In response to requests to blog about dubstep music, I will say that dubstep is amazing music and I am excited to learn about the music culture in Ghana next year. (Perhaps they will have something similar to dubstep? who knows!)
Elsewhere around the world this weekend, the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan continues to unfold with continuing problems cooling nuclear reactors, food with higher than normal levels of radiation, and on a happier note, rescuers have found a grandmother and a young child in the rubble nine days after the disaster. Today was a landmark day in Egypt as the public was invited to vote on constitutional changes with 41% of 45 million eligible voters voting and 77.2% of those voters voted in favour of the changes. The conflict in Libya is continuing to escalate as the international community has become involved, with troops from the United States and Europe moving in to protect citizens. This military action, unlike the invasion of Iraq, was backed by the United Nations. Haiti is back in the headlines as the presidential elections take place today and some conflicting reports of Wyclef Jean (former member of the Fugees), and if he has been shot or has cut his hand on some glass.
Japan
Immediately following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese government has remained relatively unconcerned about the potential nuclear meltdown at several reactors. Cooling systems have failed and operators are taking drastic measures to try to cool the reactors including using salt water which has never been tried before. Toronto Star reporters in Japan suggested that while the Japanese people have been pleased with the quick responses from the government following the disaster, they might not be as happy with the government once the nuclear issues come to light. There are some clear discrepancies between Japanese media reports and those of Western journalists. For the mostpart, Japanese reports of the nuclear crisis downplayed the severity of the overheating reactors and maintained that operators had the situation under control. Outside reports painted a very different picture of the situation which is cause for alarm.
There are clear radiation leaks, tainted milk has been discovered 30km from the power plant and tainted spinach has been found up to 100km away. While the excess radiation is very slight (less than 1/5 of the radiation a person receives during a CAT scan), Japanese officials have banned the sale and export of foodstuffs and produce near the power plant sites.
Continued conflicting reports as to the current status of the nuclear plants in Japan are abundant with some claiming that the situation is under control, others claiming that the situation is worsening. Some cheerful news also from Japan this weekend as a grandmother and child were discovered in the rubble 9 days after the earthquake.
Egypt
Today marked the beginning of a new Egypt and has set the groundwork for presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming months. The constitutional amendments are supposed to facilitate the election process. This is an exciting time as for many Egyptians, this is the first free vote of their lives (really in 50 years). There are concerns about potential clashes between Christians and Muslims as violent confrontations between the two groups have continued to occur since Mubarak was forced out of office. Despite these concerns, 41% of the 45 million eligible voters cast a vote with an overwhelming 77.2%voting in favour of the proposed changes.
Libya
The situation in Libya continues to escalate as forces have entered the country in a United Nations- backed operation. Their objective is to protect the citizens of Libya. In response to the foreign forces attacking his army, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" as foreign forces continue to move in. Rebels lost considerable ground in recent weeks as they were unable to compete against Gadhafi's overwhelming military power. The Pope has issued a statement regarding the crisis in Libya. Pope Benedict XVI has urged for those in a position of power to provide access to humanitarian aid and to protect Libyan civilians.
Haiti
The presidential elections are underway in Haiti today. Wyclef Jean was seen casting a ballot in the election despite suffering an injury to his hand.
It has been a busy weekend around the world. Hopefully the unrest in the Middle East will be nearer conclusion
Showing posts with label Libya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libya. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
How Will Gadhafi Go?
A Toronto Star article published yesterday called Few exits open to Gadhafi, provides some insight and speculation as to the fate of the long-time Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The following image, published as part of the article provides an up-date as to the progression of the battle between rebel groups and the Libyan army.
The article presents some interesting comments about the fate of Gadhafi and whether he will remain in Libya until the end or if he will attempt to flee the country. As with many wars and other civil unrest, it is difficult to gain an accurate picture of the situation as the government claims to have made progress towards defeating the rebel groups while the rebel groups deny having lost ground to the military.
Gadhafi has made contact with Libyan allied countries and it is speculated that he might attempt to flee the country and seek refuge in one of these countries. An expert interviewed for the article suggests that Gadhafi might instead try and convince countries like Egypt, also recovering from political activism resulting in the removal of Hosni Mubarak from office, that rebel fighters in Libya are part of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and to prevent them from entering Egypt. It has not yet been confirmed if the rebel groups are indeed affiliated with Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. As the conflict continues, countries around the world are uniting against Moammar Gadhafi.
While much of this information is speculative, it does provide some insight from experts as to possible outcomes of the conflict in Libya. If Gadhafi leaves, he is facing an International Criminal Court trial at the Hague related to the war crime charges. The more likely scenario is that Gadhafi will remain in office until the bitter end as he has maintained power in Libya for forty years (and is not likely to willingly relinquish power), and because by remaining in Libya, he can avoid standing trial (for the time being).
An article published on the Huffington Post (Libyan Rebels Reject Potential Gaddafi Offer To Step Down), suggests that the leader is in fact trying to hand power to the head of parliament however that the sum of money he would receive in exchange is insufficient for him to agree. Other aspects of this agreement include his family being guaranteed safety and to not be put on trial. The sources of this Reuters article imply that if Gadhafi stepped down, the country would descend into civil war which is a dangerous situation. Keeping Gadhafi in office could assist in negotiations and preventing a full civil war in Libya. Whether an offer for Gadhafi to step down has officially been in negotiations is still unclear. The information in this article suggests that the contact with allied countries in Africa and the Middle East is in fact for the purpose of seeking a safe haven for Gadhafi and his family.
Conflicting reports on the same issue. It remains to be seen what will actually happen with Gadhafi either stepping down from power or being forcibly removed from power. Hopefully the conflict will be resolved without becoming a country-wide civil war. It is clear that the conflict in Libya will not be as easily resolved as the revolution in Egypt which was remarkable for how quickly Mubarak stepped down.
As the conflict in Libya drags on, many people are left stranded far from home in Libya. There are a great number of foreign workers in Libya, many of whom are stranded and are trying to leave the country as quickly as they can. Without passports or government identification, this can be very difficult.
Time released a photo essay Workers Lost in Libya's Turmoil that gives you a sense of the chaos of people trying to flee the country.
I think it is an exciting time as countries begin to question their government and in some cases protest for change. So far this year, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have all protested against the government. Will 2011 be known as the year of the protest?
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| Current State of Affairs in Libya |
The article presents some interesting comments about the fate of Gadhafi and whether he will remain in Libya until the end or if he will attempt to flee the country. As with many wars and other civil unrest, it is difficult to gain an accurate picture of the situation as the government claims to have made progress towards defeating the rebel groups while the rebel groups deny having lost ground to the military.
Gadhafi has made contact with Libyan allied countries and it is speculated that he might attempt to flee the country and seek refuge in one of these countries. An expert interviewed for the article suggests that Gadhafi might instead try and convince countries like Egypt, also recovering from political activism resulting in the removal of Hosni Mubarak from office, that rebel fighters in Libya are part of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and to prevent them from entering Egypt. It has not yet been confirmed if the rebel groups are indeed affiliated with Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. As the conflict continues, countries around the world are uniting against Moammar Gadhafi.
While much of this information is speculative, it does provide some insight from experts as to possible outcomes of the conflict in Libya. If Gadhafi leaves, he is facing an International Criminal Court trial at the Hague related to the war crime charges. The more likely scenario is that Gadhafi will remain in office until the bitter end as he has maintained power in Libya for forty years (and is not likely to willingly relinquish power), and because by remaining in Libya, he can avoid standing trial (for the time being).
An article published on the Huffington Post (Libyan Rebels Reject Potential Gaddafi Offer To Step Down), suggests that the leader is in fact trying to hand power to the head of parliament however that the sum of money he would receive in exchange is insufficient for him to agree. Other aspects of this agreement include his family being guaranteed safety and to not be put on trial. The sources of this Reuters article imply that if Gadhafi stepped down, the country would descend into civil war which is a dangerous situation. Keeping Gadhafi in office could assist in negotiations and preventing a full civil war in Libya. Whether an offer for Gadhafi to step down has officially been in negotiations is still unclear. The information in this article suggests that the contact with allied countries in Africa and the Middle East is in fact for the purpose of seeking a safe haven for Gadhafi and his family.
Conflicting reports on the same issue. It remains to be seen what will actually happen with Gadhafi either stepping down from power or being forcibly removed from power. Hopefully the conflict will be resolved without becoming a country-wide civil war. It is clear that the conflict in Libya will not be as easily resolved as the revolution in Egypt which was remarkable for how quickly Mubarak stepped down.
As the conflict in Libya drags on, many people are left stranded far from home in Libya. There are a great number of foreign workers in Libya, many of whom are stranded and are trying to leave the country as quickly as they can. Without passports or government identification, this can be very difficult.
Time released a photo essay Workers Lost in Libya's Turmoil that gives you a sense of the chaos of people trying to flee the country.
I think it is an exciting time as countries begin to question their government and in some cases protest for change. So far this year, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have all protested against the government. Will 2011 be known as the year of the protest?
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