Archive for the ‘Libya’ Category

Libya Why Was Muammar Gaddafi Killed May We Never Forget – Center for Research on Globalization

The Text below is the transcript of the interview between Alex Knyazev of Russia TV24 and Peter Koenig.

Questions Russia TV24: What were the reasons Mr. Gaddafi was killed and NATO invaded Libya?

PK: Mr. Muammar Gaddafi was certainly not killed for humanitarian reasons.

Mr. Gaddafi wanted to empower Africa. He had a plan to create a new African Union, based on a new African economic system. He had a plan to introduce the Gold Dinar as backing for African currencies, so they could become free from the dollar dominated western monetary system, that kept and keeps usurping Africa; Africas vast natural resources, especially oil and minerals. As a first step, he offered this lucrative and very beneficial alternative to other Muslim African states, but leaving it open for any other African countries to join.

At the time of Gaddafis atrocious murdering by Hillary Clinton, then Obamas Secretary of State, and the French President Sarkozy, driven by NATO forces, on 20 October 2011 Libyas gold reserves were estimated at close to 150 tons, and about the same amount of silver. The estimated value at that time was US$ 7billion.

Its your guess who may have stolen this enormous treasure from the people of Libya. As of this date, it is nowhere to be found.

Gaddafi also wanted to detach his oil sales from the dollar, i.e. no longer trading hydrocarbons in US dollars, as was the US / OPEC imposed rule since the early 1970s. Other African and Middle Eastern oil and gas producers would have followed. In fact, Iran had already in 2007, a plan to introduce the Tehran Oil Bourse, where anyone could trade hydrocarbons in currencies other than the US dollar. That idea came to a sudden halt, when Bush (George W) started accusing Iran of planning to build a nuclear bomb which was, of course a fabricated lie, confirmed by the 16most prominent US security agencies- and later also by the UN body for nuclear safety the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna. Washington needed a pretext to stop the Tehran Oil Bourse which would have decimated the need for dollars, and thereby most probably would have meant the end of the dollar hegemony.

Saddam Hussein had the same idea. He promised as soon as the murderous and criminal embargo imposed by the UN of course dictated by Washington would end in 2000, he would sell his petrol in euros. He was killed.

Gaddafis new plan for Africa would have meant an entirely new banking system for Africa, away from the now western (mainly France and UK) central banks dominated African currencies. -It could have meant the collapse of the US dollar -or at least an enormous blow to this fake dollar based western monetary system.

So, the Gold Dinar was not to happen. Anybody to this day- who threatens the dollar hegemony will have to die. That means anybody other than China and Russia, because they have already a few years ago largely detached their economy from the dollar, by implementing hydrocarbons as well as other international contracts in gold or the respective local currencies. That alone has already helped reducing dollar holdings in international reserve coffers from almost 90% some 20 years ago to a rate fluctuating between 50% and 60% today.

The also Washington / CIA induced Arab Spring was to turn the entire Middle East into one huge chaos zone- which today of course, it is. And there are no plans to secure it and to return it to normalcy, to what it was before. To the contrary, chaos allows to divide and conquer to Balkanize, as is the plan for Syria and Iraq. One of the Washington led western goals of this chaos of constant conflict is to eventually install a system of private central banks in the Middle Eastern / North African countries controlled by Washington privately owned central banks, la Federal Reserve (FED), where the neocons, the Rothschilds and freemasonry would call the shots. That is expected to help stabilize the US dollar hegemony, as the hydrocarbons produced in this region generate trillions of dollars in trading per year.

Gaddafi also wanted to introduce, or had already started introducing into Africa a wireless telephone system that would do away with the US / European monopolies, with the Alcatels and AT and Ts of this world, which dominate and usurp the African market without scruples.

Gaddafi was not only the leader of Libya, he had ambitions to free Africa from the nefarious fangs of the west. Despite being called a dictator and despot by the west they do that to anyone who doesnt submit to Washingtons rules he was very much liked by Libyans, by his people. He had a more than 80% approvalrate by the Libyan people. Libyas oil fortune has allowed him to create a social system in his country where everybody would benefit from their lands riches free health care, free education, including scholarships abroad, modern infrastructure, top-notch technology in medicine, and more.

Russia TV24: Why the gold dinar would be unacceptable for the western leaders? Or not?

PK: Yes, the gold Dinar was totally unacceptable for western leaders. It might have devastated the US dollar hegemony, as well as Europes control over the African economy which is nothing less than neo-colonization of Africa in many ways worse than what happened for the past 400 or 800 years of murderous military colonization and oppression -which is by the way still ongoing, just more discretely.

Look at the Ivory Coast 2010 presidential elections. Theirarguably unelected President, Alassane Ouattara (picture on the right), was in a tie with the peoples candidate, Laurent Gbagbo. Gbagbo said he won the election and asked for a recount which was denied. Ouattara, a former IMF staff, was pushed in, basically by recommendation of the IMF. He is the darling of the neoliberal international financial institutions and is leading a neocon government an economy at the service of western corporations. Thats what they wanted. Thats what they got. Modern colonization is well alive and thriving. I call this a financial coup, instigated by foreign financial institutions.

Mr. Laurent Gbagbo was accused of rape, murder and other atrocities and immediately transferred to the International Criminal Court (sic-sic) what justice? in The Hague, where he was waiting five years for a trial which started on 28 January 2016 and is ongoing. On 15 May 2017, it was extended at the Prosecutors request to collect further evidence. This by all likelihood is just a farce to dupe the public into believing that he is getting a fair trial. Already in hearings in 2014, Gbagbo was found guilty of all charges, including murder, rape and other crimes against humanity. Like SlobodanMiloevi, he is an inconvenient prisoner, or worse would he be as a free man. So, he will most likely be locked away and one day commit suicide or die from a heart attack. The classic. Thats how the west does away with potential witnesses of their atrocious crimes. End of story. Nobody barks, because the free worldhas been made believe by the western presstitute media that these people are inhuman tyrants. Thats precisely what the western medias headlines proclaimed about Muammar Gaddafi: Death of a Tyrant.

On the other hand, in 2015, Ouattara was reelected by a landslide. Thats what western media say. Colonization under African leadership. He is protected by the French army.

Back to Libya: Take the specific case of France and West and Central Africa. The French Central Bank, the Banque de France, backs the West and Central African Monetary Unions currency, the CFA franc. The West African Central Bank, for example, is covered, i.e. controlled, by about 70% of the Banque de France. Banque de France has an almost total control over the economy of its former West African colonies. No wonder, Sarkozy, a murderer and war criminal sorry, it must be said, backed Hillarys also a murderer and war criminal, push for NATO to destroy the country and kill thousands of Libyans, including Libyas leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Hillarys infamous words: We came we saw he died. And that she said shamelessly, jokingly, laughing. Would the termhuman being still apply to such a monster?

Russia TV24: What countries are mostly interested in the Libyan recovery and why? What are the chances for the economy of Libya to be repaired?

PK: Well, if anybody should be interested in Libyas recovery it would be first the Libyans who are still living in Libya, because they are now living in a Libya of chaos and high crime, of mafia-economics, of tyranny by gang leadership. They certainly have an interest to return to normalcy. North African neighboring countries should also be interested in restoring order and rebuilding Libyas infrastructure and economy, stopping the spill-over of high crime and terrorism. They have lost an important trading partner.

Of course, the rest of Africa, who have suffered from continuous colonization of the west, after Gaddafis demise, should also be interested in reestablishing Libya. They know,it will never be the same Libya that was there to help their economy, to help them prying loose from the western boots and fangs of exploitation.

And Europe -should be most interested in reestablishing order and a real economy in Libya- cleaning it from a murderous Mafia that promotes drugs and slave trade ending up in Europe. Libya today is one of the key hubs for the boat refugees from Africa to Europe.Instead of helping Libyans to come to peace within its borders and to rebuild their country, the European Commission launched in 2015 a new European Border and Coast Guard Agency, targeting specifically Libya destroying refugee boats, if they cannot stop them from leaving Tripoli, Benghazi and otherLibyan Sea ports.

Of course, spineless Europe doesnt dare saying they would like to remake Libya into a functional state.Libya is Washingtons territory and Washington wants chaos to continue in Libya.As such Libya is a formidable ground for training and recruitment of terrorists, drug and slave trading; a country where crime prospers and the CIA takes their cut, as these criminal activities are directed by the CIA and their affiliates. The rest of the world doesnt see that. For them its all the fault of the dictator Gaddafi, who thanks goodness was eliminated by the western powers, lords of money and greed.

Russia TV24: Decades ago Libya was very successful from an economic point of view. What main things could you remember?

PK: Libya was economically and socially a successful country, arguably the most successful of Africa. Prosperity from oil was largely shared by Gaddafi with his countrymen. Libya had a first-class social safety net, an excellent transportation infrastructure, free medical services, and modern hospitals,equipped with latest technology medical equipment, free education for everyone and students could even receive scholarships to study abroad.

Under President Gaddafi, Libya built friendly relations based on solidarity with other African States and was always ready to help if a brother nation was in trouble. Gaddafi was a bit like Hugo Chavez in South America. He had a large heart and charisma, maybe not so much for western leaders, but certainly for Libyas own population. Yet, he is accused of tyranny by the West, and is said to having financially supported Sarkozys Presidential campaign Sarkozy, the very leader (sic-sic),who then helped Hillary lynch Gaddafi. If that doesnt say a lot about Europes criminal leaders what will?

Muammar Gaddafi was accused by Washington an accusation immediately repeated by the spineless European puppets, of being responsible for the December 1988 PanAm Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. More than 240 people perished in the crash. Not a shred of evidence was discovered that Libya was behind the plot. But it was a good reason to start a program of sanctions against Gaddafis regime. It was most likely a false flag. What interest would anybody have to bring down that flight, other than clamping down on an oil-rich country.

Russia TV24: Now we see oil production has grown to at least 50% of the 2011 level. Can we expect it to continue growing and affecting the oil market?

PK: Yes, Libyan oil production has increased to about 50% of its 2011 level. Libya is known for her high premium light petrol, commanding premium prices. It is a market niche which might well be affected by Libyas stepped up production. But who really benefits from this production increase? Most likely not the Libyans, but the international corporations, mostly American and French oil giants. They call the shots on the production levels. They are part of the international cartel of oil price manipulators, as are the Wall Street banksters,predominantly Goldman Sachs.

Russia TV24: The sanctions against Libya are lifted and all barriers for foreign investments have disappeared as well. Does it mean the county will face recovery soon?

PK: Sanctions may be lifted, but that does not mean that foreign investments will now flow to Libya. The country is still under chaos and disarray and in my opinion will stay so in the foreseeable future. Thats in Washingtons interest.Investors are reluctant to put their money into a crime nest and a terrorist breeding ground which is working closely with Washington and its secret services to provide terrorists to fight US-proxy wars around the Middle East, for example in Syria and Iraq and now even in Afghanistan and who knows where else.

Russia TV24:How do you assess the political situation in the country today?

PK: As much as I would like to end on a positive note, it is difficult. As long as the CIA, chief instigator of all wars in the Middle East, is using the purposefully created Libyan chaos to train and recruit Islamic State fighters, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups which vary only in name but have the same objective namely regime change in Syria prospects for a foreseeable bright future are dim.

Of course, a lot depends on the unpredictable Trump Presidency. Will he seek peace in the Middle East? That would be the surprise of the Century or will he continue on the track dictated by the Deep State (not least to save his skin) continue destruction of the Middle East, Balkanization of Syria all as a stepping stone to Full Spectrum Dominance as is written in the American Bible the PNAC Plan for a New American Century which outlines the American Pax Romana. They were the bloodiest 200 300 years of the Roman Empire. Here comes the positive note: It is unlikely that the American empire will last that long. Its on its last legs.When it finally falters, Libya may recover, and so may the rest of the world.

Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, The 4th Media (China), TeleSUR, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance.

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Libya Why Was Muammar Gaddafi Killed May We Never Forget - Center for Research on Globalization

Libya: Trump’s chance to do more than tweet – Fox News

If proof is needed that Barack Obamas lead from behind foreign policy was a dismal failure, look no further than Libya. And if President Trump wants a win against terror, he should look to the same place.

Since longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown and killed by a howling mob in 2011, Libya the oil-rich gateway to northern Africa has had no government. Or rather, it has three competing governments, each claiming to be the countrys rightful ruler. Oh, and did we mention 1,600 count them armed militias? Not a recipe for stability.

To make matters worse, the countrys infrastructure has crumbled. Electricity is available only for a few hours a day, even in the capital, Tripoli. Oil production, which made Libya one of the most prosperous nations in the region, is atbetween a third and a half of capacity. Civilians are kidnapped or worse by marauding gangs. Banks refuse to let customers withdraw more than $20 at a time. And more than $40 billion in international aid has simply gone missing.

How did things reach such a point of chaos? Many Libyans point to Obamas tepid response after Qaddafis overthrow. His idea was to provide logistical support and back the militia groups that he thought could be persuaded to create democracy.

Instead, the various militias, including some allied with Al Qaeda and ISIS, fought among themselves like Bloods and Crips, resulting in at least 55,000 deaths, many of them civilians.

The country, whose population is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, nonetheless is divided by geography. In the east, tribal leaders are still nursing a longtime grudge against the poor treatment they received from Qaddafi during his 42 years in power. The east is ruled by Kalifa Haftar, a former officer in Qaddafis military who promoted himself to general of the so-called Libyan National Army, which is effectively a big militia. Haftar, who lived for 20 years in exile in Virginia, has spurned U.S. support in favor of closer ties with Russia, though he remains open to contact with the Trump administration.

Libya also has an elected parliament, which fled Tripoli and took refuge in Tobruk, in the east. And a weak cabinet holds court in Tripoli, surrounded by armed jihadi militias.

In the west, and around Tripoli, various jihadi militias battle each other and Haftars troops, when they venture out of the east.

When Italys prime minister visited the White House last month, he urged Trump to take an interest in Libyas future. The presidents response: Libya is not a priority.

He might want to reconsider. Helping to stabilize Libya would be a foreign policy win for the U.S., and a signal to Russia that American leadership in world affairs is making a comeback. Trump needs to clean up the mess made by the last administration, says former Libyan prime minister Mahmoud Gebril, who survived four assassination attempts. The militia leaders are ready to put down their weapons in exchange for amnesty. This civil war has gone on too long. It would be a peace of exhaustion.

Libya needs U.S. leadership, Walid Phares, a Middle East scholar and author (and Fox News contributor) who advises Trump, told me. Congress wants to destroy the jihadists. That can be done, but the president needs to step up.

Libya is sure to come up when Trump visits Saudi Arabia this week. It is a chance for the president to do something substantive and positive. He cant tweet it. He has to treat it like the opportunity it is.

John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books including "Pope John Paul II : Biography."

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Libya: Trump's chance to do more than tweet - Fox News

Russia to conduct live rocket tests off Libyan coast – The Libya Observer

Russian warships are reportedly planning to conduct rocket tests in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast later this month, according to news reports.

As a reaction to such a grave step to be taken by the Russians, the United Sates Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) warned Wednesday aircraft passing through the airspace of such an operation.

According to reports, the Russian navy will conduct the drills anytime from May 24 to 27.

Russia issued a notice to airman (NOTAM) warning of an impending rocket test off the eastern coast of Libya next week.

The area effected runs off the shore of Libya from roughly the Egyptian border to 150 miles west, and out to see about 100 miles, according to news reports.

Russia is a supporter of the eastern government and its forces of Dignity Operation, led by Khalifa Haftar, who visited Moscow and was even given a tour on a Russian aircraft carrier earlier this year, when he allegedly made a deal for arms supply by the Russians.

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Russia to conduct live rocket tests off Libyan coast - The Libya Observer

EU to conduct border patrols in Libya to stop migrants reaching Europe – The Independent

Plans that would see European border agents conduct patrols in Libya to stop the flow of migrantshave been welcomed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

FedericaMogherini said strengthening the north African country's border management wasonly a good idea, although she said there was already an EU mission, lead by Italy, that specifically addressed the issue.

The Italian Commissioner also stated hersupport for ''the appeal by Germany and Italy for work to be stepped up on the southern border of Libya'' to control the movement of African migrants across the desert.

Her comments were a response to a letter fromGerman Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere, and his Italian counterpart Marco Minniti to the European Commission, which requested an EU presence on the border betweenLibya and Niger as soon as possible.

"The first months of this year have shown that our efforts up to this point have been insufficient," they said.

We must prevent hundreds of thousands of people who are in the hands of smugglers from risking their lives in Libya and the Mediterranean."

Libya is now the principal point of entry to Europe for African migrants.

This yearThe International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says more than 45,000 people have reached Italy by boat from North Africa, an increase of over 40 percent on the same period of 2016. More than 1,200 are said to have died on the way.

Italian coastguard rescues thousands of refugees off coast of Libya

The European Commission is looking at proposals for an EU force which would assist Libyan border officials in their work, according to reports in German press.

The smuggling of people and contraband has grown in Libya, as militias capitalise on the lack of stable government for enormous financial gain.The IOM has also reported that refugees are being sold at modern-day slave markets in Libya.

Simon McMahon, a researcher of migration and refugees at the University of Coventry, said he thought an EU presence would be ineffectiveand serve only to further increase danger for migrants travelling through Libya.

We know that border controls dont really stop people from moving, they just shape the way people move," he said.

In the short term, a militarised border would benefit the smugglers, because people will still need to make those journeys regardless of an EU presence. In the long term, it's almost certain to make those journeys increasingly dangerous.

He added: "This plan doesn't address the root cause of why people are moving, it just seeks to stop them moving in the first place."

Mr McMahon was part of theMEDMIG project, which conducted extensive interviews with African migrants hoping to reach Libya. The team found that 80 to90 per cent of migrants from West and Central Africa had experienced violence while passing through Libya.

Europe has had a presence in the region for some time, but the desire to control the border of a country which isn't an EU state is certainly new and unprecedented, he said.

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EU to conduct border patrols in Libya to stop migrants reaching Europe - The Independent

SFO Seeks Files From SocGen Over Libya Bribery Allegations … – Bloomberg

by and

May 15, 2017, 6:29 AM EDT May 15, 2017, 12:27 PM EDT

The U.K. Serious Fraud Office sought documents from Societe Generale SAamid probes into a dispute between the French bank and the Libyan Investment Authority, days after the lender agreed to pay 963 million euros ($1.06 billion) to resolve a related civil-bribery lawsuit.

Lawyers for the LIA and the bank disagreed on why the prosecutor wants the paperwork,with an attorney for the Libyans saying the SFO was conducting a probe into Societe Generale. The banks attorney said the document request was made on behalf of U.S. investigators.

The U.K. prosecutor was working on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department, the banks lawyer, Sandy Phipps, told the court. "It is not the case" the bank is under investigation by the SFO.

"The SocGen defendants have long been cooperating with the DOJ," Phipps said. The SFOs request covers documents "broadly similar to the U.S subpoena," he said.

The Justice Department has been investigating a plethora of banks, private-equity firms and hedge funds that may have violated anti-bribery laws while dealing with the LIA. The document request and any SFO interest will be an unwelcome development for Societe Generale in the case, in which a group of executives were given permission to testify in secret to avoid incriminating themselves.

Roger Masefield, a lawyer for the LIA, had said earlier Monday that there was a "pending SFO investigation."

"My understanding is that the SFO wishes the SocGen defendants to hand over various categories of documents by 8 June 2017, including all those that have come into SocGens possession as a result of these proceedings," Masefield said.

Spokespeople for Societe Generale and the SFO declined to comment. Societe Generale apologized to the LIA and said it regretted the lack of caution of some of its employees, when it settled the matter this month.

Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment.

The lender and LIA settled their legal dispute, involving five transactions between 2007 and 2009, hours before a civil trial was to start this month.

The U.K. prosecutors request emerged at a hearing scheduled to discuss what should happen with the thousands of documents generated for the vacated trial and the identification of those people who would have testified anonymously. Masefield said the confidentiality club had grown to 150 individuals from 20 over the two-year period before the trial.

"We have moved from tens of documents to tens of thousands of documents being part of the confidentiality club,"Masefield said. An SFO representative attending the hearing didnt participate in the discussions.

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The Libyan case hinged on a $58.4 million payment made by Societe Generale to a businessman named Walid Al-Giahmi to secure investment deals. The LIA, which manages Libyas oil profits and has assets of more than $60 billion, sought to claim losses of about $1.5 billion. The group alleged the payment was a bribe, making the trades invalid. The bank had denied wrongdoing, saying the money was for introductory services and market research.

A similar lawsuit against Goldman Sachs Group Inc. from the LIA -- that dealt with allegations of undue influence instead of bribery -- was thrown out six months ago after a long trial in London.

(A previous version of this story was corrected to fix the name of the LIA attorney.)

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SFO Seeks Files From SocGen Over Libya Bribery Allegations ... - Bloomberg