a place called Qandal about 10 km (6 miles) south of the port, whereforeign jihadists within al Shabaab's ranks stay.

The United States has authorised covert operations in the Horn of Africa nationin the past. U.S. special forces killed one of east Africa's top al Qaeda militants,Kenyan-born Saleh Ali Nabhan, in southern Somalia in September 2009.

U.S. officials have said they have a list of suspects they believe are in Somaliaand constantly monitor the country with a view to striking if any are spotted.

Sheikh Hassan Yacqub, the spokesman for al Shabaab in Kismayu, told aninsurgent-run radio station two unidentified helicopters had attacked the group's


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troops while on patrol and that some fighters were wounded in an exchange offire.

We heard heavy bombing and gunfire including the sound of anti-aircraftweapons but we don't know the specific area nor the casualties caused," a

resident who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters from Kismayu.

"I was told that many al Shabaab injured were brought to the hospital but I didn'tsee it with my own eyes," he said.

Another resident who lives about 5 km from Qandal said there were huge blasts.An Islamist commander said that several insurgents had been wounded in theattack, which he blamed on the United States and France.

In May 2008, a U.S. airstrike in central Somalia killed al Shabaab leader Aden

Hashi Ayro, who was believed to be al Qaeda's top man in the lawless country.

Somali police killed east Africa's most wanted al Qaeda operative, FazulAbdullah Mohammed, earlier this month at a checkpoint in the capitalMogadishu.

Mohammed was reputed to run al Qaeda in east Africa, operating in Somaliaand evading capture for over a decade after being accused of playing a lead rolein the 1998 U.S. embassy attacks that killed 240 people in Kenya and Tanzania.------------------

U.S. Says Gadhafi Might Flee Tripoli (WSJ)By Adam Entous and Julian E. BarnesJune 24, 2011

WASHINGTON New U.S. intelligence shows Col. Moammar Gadhafi is"seriously considering" fleeing Tripoli for a more secure location outside thecapital, according to U.S. officials, raising the prospect that the Libyan leader'shold on power is increasingly fragile.

The intelligence depicts a Libyan leader who "doesn't feel safe anymore" inTripoli because of stepped-up strikes by North Atlantic Treaty Organizationaircraft and by battlefield gains by rebel forces, according to a senior U.S.

national-security official briefed on the recent reports that the intelligencecommunity has shared with the White House and other agencies.

The timing behind any possible move isn't known and doesn't appear to beimminent, a U.S. official said. Such intelligence has been seen before, althoughwith less intensity. U.S. intelligence agencies have seen no indications that Col.Gadhafi intends to leave the country, the officials said.


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Nonetheless, U.S. officials believe military pressure on Tripoli in recent days hasprompted Col. Gadhafi to seek safer ground, after more than three months ofallied attacks. Col. Gadhafi has several residences and other facilities outsideTripoli to which he could relocate, said a senior U.S. defense official.

The intelligence disclosure by U.S. officials comes as the White House tries tofend off congressional efforts to curtail American participation in the NATO-ledLibya campaign.

President Barack Obama, who on Wednesday announced the beginning of theU.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, has limited the U.S. role in attacking Col.Gadhafi's forces, taking a backseat to European allies.

Signs of progress would be likely to bolster support for U.S. participation in the

Libya campaign, as Mr. Obama faces mounting criticism from Republicans andDemocrats over the effort.

Some U.S. lawmakers have questioned the legal grounds for Washington'scontinued involvement in the conflict. A bill set for a vote on Friday wouldauthorize U.S. participation in Libya for one year, but require "a full and updatedrationale" from the Obama administration for conducting military operations.Another bill, also set for Friday, sponsored by Republican Rep. Tom Rooney ofFlorida, would block U.S. drone strikes in Libya.

U.S. officials cited intelligence showing the military campaign in Tripoli wastaking a toll on the regime. "NATO's efforts to reduce the Libyan regime'scapability to command and control military forces are having an effect," thesenior defense official said. "It is becoming increasingly difficult for him tooperate inside Tripoli."

Some U.S. officials, though eager for Col. Gadhafi's departure from power, arenow worrying that NATO and Libya's African neighbors aren't properlyplanning for the chaos that might result, in the same way that lack of planningfor the fall of Saddam Hussein contributed to the long war that followed in Iraq.

"We, the international community, could be in postconflict Libya tomorrow andthere isn't a plan, there is not a good plan," the senior U.S. commander in Africa,Gen. Carter Ham, told The Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Ham predicted that Col. Gadhafi could fall quickly, underlining the needfor an allied plan to deal with the aftermath. He said the United


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Nations or African Union might have to contribute a significant ground force toLibya. He stressed that the U.S. wouldn't send troops.

"If it ends in chaos, if it is a state collapse and all the institutions of thegovernment fall apart, you will potentially need a sizable force on the ground to

secure critical infrastructure and maintain law and order," Gen. Ham said.

The new intelligence shows rebels "closing in on some regime cities," increasingpressure on Col. Gadhafi. U.S. officials declined to discuss specific rebelmovements but said the gains were mainly in western Libya.

In the eastern, rebel-held city of Misrata, however, rebels say they have beenunable to break out and gain new ground, particularly to the west on the coastalhighway to Tripoli.

Commanders in Misrata, about 125 miles east of Tripoli, said Thursday that theyhave lost 38 fighters over the past week, mostly in rocket and mortar attacks byCol. Gadhafi's forces.

Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy ambassador to the U.N., who defected shortlyafter hostilities broke out in February, predicted Thursday that an attack fromopposition fighters from the mountainous west, rather than from the opposition-controlled east, would bring about the regime's fall before the end of July.

Mr. Dabbashi, among the first high-profile defectors, said he believed a "final

battle" was just weeks away, based on recent movements of opposition forces inthe western and southern parts of the country. He said he is in daily contact withmembers of the opposition.

In Tripoli, NATO's airstrikes have limited Col. Gadhafi's ability to maneuveraround the capital, according to regime officials, although they insist he remainsin firm control of the war effort.

Opposition activists in Tripoli say Col. Gadhafi each night shuttles among thecapital's hospitals, churches and museums with a small retinue, in order to avoidNATO assassination attempts.

Libya has long accused NATO of targeting Col. Gadhafi; NATO has repeatedlydenied that its strikes have deliberately targeted Col. Gadhafi and top regimeofficials.

Col. Gadhafi broadcast a defiant audio message on Wednesday night that gavelittle indication he was about to give up. "Go on and attack us for two years,


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three years or even 10 years. But in the end, the aggressor is the one who willlose," he said, according to the Associated Press.

NATO bombs have rained down on Col. Gadhafi's sprawling Bab-al Azizayhcompound in central Tripoli since the campaign began in March, but the Libyan

leader is thought to have long abandoned that site as a command-and-controlcenter.

But there have been strikes on areas with no obvious military utility. On June 8, abomb hit an area that the Libyan regime described as a nature reserve in thesuburb of Hadba, on the outskirts of the capital.

Reporters bused to the site just hours after the strike saw camels and goatsforaging amongst the smoking remains of a truck, a generator and a luxury tentof the kind Col. Gadhafi was known to have used to meet foreign dignitaries. Ali

Mohammed, chief caretaker of the preserve, refused to say whether Col. Gadhafihad been at the site the previous night.

"The leader likes natural wide-open spaces, that's why he likes these places," Mr.Mohammed said. "NATO thinks Col. Gadhafi is everywhere, that's why they hiteverywhere."------------------Clinton argues for continued US role in Libya mission as House nears vote tocut off money(AP)By Unattributed Author

June 23, 2011WASHINGTON Scrambling to turn back the fiercest congressional challengeto the presidents military authority on Libya, Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton pleaded with House Democrats on Thursday to continue U.S. militaryinvolvement in the NATO-led operation.

Defiant Republican leaders pushed toward a crucial vote to cut off funds forhostilities.

Just hours after bluntly posing the question, Whose side are you on? Moammar Gadhafi or the Libyan people, Clinton met with rank-and-fileDemocrats to explain the mission and the stakes if the House votes to prohibitfunds. The administration requested the closed-door meeting.

The issue today, as she pointed out, was whether or not we were going toabandon what is an effort that our allies have made at the request of the UnitedNations, the Arab League and others to intervene and to support our allies in thiseffort, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, said


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following the session. I agree with her strongly that ... to send any signal todaythat Congress is not supportive of the effort to involve itself in a humanitarianeffort at the request of a broad international coalition would be a mistake.

House Republicans and Democrats are furious with President Barack Obama for

failing to seek congressional authorization for the 3-month-old war againstLibya, as required under the War Powers Resolution. The 1973 law, oftenignored by Republican and Democratic presidents, says the commander in chiefmust seek congressional consent within 60 days. That deadline has long passed.

Obama stirred congressional unrest last week when he told lawmakers he didntneed authorization because the operation was not full-blown hostilities. NATOcommands the operation, but the United States still plays a significant supportrole that includes aerial refueling of warplanes and intelligence, surveillance andreconnaissance work as well as drone attacks and bombings.

A New York Times report that said Obama overruled some of his legal advisersfurther incensed members of Congress.

Reflecting the widespread dissatisfaction, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio,said the chamber will vote Friday on two measures: a resolution to authorize theoperation and legislation that would cut off funds for hostilities such as Predatordrone attacks and airstrikes.

I just believe that because of the presidents failure to consult with the Congress,

failure to outline for the American people why we were doing this before weengaged in this puts us in the position where we have to defend ourresponsibility under the Constitution, Boehner said. And thats why theseresolutions are in fact going to come forward.

The bill would make an exception for search and rescue efforts, intelligence,surveillance, reconnaissance, aerial refueling and operational planning tocontinue the NATO effort.

I dont want to do anything that would undermine NATO or to send a signal toour allies around the world that we are not going to be engaged, Boehner toldreporters. This is primarily a fight between the Congress and the president overhis unwillingness to consult with us before making this decision.

Three-term Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said Clinton apologized for not coming toCongress earlier. But he said she warned about the implications of a House voteto cut off money.


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The secretary expressed her deep concern that youre probably not on the righttrack when Gadhafi supports your efforts, Walz said.

Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the House ForeignAffairs Committee, said such a vote ensures the failure of the whole mission.

Shortly before her appearance, the Congressional Progressive Caucus issued astatement calling for lawmakers to vote to cut off funds, saying the Libyaoperation undercuts the powers of Congress and is a blow to the constitutionalchecks and balances.

During a brief visit to Jamaica, Clinton said lawmakers were free to raisequestions, but asked, Are you on Gadhafis side, or are you on the side on theaspirations of the Libyan people and the international coalition that has beenbringing them support? For the Obama administration the answer to that

question is clear.

Proponents of the House bill, including Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., the sponsor ofthe measure, said the administration should have thought about that beforethey ignored the law.

In the Senate, backers of a resolution to authorize the operation wonderedwhether the administration had waited too long to address the concerns ofHouse members.

Its way late, said Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on theArmed Services Committee. This is one of the reasons why theyre having thisveritable uprising in the House, because of a lack of communication. And thenthe icing on the cake was probably for them when he (Obama) said that were notengaged in hostilities. That obviously is foolishness.

He added, however, That is not a reason to pass a resolution that wouldencourage Moammar Gadhafi to stay in power.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said no matter the view of the War PowersResolution or the presidents March 19 move to launch airstrikes againstGadhafis forces, either we finish the fight and Gadhafis overthrown and heleaves Libya and the Libyan people have a chance to govern themselves or avicious anti-American dictator stays in power, which would be very hurtful to usand our credibility in the world.------------------Congresss Choice on Libya(NYT)By Unattributed Author


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June 23, 2011House Republicans are gearing up to vote, likely Friday, on whether to authorizecontinued United States support for NATO-led military operations over Libya.There are two main proposals and a clear choice to be made. We fear they areleaning in a wrongheaded and dangerous direction.

One measure, sponsored by Representative Thomas Rooney and apparentlybacked by the House leadership, would allow financing only for Americansurveillance, search-and-rescue missions, planning and aerial refueling.Republicans say that if it passes, the Pentagon would have to halt drone strikesand attacks on Libyan air defenses.

They claimed it would do minimal damage to the alliance and its campaignbecause the United States would still be providing some support. But thedamage to this countrys credibility, and its leadership of NATO, would be

enormous. Any sign that the United States is bailing out could lead others tofollow.

It is hard to view this bill as anything but a partisan play to embarrass thepresident. The one sure victor would be Libyas strongman, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who would see it as a sign that NATOs resolve is faltering and anotherreason to keep brutalizing his people.

The second measure and much preferred alternative is a version of abipartisan resolution proposed in the Senate by John Kerry and John McCain. It

would authorize American participation in the Libya air campaign for one yearbut bar the use of ground troops, which President Obama has said he has noplans of deploying.

Mr. Obama made the wrong choice, trying to evade his responsibility under the1973 War Powers Act to seek Congressional authorization within 60 days ofintroducing armed forces into hostilities or terminate the operation. TheWhite House claimed that the Pentagons limited operations are not the sort ofhostilities covered by the act. It is not credible.

Mr. Obama would have done better arguing his case for the Libyan operation.Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was playing catch-up on Capitol Hillon Thursday. We are certain if NATO had not intervened, thousands moreLibyans would have been slaughtered.We also believe Congress has animportant role to play in this debate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committeeplans to vote on the Kerry-McCain measure next week. The majority leader,Harry Reid, has said he has the votes in the Senate. Thankfully, some Senate


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Republicans also seem to understand the importance of the United Statesfollowing through on its national security commitments.

We hope, after Friday, we will be able to say the same thing about the House.----------------------------------

Libyan rebel ambassador: Get it together, Washington!(Foreign Policy)By Josh RoginJune 23, 2011The Libyan rebels are running out of money, but the Obama administration andCongress can't get their act together to provide urgently needed help to thosefighting against Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, according to the rebel's topenvoy in Washington.

In a nondescript office building in northwestWashington, Ali Aujali, the U.S.representative of Libya's Benghazi-based Transitional National Council (TNC),

sits behind an empty desk in a bare office. Once Qaddafi's official ambassador,he defected to the rebels in February and stayed in Washington as their liaisonwith the U.S. government.

His singular mission in Washington is to convince the administration andCongress to give the rebels access to the frozen assets of the Qaddafi regime.Four months into his mission, he is baffled by the lack of progress.

"To tell you the truth, we are very frustrated by this," he said in an exclusiveinterview with The Cable. "The TNC is facing a challenge, not only from

Qaddafi's forces who are killing people every day, but also domestically. Theyare running out of money, they need finances to help the Libyan people tosupport their families,"

"Libya is not begging anyone for charity, but they must have access to the Libyanpeople's money that's frozen in many countries," he said.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers debate whether the Libyan interventionis a violation of the War Powers Resolution, whether the president consultedCongress sufficiently, and whether the campaign is in the U.S. national interest.But for Aujali and the TNC, that debate is a distraction from the urgent missionof fighting Qaddafi and helping the Libyan people pursue semi-normal lives.

"Here in the U.S., there is a long debate going on, there are many resolutionscoming and going. Time is a factor. We should not get lost in the bureaucracy orin political issues or in the election campaign. Human lives are in danger," hesaid.


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Aujali said that the TNC is grateful for U.S. support, and American leadership inthe Libya campaign remains critical. He continues to meet with U.S. officials andlawmakers, but he is not encouraged.

"I have no news, I have no timeframe, I have no promises. Every day we have

another resolution, another amendment, and we are getting lost in this," he said."The people in Libya have a limit to their patience with the TNC and we don'twant people to turn against the TNC... This is a serious situation."

It's true that the Obama administration gave $25 million in non-lethal supplies tothe rebels, but that's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. By way ofcomparison, it costs about $148 million per year to provide Libyan studentsenrolled in colleges in the United States and Canada with funds for textbooksand food, Aujali said.

Plus, the MREs, blankets, and other assistance that the United States hasprovided is not what the rebels need. They need weapons. Barring that, theyneed money to buy weapons.

"Qaddafi is not fighting the Libyan people with potatoes," Aujali said.

So what's the hold up? The TNC's prime minister, Mahmoud Jibril, came toWashington last month and held extensive discussions with the White House,the State Department, the Treasury Department, and several lawmakers. Hepleaded for the administration to recognize the TNC as the official government

of Libya, which would give them access to the billions in frozen assets.

But the Obama administration refuses to do that because, despite launching anair campaign targeting Qaddafi's military and command infrastructure, it hasn'tactually abandoned recognition of his regime.

The only other way for the TNC to receive the money is for Congress to passlegislation enabling it to be released, but that process is mired in the legislativeprocess, Aujali said.

For example, for the main bill that would allow about $10 billion of the frozenassets to be used for humanitarian assistance in Libya, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN)offered an amendment that would require the U.S. to pay itself back for militaryoperations first. The bill also doesn't specify that the TNC would have a say inhow the money is spent. Both of these issues are huge problems for the TNC.


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"This is what Qaddafi is looking for," Aujali said. "This is very dangerous. This iswhat Qaddafi is telling people in speeches: the West wants your money andyour oil.' If this resolution passes, then Qaddafi has proof."

Aujali wants the United States to increase its involvement, attention, and

international leadership in the Libya war, and he said that the internationalcommunity has gone too far to stop now.

"We are grateful for the support, but we expect more. We need the U.S. to bemore involved in the fight against Qaddafi," he said. "Congress has tounderstand that if this revolution does not succeed, that will be a great disaster.

He framed the Libyan struggle as part of the overall democratic revolutionsweeping the Arab world, as President Obama did in his major speech lastmonth.

"Washington must understand that if U.S. foreign policy is to help people topractice democracy, to observe human rights, and to have freedom of speech,than this is one pillar of that foreign policy," he said. "There are people risingagainst a dictatorship that has ruled them for 42 years and they need your help."------------------------------Libyan Rebels Defend NATO After Errant Strikes(VOA)By Elizabeth ArrottJune 23, 2011Benghazi - A rebel military spokesman called NATO a legitimate force that is

doing its job, carrying out the United Nations mandate to protect Libyancivilians.

Colonel Ahmed Bani argued that anyone who speaks differently about thealliance or blames them for any shortcomings is against the freedom of theLibyan people. Operating from a United Nations mandate to protect Libyans,NATO's air operation has been a linchpin for the rebels seeking to oust Libyanleader Moammar Gadhafi.

NATO's mission has come under increased scrutiny in recent days, as strikesSunday and Monday claimed the lives of several civilians, including children, inthe west of the country.

Last week, alliance aircraft mistakenly fired on a rebel column in Brega, in theeast. NATO expressed regret for the loss of civilian life.

In an audio message broadcast late Wednesday, Gadhafi condemned the strikes,saying NATO was killing "our children and grandchildren."


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The Libyan government has repeatedly accused the alliance of deliberatelytargeting civilians, a charge NATO has called "outrageous."

Rebel spokesman Bani, addressing reporters in Benghazi Thursday, laid the

blame for the recent deaths on Gadhafi, saying his attempt to cling to power byany means is the reason for the casualties.

Bani added his condolences for those killed, saying whoever dies, on either side,is Libyan.

The rebels' defense of the campaign comes as Italy seeks a halt in the fighting toprovide a safe corridor for humanitarian aid. The call was reportedly echoed byArab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, quoted in British media as arguingthe time is right for a political solution.

France rejected the suggestion, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying thecoalition must step up its pressure on Gadhafi. The official said a halt in the aircampaign, now it its fourth month, would only give government forces time toregroup.

Meanwhile, International Criminal Court judges are scheduled to decide nextweek whether Gadhafi will face arrest for crimes against humanity. The courtannounced on Thursday that a hearing will take place in The Hague on Monday.--------------------

Sudan's Abyei: US proposes UN peacekeeper force(BBC)By Unattributed AuthorJune 23, 2011The United States has tabled a draft resolution at the UN calling for more than4,000 peacekeepers to be sent to the disputed Sudanese region of Abyei.

The region lies on the border between Sudan and newly independent SouthSudan and is claimed by both sides.

It has been the scene of heavy fighting in recent weeks, but the two partiessigned an agreement earlier this week to pull their forces out.

Both parties have agreed to allow Ethiopian peacekeepers in.

Susan Rice said the demilitarisation deal was "fragile", and that a deployment of4,200 peacekeepers would enable it to be "implemented immediately andeffectively".


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Both Sudan and South Sudan hope to include Abyei as part of their territory,once the south formally declares independence on 9 July.

Under the 2005 peace agreement which ended Sudan's civil war, the region wasgranted special status and in 2008, a joint administration was set up to run it.

A vote on Abyei's future had been scheduled to take place in January - at thesame time as the independence referendum - but was postponed indefinitely.

Tension have been rising ever since and on 21 May, the north sent troops into theregion, sparking international condemnation and fears of a new civil war.

The UN says some 10,000 people have fled the region to escape the fighting.-------------------------U.N. Security Council to work on Sudanese issues(CNN)

By Unattributed AuthorJune 23, 2011United Nations - The U.N. Security Council will take up a draft resolution thatwould establish an interim peacekeeping force for the disputed border region ofAbyei, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told reportersThursday.

The draft resolution calls for the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian National DefenseForce peacekeepers to the region. "We are looking forward to discussions withcouncil members in order to swiftly adopt a resolution authorizing this new

interim security force for Abyei so that the agreement that both parties havereached, which is obviously urgent and fragile, can be implemented immediatelyand effectively," Rice told reporters after the Security Council met in closedsession.

The purpose of the interim security agreement is to allow for the withdrawal offorces from Abyei, she said. "At this stage that means the forces of thegovernment of Sudan, which are now occupying Abyei, and that that area wouldbecome demilitarized and administered in a joint fashion and that would persistpending resolution of the critical underlying issues."

The Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement signedan agreement Monday that allows U.N. peacekeepers in Abyei. The two sidesagreed in principle on the need for a third party to monitor the ill-defined borderbetween north and south before the scheduled July 9 independence for the south.


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Thursday's announcement came a day after U.S. President Barack Obamaapplauded the signing of the agreement, the latest effort to quell the violence inSudan that has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

"I commend the parties for taking this step forward toward peace, and I urge

them now to build on that progress and agree to an immediate cease-fire inSouthern Kordofan," the White House said in a statement.

Southern Kordofan is the oil-rich northern border state where fighting has alsoerupted between government troops and forces loyal to the south.

Rice said she was concerned about the humanitarian situation in SouthernKordofan.

"We are deeply concerned about attacks on and threats to and intimidation of

U.N. personnel, obstructions to freedom of movement and access forhumanitarian goods, allegations and indeed verified reports of aerialbombardment and other attacks against civilian personnel," she said.

"With a cease-fire in Southern Kordofan, alongside the agreement to deploypeacekeepers to Abyei, we can get the peace process back on track," she said."But without these actions, the road map for better relations with the governmentof Sudan cannot be carried forward, which will only deepen Sudan's isolation inthe international community."

The people from the Nuba Mountains in Southern Kordofan are northerners butthey aligned with the south's rebel movement during Sudan's decades-long civilwar. They are viewed as a threat by Khartoum because Southern Kordofan willremain part of the north after independence.

"The treatment of civilians in South Kordofan, including the reported humanrights abuses and targeting of people along ethnic lines, is reprehensible," saidValerie Amos, the United Nations undersecretary general for HumanitarianAffairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Between Abyei and Southern Kordofan, about 160,000 people have beendisplaced from their homes, the United Nations has said.

Southern Sudan voted for independence in a January referendum that waslargely peaceful. But with its separation pending, tensions have heightened towhat they were like during the civil war days and there has been little cause forcelebration over the birth of a nation.


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MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is a national security threat rather than apolitical one and security forces are justified to participate in politics to defendthe country, Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba has said.

Responding to calls by Mr Tsvangirai at a rally in Mkoba, Gweru, on Sunday that

security chiefs should resign and contest for political power, Brig-GenNyikayaramba, said the current situation required them to deal with it inuniform.

"What he (Mr Tsvangirai) is saying is nonsense. We are dealing with a nationalsecurity threat, which can only be dealt with by people in uniform. If it was anormal political environment, one would hope to retire at some point and joinpolitics. However, we can't afford to be in an akimbo when there is this foreignattack," Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said.

He said the security forces and Zanu-PF were inseparable.

Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said security forces viewed Mr Tsvangirai as a nationalthreat.

For this reason, he reiterated that he would not serve under the leadership ofanyone who did not have liberation war credentials.

An army general says the armed forces and President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PFparty are inseparable, and "we will die for him to make sure he remains in

power."Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said security forces would do anything possible tomake sure President Mugabe remained in power until they felt the threat wasover.

"Tsvangirai doesn't pose a political threat in any way in Zimbabwe, but is amajor security threat. He takes instructions from foreigners who seek to effectillegal regime change in Zimbabwe.

"This is what has invited the security forces to be involved because we want toensure we protect our national security interests. When he said Mugabe must gopeacefully or else forcefully, was that democratic or constitutional?

"Daydreamers who want to reverse the gains of our liberation struggle willcontinue daydreaming. They can go to hell . . . they will never rule this country.

"We cannot keep quiet. We will continue speaking and as the security forces, wewill not sit back and watch things going wrong," Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said.


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He said MDC-T was not home-grown.

Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said security forces were not against the formation ofother political parties, but were concerned with some hidden hands in some of

the parties that sought to influence leadership change through unco-nstitutionalmeans.

"If his party was a genuine indigenous political party, we wouldn't be involved.People have to understand that our mandate as security forces is to make surewe protect our sovereignty and the integrity of the nation.

"We had (the late) Abel Muzorewa, (the late) Enock Dumbutshena and otherpeople forming their political parties, but we never had any problem with them.These were indigenous political parties that understood our national interests.

"As the security forces, we should be worried if we see the British and Americanmachinations. They have already announced that they want to destroy Zanu-PFfrom within, so we should be vigilant. This suggests that they want to re-coloniseus," he said.

Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said President Mugabe would remain in power becausereplacing a leader in the middle of the struggle was not advisable.

"President Mugabe will only leave office if he sees it fit or dies. No one should be

talking about his departure at the moment. He sacrificed a lot for this country. Ifhe was someone else he would have opted to work for those internationalorganisations but he knew that Zimbabweans wanted his guidance.

"We will die for him to make sure he remains in power. We are prepared to standby our commander-in-chief. Soldiers are not going to sit back and watch, whilethe foreign forces want to attack us."

He said MDC-T sponsors should realise their party would not achieve thedesired goals.

"If people were clever enough they would have de-invested their money in thisproject because it's not viable. It's almost 11 years now since the MDC-T wasformed but it still hasn't delivered anything?" said Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba.

On Sunday, Mr Tsvangirai challenged service chiefs, saying: "If you want politicsremove the uniform and we will show you what politics is. It is not guns. Stopintimidating people - convince Zimbabweans to vote for you."


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Yesterday, the MDC-T repeated the attack.

Addressing delegates attending a forum called World Justice Forum inBarcelona, Spain, Mr Tsvangirai said some State institutions were failing to

respect the inclusive Government.

"Everyday, they (security chiefs) are dabbling in politics, even seeking toinfluence the date of the election and the conditions under which that electionwill be held.

"When the Police Commissioner-General (Augustine Chihuri) and the Attorney-General (Johannes Tomana) state publicly that they support a particular politicalparty in an inclusive government, as in our case, the rule of law becomesperverted and people lose confidence in the institutions they lead."

-----------------------------UN News Service Africa BriefsFull Articles on UN Website

Security Council calls on Darfur combatants to make peace based on Dohadeclaration23 June The Security Council today called upon all parties to the long-runningconflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan to reach an agreement based onthe Doha Document for Peace presented to the Council yesterday.

UN to investigate reports of rape in eastern DR Congo23 June The United Nations is dispatching some of its peacekeepers to a townin the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to investigatereports of recent rapes, a spokesperson said today.

With new Prime Minister in place, UNurges Somalis to move forward ontransition23 June The United Nations envoy dealing with Somalia today congratulatedAbdiweli Mohamed Ali on his appointment as the countrys new Prime Ministerand stressed the importance of all parties working together to carry out prioritytasks such as finalizing the constitution.

ICC prosecutor seeks authorization to probe Cte dIvoire violence23 June The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requestedauthorization to open an investigation into war crimes and crimes againsthumanity allegedly committed in Cte dIvoire following the presidential run-offheld last November.


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Sudan: UNmission urges immediate release of all arrested staff members23 June The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today welcomed therelease of two of the six staff members arrested yesterday by the SudaneseGovernment as they were preparing to relocate from Southern Kordofan andurged that the others be released immediately.

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