Thursday, February 13, 2014

Reading Libya Herald

Satellite picture of , Libya.Satellite picture of , Libya. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: A view of the Cathedral of Benghazi, ...English: A view of the Cathedral of Benghazi, Libya and the city's corniche. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The Jeliana Bridge in Benghazi, Libya...English: The Jeliana Bridge in Benghazi, Libya over the 23rd of July lake. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  Interior Ministry calls on all members of police to report for duty

Amendment to penal code “in conflict” with freedom of expression – LFJL

Tripoli, 13 February 2014: Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL) has denounced a Penal Code amendment that criminalised insulting the General National Congress (GNC), the government or judicial…
Thursday, 13 February, 2014Read More

Read more: http://www.libyaherald.com/#ixzz2tENdwZhn

Benghazi media activist escapes assassination attempt

By Noora Ibrahim. Benghazi, 25 January 2014: A Benghazi media activist escaped an attempt on his life today, when an explosive device that had been placed underneath his…
Saturday, 25 January, 2014Read More

What the fighting left behind – a visit to Warshefana

What the fighting left behind – a visit to Warshefana

By Valerie Stocker. Tripoli, 31 January 2014: When reporters…
 

Exclusive: Why I was right not to resign – Mohsen Derregia, outgoing head of the LIA 

Prime Minister finally publicly named the LIA as one of the institutions whose head had been removed from this post.

My first obvious question to LIA Chairman and CEO Derregia was why was he challenging the Prime Minister’s and the LIA’s Board of Trustees’ decision to remove him from his post?
“That decision contravenes the law that governs the LIA. It does not comply with the law or the internal procedures of the LIA”, was his straight forward answer.
Mohsen Derregia explained that the LIA Board of Trustees consisted of seven members:1-The Prime Minister, 2-The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, 3-The Minister of Economy, 4-The Minister of Finance, 5-The Minister of Planning, plus two independent members appointed by the Cabinet as a whole – and not the Prime Minister personally.
He felt that the process and the internal procedures and steps taken when voting to remove him – were not followed correctly.
The LIA was set up to operate as an independent body, at arm’s length from the day to day ups and downs of politics, he explained. It is supposed to be a body concerned with the long term investments of Libya for future generations. It is supposed to be stable, transparent and worthy of the confidence of its counterparties both inside and outside Libya. It is supposed to be protected from the fickle whims and desires of politicians – Derregia clarified.
The LIA outgoing head also felt that the LIA is not supposed to be a political body, reflecting the political colour of the executive in power. It is also not supposed to be loaded with political appointees which are changed every time Libya gets a new government.
Moreover, with regards to the Board of Trustees of the LIA, Derregia explained that it is supposed to be an oversight body that stands back and allows the managers and directors to operate the LIA while making sure that the overall strategy that has been set is adhered to in the overall long term interest of the ultimate shareholders – ie, the people of Libya. It is not supposed to interfere in the everyday affairs of the LIA as that would simply create confusion and leave counterparties wondering who is really in charge.
Derregia pointed out that if the LIA was meant to be under the direct everyday control of the executive, it would be part of the annual budget. But the funds of the LIA are removed from Libya’s oil money – taken away from the executive – so that they are invested long term. The annual state budget is meant to be under the everyday control of the executive – cabinet and Prime Minister – but the LIA Sovereign fund is designed to be independent.
The LIA head then exploded the myth that most of the LIA’s assets have been unfrozen “Not even 5% of the LIA’s funds have been unfrozen. This is costing us hundreds of millions per year. The LIA has requested on numerous occasions since July 2012 that its funds be unfrozen. But we have not received a single reply. The last letter was sent on 4th December”.

 

More from Libya Herald..


  • Protestors besiege Congress demanding it sack the Prime MinisterProtestors besiege Congress demanding it sack the Prime Minister By Ahmed Elumami. Tripoli, 7 January 2014: The General National Congress was blockaded this afternoon by protestors demanding that it pass a vote withdrawing confidence in Prime Minister ...

    •  

    NTC freezes 338 assets of which 260 are individuals and 78 are companies

    By Sami Zaptia.
    Tripoli, 21 May:
    Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) has now issued Law No. 36 2012 dated 2 May, which was released this week entitled ‘The Administration of the Assets and Properties of Some Individuals’.
    By virtue of this law, the assets and properties of 338 entities listed in the attachment to the law, of which the first 260 are individuals and the remaining 79 are companies, including branches of foreign companies, are frozen.
    Article 1 of Law No. 36 makes the law quite broad in that it stipulates that the freezing of assets and properties applies to the named persons’ spouses and offspring too. It also allows for the government to add properties or assets to the list of by virtue of decree. It only allows the government to add people to the list who are abroad.
    Articles 2, 3 and 4 give the power to a judge appointed by the Minister of Justice as administrator to do as he pleases with these assets including selling them or in the case of companies shutting them down.
    Article 8 does not give the right to those listed to seek justice via either a civil or commercial court in Libya. Articles 10, 11, 12 and 13 invite any parties that feel that they have been harmed by this law to present their case to the administrator to look into and to follow the specifically set appeals process.
         
     
    BLOGS
    Amira Made
    Aljazeera Libya Blog
    Feb 17 Libya News
    From the Rock
    Jason Pack – Researcher of Libyan History
    Khadija Teri

    Friday, December 06, 2013

    Libya Hurra! ... Libya Free!

    It’s almost the end of the year. Usually at this time of the year I look back at old posts and recap my year’s events. This year I haven’t posted very often. Not because there hasn't been anything to write about, but simply because nowadays writing about events happening around me might not be a very bright idea.
    A great deal has been happening in Libya over the past year, and I've had quite a few interesting adventures here, but posting these days is risky, especially if you are expressing any kind of opinion because there is always someone who just might not agree with your views and take offence – and that doesn't necessarily mean they will just make a comment.  In this year alone, there have been reports in Libya of journalists being kidnapped, shot at, and even killed. The head of one of Tripoli’s local radio stations was found shot to death recently. You don’t even have to be part of the media to be a target.  This past week an American teacher was shot and killed in Benghazi – reason and assailants unknown. 
    During the Gadaffi era there was a fairly tight muzzle on the media, but I was still able to pretty much express my views about things (although sometimes I had to do it in a rather vague manner).  Right after the liberation, Libya witnessed an outpouring of all kinds of stories and reports in newspapers, on television and on the Internet.  Everyone was thrilled with their newly found freedom to say whatever they wanted and to be able to express themselves in ways they never thought possible. Numerous new television and radio stations opened up and there was also an increase in the number of newspapers in the country.
    Despite all this new-found freedom, I've noticed that over the last year or so, that the Libyan blogosphere has slowed to a crawl. Few Libyan bloggers have been posting in the last year, possibly because they’re expressing themselves more on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.  But I wonder if the reason for the absence of blog posts, even for those bloggers who post anonymously, is because they just don’t feel safe to write anymore.

    Libya’s modern-day Robin Hood
    Small Digital World
    The Other Side
    Voices 4 Libya

    WEBSITES
    High National Election Commission
    Libya Business News
    Libya Investment
    Libya News Agency – LANA (in Arabic)
    Network of Free Ulema
    NTC (in Arabic)

    Libya: The Other Side of the Story 

    Gaddafi managed to unite the tribes, and obtain their cooperation, through a carrot and stick approach – granting cash, perks and jobs, to supporters and fostering blood ties with intertribal marriages while crushing dissent with violence, intimidation, and confiscating property.

    Despite Gaddafi’s deep-seated support for pan-Arab nationalism and efforts to unify the country on linguistic lines, Libyans primarily recognise themselves by their tribal structure.

     

    Thawing Libya's frozen assets - CNN.com

    (CNN)-- Libya's National Transitional Council is moving swiftly to get access to much needed funds in anticipation of taking full control of the country.
    edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/08/25/libya.assets/index.htm
     

    U.N. to Unfreeze $1.5 Billion in Libyan Assets | Fox News

    UNITED NATIONS - The U.S. and South Africa reached a deal Thursday that will release $1.5 billion in frozen Libyan assets in American banks which the U.S. is earmarking for the cash-strapped rebels fighting to oust Muammar Qaddafi.
    foxnews.com/world/2011/08/25/italy-to-unfreeze-505m...

    Treasury: $30 Billion In Libyan Assets Frozen

    WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department says that at least $30 billion in Libyan assets have been frozen since President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Libya last week.
    huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/libya-assets-frozen_n_829405.html

    Gadhafi's Frozen Assets: $32 Billion And Counting : NPR

    This week tens of billions of dollars in assets belonging to Moammar Gadhafi, his family or perhaps the government of Libya were frozen. The United Nations and countries around the world, including the U.S., leveled the sanctions to punish Gadhafi for his violent crackdown on ...
    npr.org/2011/03/04/134272664/gadhafis-frozen-as...
     

    Libya Assets Still Remain Frozen - AOL On

    Libya would need billions of dollars in frozen assets released as they attempt to rebuild following the recent civil war.
    on.aol.com/video/libya-assets-still-remain-frozen-...   

    U.S. to release frozen Libyan assets - National Business and ...

    October 21, 2011 - With the death of Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday, the United States is set to release as much as $150 billion in frozen assets that belonged to the late dictator's regime. Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury Department started to thaw some $37 billion in assets, accoding to CNN. The
    examiner.com/article/u-s-to-release-frozen-libyan-assets

    As Libya takes stock, Moammar Kadafi's hidden riches astound - Los Angeles...

    Others feared that freezing Libyan assets could hurt their domestic economies as bills and workers went unpaid. The new $200 billion figure is about double the prewar annual economic output of Libya...
    articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/21/world/la-fg-kadafi-money-20...   

    Libyan assets to be unfrozen, including £1bn worth of dinar ...

    Libyan assets of £61.4bn could be freed up if the UN recognises Mahmoud Jibril (above) and the national transitional council as Libya's government.
    theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/26/libyan-assets-banknot...
     

    PressTV - 'Libya's frozen assets in China $15bn'

    The Chinese professor, Gong Shaopeng, also stated that unfreezing Libya's frozen assets should be a gradual process, Chinese newspaper China Daily reported on Tuesday.
    presstv.ir/detail/197868.html   

    UK freezes Libyan wealth fund assets - FT.com

    The squeeze on Muammer Gaddafi tightened on Thursday, after the UK froze assets of Libya's sovereign wealth fund, including holdings at HSBC.
    ft.com/cms/s/0/5882452c-45d7-11e0-acd8-00144fe..
     

    Giving frozen assets to rebels is piracy--Libya | SAMAA TV

    "Any use of the frozen assets is like piracy on the high seas," said Libya Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim. "They (the rebels) are not a legal entity. They are not a country.
    samaa.tv/Giving-frozen-assets-to-rebels-is-pirac...  

    Libya's Assets and the Question of Sovereignty | IISS

    ...into the regime's crackdown on protesters; imposed an embargo on the sale of arms to Libya; implemented an international travel ban against several Libyan officials; and froze the foreign assets of...
    iiss.org/en/publications/survival/sections/2012-...
     

    Assets in the United States Belonging to State Sponsors of Terrorism*

    These existing assets freezes, trade embargoes, and travel- and (Iran, Iraq, and Libya), the United Nations Participation Act, Title 22, United States Code, Section 287c (Iraq and Libya), and the...
    fas.org/irp/congress/1993_cr/h930503-terror.htm   

    * Are they buying drones ?

    Buzz bomb | Define Buzz bomb at Dictionary.com

    noun Military. a type of self-steering aerial bomb, launched from large land-based rocket platforms: used by the Germans in World War II, especially over England.
    dictionary.reference.com/browse/buzz+bomb
     

    V-1 Buzz Bomb - YouTube

    The Fieseler Fi 103, better known as V-1 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1) was an early cruise missile used during World War Two. The V-1 was developed at Peenemünde by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
    youtube.com/watch?v=MCdlBc__3kg  

    ...of the 225th AAA Searchlight Battalion: The AAA War Against the Buzz Bombs

    5,000 buzz bombs carrying five million pounds of ultra-high-explosives were targeted against the city before the Nazi surrender.
    skylighters.org/buzzbombs/
     

    ‘The West is to be forgotten. We will not give them our oil’ – Gaddafi

    The Al Qaeda leadership used Libya’s silence and began to tell the world about protests in Libya, about shooting and of thousands killed. All of a sudden we found out the whole world was against Libya. But we have had no protests. How could news agencies have reported such things? The number of victims is 150-200, how could one speak about thousands?
    How can the UN Security Council and the whole world decide, based on media reports? It becomes clear that the terrorists themselves, Al Qaeda, had sent their reports about it to the news agencies. It is now difficult to change world public opinion and perception of what is going on. The situation is believed to be in crisis, desperate and problematic. As for us, we consider this not a Libyan crisis, not a Libyan disaster and not a Libyan problem.
    I believe the world built its stance based on reports from mendacious news agencies, and now it wants to save face in retreat. Even the US Secretary of State admitted they had been building their position on media reports. You should have sent a commission to investigate the facts and then decided. Second, according to the UN Charter, the Security Council is not entitled to interfere in the internal affairs of any state.
    The Security Council should intervene in case of war between two or more states, and, consequently, in accordance with the UN Charter, Resolution 1970 is invalid. We sent an inquiry to the International Court of Justice to have this resolution declared invalid. 

    The bandits assaulted representatives from the authorities, and told them at gun point, “Either you are with us and tell the media what we tell you to tell, or we will deal with you in the same way as did al-Zarqawi – we will cut off your head.

     
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