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US Evacuates Libya Embassy Following Biggest Local Violence Since Gadhafi Ouster
The middle east is burning again: first it was the fascinating ascent of the brutal Al-Qaeda spinoff ISIS, creating its own Caliphate in northern Iraq and in the process taking over a third of Syrian territory as well as all of its oil infrastructure. Then, the latest iteration of the Israel vs Gaza conflict has now claimed over 1000 lives and is dragging virtually all neighboring countries into it as well. And the cherry on top is that the Libyan "liberation" by the US has just gone full circle, as the country is is now witnessing one of its worst spasms of violence since Gadhafi’s ouster. End result: nearly two years after the deadly attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, moments ago the US once again shuttered its embassy in Libya, this time in Tripoli, evacuating more than 150 Americans to Tunisia. This is happening just 24 hours after the US Secretary of State was literally next door in Egypt, assuring the region that peace and stability are just around the corner.
From NBC:
More than 150 Americans have been evacuated from the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, Libya, amid spiraling militant violence aimed at the Libyan government. "The U.S. together with other countries have decided that because of the freewheeling militia violence that is taking place particularly around the embassy ... it presents a real risk to our personnel," Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters during a trip to France.
American officials told NBC News that the 158 Americans, including 80 heavily armed U.S. Marines, left the embassy compound early Saturday in a caravan of SUV's and buses and drove west toward neighboring Tunisia. Besides the Marines who were the embassy’s security force, the caravan was also protected overhead by two American F-16 fighter jets and unmanned drones that shadowed the group on their drive.
At least two American warships, a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Ross and a guided-missile cruiser, the USS Vella Gulf, were nearby in the Mediterranean in case additional military protection was needed, officials told NBC News.
While there appeared to be no direct threat of an attack against the embassy, the rising violence in Libya recently prevented delivery of food and other vital supplies to the embassy over roads now largely controlled or threatened by rebel militant forces, the officials added.
While it needs no reminding, CBS does so nonetheless, that "the move marks the second time in a little more than three years that Washington has closed its embassy in Libya. In Feb. 2011, the embassy suspended operations amid the uprising that eventually toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. After the formation of a transitional government in July, 2011, the embassy reopened in September. Gadhafi was killed in October of 2011."
The Obama administration has been particularly sensitive about security of U.S. government employees in Libya since the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in the country’s second largest city of Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The administration is still fending off criticism from Republicans and others that it did not either enhance security in Benghazi or evacuate the mission due to rising violence in that city in the months prior to the attack.
The Benghazi mission was abandoned after that attack and never reopened. The embassy In Tripoli has been operating with reduced staff since but has remained open even as the violence intensified.
But wait, didn't Brent drop recently because the political situation in Libya was getting better? Recall from Goldman:
On July 2, federalist rebels handed the central oil terminals of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider back to the Libyan government, with a combined capacity of 560 thousand barrels per day. The government lifted the force majeure on July 6, allowing the NOC to start marketing crude from the ports. This development points to a potential sharp ramp-up in Libyan oil production from its current 320 thousand barrels per day level as well as a ramp-up in exports that have been erratic so far this year. This has led to a decline in crude oil prices, with Brent prices down nearly $2.00/bbl since Reuters first reported this deal and currently trading near $110/bbl, although the lack of further deterioration in Iraq, where exports remain undisrupted, has also contributed to the broader decline in prices over the past two weeks.
Apparently not.
In Tripoli, the militias are fighting mostly for control of the airport. They are on the government’s payroll since authorities have depended on them to restore order.
The U.S. is just latest in a number of countries to have closed down their diplomatic operations in Libya. Turkey on Friday announced that it had closed down its embassy and militia clashes in Benghazi have prompted the United Nations, aid groups and foreign envoys to leave.
In Tripoli, clashes near the international airport have forced residents to evacuate their homes nearby after they were hit by shells. On Friday, the official Libyan news agency LANA reported that explosions were heard early in the day near the airport area and continued into the afternoon.
The battle in Tripoli began earlier this month when Islamist-led militias — mostly from the western city of Misrata — launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival militias from the western mountain town of Zintan. On Monday, a $113 million Airbus A330 passenger jet for Libya’s state-owned Afriqiyah Airways was destroyed in the fighting.
The rival militias, made up largely of former anti-Gadhafi rebels, have forced a weeklong closure of gas stations and government offices. In recent days, armed men have attacked vehicles carrying money from the Central Bank to local banks, forcing their closure.
Libyan government officials and activists have increasingly been targeted in the violence. Gunmen kidnapped two lawmakers in the western suburbs of Tripoli a week ago and on Friday armed men abducted Abdel-Moaz Banoun, a well-known Libyan political activist in Tripoli, according to his father.
Finally, there is of course the obligatory spin:
To be clear, our embassy in Tripoli is not closed. We have temporarily suspended operations. Difference is an important one.
— Marie Harf (@marieharf) July 26, 2014
Full statement from the State Department on the evacuation:
Due to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, we have temporarily relocated all of our personnel out of Libya.
We are committed to supporting the Libyan people during this challenging time, and are currently exploring options for a permanent return to Tripoli as soon as the security situation on the ground improves. In the interim, staff will operate from Washington and other posts in the region.
Securing our facilities and ensuring the safety of our personnel are top Department priorities, and we did not make this decision lightly. Security has to come first. Regrettably, we had to take this step because the location of our embassy is in very close proximity to intense fighting and ongoing violence between armed Libyan factions.
This relocation was done over land, with our personnel arriving in Tunisia this morning, and traveling onward from there. We are grateful to the Government of Tunisia for its cooperation and support.
We will continue to engage all Libyans and the international community to seek a peaceful resolution to the current conflict and to advance Libya’s democratic transition. We reiterate that Libyans must immediately cease hostilities and begin negotiations to resolve their grievances. We join the international community in calling on all Libyans to respect the will of the people, including the authority of the recently-elected Council of Representatives, and to reject the use of violence to affect political processes. Many brave Libyans sacrificed to advance their country toward a more secure and prosperous future. We continue to stand solidly by the Libyan people as they endeavor to do so.
Turns out "it does make a difference after all."
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I AM GOD DESTROYER OF WORLDS!
Friggin Zionist wackos...bunch of friggin Nazis too. The irony of course is that they really do need the breathing space. Why is Russia in Crimea again?
Ahem, your memory for quotations needs some work,
From the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
Ending the Confusion in U.S. China Policy| April 18, 1994
Sorry fuckstick, cannot find the signed document Clinton signed to sell all intellectual property to China. On a mothballed drive, Google has purged it.
I figure there were at least 6 conspiracies to assassinate Kennedy in Dallas that day.
Another example of Gen. 12:3 being true...
The progressive movement supported Gaddafi as a hero for a long time, including that twat Clinton. It was VERY ironic that American "progressives" ended up murdering him.
You used to 'conquer' countries by invading them, and whipping their army. Today, nobody truly 'conquers' any country because 'war' is fought by arming 'rebels' within the country. Even if the rebels win control of the country, the losing side remains well armed and continues fighting - taking on 'rebel' status themselves. For many centuries, there have been civil wars and continuous battles - broken only by brief periods when the military -or a dictator- takes charge and brutally suppresses the rebels and their civilian population. By pumping arms to 'rebels' around the globe, the US has guaranteed that there will either be civil wars, or a new dictator (strongman) that brutally takes over a country by force.
"You didn't fill out form 3467-c, version a, paragraph 2...nor did you bring the requisite copies (3) one for me, one for you and one for your Agent. In order to process said "empire of One" you will first need to declare a representative who will act as said Agent and then upon so doing you then need to....
So once hiltery gets elected she will recorrect all of Mr. "No Fucking hand on the Tillers" Obummers mistakes. We will be rescued.
Drone strikes actually sound good at this point.
Insane, she can't pass the mandatory fitness test to become a president candidate. She is just bread and crumbs for media curriculum. The daughter will be pushed into limelight.
Breaking up Libya as with Iraq and Syria is a major project of the Zionists and they have succeeded in Iraq and Libya but NOT in Syria, they also work to do the same evil in Lebanon.
Israel wants THE WATER of Lebanon and Syria for one.
Just ONE of the plans for Iraq and elsewhere:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1665.htm
The Project for the New American Century.
Excuse me, but Syria is broken up. It's just that Assad still runs his little section of it. ISIS controls the rest.
My spin on this story would yield a different headline:
The Effects of Spreading Overt US Hatred and/or Irrelevance Around the Globe: Tripoli, Libya
I would just go ahead and make it a series, run the same headline, insert a different country for each news item.
A Caravan of SUV's lmfao. You're shitting me. Only thing I can picture of a Caravan would be a long line of Camels, donkey carts, maybe a couple of gypsy wagons. lmao. Hope it isn't a caravan of Chevy Suburbans.....no wait...that might be a good thing cause once they load them up on a c130, they can drop them at the ObummerMotors dealership for some recall warranty work. win Win all the way around. 158 useless govt. appoiinted fucktards living large on the taxpayer dime as AmbASSadors. Best thng for everyone would to just leave em all there for a good ass pounding like Stevens got.....that might cut down on future useless idiots taking these political appointed cush jobs. Of course if the WH got wind of some ass pounding going on, Obama would throw down the clubs and fire up AF1 to see if he could get in on the action.
They are all GM Terrain's and just being recalled.
Some steering problems, no worries.
Why did the American people allow this travesty to happen in the first place? That is the real question. To American citizens on ZH - What purpose do your comments here on ZH serve if you aren't willing to step into the streets of your cities and towns to put your balls on the line and back up your words with action? You should be protesting en masse in front of the WH and the Capitol. You should be confronting your militarized police force. You should be throwing bricks and molotov cocktails. You should be fighting for the freedoms that you all have acknowledged here, on ZH, that you have lost.
Stand up. Fight back. Your forefathers, who fought for their freedom, would be ashamed of you.
My balls are perfectly fine right here where they are safe from ending up in a Detention Camp thank you. Bricks and Molotov Cocktails. lmfao. Good one. Last thing I want to do is immitate a fucktard Palestinian. We all know how that turns out.
Anti-war protests are not in fashion while the Progressive Dream is in office.
No, i am sorry.
My frontlawn still looks quiet and peacefull, nothing going on.
The American People did not just allow this to happen, though its easy to believe otherwise.
The Oligarch's are prepared for violent demonstrations in the US and the population has not stepped up its game for that. Occupy/TEA Party demonstrations were each met with that preparation, and this shows us where to begin.
I'm utopian this way, but when the populations in the Western World unite around economics that do not feed the Oligarchy, a major shift will occur. Our Bricks and Molotov's in the West is rejection of the debt & fossil-energy dependence now ruling us. When we unite around economics that prioritize harmony, we stand a much better chance at the fruits of liberty and justice. We in the Western World have the luxury of that choice, at present.
My realistic side fears real bricks and molotov's will prevail in the short term given the FACT many of our fellow humans on Earth have nothing left to lose. So they'll lose it!
So, yes. We do need to put our balls on the line, but maybe there is a better way than assured defeat.
"This is happening just 24 hours after the US Secretary of State was literally next door in Egypt, assuring the region that peace and stability are just around the corner."
I think Mr. Kerry may be confused as to the definition of peace and stability because it s painfully obvious what Washington is currently pushing for is anything but that...
check out SB. 2277 and you will see in print that they are in fact pushing for the exact opposite.
but I suppose the "just around corner" part might mean we will have said peace and security only after hundreds of millions die and who knows how many cities are turned to ash.
it hard to believe, as someone who grew up during the cold war that it has come to this, but here we are standing on death watch for the world and the clock is showing 2 minutes to midnight.
Two seconds too midnight IMO.
I have never seen the world this dangerous, including during the height of the Cuban missile
crisis.It was pure luck that the world survived that.Hoping for that kind of luck twice, is a fools
errand.
Just like Nixon "temporarily" took the U.S. Dollar of the gold standard.
In this episode of DUNE...
The emperor should send in the sardaukar.
The spice must flow.
The Pottery Barn rule completed:
You break it, you bought it, you are kicked out of the store.
"To be clear, we are not in default, we just do not have the money or means to pay you back."
Next US statement, no wait right after "It's Putin fault".
LOL...we're such assholes...
You said it, i didn't.
I just agree.
Boy,
those rebel militias are lucky...and smart.
They're not talking about introducing a gold Dinar.
Guess they saw what happened to the last guy who talked about that.
He got tons of "Freedom and Democracy" dropped on him.
occupiers deserve whats handed to them.
The Master runs away from the the Monster and the mess he created lol
The child played with matches and denies he started a fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5-Nsn93TcU
I wonder if this hero will later regret allowing his horrifying war experience to be used in this Fucktwit Circus.
'...just 24 hours after the US Secretary of State was literally next door in Egypt, assuring the region that peace and stability are just around the corner...'
Got to hand it to the US Govt ...they can't even balance their budgets without a total farce.. but these clowns think they can put other countries to right
Arrest the movie responsible!
Will someone PLEASE shove a stick up Hitlery's ass?
Greetings from Tripoli BITCH
So if it is not closed who is still there.
150 have left: Out of how many total.
HARF ................. THE NEW MEANING OF IS IS....... USELESS OVERPAID TWAT
Just the players change:
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9ip7dNTPz8AySL7w8QF;_...
Jihadists got RickRolled.
That's why they're angry and we needed to evacuate the embassy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
We came, we saw, he died - Hilary Clinton on Gadaffi
Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y
How's that new, improved, Lybian regime working for you now Hilary. Another example of the USA interfering in other countries (albeit a dictatorship) and creating chaos. The Europeans were also onboard for this one. Tragic.
Send the Neocon Clinton cunt over there. That Bitch needs to talk sense to her Al-Qaeda friends whom she put into power by her NATO airwar. Now the Clinton Bitch is supporting Nazi's in Kiev who are killing hundreds. She is a bitch, a cunt and an Israeli agent. Nobody in the world is higher up my hate list than this Bitch!
So....Jack, no Christmas card for Hilary this year?
The foreign policy apparatus of the United States government, and much, perhaps most of the intelligence/clandestine services have been hijacked by factions who are primarily loyal to causes other than the well-being of the American people.
That much is clear.
ISIS, and the media coverage it immediately got, and especially the weak, token acts it took against Israel, absolutely smack of a PR stunt only CIA or Mossad could pull off. It may be the Turks and/or Saudi primarily, proximately arming the Salafist mercenaries [whatever their "name" of convenience is this week - never confuse a name, or a map with a name, with the territory] but it seems highly unlikely CIA and Mossad are not lurking in the background.
I do understand the importance of natural gas, at least in a general sense. I'd even agree that, theoretically, access to oil could be a legitimate justification for war given the chaos that would follow any modern state that lacked it. But Iraq was not primarily about oil, or even the petrodollar for the neocons. And while Syria and Ukraine, as previously noted, both involve natural gas considerations - surely, it would be much more cost effective and rational to work out deals, or at very least try, strenuously to do so first.
But the approach has never, ever been to secure cheap oil or gas. Did Iraqi oil ever pay for that war? For goodness sake, China may have benefited the most, and sure US corporations got mega no bid contracts, but whatever gains were made by US oil companies or extending the life of the petrodollar was more than offset by the trillions squandered... at least as to the United States as a whole.
The point is, the wars for energy always benefitted the MIC and large corporate interests like the Carlyle Group and Halliburton, sure, but wars always profit banks and such war profiteers. But the manner in which all of this is being done was plainly chosen as a mean to spread chaos, fracture mid-east states, and further weaken and encircle Russia.
This isn't mere corporate greed or securing oil and gas fields, which are bad enough. It is killing many hundreds of thousands of people in a megalomaniacal drive for the hegemony of the ruling powers in the United States and Israel.
The Grand Chessboard and the Oded Yinon/Zionist plan for the Middle East are driving the use of terror groups, scanctions, and media manipulation - not the race to secure energy resources per se.
All wars are not bankers wars. Many of them are about people who want to rule the world, and who are willing to set fire to much of it to achieve this.
And a great many pawns and goyim are by design to be sacrificed to achieve uncontested power.
While the rulers of the US could live with, and indeed may desire Israel to be a regional superpower, they may not fully appreciate the ideology of Zionism and Zionist eschatology. For them, ultimately, there can be only one. When the former Chief Sephardic Rabbi opined that "goyim were born only to serve Jews," he was not giving voice to some bizarre, arcane interpretation of Talmudic Judaism, he was earnestly and straightforwardly describing views replete in the major Jewish religious texts.
Which is why he is not the only major rabbi to have said such things. Funny how it scarcely ever makes the press, eh? Can you imagine a Catholic archbishop saying such things?
Everything America touches turns into shit (including capitalism).
How do they do it? Super powers?
If you like your Hussein Kenya Obanana, you can keep your Obanana.
I'll bet that pisses of the repubicans...as usual.
Hitlery Cliton - You made that!
Surrender... it's not just for the French anymore.
Ghost town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmb4ZZ5pkY&sns=em
Her original words: "What difference, at this point, does it make? "
Always wondered what a screaming cunt looked like.