Donald Trump announces he is not running for president

Raise your hand if you never believed Donald Trump would run for president?

After several months of creating havoc with the electoral system and giving President Obama a reason to start smoking again, Trump has withdrawn his threat to run for president in 2012.

Trump announced that he wouldn't throw his hat in the ring for the highest job in the land, but he is looking forward to the more profitable venture of another season of "The Celebrity Apprentice."

He did say that if he had decided to run, he's confident that he would have won the primaries and then the general election.

Here's what he said,

After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.

I want to personally thank the millions of Americans who have joined the various Trump grassroots movements and written me letters and e-mails encouraging me to run. My gratitude for your faith and trust in me could never be expressed properly in words. So, I make you this promise: that I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politician's thoughts. My ability to bring important economic and foreign policy issues to the forefront of the national dialogue is perhaps my greatest asset and one of the most valuable services I can provide to this country. I will continue to push our President and the country's policy makers to address the dire challenges arising from our unsustainable debt structure and increasing lack of global competitiveness. Issues, including getting tough on China and other countries that are methodically and systematically taking advantage of the United States, were seldom mentioned before I brought them to the forefront of the country's conversation. They are now being debated vigorously. I will also continue to push for job creation, an initiative that should be this country's top priority and something that I know a lot about. I will not shy away from expressing the opinions that so many of you share yet don't have a medium through which to articulate.

I look forward to supporting the candidate who is the most qualified to help us tackle our country's most important issues and am hopeful that, when this person emerges, he or she will have the courage to take on the challenges of the Office and be the agent of change that this country so desperately needs

Thank you and God Bless America!

The announcement follows statements from NBC's entertainment chairman, Robert Greenblatt, on Sunday declaring that if the real estate mogul and reality host decides to run for president, the show would go on without him. We're sure that's not at all connected to his decision...

Military defuses bomb in Ireland ahead of Queen's historic visit

Irish military defused a bomb Tuesday on a bus headed to Dublin, ahead of a historic visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to the city.

The military stopped a private bus in Maynooth, evacuated the passengers and found a "viable device" in the luggage compartment of the bus early Tuesday morning, a spokesman for the Irish national police said.

Later Tuesday morning, Irish authorities raced to the scene of a second suspicious device -- but it was later determined to be a hoax. Authorities responded to at least one report of a suspicious package in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The British foreign office said the Queen's visit will go ahead as planned.

It is a visit that many in Ireland believed would never happen, and will mark the reconciliation between two neighboring countries that once viewed each with suspicion and hostility. .

Ireland's fight to free itself from its former imperial master is likely to form much of the narrative of the visit, the first by a UK monarch to the republic since it gained independence in 1921.

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Queen visits Ireland Bomb threats against Queen Elizaberth

IMF chief jailed on Rikers Island, charged with attempted rape

The head of the powerful International Monetary Fund will spend the next few days in an 11-by-13-foot cell at New York's Rikers Island jail complex -- a far cry from the $3,000-a-night luxury suite where he allegedly chased a housekeeping employee naked down a hallway and attempted to sexually assault her.

A haggard-looking Dominique Strauss-Kahn was denied bail in a New York courtroom on Monday. By the end of the day, the 62-year-old was "settled" in at the East River compound, said a New York Department of Corrections spokesman who declined to be named.

Strauss-Kahn's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday. Until then, he will have no contact with other inmates because he is considered a high-profile detainee, the spokesman said.

His new neighbors will include 14,000 men and women who have been accused or convicted of a host of crimes committed in New York City.

Just a few days earlier, Strauss-Kahn was staying in a posh suite at the Sofitel hotel replete with its own foyer, conference room, hallway and living room. Police said the IMF chief was naked when he allegedly tried to lock the 32-year-old hotel employee in the suite and force himself on her Saturday.

The next day, Strauss-Kahn was supposed to be in Europe talking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and preparing to be a leading figure in sessions addressing economic crises in Greece, Portugal, Ireland and beyond. Instead, he found himself in "The Tombs," a Lower Manhattan jail that proved to be a way station before his departure to Rikers Island.

His arrest rattled the financial world, given his leadership directing multi-billion-dollar loans and financial policy that regularly affect tens of millions of people.

But its impact was most felt in France, where Strauss-Kahn had been not only a leading contender to be the Socialist party's presidential nominee but a favorite to unseat incumbent President Nikolas Sarkozy.

Stauss Kahn arrest

Obama lampoons Trump, releases 'birth video' at annual dinner

President Barack Obama poked fun at everyone -- from his wife to Donald Trump -- during the annual White House Correspondents dinner, before ending his speech with a tribute to journalists who brave deadly conditions to get a story.

No one was safe from the president's zings on Saturday night, including his wife and Republican presidential challengers.

Days after releasing his long-form birth certificate to refute claims he wasn't born in the United States, the president began his address by showing what he called his birth video.

But rather than footage of a baby Barack being born in Hawaii, the clip was from Disney's "The Lion King," showing the grand unveiling of the baby Simba in Africa.

Way to go Obama, Trumps money has gone to "mufasa"....

Obama speech at annual dinner Obama's birth video Obama shames Trump

Transcript: Obama's speech announcing the death of Osama bin Laden

Good evening.

Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world, the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides in that effort. We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must --- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not --- and never will be --- at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done. But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who's been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Obama's speech on Osama Bin Ladens death

Students celebrate Bin Laden's death

President Barack Obama announced at 11:35 p.m. Sunday the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the public face behind the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Bin Laden was killed Sunday in a firefight in Abbottabad, Pakistan during an authorized CIA operation.

Obama addressed the implications for the United States in a speech delivered from the East Room of the White House as students watched in excitement.

"Everyone remembers exactly where they were on September 11, and everyone should remember where they were tonight,” said Penn Democrats president and College sophomore Isabel Friedman.

BREAKING NEWS: Osama Bin Laden is DEAD

The mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is dead, U.S. President Barack Obama announced late Sunday night, almost 10 years after the attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.

Osama bin Laden -- the longtime leader of al Qaeda -- was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other family members, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

U.S. officials have taken custody of bin Laden's body, Obama said. No Americans were harmed in the operation, he added

U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden's death, a senior U.S. official said, and the U.S. State Department should be sending out a new "worldwide caution" for Americans shortly. Some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against U.S. citizens or U.S. institutions.

Hundreds of people arrived at the White House late Sunday night and chanted, "USA! USA!" They then chanted, "Hey, hey, goodbye!" in reference to the demise of bin Laden and then spontaneously sang the national anthem.

Osama Bin Laden dead Osama Bin Laden killed my USA Osama Bin Laden 2011

Libyan regime says Gadhafi son killed in NATO airstrike; threat issued

The Libyan government promised death to "invaders" in the country after saying one of ruler Moammar Gadhafi's sons -- Saif al-Arab Gadhafi -- was killed in a NATO airstrike.

Moammar Gadhafi and his wife were in their son's house when it was targeted, spokesman Musa Ibrahim told journalists Sunday. Both of them were in good health, according to the spokesman.

Saif al-Arab Gadhafi is one of two Gadhafi sons whose names begin with Saif. The other is Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, who had previously touted reform but has emerged as one of his father's most visible defenders in recent months.

Ibrahim said three of Moammar Gadhafi's grandchildren also died in the attack.

Ibrahim railed against NATO after the strike, calling it an illegal act and a "war crime." ****





Read more

Gadhafi son dies

Myanmar swears in new president

Myanmar's former Prime Minister Thein Sein has been sworn in as the country's new president, marking the end of the military body that has governed the Asian nation for decades, state-run Myanmar Radio reported Wednesday.

Tin Myint Oo and Sai Muak Kham will serve as vice presidents. The president named 30 ministers and 39 deputy ministers to his government, according to state-run radio.

In February, Myanmar convened its first parliament in more than two decades in the capital, Naypyidaw.

The lawmakers came into office after elections were held in November for the first time in 20 years. The elections drew fire from critics who said the voting was aimed at creating a facade of democracy.

The regime refused to allow international monitors to oversee the race and would not allow international journalists to cover the voting from inside the country. Journalists who reported from inside Myanmar had to do so surreptitiously.

The military junta also overhauled Myanmar's constitution in a way that critics say was aimed at tightening the regime's grip.

The constitution now requires more than 100 military nominees in parliament. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.

Among those who boycotted the elections was opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, which described it as a sham.

Myanmar President 2011

US jet crashes in Libya, both crew are safe

A U.S. fighter jet crashed in Libya after an apparent equipment malfunction but both crewmembers were able to eject and were back in American hands with only minor injuries, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The F-15E Strike Eagle jet was conducting a mission Monday night against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses when it crashed at 2130 GMT (5:30 p.m. EDT), said Lt. Cmdr. Karin Burzynski, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Africa Command.

A spokesman for the Libyan opposition, Mohammed Ali, said the U.S. plane went down about 25 miles (40 kilometers) outside of the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city.

Britain's Telegraph newspaper published a series of photographs it said was the wreckage of the plane, showing people milling around the burned-out aircraft in a Libyan field.
A Marine Corps Osprey search and rescue aircraft retrieved the main pilot, while the second crew member, a weapon systems officer who is also a pilot, was recovered by rebel forces and is now in American hands, a U.S. official said in Washington. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

Amruni said the Osprey fired shots to keep locals away, then swooped in and rescued the second crew member.

The two were separated after ejecting from the crippled jet at high altitude and drifting down to different locations, Africa Command spokesman Vince Crawley said, adding they sustained minor injuries.

The aircraft, based out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, was flying out of Italy's Aviano Air Base in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

The Air Force has said only that B-2, F-15 and F-16 fighters are participating in operations over Libya. The U.S. involvement in Libya is being run by Africa Command, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany.

The air campaign by U.S. and European militaries that began Saturday has rearranged the map in Libya and rescued rebels from what had appeared to be imminent defeat.

On Monday night, Libyan state TV said a new round of strikes had begun in the capital, Tripoli, marking the third night of bombardment.

But while the airstrikes can stop Gadhafi's troops from attacking rebel cities — in line with the U.N. mandate to protect civilians — the United States, at least, has appeared deeply reluctant to go beyond that toward actively helping the rebel cause to oust the Libyan leader.

US jet crushes in Libya

What does the Libyan no-fly zone mean?

What did the Security Council vote on?
Acting under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which provides for the use of force if needed, the Council adopted Resolution 1973 by 10 votes to zero, with five abstentions, authorizing member states "to take all necessary measures" to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack ...while excluding an occupation force."
The resolution follows an arms embargo that the Council imposed last month when it unanimously approved sanctions against Libya, freezing the assets of its leaders and referring the ongoing violence against civilian demonstrators to the International Criminal Court (ICC).


What does the resolution mean?
An U.N.-backed international force will enforce a no-fly zone over Libya which will effectively ground Libya's military aircraft. All flights -- except those for humanitarian purposes -- will be banned from Libyan airspace.
This force will also have the power to launch air strikes against Libyan ground forces -- from tanks, artillery and missiles to their communications and command and control infrastructure -- if they are considered to be a threat against the civilian population.
"It's intended to force Gadhafi back and tilt the balance in the rebel's favor," he told CNN.


"I think it will embolden protesters across the Arab world as it is a precedent to oppressive regimes. The resolution is saying human rights violations will not go unabated and there will be a response."


Who backed the Security Council vote?
Ten of the 15 council members, led by the U.S. and Britain and France, voted in favor of the no-fly zone.


Who voted for no-fly zone?
United States
Britain
France
Lebanon
South Africa
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Colombia
Portugal
Nigeria
Gabon


"Any decision to put the men and women of our armed services into harms' way should only ever be taken when it's absolutely necessary," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement to the country's parliament after the vote. "But we simply can not stand back and let a dictator whose people have rejected him, kill his people indiscriminately."


Any opposition?
China, Russia, Germany, India and Brazil abstained from the Security Council vote citing concerns about a protracted conflict in Libya. "We oppose the use of armed force in international relations and we have serious reservations about some of the content of the resolution," said Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


"We support the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Libya, African Union and Arab League to resolve this crisis peacefully," she said. "We hope that the situation in Libya will return to stability as soon as possible to avoid more serious escalation of armed conflict and humanitarian crisis."


Who will police the no-fly zone?
The U.S. and NATO partners have contingencies in place to act within hours, according to an administration official familiar with planning. President Barack Obama will insist on a major Arab role in any no-fly zone, the official said.


Cameron said Britain had started preparations to deploy aircraft, and "in the coming hours" they will move to air bases where they will be positioned for any "necessary action. "French government spokesman Francois Baroin said France plans to participate in what he described as "swift" efforts.


Meanwhile all 39 member states of European Air Traffic organization Eurocontrol, which includes the European Union's 27 nations as well as Russia, asked the agency to "ban all flights" flying over and heading to Libya, a spokeswoman said, in quotes carried by Agence France-Presse.


Eurocontrol also said Libya has closed its airspace to all traffic in response to the U.N. vote.


Will other Arab countries be involved?
The Arab League's U.N. ambassador, Yahya Mahmassani, said two Arab countries would take part in a no-fly zone operation, but he was not sure which two. The Arab League last week called for a no-fly zone following reports of Libyan air attacks on urban areas.


"Their involvement will be largely symbolic but extremely important," said Seener. "We're probably looking at involvement from Qatar, UAE and perhaps Saudi Arabia and Egypt.


"Autocrats and Islamists cannot create a false narrative of western colonialism. Rather Gadhafi is deeply unpopular in the Arab world, and the West is fostering a human rights narrative for opposition movements around the Arab world to advance more forcefully. It is also ensuring that the trajectory of opposition will go down a human rights path rather than one of resistance in the form of Islamism or radical nationalism.


"This also serves as a declaration to authoritarian regimes throughout the region that the West is not an ineffectual foe or paper tiger and will not overlook human rights abuses for the sake of relative short-termed stability."


Is Gadhafi bluffing with the cease-fire?
Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, speaking to reporters Friday in Tripoli, said that in light of its membership in the United Nations, the country is "obliged to accept the Security Council resolution that permits the use of force to protect the civilian population."


Koussa says Libya was disappointed with the imposition of a no-fly zone, arguing that it will hurt the civilian population. He also said the use of military power violates the country's sovereignty and goes against the U.N. charter, but he acknowledged that some countries may yet intervene.


"It is a tactic to blunt the western response. There is no way the regime is willing, in a constructive manner, to engage with the opposition and share power. "They are simply geared towards maximizing their own power and coercing their own people. It would be folly to leave the rebels in a vulnerable position."


Who will foot the bill for the fly-zone?
Participating countries will have to pay their own costs, said Seener. However he added that the U.S. would be doing most of the "heavy lifting" in terms its military contribution.


But with the U.S. and its NATO allies such as Britain heavily involved in Afghanistan, Seener said the issue of military intervention in Libya had been heavily politicized in some countries. "Some sections of press in the UK have said British forces are already over-committed and defense spending needs to be increased, while others say we can't engage in Libya because we're stretched and need to focus on Afghanistan."


He said the reality is Britain does have the capacity to commit to the campaign in Libya without compromising its role in Afghanistan.




libya no-fly zone

 

Zimbabwe sends mixed messages over mining

As usual, it seems the Zimbabwean government isn’t singing from the same hymnbook, as the saying goes.

During a conference in Harare set up to try to encourage “investment in Zimbabwe,” a slew of mixed messages emerged that cannot have done much to change perceptions that Zimbabwe is a “business unfriendly” destination.

The investment conference attracted hundreds of delegates, among them business people, policy makers, financiers and key overseas players keen to explore business opportunities in the troubled nation.

However, instead of placating international investors, conflicting comments from the two factions in the Zimbabwean government have managed to highlight exactly why it is still deeply risky to invest in Zimbabwe.

On day one, a cabinet minister appointed by President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party said the power-sharing government resolved to form a “sovereign wealth fund” by nationalizing the majority of the mining sector to raise funds for development.

He said: “We have been careful to implement this. This Friday we are gazetting the minimum threshold for the mining sector. We need the 51% (equity) to come into our sovereign wealth fund. We are all agreed as a government.” On day two of the conference, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai – his party the MDC is a joint member of the “unity government” with Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF – quashed any talk of the imminent implementation of the controversial Indigenization Bill, in which foreign-owned companies will be expected to hand over some control to black Zimbabweans.

Underpinning the divisions in the government, Tsvangirai contradicted the comments of the cabinet minister. According to Reuters, he said Zimbabwe's cabinet had not yet decided minimum ownership thresholds for foreign companies. He also apparently said that the government had not yet drawn up detailed plans on a proposed sovereign wealth fund to buy majority stakes in foreign mining firms.

It is virtually impossible for the Zimbabwean government to speak with one voice about the country’s investment future.

The reasons are complicated – however, much of this division is down to internal politicking.

Zanu-PF is pushing for an early election and is trying to entice voters by playing up “empowerment” policies. Also, constantly second-guessing MDC efforts to encourage investment makes Tsvangirai and his party look ineffectual and unable to deliver economic stability for local Zimbabweans.

Does all this mis-talk matter? Will the big mining companies continue as usual? For example, a company like Rio Tinto is well schooled in managing political risk. Just how much of a deterrent is this instability to investors?

And what if a certain type of international investor doesn’t really care what either MDC or Zanu says publicly? Newsday, a Zimbabwean daily, is reporting that the United States has warned the Zimbabwean government over doing any uranium deals with Iran after another cabinet minister allegedly said about Iran: “If we can work together on uranium mining, it will improve the economic situation of both countries.”

Zimbabwe mining

Nations bombing Libya are 'terrorists,' Gadhafi says

Libya 2011



Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi called the allied nations bombing his country "terrorists" Sunday, a day after the United States, United Kingdom and France began to enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone to protect Libya's civilians from their leader.


There was violence across the country Sunday, with Gadhafi apparently shelling rebels in the west while allied airstrikes destroyed one of Gadhafi's convoys in the east, according to rebels.


Gadhafi said the strikes were a confrontation between the Libyan people and "the new Nazis," and promised "a long-drawn war."


"You have proven to the world that you are not civilized, that you are terrorists -- animals attacking a safe nation that did nothing against you," Gadhafi said in a televised speech.


Gadhafi did not appear on screen during the address, leading CNN's Nic Robertson in Tripoli to speculate that the Libyan leader did not want to give the allies clues about his location.

 At the same time Gadhafi spoke, his regime was shelling the city of Misrata on Sunday morning using tanks, artillery and cannons, a witness said.


"They are destroying the city," said the witness, who is not being identified for safety reasons. He said rebels were fighting back.


Sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard during a telephone conversation with the man. There was no immediate word on casualties.


Meanwhile, a senior doctor at the medical center in Benghazi confirmed Sunday that 95 people were killed and an unknown number injured in Saturday's assault on the city by pro-Gadhafi forces.


Doctors there also reported a shortage of supplies, especially emergency supplies. When the fighting had begun, they sent supplies to the front lines in areas like Ras Lanouf and Brega. When those cities were recaptured by Gadhafi, those supplies were lost.


On Sunday, more rebel checkpoints were noticeable throughout Benghazi, and searches there were much more diligent. While fears of an attack by pro-Gadhafi forces have decreased, the opposition does fear attacks from Gadhafi supporters among their population.


Since the assault on Saturday, most shops remain closed.


French Defense Minister Thierry Burkhard said the coalition's aim continues to be support for the civilians.


On Sunday, the French forces did not open fire at all because it was not necessary, he said. The previous day, French planes fired and hit four tanks.


Reconnaissance missions have been flying over Libya all day, he said.


The remains of a convoy of at least 70 military vehicles destroyed by multiple airstrikes Sunday, leaving at least five charred bodies, plus twisted tanks and smashed trucks as far as could be seen.


Rebels with Damon told her it was a convoy of Libyan troops loyal to Gadhafi coming to attack Benghazi.


Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN Sunday there would be continuous allied air cover of Benghazi.


The no-fly zone is effectively already in place, he said on CNN's "State of the Union," adding that air attacks by coalition forces have taken out most of Libya's air defense systems and some airfields.


The international military coalition targeted air defense positions near the capital, Tripoli, for a second day Sunday.


Also on Sunday, the Arab League -- whose call for a no-fly zone was an essential piece of the diplomacy leading to the United Nations resolution -- held an emergency meeting about the bombardment.


Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa told reporters before the meeting that what is happening in Libya is different from what was intended by imposing a no-fly zone, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram newspaper. .


"What we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians," Moussa said, adding that "military operations may not be needed in order to protect the civilians."


But Arab League chief of staff Hisham Youssef said Moussa's comments did not signify a shift by the organization.


"The Arab League position has not changed. We fully support the implementation of a no-fly zone," Youssef said. "Our ultimate aim is to end the bloodshed and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people."


A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Office said that for the no-fly zone to be enforced, it was necessary to target Libyan air defenses.


"Unlike Gadhafi, the coalition is not attacking civilians," the spokesperson said. "All missions are meticulously planned to ensure every care is taken to avoid civilian casualties. We will continue to work with our Arab partners to enforce the resolution for the good of the Libyan people."


At least one Arab nation, Qatar, is making direct contributions to the allied airstrikes. The country made available four fighter planes, the French foreign minister said.


Some Libyans welcomed the American, French and British military forces.


Others remained fearful of Gadhafi.


Libyans are "afraid to come out because when they do, he attacked them very, very severely," a woman in Tripoli said Sunday. "This is putting terror in all neighborhoods."


The multinational military forces launched the attacks Saturday, convinced that Gadhafi was not adhering to a cease-fire mandated by the United Nations.


American and British ships and submarines fired more than 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles and hit about 20 Libyan defense targets in western portions of the country, U.S. Vice Adm. William Gortney said at a Saturday Pentagon briefing.


Nineteen U.S. warplanes, including stealth bombers and fighter jets, conducted strike operations in Libya on Sunday morning, officials said.


Tomahawk cruise missiles are unmanned and fly close to the ground, steering around natural and man-made obstacles to hit a target programmed into them before launch.


A senior U.S. military official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the cruise missiles landed near Misrata and Tripoli.


Scores of missiles were fired in the predawn darkness Sunday, and the exact results of the mission were not immediately clear. The United States is expected to conduct a damage assessment of the sites.


The salvo, in an operation dubbed "Odyssey Dawn," was meant "to deny the Libyan regime from using force against its own people," Gortney said.


British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said the Royal Air Force deployed Tornado GR4 fast jets, which flew 3,000 miles from the United Kingdom and back -- making the venture the longest-range bombing mission conducted by the force since the Falklands conflict in 1982.


British Prime Minister David Cameron said the international mission "is necessary, it is legal, and it is right."


"I believe we should not stand aside while this dictator murders his own people," Cameron said late Saturday night.


But Gadhafi remained defiant, saying Libya will fight back against undeserved "naked aggression." In a statement broadcast on state TV Saturday, his military said the strikes killed 48 people -- "mostly women, children and religious clerics."


"The majority of these attacks were on public areas, hospitals and schools. They frightened the children and women near those areas that were subject to this aggression," the military said. But Russia said Sunday that innocent civilians were being killed, and urged more caution.


The Foreign Ministry in Moscow cited reports that "nonmilitary" targets were being bombed, including a cardiac center.


"We are calling upon respective nations to stop the indiscriminate use of force ... it is inadmissible to use the mandate resulting from U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, the adoption of which was quite a controversial step, beyond the intended goals of the resolution, namely the protection of the civilian population," the ministry said on its website.


China's foreign ministry said Sunday it did not agree with the use of force in international relations. And Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also denounced the military intervention.


"They (the United States) want to appropriate the oil in Libya; they don't care about anyone's life in that region," Chavez said.


Gadhafi vowed to open weapons depots and said the U.N. charter provides the nation the right to defend itself in a "war zone." He has also issued messages to international powers and said Libyans are ready to die for him.


Some residents said they could receive weapons to fight back.


"We received a phone call around 3 a.m. that everyone should head out in the streets," a woman in Tripoli said. "Normal civilians are being able to have machine guns and take anti-aircraft machine guns ... to fire back at the airplanes."


In Misrata, a witness said Gadhafi's forces are targeting fuel and power stations to make citizens believe the damage is being done by coalition forces. The witness, who was not identified for security reasons, said people celebrated allied airstrikes on loyalist positions in the city.


U.S. President Barack Obama is planning for the U.S. portion of the military action in Libya to last for only a few days. "After that, we'll take more of a supporting role," said a senior administration official, who was not authorized to speak about sensitive military matters.


Obama authorized U.S. military force on what happened to be the eighth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.


In the next few days, U.S. military officials expect to hand over control to a coalition commander. Canada and Italy are also part of the coalition.


Violence has raged in Libya following protests calling for democracy and demanding an end to Gadhafi's almost 42-year-long rule. The protests have been met by force from the Gadhafi regime, and some members of his military defected to the opposition.


Another witness in Tripoli said she's terrified about how Gadhafi might respond to the airstrikes. "We're scared. We're not sure what will happen next," she said. "To be honest, I'm scared for my life."

Kenya, African Union defend Bashir visit

Kenya and the African Union are defending a visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on allegations of war crimes and genocide.

Al-Bashir on Friday joined other African leaders in Kenya to mark the signing of a new constitution, which is expected to usher in major change.

The International Criminal Court has protested al-Bashir's visit to the U.N. Security Council.

The Sudanese leader is wanted by the court in The Hague, Netherlands, on allegations of war crimes and genocide in western Sudan's Darfur region, where violence that erupted in 2003 has left at least 300,000 people dead.

Kenya, a signatory to the criminal court treaty, was obligated to hand over al-Bashir, according to the international court.

Kenya and the African Union rejected that stance, saying that the U.N. Security Council has not acted on a request to defer proceedings against al-Bashir for one year.

Kenya also has "a legitimate and strategic interest in ensuring peace and stability in the sub-region and promoting peace, justice and reconciliation in the Sudan," according to a statement from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Al-Bashir was invited to the constitution celebrations in Nairobi "as the head of a friendly, neighboring country," the Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said.

However, Dennis Onyango, a spokesman for Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said the prime minister believed the invitation was a bad idea.

"The prime minister is against the invitation because Omar al-Bashir has been indicted by the ICC and Kenya is a signatory to the court. It sends wrong signals in regard to Kenya's commitment to the ICC and also Kenya's respect for human rights," said Onyango.

Human Rights Watch has criticized Kenya for allowing al-Bashir to enter the country, saying that the wanted leader's presence would "forever tarnish the celebration of its long-awaited constitution."

Pro-government militias known as the Janjaweed stand accused of ethnic cleansing in Sudan's Darfur region. Al-Bashir has denied that he helped armed the militias.

Al-Bashir has traveled to several countries since the warrant was issued, including a recent trip to Chad. The International Criminal Court also protested al-Bashir's visit to Chad. On Friday, he was among thousands of Kenyans at the signing of the new constitution three weeks after voters overwhelming approved the referendum.

Debates over a new Kenyan constitution had spanned two decades, but intensified after post-election violence left more than 1,000 dead in 2008.

"For the last two decades, the people have yearned for a new constitution," President Mwai Kibaki said.

Kibaki signed six copies of the constitution and held one up as the crowd erupted in cheers during the signing event at a park in the capital, Nairobi. The signing was followed by the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.

Changes to the constitution include a more decentralized political system that minimizes the president's powers. It also calls for land reform and allows dual citizenship -- a popular issue with Kenya's large diaspora community.

Kenya and Bashir's visit

Kenya to challenge Hague court in 'crimes against humanity' case

Kenya plans to challenge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the "admissibility" of cases in an alleged crimes against humanity probe, the government said Wednesday.

Six Kenyan political leaders were issued summonses Tuesday to appear before the court in connection with ethnic violence that followed the nation's disputed 2007 election.

The court's top prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, in December named the six as suspects in organizing violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands. The suspects are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura, former chief of police Hussein Ali, former Agriculture Minister William Ruto, ethnic radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang and opposition leader Henry Kosgey.

Three are from one side of the political dispute and three are from the other.

They are to appear before the Pre-Trial Chamber of the international court in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 7.

"The government will challenge the admissibility of the cases as well as the jurisdiction of the court," said a statement issued Wednesday by Attorney General Amos Wako and two other government ministers. The statement noted that the statute governing the court allows such challenges.

The Kenyan government has been working to defer the case by promising to set up a special tribunal to investigate the alleged abuses. So far, the government has not formed that tribunal.

The disputed presidential election sparked chaos that escalated into ethnic violence pitting supporters of incumbent President Mwai Kibaki against those of challenger Raila Odinga, who was later named prime minister in a power-sharing agreement.

Ocampo, according to the documents, alleges that Muthaura, Kenyatta and Ali as co-perpetrators "committed or contributed to" the killings of supporters of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, the deportation or forcible transfer of ODM supporters, the rape and other forms of sexual violence against ODM supporters, the persecution of civilians based on their political affiliation, and other inhumane acts.

On the opposition side, Ruto, Sang and Kosgey are accused as co-perpetrators of murder, deportation or forcible transfer, torture, and persecution committed in the greater Eldoret area, and the towns of Turbo, Kapsabet and Nandi Hills. The crimes, according to Ocampo, "were committed by large and organized gangs of Kalenjin youth against members of the civilian population, as part of a widespread and systematic attack" due to the local population's affiliation with the Party of National Unity.

Muthaura said he is willing to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and "abide by all decisions issued by the judges."

"My interest is, and always has been, that the rule of law shall prevail so that justice is done."

Kenyatta, a 2002 presidential candidate and son of the nation's first president, also serves as the finance minister.

"I don't think it will have much impact, our work will continue, the government will continue," Kenyatta said in December after he was named on the list of suspects. "We are a mature country that can handle its issues."

Kenya challenges the Hague

CNN News Crew Locked Up IN Kenyan Mental Hospital

(Visit link to watch the video's)

Kenya's mentally ill locked up and forgotten

Across Kenya, millions of mentally disabled people are hidden away: locked up and forgotten, often by families who can't get them proper treatment.  The tin shack looks like any other in a patch of small plots on the dusty outskirts of Nairobi. It's the haunting sound that grabs you, the awful moaning and cries coming from within a cell. Matoke, 33, is tied to a steel bedframe with a piece of blue rope. He's surrounded by pools of his urine, his mattress soiled and ripped to shreds.

His moans are interrupted when he chews his hand or the bedframe. He can't speak to tell his mother what he wants or feels. He's alone in his world of screams and agony. He's been like this for 30 years.Matoke got ill when he was a toddler and lost much of his high-level functioning. So his mother ties him up to prevent him from running away or hurting himself. Countless trips to doctors and hospitals haven't helped him. And poverty means there isn't much medical help his family can afford.

CNN crew locked in hospital by medics when they tried to report the story

The policy is very clear. Mental health services are a priority, the practice is also clear.
Shunned by the community, Moraa does what little she can to ease his agony. Her life is consumed by trying to take care of her sick son. But Matoke is not alone. There are an estimated 3 million, mostly poor, Kenyans living with Intellectual and mental disabilities, according to NGO and United Nations figures.
As part of a special investigation, CNN found that families are struggling to cope with their loved ones, receiving little help from the state and facing massive stigma from society. CNN's team filmed families locking up their loved ones, children discarded by institutions, cases of suspected sexual abuse. Kenya faces an epidemic of neglect.

"It is such a huge problem," said Edah Maina, head of the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped. "If somebody would understand the extent it is huge, then I think someone can begin to act."
But often, Maina and her charity are the only ones acting. Scores of cases of neglect and abuse flood their office every day: autistic children chained in chicken coops, epileptic adults sealed in filthy shacks, daughters raped by their fathers. They are overwhelmed.

Dr. Frank Njenga, president of the African Association of Psychiatrists and a leading expert in the field, believes the scale is "catastrophic."
"We as a people have perfected the system of hiding our friends, relatives and other loved ones who have intellectual disability away from sight," Njenga said. "Out of sight, out of mind, no funding, neglected completely." He says that the greatest neglect comes from the Kenyan government

Corruption the Kenyan government

The Kenyan government spends less than 1% of its health budget on mental health, though its own figures show that one-quarter of all patients going to hospitals or clinics complain of mental health issues.
And the Health and Medical Services ministries have been plagued by a series of corruption scandals in recent years.

More than $3 billion in public money was stolen in 2009, according to the Kenyan Ministry of Finance. This could have funded the entire ministry responsible for mental health -- for 10 years.
The minister of medical services, Anyang Nyong'o, says mental health is a high priority, but it needs more funding from his central government.

"It is definitely starved of resources, and that is not because we want to intentionally starve mental health; that is because the resource base as we have for running health services is very narrow," he said.
"The policy is very clear," Njenga said. "Mental health services are a priority in this country. The practice is also clear. They are not."

Whatever the cause, it is ordinary Kenyan families who suffer.

Africans fleeing Libya say they were attacked

Kenyans and Nigerians fleeing unrest in Libya said on Monday they faced attacks and hostility from Libyan citizens and officials who branded them as mercenaries supporting Muammar Gaddafi's rule.

A Kenya Airways flight landed in Nairobi with 90 Kenyans on board, and 64 other people from South Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Burundi, officials said.

Nigeria said it had flown 1,035 of its citizens back to the capital Abuja on two chartered flights on Sunday, with about 1,000 more to follow in the coming days.

"We were being attacked by local people who said that we were mercenaries killing people. Let me say that they did not want to see black people," Julius Kiluu, a 60-year-old building supervisor who arrived back in Nairobi, told Reuters.

"Our camp was burnt down, and we were assisted by the Kenyan embassy and our company to get to the airport."

Libya's former ambassador to India, Ali-al-Essawi, told Reuters last week African mercenaries were being used by Libya to crush protests, prompting some army troops to switch sides to the opposition.

Another Kenyan worker said government officials were confiscating mobile phones, tearing open bags and throwing their contents on to piles at the packed airport in Tripoli.

"When they saw a black person, they immediately saw a mercenary, and if you dared use your telephone in public, it was grabbed and the SIM card removed. If your telephone was cheap you got it back, but if it was expensive it was pocketed," said Kenyan worker Francis Ndung'u.

Nigerians arriving in Abuja told similar tales.

"We are all slaves in the hands of the government over there," said one returnee, James Ugochuku.

"Nigerians are hiding inside the bush. They don't eat, they die because if they come out, they kill them."

MIGRANT ROUTE

Libya is a stepping stone on one of the oldest and most dangerous migration and smuggling routes to Europe.

Thousands of people from countries including Senegal, Mali, Ghana and Nigeria have tried in recent years to cross the desert in the hope of reaching Italy or Spain's southern shores, a perilous journey of about 40 days by truck from Agadez in northern Niger to Sabha in southern Libya.

Besides being a gateway to Europe, the north African country offers higher wages for low-skilled work and higher prices for tobacco smuggled through Benin or Nigeria, and there is still a thriving black market trade along its ancient desert routes.

The Nigerian authorities suspect some of the returnees may have travelled illegally, and NEMA has set up a camp in Abuja where they will be accommodated and screened for valid travel documents before being discharged.

Muhammad Sani-Sidi, head of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency, told Reuters it was a voluntary evacuation and the 2,000 were Nigerians who had registered a desire to leave with their embassy in Tripoli. He estimated there were 10,000 Nigerians in Libya.

Antony Mwaniki, Kenya's ambassador to Libya, was among those on the flight to Nairobi.

"The situation in Tripoli right now is calm ... but it would be difficult to know what will happen today, tomorrow or in a few days' time, so it was paramount and critical that we leave," he told reporters at Nairobi airport.

Many Kenyans said they would return to Libya if it stabilised because they were earning good money in the North African country's construction sector.

"If there is peace tomorrow I will go back, there are no jobs here and I was making a good salary," Kiluu said.

Revolution signals new dawn for Egypt's women

A couple of days after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, 24-year-old Nawara Belal was driving in Cairo when she was verbally abused by an army officer. "I got out of my car, opened the door of his car and slapped him in the face," she said. "I realized he wouldn't do anything about it, and it gave me the power to do what I wanted to do to every harasser in my past. "I would never have been able to do that before the revolution."


Belal and many women like her, energized by the visible part they played in the protests that led to Mubarak's fall, feel they no longer have to suffer in silence the sexual harassment that has been part of their lives for so long.


A survey in 2008 by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights claimed that 98% of foreign women and 83% of Egyptian women in the country had been sexually harassed.


CBS reporter Lara Logan was attacked in Cairo's Tahrir Square after Mubarak stepped down, and other women reported incidents ranging from mild harassment to violent attacks. But many women now feel a change in this culture is possible. Nehad Abolkomsan, chair of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, said: "I believe sexual harassment in Egypt had a political reason. Political frustration was a big reason.


"I believe now it can be eliminated. It won't just be like pushing a button, we have to continue to work on it, but women will not be silent anymore." Doaa Abdelaal, a council member with the international solidarity movement Women Living Under Muslim Law, agreed that a more open society would lead to less harassment of women in the streets. "In an oppressive society, people oppress each other," she said. "It's a justification for everyone to be unjust. Under a more open society these things can be discussed, I think changes will happen."


Belal, a project coordinator for the feminist organization Nazra, said: "Under Mubarak, it was a police-led country and police had a heavy presence in our lives. "If you were sexually harassed, you wouldn't have much faith that if you went to the police they would support you." Although the attack on Logan might suggest otherwise, many women involved in the protests said they were struck by the lack of harassment.


Farida Makar, 24, an Egyptian student at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, traveled back home to take part in the protests. "The sexual harassment that happened on the streets was a sign that society was unwell," she said.


"In Tahrir Square during the protests, although there were a lot of young men and women crowded together, and you would assume women would be harassed -- generally they weren't. I don't know why that was, maybe because of all the hope and optimism."The wave of optimism is felt in many other areas of women's lives.


Five years ago, the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights closed its program helping young women get involved in local politics, because of lack of interest. Today, the organization says it is inundated with young women wanting to get involved in its campaigns. Women's groups feel their role in bringing about the revolution has given new momentum to their campaign for equality.


Abolkomsan said: "I am so happy and so proud about the role young women played in the revolution. "Before the revolution they were depressed and disappointed and felt there was no value in their participation. "Now we have hundreds of women coming to our organization wanting to get involved. They made a change by being in Tahrir Square and now they want to continue making a change."


Abdelaal, 35, said: "I was very happy to see all the generations of women's rights activists, poor, rich, middle class, all types of women, there every day and every night. "We have been doing everything we can to make ourselves visible, writing, talking, sending out information, because we didn't want it to be called an Islamist revolution.


"We needed to be seen in blue jeans and T-shirts as well as in veils and scarves."


Despite the optimism, women are conscious that they still have a long way to go. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights led a petition signed by more than 60 organizations complaining that Egypt's new Constitutional Committee has no female members. "They say this is not the time to talk about women's rights, but when you are building a new society is exactly when you should talk about it," Abolkomsan said. "I want to see women active in every level of society.


"We need to continue lobbying for better participation of women, to show that it's not acceptable to ignore us." Abdelaal added: "We have walked a very long way and we are not going to stop now. We now have an open country where people have learned their rights and can protest peacefully.


"It's not going to be easy, it's going to be a difficult road, but I'm quite optimistic. There is now a new door open for women, and we are ready to use this opening."

UN Security Council slaps Libya with sanctions

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose sanctions on Libya amid Moammar Gadhafi's escalating attacks on anti-government protesters.

The approved resolution includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel bans for Gadhafi and several of his key associates. It also refers the violent crackdown to the International Criminal Court.


"The text send a strong message that gross violations of basic human rights will not be tolerated and that those responsible for grave crimes will be held accountable. I hope the message is heard, and heeded, by the regime in Libya," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.


Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations who earlier voiced opposition to Gadhafi's government, said after the vote the resolution would provide moral support to the people resisting in Libya. He urged officers in the armed forces to renounce Gadhafi.


One point of contention revolved around language in the resolution that referred to adopting "all necessary measures to enable the return to Libya of humanitarian agencies and to secure the prompt and safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need."


There was concern that the language could be interpreted as including military intervention. That section of the resolution was softened in the approved version to call on member states to work together to "facilitate and support" the return of humanitarian agencies. Gerard Araud, France's ambassador to the United Nations, described the pace of the resolution proceedings earlier in the day as "an earthquake."


The United Nations estimates that 1,000 people have been killed since the Libyan uprising began last week. Ban had urged the Security Council to come up with immediate actions against Gadhafi's regime. "In these circumstances, the loss of time means more loss of lives," Ban told the 15-member body Friday.


The session Saturday comes the day after Libyan Ambassador Mohamed Shalgam made an impassioned appeal to his United Nations counterparts. "I hope within hours, not days, that they can do something tangible," he said. Some, however, were skeptical of the sanctions and said they would not have teeth.


Fouad Ajami of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies told CNN that Gadhafi had survived sanctions once before, in the aftermath of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.


"The sanctions never worked," he said. "Anyone with money can break these sanctions."

Middle East protests: Country by country

Egypt

Protesters call for President Mubarak to step down The military has been running the country since President Hosni Mubarak, in power for three decades, resigned on 11 February following weeks of protests in the capital Cairo and other cities. The Armed Forces Supreme Council is meant to keep charge for a transition period of six months, or until new elections are held.


An estimated two million people gathered in Cairo's central Tahrir Square on 18 February to celebrate a week since Mr Mubarak's departure from office, but also as a show of strength to remind the military to keep their promise of a swift transition to democracy.


The Islamist and conservative Muslim Brotherhood would be expected to do well in any free and fair elections, but fears of a lurch towards Islamist rule is the main worry for Western powers and Israel. Much of the unrest was driven by poverty, rising prices, social exclusion, anger over corruption and personal enrichment among the political elite, as well as a demographic bulge of young people unable to find work.


The new authorities have arrested three ex-ministers for corruption including former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly and steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz. But the military government has said it will not tolerate any more strikes which disrupt the country's economy.

Tunisia


President Ben Ali fled after weeks of protests Protests have continued in Tunisia since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's decision to step down in January. He fled the country following weeks of anti-government demonstrations and clashes between protesters and police.


The trigger for the protests was a desperate act by a young unemployed man on 17 December. Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself when officials in his town prevented him from selling vegetables on the streets of Sidi Bouzid without permission.


Mr Ben Ali is now in a coma at a Saudi hospital after suffering a stroke, reports say. Tunisia has formally requested his extradition, saying he is wanted for serious crimes including inciting killing.


Parliamentary Speaker Foued Mebazaa has been sworn in as interim president and has asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, head of the government since 1999, to form a national unity government. The prime minister has also pledged to step down after elections in about six months' time.


Some analysts believe that Islamists have been organising in the country, pointing to a rally outside the interior ministry in Tunis on 18 February to demand the closure of a brothel.

Morocco


Morocco has seen a spate of protests in recent weeks Thousands of Moroccans joined nationwide protests on 20 February to demand that King Mohammed hand over some of his powers to a newly elected government and make the justice system more independent.


The main opposition group has warned the "autocracy" will be swept away unless there are deep economic reforms. Morocco has been facing severe economic problems. It has announced an increase in state subsidies to try to counter commodity price rises.


Earlier this year, the country's reputation was damaged after Wikileaks revealed allegations corruption involving the royal family and the people close to King Mohammed. The king says the fight against poverty is a priority, earning him the name "guardian of the poor". Economic liberalisation has attracted foreign investment, and officials point to better basic services in shanty towns and rural areas.


But some non-government groups say little has changed, with poverty still widespread and unemployment remaining high. Morocco is dogged by strikes by both private and public. Morocco, like Egypt and Algeria, does allow limited freedom of expression and has so far been able to contain protests. Like Jordan it is a monarchy with strong support among sections of the public.

Algeria


The funeral of an anti-government protester Sporadic protests against the rule of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika have been continuing since early January.


Recent attempts to march through the capital Algiers were broken up by huge numbers of riot police. Protest groups united in their opposition to the government include small trade unions and minor political parties.


The trigger for the unrest appears to be mainly economic - in particular sharp increases in the price of food.
Mr Bouteflika has promised to lift the country's state of emergency - in place since 1992 - in the "near future". Algeria's government has considerable wealth from its oil and gas exports and is trying to tackle social and economic complaints with a huge public spending programme.

Libya

Pro-Gaddafi supporters out on the streets during a ceremony to mark a prophet's birth Protests against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's rule have left an unknown number of people dead and injured since 16 February.


Eastern Libya, including the second city, Benghazi, has fallen to anti-government rebels. Gaddafi loyalists still control the capital, Tripoli, and parts of the west.


In two TV addresses, Col Gaddafi blamed drugs and al-Qaeda for the uprising. On 22 February, he warned that anyone who played games with the country's unity would be executed, citing the way the Chinese suppressed protests in Tiananmen Square as an example. Government blocking of the internet and curbs on foreign media make it difficult to establish a full picture of the scale of the unrest.


Protests of any kind are prohibited in Libya but the latest unrest was triggered by the arrest of a lawyer who is an outspoken critic of the government. In power since 1969, Colonel Gaddafi is the longest-serving ruler in Africa and the Middle East, and also one of the most autocratic.


Jordan


Protesters in Jordan celebrate the success of protests in Egypt There were clashes in the capital Amman on 18 February when anti-government protesters were confronted by demonstrators loyal to King Abdullah.


Stones were thrown and eight people were injured in the scuffles, activists said. Thousands of Jordanians have taken to the streets over the past five weeks, demanding better employment prospects and cuts in foods and fuel costs.


In response, King Abdullah II sacked Prime Minister Samir Rifai over the slow pace of reform and appointed Marouf al-Bakhit, a former army general and ambassador to Israel. A new 26-member cabinet was sworn in on 10 February.


The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a small country with few natural resources, but it has played a pivotal role in the struggle for power in the Middle East. The death of King Hussein, who ruled for 46 years, left Jordan still struggling for economic and social survival, as well as regional peace

Syria


Calls for a "day of rage" to coincide with the fall of Egypt's President Hosnic Mubarak failed to materialise into a demonstration and so far the country has remained calm. President Bashar al-Assad has promised to push through political reforms after inheriting power from his father, Hafez, in 2000, after three decades of authoritarian rule.


The country remains under emergency law, in place since 1963.


Following the death of Hafez al-Assad, Syria underwent a degree of relaxation. Hundreds of political prisoners were released. But the granting of real political freedoms and a shake-up of the state-dominated economy have not materialised.

Saudi Arabia


One of the most devout and insular countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has emerged from being an underdeveloped desert kingdom to become one of the wealthiest nations in the region thanks to vast oil resources.


But its rulers face the delicate task of responding to pressure for reform while combating a growing problem of Islamist violence. It has always been in the ruling Al Saud family's interests to preserve stability in the region and to clamp down on radical Islamist elements. Opposition movements are banned within the country.


Regionally, the country is important with King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of wider Arab interests. It was to Saudi Arabia that Tunisia's ousted leader, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, fled in January.

Bahrain


Shia protesters demand change The Sunni Muslim monarchy has offered talks to representatives of the country's disaffected Shia majority following days of unrest which saw the main square of the capital Manama occupied by protesters.


After using troops to clear the protesters from the Pearl Square on 17 February, in an operation which left four people dead, the government appears to have stepped back, allowing demonstrators to re-occupy it after initial resistance by police.


US President Barack Obama has appealed for restraint in Bahrain, which is strategically important to America. King Hamad has asked his eldest son, Crown Prince Salman, to start a "national dialogue" to end the unrest.


Senior members of the main Shia political group, Wefaq, have called for the government to resign. Other demands are believed to include the release of political prisoners and talks on a new constitution. Shia protesters complain of economic hardship, lack of political freedom and discrimination in jobs in favour of Sunnis.

Iran


Protests in the Iranian parliament against opposition to the government Long-simmering unrest over the disputed 2009 presidential election boiled up again on 14 February.


Thousands of people heeded calls by the two main opposition leaders to rally in the capital Tehran in solidarity with pro-democracy protests across the Middle East. Security forces cracked down on the protest and two people were killed and others injured.


Supporters of the government have been calling for the opposition leaders, Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, to be executed. Iran's complex and unusual political system combines elements of a modern Islamic theocracy with democracy.


The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is the highest power in the land. He appoints the head of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV and Friday prayer leaders. He also confirms the election of Iran's president.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, elected in 2005, is a hardliner who has vowed to put down any protests


Yemen


Anger on the streets in Yemen At least five people were killed on 18 February during widespread anti-government demonstrations in Yemen.


Four people were killed in the southern port city of Aden by gunfire as police moved to disperse protesters, medical officials and witnesses said. In the city of Taiz, one person was killed and many injured when a grenade was thrown from a car at protesters.


And in the capital Sanaa, supporters and opponents of President Ali Abdullah Saleh clashed on the streets.
Yemen's president announced on 2 February that he would not seek another term in office, after three decades in power.


He also told parliament that he would not hand over power to his son, saying: "No extension, no inheritance, no resetting the clock."


Yemen is the Arab world's most impoverished nation, where nearly half of the population lives on less than $2 a day