(Al Jazeera) – North Africa:  Rebels will not pursue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post in the next 72 hours, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council has told Al Jazeera. “If he leaves Libya immediately, during 72 hours, and stops the bombardment, we as Libyans will step back from pursuing him for crimes,” Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the opposition National Council, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. 

He said the deadline would not be extended beyond 72 hours. “Based on our love for our country we have proposed to the [Gaddafi’s] indirect negotiators that a solution can be reached,” Jalil told Al Jazeera.  “Conditions are that firstly he stops all combat in the fields, secondly that his departure is within 72 hours; thirdly we may waive our right of domestic prosecution … for the crimes of oppression, persecution, starvation and massacres. “We will have to wait and see what the regime’s response is.”

Libyan state television on Tuesday denied reports that the Libyan leader tried to strike a deal with opposition forces seeking his removal.

However, a spokesman for the opposition National Council in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi confirmed that a representative had sought to negotiate Gaddafi’s exit. Gaddafi was reported to have sent a representative to Benghazi on Sunday night to discuss a conditional plan to step down, Al Jazeera learned. The offer was provided on the condition that Gaddafi would be able to keep his assets and avoid prosecution.

Conflicting reports
The Libyan leader is said to be willing to step down in return for dropping war crimes charges against him and guaranteeing a safe exit for him and his family. He also reportedly wants guarantees from the UN that he will be allowed to keep his money.

However, Hoda Abdel-Hamid, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Benghazi, said she was hearing conflicting accounts of what happened.  “The head of the opposition National Council says there were indirect talks with people from Tripoli, who were given the green light from the regime,” she said.  “But the spokesman for the National Council denies any of that. He says no one can bargain for the blood spilt during the 42 years of Gaddafi’s leadership or the money that is owed to the Libyan people.

“There is a very chaotic picture coming out here and it could backfire in the face of the Council.”  She also said there was no optimism there following news of the ultimatum from the rebels.  “There is no more euphoria of a revolution,” she said.  “People are worried it will move towards civil war which will continue for months on end. There is a realisation that there is no institution in this country – that you have to avoid chaos.

(emphasis mine)

“It’s a matter of waiting and seeing. Military commanders are continuing on their mission to get military structure to the group of volunteers [fighters] who are very disorganised.”

Intense fighting

Security forces loyal to Gaddafi have strengthened their military position in the last few days, squeezing rebel-held towns in the west and checking the advance of rebel militias westwards towards the capital, Tripoli.

On Tuesday Gaddafi forces used tanks and aircraft to attack the town of Az Zawiyah, 50 km west of Tripoli, but rebels  say they still control the town centre.  Al Jazeera heard reports that Gaddafi snipers were on rooftops shooting randomly from the main square and that they are storming houses in some neighbourhoods and killing residents.  Fighting is also intensifying in Ras Lanuf – a key Libyan oil terminal in the centre of the country – amid reports of several air strikes on Tuesday.

Families residing there began heading eastward in an apparent attempt to flee the fighting in that strategic port town, our correspondent there said. Several people were reported to have been killed in battles a day earlier, including a family trying to flee the fighting.  Gaddafi supporters are moving eastward in an effort to push the rebels back and recapture fallen towns, with reports emerging on Monday that they took control of the central Libyan town of Bin Jawad.

There was also fierce fighting in the eastern city of Misurata, located between Tripoli and Gaddafi’s hometown Sirte, with reports of at least 18 people killed on Monday.

No-fly zone

The rebel forces say they will be outgunned if the government continues to unleash its air attacks on them and are pleading for the international community to impose a no-fly zone to prevent this.  “We don’t want a foreign military intervention, but we do want a no-fly zone,” rebel fighter Ali Suleiman told AP news agency.  “We are all waiting for one,” he said. The rebels can take on “the rockets and the tanks, but not Gaddafi’s air force”.

William Hague, the UK foreign minister, said on Tuesday that a no-fly zone over Libya was a practical possibility but it would need a clear legal basis.  “It is a realistic possibility and it is a practical possibility,” Hague said. “It has to have a clear legal base, it has to have the necessary international support, broad support in the region itself.”

On the same day, the UN Security Council raised the possibility of imposing the no-fly zone.  “There were lots of issues that were discussed this morning, the no-fly zone was one of the issues,” UN under secretary general Lynn Pascoe said after briefing the 15-nation Security Council on Tuesday.  On Monday the six US-allied Gulf Arab nations said they backed a UN-enforced no-fly zone, they also condemned the killings by pro-government forces in Libya as “massacres”.

Arab foreign ministers are to hold crisis talks on Friday to discuss imposing it, Arab League
officials said.  The US president said on Monday that the US and its NATO allies were still considering a military response to the violence.  Barack Obama said the US will stand with the Libyan people as they face “unacceptable” violence. He also sent a strong message to Gaddafi, saying he and his supporters will be held responsible for the violence there.

Humanitarian concerns

Hundreds if not thousands of people have died since Libya’s uprising began on February 14 in an effort to end Gaddafi’s more than 41-year rule, although tight restrictions on media make it near impossible to get an accurate number.

The number of people who have fled the violence in Libya since last month has passed 215,000 according to the International Organisation for Migration, most of them are foreign workers.  Meanwhile, on Tuesday a senior Red Crescent official said forces loyal to Gaddafi were blocking migrant workers from crossing into Tunisia, and forcing many to return to work in Tripoli.

Ibrahim Osman said about 30,000 migrant workers were rounded up and held in Libyan immigration buildings near the Tunisian border last week.  He said Gaddafi soldiers “pulled back” 30,000 Bangladeshis, Egyptians and sub-Saharan Africans from the Ras Ajdir border crossing and they appear to have been forcibly returned to service jobs in the capital.  The UN refugee agency also warned on Tuesday that there was a critical shortage of long haul flights to evacuate foreign migrants who have fled Libya to their home countries in Asia and Africa.

On the North Western side near Tunisia you see Al Queda North Africa supporting the rebellion.   On the Eastern Side near Benghazi you see Al Queda Arabian Peninsular via Muslim Brotherhood supporting the rebellion along with imported Egyptian military commandos for assistance.   In Behghazi itself Mustafa Abdel Jalil and the “resistance council” are meeting. 

Reminder, take a good look at Abdel Jalil and note the “Mark of Islam” on his forehead.    Also, note the emboldened paragraph above.   Indeed while the entire media world is writing off Quackdaffy, a reasonable case could be made for him remaining in power.   Essentially, if “outside influences” back away, he will remain.  Those normal, non-emotionally thinking, and rational Libyan’s know what may lie around the corner.    Yeah, Quackdaffy sucks, but Sharia….. well, lets just say that sucks worse.  And remember Libya is a perfect footprint for Sharia,  tribal communities, tribal laws, tribal councils, and tribal judicial system already in place.

Seeing the Arab League condemn Quackdaffy only emboldens the United Nations to assist the rebels.   Unfortunately all this talk of arming the rebellion, like that we see coming from John Kerry, completely dismisses the most important historical context for such action.   Remember our arming of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan?  (Anyone,….. Anyone,……. Bueller….. Hello?)   Those same arms and bullets we gave the Mujahideen are the very weapons now shooting American Soldiers.   It is complete nonsense for America to arm a rebellion against Quackdaffy when all indications are there that a considerable influence upon the rebels is #1) Al Queda, and #2) Muslim Brotherhood.   What do you think they are going to do with those weapons after Quackdaffy is gone.?   They’ll use them to establish their own Islamic Political Power, just ask Abdel Jalil.

Sorry to be so blunt, but get your head out of your ass Senator Kerry, and wise up.  Quit making this about political posturing and face saving.   Who give a hoot.   The White House needs to look at the “long term”, “Big Picture”, strategic interests of the United States.    You guys keep painting us into corners.

You, meaning your ilk and the administration,  have established a self-fulfilling prophecy situation with Quackdaffy.  

Iran rebelled against our Enemy Immadinnerjacket and we did nothing – he won.  Egypt rebelled against our friend Mubarak and we supported – He lost.  Now an Enemy in Libya, another rebellion, and your position is we cannot afford to allow Quackdaffy to win or America looks weak.  Yet by defeating Quackdaffy we could very well be opening up a worst case scenario.    So yeah, America might ‘look’ strong…. But is actually, in principle and purpose, weakened strategically.   Great job jerkoffs….