Inside the battle of Tripoli

Essam Badran 23 August 2011
The Libyan legend was written by civilian Libyans with high expectations of a future free Libya, who have risen up from every corner and carried arms to end one of the world’s totalitarian regimes.

All sides guilty of breaching international law in Somalia

Josephine Whitaker 15 August 2011

All sides guilty of violating international law in Somalia, says new report. Wave of attacks rock Iraq. Assault on Syrian port enters third day. US officials reject report on drone death figures. Gaddafi defiant as rebels claim control of West. All this and more in today’s briefing...

Libyan rebel military chief assassinated

Oliver Scanlan

On Thursday, it was announced that the head of the Libyan rebel armed forces, Abdel Fattah Younes, had been killed by gunmen in Benghazi, along with two military aides. The announcement was made by the head of the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who called Younes ‘one of the heroes of the 17th February revolution’. One of the assailants has been reportedly captured, with a manhunt underway in Benghazi to locate the others.

Power dynamics in Afghanistan shift after a series of assassinations

Humayun Saleem 20 July 2011
Hamid Karzai’s political influence in southern Afghanistan diminishes as his brother Ahmed Wali Karzai and adviser Jan Mohammed Khan are assassinated. Mumbai responds to bombings with promise of security overhaul. Libyan rebels and government forces engage in fierce clashes. UN gives aid to Islamist run camps in Somalia.

The green shoots of the Arab Spring

Tarek Osman 19 July 2011
The Arab Spring is frequently portrayed as a series of uprisings against oppressive regimes. A more historically-oriented reading would see it as a rejection by young Arabs (the more than 185-million under the age of 30 years) of the socio-political heritage they inherited from the previous generation.

US shock doctrine – Libya style

Rob Prince 7 July 2011
It has been relatively easy for NATO to violate UN Resolution 1973 in part because of the splits of the peace movement worldwide. The peace movement will have to work very hard to counter the other interests involved in the next stage. A few voices are warning against continuing intervention.

The casualties of war: Libya and beyond

Paul Rogers 7 July 2011
The architects of a decade's wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Libya devote great efforts to assessing the military aspects of their operations - yet are silent on the human damage. A new report highlights the international pressure for a shift of focus.

Thai military accepts Pheu Thai victory at the general election

Humayun Saleem 6 July 2011
Thailand’s military accept the victory of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s political party. Security situation in Bangladesh deteriorates after the caretaker government system is abolished. Pakistani defense minister asks the United States to leave Shamsi Airbase as the US shifts key supply routes through Pakistan to central Asia. Turkish Prime Minister visits Libyan opposition groups in Benghazi. All in today’s security briefing.

Yemen on the verge of collapse

Oliver Scanlan

On Friday, heavy fighting continued in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Street protests that erupted in January against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh have escalated to the point where the capital has been divided between those forces loyal to the President and rival tribal militias. The fighting has killed at least 135 people in the last ten days. Street combat between government and tribal forces has also led to the temporary grounding of flights at Yemen’s main airport.

Debating the Libyan intervention: precedents and departures in international humanitarian law

Jennifer Welsh, David Rodin, Dapo Akande, and Cheyney Ryan 25 May 2011
The Oxford University's Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict debate the meaning of the Libyan intervention for international law and whether the UN Resolution 1973 permits the targeting of Gaddafi and the supplying of rebel fighters.

The Arab revolutions and al-Qaida

Khaled Hroub 23 May 2011
The democratic wave in the Arab world confirms the emptiness of al-Qaida’s ideology, strategy and rhetoric. The death of Osama bin Laden can be seen as part of this wider process, says Khaled Hroub. 

Libya: the costs of stalemate

Paul Rogers 22 May 2011

The west's military-political strategy prolongs the war in Libya and gives space to authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the region.

(This article was first published on 19 May 2011)

Ocampo targets Gaddafi: will International Criminal Court help end abuse of civilians in Libya?

Thomas Obel Hansen 18 May 2011
Libya falls in a category where criminal justice should be sequenced so it does not hamper the possibility of a negotiated end to the conflict. Issuing arrest warrants on Gaddafi and his comrades is an undesirable move.

A message from the front line

Laura Balbo 7 May 2011
Does Europe offer a model for a solution to xenophobia, or is it a major part of the problem; or is it just in a much more confused place altogether?

Common sense before troops to Libya

Lambrecht Wessels 5 May 2011
We should focus on strengthening democratic and non-violent processes to stabilise Libya long-term.

This week's editor

Heather McRobie


Niki Seth-Smith is a freelance journalist and co-editor of OurKingdom.

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