Live Blog - Libya March 2

Live Blog - Libya March 2

As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

• Timestamp: 

  11:58pm

  That all for today's liveblog - thanks for reading and staying with us all day. But we're not going anywhere, we'll continue to keep you up to date with all the latest happenings in Libya on our brand new March 3 Libya liveblog.

• Timestamp: 

  11:50pm

  Al Jazeera has obtained footage of a group of 50-60 reported mercenaries captured this week by opposition forces. We'll be airing it shortly - stay tuned by clicking here.

• Timestamp: 

  11:35pm

  Now here's an interesting report, in the Sydney Morning Herald. It contains the line, "Brega itself was impossible to reach on Wednesday." A quick Google news search will reveal that it's a line that has been repeated over and over again. Check for yourself. Our count is nearly 17,000 news articles repeating the line. Obviously we've not checked them all.

  But, equally obviously, given our reporting through the day from Brega, and our photos from the town and its hospital, it wasn't exactly "impossible" to get there...

• Timestamp: 

  11:15pm

  You remember Tony Birtley's report about getting bombed just outside Brega? (It's below, put online at 6:13pm, if you haven't seen it yet)

  But here's a still from the video our web producer Evan Hill was filming - moments after the impact.

  

  We'll bring you his video footage just as soon as it manages to upload. Internet connectivity is still sketchy in many parts of Libya...

• Timestamp: 

  10:52pm

  Al Jazeera's Evan Hill, our man in Brega, has managed to send us some photos.

  Meet Colonel Bashir Abdel-Qader, who was directing the opposition troops outside Brega. He's the one in the tie, an unnamed officer next to him holds a grenade.

  

   

  And here's some of the anti-Gaddafi fighters returning to Brega after seeing off Gaddafi's troops.

  

  This 7-year-old boy was injured in the attack in Brega. His 14-year-old brother was wounded in the forehead. His 12-year-old brother reportedly died.

  

   

  Our correspondent was told this dead man in Brega hospital was a pro-Gaddafi fighter. He was wearing green military-style trousers - but apparently no uniform.

  

   

   

• Timestamp: 

  10:41pm

  Remember that video we posted a few days ago - of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi holding a machine gun and calling on a crowd to join him, offering them weapons and food and saying they would clean Tripoli of protesters?

  It's been posted online again - this time with English subtitles...  Of course, we can have no way of officially verifying videos that we haven't posted online ourselves...

• Timestamp: 

  10:31pm

  We're told that, despite attempts to block the signal, Al Jazeera can still be received by enterprising viewers in Tripoli. If you know someone there, tell them they can tune in on Hotbird - we're apparently being jammed on each frequency tried on NileSat...

  If you're in the US? What's your excuse for not Demanding Al Jazeera?

• Timestamp: 

  10:15pm

  Al Jazeera's Evan Hill (@evanchill): "We were told the attack on Brega consisted of around six jeeps with troops firing pretty much indiscriminately inside Brega University."

• Timestamp: 

  10:10pm

  More from Evan: "One of the dead civilians in Brega hospital had a gaping wound in his neck, probably higher-calibre, maybe a machine gun."

• Timestamp: 

  10:05pm

  Al Jazeera's Evan Hill tweets: There were two men dead in Brega hospital who the doctors claimed were pro-Gaddafi. Both young, impossible to tell if army or irregular [non-state fighters].

• Timestamp: 

  9:55pm

  More from Brega - this time from our very own web producer Evan Hill. He confirms that opposition forces had driven Gaddafi troops out of town. Also confirms four dead - and tells us one is believed to be a 12-year-old boy. You can follow Evan on Twitter - @evanchill

• Timestamp: 

  9:50pm

  If you're reading this in the UK, you can check out our TV channel on Freeview - we're live right now, and will be for the next few hours. And at the moment, we've got the excellent Riz Khan on. But if you're in the US, and can't get us - don't forget you can tune into our TV stream, by clicking here... And, you could always Demand Al Jazeera on yor cable TV provider...

• Timestamp: 

  9:29pm

  The two US amphibious assault ships sent from the Red Sea toward Libya yesterday have cleared the Suez canal and entered the Mediterranean, Reuters reports, quoting an anonymous source. 

  The USS Ponce and the USS Kearsarge are carrying around 400 Marines, US defence secretary Robert Gates  said yesterday. The Kearsarge can carry up to 2,000 Marines, Al Jazeera understands.

  Meanwhile, we've had yet another report of Iranian warships heading toward the Suez canal. Don't hold your breath on that one, however. Don't worry, if that's correct, Al Jazeera's live blog will be the first to let you know...

• Timestamp: 

  9:15pm

  The Arab League has released a statement, following their conference of foreign ministers, in which they postponed their "Heads of State" summit due in Baghdad at the end of March until the middle of May.

  They condemned the "crimes" committed against the peaceful protests in several Libyan cities, especially the hiring of foreign mercenaries, and the use of live and heavy ammunition against protesters.
     
  They renewed the call for the immediate halt of violence and demanded the Libyan authorities to lift the ban on the media - to open communications and phonelines, and to safeguard medical aid.
     
  They rejected the serious Libyan accusations about the participation of Arabs living there in violence against the Libyans and taking role in the events in Libya, urging the Libyan authorities to provide protection for all Arabs and foreigners living there, and to ease the way for those who want to leave.
     
  They gave a "complete rejection" of foreign intervention in Libya and urged humanitarian aid to flow.

  The statement saluted "the martyrs of the protests" and expressed regret for the deaths of hundreds and the thousands of wounded.
     
  It also re-emphasised the suspension of the Libyan delegation from taking part in the Arab League's meetings until it met the above demands
     
  The Arab League said it will coordinate urgent support offered to Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan to evacuate their nationals and would continue consultations about the best ways to protect and safeguard Libyans.

  "Arab countries won't just watch the blood-spilling of Libyans, and may resort to a no-fly zone, in coordination between the Arab League and the African Union."
     
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  8:57pm

  A gunman stands guard during lunchtime prayers in Ajdabiya

  

  [Photo: AFP]

• Timestamp: 

  8:42pm

  Some stats from Egypt's officials, for those of you who love your stats... 103,500 Egyptians have left Libya since the beginning of the uprising.  Egypt sent 24 flights today, said ambassador Mohammed Abdel Hakam, assistant foreign minister. Of those, 19 went to Tripoli, three to Sirte, and two to  Sebha.

  Some 260 flights have been sent to Libya and Tunisia since February 21, while 3,700 Egyptians are returning from Tunisia via two ships.
     
  He said between 12-18,000 Egyptians are currently at the Tunisian-Libyan border - and they are expecting the number to increase. As many as 23,000 Egyptians have already been evacuated from the Tunisian-Libyan border. There are, however, up to 1.5million Egyptians in Libya

• Timestamp: 

  8:32pm

  Li Baodong, the Chinese ambassador to the UN, appeared to rule out a Security Council resolution endorsing the use of force to oust Gaddafi, saying his country's position on Libya is "very clear":

  We are very concerned about the situation in Libya ... We respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya. This is the first principle. The second principle is that we think the political crisis should be resolved through peaceful means, such as a dialogue. 
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  8:28pm

  Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland tells us the writing is literally on the wall for Gaddafi:

  What cannot be underestimated is the influence of the Egyptian revolution. And it is the culture of fear which has gone.

  I've seen some graffiti here, saying #1: Ben Ali, #2: Hosni Mubarak, #3: Gaddafi - inshallah [God willing]

• Timestamp: 

  8:21pm

  Simon Burrows, of Medicins Sans Frontieres, tells Al Jazeera - amid jubilant scenes in Benghazi - that the medical aid charity hopes to be able to deliver its support to the injured and sick in cities further west. We'll follow their progress and keep you updated.

• Timestamp: 

  8:03pm

  Murad Warfally, of the University of Benghazi, tells Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland of today's fighting in Brega.

  It has been a great battle - and the Libyan people have won that battle.

  I am not worried. I am sending a mesage to Gaddafi: I am not scared of him, he is scared of us. I give thanks for today - he has chosen this battle. And it has been good exercise for our fighters.
  
  The most important thing is that we have heart - we are brave.  Today, we defeated him just using rifles. He used airplanes, rockets, heavy weapons - but we have heart, and we won.
  
  We have no means to fight the airplanes. On the ground, we will win. We want a no fly zone, or more blood will be spilled on Libyan soil.
  
  The Libyan people want freedom of speech - we want to live like people in America or in Europe, to be normal and have a normal life. We want to be able to sleep in our beds without fear of being arrested by Gaddafi's secret police.

• Timestamp: 

  7:58pm

  Jay Start, former US airforce pilot, tells Al Jazeera's Kamal Santamaria:

  A no-fly zone, if the US and EU press ahead with it, could be effective. But I think those two pilots who refused to bomb their own people are indicative of many others. No-one wants to bomb their own people - and this could well be something best left to the Libyan people themselves.

• Timestamp: 

  7:50pm

  The Arab League is the latest to say it could impose a no-fly zone - in coordination with the African Union if fighting continues, said secretary-general Amr Moussa. He told reporters:

  The Arab League will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of the brotherly Libyan people is spilt.

  The Arab League today suspended Libya, in protest at its crackdown on protesters, although Libya's ambassador to the league had already resigned

• Timestamp: 

  7:46pm

  We've been told that the newly formed "National Council" in Benghazi has gone a step further than the many calls for an internationally enforced no-fly zone. Spokesman Abdel Hafiz Khoga tells Al Jazeera's correspondent:

  We call on the international community to carry out pinpointed airstrikes on the mercenaries.

   

• Timestamp: 

  7:41pm

  More on that Robert Gates press conference. Gates, US defence secretary, said:

  
  There’s a lot of frankly loose talk about some of these military options and let's just call a spade a spade.  A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defences, that’s the way you do a no-fly zone, and then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down.  But that’s the way it starts. But it also requires more airplanes than you would find on a single aircraft carrier.  So it is a big operation in a big country.

• Timestamp: 

  7:28pm

  More on that interview with Nouri al-Mismari, Gaddafi's former head of protocol. He told Al Jazeera that Libyans wanted foreign military help to "neutralise" the air force - "then leave the remaining tasks to us".

  We are strong enough, we have arms - since most of the army has joined the revolution. Gaddafi has only the security guards around him.
  
  Those around Gaddafi were not forced to remain there. They chose to remain there on their own will, as they are trying and believe that they will win the battle. If Gaddafi stepped down, they will be losers, as they had committed many crimes, killed many people, misused their power and grabbed wealth, houses and villas for themselves. I do not think they would be forgiven.
  
  This is why they had to fight for survival. Survival, no more, no less. This is why they stay linked to him while attempting to show him as though the people are supporting him. This is an easy task. You can bring down a number of soldiers in civilian clothes and claim that they are the Libyan people. This not a difficult task.

• Timestamp: 

  7:21pm

  British foreign secretary William Hague has spoken to General Abdul Fatah Younis al Obidi, the UK foreign office has announced.  Hague reportedly asked the former Libyan interior minister and head of special forces about the situation.  The general asked about the chances of a no-fly zone.

  Hague said only that Britain "was deeply concerned about the violence and was in the process of contingency planning for all eventualities, including a no-fly zone, in close conjunction with its allies".

  Foreign office mandarins tell us the phone call was part of British efforts to contact Libyan opposition figures...

• Timestamp: 

  7:17pm

  Tweets from Benghazi report family members in Tripoli - anyone originally from east Libya - are being arrested.

• Timestamp: 

  7:11pm

  Libyan protesters in the north-western town of Misurata have said they captured a commander working with the Gaddafi brigades, carrying satellite communications equipment built by a US-based company.
  
  This comes after the Thuraya phone company had complained about the jamming of its systems in Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  7:05pm

  Al Jazeera's Jackie Rowland says that it would be near-impossible for Gaddafi to re-assert any control in the city of Benghazi. "Given the level of state spying, where once they would fear retribution, all these people have given their names and their faces to this revolution - and that shows that they are confident like never before."

• Timestamp: 

  6:47pm

  Former head of the Libyan protocol department, Nouri al-Mismari, has re-iterated his belief that Gaddafi would not concede power voluntarily, or accept exile in any foreign country - and would continue sticking to his position up until the very end.

  
  Al-Mismari, himself in exile in Paris, said that Libyan protesters "were looking forward to neutralising Gaddafi's air force", while rejecting any international military intervention by land.

• Timestamp: 

  6:32pm

  Conflicting messages coming out of the US...  Speaking of a no-fly zone, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said:

  They said the same about the Balkans.  Too difficult, too hard to maintain.  But eventually it was determined that it was in the interests of security to have one ...  We are a long way from determining a no fly zone is needed for Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  6:27pm

  Robert Gates, US defence secretary, has again said that establishing a no-fly zone over Libya "would be a logistical challenge" - and that there was currently no UN authorisation for such action. 

  US defence doctrine would normally advocate that establishing a no-fly zone involved the removal of the ability to fly - ie - the bombing of Libyan airbases.

  Mind you, the British foreign secretary last night said that a further UN resolution "may not be necessary".

• Timestamp: 

  6:25pm

  Al Jazeera's James Bays describes the scene on the Tunisia-Libya border. He tells us that the worst of the emergency is beginning to ease, as the crowd of thousands of refugees has now largely crossed the border into Tunisia.

  Once across, they are being given what limited supplies of food aid agencies can muster. The UNHCR has set up a tent city to cope with the more than 75,000 people that have streamed across the border there in the past ten days. There is clearly much to be done, but the scenes of panic have subsided, our correspondent says.

• Timestamp: 

  6:13pm

  Well, after a brief scare when we lost our phone connection with him earlier, we got Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley back on the phone. He painted a graphic picture of the scene outside Brega, which was the target of airstrikes this afternoon. Listen in on his phonecall - and get a better idea of where all this is happening, with this video:

• Timestamp: 

  5:34pm

  Al Jazeera's Tim Friend has been researching the size and scope of Libya's military capacity. He tells us:

  The air force is said to be made up of 18,000 members, more than 200 fighter aircraft and 35 attack helicopters. But three aircraft have already been lost in the current unrest, and the airworthiness of the remaining jets has been questioned.
             
  The navy boasts 8000 members and two submarines - but western military analysts believe that the subs have long been abandoned.

  The Libyan army claims to have 50,000 soldiers, more than 2,200 battle tanks and 945 armoured personnel carriers.
   
  But military analysts believe that years of sanctions and overall neglect have rendered much of the army's equipment useless.

  The Libyan army may not have the strength it claims, but there's still a significant force on the ground. Analysts say that Gaddafi has a loyalist brigade made up of 10-12,000 troops - and those forces are trying to block the advance of Gaddafi's armed opposition and maintain control in western Libya.

  The heavy presence of loyalist forces means Gaddafi still retains a strong grip on the capital Tripoli, the town of Sabha and his hometown of Sirte.
   
  It's thought that Libya destroyed its entire stockpile of chemical weapons in 2004 as part of a rapprochment with the west. It does have deadly mustard gas stored at a secret desert location, but no longer has the capability to deliver it.

  Small comfort for Gaddafi's oppponents, as they battle for victory.

• Timestamp: 

  5:15pm

  One protester in Benghazi lets Al Jazeera's camera crew know what they think of Gaddafi's claims the people of the uprising "are all on hallucinogenic pills".

  

• Timestamp: 

  5:05pm

  After a preliminary examination, international Criminal Court prosecutor Ocampo has launched an investigation into Libya. More details here, but a press conference tomorrow will reveal the extent of the investigation.
  
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  4:54pm

  A picture claiming to show the scene in Benghazi as Gaddafi speaks, posted on Facebook by @shabablibya.

  

• Timestamp: 

  4:45pm

  A video purportedly of a gun battle has been posted on Facebook - which appears to show close range fighting - with men in camouflage outfits - possibly former military members - shooting up a street to the right, and coming under return fire (origin not seen).

  We've had conflicting reports as to whether it was recorded in Brega or Tripoli. It appears to confirm earlier reports of running street gun battles in Brega. If it's in Tripoli, it shows the fighting has got much closer to Gaddafi's stronghold than previously thought.

  As with other videos sent to us, we cannot confirm the veracity - or where or when it was filmed.

  To check it out, click here.

• Timestamp: 

  4:14pm

  Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley was just on the phone with us - 10km away from the oil-rich town of Brega. As we spoke, he was watching a Libyan airforce jet bombing the area.

  It’s now an air attack. We just watched an air force jet from the Libyan air force fly over Brega and drop at least one bomb - and huge plumes of smoke are now coming out over Brega. Another bombed near our position, where anti-Gaddafi forces have gathered.
  
  All the fighters here are massing. We understand that something like 250-300 pro-Gaddafi fighters inside Brega and they are being surrounded. 
  Gaddafi is still a force to be reckoned with, he is not giving up.
  
  The population here want an air exclusion zone to prevent this sort of attack - but they don'twant foreign troops on the ground.
  
  All major oil and gas installations in the town are in thehands of the opposition. We believe this is the main reason for the attack.
  
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  4:09pm

  As his air forces attack, Gaddafi finishes his speech - nearly three hours after beginning. You may remember back then he said not a single bullet had been fired against his opponents. Some of his concluding remarks:

  They [anti-Gaddafi forces] will fail. The US or China or anywhere else wouldn't stand for armed gangs. They have no agenda but to intimidate. Libyans should live up to their responsibilities. I will personally guarantee pardons ...
   
  The unemployed can easily find jobs because of the exodus of foreigners. People getting married can get loans and repay them in 20 years. They can get a loan for a car or house and pay it back in 20 years ...
   
  We can't allow oil installations or airports to be controlled by armed men. We cannot allow NATO or us to set foot on Libya. They will set foot in hell - worse than Afghanistan.
   
  I hope that Obama will pursue a normal policy - he is not a colonialist yankee. Obama can steer us and Europe away from another Vietnam
   
  To conclude: We accept this challenge - or we will hand out arms to 3million people. It will become another Vietnam, another historic battle.

  Outside forces should realise Muammar Gaddafi isn't a president who can resign, or a king to abandon a throne. I already handed over power on the blood of my forefathers ...
   
  [Even] if Libyans leave, I cannot abandon Libyan soil ...
   
  My father left behind seven children in the desert. My family died in defence of the country. My grandfather brought up the family ... Even if you leave, Gaddafi will stay in the lands of the forefathers... Muammar Gaddafi will still be leading the revolution.
   
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  4:04pm

  Airstrikes also reported in city of Ajdabiya, just northeast of Brega, Casualty count not yet known.

• Timestamp: 

  3:55pm

  We're hearing from our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that four people have been killed and ten injured in an air raid on the town of Brega.

• Timestamp: 

  3:42pm

  Gaddafi's still speaking. But in the meantime, we've had news that Gaddafi's cousin, Gaddaf il-Dam (who you may remember from previous liveblogs, such as February 24) is back in Egypt - after formally defecting to Cairo.

  He had previously been in charge of Egypt-Libya security and relations, but flew to Syria the day after a group of lawyers accused him of recruiting Egyptian Bedouin to fight in Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  3:34pm

  Gaddafi keeps up the tirade against Egyptians:

  Look what happened in Egypt - there was no popular revolution ... Egypt's military and the revolt is and was nothing!

• Timestamp: 

  3:30pm

  Hitting the two-hour mark, Gaddafi says the Egyptian revolution was worthless:

  Egypt now is nothing! There is no Egyptian in agreement with another! The military is helpless!

• Timestamp: 

  3:27pm

  Gaddafi claims India has requested permission to send back its workers who fled Libya, and goes on:

  We must understand Libya is the security valve of the Mediterranean. We are the ones preventing illegal migration to Europe and the reach of Bin Laden there.

  Don't be stupid - like the man who burned down his house because he found a mouse inside.

• Timestamp: 

  3:25pm

  Gaddafi turns to the subject of black gold, with a veiled threat:

  Undermining Libya's unity or oil wealth will lead to everyone bearing arms ... Oil is our bread and butter. We will die in its defence.

• Timestamp: 

  3:22pm

  Gaddafi's still speaking, to occasional applause, about directing investment away from western nations toward Russia, China and India. He tells the west:

  It's your loss.

• Timestamp: 

  3:21pm

  Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Benghazi, says confidence in security there is growing, with families beringing children - even babies - to join celebrations, "having their faces painted with Libya's old flag, which they have taken as a new flag, for the new country they are calling 'Free Libya'".

• Timestamp: 

  3:08pm

  The Libyan leader compares himself to the cleric who led resistance to Mussolini's fascism in the country in the 1930s.

  No-one in Libya would criticise Omar Mukhtar ... just as no-one in Libya would criticise Muammar Gaddafi ...

  Any person who speaks of foreign aid will be considered to have opened the door to colonialism - we do not need any. We have sufficient food, supplies ... 

  People who are transporting food and supplies are afraid of attacks from armed groups and gangs ... Oil corporations know there have been no protests or demonstrations, only armed gangs. They are afraid because experts could be kidnapped.

• Timestamp: 

  3:07pm

  We make it well over an hour and a half now.  Gaddafi says:

  They showed pictures of this palace in Baida as if it were mine. It was a grant from the people of Libya. It was you who gave me this, you who built this. My people of Libya have granted me homes in each city of Libya

• Timestamp: 

  3:04pm

  I am ready to have my accounts verified. My salary is only 465 dinars ... My wife's charity receives donations, which are channeled to needy causes in Africa. Sometimes these are channeled domestically...
  
  My gradfather was the first to fall in defence of the homeland,. He was martyrd in the heat of the desert - this is our true asset in which we take pride.  We can not sacrifice this for a bunch of dollars.

• Timestamp: 

  3:00pm

  Gaddafi:

  My riches are the Libyan people - I have no assets - I take no pride in keeping American dollars.

• Timestamp: 

  2:54pm

  Gaddafi says the media should be in the hands of the people, not of any revolutionary committees.

  Let the bloggers, the writers, to do what they want. I call on my children not just to swim with the tide.

  Journalists, writers, professors - these I am regular contact with ... This is the age of the public, the age of the masses ... I'm not afraid of the Libyans.

• Timestamp: 

  2:52pm

  Gaddafi's still going.

  Thousands of people will die if Amercian or NATO forces enter Libya.

  Not sure if that's a prophesy or a threat.

• Timestamp: 

  3:45pm

  The UN refugees agency made a plea for hundreds of planes to end the gridlock at the Tunisia border with
  revolt-hit Libya, where "acres of people" are still waiting to cross. Tens of thousands of migrant workers have already poured out of Libya via its borders with Egypt and Tunisia.

• Timestamp: 

  2:30pm

  Gaddafi called on Wednesday for the United Nations and NATO to investigate the facts about what had happened in Libya, and said he saw a conspiracy to colonise Libya and seize its oil.

  I dare you to find that peaceful protesters were killed. In America, France, and everywhere, if people attacked military stores and tried to steal weapons, they will shoot them.

• Timestamp: 

  2:22pm

  A group of calligraphers and artists among the Libyan opposition have set up a media centre in Benghazi.

• Timestamp: 

  2:18pm

   

  More quotes from Gaddafi:

  Terrorists don't organize protests ... There have been no protests ... terrorists released prisioners from jails and included them in their forces ... These are criminals not political prisioners ... there are no political prisioners in Libya"

   

• Timestamp: 

  2:12pm

  The audience at the Gaddafi speech
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  2:06pm

  Gaddafi addresses the nation over Libyan state television
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  1:54pm

  Gaddafi addressing Libya on State television:
  
  ".... The whole world knows that the Libyan people are standing with their heads held high ... I do not follow satellite TV - I read books - they are filling air with provocation and nonsense.These chants have been newly authored by Libyan people ... the people have told me they are willing to die for me ... this story began as Al Qaeda operatives, based inside and outside of Libya, started this campaign ...  American CIA is aware of each of these operatives by their names ... "These dormant operatives of Al Qaeda, infilterated from outside and settled in these areas Baida ... each neighbourhood has its own security supported by military personnel ... the battalions have normal military training for any foreign attack - each neighbourhood will be capable of protecting its people"

• Timestamp: 

  1:23pm

  Gaddafi is attending the 34th anniversary of Libya the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (this was in 1977)

• Timestamp: 

  1:25pm

  Libyan state TV said  that the Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi's armed forces controlled the airport and seaport at Marsa El Brega.

• Timestamp: 

  1:10pm

  Al Jazeera's online producer Evan Hill's latest feature: Libya's uncertain front lines
  
  

  

• Timestamp: 

  13:04pm

  More than 2,000 Chinese fleeing Libya have landed on the Greek island of Crete and hundreds of Filipinos were due to arrive later in the day, according to AFP.

• Timestamp: 

  1:00pm

  
  AJE correspondent: The emphasis in Benghazi has been first and foremost to fortify this town, people have been signing up ... hundreds of men as far as I can tell, have been giving their names and their mobile phone numbers to recruitment officers ... many of them have said that they want to march on Tripoli, but its quite clear that the rebel commanders think that it is the most important thing to secure and consolidate Benghazi, because this is afterall the heart, the seat of the revolution and it is the headquarters, politically and militarily for anti-Gaddafi forces.

• Timestamp: 

  12:45pm

  AJE correspondent: The latest reports that we have heard is that the rebels have succeeded in retaking Brega, but I should stress that this is a fluid situation and I think its fair to say that here is a fair amount of fighting going on in that area.

• Timestamp: 

  11:45am

  Arab satellite television reports that Gaddafi forces were violently moving into two eastern Libyan towns, that were previously under control of rebels.  Al Arabiya television said 14 people were killed in the east Libyan town of Marsa El Brega after reports of a counter attack from Gaddafi forces.

• Timestamp: 

  11:30am

  Libyan leader Gaddafi might do something "desperate" to defend his regime, Italy's industry minister said on Wednesday

• Timestamp: 

  10:30am

  Kashmiri cartoonist Malik Sajad sent in this cartoon depicting the shift of power and the rise of popular unrest in the Middle East.
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  10:15am

  Robert Fisk comments on the humanitarian crisis on the Libya-Tunisia border in the Independent:  Panic on borders as chaos engulfs Libya 
  

• Timestamp: 

  10:01am

  Inside Benghazi's anti-Gaddafi's gallery - via the BBC

• Timestamp: 

  9:50am

  
  Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos has urged Gaddafi to follow the example of her late husband, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, by refusing to violently disperse large numbers of Filipino protesters during a 1986 uprising that toppled him.

   

  "I hope it will be like Ferdinand ... I'm praying that his (Gaddafi) wide span of thinking as a man of peace, that he will find a peaceful solution in his problem in Libya," she said.

• Timestamp: 

  9:40am

  Fuel truck explodes in the Libyan capital, causing panic in a tense city according to AP. It is not clear whether the explosion was an act of sabotage. Four fire engines arrived and were battling the flames. Residents attacked foreign reporters who rushed to the scene and chased them back to a nearby hotel where many of them are staying.

• Timestamp: 

  7:00am

  Prolific twitter user Libyan Youth Movement pleas to the international media:

  "MEDIA: Stop calling Libyan protesters rebels! We are protesters calling for our freedom that is all. We are not rebels. #libya #feb17"

• Timestamp: 

  6:55am

  Reuters reports that US warships will pass through the Suez Canal on Wednesday on their way to Libya as Western nations put more pressure on Muammar Gaddafi to stop a violent crackdown and step aside.
  
  The United States said Libya could sink into civil war unless Gaddafi quits amid fears that the uprising, the bloodiest against long-serving rulers in the Middle East, could cause a humanitarian crisis.

• Timestamp: 

  4:57am

  The South Korean transport ministry says that three chartered ships will arrive in Libya this week to evacuate thousands of workers at South Korean construction companies.

  One ship left the Greek port of Piraeus on Tuesday, and will call on the Libyan cities of Misurata and Sirte on Wednesday and Friday respectively.

  Two additional ships will arrive Tripoli and Benghazi on Thursday and Friday respectively.

  In total, the ships are to carry 3,500 people back to Greece, including 244 South Korean nationals, the ministry says.

   

• Timestamp: 

  4:35am

  In a statement, the Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state say that the US  "applauds the move by the UN general assembly to suspend Libya's membership rights in the Human Rights Council". 

  Today’s historic action is the first time that any country serving on the Human Rights Council, or the Commission before it, has ever had its membership suspended.  The international community is speaking with one voice and our message is unmistakable: these violations of universal rights are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

  The statement goes on to say the US will continue to seek to reform the Human Rights Council from within it.

• Timestamp: 

  4:21am

  In addition to setting up a £300,000 (about $488,000) scholarship for students from North Africa, a sum equivalent to the funding it has so far received from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, the London School of Economics has also now opened an investigation into claims of plagiarism and ghostwriting made regarding Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's PhD thesis.  

• Timestamp: 

  4:14am

  More from the Voices of Feb17 website, where an audio message said to be from an anti-government protester in the town of Az Zintan, 170km southwest of Tripoli.

  The message says that young people in that town have taken the fight to pro-Gaddafi forces, launching a series of "preventative attacks" on army barracks, checkpoints and other installations to gather weapons and equipment.

  It says that pro-Gaddafi forces have attacked the city three times so far, and each time they have been repelled. It is particularly dangerous after sunset, the protester says.

  He also said that about 60 "mercenaries" in all have been captured by protesters. On the supply front, the city has received two car-loads of medical supplies from allies in Tripoli, and while there are some shortages of food, in general the situation is not dire.

   

• Timestamp: 

  3:46am

  Anti-government protesters in Benghazi, frustrated with state television reporting that everything is calm in the country, save for pockets of unrest fuelled by shadowy al-Qaeda operatives passing out hallucinogenic drugs, have started their own radio station.

  Our correspondent Hoda Abdel-Hamid visited their 'studio', and filed this report.

   

• Timestamp: 

  2:56am

  China Railway Group says it is suspending three projects in Libya and evacuating its workers from the country. The projects are: a east-west coastal railway, a south-to-west from Sebha (a major iron ore mining town) to Misurata, and a 172-km rail line from Tripoli to the Ras Ajdir port, near the Tunisian border. 

• Timestamp: 

  2:42am

  While anti-government protesters in Libya say they are fighting for freedom and equality, it is easy to forget that there is a dark side to the revolution in Libya. Many Black African migrant workers in the country, particularly those in opposition-held areas, say they are living in fear, as many have been attacked after being mistaken for mercenaries hired by Gaddafi.

  Others say they've had their homes and workshops destroyed. Now they refuse to even leave their compounds.

  Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland filed the following report from Benghazi.

   

• Timestamp: 

  2:38am

  The United States Senate has unanimously approved a resolution condemning the "gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya", and demanding that Muammar Gaddafi leave office.

  It has also called for the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over the country. 

  The resolution does not have the force of law, and effectively serves only as a statement of position from the US upper house of Congress.

• Timestamp: 

  2:06am

  More pictures of anti-government protesters receiving weapons training in Benghazi. [All photos from Reuters]

  

• Timestamp: 

  2:03am

  Al Jazeera's correspondents report that anti-government protesters are being given crash courses in how to operate guns and larger heavy weapons by serving and retired army officers, in a bid to prepare for any possible confrontation with Gaddafi's forces. The picture below shows a trainee learning how to use an anti-aircraft gun in Benghazi. [Picture credit: Reuters]

  

• Timestamp: 

  1:36am

  As opposition forces go through state buildings, prisons and other installations, more and more stories of abuse at the hands of members of the Gaddafi government are emerging.

  Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley visited one such site in Benghazi, an opposition stronghold.

• Timestamp: 

  1:22am

  US senators John McCain (Republican) and Joe Lieberman (Independent) are just back from a trip across the Middle East and North Africa, and are calling on President Obama to lead the way in imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.

  McCain said:

  I believe that Gaddafi's days are numbered and we should do everything in our power to shorten the number of days so that we can relieve the misery of the people of Libya."

  McCain also voiced fears regarding the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt, saying it could lead to "a more extreme form of government".

  Finally, on their visit to Tunisia, the senators said everyone asked them if they could get Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of social networking site Facebook, to visit. 

  "He was the most popular man in Tunisia," said McCain.

• Timestamp: 

  1:09am

  If the UN were to decide to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, authorities warn that it wouldn't be the simplest of tasks. Quite aside from the the threat the 50 SA-6 surface-to-air missiles that Libya possess would pose, it would also take hundreds of aircraft to maintain a 24hr no-fly zone, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

  Land bases would also be required, at the very least in southern Italy, but also in Greece, Egypt and possibly Tunisia.

  Read the full report here.

• Timestamp: 

  1:04am

  Guido Mantega, the Brazilian oil minister, says that the crisis in Libya has so far had a limited impact on global oil prices.

  In other oil-related news, a cargo of Libyan crude oil is currently sitting in a tanker off the coast of Texas and Louisiana in the United States, with authorities unable to offload it for fear of violating recent US sanctions.

• Timestamp: 

  1:01am

  More from Feb 17 Voices, this time an anti-government protester in the city of Az Zawiyah, which has seen fierce clashes in recent days.

  He says the situation is "normal" at the moment, with supplies and food available, though opposition forces remain on alert in a "state of waiting" for any offensive from pro-Gaddafi forces.

  He said that pro-Gaddafi forces were about 8km from the city (though he did not say whether these were army troops or militias). The opposition in Az Zawiyah has posted people at the entrances of the city, and say they will guard against any attack.

   

• Timestamp: 

  12:51am

  The Feb 17 Voices campaign, which allows people in Libya to record audio messages and then disseminates these through the AudioBoo website, has a new update up, purportedly from Benghazi.

  The person on the line says that things are beginning to return to normal in the city, with some shops opening and people returning to their places of work for limited hours. He also says a "volunteer army" has been set up to protect the city. 

• Timestamp: 

  12:42am

  While the UN's general assembly moved to suspend Libya from the Human Rights Council by consensus (i.e. unanimously, without the need for a vote), there have been some notes of dissent.

  Venezuela, for example, believes the US is preparing ground for an invasion of Libya aimed at seizing the country's energy assets. Jorge Valero, the country's ambassador to the UN, says:

  We urge peace-loving nations in all regions of the world to put a stop to the invasion plans against Libya, which have been unashamedly announced by the Department of State of the United States and the Pentagon.

  Its purpose is clear - to appropriate the vast potential of natural and energy resources that are stored in the motherland of the Libyan people." 

  Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, has dismissed the allegation as being "delusional" (she's been using that word rather often, accusing Muammar Gaddafi of suffering the same ailment but two days ago). 

• Timestamp: 

  12:08am

  Have we been here before? A further UN resolution isn't needed before military intervention, says Britain's foreign secretary. William Hague's comments come just hours after French foreign minister Alain Juppe said there would not be any no-fly zone imposed without UN backing. Hague said:

  There have been occasions in the past when such a no-fly zone has had clear, legal, international justification even without a Security Council resolution - it depends on the situation on the ground.

  British officials would have to take "full legal advice" before acting with foreign allies without UN backing, he said, adding: "You would certainly need a very strong degree of international support."

• Timestamp: 

  12:02am

  Just tuning in to today's liveblog? Catch up with yesterday's, by clicking here.