Sunday, February 27, 2011

Libya

Some links from here:

Civilian deaths because of NATO bombing: an investigation by The New York Times. The two reporters who carried out the investigation found that, in the cases which they examined, around 40-70 civilians were killed, including 29 women and children. However, they also say that 'we only saw a small sampling of the strike sites that may have been affected, so the death toll is probably much larger'.

Sirte was subjected to heavy and indiscriminate and bombardment, causing an acute humanitarian crisis. When the rebels eventually got inside the town, they committed a massacre, as documented by Human Rights Watch.

In Tawergha, the whole population of 30'000 people was driven out, and then relentlessly persecuted after that. Human Rights Watch again accused mitlias from Misrata of 'terrorizing the displaced residents'. and documented how 'arrested Tawerghans have been subjected to torture and severe beatings, sometimes leading to death'. These miltias are refusing to let the Tawerghans return home - not that there's much to return to - and this 'would amount to collective punishment and would constitute a crime against humanity for deportation or forced transfer'.

Human Rights Watch have also documented how, in the far west of Libya, 'anti-Gadhafi militias from the Nafusa Mountains have looted and burned homes and schools of tribes that supported the deposed dictator. Anti-Gadhafi militias from Zuwara have looted property as they demanded compensation for damage they suffered during the war'.

NATO, by constantly refusing (p.28/29) to implement the ceasefire demanded by UNSCR 1973, actually ended up prolonging the conflict, thus spilling more blood.

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