Libya's PM demands explanation for U.S. raid in Tripoli

TRIPOLI - Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Sunday asked U.S. authorities to explain a military raid in Tripoli to capture a Libyan man wanted for bombing U.S. embassies in Africa 15 years ago, his office said.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publimetro.us/" target="_blank"><img abp="422" alt="(Blank Headline Received)" class="vlz" height="455" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qvZCPv_X9ZA2Cr6GCaT6zw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zMjA7cT03NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_ZA/News/Reuters/2013-10-06T120825Z_1_AJOE9950XQ500_RTROPTP_2_OZATP-SECURITY-AFRICA-REACTION-20131006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="(Blank Headline Received)" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publimetro.us/" target="_blank">Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan </a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Nazih al-Ragye, better known by the cover name Abu Anas al-Liby, was seized by U.S. forces in the Libyan capital on Saturday, the Pentagon said.<br /><br />"The Libyan government is following the news of the kidnapping of a Libyan citizen who is wanted by U.S. authorities," Zeidan's office said in a statement. "The Libyan government has contacted to U.S. authorities to ask them to provide an explanation."<br /><br /><div><img abp="82" alt="Kerry sends warning to terrorists: U.S. State Secretary John Kerry: U.S. State Secretary John Kerry walks among delegate members during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia." class="image" data-src="{"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/c3/cb61bc25c60833ad46d5bc828643/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"}" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/c3/cb61bc25c60833ad46d5bc828643/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" width="628" /></div>

Libya's PM demands explanation for U.S. raid in Tripoli

TRIPOLI - Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Sunday asked U.S. authorities to explain a military raid in Tripoli to capture a Libyan m...

Tripoli embassy attack sparked after Libyan officer killed by Russian woman:Foreign Minister

<h3><br /></h3><h3>Was this "Russian woman" a member of the embassy?</h3><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_2a3VSJXQ7l-x-bwpcfC_XhLfitGWdbgzNK8sHrUmHXObpxEQqNSsEGrQbpe5Ri3P0GAyRFfauiD8T0xlkg_i5mVKcW4GA0KwvzrEnttDk-bDhuo3aIczBaDsxW9bP1C-ME5IOly9-I/s1600/ed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_2a3VSJXQ7l-x-bwpcfC_XhLfitGWdbgzNK8sHrUmHXObpxEQqNSsEGrQbpe5Ri3P0GAyRFfauiD8T0xlkg_i5mVKcW4GA0KwvzrEnttDk-bDhuo3aIczBaDsxW9bP1C-ME5IOly9-I/s1600/ed-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The last paragraph says, "The Russian woman is now in custody and a criminal case against her has been launched. "<br /><br />Since she has already been arrested, I don't see there is any excuse of attacking the embassy. It is a typical criminal case and it should (always) be handle by the police.<br />There are different stories out right now.<br /><br />The embassy was evidently attacked because they believed the woman took refuge there.<br /><br />Another story says that she may have been the wife of the slain man and it was a marital dispute. In any event, it seems we have the first story in a while from the area that appears to not involve the US or the Zionists.<br /><br />An attack on Russia’s embassy in Libyan Tripoli comes as retaliation after a Russian woman killed local officer and injured his mother, Foreign Ministry confirmed.<br /><br />Embassy staffers and their families have left Libya following the attack.<br /><br />On Thursday they successfully crossed the border with Tunisia and will return to Moscow on an Emergency Ministry's special flight on Friday.<br /><br />After visiting the Russian Embassy, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz recommended Russian diplomats to leave the country as local security forces are unable to ensure a safe working environment.<br /><br />Libyan authorities assured Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that they will take measures to secure property and real estate on the embassy’s territory.<br /><br />A group of high-ranking diplomats is temporarily remaining in Tunisia to maintain contacts with the Libyan side.<br /><br />Provoked by the murder that occurred on October 1, a group of gunmen – the officer’s relatives and friends - opened fire on the diplomatic compound and got onto the territory, forcing diplomats and their families to hide in a protected location.<br /><br />Embassy security guards, along with one of the local pro-government militias, managed to force attackers out.<br /><br />One assailant was killed and four others were injured.<br /><br />According to reports, around 10 attackers drove to the embassy in two cars. They first opened fire on a parked diplomatic vehicle, Libyan News Agency (LANA) reported on Wednesday. They then opened fire on the diplomatic building itself and tore down a Russian flag.<br /><br />The Russian woman is now in custody and a criminal case against her has been launched.

Tripoli embassy attack sparked after Libyan officer killed by Russian woman:Foreign Minister

Was this "Russian woman" a member of the embassy? The last paragraph says, "The Russian woman is now in custody and a crimina...

Libyan defense minister’s son abducted in Tripoli – report

The son of Libyan Defense Minister Abdullah al-Thani has been abducted in Tripoli, Al-Ikhbariya TV channel reported.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI1xYKfVMmlwcfetRwiEe848mmmP-bW4LQrXVsiTWJMODR6n_yAkoSodwBIbCJ6KLhfvrftD2j6ofJweJM678Vid0PNg4BMsXxGq59ZowEE8QquGc0jr3PDcAmyVuqiv8HXf6gO0Bsi4/s1600/sheikh-mohammes-bin-hamad-al-thani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI1xYKfVMmlwcfetRwiEe848mmmP-bW4LQrXVsiTWJMODR6n_yAkoSodwBIbCJ6KLhfvrftD2j6ofJweJM678Vid0PNg4BMsXxGq59ZowEE8QquGc0jr3PDcAmyVuqiv8HXf6gO0Bsi4/s1600/sheikh-mohammes-bin-hamad-al-thani.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Security officials confirmed that 26-year-old Muhammed al-Thani’s car was stopped by armed men in the western part of the city.<br /><br />Officials suspect one of terrorist groups based in Libya, but no one has taken responsibility so far, Itar-Tass reported.

Libyan defense minister’s son abducted in Tripoli – report

The son of Libyan Defense Minister Abdullah al-Thani has been abducted in Tripoli, Al-Ikhbariya TV channel reported. Security officials conf...

US orders diplomats, personnel out of Lebanon

For security concerns, the US State Department ordered nonessential diplomats out of Lebanon and urged private American citizens to leave as well.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="US orders diplomats, personnel out of Lebanon: Lebanese army soldiers and policemen secure an area as they close a road leading to the U.S. embassy with barbed wire and barricades in Awkar, north of Beirut, September 6." class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/2f/6830646a14d2d633f0f3a36029d15a/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lebanese army soldiers and policemen secure an area as they close a road leading to the U.S. embassy with barbed wire and barricades in Awkar, north of Beirut, September 6.</td></tr></tbody></table>WASHINGTON — The State Department ordered nonessential US diplomats to leave Lebanon due to security concerns Friday as the Obama administration and Congress debate military strikes on neighboring Syria.<br /><br />In a new travel warning for Lebanon issued early Friday, the department said it had instructed nonessential staffers to leave Beirut and urged private American citizens to depart Lebanon.<br /><br />The step had been under consideration since last week when President Barack Obama said he was contemplating military action against the Syrian government for its alleged chemical weapons attack last month that the administration said killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus.<br /><br />The US closed 19 embassies and consulates across Africa and the Middle East last month for more than a week after a terrorist threat. Hezbollah, an Assad ally that has sent fighters into Syria, is based in Lebanon.<br /><div><br /></div>

US orders diplomats, personnel out of Lebanon

For security concerns, the US State Department ordered nonessential diplomats out of Lebanon and urged private American citizens to leave as...

US files criminal charges in Benghazi attack

The U.S. Justice Department says it has no comment on media reports of criminal charges for the attack in Benghazi.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Benghazi attack: a man looks at documents at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/8e/4e42df5572ac366caad0535bea82eb/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A man looks at documents at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sept. 12, 2012.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />WASHINGTON – The United States has filed sealed criminal charges for the attack in Benghazi, Libya, last year in which the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed, media reports said on Tuesday.<br /><br />The U.S. Justice Department said it had no comment on the reports by CNN and the Wall Street Journal, but that its investigation was ongoing and remained a top priority.<br /><br />It was not clear how many people had been charged and what the charges were.<br /><br />President Barack Obama's administration has been under domestic pressure to find those responsible for the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on a U.S. diplomatic and intelligence outpost.<br /><br />Under questioning from lawmakers in May, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said investigators had made "very, very, very substantial progress."<br /><br />"We are at a point where we have taken steps that I would say are definitive, concrete, and we are - we will be prepared shortly I think to reveal all that we have done," said Holder, the chief U.S. law enforcement official.<br /><br />CNN reported that charges were filed against Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan militia commander. U.S. government sources had previously described Abu Khattala as a suspect.<br /><br />The charges were under seal in New York and were the first criminal counts to emerge, CNN said, citing unidentified people briefed on the investigation.<br /><br />U.S. officials are prohibited by law from discussing matters that are under seal in a court. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment.<br /><br />Citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported that there were charges against "a number of suspects" in the attack.<br /><div><br /></div>

US files criminal charges in Benghazi attack

The U.S. Justice Department says it has no comment on media reports of criminal charges for the attack in Benghazi. A man looks at documents...

Tony Blair helped Colonel Gaddafi in £1bn legal row

<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'PT Sans Narrow'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.796875px;">Tony Blair promised to help Col Muammar Gaddafi in a billion-pound legal dispute with victims of a Libyan terrorist attack, according to official correspondence obtained by </span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10220684/Tony-Blair-helped-Colonel-Gaddafi-in-1bn-legal-row.html" style="background-color: white; color: #f7441a; font-family: 'PT Sans Narrow'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.796875px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Sunday Telegraph.</a><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bsM_DsvSj9J3nQztaO3ikA18XGIF1up4aEicxCZPahNnCOGhT1SoN2CYZeT2GGl7BzdWqpwHZm_D9TV4UdvbikNsz_J8I__PYverDF6qsGjEF12T3fjTfoUyMP2Xmd-u8Qj01ys49Yw/s1600/blairgadaffi.jpg" /><br /><br />Documents show that Gaddafi turned to Mr Blair after a U.S. court ordered Libya to pay $1.5billion (£1billion) in damages to relatives of seven Americans killed when a bomb exploded on a Paris-bound passenger jet in west Africa.<br /><br />According to the email, Mr Blair approached President George W Bush after promising the Libyan leader that he would intervene in the case.<br /><br />Mr Bush subsequently signed the Libyan Claims Resolution Act in August 2008, which invalidated the $1.5billion award made by the court.<br /><br />UTA Flight 772 from Chad was blown up on Sept 19, 1989, by Libyan intelligence services, killing all 170 passengers.<br /><br />The attack took place nine months after Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie killing 270 people.<br /><br />The relatives of UTA Flight 772 had won the billion-pound court case in January 2008 after a seven-year legal battle, causing serious difficulties for the Libyan regime in the US.<br /><br />The ruling meant the proceeds of Libyan business deals, mainly in oil and gas but including other investments, could be seized in the US.<br /><br />Mr Blair’s involvement in the case is outlined in an email obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.<br /><br />The document was written by Sir Vincent Fean, the then British ambassador to Libya, and was sent to Mr Blair’s aides on June 8, 2008, two days before Mr Blair met Gaddafi in Libya.

Tony Blair helped Colonel Gaddafi in £1bn legal row

Tony Blair promised to help Col Muammar Gaddafi in a billion-pound legal dispute with victims of a Libyan terrorist attack, according to off...

Over 530,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV3L_-9v_zfVF-JloiJwPGdVtMVqG4OfreKZe7KJ4E0p0MvyIGtxjmZt9Kp2M967ITi7k5G5akQ9gTBbNbygx-FFM9iU8IlV08PdhC4_7C1qG54uqT51JHngBHbuzZyfwMvY5t4QZ_Hxi/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV3L_-9v_zfVF-JloiJwPGdVtMVqG4OfreKZe7KJ4E0p0MvyIGtxjmZt9Kp2M967ITi7k5G5akQ9gTBbNbygx-FFM9iU8IlV08PdhC4_7C1qG54uqT51JHngBHbuzZyfwMvY5t4QZ_Hxi/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" width="320" /></a>BEIRUT, - The United Nations Higher Council for Refugees said Sunday that the number of Syrians who fled their war-torn country to Lebanon has exceeded 530,000 after an increase of 19,000 in a week.<br /><br />In its latest report on Syrian refugees, the UN agency said more than 455,000 Syrian refugees have registered with UN offices in Lebanon while over 75,000 others are waiting for their registration process to complete.<br /><br />The registered refugees are benefiting from aid provided by the UN, the Lebanese government and various nongovernmental aid agencies, according to the report.<br /><br />The report added 167,900 Syrian refugees have been registered in north Lebanon; 156,500 in the eastern Bekaa region; 77,500 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and 53,600 in south Lebanon.<br /><br />Lebanon has called on the international community to help bear its burden of hosting the Syrian refugees, who are expected to exceed 1 million by the end of the year.<br /><br />Earlier this month, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman sounded the alarm on Lebanon's incapacity of dealing with the rampant spate of displaced Syrians coming into the country.<br /><br />UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said last month that the number of refugees in Lebanon had surpassed 25 percent of its population and that they were inflicting a huge burden on the government and people of Lebanon.

Over 530,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon

BEIRUT, - The United Nations Higher Council for Refugees said Sunday that the number of Syrians who fled their war-torn country to Lebanon h...

Moscow blasts UNHRC's 'Hezbollah-focused' resolution on Syria

Russia's Foreign Ministry has slammed the UN Human Rights Council resolution, which condemned Hezbollah’s role in Syria, for ignoring crimes committed by “mercenary-terrorists from abroad” fighting in the rebels’ ranks.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWX-iMp3Ivho6rwrTBNe3cgd5ZiN6nh31PukTRxPLwl15yJ_-a49LXuTGHpyKRIMHxXft_IN9YS7EZKsoCFm7o7xmPnGUIIOfPMbNRBA2Jtrlw2TuByVQqVf9ln463jwXy7VkNeCBe38/s1600/un-resolution-syria-russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWX-iMp3Ivho6rwrTBNe3cgd5ZiN6nh31PukTRxPLwl15yJ_-a49LXuTGHpyKRIMHxXft_IN9YS7EZKsoCFm7o7xmPnGUIIOfPMbNRBA2Jtrlw2TuByVQqVf9ln463jwXy7VkNeCBe38/s1600/un-resolution-syria-russia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lebanese and Syrian supporters of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, celebrate in Qusair June 9, 2013, after the Syrian army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters took control of the town from rebel fighters in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA. (Reuters/SANA)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The council has denounced the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, but stopped short of calling for a halt to the flow of weapons into the country.<br /><br />The text, which was passed Friday, had been presented by Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, which all back the opposition forces in the two-year conflict.<br /><br />“The resolution is biased and counterproductive,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in statement on Saturday. “It is directed against the government of Syria and ignores the crimes committed by the radical opposition.”<br /><br />“The document condemns the involvement of Hezbollah in the conflict. But its authors aren’t concerned that thousands of well-trained, armed and lavishly paid mercenary-terrorists from abroad are fighting in the war. The atrocities of jihadists are ignored, including those against religious minorities, women, and children.”<br /><br />The ministry stressed that an attempt “to legitimize the Syrian National Coalition” is made in the resolution, while many other moderate opposition groups, which pledged to respect human rights and expressed willingness to participate in the Geneva Conference on Syria, are left aside.<br /><br />There was no consensus over the document in the Human Rights Council itself, as Venezuela voted against the text and nine other nations abstained.<br /><br />The Russian statement also pointed out that several Arab states, which previously backed the resolution, in the end refused to become the co-authors of the document.<br /><br />Moscow sees it as direct evidence that “an increasing number of countries don’t intend to put their signatures under the confrontational endeavors of the HRC, which work against the political and diplomatic settlement in Syria and aren’t aimed at improving the situation with human rights in this country.”<br /><br />The UN Human Rights Council resolution was adopted a day after the US announced that it will arm rebels after having obtained what it said was proof the Syrian government using chemical weapons in the conflict.

Moscow blasts UNHRC's 'Hezbollah-focused' resolution on Syria

Russia's Foreign Ministry has slammed the UN Human Rights Council resolution, which condemned Hezbollah’s role in Syria, for ignoring cr...

Syria rebels kill 60 Shiites;missiles hit Lebanon

<div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;">BEIRUT  — Syrian rebels have attacked a village in the country's east, killing dozens of local <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_6" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Shiites</span>, activists said Wednesday, highlighting the increasingly sectarian nature of<span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_1" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Syria</span>'s more than two-year-old conflict. </div><div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;"><b>A <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_4" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Syrian government</span>official denounced the attack, saying it was a "massacre" of civilians.</b></div><div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="450" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eP0qy7tN8R4vinryAv6L6Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0xMDI0O3E9Nzk7dz0xNDU0/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b45bfc12aece8a13340f6a706700fb02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This citizen journalism image provided by Edlib News Network, ENN, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows an elderly Syrian rebel sit in a trench, in Idlib province, northern Syria, Wednesday, June 12, 2013. Syrian rebels have attacked a village in the country's east, killing dozens of Shiites, mostly pro-government fighters, activists said Wednesday. A Syrian government official denounced the attack, saying it was a "massacre" of civilians. (AP Photo/Edlib News Network ENN)</td></tr></tbody></table><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_214" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">In another escalation, a Syrian government helicopter on Wednesday fired three missiles on a border town in <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_3" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Lebanon</span>, lightly wounding one person. At least one of the missiles struck the center of Arsal, according to Lebanese security officials and residents.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_220" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The Arsal attack is the latest incident of Lebanon being pulled into the war next door. Scores of rebels and civilians who fled from the Syrian western town of Qusair last week in the last days of a<span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371040277059_7" style="cursor: pointer;">government</span> military offensive there have taken refuge in Arsal.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_212" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The town is predominantly Sunni Muslim, and support for the Syrian rebels fighting to topple President <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Bashar Assad</span> runs high.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Milhem Hojeiri, a resident, said shrapnel from one of the missiles lightly wounded a schoolteacher in Arsal. He said the town's population has almost doubled in the past two years because of refugees and rebels from Syria who have taken shelter there.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_217" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"There is a lot of fear here, the town is fast becoming a casualty of the war in <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371040277059_5" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Syria</span>," he said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The Lebanese officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, did not provide more details on the Arsal attack.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371044621670_222" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Meanwhile, the Britain-based <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371040277059_9" style="cursor: pointer;">Syrian Observatory for Human Rights</span> said at least 60 people, mostly Shiite fighters but also ordinary villagers, were killed on Tuesday in the Syrian village of Hatla in the oil-rich province of <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371040277059_8" style="cursor: pointer;">Deir el-Zour</span> that borders Iraq.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">It was the latest high casualty incident in Syria's conflict, which has killed more than 80,000 people so far, according to the U.N.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Thousands of rebels took part in the attack and at least 10 of them were killed in the fighting, said the Observatory.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">In Damascus, a government official said the rebels "carried out a massacre against villagers in which older people and children were killed." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The fighting in Deir el-Zour came a week after Syrian troops, backed by Lebanon's militant Shiite Hezbollah group, captured the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border after nearly three weeks of fierce battles that killed dozens of troops, rebels and Hezbollah members.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Hezbollah's involvement in the Qusair battle underlined the group's commitment in support of Assad's regime and edged the civil war in Syria closer to a regional sectarian conflict pitting the Middle East's Iranian-backed Shiite axis against Sunnis.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Most of the armed rebels in Syria are from the country's Sunni majority, while Assad has retained core support among the minorities, including his own Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, along with Christians and Shiites.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="480" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/swULjbDqH.XE8PntySgUZQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0xMDI0O3E9Nzk7dz0xMzY1/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/8e4cf670d7a9e712330f6a7067008c23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian army troops in the town of Qusair, near the Lebanon border, Homs province, Syria, Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The Syrian army triumphantly announced Wednesday the capture of a strategic town near the Lebanese border, telling the nation it has "cleansed" the rebel-held Qusair of "terrorists" fighting President Bashar Assad's troops. The capture of the town, which lies close to the Lebanese border, solidifies some of the regime's recent gains on the ground that have shifted the balance of power in Assad's favor in the Syrian civil war. (AP Photo/SANA)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">An activist based in Deir el-Zour said the rebel attack was in retaliation for an attack Monday by Shiites from Hatla that killed four rebels.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Thaer al-Deiry, who identified himself only by his nickname for fear of government retaliation, said via Skype that rebels gathered and launched a counter attack Tuesday. He said some 150 Shiites from the village fled across the Euphrates River to the government-held village of Jafra.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"The situation in the village is quiet and the Free Syrian Army is in full control," al-Deiry said, referring to the rebels. He added that the village has been under opposition control for more than a year but some of its Shiite residents recently started collecting arms apparently to fight along government troops.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Also Wednesday, the Observatory reported heavy clashes in the central city of Homs, mostly in the neighborhood of Wadi Sayeh. The fighting appeared to be an attempt by government forces to separate two main rebel-held areas in the city, Khaldiyeh and the center of Homs.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Building on its victory in Qusair, the Syrian military has shifted its attention to try to clear rebel-held areas in Homs, a linchpin area linking Damascus with regime strongholds on the Mediterranean coast, and the northern city of Aleppo.</div>

Syria rebels kill 60 Shiites;missiles hit Lebanon

BEIRUT  — Syrian rebels have attacked a village in the country's east, killing dozens of local  Shiites , activists said Wednesday, high...

Syrian helicopter fires on Lebanese town,two wounded.

<div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kqzqQvbSR16hLibYNwNFjoLXzg6PXQKduwOJCX-c8E1mEqfxjmd_5QJPGUXLEom0bq1EmWwBk2gLxnAM3Ss0LtRu9BMUIG44r3W-_7O3Qn0LgFARS5KAJvYpE7B7B5wAFQTpl56q_2Xu/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kqzqQvbSR16hLibYNwNFjoLXzg6PXQKduwOJCX-c8E1mEqfxjmd_5QJPGUXLEom0bq1EmWwBk2gLxnAM3Ss0LtRu9BMUIG44r3W-_7O3Qn0LgFARS5KAJvYpE7B7B5wAFQTpl56q_2Xu/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a>BEIRUT - A <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371042033105_8" style="cursor: pointer;">Syrian helicopter</span> opened fire on a <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371042033105_1" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Lebanese border town</span> in the <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371042033105_9" style="cursor: pointer;">eastern Bekaa Valley</span> on Wednesday, wounding two people, the <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371042033105_6" style="cursor: pointer;">Lebanese army</span> said in a statement.</div><div class="first" id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_204" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_213" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The incident took place in the mainly <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371042033105_5" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Sunni Muslim town</span> of Arsal, whose residents strongly support the rebellion against <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371042033105_3" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">President Bashar al-Assad</span> in neighboring Syria.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_249" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"A Syrian helicopter fired two rockets towards the square of the town, two people were wounded," the army statement said.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_211" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Arsal has also sheltered fighters who fled the <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371042033105_2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Syrian border town</span> of Qusair, captured by Assad's forces and <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1371042033105_4" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas</span> after more than two weeks of fierce fighting with rebels.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Violence from Syria has increasingly spilled into Lebanon. Rocket fire from rebel-held border areas has fallen on the pro-Hezbollah, Shi'ite town of Hermel in recent weeks, in apparent response to the group's battle across the border in Qusair.</div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_218" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1371042033105_7" style="cursor: pointer;">Syrian forces</span> have also frequently crossed the poorly defined border in pursuit of rebels. Deeper inside Lebanon, street fighting fuelled by tensions over Syria has killed dozens of people in the northern city of Tripoli, and two rockets were fired last month towards Hezbollah-controlled south Beirut.<img alt="Reuters" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FZN6924R0WZ__x92.x6.GA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/logo/reuters/d0c3eb8ca18907492a4b337b5cec5193.jpeg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_8_1_22_1371043308158_218" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.453125px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div>

Syrian helicopter fires on Lebanese town,two wounded.

BEIRUT - A  Syrian helicopter  opened fire on a  Lebanese border town  in the  eastern Bekaa Valley  on Wednesday, wounding two people, the ...

Protester shot dead outside Iranian embassy in Beirut

<b>Hezbollah's overt participation in the fighting in Syria has led to multiple rallies in the Lebanese capital. A 28-year-old man was killed at one of them.</b><br /><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmwcZodMr3hMIvREj-wBfYQ2ysP8c916SgCOO9UqeTIs6EsnzoPHMByIOyvBzsEtkba7eq8dF79RXgFnG9nbY5TAIMKeYqUFkXIOVQ7S40TEnOzlTwpnbpSSSqppeO66ybitF8KGdHxM/s1600/012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmwcZodMr3hMIvREj-wBfYQ2ysP8c916SgCOO9UqeTIs6EsnzoPHMByIOyvBzsEtkba7eq8dF79RXgFnG9nbY5TAIMKeYqUFkXIOVQ7S40TEnOzlTwpnbpSSSqppeO66ybitF8KGdHxM/s1600/012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>BEIRUT — Clashes erupted Sunday near the Iranian embassy in Beirut between protesters opposed to Hezbollah's participation in the Syrian war and unidentified locals, killing one demonstrator, a senior Lebanese military official said.<br /><br />The official identified the man killed as a 28-year-old from the small Lebanese Option Party which had called for the anti-Hezbollah protest. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.<br /><br />A military statement said the protesters had barely arrived to the embassy area when clashes broke out and a civilian opened fire. The embassy is located in Bir Hassan, a predominantly pro-Hezbollah area.<br /><br />The official National News Agency said the army had quickly deployed and cordoned off the area of the clashes in south Beirut. The private Al-Jadeed Lebanese TV said another female protester was also injured in the melee.<br /><br />The station's reporter at the hospital said the protester who died had been shot twice in the leg, once in the back, and was hit on the head with a baton.<br /><br />The protest at the embassy coincided with another small rally in downtown Beirut, also criticizing Hezbollah's military intervention in Syria's conflict. In Beirut's central Martyrs Square, a large banner read: "Rejecting Hezbollah's fighting in Syria."<br /><br />Dozens of protesters, including many Syrians, chanted against the militant group's participation in the conflict, warning that it would bring the conflict to Lebanon.<br /><br />"Those fighting in Syria are not Lebanese. Their culture, their flag, money and weapons are Iranians," Saleh el-Mashnouk, an ardent critic of Hezbollah told the crowd in the square. "We are here to wipe the shame that hit Lebanon because of them."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CwvNSVHHTwaChnZvAeUkrAhkPwBXIszWAptbgR8q47De8Owshj_pnwTZOoPj-ENdRkurOIXbBEHkfs6Sio1Olt-wWYsz5Udj0p0sbcRCeKZ_4YHC_hPF3WRVjNWetgyjPjj7da_j3K8/s1600/p-world.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CwvNSVHHTwaChnZvAeUkrAhkPwBXIszWAptbgR8q47De8Owshj_pnwTZOoPj-ENdRkurOIXbBEHkfs6Sio1Olt-wWYsz5Udj0p0sbcRCeKZ_4YHC_hPF3WRVjNWetgyjPjj7da_j3K8/s1600/p-world.png" /></a><br />Lebanese protester Samara el-Hariri, 31, said Syria's war is hurting Lebanon's economy and increasing sectarian tension. "My country is stricken," she said.<br /><br />Hezbollah's overt participation in the fighting in Syria has increasingly heightened political and sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Sectarian clashes in north Lebanon have intensified since Hezbollah said last month it would side with Syria's President Bashar Assad until he defeats the rebels who seek his removal. Both the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and its most important patron, Iran, have strongly backed Syria's Assad.<br /><br />Fighters from Hezbollah helped Syrian forces in an offensive against the rebel-held town of Qusair for nearly three weeks until they finally overran it this week. The victory was a significant one for Assad's regime.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucx7_-knnilA3_rQsv-1fyWO9ixEFCvK73ah0uNIScNqZ-gFxcPTZGX5SyTTQJIQJuqKI9VnzrOHW01bUWClrMfzVCN7LKVvwVSK33cYpPMKjBTJ_pOT4JBDWNw_oWO4k9YFAVCHQ5dU/s1600/index.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucx7_-knnilA3_rQsv-1fyWO9ixEFCvK73ah0uNIScNqZ-gFxcPTZGX5SyTTQJIQJuqKI9VnzrOHW01bUWClrMfzVCN7LKVvwVSK33cYpPMKjBTJ_pOT4JBDWNw_oWO4k9YFAVCHQ5dU/s1600/index.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>

Protester shot dead outside Iranian embassy in Beirut

Hezbollah's overt participation in the fighting in Syria has led to multiple rallies in the Lebanese capital. A 28-year-old man was kill...

Libya:At least 3 killed in blast at hospital car park in Libya's Benghazi:medical source

<br /><h4>TRIPOLI, May 13 - At least three people were killed and six others wounded after an explosion hit on Monday a hospital car park in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi,(medical source), while official death toll is still unavailable.</h4><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbceLtTzQnAM4I8oFbrTha98lQV8I-o-spAob9LwMNx5nYvGzR3mXB8X_Rk4HWrUEseCwiXfSYWwVUqqXgdmN51NF0gbXpwzJWnhQUk7Q1SpYNkbAYD9TgNlA6IcQuF2Fj5eVlStIFxoYU/s1600/11l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbceLtTzQnAM4I8oFbrTha98lQV8I-o-spAob9LwMNx5nYvGzR3mXB8X_Rk4HWrUEseCwiXfSYWwVUqqXgdmN51NF0gbXpwzJWnhQUk7Q1SpYNkbAYD9TgNlA6IcQuF2Fj5eVlStIFxoYU/s1600/11l.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />"The hospital received three corpses and six injured," director of Al-Galaa hospital told.<br /><br />The final death toll could rise notably as the director said " We received also body parts of unknown number of casualties."<br /><br />Earlier, the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera news channel said the explosion close to Al-Galaa hospital left 12 people dead and scores others injured.<br /><br />Local reports meanwhile said there was a big crowd near the parking lot at the time of the blast.<br /><div><br /></div>

Libya:At least 3 killed in blast at hospital car park in Libya's Benghazi:medical source

TRIPOLI, May 13 - At least three people were killed and six others wounded after an explosion hit on Monday a hospital car park in Libya...

Libya:Benghazi Police Bombed for Second Time in Three Days

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSs1pE3_TippOOq-JjObK1Jsz6hEY0ng6xgU0ueom8Aj5PTWZG8FoRLPoT2ej5YYs1VVjXb18cK-Jy-o2XkS7imngqZTffUnN_C1f-k8-Gx1uGd51IqdhTO7mPvHtVXbrwkjND-cr3usD/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSs1pE3_TippOOq-JjObK1Jsz6hEY0ng6xgU0ueom8Aj5PTWZG8FoRLPoT2ej5YYs1VVjXb18cK-Jy-o2XkS7imngqZTffUnN_C1f-k8-Gx1uGd51IqdhTO7mPvHtVXbrwkjND-cr3usD/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" /></a>BENGHAZI — Two more police stations were attacked in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi in the early hours of Sunday morning, the local council said, after two others were bombed on Friday.<br />   <br />The attacks are the latest signs of insecurity in Libya's second city, birthplace of the uprising that toppled the dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.<br />   <br />Nearly two years after his fall, rebel groups that helped to overthrow him are still refusing to disband and remain a more visible presence on the streets than the state security forces.<br />   <br />"We are not satisfied with the performance of the Ministry of Interior," said Osama Al Sharif, Benghazi's local council spokesman. "And especially with the leadership of Benghazi's police."<br />   <br />The recent violence against diplomats, military and police includes an attack in September that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.<br />   <br />This week, diplomats began to withdraw from the capital Tripoli, where security took a turn for the worse in late April when armed groups seized two ministries for about a fortnight to press demands on parliament.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />

Libya:Benghazi Police Bombed for Second Time in Three Days

BENGHAZI — Two more police stations were attacked in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi in the early hours of Sunday morning, the local co...

GOP ready to push Benghazi case into 2014, beyond

<b>WASHINGTON — Steady drips of information about a horrific night in Libya are fueling Republican arguments and ads designed to fire up the conservative base and undercut the Democrats' early favorite for president in 2016. </b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcWtuxHJbhyphenhyphenNOwOX4iuHSpaEHuKZDkYgGbTO4NS5i0DyUlfUg8CamebgqEhf9rSdT9QKWyWU2HCjSnA9cQjQRyzCAhGJHeF7TXHBHO9gwa2-m6hrSX0toqnGhKpdLfO_9T1LDBbQ_QhU1/s1600/WX1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcWtuxHJbhyphenhyphenNOwOX4iuHSpaEHuKZDkYgGbTO4NS5i0DyUlfUg8CamebgqEhf9rSdT9QKWyWU2HCjSnA9cQjQRyzCAhGJHeF7TXHBHO9gwa2-m6hrSX0toqnGhKpdLfO_9T1LDBbQ_QhU1/s1600/WX1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>FILE - This June 7, 2012 file photo shows U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice listening during a news conference at the UN. Senior State Department officials pressed for changes in the talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used after the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya last September, expressing concerns that Congress might criticize the Obama administration for ignoring warnings of a growing threat in Benghazi.</h4></td></tr></tbody></table>Democratic and Republican strategists sharply disagree on the issue's power to influence elections next year and beyond. But after eight months of trying, Democrats are still struggling to move past last September's terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, which killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Democrats insist that an independent inquiry, the dismissal of several State Department officials, and nine congressional hearings leave little new to say on the matter. But Friday turned up the sort of nuggets that feed conservative activists' belief that a major scandal may still be at hand. Newly revealed communications show that senior State Department officials pressed for changes in the talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used a few days after the Benghazi attacks. These senior officials expressed concerns that Congress might criticize the Obama administration for ignoring warnings of a growing threat in Libya. The White House has insisted that it made only stylistic changes to the intelligence agency talking points, in which Rice suggested that spontaneous protests over an anti-Islamic video set off the deadly attack. The new details suggest a greater degree of political sensitivity and involvement by the White House and State Department. Rice and others eventually acknowledged that the Benghazi assault on Sept. 11, 2012, was a premeditated terrorist attack. Republicans say her Sept. 16 televised remarks were just the start of administration efforts to mislead Americans about what happened in Libya.  The Benghazi violence was heavily politicized from the start, occurring less than two months before President Barack Obama's re-election.  Moreover, the secretary of state at the time was Hillary Rodham Clinton.  The former senator and first lady infuriates many conservatives and ranks high in speculation about the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee.  Friday brought another round of conservative broadsides against Clinton, Obama and the administration's handling of the Benghazi matter. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a possible Republican presidential contender, wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Times restating his view that Obama should have fired Clinton.  Campaigning later in Iowa, Paul said he thinks the Benghazi affair "precludes Hillary Clinton from ever holding office."  The conservative group American Crossroads released a 90-second video asking if Clinton was "part of a cover-up."  The video, like emails and letters from several other groups, asked for political donations.  The Benghazi tragedy hands Republicans a host of political opportunities, although none without complications. It may be difficult for average voters to sift through the chronology, assess blame, or even follow the logic of GOP arguments. For instance, claims that Clinton and others ignored calls for greater diplomatic security in Libya might be linked to the four American deaths. But accusations about the post-attack talking points — which sometimes seem to dominate the current debate — have nothing to do with possibly preventing the deaths, thus robbing them of that moral heft. Democrats note that a major independent inquiry into Benghazi, issued in December, found that the State Department badly mishandled security needs in Libya.  But it blamed officials no higher than the assistant secretary of state level. Republican strategist Kyle Downey said Benghazi already exposes a trove of Democratic vulnerabilities, which might grow as inquiries continue.  He said Republicans should use the findings to challenge the competence, truthfulness and judgment of Clinton, Obama and other administration officials.  Republicans, Downey said, should let the politics play out in terms of which charges gain the most traction. Some strategists say the Benghazi narrative may prove more valuable for congressional Republicans in next year's elections than in 2016, which is far off. House Republicans, in particular, can seize on Benghazi to motivate their base and donors, and to fend off possible primary challenges from the right.  Democrats say Republicans are nakedly exploiting the Benghazi deaths, and voters won't like it.  "Republicans are a desperate party right now, trying to do whatever they can to dirty up the president to make some gains in 2014, and to dirty up Secretary Clinton because they're terrified she'll walk into the White House," said Democratic consultant Doug Thornell. "This is an attempt to keep their base together and motivated" after Obama's victories in 2008 and 2012. <h4>Thornell predicted Benghazi will prove no more useful as a political "scandal" than did the highly criticized "Fast and Furious" gun-tracking program and the federally subsidized but ultimately doomed Solyndra energy company. </h4>White House press secretary Jay Carney has spent hours trying to dismiss GOP accusations, including those that Obama sought to hide the fact that Islamic terrorists were behind the Benghazi attack.  "The whole effort here by Republicans to find some hidden mystery comes to nothing because the president called it an act of terror," Carney told reporters Friday.  Benghazi may remain a white-hot topic in many conservative regions and talk shows for some time. <br /><br />At Wednesday's hearing before the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told relatives of the four Americans killed in Benghazi that her constituents "think about you all the time." <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div>

GOP ready to push Benghazi case into 2014, beyond

WASHINGTON — Steady drips of information about a horrific night in Libya are fueling Republican arguments and ads designed to fire up the co...

Anti-militia protest attacked in Libya

<br /><h4>The latest clash is over a contentious bill that would dismiss many of Libya's current leaders for the having served under Moammar Gadhafi decades ago. </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE76dx0LccKFq9wO2GRbUt2o3k65fIDw4N5IpCLuWtl7ynYY4JDecLxgNMCaxmwxyazjGd6ikHSRnKqEb8wsIqgnliPpvsv4dT5Fs01CGN7KWxnQAoyl8Skq1e42qviTMJMlF7LQUmfXv0/s1600/Grey+Eagle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE76dx0LccKFq9wO2GRbUt2o3k65fIDw4N5IpCLuWtl7ynYY4JDecLxgNMCaxmwxyazjGd6ikHSRnKqEb8wsIqgnliPpvsv4dT5Fs01CGN7KWxnQAoyl8Skq1e42qviTMJMlF7LQUmfXv0/s1600/Grey+Eagle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />TRIPOLI, Libya — Hundreds of Libyan pro-democracy advocates marched in Tripoli on Friday, denouncing militias' recent blockade of government buildings and coming under attack briefly by supporters of the armed groups, in the latest sign of the turmoil that threatens the country's first elected authorities.<br /><br />Raising banners that read "No democracy with force," the protesters marched on the capital's Algeria Square and Martyrs' Square but were attacked by counterdemonstrators who tore their placards and forced them back, witnesses said. Protesters then marched to the headquarters of the Cabinet to voice support for the government.<br /><br />"They beat us up with the sticks of the placards and chased us away," Mohammed al-Kirkari, an activist who was in the march told the local al-Ahrar TV network.<br /><br />In the eastern city of Benghazi, vocal anti-militia activist and leading rights lawyer Fathi Terbal said he received death threats and was forced to read out a statement in support of the militias' moves.<br /><br />Terbal had been at the forefront of the 2011 popular uprising against Moammar Gadhafi's rule, which descended into civil war and ended with the dictator's death eight months later.<br /><br />"What is happening now aborts the principles of the revolution," he said. "Going out today is a national duty for all Libyans ... if you don't (demonstrate) today, we will all pay the price," he said, adding that he and other activists were attacked on Thursday while meeting in a Benghazi hotel to organize protests.<br /><br />Libya's elected government and parliament depend on militias — initially formed of former rebels who fought Gadhafi's forces — to maintain security given the absence of a unified police and military since Gadhafi's fall. However, the militias have mushroomed in numbers, loyalties and agendas.<br /><br />The latest showdown with the government is rooted in a struggle among the country's biggest political blocs over a contentious bill dubbed the "Isolation Law." If passed, it would effectively dismiss many of Libya's current leaders for the mere fact that they had served under Gadhafi decades ago, regardless of their role during the uprising. The law in it is initial form would have ousted the current head of Congress, Mohammed al-Megarif, Prime Minister Ali Zidan, and the liberal-leaning politician Mahmoud Jibril. Jibril leads National Forces Alliance, which enjoys the largest number of seats for a signal bloc.<br /><br />Over the past six days militias — some of which are suspected to be backed by rivals of the NFA bloc in parliament — have encircled the foreign and justice ministries and stormed the interior ministry and state-TV in Tripoli. They have a variety of demands, one of which is for parliament to pass the law.<br /><br />Lawmakers said earlier that parliament, which suspended its sessions on Tuesday after militias' takeover, will meet on Sunday to pass the law.<br /><br />One version of the law posted on the parliament's Facebook page allows some figures to be exempted from the ban, if they are supported by two thirds of parliament. However, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Construction party, said earlier that there would be no exceptions.<br /><br />Tripoli's showdown between supporters and detractors of the militias recall mass protests that erupted in Benghazi last year after militants killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens three other Americans there. An extremist militia called Ansar al-Shariah was suspected of being behind the attack. Thousands of Benghazi residents marched the streets calling for the disbanding of the militias and the formation of a unified army and police. Those demonstrators took control of the headquarters of Ansar Shariah's militias.<br /><div><br /></div>

Anti-militia protest attacked in Libya

The latest clash is over a contentious bill that would dismiss many of Libya's current leaders for the having served under Moammar Gadha...

Dozens of gunmen surround Libya's justice ministry

<br />TRIPOLI,-- Dozens of gunmen on Tuesday surrounded Libya's Justice Ministry in the capital Tripoli to demand approval of the political isolation law.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6_wmmjbMKFJyA-boE2QIxM6Vj27vKV4NcWGdHlUraOy4kPjb23ug0yoNkhbqxL7vYPbLbBDBeDDyly7hiXzbQPhHW0xEDA-6o0TE04Ytp-SFZawvAOsIbYKxK6crOEJ-qBQyudKTgxey/s1600/n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6_wmmjbMKFJyA-boE2QIxM6Vj27vKV4NcWGdHlUraOy4kPjb23ug0yoNkhbqxL7vYPbLbBDBeDDyly7hiXzbQPhHW0xEDA-6o0TE04Ytp-SFZawvAOsIbYKxK6crOEJ-qBQyudKTgxey/s1600/n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunmen block a street near Libya's Ministry of Justice with military trucks in Tripoli, April 30, 2013. Dozens of gunmen on Tuesday surrounded Libya's Justice Ministry in Tripoli to demand approval of the political isolation law.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The militiamen call for banning those working under the former administration of the fallen leader Muammar al-Gaddafi from holding senior positions.<br /><br />The gunmen blocked the main streets leading to the ministry with their military trucks.<br /><br />On Sunday, as many as 200 gunmen surrounded Libya's foreign ministry in downtown Tripoli. On Monday, armed men attempted to storm the headquarters of Interior Ministry and a state-owned TV station.<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDBDx2l5DWWGijU0h4wRfIyIt-pXVhSVA116mB7CsOImuF6JPQ4x_2AWOWA6egUw1dzKsADbvQ6TeOyk_L_vhEvYjC15oFAj9EMFfrWJ0UTkATbs4mmS0DtUuPB_U4L51Tc7cRnTZfCOh/s1600/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDBDx2l5DWWGijU0h4wRfIyIt-pXVhSVA116mB7CsOImuF6JPQ4x_2AWOWA6egUw1dzKsADbvQ6TeOyk_L_vhEvYjC15oFAj9EMFfrWJ0UTkATbs4mmS0DtUuPB_U4L51Tc7cRnTZfCOh/s1600/n1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>

Dozens of gunmen surround Libya's justice ministry

TRIPOLI,-- Dozens of gunmen on Tuesday surrounded Libya's Justice Ministry in the capital Tripoli to demand approval of the political is...

170 escape from prison in southern Libya

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a>TRIPOLI,-- Some 170 prisoners escaped on Tuesday from a prison in Libya's Sebha, some 800 km south of the capital of Tripoli.<br /><br />Abobker Hamza, Sebha's local council spokesman, said the escape took place after a dispute among the prisoners turned into chaos.<br /><br />So far, some of the prisoners have turned themselves in and some have been hunted down, while a large number of them remain at large, Abobker noted.<br /><br />The local council members have met with Ramadan Barrasi, military governor of southern Libya, to discuss ways to deal with the incident, he added.<br /><br />The Sebha prison witnessed four escapes in two months due to the deteriorating security situation in the city.<br /><div><br /></div>

170 escape from prison in southern Libya

TRIPOLI,-- Some 170 prisoners escaped on Tuesday from a prison in Libya's Sebha, some 800 km south of the capital of Tripoli. Abobker Ha...

Car bomb hits French Embassy in Tripoli, 2 guards injured

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMD0Cau_ARrM7PLC1hM5CZnnw8ImgiVgRM0nHlbrtLDAuKmhcWsVWnJr3VjcLw0m0WJjL4jrweMOiLBOVdBResr26MVsYssofwBOiCy4lekQaUC0rjCOSG5w-PZL1WZvqaA9MbDe8yPJN/s1600/t5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMD0Cau_ARrM7PLC1hM5CZnnw8ImgiVgRM0nHlbrtLDAuKmhcWsVWnJr3VjcLw0m0WJjL4jrweMOiLBOVdBResr26MVsYssofwBOiCy4lekQaUC0rjCOSG5w-PZL1WZvqaA9MbDe8yPJN/s1600/t5.jpg" width="320" /></a>A car bomb has exploded at the French Embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, injuring two guards, embassy officials told Reuters.Initial reports say the attack was a booby trapped car.<br /><br />"There was an attack on the embassy. We think it was a booby trapped car," an official told Reuters, adding that the blast caused a lot of damage.<br /><br />Black smoke billowed from the wreckage of the vehicle that exploded close to the Embassy’s entrance as fire crews arrived to put out the flames. Part of the Embassy complex’s outer wall was partly destroyed in the explosion as well as two nearby cars.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j4Djni3UGKp9yW6PGfyCyTDqtUKn25rak_E_QqUZukoMNeviilhHEjsNQrK6e-9QDkqnS5W7Aao3uHDKbhMRUVbYONxK3Nud-ZH8l7WzcxPtGog0q6K8wVGf9ThuDTLx1wrwSmas504z/s1600/t1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j4Djni3UGKp9yW6PGfyCyTDqtUKn25rak_E_QqUZukoMNeviilhHEjsNQrK6e-9QDkqnS5W7Aao3uHDKbhMRUVbYONxK3Nud-ZH8l7WzcxPtGog0q6K8wVGf9ThuDTLx1wrwSmas504z/s1600/t1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo6_o2HzKSxuzaPPSAll29X-ww_nsDPFTgw1FbBi-c2e-mykp-izK9ht-LcHszwb45WcjqYyoaLQr5VgAsNT6MtU51DSX8GB9VSjk05qJovUdxqvo0LVj_BfTSlcpHqTzwIA2hepWYhFQ/s1600/t2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo6_o2HzKSxuzaPPSAll29X-ww_nsDPFTgw1FbBi-c2e-mykp-izK9ht-LcHszwb45WcjqYyoaLQr5VgAsNT6MtU51DSX8GB9VSjk05qJovUdxqvo0LVj_BfTSlcpHqTzwIA2hepWYhFQ/s1600/t2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQwTd0Pdj2xtYPOIhyphenhyphentEo987kZYeZcPbXJV9psuL9_DtHnViV7joLKrMqcsB-rF5cikPMXyrBQt_RsjlCTny7xiz5gJ85RTM2P3SfyjxGgMapiSZlM-OlSvhqB2UqSIJt-WFPcnB8unWM/s1600/t3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQwTd0Pdj2xtYPOIhyphenhyphentEo987kZYeZcPbXJV9psuL9_DtHnViV7joLKrMqcsB-rF5cikPMXyrBQt_RsjlCTny7xiz5gJ85RTM2P3SfyjxGgMapiSZlM-OlSvhqB2UqSIJt-WFPcnB8unWM/s1600/t3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9Qo9WVTB4et7a_bEbNJs1NYQx0clM5F6kliw4YIyAkfcNT0_0wL6F2_FN7IyKeK2D5S3LHNzbHSOWSVKZ4fSNIqq_ogZCEsC7aSbWLhPeaHj4oWH-4cQHwk3emI03E4LV7zXXrm5itHx/s1600/t4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9Qo9WVTB4et7a_bEbNJs1NYQx0clM5F6kliw4YIyAkfcNT0_0wL6F2_FN7IyKeK2D5S3LHNzbHSOWSVKZ4fSNIqq_ogZCEsC7aSbWLhPeaHj4oWH-4cQHwk3emI03E4LV7zXXrm5itHx/s1600/t4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Car bomb hits French Embassy in Tripoli, 2 guards injured

A car bomb has exploded at the French Embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, injuring two guards, embassy officials told Reuters.Initial rep...

Three British aid workers raped in Libya

Women were part of Gaza-bound convoy when kidnapped and attacked in Benghazi <br />Pro-government militiamen are suspected of having raped three British female activists of Pakistani origin in the eastern city of Benghazi, Libya’s deputy prime minister has said.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" /></a>Awsad al-Barassi said the women were part of an overland aid convoy bound for Gaza. The women were travelling with two male companions when they were kidnapped on Tuesday on their way to Benghazi airport after deciding to return to Britain.<br />Mr Al-Barassi told Libya al-Hurra TV last night that he had met the women and they are in “very bad shape”.<br />Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry condemned the incident and said Islamabad is in contact with Libyan authorities.<br />The British foreign office said it is aware of an incident involving British nationals who were part of an aid convoy. It did not elaborate.<br />The overland convoy had left Britain on February 25th but was stuck for days along the Libyan-Egyptian border after Egyptian border guards refused to let them cross.<br />Mr al-Barassi told Libya al-Hurra TV that two of the women are sisters, and that their father had witnessed the rapes.<br />Mavi Marmara  <br />Their 10-vehicle convoy, carrying medical supplies, was named “Mavi Marmara” in honour of a ship involved in a 2010 deadly flotilla incident, according to Huseyin Oruc of IHH, a Turkish humanitarian relief organisation.<br />IHH was the group that helped organise the international flotilla that was attacked on May 31st, 2010. <br />Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara while stopping the flotilla that was trying to breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza. Eight Turks and a Turkish-American were killed, and dozens of activists and seven Israeli soldiers were wounded.<br />IHH mediated the release of the kidnapped women and men after they were contacted by the convoy’s organisers and asked for help. The man and his daughters are scheduled to return to Britain today, Mr al-Barassi said.<br />The women were attacked and robbed and their abductors included a taxi driver and a group of men in military uniforms, he added.<br />Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry condemned the attack and said the Pakistani embassy in Libya had lodged a strong protest with Libyan authorities<br />“A heinous crime has been committed against these female activists,” he said, adding that he hoped stern action would be taken against the attackers.<br />Libyan state news agency LANA quoted Interior Ministry spokesman Majdi al-Ourfi as saying four men had been arrested in connection with the incident. An army official said those arrested were believed to be former members of the security forces who were dismissed from their jobs a few months ago.<br />Benghazi, Libya's second biggest city, has seen frequent bouts of violence in recent months. In September, a deadly attack on the US mission resulted in the deaths of ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.`

Three British aid workers raped in Libya

Women were part of Gaza-bound convoy when kidnapped and attacked in Benghazi Pro-government militiamen are suspected of having raped three B...