Gaddafi says will arm civilians to defend Libya, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Gaddafi says will open arm depots to the masses

* Libya will exercise its right to self-defence -Gaddafi

* Says interests of countries in Mediterranean face danger

* Urges Africans, Arabs, Latin Americans, Asians to help (Adds quotes)

TUNIS, March 20 (Reuters) - A defiant Muammar Gaddafi said on Saturday he will arm civilians to defend Libya from what he called "colonial, crusader" aggression by Western forces that have launched air strikes against him.

"It is now necessary to open the stores and arm all the masses with all types of weapons to defend the independence, unity and honour of Libya," Gaddafi said in an audio message broadcast on state television hours after the strikes began.

He said Libya would exercise its right to self defence under article 51 of the United Nations charter, adding the Mediterranean and North Africa were now a battleground.

"The interests of countries face danger from now on in the Mediterranean because of this aggressive and mad behaviour," he said.

"Unfortunately, due to this (action), marine and air targets, whether military or civilian, will be exposed to real danger in the Mediterranean, since the area of the Mediterranean and North Africa has become a battleground because of this blatant military agression."

He also called on Arab, Islamic, African, Latin American and Asian countries to "stand by the heroic Libyan people to confront this aggression, which will only increase the Libyan people's strength, firmness and unity".

(Reporting by Tarek Amara in Tunis, Sarah Mikhail and Edmund Blair in Cairo; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Louise Ireland)

GADDAFI SAYS WILL OPEN STORES TO ARM PEOPLE WITH ALL TYPES OF WEAPONS TO DEFEND LIBYA

Turkey to play appropriate role over Libya -formin, Posted by Meosha Eaton

ISTANBUL, March 19 (Reuters) - NATO-member Turkey will make the necessary and appropriate national contribution to implementing a U.N. no-fly zone over Libya and measures to protect civilians, its foreign ministry said late on Saturday.

"Within that framework the necessary preparations and studies are being made by civil and military authorities in co-ordination," the statement added, giving no further detail. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Alexandra Hudson)

LIBYA'S GADDAFI SAYS INTERESTS OF MEDITERRANEAN, NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES WILL BE IN DANGER FROM NOW ON

French planes make first strikes in Libya operation, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Jets destroy several tanks, armoured vehicles

* Sarkozy: North America, Europe, Arab partners back action

* Sarkozy says intervention will stop if Gaddafi ceases fire

* NATO, EU role in operation still unclear

(Updates, adds details, quotes)

By John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - French warplanes destroyed tanks and armoured vehicles of Muammar Gaddafi's forces near the rebel stronghold of Benghazi on Saturday as Western powers backed by Arab states began U.N.-mandated action to protect civilians.

President Nicolas Sarkozy said an operation supported by France, Britain, the United States and Canada, and backed by Arab nations, was halting air attacks by Gaddafi's forces and would continue until the Libyan leader's forces ceased fire.

About 20 French aircraft -- including Rafale multirole war planes, Mirage 2000 fighter jets, refuelling planes and an AWACS surveillance aircraft -- were involved, French Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard told reporters.

The planes will counter attacks by Gaddafi's planes on Benghazi, enforcing a no-fly zone, and are ready to intervene against armoured vehicles threatening civilians, Burkhard said after Sarkozy led international talks to coordinate military action authorised by the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.

"It's a grave decision we've had to take," Sarkozy said after talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Arab leaders, European Union representatives and European heads of state.

"Along with our Arab, European and North American partners, France has decided to play its part before history," he said.

The first planes left France in the morning and headed for an area 62 by 93 miles (100 km by 150 km) around Benghazi and the operation was still underway in the late afternoon.

"We have set up this afternoon a no-fly zone which means that around Benghazi airforce planes are preventing all flights in accordance with the U.N. resolution," said Defence Ministry Spokesman Laurent Teisseire.

A second group of planes were also in the air to monitor movements on the ground and a defence ministry official said some Libyan targets on had been destroyed. "Yes, we have destroyed a number of tanks and armoured vehicles," he said, although he could not immediately confirm the exact number.

Aircraft from bases in eastern France at Saint-Dizier and Nancy as well as south of Paris in Dijon and Corsica were used in the operation and the ministry said aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle would leave for Libya around midday on Sunday.

The carrier is able to transport twenty aircraft and will be accompanied by a submarine and several frigates.


FRANCE, BRITAIN AT FOREFRONT

It was unclear whether NATO and the EU were taking a role in coordinating the mainly French operation, although Italy offered the use of a NATO base near Naples.

Sarkozy has been at the forefront of a push to intervene in Libya in recent days as Gaddafi escalated his attacks on opposition rebels which France and others support.

Cameron told reporters that Gaddafi's breaking of a ceasefire pledged on Friday made swift action essential.

"Colonel Gaddafi has made this happen. He has lied to the international community. He has promised a ceasefire. He has broken that ceasefire," he said.

"He continues to brutalise his own people and so the time for action has come," he added. "It is better to take this action than to risk the consequences of inaction, which is the further slaughter of civilians by this dictator."

Germany is not participating in the joint operation, but Berlusconi did not rule out Italian planes being used.

"For the time being we are making the bases available, but if they request it, even military intervention (is possible)," Berlusconi told reporters.

Before Sarkozy spoke, reconnaissance planes were flying over Libya as Gaddafi's troops advanced into the edge of Benghazi.

"We are doing it to protect the civilian population from the murderous madness of a regime that in killing its own people has lost all legitimacy," Sarkozy said.

"There is still time for Colonel Gaddafi to avoid the worst, by acting without delay and without reservations in accordance with all the demands of the international community. The door of international diplomacy will open again the moment attacks end."


DIPLOMATIC CLOUT

Sources close to the talks said only France, Britain and Canada were likely to take part in initial strikes, with any participation by the United States or Arab nations coming later.

Canada said its fighter jets had only just reached the region and would need two days to prepare for any operation.

Iraq's foreign minister was at the talks, as was the Qatari prime minister and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Determined to prove its diplomatic clout after its clumsy handling of the revolt in Tunisia, Paris has sought to lead a world response to the crisis in Libya, where Gaddafi's troops outgun rag-tag and poorly armed rebel forces.

Sarkozy was the first foreign leader to recognize the opposition and drop support for Gaddafi.

NATO ambassadors met in Brussels on Saturday to discuss involvement by the 28-member military alliance in enforcing a no-fly zone, but no decision was taken. A NATO diplomat said Britain, the United States and Canada wanted NATO to take a lead in the operation but Paris was lukewarm on the idea.

"France seems to have some problem with it being a NATO operation, given NATO's reputation in the Arab world as a result of Afghanistan and given that NATO is seen as an alliance dominated by the United States," he said. (Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn, Keith Weir, Daniel Flynn and Vicky Buffery in Paris and David Brunnstrom in Brussels; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Syrian mourners call for revolt, forces fire tear gas, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Boldest challenge yet to President Assad

* Arrests of schoolchildren helped fuel protests

* Deraa figures meet authorities, demand prisoners' release

* Assad shortens conscription period


(Adds meeting, demands)

By Suleiman al-Khalidi

DERAA, Syria, March 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners called on Saturday for "revolution" at the funeral of protesters killed by Syrian security forces, in the boldest challenge to Syria's rulers since uprisings began sweeping the Arab world.

Security forces responded by firing tear gas to disperse crowds in Deraa, a region south of the capital where at least 10,000 people demonstrated on Saturday at the funeral of two protesters, among at least four who were killed on Friday.

"Revolution, revolution. Rise up Hauran," chanted the mourners in Deraa, administrative capital of the Hauran plateau, as they marched behind the simple wooden coffins of Wissam Ayyash and Mahmoud al-Jawabra.

"God, Syria, Freedom. Whoever kills his own people is a traitor," they said. Some of the mourners left a mosque and headed for the centre to protest.

The two were killed when security forces opened fire on Friday on civilians taking part in a peaceful protest demanding political freedoms and an end to corruption in Syria, which has been ruled under emergency laws by President Bashar al-Assad's Baath Party for nearly half a century.

A third man killed on Friday, Ayhem al-Hariri, was buried in a village near Deraa earlier on Saturday. A fourth protester, Adnan Akrad, died on Saturday from his wounds.

Deraa was less tense by late afternoon, with security forces using less force after a meeting at the main Omari mosque between the authorities and prominent figures in the city.

An activist who was at the meeting said officials were presented with a list of demands, most importantly for the release of political prisoners. Among them were 15 schoolchildren arrested in Deraa this month after writing slogans on walls, inspired by revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia that swept their autocratic leaders from power.

The list demands the dismantling of secret police headquarters in Deraa, dismissal of the governor, a public trial for those responsible for the killings, and scrapping of regulations requiring permission from the secret police to sell and buy property.

"If they do not respond the protests will only escalate," the activist told Reuters.

An official statement said the interior ministry had formed a committee to investigate the "regrettable events" in Deraa.

The city is home to thousands of displaced people from eastern Syria, where up to a million people have left their homes because of a water crisis over the past six years. Experts say state mismanagement of resources has worsened the crisis.

The Hauran region, once a bread basket, has also been affected by diminishing water levels, with yields falling by a quarter in Deraa last year.


ARRESTS OF CHILDREN FUEL RESENTMENT

Protests against Syria's ruling elite, inspired by revolts in the Arab world, have gathered momentum this week after a silent protest in Damascus by 150 people demanding the release of thousands of political prisoners.

At least one activist from Deraa, Diana al-Jawabra, took part in the protest. She was arrested on charges of weakening national morale, along with 32 other protesters, a lawyer said.

Jawabra, who is from a prominent tribe, was campaigning for the release of the 15 schoolchildren from her home city. Residents say the children's arrests deepened feelings of repression and helped fuel the protests in Deraa.

Assad said in a January interview Syria's leadership was "very closely linked to the beliefs of the people" and there was no mass discontent.

"The leadership have given a clear signal that they are not in any hurry to embark on fundamental political reform," said a diplomat in the Syrian capital.

In a move seen as an attempt to address the discontent, Assad issued a decree on Saturday shortening mandatory army conscription from 21 months to 18 months.

The long conscription period has generated discontent, especially among youth who resent state tactics to bring them into service, such as random ID checking, and the withholding of food aid from families whose members escape conscription. (Editing by Andrew Roche)

Professional Militaries Don’t Function as Agents----U.S Envoy, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem, MACTV NEWS
Director, Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, Ambassador William Bellamy says modern professional militaries cannot function as agents of a ruler, or a ruling family or ruling elite.

In a welcome address to participants at the 2011 Next Generation of Africa Security Sector Leaders course held in Arlington, Virginia, USA, the retired Ambassador said, “militaries do not serve families, or clans, or tribes or factions.

They do not even serve governments, they serve the nation in its broadest sense. They serve and protect the public. And for militaries to play this role, they must do within a legal and constitutional framework that has broad legitimacy.”

Describing the timing of this year’s course as very appropriate, the Centre Director made a direct reference to the political crisis in North Africa saying that, “across Africa, and indeed through areas adjacent to Africa, we are today witnessing historic events.

An upheaval that began with a single individual that began with a single individual’s protest against injustice, a small act magnified many times over by the power of modern social media, is still unfolding.”

According to him, “citizens have claimed their rights, long serving political leaders have been expelled from office. Existing political orders have been challenged, shaken to their foundations and uncertainty reigns as to what will replace them.”
Bellamy added that, “but even now, it should be clear to us that in moments of crises such as those we are witnessing, certain basic rules regarding appropriate military conduct must apply,” one of which is that professional militaries cannot function as agents.

In the keynote address to the course attendants, Chief Human Resources, South African National Defence Force, Lt. General Derick Mgwebi told the African military officers that Africa was their home and that they needed to cherish their home by transforming their societies for the better.

He said, “for us as military leaders, we must focus firstly on driving the process of professionalizing our own armed forces, re-modeling and re-positioning our armed forces to be aligned with the principles and demands of democratic societies.”

Conducted in English, French and Portuguese, the four week program was attended by mostly majors and lieutenant colonels representing 25 African nations.

Senator Rand Paul Introduces Five-Year Budget Plan, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem, MACTV NEWS

As the talks on America’s budget deficit heighten, Senator Rand Paul has introduced a five-year budget plan to cut down deficit.

Addressing Congressional Reporters during the week on his new plan, the Republican Senator said a five- year plan to reduce deficit is more appropriate than the ten year plan earlier proposed by President Barack Obama.

 Paul’s five-year budget plan is a path to a balanced budget, which includes cutting four federal government departments: Departments of Education, Energy, Commerce and Housing and Urban Development.

The proposal also calls for the repeal of “Obamacare,” leaves entitlements untouched, and he also said he is willing to make changes to the cuts, but there will have to be cuts elsewhere.

According to Paul, the five-year budget plan brings spending near historical average in the very first year, reduces spending by nearly $4 trillion relative to the President’s budget, achieves a $19 billion surplus in FY2018 and brings all non-military discretionary spending back to FY2008 levels.

In analyzing his plan, the medical doctor turned politician said it significantly reduces spending relative to both the President’s budget and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline.

Said him, “the President’s budget never drops below 22.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and the CBO baseline never gets under 23 percent of GDP, whereas this budget brings spending near the historical average of 19.6 percent of GDP in the very first-eventually getting down to 17.9 percent of GDP in 2016.”

U.S. will Help Japan Recover and Rebuild---Obama, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By William Ekanem, MACTV NEWS

On St. Patrick’s Day during the week, President Barack Obama said that the United States will help Japan to recover and rebuild.

Speaking at a luncheon at the Capitol, Obama described Japan as one of The United States finest allies, adding that as  Japan endures a terrible tragedy, “  As Americans, our first instinct naturally has been to help in any way that we can.”

Special guest at the gathering was Irish Prime Minister, Taoiseach Kenny, whose presence Obama acknowledged by saying that, “ today is a day for tens of millions of Americans of Irish descent to celebrate the tremendous influence that one small island with a big-hearted people has had on our country.”

On the funny side he told the Irish Prime Minister that, we thank you for joining us.  Your presence at this lunch virtually guarantees that any partisan clashes will be limited to who is more Irish than whom.”

Obama added, “now, speaking of ancestry, there has been some controversy about my own background.    Two years into my presidency, some are still bent on peddling rumors about my origins.  So today I want to put all those rumors to rest.  It is true my great-great-great-grandfather really was from Ireland.    It’s true.  Moneygall, to be precise.  I can’t believe I have to keep pointing this out.”

He enjoined those present at the luncheon, which were mainly political kingpins that “ as servants of the people who sent us here, we can all do better to live up to the example that Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan and others often set -– to put the differences of the day aside; to seek common ground; to forge progress for the sake of this country that we love.”

Present at the event were Speaker Boehner, leaders of the GOP and Democrats as well as top government functionaries.   

Gay Rights Debate Headed to Senate Floor