TRIPOLI – August 1, 2011 – The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has seen no end to fighting inside Libya. NATO has intensified its bombardment of Tripoli and other major cities. Tens of thousands of fliers have been dropped by NATO from the skies asking the Libyan military to surrender.
The social momentum in Libya against NATO and its illegitimate Transitional Council has been picking up speed. Mass opposition to the rebels is building up in rebel the stronghold of Benghazi
Following the assassination of General Abdel Fattah Al-Yunis, the commander of the Transitional Council’s armed forces, further divisions within the rebellion have unfolded; the tide has changed dramatically in Benghazi.
The Obeide tribe, which is the tribe of General Yunis, has taken arms against the Transitional Council. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the chairman of the Transitional Council, faced gunfire in his hotel where he held a press conference announcing the death of General Al-Yunis. Jalil claimed that the body was lost and made many contradictory statements. He stated that Al-Yunes had been arrested for questioning and then was attacked and shot. In reality he was murdered by Transitional Council members tied directly to Washington. His son Ashraf Al-Yunis has demanded that the legitimate government in Tripoli bring stability to Benghazi.
There are unconfirmed reports that the prime minister of the Transitional Council, Mahmoud Jibril, has fled to Egypt to seek the protection of Field Marshal Tantawi and the Egyptian military junta.
At this point, revolts have broken out against the Transitional Council in cities until their control. Benghazi, Darnah, and Tobruk have all witnessed a social uprising of the local population against NATO and the armed gangs of the Transitional Council.
On July 31 clansmen from Warfallah joined the revolt against the Transitional Council in Benghazi. Some of them took up arms and others demonstrated demanding an end to the illegitimate rule of the Transitional Council. NATO helicopters intervened, directly targeting the demonstrators. According to reports, about 160 Warfallah clansmen were killed at a peaceful indoor gathering focusing on political actions and group efforts to oust the Transitional Council. The exact figures of those killed by NATO inside Benghazi are unconfirmed. Their bodies were not returned. They are believed to have been buried in unmarked mass graves.
Qatari troops are also on the ground and there is visual confirmation of Qatari armoured vehicles inside Benghazi. A Qatari armoured vehicle has also been caught on tape in Benghazi fighting against Libyans trying to liberate the city from NATO and Transitional Council armed groups.
Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is writting directly on the ground from Libya and specializes on the Middle East and Central Asia.
