Monday, February 28, 2011
Tornado Watch Hazardous Weather Outlook
This Afternoon: Showers and thunderstorms. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. High near 76. Breezy, with a southwest wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. Low around 40. Breezy, with a north wind between 13 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind between 5 and 11 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 30. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 8 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Thursday Night: A chance of drizzle. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Friday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 61. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tornado Watch
National Weather Service
Watches, Warnings & Advisories
2 products issued by NWS for: King NC
Watches, Warnings & Advisories
2 products issued by NWS for: King NC
Tornado Watch
TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 33 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 130 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 TORNADO WATCH 33 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS NCC003-005-009-011-021-023-027-033-035-039-043-045-059-071-075- 087-089-097-099-109-111-113-115-121-149-157-161-169-171-173-175- 189-193-197-199-010100- /O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0033.110228T1830Z-110301T0100Z/ NC . NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ALEXANDER ALLEGHANY ASHE AVERY BUNCOMBE BURKE CALDWELL CASWELL CATAWBA CHEROKEE CLAY CLEVELAND DAVIE GASTON GRAHAM HAYWOOD HENDERSON IREDELL JACKSON LINCOLN MACON MADISON MCDOWELL MITCHELL POLK ROCKINGHAM RUTHERFORD STOKES SURRY SWAIN TRANSYLVANIA WATAUGA WILKES YADKIN YANCEY $$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 150 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 NCZ004>006-011900- STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL- 150 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 ...TORNADO WATCH 33 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND MORE LIKELY THIS EVENING. STRONG WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS...BUT HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. AHEAD OF THESE STORMS...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST TO 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. $$
Last US veteran of WWI dies in W. Va. at age 110
Last US veteran of WWI dies in W. Va. at age 110
Published - Feb 28 2011 01:05PM EST
By VICKI SMITH - Associated Press
(AP Photo/courtesy of the Buckles Family/file)
This August 1917 file photo provided by the Buckles Family shows Frank Buckles' enlistment photo into the U.S. Army. Biographer and family spokesman David DeJonge said in a statement that Frank Woodruff Buckles died early Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 of natural causes in his home in Charles Town, W.Va.Buckles, who also survived being a civilian POW in the Philippines in World War II, died of natural causes Sunday at his home in Charles Town, biographer and family spokesman David DeJonge said. He was 110.
Buckles had been advocating for a national memorial honoring veterans of the Great War in the nation's capital and asked about its progress weekly, sometimes daily.
"He was sad it's not completed," DeJonge said Monday. "It's a simple straightforward thing to do, to honor Americans."
When asked in February 2008 how it felt to be the last of his kind, he said simply, "I realized that somebody had to be, and it was me." And he told The Associated Press he would have done it all over again, "without a doubt."
On Nov. 11, 2008, the 90th anniversary of the end of the war, Buckles attended a ceremony at the grave of World War I Gen. John Pershing in Arlington National Cemetery.
He was back in Washington a year later to endorse a proposal to rededicate the existing World War I memorial on the National Mall as the official National World War I Memorial. He told a Senate panel it was "an excellent idea." The memorial was originally built to honor District of Columbia's war dead.
Born in Missouri in 1901 and raised in Oklahoma, Buckles visited a string of military recruiters after the United States entered the "war to end all wars" in April 1917. He was repeatedly rejected before convincing an Army captain he was 18. He was actually 16 1/2.
"A boy of (that age), he's not afraid of anything. He wants to get in there," Buckles said.
Details for services and arrangements will be announced later this week, but DeJonge said Buckles' daughter, Susannah Flanagan, is planning for burial in Arlington National Cemetery. In 2008, friends persuaded the federal government to make an exception to its rules and allow his burial there.
Gordon drinks it all in at PIR after victory drought
Gordon drinks it all in at PIR after victory drought
The way Gordon ran down Busch was reminiscent of the No. 24 in the 1990s
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
February 27, 2011 9:15 PM, EST
February 27, 2011 9:15 PM, EST
type size: + -
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- During the final 20 laps Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Jeff Gordon found a way to beat the driver perhaps closest to matching Gordon's talent during his prime. "We beat Kyle Busch! Are you kidding me? Pinch me, man! Pinch me!"
“
Man, what an awesome, awesome, feeling it is when you've got the car right like that. And they give you 20 [laps] to go and it's your job to go get it done, you've got what you need to go do that and then you pull it off.
”
-- JEFF GORDON
And now perhaps Kyle Busch, with his 88 victories in NASCAR's three major touring series, could be considered today's heir apparent. So for Gordon to beat Busch at his best was like turning the clock back 15 years, when it was the Intimidator and the Golden Boy going toe-to toe, week-in and week-out.
"He's tough," Gordon said of his former Hendrick teammate. "I respect his talent, that team, and he's aggressive. I think everybody knows, you don't want to have to restart up against him. He's just won a lot of stuff lately. And to be quite honest with you, to me, there's nothing cooler."
Busch won Friday night's Truck race. He never gave up the lead in Saturday's Nationwide race. And when he wrestled the lead away from Tony Stewart on a restart with 21 laps to go Sunday, it seemed that Busch was destined to sweep all three races at Phoenix. But Gordon had other plans.
"I think he was on a mission [Sunday], that's for sure. And when Jeff Gordon has a good car and he has the opportunity to beat you, he's going to beat you," Busch said. "There's no doubt about that. He's my hero and I've always watched him and what he's been able to accomplish over the years. It's no surprise that he beat us."
Gordon should have won at least four times in 2010 but didn't, for a variety of reasons. So given the chance in the second race of 2011, Gordon didn't let the opportunity slip away.
"Man, what an awesome, awesome, feeling it is when you've got the car right like that," Gordon said. "And they give you 20 [laps] to go and it's your job to go get it done, you've got what you need to go do that and then you pull it off."
Gordon passed Stewart for second on Lap 292, but was still more than a half-second behind Busch with the laps winding down. But as Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet began to reel in the No. 18 Toyota -- chipping away precious hundredths of a second with every lap -- the estimated 75,000 in attendance began to believe in something special, standing almost in wonder as the gap between the two cars closed.
And on Lap 304, eight laps from the checkered, Gordon found himself in a long-familiar spot. And unlike 2010, when it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did -- he looked again like the driver who seemed at one time to be a shoo-in to join Petty and Pearson as the only drivers to win more than 100 Cup races in their careers.
"I thought, 'Even if I catch him, what am I going to do with him?' " Gordon said. "We caught him, he got loose, I got underneath him and I didn't know what to expect. I got into [Turn 1], he was right on my door. I got loose, got up into him, they said 'clear' and I went. Because I knew I'd need to get away from him as fast as I could."
Busch could see Gordon coming and realized there was little he could do to halt Gordon's charge.
"He was gaining on me really good and I knew he was going to get to me eventually and this place is so flat and it's one groove that we all run the bottom," Busch said. "He got so tucked up behind me in [Turns 3 and 4], he got me loose and I could not put the gas down. I mean, he was so far up underneath me that I could not go forward.
Busch admitted the bump didn't matter to the eventual outcome.
"He had a fast enough car," Busch said. "He could have done that, either way. He would have won if he didn't do it, if he did do it. It has nothing to do with how he won."
Once he got by Busch, Gordon continued to pull away, eventually winning by 1.137 seconds. It was a victory that finally tied him with Yarborough at 83 victories, one shy of Allison and Waltrip.
As the fans cheered and clapped and waved their hands, Gordon did perhaps the worst burnout in the history of PIR. But when you haven't won in 66 races, you don't care about style points.
"It's been a long time, I know," Gordon said. "I'm going to savor this one so much.
"I've been tweeting lately for the first time, and all of the stuff the people have been saying, the motivation has been unbelievably inspiring. And then to see that crowd stick around to see my really lame burnout -- because I stink at them -- they loved the show. Man, we hope we can give them some more shows like that this year. That was awesome."
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
Related:
Gordon ends 66-race winless drought at Phoenix
Severe Weather...Be Prepared
 |  |  |
|
|
|
Price: $89.99 | Price: $49.95 | Price: $39.99 |
 |  |  |
|
|
|
Price: $39.95 | Price: $49.99 | Price: $59.99 |
6 items were found.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
No. 19 North Carolina 87, Maryland 76
No. 19 North Carolina 87, Maryland 76
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP)
Tyler Zeller scored 25 points while freshman Harrison Barnes had 21 to help No. 19 North Carolina beat Maryland 87-76 on Sunday night, pulling the Tar Heels into a tie with Duke atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.Leslie McDonald added 15 points off the bench to break out of a recent shooting slump for the Tar Heels (22-6, 12-2), who led the entire night for their 15th win in 17 games. John Henson added 10 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots as they made up for a shaky shooting night with a balanced scoring effort to go with a strong showing on the boards.
Freshman Terrell Stoglin scored a season-high 28 points to lead the Terrapins (18-11, 7-7), while Jordan Williams had 16 points and a career-high 19 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. They got almost no help from their teammates, though, who combined for 32 points on 11-for-37 shooting.
Duke's loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday night gave the Tar Heels a chance to finally catch up in the league standings after sitting behind the reigning national champion Blue Devils since a 79-73 loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this month.
Now, a year after that ugly 17-loss season, the Tar Heels head into this week with a chance to win the ACC regular-season title. North Carolina travels to Florida State - sitting in third in the league - on Wednesday night before hosting the Blue Devils on Saturday night in a game that likely will determine the top seed in the ACC tournament.
The Tar Heels led by a dozen at halftime and never let the Terrapins seriously threaten.
Maryland closed within seven points before the Tar Heels ran off a 14-4 spurt, which included Kendall Marshall saving a ball by throwing it between Zeller's legs to Dexter Strickland, who found Barnes ahead for a layup midway through the second half.
Then, after jumpers from Barnes and Justin Knox, Zeller capped the run with a hook shot over Williams, followed by a transition layup off a perfect pass from Marshall to make it 68-51 with 10:35 left.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins went cold at just the wrong time, going more than 4 minutes without a basket and committing a pair of turnovers that the Tar Heels converted into scores.
Maryland got no closer than eight points the rest of the night.
Zeller made 10 of 16 shots while joining with Henson to keep plenty of pressure on Williams inside. The Tar Heels also got strong floor games from their starting backcourt of Marshall (10 assists, six rebounds) and Strickland (career-best eight assists).
McDonald's emergence certainly helped, too. He hit three 3-pointers and had as many field goals in this game (six) as he had in the past four games combined.
Severe Weather Awareness Week Begins Today
Severe Weather Awareness Week Begins Today
Created: 2/27/2011 7:36:02 AM 
Over the past several years a number of North Carolina residents have been injured and even killed by lightning...tornadoes and flooding. Property losses from tornadoes since 2005 have exceeded $53 million. This includes the tornadoes that struck the Piedmont last March.
On Wednesday March 2, the National Weather Service in cooperation with local boradcasters with conduct a statwide tornado drill. This will allow schools, businesses, and residents to pratice their tornado safty plans.
North Carolina residents are asked to use this week to discuss severe weather safety at work and with your family. Talk about your severe weather safey plan. Know where to take shelter if severe weather threatens your area. Knowing what to do as severe weather approaches could save your life.
Strange State Laws
|
|
eff Gordon breaks winless streak
PHOENIX
Jeff Gordon's winless streak is over.The 24 car survived a wreck-filled race to win the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix.
Many drivers weren't so lucky. On the 50th lap, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne's day was over. Bayne was trying to get in line and pushed his luck clipping Travis Kvapil. Bayne's Ford went into the wall, sustained heavy rear end damage and brought out the third caution.
“I don’t know what happened," Bayne said. "We were battling with the 13 car (Casey Mears) a little bit and I don’t know if it was the 38 car (Kvapil) behind us or who, but something happened. Either I came up or he poked his nose in there at the last second on the top of us getting into one. After that, there was nothing we could do."
The race came to a standstill thanks to a big wreck on lap 66. Several drivers involved, including polesitter Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann later returned to action.
David Ragan blew a tire and hit the Turn 4 wall hard on lap 126, causing an engine fire and bringing out the sixth caution of the day. Ragan checked out OK and was released from the infield care center. On the restart, there were 21 cars on the lead lap with Juan Pablo Montoya getting the free pass to get back on the lead lap.
Throughout the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had been relatively quiet, deftly avoiding the wrecks that — almost midway through the 312 lap race — had involved 24 cars. Earnhardt, to no one's surprise, had been voted Pizza Hut's Fan Favorite for the second straight week.
Joey Logano, who was hampered throughout the day with engine problems, finally watched his motor blow up on lap 218 and the seventh caution was out for debris on the track.
The tone of the first 100 laps was established early as Kurt Busch overtook Edwards to lead after one lap.
The first caution of the day came at lap 19 due to debris on the track. On the restart, there was plenty of rubbin' and three-wide racing on the one-mile track. Robby Gordon got a little bump by Marcos Ambrose on the 34th lap which sent Gordon's car into a spin and causing the second caution of the day. NASCAR had designated lap 40 a competition caution due to the heavy rains on Saturday, but that second caution took its place.
Nine laps later, Kurt Busch got loose and had contact with Edwards, leading to a wreck involving six drivers. Edwards was upset, and said he hoped it was in "inadvertent move" by Kyle Busch. On the radio, Kyle Busch was frustrated, saying, "All we're doing is being a ping pong ball here. It's pathetic."
After a restart on lap 66, Brian Vickers got sideways after some minor contact from Matt Kenseth and for the second straight week, a huge wreck followed, this time involving 13 cars, including Jaime McMurray, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. Twelve cars were sent to the garage. Boywer was clearly angry, saying, "Pretty disgusted with the whole thing to be honest with you. We're all professionals, we should be driving like it."
Earnhardt was caught speeding on pit road and was sent to the back of the pack on the restart. Jeff Gordon took the lead at lap 74 and stretched out his lead to almost two seconds after 10 laps, but Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the 92nd lap after Gordon's car collected some debris on his grill and caused him to back off the lead.
North Korea
North Korea
 10.02.2011 15:55 14 comments Russia expecting year of “intensive contacts” with North KoreaMoscow wants more intensive contacts with its communist neighbor North Korea in order to ensure peace in Northeast Asia, yet the situation between North and South Korea continues to deteriorate. |  08.02.2011 11:50 Koreas try to diffuse tensionMilitary officers of North and South Korea have come to the negotiating table on Tuesday for the first time since the escalation of tensions in the region last year. | |
 12.01.2011 17:56 S. Korean man arrested for “tweeting” praise of the NorthSouth Korean prosecutors have arrested a man for disseminating pro-North Korean videos and text through social networking services, which is a criminal offence in the republic. |  10.01.2011 16:58 2 comments US and China Defense Chiefs meet in atmosphere of suspicionWith China beginning to challenge America’s superpower status, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is in Beijing for three days of talks with Chinese top brass and President Hu Jintao. | |
 08.01.2011 13:25 North Korea calls for peace talks with South in near futureNorth Korea has again called for a peaceful settlement with South Korea following months of tension and deadly incidents. |  30.12.2010 19:05 4 comments Moscow calls on Koreas to move from “muscle flexing” to dialogueMoscow has called for the resumption of talks between both South and North Korea in the hopes of easing tensions between them. | |
 30.12.2010 13:37 Moscow urges N. Korea to return to nuke non-proliferationRussia insists that North Korea should come back to non-proliferation regime as a non-nuclear state, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Borodavkin has said. |  29.12.2010 18:45 N. Korean nuclear issue to be solved only through six-party talks – S. KoreaThe crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program can be solved through diplomatic methods, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has said, despite recent tension with Pyongyang. | |
 24.12.2010 17:28 Northern exposure – S. Korea fears more nuke test from neighborThe North is likely to stage its third nuclear test next year, according to a report made public by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry Research Center. |  23.12.2010 16:47 4 comments N. Korea rears up for “sacred war”As South Korea continues to stage its military exercises, North Korea says it is prepared to respond with a nuke-fuelled “sacred war.” | |
 23.12.2010 14:19 2 comments Pyongyang enraged by new South Korean war gamesRussia says it will continue its diplomatic efforts to help ease the tense situation on the Korean peninsula. However, a new series of South Korean war games on Thursday has only fueled the conflict between the two Koreas. |  20.12.2010 23:33 Use of force on the Korean Peninsula is unacceptable – FM spokesmanThe Korean sides should exercise restraint, responsibility and avoid escalation of tension in the region, said the deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department. | |
 20.12.2010 10:38 2 comments S. Korea holds military drills despite UN Security Council emergency meetingSouth Korea has carried out live-fire military exercises on an island close to the border with North Korea, despite threats of retaliation from Pyongyang. |  16.12.2010 22:04 Fantasy world of North Korean contemporary artWinzavod is set to break the ice between North Korean art and international audiences in the Russian capital. | |
 16.12.2010 13:18 1 comments South Korea to stage more military drillsSouth Korea plans to stage live fire-drills on the same island that was shelled last month in an exchange of fire with the North. |  15.12.2010 14:33 Moscow at center of diplomatic efforts over Korean tensionRussia is hosting separate talks with North and South Korean representatives over the current tense situation on the Korean Peninsula. | |
 13.12.2010 14:34 1 comments Russia hosts North Korea’s envoy, calls for six-party talksPyongyang's nuclear program and a return to the negotiating table were on the agenda during a meeting between Russia's foreign minister and his North Korean counterpart. |  06.12.2010 20:38 1 comments US, South Korea war games bring peninsula to brink of war – activistUS naval exercises with Japan, ongoing near the Korean peninsula in the Yellow Sea, are meant to provoke and escalate tension in the region, says anti-war activist Brian Becker. | |
 30.11.2010 08:49 9 comments US trying to intimidate North Korea - analystKorean affairs expert Leonid Petrov says American efforts to keep North Korea on edge are getting dangerously close to sparking a conflict. |  30.11.2010 05:34 Obama addresses Congress in last attempt to push START ratificationAs Republicans try to stall the process, Barack Obama has addressed the US Senate as he seeks additional support from Congress to ratify the nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia. |
UN Security Council hits Qaddafi with sanctions, war crimes investigations
The unanimous Security Council decision increases international pressure on Col. Muammar Qaddafi's regime in Libya as President Obama calls for Qaddafi to leave power immediately.
British Ambassador to the United Nations Mark Lyall Grant and American Ambassador Susan Rice vote during a Security Council vote on Saturday at UN headquarters. The UN Security Council me to consider sanctions against Libya, but members disagreed over a proposal to refer Muammar Qaddafi to an international war crimes tribunal.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Libya — The Protests (2011)
Libya — The Protests (2011)
Lynsey Addario/ Corbis, for The New York Times
Libya, an oil-rich nation in North Africa, has been under the firm, if sometimes erratic, control of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi since he seized power in 1969. But in February 2011, the unrest sweeping through much of the Arab world erupted in several Libyan cities. The trajectory of the Libyan revolt has been radically different from those that toppled Arab autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt. Though it began with a relatively organized core of antigovernment opponents in Benghazi, its spread to the capital of Tripoli was swift and spontaneous, outracing any efforts to coordinate the protests, and Colonel Qaddafi has lashed out with a level of violence unseen in either of the other uprisings.
Feb. 27 The ring of rebel control around Tripoli appeared to be tightening, but in a sign that the fight was far from over, armed government forces were seen massing around the city. In Benghazi, protesters nominated the country’s former justice minister to lead a provisional government, moving to avoid the chaos that some analysts warned would overtake a Libya not ruled by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Col. Qaddafi and his inner circle of advisers, and called for an international war crimes investigation into “widespread and systemic attacks” against Libyan citizens. Timeline: Qaddafi
Feb. 26 A bold play by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to prove that he was firmly in control of Libya appeared to backfire as foreign journalists he invited to the capital discovered blocks of the city in open defiance. Witnesses described snipers and antiaircraft guns firing at unarmed civilians, and security forces were removing the dead and wounded from streets and hospitals, apparently in an effort to hide the mounting toll. One day after the United States closed its embassy and imposed unilateral sanctions against Libya, the United Nations Security Council met in New York to consider imposing international sanctions, including an arms embargo and an asset freeze and travel ban against Col. Qaddafi, his relatives and key members of his government. Timeline: Qaddafi
Feb. 25 In Tripoli, Security forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi used gunfire to try to disperse thousands of protesters who streamed out of mosques after prayers to mount their first major challenge to the government’s crackdown in the capital. Rebel leaders said they were sending forces from nearby cities and other parts of the country to join the fight. International efforts to stem the bloodshed appeared to gain momentum, with the United Nations Security Council scheduled to meet to discuss a draft proposal for sanctions against Libyan leaders and NATO convening an emergency session in Brussels.
Feb. 24 Forces loyal to Col. Qaddafi were reported to be striking back in several cites surrounding Tripoli, as rebellion crept closer to the capital and defections of military officers multiplied. He has called on thousands of mercenaries and irregular security forces, a ruthless and loyal force he has quietly built up over the years, distrustful even of his generals. Clashes were also reported 130 miles east of the capital near Misurata, a city where opposition forces had claimed control.
Feb. 23 The week-old uprising that has swept Libya appeared headed for a decisive stage, with Col. Qaddafi fortifying his bastion in Tripoli and opponents in the capital saying they were making plans for their first coordinated protest after midday prayers on Feb. 25. The looming signs of a new confrontation came as a growing number of Libyan military officers and officials said that they had broken with Colonel Qaddafi over his intentions bomb and kill Libyan civilians challenging his four decades of rule. The foreign minister of Italy — the former colonial power with longstanding ties — said that nationwide more than 1,000 people were probably dead in the strife.
Feb. 22 Trying to demonstrate that he was still in control, Colonel Qaddafi appeared on state television. In a long rambling address, he blamed the unrest on “foreign hands,” a small group of people distributing pills, brainwashing, and the naïve desire of young people to imitate the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Yet the country appeared to slip further into chaos. Opposition forces in eastern Libya, where the rebellion began, moved to consolidate their control.
Feb. 21 The faltering government of Colonel Qaddafi struck back at the mounting protests as helicopters and warplanes besieged parts of Tripoli - the Libyan capital. The escalation of the conflict came after Colonel Qaddafi’s security forces had earlier in the day retreated to a few buildings in Tripoli, fires burned unchecked, and senior government officials and diplomats announced defections. The country’s second-largest city, Benghazi, remained under the control of rebels. News agencies reported that several foreign oil and gas companies were moving to evacuate some workers from the country.
Feb. 20 Libyan security forces again fired on a funeral procession through the city of Benghazi, as residents buried dozens of dead from a crackdown the day before and as a five-day-old uprising against the dictatorship of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi appeared to spread to other cities along the Mediterranean coast. The advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it had proof that at least 173 had been killed since the uprising’s start. But several people in Benghazi hospitals, reached by telephone, said they believed as many as 200 had been killed and more than 800 wounded there on Feb. 19 alone. The Libyan government, meanwhile, has attempted to impose a near total blackout on the country. Foreign journalists cannot enter, and internet access has been almost totally cut off.
Feb. 19 Protests continued as the government moved to shut down the Internet. Human rights observers put the death toll in Libya after three days of government crackdowns against protesters at 84.
Feb. 18 The severity of the government's crackdown began to emerge when Human Rights Watch said 24 people had been killed by gunfire and news reports said further clashes with security were feared at the funerals for the dead.
Feb. 17 Protests broke out in several parts of Libya on a so-called Day of Rage to challenge Colonel Qaddafi's 41-year-old iron rule — the region’s longest. Thousands turned out in the restive city of Benghazi; in Tripoli; and at three other locations, according to Human Rights Watch. The state media, though, showed Libyans waving green flags and shouting in support of Colonel Qaddafi.
Feb. 16 A crowd armed with gasoline bombs and rocks protested outside a government office in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, to demand the release of a human rights advocate in Tripoli, the capital. Protesters using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook then called for nationwide demonstrations to demand Colonel Qaddafi’s ouster. The demonstrators, estimated at several hundred to several thousand, marched to the city’s central square, where they clashed with riot police officers. In the city of Zentan, hundreds marched through the streets and set fire to security headquarters and a police station.
BACKGROUND
Colonel Qaddafi took power in a bloodless coup in September 1969 and has ruled with an iron fist, seeking to spread Libya’s influence in Africa. He has built his rule on a cult of personality and a network of family and tribal alliances supported by largess from Libya’s oil revenues.
Internationally, he is regarded as an erratic and quixotic figure who travels with an escort of female bodyguards and likes to live in a large tent of the kind used by desert nomads.
In 2003, Colonel Qaddafi moved to refurbish his image abroad, renouncing terrorism and a program to build nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and pledging to pay compensation for victims of the bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Libya later pledged to pay compensation to victims of a disco bombing in Berlin in 1986.
While those moves eased some strains in Colonel Qaddafi’s relationship with the outside world, Western governments have continued to question his human rights record.
Prior to the 2011 unrest, the only hint of potential change in Libya came from Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, a son and possible successor to Colonel Qaddafi, who spoke of dismantling a legacy of Socialism and authoritarianism introduced by his father 40 years ago. Seif Qaddafi proposed far-reaching ideas: tax-free investment zones, a tax haven for foreigners, the abolition of visa requirements and the development of luxury hotels.
Seif Qaddafi liked to boast that his country could be “the Dubai of North Africa,” he said, citing Libya’s proximity to Europe (the flight from London to Tripoli is under three hours), its abundant energy reserves and 1,200 miles of mostly unspoiled Mediterranean coastline. Libya is wealthier than debt-ridden, oil-poor Dubai. Its $15,000 gross domestic product per person ranks it above Poland, Mexico and Chile, according to the World Bank. The government’s sovereign fund, a reserve of oil revenues, boasts $65 billion. And the government has announced plans to invest $130 billion over the next three years to improve infrastructure.
But the reality of daily life in Tripoli remained far removed from those lofty notions. The streets are strewn with garbage, there are gaping holes in the sidewalks, tourist-friendly hotels and restaurants are few and far between. And while a number of seaside hotels are being built, the city largely ignores its most spectacular asset, the Mediterranean.
Unemployment is estimated as high as 30 percent and much of the potential work force is insufficiently trained.
And a series of crackdowns in 2010 bolstered the view that the hard-line faction championed by Seif Qaddafi’s equally ambitious older brother, Mutassim, the country’s national security adviser, was gaining ground.
In 2003, Colonel Qaddafi moved to refurbish his image abroad, renouncing terrorism and a program to build nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and pledging to pay compensation for victims of the bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Libya later pledged to pay compensation to victims of a disco bombing in Berlin in 1986.
While those moves eased some strains in Colonel Qaddafi’s relationship with the outside world, Western governments have continued to question his human rights record.
Prior to the 2011 unrest, the only hint of potential change in Libya came from Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, a son and possible successor to Colonel Qaddafi, who spoke of dismantling a legacy of Socialism and authoritarianism introduced by his father 40 years ago. Seif Qaddafi proposed far-reaching ideas: tax-free investment zones, a tax haven for foreigners, the abolition of visa requirements and the development of luxury hotels.
Seif Qaddafi liked to boast that his country could be “the Dubai of North Africa,” he said, citing Libya’s proximity to Europe (the flight from London to Tripoli is under three hours), its abundant energy reserves and 1,200 miles of mostly unspoiled Mediterranean coastline. Libya is wealthier than debt-ridden, oil-poor Dubai. Its $15,000 gross domestic product per person ranks it above Poland, Mexico and Chile, according to the World Bank. The government’s sovereign fund, a reserve of oil revenues, boasts $65 billion. And the government has announced plans to invest $130 billion over the next three years to improve infrastructure.
But the reality of daily life in Tripoli remained far removed from those lofty notions. The streets are strewn with garbage, there are gaping holes in the sidewalks, tourist-friendly hotels and restaurants are few and far between. And while a number of seaside hotels are being built, the city largely ignores its most spectacular asset, the Mediterranean.
Unemployment is estimated as high as 30 percent and much of the potential work force is insufficiently trained.
And a series of crackdowns in 2010 bolstered the view that the hard-line faction championed by Seif Qaddafi’s equally ambitious older brother, Mutassim, the country’s national security adviser, was gaining ground.
General Information on Libya
Official Name: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab JamahiriyaCapital: Tripoli (Current local time)
Government Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state.
Chief of State: Muammar el-Qaddafi, Col.
Population: 6.037 million (2007, est.)
Area: 679,362 square miles, or slightly larger than Alaska.
Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities.
Literacy: Total Population: 82.6%; Male: 92.4%; Female: 72% (2003 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $12,300 (2003)
Year of Independence: 1951
THE ACC
Notes: 1) If you are having problems viewing this page, please download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader and install the newest version of the Acrobat plug-in for your browser. This is a free download. 2) To Print: Open complete version and then click on the "Printer" icon (second icon from the left) in the .pdf toolbar. |
 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)