Plutonian Mac: Misrata

Showing posts with label Misrata. Show all posts

Saturday, June 30, 2012

MISRATA RISING: Business boom in Misrata - YouTube

Monday, October 24, 2011

Hardened Misrata fighters took out fury on Gadhafi - World news - Mideast

Anonymous / AP /Libyan rebels secure prisoners in the back of a pick-up truck during fighting in Tripoli, Libya. The graffiti on the truck, in Arabic, reads, "Misrata steadfastness."

By RAMI AL-SHAHEIBI, RYAN LUCAS

MISRATA, Libya — Ahmed al-Said, a 46-year-old computer engineer, joined the rebels in his hometown of Misrata and fought off a bloody siege by Moammar Gadhafi's forces in what became one of the turning points of Libya's civil war. His worst memory, he says, is collecting body parts of young children and women from his city's streets.

Seething with hatred for the longtime dictator over the 2-month siege, battle-hardened Misratan fighters went on to play a key role in the capture of the capital in August. They made a daring amphibious landing on the shores of Tripoli. And days later, in their signature black pickup trucks, they blasted their way into Gadhafi's fortified Bab al-Aziziya compound, tore down an iconic monument of a fist crushing an American plane and hauled it back to Misrata as a trophy.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Hardened Misrata fighters took out fury on Gadhafi - World news - Mideast

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Misratah, Libya proves new strength - TIME

A Libyan rebel stands guard in the severely damaged Tripoli street of the besieged city of Misratah on April 26, 2011. Christophe Simon / AFP / Getty Images

Misratah produced more martyrs for the revolution than any other Libyan city. It is a point of pride for Misratah and a distinction the country's interim leaders like to highlight. The coastal city fended off months of heavy bombardment by Muammar Gaddafi's forces — and Misratah's commanders proclaim that their fighters eventually battled all the way to the gates of Gaddafi's own capital, contributing to the collapse of the regime.

Among the rubble of Misratah, that pride remains fierce — and tangible. After so many months of fighting, Misratah can now muster some 30,000 volunteer fighters and 1,200 gun trucks, as well as tanks, rocket launchers, and thousands of small arms, its commanders say. "The strongest military council in the center of Libya is Misratah," says Adel Ibrahim, an official at the city's media center. The city's fighters are playing a key role in the siege of Gaddafi's hometown of Sirt. And many in Misratah feel that the devastating bombardments wrought on their city by Gaddafi's forces has entitled them to the lion's share of power in the new Libya. "The revolution started in Benghazi. But here in Misratah, we paid the price," says Mohamed Shami, the head of one of the city's many militias. "Seventy percent of all the damage and martyrs was in Misratah. Therefore the next government should be 70% from Misratah."
(See pictures of the rebels fighting for Libya.)

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Visiting war-ravaged Misrata, UN envoy in Libya salutes courage of residents

Special Representative for Libya Ian Martin

3 October 2011 – The head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) today visited war-ravaged Misrata, reporting widespread destruction in the city, paying his respects to those who lost their lives during the protracted fighting earlier this year and hailing the spirit of the people.

“I came to present my deepest respect to the people of Misrata for their heroic struggle and to convey my condolences to the families of martyrs and to the injured,” said Ian Martin, who is also the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya.

“I have seen myself the evidence here of war crimes by the Qadhafi regime,” he said, referring to the now ousted government of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi, which battled armed opposition forces for months this year.

“And I have come to hear the expectations of the people of Misrata for the support of the UN, as we now help Libya build a democratic state based on respect for human rights and rule of law.”

Misrata experienced some of the heaviest fighting during the Libyan conflict as it was besieged by pro-Qadhafi forces for weeks, with supplies of running water and other basic amenities cut off. As many as 1,500 people were killed in the city, according to local council officials.

Visiting the city today, Mr. Martin found Tripoli Street, once a bustling central thoroughfare lined with residential and office blocks, shops and a major hospital, to be the scene of twisted metal, shattered concrete, and bullet holes in every building. The hospital was destroyed and then used for military purposes by forces loyal to Colonel Qadhafi.

FULL ARTICLE HERE: Visiting war-ravaged Misrata, UN envoy in Libya salutes courage of residents