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MARCH 6,  2011

BLOODY LIBYA – AT 11:36 P.M. ET:   At this hour it appears that things are not going well for the Libyan rebels.  From WaPo:

Moammar Gaddafi's loyalists escalated a lethal counterattack on Sunday, heightening assaults on rebel-held cities near his western stronghold of Tripoli and pushing back opposition forces attempting to advance toward the capital.

Gaddafi's expanding campaign - including a ground assault on Misurata, the nation's third-largest city - appeared to dash rebel hopes of putting a swift end to his 41-year-long rule.

From The New York Times:

AL UQAYLAH, Libya — With tanks, helicopters and fighter planes, troops loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi attacked rebel troops in the coastal town of Bin Jawwad on Sunday and pushed them east, stalling, for the moment, hopes by the antigovernment fighters of a steady march toward Tripoli.

From Fox:

Helicopter gunships strafed opposition fighters as forces loyal to Moammar Qadhafi pounded them with artillery and rockets, dramatically escalating a counteroffensive against rebels advancing on the capital.

After securing control of two important oil ports (at Brega and Ras Lanouf), rebels reached a town (Bin Jawwad) about 110 miles east of Qadhafi's hometown last night before pulling back. Pro-Qadhafi forces moved into the town overnight and surprised the rebels at daybreak, triggering battles that raged throughout the day.

At the same time, leading members of Congress are demanding that President Obama do more:

Congressional leaders prodded the Obama administration on Sunday for a more aggressive U.S. response to Libya's increasingly brutal attacks on opposition groups - calling for a no-fly zone and other military measures - but White House officials cautioned against being drawn into a potentially protracted and costly military campaign.

And a surprise name pops up:

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, for the first time raised the possibility of bombing military airfields in Libya to deny the use of runways to Moammar Gaddafi's air force. Two of the Senate's top Republicans, Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and John McCain (Ariz.), also spoke in favor of U.S. military involvement to keep Libyan warplanes grounded.

COMMENT:  There are a number of reports saying that Obama has asked the Saudis to arm the Libyan opposition. 

This is an hour-by-hour story.

March 6, 2011      Permalink

AS THEY SAY, TIMING IS EVERYTHING – AT 11:12 P.M. ET:  And some people just don't have it.  The Mideast is in flames, Muslims are being slaughtered, and there was a rally in Times Square today.  What was it about, you ask.  Well, even if you didn't ask, you'll get an answer. 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Some 300 people gathered in Times Square on Sunday to speak out against a planned congressional hearing on Muslim terrorism, criticizing it as xenophobic and saying that singling out Muslims, rather than extremists, is unfair.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and the imam who had led an effort to build an Islamic center near the World Trade Center site were among those who addressed the crowd.

"Our real enemy is not Islam or Muslims," said the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf. "The enemy is extremism and radicalism and radical ideology."

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King, has said that affiliates of al-Qaida are radicalizing some American Muslims. He's planned hearings starting Thursday on the threat he says they pose.

COMMENT:  Not a word about the slaughter in the Mideast.  Instead, we get this fiction about American Islamophobia.  Oh, yeah, right.  Muslims in America are being rounded up by the thousands. 

I don't know of another country that would have shown the tolerance this nation did after 9-11.  Right in New York City, where almost 3,000 were murdered in a few hours, Muslims continued going to their mosques without anyone bothering them. 

This "rally" was directed, as the story noted, against the upcoming hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims.  Before World War II there were investigations into the infiltration of the German-American community by Nazi agents.  The hearings were valid and important, and no one believed that we'd become Germanophobic.  Some of our leading commanders in World War II, like Dwight Eisenhower and Chester Nimitz, were German-Americans. 

There is plenty to be investigated.  Peter King is a responsible guy.  He can be counted on to run a clean, careful probe, and he should be encouraged.

March 6, 2011       Permalink

FASCINATING – I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GOING – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:  Sarah Palin is doing some international traveling.  I don't really think this means she's running, but it's intriguing.  From The Politico:

Sarah Palin’s trip to India this month might seem out of the blue, but it’s one piece of a much larger trend: The world’s largest democracy goes gaga for American politics.

Most Americans couldn’t even name the Indian prime minister, but the press in India covers minute details of the American political scene.

Its top news magazine devoted an entire issue to President Barack Obama’s November state visit to India. One major newspaper headlined a story, “Tea Party time in the US,” about the 2010 midterm elections. The main New Delhi TV station ran a piece on Palin’s use of the phrase “blood libel” after the January shootings in Tucson, Ariz., and covered her daughter Bristol’s engagement to Levi Johnston.

And...

Palin’s visit allows her to build some foreign-policy cred with a visit to a friendly ally — and score some points with Indian-American voters in the States.

And...

All forms of media have covered Palin’s gaffes and her family issues. But their fascination with her isn’t just limited to the sensational or the salacious. She’s going to India on March 19 to keynote India Today’s famous yearly conclave — a gathering attended, according to the magazine, by “government ministers, political leaders, top bureaucrats, diplomats, intellectuals, scientists, academicians and thought leaders, corporate heads and senior business executives.”

Her 2010 predecessor in the keynote role? Former President Bill Clinton. In 2009, it was former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Hey, this is pretty special stuff.  I hope Sarah prepares thoroughly this time, and gives a speech equal to the one she gave at the 2008 Republican convention. 

I'm looking forward to the way the American media handles this.  If Sarah makes a hit, what will the "respected" pundits say...once they recover from their heart attacks?  They'll probably try to find any cultural gaffes she commits, and use that as the headline.  We will defeat them.

March 6, 2011      Permalink

BOY, IS THIS WEIRD – AT 10:29 A.M. ET:  From London's Daily Mirror, and other sources:

Barack Obama will demand the Lockerbie bomber as the price of supporting a new government in Libya.
The US President says the deportation of freed Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi is a condition of him backing the rebels if they win power.

Mr Obama wants Megrahi to be tried in the States for putting a bomb on the New York-bound jet that blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, a crime for which he was convicted by a Scottish court

Cancer-stricken Megrahi has disappeared in Libya where he has been living after being released from jail because he supposedly had only months to live,

Intelligence sources fear he has been taken into ruler Colonel Muhamar Gaddafi’s own compound - and that Libyan leader would rather kill him than let his Lockerbie secrets be revealed.

Megrahi is believed to know the full story of the bombing in which 270 died and can name everyone involved - including Gaddafi.

COMMENT:  Look, I'm all for having this "terminally ill" man (who goes on forever) dispatched to the United States, but this certainly is an odd time to bring it up.  After all, what did the rebels have to do with this case?  And to make our backing of a rebel government dependent on extradition seems almost as if we're trying to deny backing. 

Of course, given Obama's history of appeasing dictators, maybe he's missing Gaddafi already.  He certainly did nothing to dislodge the Iranian mullahs during the 2009 Iranian revolt. 

I'd imagine that, if Gaddafi falls, Mr. al-Megrahi will suddenly suffer a severe misfortune, for the reason stated in the story, and that extradition, except for remains, will cease to be an issue.

March 6, 2011       Permalink 

THE LIBYAN REVOLT – WE THINK – AT 10:01 A.M. ET:  It continues to be extremely difficult to get hard news out of Libya.  There are few Western reporters, and the claims by both sides keep flying.  From CNN:

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Throngs of people took part in a boisterous demonstration Sunday supporting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and insisting that the government had triumphed in recovering key Libyan cities, despite witness accounts that the opposition maintained control in some of those sites.

In the eastern Libyan town of Misrata, a fierce battle was under way Sunday, as people seeking an end to Gadhafi's 42-year-rule fought his heavily armed forces.

"People are willing to die for the cause," a witness told CNN, describing them as "fearless" and "amazing." The rebels are using machine guns or, in some cases, just sticks to fight off pro-Gadhafi forces who use tanks and heavy artillery.

Even as the witness described the heavy fighting under way, pro-Gadhafi demonstrators in the capital of Tripoli said they were celebrating the government's victory in Misrata.

The size of such rallies praising the 68-year-old leader do not offer a clear sign of how much support he actually has. Throughout the uprising, which began February 15, witnesses in Tripoli have described the government using all methods to drum up crowds, including forcibly dragging people to them, while keeping anti-Gadhafi demonstrators off the streets.

From Fox:

RAS LANOUF, Libya -- Libyan warplanes launched airstrikes and forces loyal to leader Muammar Qaddafi engaged in fierce ground battles Sunday with a rebel force advancing west toward the capital Tripoli along the country's Mediterranean coastline.

The opposition fighters pushed out of the rebel-held eastern half of Libya late last week and have been cutting a path west toward Tripoli. On the way, they secured control of two important oil ports at Brega and Ras Lanouf. By Sunday, the rebels were advancing father west when they were hit by airstrikes and confrontations with ground forces.

Associated Press reporters at the scene said Qaddafi loyalists retook the town of Bin Jawad, about 110 miles east of Qaddafi's stronghold city of Sirte, which could prove to be a decisive battleground. The reporters witnessed airstrikes on the rebel forces and heavy fighting on the ground.

From Barack Obama:

"Hey, let's party."

Okay, okay, I made that last one up.  But it's correct in spirit.

It is clear that heavy fighting is going on, and that there are many, many casualties.  There are also refugees, said to be in the hundreds of thousands.

The issue for Americans is how long this can go on before we're pressured to intervene, simply on humanitarian grounds.  Obama has no stomach for that, but Obama's stomach is no guide to wise policy.  His public demand that Qaddafi step down was apparently issued to convince people that he has some spine, or some other anatomical credit, but it has placed the United States in an awkward position.  If the Libyan leader goes, fine.  But if he doesn't, Obama looks weak and ineffective...and not for the first time.  This bears repeating:  Earlier this week we quoted Fouad Ajami of Johns Hopkins quoting Lyndon Johnson, who'd said that if you tell a man to go to Hell, you'd better be prepared to send him there.  We see no coherent American policy in Libya, and Qaddafi has not yet left for Hell.

March 6, 2011      Permalink

MARCH 5,  2011

SNIPPET OF THE DAY – AT 9:06 P.M. ET:

From Fox:  We are not alone in the universe -- and alien life forms may have a lot more in common with life on Earth than we had previously thought.  That's the stunning conclusion one NASA scientist has come to, releasing his groundbreaking revelations in a new study in the March edition of the Journal of Cosmology.

I'm not convinced.  When I hear a leader from outer space calling for hope and change, and delivering nothing, I'll be sold.

March 5, 2011       Permalink

EDITOR'S NOTE – AT 8:56 P.M. ET:  A number of readers have asked how to spell the last name of the Libyan dictator, Moammar _______.   The fact is that the Western press uses a number of spellings.  Our style here is to use the spelling used in the material we're quoting, and in our comment on that material.  That means that the spelling may vary from post to post. 

This policy will continue until Libya has a leader named O'Hara.

March 5, 2011      Permalink

LIBYA UPDATE – AT 8:33 P.M. ET:  Severe clashes continued in Libya on Saturday, leading observers to suggest that the battle is becoming a civil war.  The Gadhafi government still controls Tripoli, but rebels have made gains elsewhere.  Neither side seems on the brink of victory.

Meanwhile, some rebel forces are trying to form the semblance of an alternative government.  From CNN:

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Foes of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi claimed successes Saturday on two key battle fronts, preventing pro-government forces from taking Zawiya near the nation's capital and capturing the strategic eastern oil town of Ras Lanuf.

They announced on opposition-controlled radio the seeds of an alternative government in the form of a National Transitional Council and declared it to be the country's sole legitimate representative.

The council held its first meeting Saturday in the eastern city of Benghazi. The council called Benghazi its temporary location until the "liberation" of the capital, Tripoli, according to a decree it issued late in the day.
The strife engulfing the besieged North African nation is reverberating across the country, the region and the world. Death toll estimates range from more than 1,000 to as many as 2,000, and the international community has been pondering strategies on how to end the violence and remove the Gadhafi regime.

The government has been reviled across the globe for violence against civilians, and the International Criminal Court this week launched an investigation of Gadhafi, some of his sons and other leaders for possible crimes against humanity.

COMMENT:   What will it take to end this?  Increasingly the term "foreign intervention" is being used.  If the civil war ends in a Gadhafi victory, after Obama demanded that Gadhafi leave, American foreign policy will have suffered a severe blow.  We are already perceived as increasingly weak and indecisive.  Jimmah Carter is back in the White House, in a thin disguise.

March 5, 2011      Permalink

NOT THE WAY TO DO IT – AT 10:09 A.M. ET:  It is a truism in politics that running for president is exceptionally hard.  And one of the hardest things, given constant press attention, is avoiding gaffes.  Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana learned that recently, and now former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and Fox News host, is learning it himself.  They don't give you too many chances in the politics business.  From The Politico:

Mike Huckabee walked back his criticisms of actress Natalie Portman for "glamorizing" out-of-wedlock pregnancies Friday, with a statement insisting he was only talking about society and that he's glad the Oscar winner plans to wed her baby's father.

It's the second time in a week that Huckabee, who suggested in the initial comments that the starlet was "boasting" about being unmarried and a mom, has walked back or explained away something he said during his book tour.

Not a good idea to bash a pregnant actress by name, especially a popular one who just, and with good reason, won the Oscar.  The public may not approve of Natalie Portman's choice, but there is a residue of sympathy, especially since she's marrying the father.  America loves its movie stars a lot more than it loves its politicians.

"In a recent media interview about my new book, A Simple Government, I discussed the first chapter, 'The Most Important Form of Government Is a Father, Mother, and Children,' " Huckabee said, referring to his appearance on The Michael Medved Show.

"I was asked about Oscar-winner Natalie Portman's out-of-wedlock pregnancy," he added. "Natalie is an extraordinary actor, very deserving of her recent Oscar and I am glad she will marry her baby's father.

"However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not 'slam' or 'attack' Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country," he said.

COMMENT:  It's also reported that Huckabee is building a mansion with his new-found wealth, apparently from media appearances.  Hmm.  Al Gore built a mansion.  John Edwards built a mansion.  Things didn't work out too well for either of them.  I'm not sure building a mansion is a good move for a pastor-turned-governor, who wants to run on old-fashioned values.  One of those values is thrift.

I like Mike Huckabee, and think he usually makes a lot of sense.  But Mike, if you're going to run seriously, please get into the swing of things.

March 5, 2011      Permalink

LIBYA THIS MORNING – AT 9:50 A.M. ET:  From The New York Times:

TRIPOLI, Libya — Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s militia stormed the rebels controlling the town of Zawiyah on Saturday morning in what two residents described as a “massacre.”

“I am watching neighbors dying unarmed in front of their homes,” one resident said in a telephone interview, with the sounds of heavy weapons and machine-gun fire in the background. The resident said the militias were using tanks and heavy artillery, attacking from both the east and west gates of the town. “I don’t know how many are being killed, but I know my neighborhood is being killed,” the resident said.

And...

But four hours after the fighting began, two rebels said in phone interviews that after heavy casualties, the battle was over. They said they held the center of town, but a tight military siege made it impossible to enter or leave. It was impossible to determine the number of casualties in the latest fighting.

COMMENT:  Western aircraft, or the grossly ineffective UN, should be dropping leaflets informing Qaddafi's forces that they could be charged with war crimes if this continues.  It might prompt some to defect. 

There are very few reporters in front-line positions in Libya, so it is difficult to verify information, including that provided by rebel spokesmen.  But, at least at this hour, Qaddafi shows no signs of surrendering or even purchasing a villa in some nice African city.

March 5, 2011      Permalink

WILL BRITAIN LAND "ON THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI"? – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  We cannot confirm this
story,  from London's Daily Mail, but we think it's important enough to report, with that note of caution:

Britain is to send teams of spies and diplomats into Libya to help oust Colonel Gaddafi, it emerged last night.

MI6 operatives backed by the SAS are to land in the east around the key rebel stronghold of Benghazi 'within days'.

In addition, 600 soldiers of the Black Watch are on 24-hour standby to fly in and avert a humanitarian catastrophe as Libya erupted into a new wave of bloodshed.

And...

British diplomats and spies have been engaged in intensive efforts to speak to opposition forces, which are led by Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the rebel National Libyan Council.

Now ministers have approved a presence on the ground to gather information and boost the chances of the rebels.

The liaison teams will be primarily composed of envoys but will include some intelligence officers.

They will link up with Special Forces already in Libya to provide protection and give informal military advice to the Libyan opposition.

COMMENT:  That would be a spectacular move, and certainly hazardous for the Brits involved.  The Obama administration has made clear its reluctance to get involved in military action in Libya, but we may be pushed by events, especially if the humanitarian catastrophe increases.

Can Gaddafi survive?  Well, who really knows?  There are press reports this morning that Washington's "new" or "newest" or "revised" policy in the Mideast is to urge protesters to work with the existing governments toward reform, rather than to push for a total overthrow.  The policy is based on the concern, entirely reasonable, that the replacement government may be worse, especially for our interests.  But that new policy, assuming the reporting is correct, does not seem to include the exalted Libyan colonel.

March 5, 2011     Permalink