Showing posts with label Libya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libya. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Khadafy's incoherence and the collapse of his interpreter in UN



I watched the incoherent speech of Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Khadafy in front of the United Nations Assembly in New York. The 90-minute spectacle was as bizarre as it was disappointing.

Just like the vile Islamic Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who shamelessly peddled lies and depravity in a separate speech in the august world body, I couldn’t imagine such mumbling had to be witnessed in the United Nations. The intelligence of the whole civilized world had been insulted again---this time by a desert loon, said some observers. In a brown ethnic garb and with a camel gaze in his eyes, Khadafy rambled and ranted as if he was out of his mind.

In exhaustion, the interpreter for the Libyan leader ended up surrendering his job. The exasperated language expert couldn’t handle the situation any longer--- forcing another interpreter to take over. U.N.’s Arabic section chief, Rasha Ajalyaqeen had to take charge in the last 20 minutes to put the bizarre speaker’s message in English.

Throughout Khadafy's speech which went beyond the usual time, the interpreters struggled with irrational theories of the Kennedy assignation and swine flu among others that was embarrassingly off tangent from sanity. They said Khadafy who expressed his desire to see Barack Obama to president for life, repeated some of what he was said and in some occasion talked to himself. (Photo Credit: NY Daily News/ Roca/ Getty) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Lockerbie terrorist should not have been allowed to go back to Libya



Though compassion is virtue, 57 year-old Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the sole convicted bomber who killed 270 innocent passengers of Pan Am flight 103 should not have been allowed to return to Libya. The terrorist is responsible for blowing up the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland en route to the United States in 1988.

Al Megrahi’s terminal cancer isn’t enough to justify such clemency. Barely serving his sentence handed in January 1, 2001, the evil murderer has been given a hero's welcome in Tripoli airport by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi‘s son and his supporters at the expense of those whom the killer wronged.

The shocking footage of the return only reflected warped values which insulted the memory of the civilian victims, among them innocent cildren. Many observers believed the move was a mockery of justice and a setback in the relentless fight against terrorism.

Giving the notorious killer the pass only opened raw wounds on the relatives of those who died raising speculations that an oil deal between Great Britain and Libya was involved in the decision. If so, the Scottish Court’s ruling made the return despicable.

An investigation to ferret the truth about this nefarious trade deal is warranted. The sentiment is shared by US Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen who thinks the decision is motivated by politics. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Muller similarly vents his anger over the decision. Bending on pressure, the British government has vowed to release documents to clarify the issue.

Sixty (60%) of those who were polled about the “humanitarian” clemency were angered. They were of the opinion that the Scottish Court was wrong. Most of them believe the ruthless criminal must die in prison. (Photo Credit: BBC.news) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Lockerbie bomber goes home to Libya with a rousing welcome



“There's plenty of shame to go around. This is not justice. It's an abrogation of justice," said Stephanie Bernstein, wife of a lawyer who died on the flight blown up by terrorists.

The only person indicted and imprisoned for the 1988 dastardly bombing of the jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland was released from prison on “humanitarian’ grounds by Scottish officials. Suffering from terminal prostate cancer, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan operative returned home in Tripoli, Libya on Thursday, August 20, 2009 afte being allowed freedom. He served only 8 years of his lifetime jail sentence and was set free amidst cheers from about a thousand jubilant supporters who met him in the airport as a "hero."

But relatives of those innocent passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 fumed over the decision, some openly expressing their devastation, saying that there is no justice for those 259 passengers who died. Carrying mostly Americans on their way home to New York, the targeted plane was blown up by the terrorist. (Photo Credit: ctv.ca/ AP)

Although it was claimed that compassion was the reason behind giving freedom to the bomber, politics could have played in setting him free from the Scottish prison. The US government expressed its intense disappointment over the decision. The Islamic jihadists and Libyans cheered the unremorseful terrorist. =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Migration tragedy: 21 dead and hundreds missing as boat sinks in Mediterranean sea



In the cold waters off Libya, a frail fishing boat carrying about 250 aspiring migrants to Europe sank during stormy weather on Friday, March 27, 2009. At least 20 illegal aliens drowned and more than 200 hundred were reported missing. Mostly from Africa and Middle East, the victims were part of an undetermined number of illegal travelers who perish each year in their bid for a better life.

“Thousands of African, Asian and Middle Eastern migrants fleeing wars and poverty use Libya and other North African countries as a launching pads for the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to southern Europe — often in rickety, overloaded boats. Another flimsy vessel with about 350 migrants was rescued about a day later in the same area where the fishing boat capsized.” AP (03/31/09, Fergany, AM; Santana, R)

Although 350 migrants in a second boat with no casualties were rescued and brought back to Tripoli, Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) in Geneva, Switzerland said this sea mishap could be the biggest in terms of the number of dead and missing of a sea vessel leaving North Africa to Europe.

The cause of the sinking has not been known, but a Libyan police officer said the boat was overloaded, and bad weather could be a contributory factor. Some survivors however spoke of a hole that caused the boat to capsize.

The death of the migrants brings to light the growing problem of illegal immigration. In spite of efforts to curb unlawful movement of people in Europe, nationals from impoverished countries worldwide risk their lives in search for better economic opportunities.

Even those who travel with valid papers also face hardships and alienation in their search for jobs. A recent case is the humiliation and abuse by Chip Tsao, an arrogant HK journalist who disparagingly insulted overseas Filipinos whose country he referred to as “a nation of servants.” (Photo Credit: Holvic) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "New Immigration Laws Worry Illegal Aliens In Europe " Posted by mesiamd at 6/22/2008

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PostHeaderIcon Amidst complacency and denial, terror persists, USA & the world still on the edge

Two days before the 7th year after 911, a bipartisan report suggests that the United States is still dangerously at risk of being attacked by weapons of mass destruction (WMB’s.) Democrats critical of Pres. George W. Bush are quick to highlight the dangers. And they don’t leave the psyche of Americans traumatized by the randomness of the attack.

“The report and supporting studies describe the failure of international cooperation to prevent terrorists from obtaining weapons of mass destruction, which they call a major problem. Many countries continue to ignore a United Nations mandate to prevent the spread of weapons; the ability of many countries to monitor potential bioterrorism is "essentially nonexistent," and dangerous chemical weapons stockpiles remain in some countries, including Russia and Libya, the report said.” AP (09/09/08, BlackledgeB; SullivanE.)

In spite of moves to make the homeland secure, the nature of terrorism makes it hard to wipe out the threats. This worry is part of the legacy of 911 when the rules of engagement of war have been defined by a small group of extremists who are bent to make America and the rest of the civilized world accede to Al Qaeda's and other Islamic toxic ideology of hate.

Bringing America down has serious implications in emerging and poor countries like the Philippines whose economies will further suffer in the midst of a threat of war, worldwide recession, dwindling resources, and exploding population. Though Pres. Bush must be credited for foiling a number of plots and in improving security during his administration, many don’t look at it this way. It is hard to see success in prevention that has an astronomical price tag.

The cost of underwriting a protective shield for Americans and the world is causing a toll on the US economy. Only when another attack as spectacular and hideous as 911 will Americans, (especially the cynical and complacent) will realize that the world they know has been turned upside down by a few rogues who wait for the singular chance to do harm and damage. Terror resonates in 911 and the attacks in Madrid, London, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Nairobi, Bali, Manila and other cities worldwide. As security experts experts have said, it’s not a question of if that another attack will be waged, but when. (Photo Credits: AP/TayloC;bp.blogspot)=0=

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