MIERLEEU: February 2011
An emergency NATO meeting was held in Brussels yesterday afternoon. A subsequent statement said NATO would “continue to consult in order to be prepared for any eventuality.” Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen previously stressed that the organisation had “assets that can be used in a situation like this.”
A US military operation in Libya would have nothing to do with defending the population against Gaddafi’s violence or establishing “democracy” in the country. When the regime first unleashed a wave of carnage against opposition forces, Obama’s initial response was to say nothing, apparently waiting to see if Gaddafi’s forces would quickly regain control. The dictator has enjoyed the warmest of relations with the US and European powers in recent years, having junked barriers previously erected against the operations of foreign oil companies in Libya and declared his full support for the so-called war on terror.
Western governments regarded with alarm the spread into Libya of the North African uprising of workers and youth. Obama was not alone in his stalling as reports of Gaddafi government massacres first emerged. The Guardian today reported that the British government’s delay in preparing to evacuate its citizens from the country was primarily due to commercial considerations. Unnamed officials told the newspaper that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government of Prime Minister David Cameron had “hesitated because it was concerned about the Libyan response to a hurried decision to evacuate UK citizens from a country with which it was still keen to do lucrative business and in whose future it had invested heavily.”
There is ongoing discussion of an initial imposition of a “no-fly” zone. James Phillips, a Middle East expert at the Heritage Foundation, admitted to USA Today that this “would amount to military action,” adding it “should be used a last resort.” The systematic US bombardment of Iraqi targets in the 1990s demonstrated the aggressive character of “no fly” zones. The establishment of one over Libya would almost certainly result in deadly air strikes.
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 10:47 PM No comments:
Pragtig! Die verskil tussen hom en die Klein Prinsie is dat die ruimtevaarder sy blom saamvat.
Posted by Tinkeljander at 11:38 AM No comments:
Met verwysing na my aarde-as-ruimteskip model
(planetêre ruimtetuig) hieronder in RONDO, die volgende relevante liedjie, waarvan die liriek volg:
en ook overmorgen zal wat moeilijk zijn
de kans dat ik nog ooit verschijn is eigenlijk klein
't is niet omdat, meester frank, u mij zo vaak straft
en mij één keer zelfs domkop heeft genoemd
nee, 't is alleen iets hier vanbinnen, 't heeft geen zin dat ik ontken
zeg nu zelf, meester frank, wat ben je in 't heelal
ook schoonschrift, blokfluitspelen, woorden met dt
dat snapt u toch, dat heeft op mars geen zin
't is dus zeker niet, meester frank, omdat u mij zo vaak straft
vaarwel, en dat het u nog goed mag gaan
en wat die kleinigheid betreft dat u een domkop in mij ziet
oh, en voor ik het vergeet, Linda van slagerij Van Gool
komt waarschijnlijk ook niet meer naar school
(c) Tekst: Raf & Mich / Muziek: Raf
MY LIEWE ESTHER, TONIE, JOHAN
Hierdie skrywe is eintlik in opvolging van my vorige TUSSENSPEL, omdat júlle korrespondensie in dié verband vir my weer so 'n kwasie Ou Testamentiese kwaliteit het en nié net met verwysing na die name nie, maar deur die wyse waarop dit getuig oor die diaspora en lewenslot van ons ou volkie.
Ek plaas dit op MIERLEEU om ons eietydse, intiem-persoonlike geskiedsbelewing vir ewig, digitaal te boekstaaf en dat ons ons virtuele netwerk, wat ons planetêre ruimtetuig letterlik omspan, kan versterk...teen die hele wêreld vry
Subject: RE: TUSSENSPEL
Is julle meisiekinders OK? Ek was gister skoon in trane van hulpeloosheid, en ek bly nie eens in Christchurch nie! Kan net bid vir die mense daar.
Esther, Petrus, Thea
Ons kon ure laas kontak maak met die meisiekinders maar toe ons laas kon was hulle fisies Ok- hulle het op daardie oomblik
in die bure se tuin gesit en wag vir skoonseun- aan ons is gese die huis lyk asof ‘n bom daar ontplof het- so ons weet nie waar hulle
geslaap het nie(as dit moontlik was) maar onder die sterre hemel sou dalk veiliger gewees het as in ‘n huis. Hulle bly in die voorstad
Sumner(wat baie klein is) maar blykbaar ‘n bietjie deurgeloop het- maar die genade is groot.
Ons radio se dat Sumner een van die voorstede is wat die ergste getref is (behalwe die middestad). Het jou kinders darem ander plek gekry om te bly, of het hulle besluit om heeltemal weg the gaan?
Ek hoop jy het darem weer in die tussentyd van hulle af gehoor. Daar is nog daagliks ontsettend baie aftershocks, party van die goed nogal sterk en vlak. Die dele van die stad wat kan word stadigaan weer teruggesit op die elektrisiteit sisteem (nou 80% geherkonnekteer) en as die afval-pype nie gebreek is nie, gaan hulle straat vir straat en toets of die huise weer mag toilette flush en stort.
Vanoggend het hulle 'n program gehad wat lighartigheid in die situasie in gebring het, wat vertel het van 'n ou wat longdrops grawe en bokse met toilet-sitplekke op maak vir al die duisende mense waar die water-afvalpype stukkend is.
By ons skool het hulle gister 'n groot kamer vol kos, klere en kinderspeelgoed versamel wat die personeel en leerlinge ingebring het, wat hulle gaan af vat Christchurch toe vir die families wat niks het nie omdat hulle nie toegang het tot hulle huise nie. Facebook het ook honderde studente versamel om te help om die silt wat opgestoot is deur die grond te help verwyder. Ongelukkig is daar soveel paaie wat nie rybaar is nie dat hulle nie die lorries in kan kry om die silt wat die studente tot by die straat kon vat uit die tuin-areas uit kan wegry nie.
Dog net ek deel met julle 'n bietjie van wat in Christchurch aangaan.
Ons kry om verstaanbare redes nie naasteby soveel visuele data as julle nie- so enige inligting word waardeer. Die kinders
se huis is gedeeltelik leefbaar en sover ons weet het hulle weer krag maar nog nie lopende water en rioolering nie. Suzette
ervaar dit verskillend- wanneer sy met hulle gepraat het is sy rustiger terwyl ek dit meer fisies ervaar- omdat ek hulle
nie kan vashou en sien nie-bly ek baie meer onrustig. Die groot ironie is dat die twee susters die 23ste(die dag na die aarbewing)
Auckland toe sou vlieg- die jonger een vir ‘n afspraak by ‘n regsfirma wat al lank gelede gereel is en die ouer een om te kyk na
behuisings moontlkhede want hulle is al ‘n geruime tyd besig om te wik en weeg oor Australia toe of Noord eiland en ons
vermoed die twee wil graag in dieselfde stad bly – dit onderstreep so half dat mens nooit rerig in beheer is van jou lewe nie.
Ek twyfel of Christchurch ooit weer heeltemal op sy voete sal kom maar gelukkig is die mate van ondersteun mekaar so eg
Kiwi enorm dat hulle sekerlik sal probeer. Mens leer ook altyd iets nuut- ons dink nog altyd die ouer sus is emosioneel die
sterker een maar op die oomblik is kleinsus die steunpilaar.
Ek sien dat Oman ook begin proleme optel het vandag. Is julle OK? Word daardeur geraak of is/was dit nie naby julle nie?
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 11:42 PM No comments:
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 3:17 PM No comments:
Is Tripoli being set up for a civil war to justify
U.S. and NATO military intervention in oil-rich
 “UK Hague: some information that Qaddafi on way to Venezuela,” Reuters, February 21, 2011. One is taken back by the proliferation of pre-1969 coup Libyan flags. Where did all these flags come from? “3 Libyan Diplomats resign,” The Hindu, February 22, 2011. James Wolf, “U.S. eyes arms sales to Libya,” Reuters, March 6, 2009. Ibid. Information from sources in Libya; not publicly confirmed yet. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid.; I have been given two explanations for this. The first explanation is that government agents from Libya have been disseminating misinformation to Al Jazeera. This includes reports made to Al Jazeera that jets have been attacking civilians in the streets. Gaddafi has used this to try to discredit Al Jazeera internally in Libya by pointing out to the Libyan people that no jet attacks have occurred and that Al Jazeera is broadcasting misinformation. The second explanation is that Al Jazeera is simply spreading misinformation. Whatever the case, both explanations agree no Libyan jets have attacked protesters yet. Marine Hyde, “Beyoncé and the $2m gig for Colonel Gaddafi’s son,” The Guardian (U.K.), January 8, 2010; it was Mutassim and not Hannibal Gaddafi that the music concert was for (the article is wrong). The article is not authoritative and has been cited to illustrate that these types of escapades are even vaguely known by the mainstream press in Britain and Western Europe. U.S. State Department, “Remarks With Libyan National Security Adviser Dr. Mutassim Qadhafi Before Their Meeting,” April 21, 2009: <http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/04/121993.htm>. Information from sources in Libya; not publicly confirmed yet. Ibid. Ibid. David Ljunggren, “Libya turmoil puts focus on Arctic oil: Greenland,” ed. Robert Wilson, Reuters, February 23, 2011. Information from sources in Libya; not publicly confirmed yet. I have been told that Qaddafi promised the tribes reform and that he would step down in about one year in time. I was also informed that he claimed that none of his sons would control Libya either. Ibid. General (retired) Wesley Clark, “92 Street Y Exclusive Live Interview,” interview by Amy Goodman, Democracy Now, March 2, 2007.
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 9:52 AM No comments:
February 23, 2011 by inspectorgadget
In the absence these days of simple manners, which always used to prevent a decent person from being rude or nasty to someone simply because they are of a different race, we now have endless Diversity Training. I am booked on to theOne Day Self-Awareness, Diversity, Learning and Skill Sharing Conferenceat a particularly grubby national hotel chain half way across the county.
This course is mandatory for all sergeants and Inspectors. Apparently, names will be taken and anyone failing to attend will be speaking to the Chief Superintendent personally. Funny that, because when I tried to speak to him to get a RIPPA authority so we could follow a man we knew was accosting children in the park he wasn’t available. But he is available to hand out a rollocking to anyone who missed the course, so more for my Chief Inspector’s benefit than mine (he has been accused of not being able to ‘manage’ me) I have decided to go.
The joining instructions instruct me to bring an item which is precious to me, something I think will start a discussion, something which sums up the way I feel about Diversity. I can’t take my own book, so I have decided to take a poster sized version of the photo below.
Here we have one of the Diversity team’s most favourite people in a celebratory victory handshake with one of the Diversity team’s least favourite people. When I am asked what it is that I feel is so precious, I will say the life of WPC Yvonne Fletcher. Do you think that will start a discussion?
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 2:44 PM No comments:
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 9:46 PM No comments:
World leaders may now be condemning the Libyan leader for his use of violence, but it hasn’t always been this way.
Posted by Petrus Potgieter at 9:36 AM No comments: