Algeria and Zimbabwe have sent troops to support Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in his war against the rebels according to the daily The International Business Times.

Pondering the reasons for the survival of the Libyan colonel after the severe sanctions imposed against his regime, including the freezing of his assets and the defection of many of his senior officials, the newspaper writes that several reports have confirmed that "soldiers from Algeria and Zimbabwe are actively fighting "on behalf of Gaddafi".

Several media reports focused their coverage on the Libyan rebels and the claims conveyed by the former chief of protocol under Gaddafi that Libya's embattled government has recruited mercenaries from Kenya, Chad, Niger and Mali after losing control of the army, other reports have shown that these mercenaries were a small part of the forces of Gaddafi, the newspaper reported. Citing sources in Harare, the Business Times reported that Zimbabwe has sent over 500 soldiers to support Gaddafi in Libya, its longtime ally.

Other reports have mentioned the involvement of Algeria in the conflict through its support of the colonel, adds the times, noting that the Algerian group of human rights (Algeria Watch / based in Germany) published a report that "the Algerian government provided Gaddafi with material assistance in the form of armed military units." "Algeria Watch also accused the Algerian government of providing aircraft for the transport of mercenaries from Niger, Chad and Darfur to Libya, the times said.

"The use of mercenaries has been used as cover to divert attention and hide the alliances between Libya and other African countries", writes the times, before concluding that Gaddafi could not have survived without a assistance from some neighboring countries.

SAS soldiers are on the ground in Libya acting as spotters for NATO air strikes.

Six armed Western men, possibly British special forces, were caught on tape by Al Jazeera, seemingly corroborating rumors that SAS soldiers are on the ground in Libya acting as spotters for NATO air strikes. The presence of Western troops is... well, the Guardian calls it a "sensitive" subject, because the UN resolution authorizing air strikes explicitly forbids a "foreign occupation force of any form." As far as the British government is concerned, they don't exist: "We don't have any forces out there," the Ministry of Defense says.

Meanwhile, eight Libyan army officers — including five generals — defected to Italy on Monday, appearing at a news conference where they claimed to be members of a group of recently-defected 120 military officials and soldiers. The defections seem to have been prompted by "tensions" in Qaddafi's military.

British former special forces soldiers working for private security companies are in the Libyan city of Misrata

British former special forces soldiers working for private security companies are in the Libyan city of Misrata, advising the rebels and supplying information to NATO, the Guardian reported Wednesday.
Former members of the Special Air Service (SAS) are among those gathering information about the location and movement of troops loyal to leader Moamer Kadhafi, British military sources told the paper.
They are passing that information on to NATO's command centre in Naples.
The former soldiers are in Libya with the blessing of Britain, France and other NATO countries, the sources told The Guardian.
They have been supplied with non-combat equipment by the coalition forces.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials denied the private soldiers were being paid by the British government and insisted it had no combat troops on the ground.
The Guardian said the soldiers were reportedly being paid by Arab countries, notably Qatar.
Britain last week approved the use of its Apache attack helicopters in the operation.
The information being gathered by the rebel advisers was likely for use by British and French pilots during missions predicted for later this week, the paper reported.
Reports of their presence emerged after Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera on Monday showed video footage of six armed westerners talking to rebels in the port city of Misrata.
Libya on Tuesday accused NATO of having killed 718 civilians and wounded 4,067 in 10 weeks of air strikes.

House rebukes Obama on Libya

The New York Times and other media are reporting that the House of Representatives has sent a strong rebuke to President Obama for failing to consult Congress about his decision to involve the US in military action in Libya.

The Times says the House voted 268 to 145 in favor of Speaker John Boehner's resolution objecting to Obama's action, and, the Times says, directing the administration to "provide detailed information about the cost and objectives of the American role in the conflict."

Democrat Dennis Kucinich, one of the most liberal members of the House, had proposed a stronger measure, ordering Obama to withdraw troops from action in Libya. That proposal was defeated.

As I have noted in previous blogs and in my columns, I continue to be conflicted about our involvement in Libya. But in a blog last month, I cited a Washington Post opinion piece by Yale Professors Bruce Ackerman and Oona Hathaway, raising an additional concern: their belief that in getting involved in Libya without Congressional approval, Obama has violated the War Powers Act.

The Post piece - written on May 17, just before a deadline specified in the War Powers Act - is well worth reading. Obama isn't the first president to assume power that the Constitution doesn't give him. Obama is arguing that the act doesn't apply to his actions in Libya, but presidents have used similar arguments before. And as we become involved more and more in less "traditional" war, it's important to have a national discussion about military action and presidential power.

And it's important for Congress - acting in a bipartisan way, which it did today - to recapture the power and the balance that the Constitution mandates.

 

Senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri, regarded as one of the most dangerous militants in the world, was killed by a U.S. drone aircraft missile strike

Senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri, regarded as one of the most dangerous militants in the world, was killed by a U.S. drone aircraft missile strike in Pakistan, an intelligence official and local media said on Saturday.

The death of the Pakistani militant was another intelligence coup for the United States after U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Laden in a town close to Islamabad on May 2.

Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment

Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment following an attack on his palace in the capital Sana’a, al Arabiya reported on Saturday.

Yemen’s official news agency SABA did not confirm the report, saying only that senior government officials were in Saudi Arabia for treatment.

The news came a day after the president released an audio statement saying he was “well.”

Five top Yemeni officials in Saudi for treatment

Five top members of the government were sent to Saudi Arabia for treatment of wounds they suffered in a rebel rocket attack on the presidential palace, the official government news agency reported on Saturday. Mr. Saleh was slightly injured.

Tribal and medical officials said, meanwhile, that 10 tribesmen were killed and 35 injured in overnight fighting in the Hassaba neighbourhood, headquarters of opposition Sheik Sadeq al—Ahmar. A tribal leader said street fighting lasted until dawn. Many of the compound’s buildings and surrounding houses have already been heavily damaged by days of bombardment.

Government and rebel forces exchanged rocket fire, damaging a contested police station. The rockets rained down on streets housing government buildings that had been taken over by tribesmen.

Since violence erupted in the city on May 23, residents have been hiding in basements as the two sides fight for control of government ministries and hammer one another in artillery duels and gun battles, rattling neighbourhoods and sending palls of smoke over the city.

Seven guards were killed in the rebel strike on the mosque in the presidential palace compound where Mr. Saleh and the other officials were at prayer. The news agency said the prime minister, a deputy prime minister, the president’s top security adviser, and the two heads of parliament were sent to Saudi Arabia by air in the early hours of Saturday. The security officer reportedly was in serious condition.

As for Mr. Saleh’s injuries, Deputy Information Minister Abdu al—Janadi spoke of only “scratches to his face.” But there were indications the injuries may have been more severe. Mr. Saleh, in his late 60s, was taken to a Defence Ministry hospital, while officials promised repeatedly that he would soon appear in public. But by late Saturday morning, state television had aired only an audio message from the president, with an old still photo.

“If you are well, I am well,” Mr. Saleh said in the brief message, addressing Yemenis. He spoke in a laboured voice, his breathing at times heavy. He blamed the rocket attack on “this armed gang of outlaws,” referring to the tribal fighters, and called on “all sons of the military around the country to confront” them.

The bold assault directly on the president is likely to heighten what has been an increasingly brutal fight between Mr. Saleh’s forces and the heavily armed tribesmen loyal to Mr. al—Ahmar.

The bloodshed comes as nearly four months of protests and international diplomacy have failed to oust Yemen’s leader of 33 years.

The White House called on all sides to stop the fighting, which has killed more than 160 people.

“Violence cannot resolve the issues that confront Yemen, and today’s events cannot be a justification for a new round of fighting,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

President Barack Obama’s Homeland Security and Counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, discussed the crisis in Yemen with officials in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during a three—day visit to the Gulf that ended Friday. He vowed to work with Yemen’s powerful neighbours to stop the violence.

Washington fears the chaos will undermine the Yemen government’s U.S.—backed campaign against al—Qaida’s branch in the country, which has attempted a number of attacks against the United States. Mr. Saleh has been a crucial U.S. ally in the anti—terror fight, but Washington is now trying to negotiate a stable exit for him.

Inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, protesters have been trying unsuccessfully since February to oust Mr. Saleh with a wave of peaceful protests that have brought out hundreds of thousands daily in Sanaa and other cities.

Now the crisis has transformed into a power struggle between two of Yemen’s most powerful families – Mr. Saleh’s, which dominates the security forces, and the al—Ahmar clan, which leads Yemen’s strongest tribal confederation, known as the Hashid. The confederation is grouped around 10 tribes across the north.

Al—Ahmar announced the Hashid’s support for the protest movement in March, and his fighters adhered to the movement’s nonviolence policy. But last week, Saleh’s forces moved against Mr. al—Ahmar’s fortress—like residence in Sanaa, and the tribe’s fighters rose up in fury.

Friday’s attack was the first time the tribesmen have directly targeted the president. At least three rockets hit in and around Mr. Saleh’s palace compound in Friday’s strike, one of them hitting the front of the mosque, where he and his officials were lined up in prayer, according to a presidential statement.

The al—Ahmars were once uneasy allies of Mr. Saleh, and their Hashid confederation was key to his hold on power. But Mr. Sadeq al—Ahmar and his nine brothers have grown increasingly resentful of Mr. Saleh’s policy of elevating his sons, nephews and other relatives to dominate regime positions, particularly in the security forces.

Their fight comes as Mr. Saleh’s forces continue to crack down on the tens of thousands of demonstrators still massing daily in a central square of Sanaa and in other cities.

Troops fired on protesters on Friday in the city of Taiz, south of the capital, wounding two. A Defence Ministry statement said four soldiers were killed and 26 others injured in clashes there with gunmen it said were from the opposition and Islamist groups.

British combat helicopters have destroyed a radar installation and military checkpoint during their first operation in Libya - despite coming under fire.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that army Apaches successfully completed their mission of hitting the targets near the town of Brega overnight.
Forces loyal to leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi fired at one of the choppers, but they both returned safely to the Royal Navy helicopter carrier, HMS Ocean, which is stationed off the Libyan coast.
A variety of weapons were used, including hellfire missiles.

Major General Nick Pope, the communications officer for the Chief of the Defence Staff, emphasised that UK and Nato forces have been clear that their mission was to protect Libyan civilians under threat of attack.
He described it as "appropriate to employ attack helicopters to help intensify the effect that Nato can deliver at key points against regime forces which continue to threaten their own people."
Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, Nato's commander of the operation in Libya, said: "This successful engagement demonstrates the unique capabilities brought to bear by attack helicopters.

Apache Attack Helicopters are operated by Royal Navy crews
"We will continue to use these assets whenever and wherever needed, using the same precision as we do in all of our missions."
The attack helicopters have been brought in because they provide more flexibility to track and engage pro-Gaddafi forces who deliberately target civilians and attempt to hide in populated areas.
Commander of the UK task group, Commodore John Kingwell said the attack helicopters are unique because they can "identify and engage targets with huge precision".
"That enables us to provide protection to civilians in Libya," he added.

Gunmen opened fire on protesters in the southern Yemen city of Taiz on Saturday

Gunmen opened fire on protesters in the southern Yemen city of Taiz on Saturday, injuring at least seven people, witnesses said.

The non-uniformed men fired from rooftops, the witnesses said, on protesters demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh end his 33-year rule in the Arab world's poorest country.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has likely been wounded in western airstrikes

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has likely been wounded in western airstrikes and has probably left Tripoli, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Friday.

A Libyan government spokesman immediately denied that Gaddafi had been harmed.

Frattini told reporters that he believed what he had been told by Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, the Catholic bishop in Tripoli, that Gaddafi had probably left Tripoli and had probably even been wounded by NATO airstrikes.

"I tend to give credence to the comment of the bishop of Tripoli, Monsignor Martinelli, who has been in close contact over recent weeks, when he told us that Gaddafi is very probably outside Tripoli and is probably also wounded. We don't know where or how," Frattini said.

"It's nonsense," Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said in Tripoli. "The leader is in high morale. He's in good spirits. He is leading the country day by day. He hasn't been harmed at all."

Asked about the Libyan denial, Frattini said he still believed what Martinelli said.

In a separate interview published on the website of the Corriere della Sera, Frattini also said that he did not believe that Libyan TV footage of Gaddafi greeting tribal leaders on Wednesday was authentic.

"I strongly doubted that those images were taken on that day and above all in Tripoli," Frattini said.

"There are people on the ground who have the pulse of the situation ... Among many others I am referring to Bishop Martinelli, who has had, and still has, close relations with the regime," he said.

He added: "The international pressure has likely led Gaddafi to decide to seek shelter in a safe location. I tend to think that he fled Tripoli, not Libya."

An official at the NATO operations center in Naples repeated NATO's line that it was not targeting individuals in bombing raids that have hit Libyan capital and said the alliance had no way to confirm Frattini's comments.

"We can't verify that as we don't have any way of tracking his movements," the official said. "We don't have boots on the ground."

Contacted from Rome, Martinelli's office said the bishop had left Tripoli for Tunis. The bishop himself was not reachable.

As the Vatican's top official in Tripoli, Martinelli has been in contact with Gaddafi's entourage.

The Italian prelate joined a Muslim cleric in blessing the bodies of Gaddafi's youngest son and three grandchildren who were killed in a NATO air raid on April 30.

Since the start of the NATO operation, Martinelli has been highly outspoken and critical of the military strikes, saying that many civilians had been killed.

Palestinian teenager who was shot Friday during street clashes in East Jerusalem died of his wounds early Saturday

A Palestinian teenager who was shot Friday during street clashes in East Jerusalem died of his wounds early Saturday, raising tensions ahead of planned Palestinian protests marking the anniversary of the founding of Israel.

Milad Ayyash, 17, was shot in the stomach during stone-throwing confrontations in the neighborhood of Silwan between local youths and Israeli police and security guards posted at buildings housing Jewish settlers, according to witnesses. Police said they were investigating the source of the gunfire.

The youth’s funeral sparked further clashes on Saturday, and two Palestinians were reported wounded by rubber-coated bullets fired by police.

Israeli security forces are on alert for demonstrations in Palestinian areas on Sunday, the anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. The anniversary is marked by Palestinians as the “nakba,” or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced in the war that followed Israel’s creation.

Libya's embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi has made a radio address to the nation saying he is in no worry about his life

Libya's embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi has made a radio address to the nation saying he is in no worry about his life, a day after it was reported he is wounded and fled Tripoli.

Friday Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Franco Frattini alleged Gaddafi was wounded by a NATO strike and has left his compound in Tripoli.

"I live in a place where there is completely impossible that I am eliminated," said the Libyan leader Saturday.

Gaddafi's message was nevertheless deeper than just stating the fact that he is located at a secured and secreted compound.

"NATO cannot come and kill me where I am. For I live in the hearts of millions," declared the Libyan leader.

Counter to all appearances, NATO has thus far been officially denying it intends to kill Gaddafi.

Opposition politicians Norbert Mao and Muhammed Kibirige were by press time still under police detention after they were arrested as they tried to access the Constitution Square in Kampala to conduct a rally.

Opposition politicians Norbert Mao and Muhammed Kibirige were by press time still under police detention after they were arrested as they tried to access the Constitution Square in Kampala to conduct a rally.

The politicians were part of a larger group that attempted to access the square in the heart of the city for a rally even after the police had insisted the area was out of bounds.

Also arrested with the politicians, who were protesting the rise in cost of basic commodities, was DP former candidate for the Budiope East parliamentary seat Moses Bigirwa.

Although other opposition figures Olara Otunnu (UPC), Salaam Musumba (FDC) and former independent presidential candidate Walter Lubega evaded arrest, they did not escape a flood of police water spray that left them dyed pink.

The group that escaped arrest relocated to UPC party headquarters at Uganda House, where they addressed the media and condemned the police action.

When contacted at Kira Road Police Station, where he was anticipating to be freed on police bond last night, Mr Mao said, “I am all pink.”

Pink town
The DP president said the spray was an irritant, but that not much had gotten on him when the group was targeted by security forces.

The Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, later told journalists at Kampala Central Police Station from where he oversaw the operation that he was happy his men had not used teargas.

He added that the same approach will be used to dissuade crowds from jamming Entebbe Road today when FDC president KizzaBesigye returns from seeking specialised medical treatment in Nairobi, saying his entourage “will be treated like a VIP convoy”.

Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said the decision to use water cannons over tear gas was a “tactical” one. It is the first time the measure has been used by security to disperse walk-to-work protestors since demonstrations began just over one month ago.

Identifier
“The colour is basically to identify people who are part of the riots,” she said. “Normally when we use tear gas we find everybody complaining ‘I wasn’t party’ – but this water targets the people who are part of the gathering, and you find that when you want to follow them up it is very easy for identification.”

She also said the choice to use the spray was due to the location of the demonstration.

“Because they were in central business district, we needed to use a tactic which may not affect other people not party to what was taking place,” she said.

Mr Manesh Dada, the proprietor of Dada Photo Studio, claimed that his photo printing machine worth Shs30 million was damaged during the fracas.

“In the process of stopping the protestors, police shattered my glass pane as they sprayed this liquid on the passersby,” he said, while mopping up his soaked floor.

And Ali Nakibinge, a downtown parking attendant, pointed to the stained cars with broken parts he was tasked with monitoring, as well as the vendors forced to throw away their used books on either side of him.

“All this business was affected,” he said, standing on a street corner still running with pink water.

“Of course we were scared. I wouldn’t even come to Kampala if we are not looking for something to eat,” said the 23-year-old Kabowa resident.

Journalists harassed
At least two photographers were harassed by security forces for taking pictures of the water cannons being deployed.
Daily Monitor photographer Isaac Kasamani said when he arrived on the scene, he was greeted by a scene of about 50 anti-riot and military police, some with dogs, and witnessed a colleague being pulled down from where he was perched taking photos.

“As I was taking pictures, some police came and chased me away,” he said. “I refused to go away but more police men came and told me to just get off, pushing me away from the scene.”

Constitution Square
Security forces continued to block all entrances to Constitution Square into the evening.

Ms Nabakooba said the square is off-limits for having been the site of demonstrations gone wrong in the past.
“People used to have rallies in that ground, but a lot of properties would be destroyed, people’s businesses would be looted,” she said.

The police spokesperson suggested the opposition look “in other places that are neutral” to hold their rallies. She could not, however, provide an example of a suitable ground.

MPs have voted overwhelmingly to support UN-backed action in Libya

MPs have voted overwhelmingly to support UN-backed action in Libya, after David Cameron told them it had helped avert a "bloody massacre".

During a six-hour debate, most speakers said force was needed to stop Muammar Gaddafi killing more of his own people.

But the prime minister assured the House of Commons that Libya would not become "another Iraq", amid concerns raised about long-term plans.

The government motion, also backed by Labour, won a majority of 544.

The debate focused on Resolution 1973, passed by the United Nations Security Council last week. This authorises "all necessary measures", short of bringing in an occupying force, to protect Libyan citizens from the Gaddafi regime, which has been fighting rebel forces.

The Commons motion - which was backed by 557 MPs and opposed by 13 - followed a second night of US-led action in Libya, with Col Gaddafi's sprawling Bab al-Aziziya complex in Tripoli among the locations hit.

Fighting continues, with anti-aircraft fire heard in Tripoli late on Monday.

In this country we know what Colonel Gaddafi is capable of.

the prime minister declared:
We simply can not stand back and let a dictator whose people have rejected him, kill his people indiscriminately. To do so would send a chilling signal to others striving for democracy across the region. And neither would it be in Britain’s interests. Let us be clear where our interests lie. In this country we know what Colonel Gaddafi is capable of. We should not forget his support for the biggest terrorist atrocity on British soil.
We simply can not have a situation where a failed pariah state festers on Europe’s southern border. This would potentially threaten our security, push people across the Mediterranean and create a more dangerous and uncertain world for Britain and for all our allies as well as for the people of Libya. That is why today we are backing our words with action.
The Obama administration has finally backed a no-fly zone after weeks of dithering that allowed Colonel Gaddafi to gain the momentum against the rebels, with his forces now encircling Benghazi. But the White House has spectacularly failed to outline a coherent strategy to bring down Gaddafi as well as identify rebel leaders Washington can work with. President Obama looks as though he has been dragged kicking and screaming into Libya, largely because the UN Security Council now says it is acceptable to do so. After all, he’s supporting a new course of action that his own Defence Secretary mocked just a couple of weeks ago, and it is unclear what his administration plans to do.
The key question is whether Cameron has the strength and conviction to see this through, especially with a confused American president at his side, a clueless EU and a deeply divided and feckless UN. His biggest Achilles heel, however, is the Coalition’s defence cuts, which are widely viewed in Washington as highly damaging to Britain’s ability to project military power. Nothing could be worse for the prime minister than pledging force without the ability to implement it effectively. The cuts have to be reversed if Britain is to mount a drawn-out, sustained campaign in Libya. As I wrote in a previous piece:
In order to back up a more robust foreign policy, Cameron must lay the foundations for the rebuilding of Britain’s military power after a decade of erosion under Labour. In light of the huge changes sweeping the Middle East, he must now give urgent consideration to reversing the damaging defence cuts his Coalition have introduced, and increase defence spending rather than reduce it. The UK should be spending at least 3 percent, and ideally 4 percent of GDP on defence if it wishes to significantly project power abroad and protect British interests.
There is no doubt that David Cameron’s stock as a world leader has soared since the start of the Libya crisis, in marked contrast to that of the American president. But his decision to invest military resources in a Libyan campaign carries with it significant risks, and must only be undertaken as part of a broader strategy to rebuild British military power. The British lion has roared, but must also be strong enough to go in for the kill.

British warplanes were poised to participate in bombing raids against tanks and other targets after David Cameron and Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to the Libyan leader.

British warplanes were poised to participate in bombing raids against tanks and other targets after David Cameron and Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to the Libyan leader.
The Prime Minister said that Britain would not tolerate Libya "festering" on Europe's borders, alluding to fears that Col Gaddafi may support terrorist attacks in this country.
In a statement on Friday night, the US president warned Col Gaddafi that he must withdraw troops from towns previously held by rebels, including Misurata and Zawiyah. The regime should also stop its advance on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi immediately, he said, and basic services including water and electricity should be returned to the areas.
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said that the "final result" of international action against Libya must be Col Gaddafi's departure from power.
World leaders hope that by protecting rebel areas and civilians, Libyans will force the peaceful removal of the dictator and prevent massacres.