Libya armed brigade surrounds Tripoli airport, official says

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Independent

A Libyan armed brigade surrounded Tripoli's international airport today forcing flights to be diverted to the capital's military airport,
a security official said.

The official said the group called al-Awfea Brigade from the town of Tarhouna, 80 km southeast of Tripoli, demanded the release of one of their leaders who they said had disappeared two nights ago.

"The situation in the airport is very tense and tanks are surrounding the buildings. No one is allowed into the building," said the official, who declined to be named.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/libya-armed-brigade-surrounds-tripoli-airport-official-says-7814956.html

[atreides1]

1. This is going well?

Isn't it?

[EFerrari]

2. But wait, there's more:

snip

Along with Western diplomats and other foreign NGOs, Amnesty has raised concern about a series of laws the NTC has issued recently including a law that grants immunity to rebels for any crimes committed during the insurrection. Another law, described by Amnesty’s Eltahawi as “encouraging carte blanche abuse,” instructs the country’s courts to accept as evidence confessions extracted through torture.

Last Friday, Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty criticized the new government in Libya, saying that in some cases the new authorities were behaving almost as badly as the regime of the ousted Muammar Gaddafi.

snip

But human-rights and civil-society activists, who fear the Libyan authorities are trying to box them in, question why the laws they object to can’t be withdrawn now and how the outgoing prime minister can determine what a new interim administration and assembly will do.

As well as moving to impose restrictions on civil-society groups, the Libyan authorities have also issued a series of laws “organizing” Libya’s media sector involving the setting up of a Supreme Media Authority tasked with protecting the media’s “freedom and independence” but of also ensuring the “protection of national unity and social peace.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/28/exclusive-libya-s-civil-crackdown-worries-democracy-advocates.html

[EFerrari]

3. Does anyone know how the vote on autonomy went in Benghazi?

It was held on the 19th iirc but I don't see a report about the results.

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. Long live the glorious Libyan revolution.

It is a beacon of democracy in the region. Well, except for the militias and the torture and all that.

[stockholmer]

5. If the US/UK/NATO war mongers get their wish in Syria, it will be Libya X 10 a year from now

[Eugene]

6. Libyan government regains control of Tripoli airport

Source: BBC

4 June 2012 Last updated at 21:32 GMT

Libyan government regains control of Tripoli airport

Libyan forces have regained control of the main airport in Tripoli, after an armed militia overran the runway demanding their leader's release.

Dozens of the militiamen who drove armoured trucks onto the runway forcing flight diversions have been arrested, Libya's deputy interior minister said.

Earlier, gunfire was heard when troops and other militias entered the airport to oust the brigade.

The al-Awfia brigade had refused to leave until their demands were met.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18324501

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. The NY Review of Books has a big, depressing article on Libya this week.

Fighting between Arab and African Libyans in the south, with hundreds killed...

Fighting between Arabs and Berbers near the Tunisian border, with the Berbers persecuting the Arabs...

Militias jockeying for booty and power, though at least they're mainly off the streets...

Benghazi dusty, depressed, and full of militias...

No working criminal justice system, with rough justice by the militias...

A weak TNC...

But at least there will be parliamentary elections soon, maybe...

[geek tragedy]

8. That ruins the vacay to Libya I was planning. nt