Reuters: US ambassador to Libya dead

[Admiral Yi]

So today 30-50 000 Libyans (in Benghazi alone) marched against extremism and for a unified government. They then stormed a jihadi camp, which they proceeded to burn down. All in retaliation for the killing of an American ambassador. I continue to find Libya extraordinarily surprising.

Arabs that understand the concept of gratitude:

Libyans

Kuwaitis

Done

[Sheilbh]

Again, it's not about you. They liked Stevens. But the real issue in this is about the future of Libya.

Edit: Also, which other Arab peoples have you helped? What should any of them be grateful to the US for?

[mongers]

I thought the Kuwaitis paid for their liberation; didn't the US along with Egypt and Syria even make a profit out of Desert Storm ? 

[Razgovory]

So today 30-50 000 Libyans (in Benghazi alone) marched against extremism and for a unified government. They then stormed a jihadi camp, which they proceeded to burn down. All in retaliation for the killing of an American ambassador. I continue to find Libya extraordinarily surprising.

Arabs that understand the concept of gratitude:

Libyans

Kuwaitis

Done

It's better then the Chinese.  The US was giving the Chinese weapons and support and eventually destroyed their enemies, the Japanese, and less then a decade later the Chinese were fight the US in Korea.

[mongers]

I remain optimistic about Libya, though the central government must stand up to the islamist/anti-democratic militias, disarm them and expel foreign Salafists. It could be quite bloody, but better done now than later, then I think Libya has a bright future.

[CountDeMoney]

I remain optimistic about Libya, though the central government must stand up to the islamist/anti-democratic militias, disarm them and expel foreign Salafists. It could be quite bloody, but better done now than later, then I think Libya has a bright future.

Thing is, there are so very few of the generation of Libyans left that actually worked closely with the European relationships prior to 1968 that the country's practically starting from scratch.

[mongers]

I remain optimistic about Libya, though the central government must stand up to the islamist/anti-democratic militias, disarm them and expel foreign Salafists. It could be quite bloody, but better done now than later, then I think Libya has a bright future.

Thing is, there are so very few of the generation of Libyans left that actually worked closely with the European relationships prior to 1968 that the country's practically starting from scratch.

Yeah, my mate was one of the very last British soldiers to leave the country after the coup and he's an old man, though still quite active.

I think a plus is that Gaddafi forced so many people to go into exile during his rule, there's a sizeable exile community of varying ages and western experience, many of whom have gone back to help; certainly the couple I knew have.

[Sheilbh]

I remain optimistic about Libya, though the central government must stand up to the islamist/anti-democratic militias, disarm them and expel foreign Salafists. It could be quite bloody, but better done now than later, then I think Libya has a bright future.

Thing is, there are so very few of the generation of Libyans left that actually worked closely with the European relationships prior to 1968 that the country's practically starting from scratch.

As I say I think Libya had the worst violence, but the strongest set of mitigating circumstances. They've not yet got a total central government or security system and, as you say, they're starting from scratch. Add their remarkable response to these riots (from yesterday's protests and government statements to the memorial services for Stevens) and I think they've enough to give the benefit of the doubt.

[Jacob]

Libyan mob in Benghazi overrun militia compounds and run Ansar-al-Sharia out of town:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/22/world/africa/pro-american-libyans-besiege-militant-group-in-benghazi.html?_r=0

Seems like significant number of Libyans like the US enough and dislike hardline Islamists enough to do something about it.

"We want justice for Chris," read one sign among the group of an estimated 30,000 Libyans, including families, who marched into Benghazi's main square on Friday to protest in front of the main encampment of Ansar al-Sharia. Some held signs reading "The ambassador was Libya's friend" and "Libya lost a friend."

...

Protesters chanted: "You terrorists, you cowards. Go back to Afghanistan."

[Sheilbh]

Incidentally all this shows the power and effectiveness of talented diplomats. Hopefully it may even stop the global gutting of foreign ministries as easy austerity targets

[jimmy olsen]

So today 30-50 000 Libyans (in Benghazi alone) marched against extremism and for a unified government. They then stormed a jihadi camp, which they proceeded to burn down. All in retaliation for the killing of an American ambassador. I continue to find Libya extraordinarily surprising.

Yeah, that's really great news.

[citizen k]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/21/world/africa/libya-benghazi-counter-protest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[CountDeMoney]

Seems like significant number of Libyans like the US enough and dislike hardline Islamists enough to do something about it.

Amazing what happens with the natives' outlooks when we don't tacitly support nasty authoritarian regimes for decades, unlike you-know-who-next-door.

[jimmy olsen]

 
http://www.france24.com/en/20120920-muammar-gaddafi-rape-weapon-libya-annick-cojean-le-monde-sexual-slavery-harem-abuse-women

'For Gaddafi, rape was a weapon'

A French reporter has published a book of testimonies from women forced into former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's harem. France 24 interviewed the author about the ordeals the women endured and the problems they face in a post-Gaddafi Libya.
By Marc DAOU (text)


Young and beautiful, they were kidnapped, beaten, humiliated and raped by former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Annick Cojean, a reporter for French daily Le Monde, has gathered testimonies from the women forced into Gaddafi's harem and published them in a book entitled "Les Proies: Dans le harem de Kadhafi" (or "Prey: In Gaddafi's Harem").

The book recounts the experiences of these women, whose lives became a living nightmare after they had the misfortune of catching Gaddafi's eye. One example is Soraya*, who became the Libyan tyrant's sex slave at age 15.

"It was one of my most painful investigations," Cojean confided.

FRANCE 24: Everyone knows Gaddafi as a tyrant, but few knew he was a serial rapist and had sex slaves. Tell us about this side of him.

Annick Cojean: Gaddafi had a harem of women kept in the basement of his residence, in little rooms or apartments. These women, obligated to appear before him in their underwear, could be called at any time of day or night. They were raped, beaten, subjected to the worst kinds of sexual humiliation. For Gaddafi, rape was a weapon ... a way of dominating others -- women, obviously, because it was easy, but also men, by possessing their wives and daughters.

Similarly, he forced some of his ministers to have sex with him. He did the same with certain tribal chiefs, diplomats and military officials over whom he wanted to get the upper hand. We know that Gaddafi, who dreamed of being Africa's "king of kings", had sex with several wives and daughters of African heads of state. Of course, he didn't rape them ... but he lured them with piles of money or sumptuous jewels.

F24: In your book, you describe a network of multiple accomplices beyond Libyan territory. Do you think Gaddafi had anyone helping him recruit women during his official visits to Europe?

A.C.: When he left Libya for short periods, he was accompanied by part of his harem, notably Mabrouka Cherif, a woman who never left his side. She was in charge of supplying him with young women, and sometimes with young men.

When she came to Paris, her principal task was to recruit young women to take them back to Libya. During these Parisian missions, she stayed in a very prestigious hotel on the Champs-Elysées. An important French diplomat once told me that [Mabrouka] was "doing her shopping" in Paris, and that wouldn't be possible without some help from the Libyan embassy. The French authorities must have known something, too, since the dictator's barbaric ways were infamous in the West. But French officials were certainly not aware of everything, because most people didn't know how violently Gaddafi treated these women.

F24: Soraya, the main figure in your investigation, says: "I'd love to build a life in the new Libya. I wonder if it's possible." What are things like in Libya now for the women you interviewed?

A.C.: For the moment, things are horribly difficult for her. She lives in hiding, she doesn't dare leave home, she has cut off ties with her family, who are very ashamed of her. Some of her brothers would like to see her killed, and would be willing to do it themselves in order to purge their shame through an "honour killing". Many people want to portray these women as guilty by association ... but they never chose to be trapped, raped and sequestered. These women are currently terrorised at the thought of their painful secrets being revealed.

F24: How did you convince them to talk?

A.C.: I was extraordinarily lucky to meet these women, because very few of them want to talk. Soraya, notably, had the courage to confide in me, obviously under protection of anonymity.

These women so would have liked to see Gaddafi judged for his crimes one day. Soraya, for example, was angry, because she realised that with Gaddafi dead, she would be forced to keep quiet. Even in the new Libya. You can talk about all of Gaddafi's crimes, all the bad things he did to political prisoners, but it's pretty much forbidden to talk about what he did to women. Rape and anything having to do with sex is such a taboo in Libya. Consequently, these women would rather not talk, because they have everything to lose. That's why an investigation like this is necessary: so that one day the guilty and their accomplices are punished.

*A pseudonym used in the book.

[CountDeMoney]

Strongmen lead such cool lives.  Shorter than usual sometimes, but I'd take 69 Qaddafi years over 98 Ken Starr years.