NSA items and Edward Snowden watch .....

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Diplomants-from-Several-Countries-Set-Up-Meeting-to-Discuss-Snowden-Case-364200.shtml

Diplomats from Several Countries Set Up Meeting to Discuss Snowden Case

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- Edward Snowden's case will be Monday's subject for several diplomats
The Snowden case will be discussed in Moscow by representatives from several countries that are currently involved with the man behind the NSA leak. Diplomats from Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador will meet on Monday to discuss the situation of the ex CIA employee responsible for unveiling NSA spying programs that concern the entire globe, El Comercio reports. The diplomats are supposed to have a roundtable discussion with human rights activists in Russian headquarters of the Public Chamber of Russia, in order to give “a social value to the situation.” Edward Snowden has fled Hong Kong on Sunday and landed in Moscow where he has remained ever since. According to reports, he had booked a flight out to Havana, Cuba this past Monday, but he never showed up. From Cuba, he was supposed to fly to Venezuela and eventually to Ecuador. Snowden has officially requested political asylum in Ecuador, but Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan president also mentioned that if Snowden made such a petition in his country, they’d “almost certainly” accept. Due to pressures and threats made by the United States, Ecuador’s officials announced that they would not bow down to such actions and waived their trade benefits. They also offered to pay for some human rights training in the United States.

http://rt.com/news/snowden-asylum-correa-russia-438/

Ecuador's Correa: Solution for Edward Snowden's destination 'in hands of Russia'

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Published time: June 30, 2013 11:31
Edited time: June 30, 2013 12:20

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa (Reuters / Martin Sanchez)

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'Decision ours to make'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been residing in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for over a year, said during a conference call with the media broadcast by RT that Snowden had been given special refugee documents by the Ecuadorian government which facilitated his travel to Russia. But the country's top Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday that Ecuador has not granted Edward Snowden any refugee documents.

Correa also said that he didn't authorize travel documents that the diplomats in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London issued to Snowden. He explained that London consul Fidel Narvaez gave the document to Snowden, "exceeding his authority in doing so."

"[Narvaez] will be punished," Correa promised.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (AFP Photo / Drew Angerer)

On Saturday US Vice-President Joe Biden "cordially" asked Ecuador not to grant asylum to former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, according to Correa. He said his country will make a decision based on sovereignty.

Biden initiated the phone call, Correa said, mentioning that Biden's good manners were in sharp contrast to "those badly behaved and confused ones in the Senate who threaten our country," and who had promised to cut off Ecuador's trade benefits in response to Snowden's asylum request.

"He communicated a very courteous request from the United States that we reject the [asylum] request,"Correa recalled.

In Correa’s weekly broadcast on state TV, the staunch critic of the US, said he vowed to respect Washington's opinion in evaluating Snowden's request, should the whistleblower arrive in Ecuador. However, his country cannot begin processing the request unless the National Security Agency leaker reaches Ecuador.

Correa explained that "when he [Snowden] comes to Ecuadoran soil, if in fact he ever does, and we have to process the request, the first people whose opinion we will seek is that of the United States."

"Just as we did in the Assange case with England [sic], we are going to listen to everyone but the decision would be ours as a sovereign nation," he added, according to AFP.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa speaks during his programme 'Enlace Ciudadano', at the Refineria del Pacifico camp, in El Aromo, Manabi, 390 west of Quito, on June 29, 2013 (AFP Photo / Rodrigo Buendia)

"The really grave thing is what Snowden has reported," AP quoted Correa as saying. "He will have to assume his responsibilities, but the grave thing is his reporting of the biggest massive spy operation in the history of humanity, inside and outside the United States."

Correa said that while he doesn't want "to harm his country" he is "not going to give up on the principles and the sovereignty" of Ecuador.

US Senator Robert Menendez, who heads the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate, warned earlier this week that Ecuador’s stance in Snowden's case could hurt the country's international trade, which is highly dependent on exports to the US.

"Our government will not reward countries for bad behavior," the influential US lawmaker said.

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/world/49775

Russia says US put it in 'tough spot' over Snowden

Jun 29, 2013 - 09:59

Ukrainian Internet Party activists hold a "tap the phone and internet lines" protest on June 27, 2013 outside the US Embassy in Kiev to attract public attention to the violation of rights. AFP PHOTO

MOSCOW, June 29, 2013 (AFP) - Russia on Friday accused Washington of putting it in a "tough spot" by claiming it had failed to disclose revoking the passport of fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden prior to his arrival in Moscow from Hong Kong.

The diplomatic rhetoric around the explosive case of the 30-year-old former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor escalated when Washington blamed Hong Kong's government of acting in bad faith by letting Snowden out in the first place.

The fate of Snowden himself remained in limbo for a sixth day on Friday as he remained holed up in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport without making any contact with the swarm of international reporters at the scene.

The government of Ecuador -- his most likely place of exile should he avoid arrest for lifting the curtain on the scale of the US global surveillance programme to the media -- said that it had not yet processed Snowden's asylum application.

But Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro -- who will coincidentally will be in Moscow on Monday for an energy summit -- reiterated late Thursday his offer to grant a safe haven to the US fugitive.

--- Moscow lashes out at Washington ---

A Russian official close to the matter on Friday told the Interfax news agency that Washington had deliberately put Moscow in a difficult position, claiming it never reported that Snowden's passport had been revoked and that he was banned from travel.

He said Moscow might not have allowed Snowden to fly to Russia in the first place had it known about his travel problems.

"The Americans deliberately put Moscow in a tough spot by having failed to inform it of the fact that his passport was annulled in time," the source said.

"The Russian authorities were informed of this post-factum, more than a week after Snowden was stripped of his passport," he said.

"If this fact had been known in advance, then possibly Mr Snowden might not have flown to Moscow and this entire story might never have happened."

Russia and the United States do not have an extradition treaty and Moscow has thus far refused to hand over Snowden to Washington.

This refusal -- expressed personally by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week -- has added to diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Washington that have existed due to the Syria crisis.

But the United States has expressed equal anger at the handling of the situation by Hong Kong -- a US ally that is now administered by China but which has its own British-derived legal system.

Washington's Hong Kong envoy Stephen Young said China was guilty of "misbehaviour" over the former NSA contractor's abrupt departure from Hong Kong last Sunday.

Yet he also stressed that the territory itself would bear the brunt of Washington's displeasure.

"They've been throwing out some arguments as to what was going on. But frankly I don't think we had a good-faith partner throughout that process," the consul-general told foreign reporters.

--- Venezuela offers to shelter Snowden ---

The Russian source said Snowden will only be able to leave the Moscow airport after a country such as Ecuador or Venezuela offers him political asylum.

"On these grounds, he will legally leave the territory of Russia, without ever having crossed its border," the official said.

Snowden has applied for political asylum in Ecuador and was originally scheduled to travel there via Cuba on a flight that he abruptly missed on Monday.

But Ecuador's leader Rafael Correa said Thursday that his government had not yet considered the case.

The Andean nation also denied claims by WikiLeaks that it had authorised a "safe pass" travel document for Snowden and said it would be unable to process his asylum bid until he enters Ecuadorian territory.

Venezuela's Maduro -- his country's relations with Washington at a low -- appeared willing to step into the emerging void by offering Snowden a safe haven.

"If that young man needs humanitarian protection and believes that he can come to Venezuela... (then Venezuela) is prepared to protect this brave youth in a humanitarian way and so that humanity can learn the truth," Maduro said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/29/us-usa-security-snowden-analysis-idUSBRE95S01D20130629

(Reuters) - Nearly a month after Edward Snowden exposed top secret U.S. surveillance programs, the former spy agency contractor looks no closer to winning asylum to evade prosecution at home - and his options appear to be narrowing.

Stuck in legal limbo in a Moscow airport transit area and facing uncertainty over whether any of the destinations he is said to be contemplating - Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba - will let him in, Snowden seems to be at the mercy of geopolitical forces beyond his control.

Unseen in public since arriving in Moscow last weekend, much remains unclear about Snowden's overtures to various countries and how they have responded behind the scenes.

Russia may no longer have sufficient reason to continue harboring Snowden if, as is widely believed, its intelligence services have already questioned him about the classified documents that he has admitted to taking from the National Security Agency.

The leftist government of Ecuador, already sheltering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its London embassy, is reviewing Snowden's asylum request, though officials have sent mixed signals, suggesting the process could drag on for weeks.

Venezuela's new president, Nicolas Maduro, has spoken favorably of granting refuge to Snowden but has taken no action, and he may think twice about risking a setback in tentative steps toward post-Chavez rapprochement with Washington.

And even if Ecuador or Venezuela decide to take Snowden, there is no guarantee that communistCuba, the likely transit point for any flight from Moscow to those South American countries, would let him pass through and further complicate its own thorny relations with the United States.

Adding to Snowden's troubles, the Obama administration, embarrassed by his disclosures on U.S. surveillance programs and his ability to dodge extradition when he fled Hong Kong last Sunday, is bringing heavy pressure to bear on any country that might consider accepting him, diplomats say.

"Thus far, he has chosen his destinations carefully," said Carl Meacham, a foreign policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "His time, even in those countries, however, may be running out."

Another potential complication is the role of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, whose alliance with Snowden further politicizes his case. British legal researcher Sarah Harrison, a top WikiLeaks lieutenant and Assange confidante, escorted Snowden on the flight from Hong Kong to Moscow and is believed to have remained with him.

FOCUS ON RUSSIA

Russia remains the chief focus of the diplomatic scramble, and while President Vladimir Putin has clearly delighted in the chance to tweak Washington, there are questions whether he wants a prolonged saga that threatens deeper damage to already-chilly U.S.-Russia relations.

The former NSA contractor's trek took him to Moscow because he had little choice of any other route that would keep him relatively safe from his American pursuers, former Russian intelligence officers and political and security analysts said.

"He has almost nowhere to go. He does not have much of a choice," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs and a member of an influential foreign policy council.

"Considering that he came out with a serious statement that is seen by the United States as treasonous, he needs to lay out an itinerary through countries where he can feel more or less certain that he will not be handed over."

Despite Putin's insistence that Russian intelligence agencies had not been "working with" Snowden, a Russian security service source said they would certainly have interviewed him.

U.S. authorities are already operating on a "worst case" assumption that all of the classified material in Snowden's possession has made its way to one or more adversary intelligence services, U.S. national security sources said.

While top U.S. officials have warned of serious damage to national security interests from Snowden's leaks, Lukyanov suggested that in intelligence terms he was probably not a very valuable prize. "He is not some kind of special agent," he said.

Putin has built his return to the presidency on strident nationalism. If he hands Snowden back to the United States, he could face a backlash from Russians who see the American as a whistle-blowing hero.

"No matter what, we should not give him back. Let him go somewhere, or even stay in Russia - we are a big country and we have room for him as well as (French actor Gerard) Depardieu," said Viktor, a pensioner who was at Sheremetyevo airport on Friday for a vacation flight to Ukraine.

CONFUSION OVER ECUADOR

However, Snowden's protracted stay at the Moscow airport may have more to do with his problems reaching a deal with Ecuador than with any Russian desire to keep the American fugitive from moving on, the Russian security source said.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has inserted his small Andean nation into the saga by offering asylum to Snowden, whom he has praised for exposing U.S. espionage efforts. However, he may also be trying to fill the void left by the death of Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez - for a decade Washington's most vocal adversary in the region.

While Ecuador seems like Snowden's best bet as a place of refuge, its intentions are unclear.

Assange said earlier that Ecuadorean diplomats in London had issued a temporary travel document intended for Snowden, whose U.S. passport had been revoked. But the Quito government denied this.

In the meantime, Correa has said Ecuador cannot move forward with the asylum request until Snowden is in the country or makes his way to one of its embassies. Correa has indicated he is not planning to arrange transit for Snowden.

Returning to Quito on Friday from a tour of Asia, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government had been involved in talks with the Russian government about Snowden's fate, but without any result.

For now, Venezuela also was not looking promising for Snowden. Maduro has made clear several times that he would take a positive view of an asylum request, though he said on Thursday that "no one has asked us for humanitarian refuge."

Since taking office in April, Maduro has at times used thunderous, Chavez-style, anti-U.S. rhetoric but he has also expressed interest in better relations with Washington.

Without help from a sympathetic government, Snowden's ability to travel is limited. The increasingly grim predicament may explain why his father on Friday said he is reasonably confident the 30-year-old Snowden would return if certain conditions were met.

Those conditions include not detaining Snowden before trial, not subjecting him to a gag order and letting him choose the location of his trial, according to a letter that Lonnie Snowden's lawyer, Bruce Fein, sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/28/edward-snowden-ecuador-julian-assange

Ecuador cools on Edward Snowden asylum as Assange frustration grows

The plan to spirit the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden to sanctuary in Latin America appeared to be unravelling on Friday, amid tension between Ecuador's government and Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

President Rafael Correa halted an effort to help Snowden leave Russia amid concern Assange was usurping the role of the Ecuadoran government, according to leaked diplomatic correspondence published on Friday.

Amid signs Quito was cooling with Snowden and irritated with Assange, Correa declared invalid a temporary travel document which could have helped extract Snowden from his reported location in Moscow.

Correa declared that the safe conduct pass issued by Ecuador's London consul – in collaboration with Assange – was unauthorised, after other Ecuadorean diplomats privately said the WikiLeaks founder could be perceived as "running the show".

According to the correspondence, which was obtained by the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision and shared with the Wall Street Journal, divisions over Assange have roiled Ecuador's government.

Ecuador's ambassador to the US, Nathalie Cely, told presidential spokesman Fernando Alvarado that Quito's role in the drama was being overshadowed by the WikiLeaks founder, who has sheltered in Ecuador's London embassy for the past year to avoid extradition.

"I suggest talking to Assange to better control the communications. From outside, [Assange] appears to be running the show."

Earlier this week a senior foreign diplomat in Quito told the Guardian that some – though not all – factions in the government were annoyed with what they saw as Assange grandstanding.

In a message attributed to Assange sent to Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, and other top officials, the WikiLeaks founder apologised "if we have unwittingly [caused] Ecuador discomfort in the Snowden matter." The note continued: "There is a fog of war due to the rapid nature of events. If similar events arise you can be assured that they do not originate in any lack of respect or concern for Ecuador or its government."

Assange appears to have had a strong role in obtaining the travel document for Snowden, dated 22 June which bore the printed name, but not signature, of the London consul, Fidel Narvaez, a confidante. By mid-week Narvaez was reportedly in Moscow.

The document could have helped Snowden, whose US passport has been revoked, leave the transit lounge of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport where he has reportedly holed up since fleeing Hong Kong last weekend.

On Thursday, Correa, who previously has hailed Snowden for exposing US spying, and has earned kudos for defying Washington pressure over the affair, reduced Snowden's chances of making it to Quito.

At a press conference the president declared the travel document invalid and said Ecuador would not consider an asylum request unless Snowden reached Ecuadorean territory, an increasingly remote prospect.

"The situation of Mr Snowden is a complex situation and we don't know how he will solve it."

Correa did however ramp up defiance of the US by waiving preferential trade rights to thwart what officials called Washington "blackmail". Analysts said Correa, an economist who specialised in game theory, had so far skilfully extracted political capital from the saga without drawing US retaliation.

In a TV interview on Friday, Snowden's father said said he was worried about the involvement of WikiLeaks. "I don't want to put him in peril, but I am concerned about those who surround him," Lonnie Snowden told NBC.

"I think WikiLeaks, if you've looked at past history … their focus isn't necessarily the constitution of the United States. It's simply to release as much information as possible."

Snowden said he did not believe his son had betrayed his country. "At this point, I don't feel that he's committed treason. He has broken US law, in a sense that he has released classified information. And if folks want to classify him as a traitor, in fact he has betrayed his government. But I don't believe that he's betrayed the people of the United States."

Snowden said he had told US attorney general Eric Holder through his lawyer that his son might return home if he would not be detained before trial, could choose the location for his trial and would not be subjected to a gag order. It was not clear that Lonnie Snowden was communicating his son's views, as he also said they had not spoken since April.

Ecuador Cancels US Trade Pact Over Repeated Threats

Offers 'Aid' to US to Train Them Not to Attack Peoples' Privacy

by Jason Ditz, June 27, 2013

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Faced with several days of overt threats from the Obama Administration and top senators threatening to revoke a key US-Ecuador trade pact if they dare to grant asylum to Edward Snowden, the Ecuadoran government has told the US what they can do with their frozen broccoli and fresh cut flowers, and has cancelled the pact themselves.

President Rafael Correa said that his nation would not tolerate US blackmail and that the trade pact wasn’t worth the harm it would do to Ecuadoran sovereignty. With most of its neighbors getting free trade with the US, the loss of the pact may put Ecuador at an economic disadvantage.

But only really on the broccoli and the flowers. Though those are big exports to the US, they are dwarfed by Ecuador’s largest export, oil. And if Ecuador’s oil is no longer welcome in the US, that’s one commodity they can easily sell elsewhere.

And just in case there were any doubts of what Ecuador was telling the Obama Administration, the nation’s Communications Secretary, Fernando Alvarado, announced $23 million in Ecuadoran aid to the United States to provide “human rights training” to combat torture, illegal executions and “attacks on peoples’ privacy.”

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NSA Collected US Email Records for Over 2 Years Under Obama

Officials Use the Media to Anonymously Make Case Against Snowden

US Army Blocks Soldier Access to Guardian Website

Snowden Could Request Asylum in Russia: Official

Syria items.......

http://www.france24.com/en/20130628-jordanians-suspicious-about-us-military-deployment

Jordanians 'suspicious' about US military deployment

Jordanian security guards patrol the entrance to Zaatari refugee camp, near the border with Syria, on August 15, 2012.

AFP - Jordanians are suspicious about US weapons and troops being deployed to the kingdom, even if Washington seeks to help its ally protect itself from a possible spillover of Syrian violence, experts say.
Worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbour, the United States has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.
A US defence official has told AFP that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.
"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.
"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbours, which would impact the country itself."
Rintawi said Jordan is a key US regional ally that is still stable and secure.
"For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East.
"But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country."
US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Amman on Friday on another errand -- to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, as he sought to revive stalled Middle East peace talks.
Jordan has repeatedly said it does not seek to interfere in Syria's affairs.
Last week, Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur denied a Los Angeles Times report that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syrian rebels at a new American desert base in southwest Jordan.
"There is no training in our country whatsoever of Syrian opposition forces... the only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees," he told journalists.
MP Khalil Atiyeh, deputy house speaker, says lawmakers reject the presence of foreign forces.
"As deputies representing Jordanian people, we do not accept US or any other foreign troops in Jordan. Jordanians do not think there are threats from Syria."
"But we understand the nature and requirements of US-Jordanian relations and that Washington wants to protect its interests in the region as well as its allies."
Jordan, a major beneficiary of US military and economic aid, could act as a conduit for military support Washington has said it will give rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Amman also shares Western concerns that Muslim extremists could establish a foothold in Syria.
"Jordanian people do not want to see American troops here because they fear the Syrian regime could retaliate," political writer and columnist Labib Kamhawi told AFP.
"The US weapons and troops have been deployed to Jordan as a precautionary measure, but this could be seen by Syria as an act of aggression, which makes people here worried."
King Abdullah II vowed this month to defend Jordan from the war in Syria, saying "we are capable at any time to take the necessary measures to protect our country and people's interests".
The opposition Islamists said the US military deployment "is not in Jordan's interest".
"We reject the presence of US invaders and I think other Jordanians are worried and agree with us," said Zaki Bani Rsheid, deputy leader of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, the main political party.
US media reports have said Washington was preparing to use the weapons to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria from Jordan, but the White House has ruled out the idea, billing it as difficult, dangerous, costly and unsuitable.
"Jordan's situation is complex. Even if Amman does not agree with its allies on certain things in the Syria file, the country has to compromise," Mohammad Abu Rumman, a researcher at the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies, told AFP.
"I think Jordan seized the opportunity of the current US movements concerning Syria to have the Patriots and improve the kingdom's defence systems."
Jordan Perry, a senior analyst at Maplecroft risk group, said Washington wanted to assure Amman that it "remains committed to upholding the country's border security as the conflict in Syria continues and threatens to spread even more outside its borders."
"Jordan's bid to obtain Patriot missiles reflects the kingdom's growing concern over the recent rise in violence between the Syrian military and rebel forces in the border areas, and the propensity for the violence to spill over into Jordanian territory."

US to Have Arms in Syrian Rebel Hands Within a Month

Weapons Already En Route to Jordan Warehouses

by Jason Ditz, June 27, 2013

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Though there are still an awful lot of details to settle with Congress, the Obama Administration says that the plan is to start direct transfers of arms to Syrian rebelswithin a money.

The shipments will be going through the CIA, using the same route that they’ve already been using to smuggle weapons from other countries into the rebels’ hands. US weapons are en route and will be stored in Jordan awaiting the final go-ahead.

That might still require some more dealing with Congress, as Rep. Thomas Massie (R – KY)has introduced a bill blocking the president from unilaterally sending weapons to Syria.

Still and all, the Syrian rebels had been pushing for a rapid influx of weapons, demanding “heavy arms” be delivered by the end of this week. That clearly isn’t going to happen, and there seem to be a lot of stumbling blocks to meeting their goal of a month as well.

Suicide Bombing Kills Four in Damascus Christian Neighborhood

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Russia Replaces Military Personnel With Civilians at Syrian Base

Islamists Auction Off Cars to Buy Heat Seeking Missiles for Syrian Rebels

Afghanistan items.....

Commandant: Marines Won’t Leave A Single Thing in Afghanistan

Says Sequestration Means More Gear Will Be Needed

by Jason Ditz, June 27, 2013

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Afghanistan is not just the graveyard of empires, it is also the graveyard of military equipment. The country is littered with gear from the Soviet occupation, and the US is planning to dump huge amounts of “shredded” gear on Afghan metal dealers.

But US Marines Commandant Gen. James Amos says that every single shred of equipment the Marines have been using in the occupation of Afghanistan will be removed from the country before the war’s end.

“I’m not planning on leaving anything,” Amos said, adding that he didn’t want anything with USMC printed on the side to still be in Afghanistan, and that all the gear would either be shipped back or given to other countries.

Amos insisted that sequestration was a big part of the decision, and that with budget cuts more gear would need to be reused. Yet the massive cost of shipping gear out of Afghanistan means the decision is likely not about finances.

Freak Afghan Hailstorm Damaged 80 US Helicopters: Army

'Pakistan Not Part of Doha Talks'

Libya news items.....

Barghathi removed as Defence Minister

By Ahmed Elumami

Mohammed Al-Barghathi

Tripoli, 27 June 2013:

Defence Minister Mohammed Barghathi, was today relieved of his duties by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan.

Barghathi’s departure comes after widespread dissatisfaction with his responses to the rising tide of violence and killings that has hit Benghazi, Sebha and now Tripoli.

The Prime Minister confirmed his decision during an interview this afternoon on Libya Alwataneya TV.

Zeidan also rounded on the acting Chief of Staff, Salem Gnaidi, for comments he made yesterday, that the army had been unable the intervene decisively in this week’s Tripoli clashes, as it did not have the means, because the government had given it insufficient funds.

This statement, said Zeidan, was political and inappropriate. He added: “Almost LD 7 billion were given to the Chief of Staff between the budgets of both 2012 and 2013, and the year is not over yet!” Zeidan went on to announce that a permanent chief of staff would be would be appointed in the near future.

The Prime Minister said that GNC decision No. 27 of 2013, calling for the removal of all armed groups from Tripoli to the outside of the capital would be carried through, by force if necessary. In particular he called on the forces occupying the Yarmouk camp to evacuate the facility within the next five days or they would be made to go.

Zeidan also said that a committee had been formed to investigate what had really happened in the Tripoli violence.

Jumaa Sayah, a member of the GNC defence committee told the Libya Herald: “We were not satisfied with the performance of the defence minister.” However, Sayah maintained that Zeidan had taken the decision to fire Barghathi himself, because of the recent upsurge in violence, which the army, along with militia units nominally under armed forces command, have been unable to contain.

There was however social media speculation that the final trigger in the 71 year-old Barghathi’s ouster was his claim that the Supreme Security Committee and security support forces were responsible for starting the recent violence in Tripoli. There were claims that the leaders from both forces had gone to see Zeidan to protest the comments.

Ironically, Barghathi had submitted his resignation in early May over the sieges of the Foreign and Justice Ministries but was persuaded by the Prime Minister to withdraw it.

Urgent meetings in Tripoli to end recent violence

By Umar Khan.

Tripoli, 27 June 2013:

A number of high level meetings are being held in the capital in an effort to put an end to the recent surge of violence that have so far left five people dead and around 97 injured according to figures released by Ministry of Health.

Many influential leaders are leading individual efforts to end the violence. The recent wave of fighting reportedly began when a unit belonging to the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) was called back from duty and its members attacked the headquarters of PFG on their return.

The clashes intensified further when one compound housing a brigade from Zintan that falls under the Ministry of Defence was attacked by several units falling under both the Defence and Interior ministries. The clashes resumed on Wednesday when two brigades attacked the local military council of the Abu Salim district.

One of the peace-seeking meetings was attended by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and high ranking Interior and Defence ministry officials last night in Tripoli. Some members of the General National Congress (GNC) were also present. They agreed to implement GNC decision number 27 , completely restricting the movement of armed vehicles within the city.

They also decided to ask the Joint Force (JF) to immediately secure Tripoli and agreed to support it fully and make available the funds to ensure the continuity of its operations. It was also agreed that the Yarmouk military base would be vacated in the coming days.

Addressing a press conference earlier today PM Zeidan made the same announcements. He told the media that Yarmouk base must be vacated in the next five days.

Sadat Elbadri, Chairman Tripoli Local Council (TLC) confirmed to the Libya Herald that several meetings were still taking place in a bid to stop the ongoing violence. He said that it was decided at the highest level to empower the JF to secure the whole city and get rid of all brigades.

“This is the time to do it” he explained, “We have been told by the government officials that they will rein in the brigades. I hope it is done this time. As the people responsible for the city, we are trying our best to safeguard it and its people. In a meeting last night, we agreed to fully support the JF in implementing the decision number 27 of GNC and securing Tripoli. They have been given the orders to mobilise and take control of the situation.”

Speaking of the ‘Security Council of Tripoli’ initiative, Elbadri said that it was not done in coordination with the TLC. “We told them that if they want to help, the best way would be to support the JF as any other security body will not have legitimacy. It’s time to join hands and not to create further divisions. ”

Elbadri also confirmed that, as part of the peace efforts, a delegation from the Eastern Libya is on its way to Tripoli to try to diffuse the tension. “They will be arriving today to meet with the both parties and try to end the tension. We are also meeting with other influential personalities from other cities to try and mediate a peace deal. Although these are not permanent solutions, we hope government will deal with these problems in a strong way.”

Preventing return of Tawerghans is crime against humanity: HRW

Tripoli, 28 June 2013: The Libyan authorities have been urged by Human Rights Watch (HRW) to allow the displaced people of Tawergha to safely return to their homes. The Tawerghan Town Council in exile postponed a planned return this month, the day before it was due to take…

Friday, 28 June, 2013Read More

Tripoli Local Council condemns Abu Selim attacks and pledges to secure the city

By Houda Mzioudet Tripoli, 27 June 2013. Tripoli Local Council issued a statement today condemning the events in Abu Selim in which two people died and many were injured. In a televised statement broadcast on Alwataneya, Sadat Elbadri, the council leader, rejected any “transgression of the security” of …

Thursday, 27 June, 2013Read More

Catharsis Ours

Friday, June 28, 2013

War watch - following the travails of Edward Snowden and the NSA ....Syria , Afghanistan and forgotten Libya items of note....