New Dawn for Libya!

[Cinderella]

Live Stream Coverage

I've been captivated the last few hours of what is happening in Libya with Tripoli's uprising that started yesterday. It seems the rebels have control of the city, they've arrested two son's of Gadhafi. ICC asked to have them handed over for their crimes. People are celebrating in Bengahzi in Freedom Square and in Tripoli in Green Square now called Martyr Square. President Obama is expected to address the nation once he has confirmation of everything there.

There is speculation where Gadhafi is. He's made three audio messages in the last 24 hours. They believe it's by satellite phone. Some say he may be on the boarders looking for a way out. There are two South African airplanes on the tarmac in Tripoli and there was speculation he was fleeing. South Africa said he may flee to Zimbabwe or Angola. NATO has a no fly zone over Libya so they'd have to get permission to leave. The rebels say they've had control of the airport since this morning and no one is flying anywhere.

His Presidential guard that protects him and Tripoli have surrendered. There is a sleeper cell that they call the fifth column, run by his son who surrendered after a fire fight, that has been activated and is sending snipers into the city and protecting his stronghold compound in Tripoli. In his audio messages he says he's in Tripoli. They don't believe him but it appears troops are protecting the stronghold and there are still reports of clashes between his forces and rebels throughout pockets of Tripoli.

The people said his 3rd speech is the last one and we will no longer hear from him. That his reign was over long ago and that they are free now. It is so over. He's surrounded. There is no escape for him. They just have to get him. For them it is done. He is done. They are celebrating in the thousands. Lighting fireworks, shooting off rounds, waving opposition flags, tearing down his picture and stomping on it, shooting at it. NATO says his regime has crumbled. It is a matter of hours till his capture.

The people say Tripoli has fallen, the government has fallen, they are in control.

August 22nd, 2011 Libya is truly free!!!

[DCJenn]

I hope beyond hope that this is all true.

Now we just have to get Syria to the same place and it will all be good. (or at least it will all be better than it was in lots of ways!)

J.

[Momo]

wow!

The things that have happened in the middle east over the course of the spring and summer are simply amazing. I don't even know WHAT the right thing to say is - but my heart is with them.

[ladymoreta]

Wow! We're out of town, so I didn't hear any news yesterday. Such fantastic news!

[corn poffi]

I didn't hear this yet either! Totally made my Monday!!!

[fluffhead]

It's certainly the feel-good story of the week, but I can't help but be wary of the situation.
Just because there's a revolution, doesn't mean the "good guys" are the rebels. Think Castro, Khomeini, and more recently, Egypt.
I have a feeling that we will live to regret supporting the overthrow of Qadaffi, Assad, Mubarak, even though they were money-hoarding oppressive dictators.

[Cinderella]

I hear ya fluffhead because of our reputation in the past with this regarding Nicaragua, Afghanistan, ect. I don't like the wears Waldo aspect with Col. Gadhafi right now even though the opposition controls 95% of the country. I'm pretty sure he's in his compound in Tripoli since the remaining few tanks came out of there this morning to defend it and he has nowhere to go.

Egypt's revolution isn't over as they're slowly realizing the supreme military council is still part of the old regiem. The community here says Yemen is next to go. After their President fled to KSA shortly after the rocket attack in which he was injured they think that with seeing what has happened in Libya now he will be more reasonable and not think about going back to Yemen. That he will make an announcement in a few days. They also agree Syria is a more sticky situation and will take much longer than the rest. Most agree that KSA needs the most change but that it will be the last to fall of them all.

It truly is the year of the Arab Spring.

[Momo]

Another one bites the dust...Libya can finally move forward. Let's hope for a positive& bright future for the new Libya.

[houseelf]

Fluff, I hear you loud and clear. Who knows what will replace him. Still, it is always a good day when a despot is overthrown. My prayers are with the people of Libya today. The future is yours to build.

ITA with this:

The things that have happened in the middle east over the course of the spring and summer are simply amazing. I don't even know WHAT the right thing to say is - but my heart is with them.

[Cinderella]

October 20, 2011 the Libyans say that this is the day they can start to feel truly free.

NATO and President Obama both announced that the mission in Libya can be terminated as there appears to no longer be a threat to the civilian population. They will be winding down the war immediately following UN procedures and security council meetings.

[GrayMatterWife]

Yay...here comes the Muslim Brotherhood and rebels who used to ally themselves with Al Qaida.

I am not sorry the sack of sh*t is dead, but I doubt this power vacuum is going to lead to more democratic Libya. Really hope I'm wrong.

I think it's funny that the White house is acting like they had a leadership role in this, compared to, say, France.

[Momo]

My dear Libyan friend's post on FB this AM:

Woke up to the momentous news of Qaddafi's capture and soon after his death. Relieved, but not elated. Hopeful but already feel the weight of the changes needed for reshaping the country. There are many things to feel blessed about regarding Libya. It's a total change--a blank slate, no residue of the Ben Ali regime to contend with and no military council to impeded the change. Yet again the plusses carry their own negatives, and vice versa: no clear leadership, no organized political parties, no coherent or unified political visions, and regional divisions aplenty. Countering them is a new experience of national unity, a common desire to talk the country into shape that suits all its citizens, and a sense that no political current is better than others. What the future months will involve is a lot of jostling for power among people who will need to form coalitions and who do not necessarily know or trust each other. Qaddafi did not let a single flower bloom, and now its Wordsworth's fields of dizzying daffodils. That's the pretty picture. In reality it will mean a great deal of internal struggles--hopefully peaceful ones. And while Libya is going to become a land of opportunity for many outsiders, Libyans must try to keep their nation's interest in mind--by seeking an equitable, transparent, and tolerant political system--even while vying for power. It will not be much fun to watch so many faces jostling for their share of camera time, but that will be a real change from seeing just one cruel face demanding our unwanted attention until the very end.

[GrayMatterWife]

The lease of Libya's transitional counsel announced today that Libya's new legal system will be based on sharia law.

Wonder if folks were hoping to wake up to that dawn. Nothing says equitable, tolerant and democratic like a sharia-based regime.

[Cinderella]

Yes that's to be expected of course. It's not really a problem for predominatly Islamic societies. Many countries in the Middle East are based in Sharia law inlcuding Egypt. It's the basic practice for family law in Islam. Then comes the overlays of which ever country had previously colonized them and their branch of civil law they practiced. It how one wants to interpret it that makes the difference. There are a lot of misconceptions about what Sharia is based on some extreme interpretations. I think Libya is going to be alright. They have many libyans that have lived outside the country, many of them American Libyans, who are involved in the coming two year process of setting up their newly formed democratic society. We also have to remember that with newly formed democractic societies the first 15 years are going to be the most volitile as groups fight for power until they reach a collective stabilized point such as we've seen with South Africa.