Libyan rebels receive weapons

BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Libyan state TV says NATO bombers attacked the town of al-Aziziyah on Monday, just southwest of the capital Tripoli. The broadcast gave no details of damage or any casualties in the raid.

Meanwhile, rebel troops based in Ajdabiya are preparing to launch more missiles on government forces, after they received a truck-load of armaments from the rebel-held East. A rebel spokesman also says the city of Misrata has been pounded for a fifth day. It follows intense shelling on Sunday which killed 17 people and wounded about 100.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-04/19/c_13835570.htm.

Emir receives head of Libyan national panel

Tuesday, 19/4/2011

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani held talks with the Chairman of the Libyan Transitional National Council (LTNC), Mustafa Mohamed Abdul Jalil at the Al Wajbah Palace yesterday.

HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani and a number of ministers attended the meeting.

Talks dealt with the latest developments in Libya.

The Emir hosted a luncheon banquet in honor of the Libyan delegation.

The Libyan delegation left Doha later yesterday. The LTNC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil was seen off at Doha international airport by HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud.

In statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), prior to his departure, Abdul Jalil expressed deep thanks to Qatar, the Emir, the government and the people of Qatar for their support to the people of Libya. “Qatar’s position is distinguished and brotherly. The people of Libya will praise it throughout history,” Abdul Jalil said.

Qatar has recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

Qatar has also succeeded, through the state-owned Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Company (Tasweeq), in delivering four shipments of petroleum products to the Libyan port of Benghazi and in exporting two oil shipments out of Tobruk.

Source: Gulf Times.
Link: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=429284&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16.

Libya: Britain spends millions on aid while Arab states give little

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
18 Apr 2011

Britain is donating millions of pounds in aid to Libya while wealthy Arab states and other European nations including France give much less, United Nations figures have revealed.

The figures – published as Britain announced more emergency help for the Libyan city of Misurata – sparked calls for other nations to shoulder more of the burden in Libya.

Andrew Mitchell, the development secretary, yesterday announced that Britain is spending almost £3 million to fund the evacuation of 5,000 civilians from Misurata, and emergency medical aid for people trapped in other towns in western Libya.

"I am determined that Britain continues to provide help to those innocent civilians who are caught up in the ongoing violence,” Mr Mitchell said.

In addition to yesterday’s spending, the UK is a major donor to the UN’s emergency fund for Libya, which was launched last month.

According to the UN’s Financial Tracking Service, the UK is the third-biggest donor to the fund, giving $14.7 million (£9.1 million) or 11.4 per cent of the $128 million raised so far.

By contrast, France, the other leading power in the military intervention, has donated $687,000, only 0.5 per cent of the total. Italy, the former colonial power, pledged $984,000.

And the only Arab nation in the top 25 contributors is Kuwait, which has donated $1 million, 0.8 per cent of the total.

The UN figures show that “Others” – which could include other coalition members including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates – have collectively pledged only $944,000.

The biggest donor is the US, which has pledged $32.1 million. Second was the European Commission, pledging $17 million. Britain contributes around 12 per cent of the European Union budget.

Conservative MPs said that that Arab nations should be contributing more to aid work in Libya.

Peter Bone MP said: “British voters would expect the Arab nations and the non-combatant European nations to be piling in with money. The Arab nations in particular should have no problem with making more financial contributions.”

James Clappison MP said: “We want to see the burden of Libya shared more evenly across the international community, and particularly by countries in the region. I believe the British public support helping people in need, but they do not want to see this country shouldering a disproportionately large share of the financial burden.”

In Libya, a senior UN envoy accused Col Muammar Gaddafi of refusing calls for a ceasefire to allow aid into Misurata.

Baroness Amos, the UN’s head of humanitarian relief, said she had personally asked ministers in Tripoli to end fighting so supplies could enter and trapped civilians could leave.

Misurata has been cut off and shelled for two months. Rebel leaders told the Daily Telegraph aid ships were refusing to enter while the port was being targeted by Col Gaddafi’s artillery.

Speaking in rebel-held Benghazi, Baroness Amos said: “We got no guarantees with respect to my call for an overall cessation of hostilities to allow people to move and allow people to deliver supplies.”

Source: The Telegraph.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8459234/Libya-Britain-spends-millions-on-aid-while-Arab-states-give-little.html.

Egypt requests Yemen's support for its candidate for Arab League

SANA'A, April 19 (Saba)- Egypt has requested Yemen's support for its candidate Mostafa El Feki for the post of Secretary-General of the Arab League.

This came in the letter of Head of Egypt's Higher Military Council Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which is handed over on Tuesday by Egypt's ambassador to Yemen Ashraf Aql to Caretaker Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi.

During their meeting, al-Qirbi and Aql dealt with the latest developments at the Yemeni arena.

Source: Saba Net.
Link: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news239821.htm.

Moussa backs nomination for Arab League top post

April 20, 2011

Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa on Tuesday supported the nomination of Moustafa Fikki for the post of the pan-Arab body's chief, Egypt's official news agency MENA reported.

Moussa, a possible presidential hopeful, made his comments during a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of Egypt's Tagamu party, according to MENA.

Egypt on April 11 nominated diplomat Fikki as the next secretary general of AL to succeed Moussa, whose second term will end in May.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil el-Arabi said earlier that Fikki is an appropriate person selected to succeed Moussa in this key turning point of the AL.

Fikki possesses the Arab nation's ideology and has been the assistant of foreign minister for Arab issues, he said.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/7356104.html.

Brotherhood: Copts, women among party founders

Hany ElWaziry
Tue, 19/04/2011

Muslim Brotherhood leaders have said that a number of Copts and women submitted proxy documents as the group works to officially establish its proposed Freedom and Justice Party.

The proxy documents authorize another person to act on one's behalf. A certain number of documents are required for the party to be officially established.

The Brotherhood is Egypt's largest Islamist opposition group. The party is expected to offer its establishment application to the Egyptian Political Parties Affairs Committee in May.

Mohamed Saad al-Katatny, who represents the party founders, said at a press conference Monday that people who want to join the party can submit notarized proxy documents with photocopies of their IDs.

The party created an email address to receive IDs of potential members, al-Katatny said.

Sobhi Saleh, another Brotherhood leader, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that party founders include women and Christians.

Brotherhood sources also said the group has finished naming its candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The group's administrative offices are now taking the final steps to submit the party's application to the Guidance Bureau for approval in May, said Karem Radwan, a Brotherhood spokesperson.

The group's Supreme Guide, Mohamed Badie, and his deputy, Gomaa Amin, will both attend a conference Tuesday night in Beheira, where they will introduce people to the Muslim Brotherhood and its goals.

Source: al-Masry al-Youm.
Link: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/405809.

Amr Moussa denies links to Mubarak era

CAIRO, April 18 (UPI) -- Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa denied allegations he was getting political support from the outlawed National Democratic Party in Egypt.

Military authorities during the weekend dismantled the NDP, the party led by former President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak was ousted in a February revolution after serving as president of Egypt for three decades.

Moussa, who served as foreign minister under Mubarak, threw his hat into the ring earlier this year for the election for president scheduled for the fall.

Moussa told Egyptian daily Ahram Online that he wasn't getting any backing from members of the disbanded NDP. He maintained there was "no coordination whatsoever" between his political role in Egypt and NDP officials.

"One of my first demands was dissolving the NDP for ruining the political life in Egypt as well as spreading corruption and causing numerous damages," he was quoted as saying.

He added he would fill his campaign staff with people in the remote Egyptian provinces "and minorities, especially peasants, who have been long neglected."

Members of the NDP, including Mubarak, his sons, and several of the country's former ministers are charged with corruption, abuse of power and atrocities in Egypt.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/04/18/Amr-Moussa-denies-links-to-Mubarak-era/UPI-37451303153428/.