U.S. Silence on Libya Slaughter

Human Rights Watch is reporting at least 233 people have been killed in Libya over four days.

Al-Jazeera English is reporting that two senior Libyan colonels have flown their jets to Malta, rather than carry out orders to bomb the Libyan city of Benghazi, a stronghold of the protesters.

OLIVER MILES
A former British ambassador to Libya, Miles just wrote the piece "How will Libya's protests play out?" for the Guardian.

NAEEM GHERIANY
A scientist and Libyan-American activist, Gheriany said today: "The Obama administration made a comment suggesting that there are still opportunities for reform. It is in denial. It says it's 'concerned' about the situation -- there's no real condemnation in spite of the dire situation. People are being massacred in the hundreds, Gaddafi is reportedly using anti-aircraft guns to shoot people. In a few days, more people in Libya have apparently been killed than in weeks in Iran, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen and even Egypt (which has a much larger population). Gaddafi is hiring foreign mercenaries who have shoot-to-kill orders, it's not tear gas, it's just killing. He's been in office with his erratic, oppressive rule since Nixon was president. Communication with the outside world has been largely cut. The UK has issued a reasonable statement, though we wish even that was stronger, but it's much better than anything the U.S. has said. Even the oil cannot justify this silence. We don't want intervention, our people are willing to take out this dictator. We want recognition for what is happening and strong condemnation from the international community, from the United Nations Security Council that the U.S. has so much control over."

Gheriany is a contributor to the Enough Gaddafi twitter feed, which includes information that has been able to be gotten out of Libya despite the regime's efforts. Note some links include extremely graphic video: @EnoughGaddafi

For background on how the U.S. and Libyan governments have apparently cooperated on torture, see: "Omar Suleiman, 'Egypt's Torturer-in-Chief,' Tied to False Iraq WMD Tortured 'Intel,'" which notes that Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi (who the CIA turned over to the Mubarak regime that tortured him into giving false information on Iraq WMDs used by Colin Powell at the United Nations in 2003) was eventually found in Libya by Human Rights Watch, turning up dead of an alleged "suicide" shortly thereafter.

Also, see Washington Post "Detainee Who Gave False Iraq Data Dies In Prison in Libya."