Note: Excellent Middle East Update by Weasel.
Current Liveblog is here for up to date commentary on events in Libya.
Update: I've just heard that the Libyan ambassador to the UN, not his deputy who called for UN action yesterday, will be presenting to the UN Security Council meeting on Libya this afternoon. Ambassador Mohamed Shalgham appeared this morning and announced that he represents Libya:
He called Gadhafi "my friend" and said he had been speaking every hour with top government officials appealing for an end to the violence.
"I am asking them to stop this escalation, this bloodshed, and they are listening to me, they are respecting me. And I hope within 24 hours everything will be changed there," Shalgham said.
What did he hope will change in 24 hours?
"They will stop everything. They will stop this escalation, stop this crackdown," Shalgham said.
The ambassador said he would speak at Tuesday afternoon's meeting and deliver this message to council members.
Under intense questioning from reporters demanding to know who is responsible for the killing of protestors, the ambassador said: "All the regime is responsible. I am one from the regime, all of us we are responsible."
Shalgham said Gadhafi won't step down and insisted that the government has not been bombing civilians or using mercenaries.
Please make calls urging the US and the UN to stand strong and protect the Libyan people.
Responding to the escalating and brutal violence Muammar Gaddafi has wrought upon the Libyan people, the United Nations Security Council and the Arab League have called emergency meetings for this morning at 9 am and 10 am EDT respectively.
UN Security Council
The Security Council closed-door meeting was requested by the recently resigned Libyan deputy ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi who, with other diplomats at Libya's mission to the UN, announced on Monday a decision to side with the protesters in Libya and called for the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. The Security Council includes five permanent members: People's Republic of China which replaced the Republic of China in 1971, France, Russian Federation which replaced the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, United Kingdom, and the United States; and ten non-permanent members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil. Colombia, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal, and South Africa.
Arab League
The Arab League will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the current crisis in Libya and to put additional "pressure" on the Gaddafi government. Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, called the meeting. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, condemned the escalating violence in Libya and told Gaddafi that it "must stop immediately” while in extensive discussions with him yesterday. The 22 members of the Arab League include Algeria, Bahrain, Manama, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia Riyal, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
What Next?
Discussions in the Middle East/North Africa Liveblogs and Meteor Blades' diaries have also focused on what course should be taken to stop the violence in Libya. Many of us have expressed frustration, bewilderment, and anger at the silence coming from the White House and the State Department. It wasn't until the end of the day yesterday that Hillary Clinton finally strongly condemned the violence:
"The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm. We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones.
"The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly. Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government."
We never heard from President Obama.
Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern at the escalating scale of violence and emphasised that it must stop immediately. His chief spokesperson at the U.N. indicated that Ki-moon
reiterated his call for respect for basic freedoms and human rights, including peaceful assembly, and underlined the need to ensure the protection of the civilian population under any circumstances. He urged all parties to exercise restraint and called upon the authorities to engage in broad-based dialogue to address legitimate concerns of the population.
Discussions here about what course should be taken have examined a spectrum of options, ranging from suggestions that the U.S. should distance itself from the conflict to unilateral military intervention to a collaborative action as part of the Security Council and/or NATO, which might include establishing a no-fly zone, removing the Gaddafi regime, facilitating transition to a democratic government, allowing the regime to remain in power and enact reforms, to holding accountable those responsible for serious violations of international human rights law.
Personally, I agree with former British Foreign Secretary Lord Owen who appeared on CNN and the BBC unequivocally describing Gaddafi as "unbalanced" and concluding that the situation in Libya now represents a direct threat to world peace. Lord Owen stressed the urgency of a UN Security Council meeting that is now scheduled. He also told the
BBC "military action is the only thing Col Gaddafi and his sons are going to listen to." The military intervention I have in mind is to immediately establish a no-fly zone to prevent the Gaddafi regime from bringing in additional mercenaries. Others would take it further.
Call today NOW
Whatever your thoughts are about the best course, please call the White House, the State Department, your Congressional representatives, and the UN to urge them to take action to stop the horrific bloodshed and repression. Most important, call today NOW. The Libyan people have been under brutal attack for days. Hundreds have been murdered, thousands wounded, hospitals are overwhelmed, medical supplies have been depleted. We haven't a moment to waste.
Contact info follows below
Contact info for the WH, State Department, Congress, UN, and medical aid organizations is listed below If you have additional or better information please share it and I will edit the diary. Please also leave a comment telling us what happened when you made your calls. If you aren't able to call and instead sent an email, please consider sharing what you wrote with us; your words may embolden another.
The Poll
Kossack grannyhelen is curious about where the dkos community stands on the next step with Gaddafi and has devised a poll. Please register your opinion there too.
Do the Libyan People Want or Need Our Help
In case you are wondering if our help really is wanted and needed by the Libyan people:
ShababLibya LibyanYouthMovement
now we feel really helpless... #Libya #Feb17
Libyana Americana
Cyrenaican Libyana Americana
by monaeltahawy
"Im not afraid to die, Im afraid to lose the battle" a friend of mine in #Benghazi yesterday who was involved in battle for Fadheela #Libya
Cyrenaican Libyana Americana
by ShababLibya
Please, we need people to contact the Obama administration and the United Nations to demand they do something about Libya #Feb17 #Libya
Libyan4life
I can't believe people are wondering what the US the worlds SUPER POWER can do for #Libya. Are you kidding, u can't think of a thing? Food?
Food shortages, nonexistent medical supplies and continual killings make it a scary and grave situation in #Benghazi. #Libya wont give up!
iyad_elbaghdadi Iyad El-Baghdadi
by monaeltahawy
To clarify, Libyans do not want any Western power to intervene or interfere, just want to hear someone denounce Gaddafi for killing them
Supporters of the Libyan people gathered outside the WH on Saturday to deliver this message to President Obama:
There will be another protest at the WH today. If anyone has info regarding the time, please post it below the tipjar and I will add it to the diary.
ACTION TO SUPPORT THE LIBYAN REVOLUTIONARIES
The White House
Please call the White House and urge President Obama to strongly condemn the massacre of Libyans and do whatever he can to stop the Gaddafi regime.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Webform for email: www.whitehouse.gov/contact
You can also comment on the WH FaceBook page.
Phone calls are more effective than emails. Please call, but if you must email or FB, and need text, Dave Houck shared his email to the WH:
Please do everything you can to stop the killing of protesters in Libya, and to support those who peacefully protest, who courageously stand in the face of the violent responses of oppressive regimes, in countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
You, as our representative on the national stage, can not turn away from the killing of peaceful protesters in Libya. We must stand for justice and freedom.
Petition to President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and Congress
Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, Your Governor, Your State Senate, and Your State House
Started by: freedom campaign
Americans for Global Democracy, Freedom, and Human Rights
We are a group of Americans who advocate for human rights, democracy, and justice everywhere. As Dr Martin Luther King once said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We stand in support of America's global interests without infringing on the rights of others and without violating universal values and international laws.
We thank President Obama for his brave stance on this issue and we ask him and his administration to take a similar stance in supporting all oppressed people in the Arab world and the globe.
Please join our campaign and stand with the oppressed people of Libya.
Americans for Global Democracy, Freedom, and Justice Campaign
Congress
Contact your elected representatives and ask them to publicly condemn the atrocities in Libya. Tell him/her you are a constituent and you’d like him/her to urge the President and Secretary Clinton to do all they can to help the Libyan people.
Senators: You can find contact information for your senators here
Representatives: You can look up your representatives here
Or simply call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
US State Department
Contact the State Department and urge Hillary Clinton to do all she can to help the Libyan people. Please tell her to act quickly, so many lives have already been lost.
Secretary Hillary Clinton 202-647-5291
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg 202-647-8636
You will only be able to leave a message at the first number, but Monday - Friday you can reach a live human being at the office of the Deputy Secretary of State. Ask Mr. Steinberg to relay the message to Secretary Clinton.
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)
Assistant Secretary Jeffrey D. Feltman 202-647-7209
Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues
Ambassador-At-Large Clint Williamson 202-647-5072
The Gaddafi regime is committing crimes against humanity, but if you have time, it can't hurt to call this office and ask what can be done to prosecute those who are committing the crimes.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
Philip J. Crowley 202-647-6607 @PJCrowley
PJ Crowley tweets regularly. A Libyan twitter suggested bombarding him with this tweet:
#Libya is crying for help. US must condemn and intervene in the massacre.
Now that the State Department finally condemned the massacre, we only need to ask him to intervene with a no fly zone or more.
The United Nations
Please contact the United Nations Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and ask them to intervene in the massacre happening in Lybia. You can sign also this petition :
To: United Nations
People of the world, please do not stand by and let Muamar Gaddafi Kill the people of Libya for merely trying to voice their request for Democracy, as many countries have done successfully. By signing this petition you are urging the United Nations to intervene, and to do the best they can convince Muamar Gaddafi to step down as the leader of Libya. Medical Aid is requested, as is media coverage in Libya. Gaddafi will massacre the masses if we remain silent. Please act quickly, time is of the Essence.
Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 600
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel: 1 917 367 2589
E-mail: osapg@un.org
email form: http://www.un.org/...
Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
Francis Deng
Special Adviser of the Secretary-General
Edward Luck
United Nations Human Rights Council
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay
General Inquiries:
Telephone: +41 22 917 9220
United Nations in New York (UNHQ)
Caroline Petit, petitc@un.org
United Nations in Geneva(UNOG)
Yvette Morris, ymorris@unog.ch
From Ralph Lopez, not sure what jobs these people have.
Libyan Offices in the U.S.
Contact the Libyan government and tell them the world condemns the brutality and the perfidy, that we have seen the photos and videos and they will be held accountable for war crimes.
The Libyan Mission to the UN
The Permanent Mission of Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the nited Nations
309-315 East 48th Street
New York, NY, 10017, USA
Phone: +1-212-752-5775
Fax: + 1-212-593-4787
E-mail: libya_mis_us@foreign.gov.ly
Business hours: 9am - 5pm (Monday to Friday)
Ambassador Ali Aujali
Representative Office of Libya in Washington,United States
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW,
Suite 705
Washington D.C. 20037
United States
Phone: +1-202-944-9601
Fax: +1-202-944-9606
If you are not in the U.S., you can find embassy offices world wide here.
Medical Assistance for Libya
Please contact these agencies and ask them to send assistance to the hospitals in Libya. Libya's hospitals are running out of supplies and medicines. The Egyptian army has set up two field hospitals on the Egypt/Libya border which are staffed with Egyptian doctors and nurses. Tunisian doctors have also tried to enter the country, but have been blocked at the border. There are unconfirmed reports that the Red Cross is also sending aid. If you can confirm this info via any of these numbers, please leave a comment below.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
New York Delegation to the UN
420 Lexington Avenue
Suite 2811
New York, NY 10170
Telephone: +1 (212) 338 0161
Fax: +1 (212) 338 9832
Email form
Red Cross Canada
National Office
170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2P2
Tel: (613) 740-1900
Fax: (613) 740-1911
email - judi.fairholm@redcross.ca
Red Cross USA
Email form: http://www.redcross.org/...
Phone: (202) 303 – 5000 - Main menu
(202) 303 – 5214 - Staff / dept directory
American Red Cross National Headquarters
2025 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Red Cross Europe
Rue Belliard 65, box 7
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 235 06 80
Fax: +32 (0)2 230 54 64
Acting Director
Mr. Ulrich Cronenberg
Tel: +32 (0)2 235 06 85
ulrich.cronenberg@redcross-eu.net
World Health Organization
Address: Avenue Appia 20
Postal Code: 1211
City: Geneva 27
Country: Switzerland
Telephone: +41 227912111
Fax: +41 227913111
Email: info@who.int
Head of the organization: Margaret Chan
International Health Organization
USA OFFICE:
48 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Phone: +001 (617) 254-5077
Email: administrator@ihousa.org
THANK YOU for all that you do. There are lives in the balance.