The Real Horror of Benghazi Was Ethnic Cleansing-Let’s Talk About That

black-people-libya-torture

Black people were slaughtered in Libya after NATO Invasion

So everyone is talking about Benghazi as if they actually know where that city is on the map and up til now really didn’t care to know..It sad to see that 4 Americans died and that there were probably some missteps and leading up to their deaths, but lets keep it 100… the US had basically invaded Libya along with NATO at the urging of the global corporate powers who saw Libya as a threat to their economic dominance.. Libya was set to introduce its own World Bank for African nations and its own currency to rival the dollar..This would have in effect ended a lot of the economic repressions African nations were experiencing..

The US upon learning this armed some crazy anti-black Arab rebels who positioned themselves as part of the ‘Arab Spring‘..Folks were enamored and cheered them on even after it was revealed early on that many of those rebels were connected to Al Qaeda.. Thousands of Black Africans who lived in Libya or were migrant workers from other countries were lynched in the streets.. The human rights violations were atrocious.. Read about it HERE .. You can also read about it HERE.  There are scores of articles and detailed reports of this ranging from the UK Guardian to Amnesty International.

There were public hangings, Black people rounded up and put in cages like animals in a zoo and made to eat the new Libyan flag.. again I kid you not they were made to eat the new Libyan flag..There are videos on-line showing this.. That was the horror of Benghazi..Thats the Hooror no one wants to talk about..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDqT5L9kNnw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4icorYD_mE

Black LibyansWhat was going on in Benghazi and throughout Libya was ignored by our President who traces his direct roots to Africa. It was ignored by many white progressives who saw any and all uprisings in the region as one and the same. They figured since Al Jazeera which is owned by the rulers of Qatar and were staunch supporters of this anti-black armed rebel cabal, that they were somehow ok.. They were ok even after Black progressives and other international human rights organizations, many who had been to Libya, many who lived in the region issued report after report from folks on the ground about the horrors of Benghazi and Black Africans being torched. Many folks simply turned a blind eye….

They were ignored even after former Congresswoman and Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and other delegations came back, one which included the now the late grandson of the Malcolm X came back to report, things were ignored..Even as we had Black Libyans on our airwaves speaking for themselves it was ignored..

Here’s a great indepth interview from Libyan journalist Gerald Perreira  http://www.blockreportradio.com/radio-mainmenu-27/1320-libya-resistance-after-m-gaddafi.html

These horrors were ignored by many in our Black punditry class who didn’t wanna ruffle feathers with the Obama administration as he sought a second term..It was a damn shame..and just goes to show you how much folks are willing to sell their souls at the door for political access and short-term gain..

Black LibyansSo now we have hearings about what went on in Benghazi and no one is talking about imperialistic actions or regime change or the fact that the US had a US Libya Business Association which was made up of all these Big Oil companies that made 1.2 billion a year and stood to make even more once Libya was taken over.. It should be noted this US Libya Business Association had its website go dark during the NATO invasion creating the illusion that we weren’t doing robust business in Libya when in fact the US and quite a few companies were.. You can see the newly revamped site here.. http://www.us-lba.org/

We are talking about Benghazi and the horrors of 4 Americans being killed, but if you ask even the most well read people about this subject who were the other 3 other than Ambassador Stevens and what did they do, they can’t tell you a damn thing.. The horror of Benghazi was thousands Black people killed and tens of thousands chased from their homes and bunch of Americans, including many Black ones who ignored it.. Nuff said..

-Davey D-

Black Folks Are Catching Racist Hell Throughout the UK & Europe as Austerity Kicks In

Logo-Lee-Jasper-2

This week on our daily show, Hard Knock Radio we talked with long time political activist and former senior advisor to the Mayor of London Lee Jasper.. He alerted us to some disturbing news about the plight of Black folks living in the UK and throughout much of Europe as so-called austerity measures kick in..

For many it should not come as a surprise,  but Black folks are catching major hell as they are being scapegoated for the economic hardships many are experiencing.. For example in places like Greece, Black folks are literally being chased out of the country by uniformed goon squads.. White supremacist, Neo-Nazi hate groups and far right reactionary political parties are on the rise with Blacks and other immigrants as primary targets

We are now seeing the fallout of misguided foreign policy which has complicated this situation. Ongoing conflicts in Mali and in Libya which has resulted in thousands of Black folks fleeing Africa to various ports in Europe only to be turned away. The irony here is that its NATO/ and Western foreign policy that has led to this mass displacement..

During our conversation Jasper went into great detail about the types of policy measures taken to keep Black folks disenfranchised and in economic peril. He also noted the widespread police brutality many are experiencing. He noted whats been going on in France with many Blacks and the out of step perception put forth by popular artists like Jay-Z and Kanye when they did their song N–as in Paris and how that contrasted with the reality that Black folks in this fabled city who are treated like ‘N–gas in the worse possible way..Jasper noted

Lee also updated us to whats been going on since we saw the massive uprising in the UK two years ago and in Paris 6 years ago..

Lee has a wealth of information and will update us again in the near future. In the meantime.. Peep the insightful Hard Knock Radio interview by clicking the link below..

You can also read an indepth report of what’s going on in Greece as Black folks are being attacked.. Go to the link below

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/return-of-the-far-right-greeces-financial-crisis-has-led-to-a-rise-in-violent-attacks-on-refugees-8551798.html?action=gallery&ino=1

Here’s Lee Jasper speaking at a recent political rally giving folks the lay of the land

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L1fFrhd_v0

Eric Holder Punks Out: Says Big Banks Are Too Big to Jail

Eric Holder

Eric Holder

“I am concerned that the size of some of these institutions becomes so large that it does become difficult for us to prosecute them when we are hit with indications that if you do prosecute, if you do bring a criminal charge, it will have a negative impact on the national economy, perhaps even the world economy,” he said. “And I think that is a function of the fact that some of these institutions have become too large.”

Those are the words of Attorney General Eric Holder..I want you to read that.. stop, reflect and read that again.. I don’t want any of you to dismiss it and say ‘Well that’s just the way it is..’ or ‘What else is new, government has always been like this..there’s nothing we can do about it..’

Holder uttered these words in response to Republican Senator Charles Grassley about why the Justice Department brought no criminal charges against HSBC, one of Great Britain’s largest banks after it admitted laundering money for parties in Iran, Libya and Mexican drug lords.

Again I ask you to stop think and reflect on this..

While its understandable that smashing back on the banks or Eric Holder will not be an overnight endeavor, we can not act like this is a problem to ignore. It should be an issue we raise up at every turn and push to demand accountability. We should demand it on the national level and we should demand it locally. We should be pushing for our local governments to sever ties with criminal institutions and we should be demanding that hard questions be asked of Attorney general and the our President who appointed him.. If you haven’t been touched by the nefarious activities of big banks in the form of foreclosures, downsizing increased banking fees, higher interest rates or the inability to get a loan, you will soon will be..For example, this is the same Eric Holder who’s Feds have been raiding and shutting down medical marijuana clubs all over the country in spite of overwhelming state approval both from voters and elected officials.. They’ll raid a pot club but will leave the fraudulent money laundering bank next door alone.. Go figure..

Today our friends over at Alternet dropped a good article on this… where they note as follows;

Holder’s outrageous admission means that bankers operate – and know they operate – above the law.  That renders all the argument about regulations and legal limits risible.  Bankers spend tens of millions lobbying to weaken regulations and starve regulators of authority and resources.  But when the action gets hot, the bubble starts to build, the music keeps playing, they can trample the laws, mislead the regulators and defraud their customers, bolstered by the confidence that the laws will not apply to them.

Holder’s argument, however, is indefensible.  There is no reason a bank with billions of assets could not survive the indictment of its CEO or CFO.  If the Fed and Treasury can “foam the runway” to protect otherwise insolvent banks from collapse, they surely could insure that a bank survives while its executives are held personally responsible for their crimes.  Putting a few bankers in jail and holding them personally accountable for their frauds would do much to bring sobriety back to Wall Street.

You can read the entire article Here.. http://www.alternet.org/outrage-some-banks-are-too-big-prosecute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zwhp5-jXAEric Holder

U.S. African and Mideast Policies: War As Foreign Aid and Regime Change As Democratic Transition

Former political prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad recently penned an excellent essay breaking down whats going on in Mali, Congo and the Middle East.. he also challenged the type of stances many of us have taken with respect to these regions that are embroiled in conflict… To support his essay we interviewed him so he can expand upon his analysis. In true form Dhoruba pulled no punches.. Peep what he has to say..

Hard Knock Radio Interview w/ Dhoruba speaking on African and Middle East Policies

U.S. African and Mideast Policies: War As Foreign Aid and Regime Change As Democratic Transition

by Dhoruba Bin Wahad

Africans in the Diaspora are in a crisis of conscience searching for what it means
to be “African centered” or Pan-African, and citizens of Racist Nation-states
with histories of Imperial domination. We are confronted today with “New Age
Imperialism” where national elites collaborate to oppress the poor and hungry
of the planet rather than wage war with each other over the control of strategic
resources. This global convergence of interests has found its natural opposition in
the international character of the Muslim Ummah.

The US and Race based Democracy – “Democratic Fascism”.

In the U.S. where over 2.5 million American citizens are locked away in prison
and another 15 plus million owners of major “felony” convictions, the African-
American population and other national “minorities” of non-European background
are subjected to a contrived system of fascism masquerading as “democracy” –
a political and social system of police and corporate control, a police state with
unprecedented power (after 9/11 terrorist attacks) that employs a “National
Security” rationale to conceal its crimes of “rendition”, torture (enhanced
interrogation), indefinite detention, and targeted assassinations . Like most modern
“national-security” states, U.S. policies are most closely associated with its perceived
“national interests” primarily involving access to strategic resources and “trade”.
The West’s bogus advocacy of supporting individual freedom by supporting
“Democratic regime change” in its former colonial territories mask not only their
own internal inequalities based on race, religion and gender, but conceal the often
violent cooptation of legitimate revolutionary people’s movements that oppose
entrenched oligarchies, Autocrats, while marginalizing and demonizing Islamic
based anti-imperialist forces across Africa and Mid-East. Islam has replaced the
specter of “communist global domination” as the foremost threat to global Finance
Capitalism and Western global domination. That the West’s perceives opposition to
neo-imperialist diplomacy in secular dimensions, characterizing this opposition as
the “clash of civilizations) is not without historical basis.

Up until the overthrow of the western stooge Shah Reza Palhavi of Iran, a strictly
Islamic based mass movement had never overthrown a modern non-secular
Nation State backed by the Western Imperial powers. Needless to say the Iranian
“revolutions” sent shock waves throughout the region and shook regional Sunni
comprador classes (Oil Sheikdoms) across the region to their reactionary roots. But
to the masses of Muslims on the streets of Arab capitals the Iranian revolution was
a ray of hope – but its Shia dimension served the US and Europe’s historical fallback
tactic of divide and conquer . We now see how effective the West’s early divide and
conquer strategy of containment has been and how it has the region tittering on the

brink of war. Many Arab Sunni rulers, with US blessings, covertly intensified their
alignment with the European settler-state of Israel to contain Iranian geopolitical
influence even as Israel gears up for military strikes against the Islamic Republic. US
and NATO troops are stationed in Muslim lands, military bases across the Mid-
East are designed to project Western military power into the region. All this a
consequence of US divide and conquer fear tactics in the region.

With the support for US militarism abroad (war on terror) a fundamental principle
of both the Right wing and “moderates” in the US congress , it is little surprise
that white American politicians are also major supporters and instigators of anti-
Islamic fervor both inside and outside the US. Because the ramifications of “the
war on terror” has disproportionately affected the immigrant Muslim population
in the US (African-American Muslims have lived under religious, racial, and
political repression for decades) U.S. military and diplomatic actions in Arab
countries of North Africa, Iraq, Syria, as well as in Pakistan and India have all been
characterized as unique, untypical resistance or an “Arab Spring”. This definition of
uprisings across Muslim North Africa by the western media and westernized Arab
intellectuals are aimed at one thing. Dividing the Muslim Ummah along racial and
historical lines, while isolating African Muslims from the general process of Pan-
African unity and democratization.

The use of the contextual term “Arab Spring” to characterize the mass uprising of
NORTH AFRICANS against the rule of despotic Arab elites is purposely and artfully
crafted to discourage sub-Saharan Black Africa and its Muslim populations from
emulating their North African counterparts while appealing to the “Anti-Arab”
sentiments among many Pan-Africans and within the Black Diaspora. ECOWAS
and the African Union’s recent support of French military intervention in Mali and
as US surrogate in Somalia, and else where on the African continent are testimony
to how eagerly Africa’s political elite are utilizing the “West’s war terror” to secure
their positions and prop up their power while ignoring persecuted and marginalized
Muslim minority populations.

In countries like Nigeria the US is on the ground
supporting the Christian dominated government’s “anti-terrorist actions” in the
North of the country against an Islamic insurgency. In Somalia, the US drone war has
spilled over into neighboring countries, like Eritrea, Al-Yemen and has led to tribal
unrest in Northern Kenya. While the US and its European Allies seemed appalled
by the Muslim insurgencies in the North of Mali (consistently failing to mentioned
that this crisis was long in the making and connected to the Western European’s
deposing of Libya’s Ghadaffi and the silent collusion of Black Africa’s leaders) both
the US and Europe are neither horrified or outraged by events in the Eastern Congo.

Africa, A War Zone Without End

Nearly 3 million people have died in Congo in a four-year war over Coltan, a heat-
resistant mineral ore widely used in cellphones, laptops and playstations and
other strategic minerals. Eighty percent of the world’s coltan reserves are in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Often dismissed as an ethnic war, the conflict in the
Congo is really over natural resources sought by foreign corporations —
diamonds,tin, copper, gold, but mostly coltan”

In an article titled “Why the U.S. Won’t Help”, a Nairobi newspaper explained, ‘Right
from the days of the Cold War, Western governments have been comfortable
with a situation in which African regimes squandered meager resources on the
instruments of war, borrowing from the West to finance domestic consumption. The
war in the Congo and the countries involved in it are a case in point’… In 1998, the
State Department licensed commercial weapons sales by U.S. manufacturers to sub-
Saharan Africa worth up to $64 million, on top of the $12 million in government-to-
government deliveries that year. These figures have quadrupled since 1998 and the
region is no closer to stability than it was when Patrice Lumumba was assassinated
by the US, French and Belgians in 1960s.

The hypocrisy of the US and Europe asking Africa’s political elite to develop and
democratize while cutting levels of non-military international aid and increasing
weapons and military training to the continent’s Armies does not seem to have
registered with African-Americans, neither those (Pan-Africans) who claim
solidarity with the current crop of African leaders, or those elected to public office.
This lack of outspoken opposition to US militarization of Africa, especially under
the Obama administration is inexcusable and attributable to the uncritical and
unprincipled support of the Obama regime by African-Americans. Moreover,
Obama’s policy of destabilization and “democratic regime change” of governments
it is at odds with suggest that there is little real commitment to developing human
resources and a new “partnership” with Africa, the U.S. needs to redirect the focus
away from strengthening military capacity, coopting ethnic and national elites and
more toward promoting human development in Africa.

END

What’s Jumping Off in Mali and Why We Should All Be Concerned?

Dawud Walid

Dawud Walid

There’s a been a lot of drama going on over in Mali and its spread over to Algeria..In the past few days, we’ve heard conflicting reports about hostages, retaliatory strikes to clandestine operations.. Everyone from Al Quada to NATO to our own military here in the US to France’s military are all in the mix.. With so much of our collective attention on scandals involving Lance Armstrong and  Notre Dame player Manti Teo’d its hard to get a grasp of whats going on..

We sat down w/ Dawud Walid of Council on American–Islamic Relations  (CAIR )-Michigan who’s been monitoring this ordeal and is very familiar with the country and many of its main players.. He described what’s going on as a proxy war with all sorts of countries from China to France to the US via its Africom policy all positioning themselves to raid the resources in Mali and in Africa in general.

He painstakingly details those connections and explains how the recent upheavals in Libya have now reverberated and impacted to what’s currently going on in Mali.

Lastly, Walid also talks to us about the importance of Mali historically and currently.. There’s a lot more than natural resources that are at stake and its such that every African-American and people in the world in general should be concerned. Timbuktu’s historic libraries are being raided and destroyed by extremists.. It’s serious and while its good the US media is paying some attention to the region, what they will leave out is the looting of Timbuktu..  Check out the conversation below..

Mali

Below is a recent briefing from and resource guide of sorts from the Green Party about Mali. Hopefully folks will find this useful..

Green Party of the US opposes military intervention in Mali, urges withdrawal of AFRICOM

• The Mali rebellion is blowback from the U.S./NATO ouster of Gaddafi from Libya; efforts to gain control of African resources (oil, uranium, etc.) and competition with China are driving miltiary policies disguised as War on Terrorism, say Greens

• Green Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on foreign policy: http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-foreign-policy.php

WASHINGTON, DC — The Obama Administration is pursuing policies in Africa that threaten regional stability and innocent populations, including military intervention in Mali and establishment of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), said Green Party leaders.

“AFRICOM represents a continuing escalation of U.S. military presence in Africa, imposing economic dependence, political domination, and control over the continent’s mineral and other resources. The U.S./NATO attack on Libya opened the door to further U.S. military actions in Africa. The African Union, which has 17,000 African troops in Somalia, is working for the U.S., under CIA direction. Meanwhile, the war in Congo continues, in which military forces on the Pentagon payroll have perpetrated the worst slaughter since World War II, while the U.S. has blocked efforts to hold the Rwandan government accountable for war crimes in the conflict,” said _______. (See “US Drones over the D.R.C.?” Ann Garrison interviews Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, KPFA, January 13, 2013, http://www.anngarrison.com/audio/us-drones-over-the-drc)

Under current plans, troops from the 1st Infantry Division will be sent to Africa to contain al-Qaeda in Mali, but also to conduct training programs, exercises, and operations in 35 countries and set the stage for future military intervention. The troops will have the capability to deploy drones in Africa, if given permission.

“The Obama Administration is using the situation in Mali as an opportunity to bring Africa under the U.S. sphere of influence — to block Chinese influence and win control over precious resources, which include oil, petroleum, diamonds, copper, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, bauxite, silver, certain kinds of wood, and fruit. U.S. operations are justified by the White House as an extension of the War on Terror and fight against al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, the terror is suffered by Africans who face internal conflicts that are aggravated by U.S. meddling, funding for extremists and oppressive and corrupt regimes, and in some cases air assaults on their homes,” said _______.

Greens noted that the U.S./NATO assault on Libya and aid for Libyan rebels empowered radical Islamic movements to threaten neighboring countries. These include the Wahabi rebels in Mali, which are supported by the corrupt Wahabist royal family of Saudi Arabia, which is allied with the U.S. The north African rebel movements are receiving aid from countries outside Africa, including the U.S. France has its own neo-colonial interests in the region, especially access to uranium for French nuclear reactors.

The Obama Administration is thus playing a dangerous and reckless game with the lives of innocent Africans, with blowback that may threaten U.S. security. (See “Mali, Wahabis and Saudis; Following the Money Trail” by Thomas C. Mountain, Black Agenda Report, January 8, 2013, http://blackagendareport.com/content/mali-wahabis-and-saudis-following-money-trail).

The Green Party of the United States opposed President Obama’s military campaign in Libya, opposes intervention in Mali, and continues to promote constructive and humane engagement with African nations instead of imperial policies like AFRICOM, which was authorized by President Bush in 2007.

“The resistance to al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb — which gained more beachheads in Africa as a result of the U.S.-led ouster of Gaddafi — must take place in Africa, led by Africans, without U.S. interference, which will only cause greater damage,” said _______.

“Instead of exercising military might, the U.S. should work with African leaders to promote self-determination and independence and reverse the devastating effects of the West’s racist colonial legacy in Africa. A Green foreign policy regarding Africa would include closing of military bases, increased humanitarian assistance for developing countries, especially aid for the fights against AIDS and other diseases, trade pacts that encourage workers’ rights and a clean environment, and promotion of greenhouse gas emissions reductions that are parallel with reductions in the U.S., since many of the worst effects of climate changes will be felt in Africa,” said SAME PERSON.

See also:

“The Master as “Guest”: The U.S. Military Swarms Over Africa” by Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report, January 8, 2013
http://blackagendareport.com/content/master-%E2%80%9Cguest%E2%80%9D-us-military-swarms-over-africa

“Susan Rice’s defense of Kagame in Congo puts Obama State Department on the defensive” by Ann Garrison, San Francisco Bay View, December 19, 2012, http://sfbayview.com/2012/susan-rices-defense-of-kagame-in-congo-puts-obama-state-department-on-the-defensive/

“The Geopolitical Reordering of Africa: US Covert Support to Al Qaeda in Northern Mali, France ‘Comes to the Rescue’: NATO funding, arming, while simultaneously fighting Al Qaeda from Mali to Syria” by Tony Cartalucci, Global Research, January 15, 2013
http://www.globalresearch.ca/geopolitical-reordering-and-dirty-tricks-us-covert-support-to-al-qaeda-in-northern-mali-france-comes-to-the-rescue/5318614

“Pentagon planning for multinational military operation in Mali”, The Washington Post, December 5, 2013
http://tinyurl.com/apvu7sq
“U.S. weighs military support for France’s campaign against Mali militants”, The Washington Post, December 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-weighs-military-support-for-frances-campaign-against-mali-militants/2013/01/15/a071db40-5f4d-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html

“Admin Aids French Bombing of Mali After U.S.-Trained Forces Join Rebels in Uranium-Rich Region” (transcript), Democracy Now!, January 15, 2013
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/15/admin_aids_french_bombing_of_mali#transcript

Glen Ford: Susan Rice’s Political Legacy-‘Genocide in Africa on Her Watch’

Hard Knock Radio logoOver the past couple of weeks there’s been a lot of controversy surrounding UN Ambassador Susan Rice. She’s been under fire, accused of misleading the American public about the circumstances that led up to the slaughter 4 Americans including Libyan Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, Libya on September 11th of this year.

Hard Knock Radio weighed in on this issue with an insightful conversation featuring long time journalist Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report….He breaks down the political legacy of Rice and whats she’s been about long before most of us were introduced to her via the work she’s done under President Obama..

click the link below to listen to the HKR interview w/ Glen Ford on Susan Rice

Susan Rice

Susan Rice

As you listen to the interview here’s a little bit of background. ..Rice was the point person on Sunday morning talk shows in the days that followed those attacks, where she emphatically explained that attacks was the result of enraged Muslims reacting to an obscure anti-Muslim Youtube movie produced in the US. Below is one of those TV appearances she made that has now become the basis for this recent controversy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxf77xQ_NLU

Since that interview, we have come to know that the official story is it was in fact an act of terror carried out by Al Qaeda operatives. Many have questioned how Rice was so off on her assessment. It’s been determined that the intelligence around the Benghazi attacks being the work of terrorists at the time Rice spoke, was classified information. It was kept classified as to not tip-off the assailants. That realization has not calmed President Obama’s political rivals including Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who have come out swinging, threatening to block Rice’s anticipated nomination to be the next Secretary of State.

John McCain

John McCain

The crassness of McCain and Graham along with right-wing political pundits has led many to see their harsh criticisms of Rice as racially motivated political sour grapes. This in turn has led to many women’s groups and civil rights organizations circling the wagon determined to back Rice to the hilt. That in turn has led to many overlooking or remaining unaware of Rice’s political legacy.

Long time journalist Glen Ford has been following the career of Susan Rice for over 15 years. He’s well aware of her track record and the roles she played when she worked under Bill Clinton all the way up to now. In our Hard Knock radio interview (HKR) Ford gives a very detailed no holds bar breakdown of Rice and the type of impact she and the policies she’s championed have had on countries like Rwanda, Sudan,  Somalia, Libya and the Congo.

When asked what word comes to mind when he here’s the name Susan Rice, Glen Ford responded ‘Genocide’.  In a recent column penned by Ford titled A Second Wave of Genocide..he notes;

Susan Rice has abetted the Congo genocide for much of her political career. Appointed to President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council in 1993, at age 28, she rose to assistant secretary of state for African affairs in 1997 as Rwanda and Uganda were swarming across the eastern Congo, seizing control of mineral resources amid a sea of blood. She is known to be personally close to Rwanda’s minority Tutsi leadership, including President Paul Kagame, a ruthless soldier trained at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and mentored by Ugandan strongman (and Reagan administration favorite) Yoweri Museveni, who is believed to have pioneered the use of child soldiers in modern African conflicts.

GlenfordFord also writes:

Rice is widely credited with convincing Obama to launch NATO’s bombing campaign for regime change in Libya. She parroted false media reports that Muammar Gaddafi’s troops were raping Libyan women with the aid of massive gulps of Viagra, refusing to back down even when U.S. military and intelligence officials told NBC news “there is no evidence that Libyan military forces have been given Viagra and engaging in systematic rape against women in rebel areas.” Yet, Rice said not a word about ethnic cleansing and racial pogroms against black Libyans and sub-Saharan African migrant workers, including the well-documented erasure of the black city of Tawergha.

In our interview Ford describes Susan Rice as some one who is more hawkish and ‘thuggish’ then Condoleezza Rice who served under George Bush. He notes its an act of betrayal for Black leadership to back her nomination in lieu of her track record. Ford notes many have reacted to in such a way that perceived racial comments are more important to push back on than the genocide of millions of people in Africa on Rice’s watch. You can peep the interview by clicking the link at the beginning of this article

Obama & Romney Spar Over Libya Both Fail to Mention Acts of Terror Against Blacks

During last night’s debate President Barack Obama delivered what many considered a death-blow when he and Mitt Romney exchanged barbs about Libya. Romney called into question Obama’s judgement or lacktherof around the securing of the Embassy which came under attack on September 11th resulting in the death of 4 Americans including ambassador Christopher Stevens.

In the back and forth, Romney attempted to chastise the President for not calling the attacks on the Embassy an ‘Act of Terror‘. Obama retorted that he had. He demanded that Romney ‘look at the transcript’. The nail in the coffin came when CNN moderator Candy Crowley backed up Obama’s claim and publicly corrected Romney. He had indeed referenced the attacks in Benghazi, as acts of terror.

It was also during this exchange that President Obama looking sternly at Mitt Romney and said he was taking full responsibility for what occurred in Libya. He said this in spite of the fact Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had already fallen on the proverbial sword. Obama made it clear that Hillary worked for him and the buck stopped with him.. The president was widely praised for his forthright remarks, even as pundits on both sides of the political aisle debated what the president ‘really meant’ when he uttered the phrase ‘acts of terror’ the day after the attacks.

Sadly what President Obama didn’t take responsibility nor ever reference was the ongoing ‘acts of terror’ and torture that have befallen Black Libyans since the US and NATO armed and aided the NTC militias. This is the dirty little secret known all over the world where the UN, Amnesty International along with former congress woman and Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney after returning from Libya on a fact-finding trek, have all weighed in and reported.

When conflict in Libya first emerged there were mainstream stories here in the US asserting that leader Moammar Gaddafi was hiring black mercenary soldiers. So for the few journalist who got wind of torture of Black Libyans, they dismissed it and said it was mercenaries working for Gaddafi being slaughtered. Such assertions have long been disproven. The folks being ethnically cleansed were Black Libyans and innocent Black migrant workers many of them coming from other countries like Ethiopia. The torture they’ve been subjected to have been horrific ranging from public hangings, whippings, entire families shot and burned out of their homes, while others Black Libyans have been put in zoo cages and forced to eat the new Libyan flag. All of this has been well documented but ignored by our President. Even Al Jazzera which is owned and financed by the monarchs of Qatar have even reported on the wholesale slaughter of Black Libyans and they have long been stark opponents of former Libyan leader Gaddafi.

Here in the US many in the mainstream media have blocked it out and so when mentioning it, its taken as something that’s unbelievable. Many will quickly ask where are the ‘reputable’ sources to this torture after all its something that journalist like award-winning Candy Crowley didn’t bother to mention in any of her questions. Many who are press from other countries had they been moderating would’ve definitely followed up with a question to President Obama about his thoughts and whether or not he would take responsibility for the widespread torture that militia’s he backed were committing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmzGJoQlw08

In all likelihood President Obama will be re-elected. Folks will see him being in the White House as something far better then the madness we see going within the GOP. With that being said, Obama being put into power comes with a responsibility ALL of us have. We can start with making sure he does something to end this Ethnic cleansing of Black folks in Libya and in other parts of Africa. We must strive to always keep a sense of our humanity and recognize the humanity in others, especially those who are being severely oppressed.

So yes, what took place on September 11th in Libya was an act of terror when 4 Americans who we will presume were innocent, were killed. But the hundreds and thousands of Black folks being tortured, killed and abused in Libya is also an act of terror. To ignore it is to be complicit. e could take it there and take about all the drone strikes taking place in countries like Somalia and Pakistan where scores of innocent people are being killed. There is no doubt those on the receiving end of US drone strikes see what we’re doing as an act of terror. To put someone into power who then sets policies in motion to carry out these horrific policies which are considered war crimes in many countries, in our collective names is terror. Hold this President accountable.

Below are just a few links to just a few of the hundreds of stories talking about this…

Obama & Romney Spar, Both Fail to Mention the Acts of Terror Against Black Libyans

During last night’s debate President Barack Obama delivered what many considered a death-blow when he and Mitt Romney exchanged barbs about Libya.  Romney called into question Obama’s judgement or lacktherof around the securing of the Embassy which came under attack on September 11th resulting in the death of 4 Americans including ambassador Christopher Stevens.

In the back and forth, Romney attempted to chastise the President for not calling the attacks on the Embassy an ‘Act of Terror‘. Obama retorted that he had. He demanded that Romney ‘look at the transcript’. The nail in the coffin came when CNN moderator Candy Crowley backed up Obama’s claim and publicly corrected Romney.  He had indeed referenced the attacks in Benghazi, as acts of terror.

It was also during this exchange that President Obama looking sternly at Mitt Romney and said he was taking full responsibility for what occurred in Libya. He said this in spite of the fact Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had already fallen on the proverbial sword. Obama made it clear that Hillary worked for him and the buck stopped with him.. The president was widely praised for his forthright remarks, even as pundits on both sides of the political aisle debated what the president ‘really meant’ when he uttered the phrase ‘acts of terror’ the day after the attacks.

Sadly what President Obama didn’t take responsibility nor ever reference was the ongoing ‘acts of terror’ and torture that have befallen Black Libyans since the US and NATO armed and aided the NTC militias. This is the dirty little secret known all over the world where the UN, Amnesty International along with former congress woman and Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney after returning from Libya on a fact-finding trek, have all weighed in and reported.

When conflict in Libya first emerged there were mainstream stories here in the US asserting that leader Moammar Gaddafi was hiring black mercenary soldiers. So for the few journalist who got wind of torture of Black Libyans, they dismissed it and said it was mercenaries working for Gaddafi being slaughtered. Such assertions have long been disproven. The folks being ethnically cleansed were Black Libyans and innocent Black migrant workers many of them coming from other countries like Ethiopia. The torture they’ve been subjected to have been horrific ranging from public hangings, whippings, entire families shot and burned out of their homes, while others Black Libyans have been put in zoo cages and forced to eat the new Libyan flag. All of this has been well documented but ignored by our President. Even Al Jazzera which is owned and financed by the monarchs of Qatar have even reported on the wholesale slaughter of Black Libyans and they have long been stark opponents of former Libyan leader Gaddafi.

Here in the US many in the mainstream media have blocked it out and so when mentioning it, its taken as something that’s unbelievable. Many will quickly ask where are the ‘reputable’ sources to this torture  after all its something that journalist like award-winning Candy Crowley didn’t bother to mention in any of her questions. Many who are press from other countries had they been moderating would’ve definitely followed up with a question to President Obama about his thoughts and whether or not he would take responsibility for the widespread torture that militia’s he backed were committing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmzGJoQlw08

In all likelihood President Obama will be re-elected. Folks will see him being in the White House as something far better then the madness we see going within the GOP. With that being said, Obama being put into power comes with a responsibility ALL of us have. We can start with making sure he does something to end this Ethnic cleansing of Black folks in Libya and in other parts of Africa. We must strive to always keep a sense of our humanity and recognize the humanity in others, especially those who are being severely oppressed.

So yes, what took place on September 11th in Libya was an act of terror when 4 Americans who we will presume were innocent, were killed. But the hundreds and thousands of Black folks being tortured, killed and abused in Libya is also an act of terror. To ignore it is to be complicit. e could take it there and take about all the drone strikes taking place in countries like Somalia and Pakistan where scores of innocent people are being killed. There is no doubt those on the receiving end of  US drone strikes see what we’re doing as an act of terror.  To put someone into power who then sets policies in motion to carry out these horrific policies which are considered war crimes in many countries, in our collective names is terror.  Hold this President accountable.

Below are just a few links to just a few of the hundreds of stories talking about this…

HKR: What’s Behind the Unrest in Libya-Is It Really Over an Offensive Film?

Yesterday (HKR) Hard Knock Radio sat down w/ Dawud Walid who heads up the CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) chapter in Michigan to talk about the tragic events that have unfolded in Libya. The death of ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other state department officials has made headlines all over the world. In this interview we sought to answer, ‘Is all the hoopla really about an obscure offensive movie or is there more to the puzzle’?  As offensive as this film may be why would demonstrations against it turn to deadly violence?

Walid gives us a brief history and context about the events that have transpired in Libya over the past year. He notes the intervention by NATO and the US  wasn’t a humanitarian effort as was stated, instead it was more along the lines of Regime Change.. With that in mind, what ever attacks levied on the US Embassy has got to be seen from that perspective.. Walid explains this in greater detail.

Walid also gives us a run down of the forces that may be behind the offensive film. He notes it’s not just one lone film director (Sam Bacile) with an axe to grind against Islam, nor is this the first time an inflammatory film has been released trashing Islam. Walid points out the extremist anti Muslim pro-Occupation Zionist forces who in the past have deliberately sought to inflame tensions in the region and have long used propaganda pieces like this movie to achieve that end.. He suspects that connection exists here..Below is a trailer to this film which was shot in California.. It should be noted that the several of the actors in this film have spoken out condemning the film stating they had no idea of the offensive contents. The script given to them did not add up to the final product.

The other question raised is why didn’t the State Department get out ahead of this film and distance itself and give folks a heads up? The film’s trailer was posted on line back in July..Given the sensitivity and diplomatic experience we have with folks in the region, why wasn’t there a pre-emptive briefing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiOEV0v2RM

In listening to this interview and seeing the events further unfold, what’s not lost on me was being at the DNC in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago and seeing that large crowd of political leaders cheer over and over and chant USA USA as everyone from Vice President Joe Biden to Senator John Kerry emphasized how they killed Osama Bin Laden. We’ve long been told and as a country have often insisted that we not cheer death even if we feel that death was justified. It’s bad seed to plant especially when at look at the latest uproar and this incident and believe the updated information from the state department that the attacks on the Embassy were planned and came from al-Qaeda.

Here’s our HKR interview with Dawud Walid..

Understanding the Libyan Uprisings: An Alternative Perspective

This week we recognize the 8th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, an illegal war of occupation that continues to this day.  The grounds on which the Iraq war was based turned out to be a batch of lies coaxed up by top officials in the United States government.  The U.S. Secretary of State – General Colon Powell, introduced these lies and manipulations to the United Nations at the request of his boss President George W. Bush.  Eight years later and under a new administration, another U.S. Secretary of State makes arguments supporting military action against what would be the fifth country currently under attack by U.S. military forces.  Libya can now be added to the exclusive list of nations being bombed by the United States and her allies, which also includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the occasional bombing of Yemen. (This list does not count the dozen or more nations currently being victimized by U.S. covert actions and state sponsored terrorism.)

To better understand the complex and dynamic circumstances involved in the Libya situation requires an understanding and analysis that goes far beyond what is reported in the mainstream media.  This article will be one of a three-part series that will attempt to shed some light on the situation and fill in some of the voids that are a result of a well designed misinformation campaign against the Libyan government and perpetuated by U.S. and European intelligence agencies.  “Part 1” focuses on who the Libyan “opposition” or “rebel” forces are.  “Part 2” talks about some of the confusing and contradicting language that is being used by Western media outlets, Al Jazeera, and even many of the independent progressive media sources here in the United States. “Part 3” focuses on the question “why Libya?” as opposed to Yemen, Bahrain, and other non-democratic regimes facing domestic opposition in the region.

The conclusions I make are not merely speculative.  Much of what I will be writing draws on both my personal knowledge on the subject, as well as correspondence with Libyan friends who are currently in Tripoli and Benghazi.  My contact in Benghazi is a University Professor who I met while visiting Tripoli a year ago as part of a delegation led by former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.  For safety, I agreed to conceal this person’s identity and will not specify which information came from this source, although in some cases it may be obvious.

Part 1: The Opposition Forces?

As I sit to write this article from the safety of an American café in Anchorage, Alaska, bombs rain down on cities and towns all across the North African nation of Libya.  I can hear reports from one of the corporate news stations on the television here.  As I look up at the screen I see a close-up of Libyans cheering, while in a small window on the upper right side of the screen there are far off images of bombs and missiles causing explosions on what appear to be Libyan targets.  I suppose the message here is similar to the visual messages that we were fed 8 years ago as we saw Iraqi’s cheering their new occupiers driving in on tanks and heavily armored humvees.

One of the questions regarding the Libyan unrest that has yet to be answered by any of the news agencies is – who exactly are these Libyan rebels?  The western media, with help from Al Jazeera, has done a remarkable job portraying the unrest in Libya as a popular revolt.  The anti-government or opposition forces have been referred to by various titles, including “pro-democracy protestors” and “non-violent demonstrators” to sell the image of them as a continuation of the pro-democracy movements that began in Tunisia then spread to Egypt.  However these terms, while still being used by some media outlets, fail to correctly identify the extremely complex and diverse makeup of the rebels.  While some of the protestors are calling for democracy in Libya, that is not necessarily the consensus among everyone in the opposition.

For instance, we can begin to understand who this opposition group is by first looking at what flag they are flying.  It seems as though the flag of the opposition has been widely accepted by the rebels.  What is not talked about in the media, and even among progressives, is what this red, black, and green flag with a crescent in the center actually represents.  First of all, it is the former flag of Libya that was introduced after independence under the rule of King Idris.  Idris ruled the monarchy after independence until 1969 when he was overthrown by the military under the lead of a young Colonel with a Pan-Arab/Nassarite ideology.  (A monarchy is far from a democracy and monarchs are still ruling in many parts of the Arab world.  Their rule is passed through hereditary and sometimes marital relations.)

Following the overthrow of King Idris in 1969, the flag was changed from the red, black, and green to a red, white, and black flag with no religious symbols.  In 1977 the revolutionary council led by Colonel Gaddafi introduced a new flag.   The Libyan flag, which still flies today, is a simple green flag.  Libya is the only nation represented by a single color flag with no symbols.

The issue of what flag the opposition forces are flying is of extreme importance because it says a lot about who they are and what they want.  If you recall, during the Tunisian and Egyptian uprising, the protestors flew their national flags, which suggested that although they wanted an end to the dictatorial rule, they still identified with the nation in its modern form.  At the beginning of the uprising in Libya, there were green Libyan flags being flown by some of the youth, students and professionals who make up what can be considered the “intelligencia” class.  These were the very first protestors who where clearly inspired by the democratic movement that hit North Africa, starting with Tunisia and spreading to Egypt.   I remember the first image I saw regarding a demonstration in Libya was online at Al Jazeera English.  The demonstrator, a young man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties, was on camera demanding Libya live up to the country’s official name the “Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.”   [The term Jamahiriya is Arabic for “a state of the masses,” which is another term for the governing structure known as a “direct democracy.”  A direct democracy refers to a system where the masses of the people are involved in the decision making through a process of councils starting from their local community reaching up to their national government.  It differs from a representative democracy where individuals elect candidates to speak for and represent them.]

Immediately following the first day of protests in the capital city of Tripoli the government clamped down hard and things seemed quiet for about a week in early February.  By the middle of February protests sprung up outside of the capital, primarily in the second largest city of Benghazi, which has since been the focus area of the corporate media.  The protests in Benghazi differed from the earlier non-violent protests that occurred in Tripoli.  The Benghazi protests included the attacking of government institutions.  The burning of government buildings quickly distinguished these protests from what was happening in other parts of North African and the Middle East.  The news media continued to call the protestors “non-violent” and “pro-democratic,” even as the protestors themselves acted contrary to those descriptions.  The terminology is important, as it is used strategically to form public opinion.  In “Part 2” of this series I will go further into the biased news reports and terminology that was used to shape the discourse and raise sympathy for the opposition forces.

What should be understood about the opposition forces in Libya is that they are not made up of any one particular group.  In actuality, the opposition is made up of a coalition of groups that only really have one political view in common, ending the 40-year rule of Gaddafi.   However, the problem facing the opposition forces is that there are differing beliefs on what should come after to replace Gaddafi’s regime.  Just because they all want change does not mean that they all agree on what that change should be.  For instance, the intelligencia class was demanding democratic reform, not necessarily the overthrow of the government.  They advocate living up to the true meaning and mission of a direct democracy.  Ironically enough, this was also part of a critique leveled against the Libyan government by Gaddafi himself, in 2008 and again in 2009 when he called for the reforming of the government due to a failed bureaucracy and corruption.  (Another issue that will be talked about in the second part of this series is the fact that the media refuses to recognize the actual government of Libya that is and has been in place prior to the unrest.  If you only listen to the corporate media they would have you believe this 70 something year old man was running every government entity in the country.)

The next group that participates in the opposition coalition is based on partial tribal alliances that would like to see the entire government of Libya overthrown and possibly the re-instatement of the monarchy.  This group is rather powerful and is not new to Libya.  They are strongest in the town of Benghazi and they have a history of being in cahoots with foreign intelligence agencies.  This element of the opposition has been funded and armed by foreign intelligence agencies in the past and even attempted an uprising against the government after a 1996 massacre in a local prison where inmates took hostages and held a prison revolt, but were ultimately killed by prison guards. The exact number of killed prisoners is unknown but some reports claim to be as high as 1200.

Family members of the slain prisoners have on several occasions protested the massacre.  Opportunistic anti-government forces in Benghazi attempted to exploit these protests with the intent to start a popular uprising, by rallying people around this prison massacre.  This brings us to the next group and probably the best organized prior to the current uprising.  This group is made up of educated professionals who feel Libya should be modeled after western capitalist nations like the United States.  Prior to the civil unrest these power hungry opportunists where never able to amass any considerable amount of support from the Libyan masses.  When they tried to use the prison massacre protests to ignite the people of Benghazi, the Libyan government quickly suppressed the protests. This segment of the opposition continued to organize both inside Benghazi and internationally under the title the “Libyan National Council”.

Mahmoud Jibril

The leader of the Libyan National Council is a man named Mahmoud Jibril.  Jibril has close ties with the United States, Britain and France.  It was reported last week by several news agencies that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a brief meeting with Jibril while she was in France.  French officials are also watching over Jibril and protecting him from harm upon reports that Colonel Gaddafi put up a reward of $400,000 to kill Jibril.  Jibril is believed by some to have been on the CIA payroll dating back to when he studied and then later taught in the U.S. prior to working in the Libyan government.  Jibril is an ex-patriot who worked high up in the Libyan government.  Some believe that his CIA ties were discovered and the cause of his quick exile to Europe.  It must be noted that Mahmoud Jibril and the Libyan National Council does not represent all of the anti-government forces in Libya.  There are many who will not follow him because of his close ties with European and U.S. Intelligence agencies.

The third group that contributes to the opposition is the fundamentalist Muslims or what the media calls Islamists.  This is the religious sector in Libya that would like to see a government lead by Shari’ a, or the law of the Quran.  This segment has also made its objectives very clear over the years, they wants to take over the country.  The most popular of the Islamist groups is known as the “Fighting Islamist Group in Libya”.

At the beginning of the unrest Gaddafi came on television and accused al-Qaeda of being responsible for the unrest.  He said that they drugged the youth in order to gain their support.  Many thought this to be an absurd accusation and a desperate attempt to demonize the young protestors.  It may have been a sign of desperation, but it certainly was not unfounded, at least the al-Qaeda part.  As for the drug accusation I can only assume Gaddafi was confused as to why the students would come out against him after all he had done for them and the country.  Making the university system open and free to everyone, or government sponsorship of students to study abroad in the US, Europe and in parts of the Middle East was a product of his (Gaddafi’s) leadership.  He knows the Islamists did not have that big of an influence on the youth and students, so in his mind, they must have been drugged.   How he came up with the charge of drugs is not quite clear to this writer, but what is clear is that al-Qaeda has been active in Libya and conspiring against Gaddafi for over 15 years.

On November 10, 2002 an article appeared in the Guardian, the U.K.’s largest daily newspaper, exposing a plot between the MI6 (British Intelligence) and an active al-Qaeda cell in Libya.  The article charges MI6 with paying the al-Qaeda cell to assassinate Colonel Gaddafi in 1996.  The al-Qaeda cell attempted to carry out the assassination attempt, but was obviously unsuccessful.  The details of the plot are not completely clear, however al-Qaeda members attempted to kill Gaddafi by throwing a grenade at him while he was visiting the town of Sirte.  During an intense gunfight, the Islamists and several civilians where killed.

There are multiple Muslim fundamentalist organizations active in Libya.  It is not clear whether the Islamists are al-Qaeda, or part of another group if any, or if they are just fundamentalists who want Shari’ a law imposed.  On November 3, 2007 the BBC and other press agencies reported that the “Fighting Islamist Group in Libya” merged with al-Qaeda and this was substantiated through a recorded message by Ayman al-Zawahri a senior leader in al-Qaeda at the time.  But regardless of their particular affiliation, what is important to note here are that their ultimate objective conflicts with the pro-democracy youth, the tribal loyalists of the monarchy, and the opportunistic Libyan National Council.   I have to assume that for the purpose of working together against the Libyan government, the Islamists put their differences aside temporarily.

Finally, you have the masses of people who, for the most part did not belong to any of these groups but where caught up in the excitement and the possibility of change and freedom.  I am told that this is the largest portion of the opposition.  Many of these people have legitimate dispute with and disdain for the government.  They just want to live in peace free from fear and repression.  Some have even served in the Libyan military and are applying their training to what has turned into a civil war.  This group includes those in the police and military forces that sided with the anti-government forces.

I have also been told that some of the former soldiers in Benghazi would rather be loyal to the Government, but they fear for their safety and therefore feel that they must go along with the opposition.  This touches on another issue that I will discuss in “Part 2” of this series, that is, the fact that a large portion of the Libyan society is loyal to the government and Gaddafi, whereas the western media would have you believe the opposite.

I have pointed out roughly five completely different groups that make up the anti-government forces.  I refuse to call them “pro-democracy” forces because they are not all for a democratic society.  I also cannot call them “non-violent” protestors because the only non-violent group among them is the actual “pro-democracy” youth.  I was told that some of the students and youth protestors have been pushed out of the opposition because they continually argued for non-violent resistance and opposed taking up arms against government forces.  They understood clearly that they were no match against the military and that foreign intervention would be required to save their lives if they turn the struggle into a civil war.  Other forces within the opposition, mainly within the tribal monarchy supporters along with the opportunists, dominated the opposition politically and forced the armed struggle on the masses in Benghazi and other small towns.  In Benghazi many of the youth leaders and activists have given up because many of the internal conflicts have resulted in fighting within the opposition and many of them left the opposition and the country in fear for their lives.  This is not fear of government forces, but rather of violence perpetrated on them by members of the opposition.  In other words, there was a segment that was following the Tunisia/Egypt model, but they were forced to abandon that model or leave the anti-government ranks.

There where other conflicts between the youth/students and the supporters of the Libyan National Council, such as the issue of the Council’s leader, Mahmoud Jibril.  The youth do not trust him and believe he is an opportunist who will ultimately serve the interests of the west.  They compare him with Hamid Karzai, the U.S. -installed President of Afghanistan.  As with the youth of Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan youth are not willing to settle for anything less than a true democracy, free of dictators and neo-colonial rulers.

The youth also oppose the request for foreign intervention.  They understand what comes with that intervention and how it is applied.  However, the majority of the opposition forces are very hopeful, if not convinced, that support from the U.S. and Europe will lead to a victory against the Libyan military and ultimately the end of the Gaddafi regime.  The Libyan National Council fully supports the foreign intervention because they know it is their ticket to power in the post-Gaddafi Libya.

The question that will need to be asked in the near future is what promises or deals did Mahmoud Jibril make in return for Western support? If the U.S., U.K., and France achieve their goal of toppling the Gaddafi regime, will they install their man Jibril with mass Libyan support or will they do it regardless of any Libyan opposition to the Libyan National Council?  All of this is conditioned on how far Western involvement in Libya extends.  The British Defense Secretary, Liam Fox, recently suggested that Gaddafi is a target, while U.S. President Obama said that Gaddafi was not a target.  Either one of them is lying or they have different objectives.

About the Author:

Troy Nkrumah is a Pan-Africanist with a long history of social justice and anti-imperialist activism. He began as a student organizer in Los Angeles and San Francisco.  He is currently the President/CEO of the Anchorage Urban League and an outspoken advocate for Human Rights.  Troy has traveled extensively throughout Africa and Latin America.  He traveled to Libya at the end of 2009 as part of a delegation lead by former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.  Troy has studied, taught and written about Africa and the anti-colonial struggle. He holds a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in International Relations. He also has a Law Degree and has worked in Tanzania for the United Nations at the Rwanda Genocide Tribunal.