 Remember Moussa Ibrahim? Last year he was the face and voice of the dying Gaddafi regime in Libya. Even when it was clear that the end game was in sight for Gaddafi, Ibrahim continued to offer daily doses of spin. In the end when the regime toppled he vanished to who knows where. Perhaps it is fitting that on the first anniversary of the capture and summary execution of Muammar Gaddafi, Moussa Ibrahim has been located.Mr Ibrahim was found and captured in the Libyan town of Tarhouna, just 40 miles south of Tripoli. Not far from the seat of power of the country. Libya's government will no doubt be happy that one more supporting strand of the old regime is cut. However what they will do with Ibrahim is important. If the new Libyan government are "better" than the Gaddafi one he must face a fair trial. He was apprehended by Forces lyal to the new government. The latest news is that he has been moved to Tripoli. Here he will face inerrogation. There have been reports during this year that he has been captured but all have proved to be false. This one however appears to be true.UpdateWithin a short space of time the have they caught him or not scenario was played out. Moussas Ibrahim or persons representing him have posted an internet recording denying that he was caught. Even a senior Libyan official has cast doubt on his capture. Was it all just spin utilising the first anniversary of Gaddafi's death? If it was then someone with links to the new government could be playing the old Gaddafi games of spinning news. Don't they all do that though?
 Libya was one of a long line of Middle Eastern countries to experience unrest and revolution in 2012. Libya was somewhat different to countries such as Tunisia in that the country's self styled leader Muammar Gaddafi still had some support and was prepared to fight to the bitter end. Ultimately the regime was defeated and Gaddafi summarily executed. What Libya does have in common with other ME countries which have experienced the "2011 Arab Spring" unrest is that peace and democracy remain elusive. Those that banged the drum for Libya have in truth not seen the mission through to the end. Countries such as Libya have had a tribal base for years. Afghanistan is similar. This could mean that democracy, as we know it, is impossible. Democracy is our way of life but that does not mean it is fit for all. Western democracy is now so flawed that it is far from perfect. However for the West it is the best alternative available to date. Libyans go to the polls tomorrow and violence in Libya has been increasing. Today July 6, 2012, Al Jazeera has reported on some of the violence.A helicopter was forced to land after being struck by gunfire. It was carrying election papers. One man was reportedly killed. Earlier in the day rockets hit a medical centre though no injuries were reported. And on it goes. The latest breaking news is that protesters in Benghazi are threatening to close tomorrow's scheduled polls. Watching protesters on the streets once again in places such as Libya and Egypt it is all too easy to think "what the hell do these people want?" In truth of course they want a free and fair election with a corruption free government. As we all know that can be elusive, no matter where in the World you live. Having been prepared to put their all on the line in a bid for democracy surely the Libyans deserve a resolution at last? Disputes over the allocation of constituent seats and tribal differences, in the 200-member national assembly, may however mean that peace will remain elusive. Tags: Libyan election, Benghazi rockets, Helicopter struck, Libya, Gaddafi
 According to the BBC today, April 9, 2012, successive UK governments have lied to the British people. No surprise there really. Today's report involves the case of a man extradited to the Gaddafi regime in Libya. Abdel Hakim Belhaj's was deemed a terror suspect by the Gaddafi regime. Currently he is the commander of the Tripoli Military Council. The BBC report claims, " Mr Belhaj says he was tortured in jail. Successive UK governments have denied complicity in rendition or torture."According to their report though their denials have all been lies. The report goes on:A letter from an MI6 officer refers to Abdel Hakim Belhaj's rendition to Libya. It congratulates the Libyans on the "safe arrival" of the "air cargo". Mr Belhaj says he was tortured in jail. Successive UK governments have denied complicity in rendition or torture.But BBC correspondent Peter Taylor says he understands Mr Belhaj's rendition was given ministerial approval. However it is not clear at what level of government the decision was authorised.
The letter from the senior MI6 officer, Sir Mark Allen, to Col Gaddafi's intelligence chief, Musa Kusa, was found last year in the rubble of Musa Kusa's headquarters, which were bombed by Nato. As well as congratulating the Libyans on the arrival of the "cargo", it points out that "the intelligence was British". The letter was sent in 2004 when Mr Belhaj was the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. MI5 believed the group was close to al-Qaeda and involved in recruiting young Muslims in Britain to fight in Iraq.""it appears MI6 had discovered that Mr Belhaj was in Malaysia and about to head for London in the hope of obtaining political asylum. MI6 informed its foreign intelligence partners, and as a result Mr Belhaj was intercepted in Bangkok, presumably by the CIA, and rendered to Libya. Our correspondent says the letter suggests MI6 was complicit in Mr Belhaj's illegal rendition and alleged torture in Libya - but that MI6 was not acting unilaterally. He says his understanding is that MI6 obtained authorisation from the Labour government of the time for its action." says the BBC correspondentOpinion: Each such report that becomes public raises more questions. How many innocent people have had their lives ruined on merely a suspicion without a trial? How many times do government's cover up such stories? How come this man could be shipped to Libya? Why did the government feel the need to lie?And for this blogger how come we keep extraditing our citizens to the US on flimsy evidence but cannot send Abu Qatada back to his own country of Jordan for fear of his human rights being infringed? However perhaps what galls the most is that according to the BBC report The Labour Foreign Secretary back in 2004, Jack Straw, flatly denied any government involvement. He reportedly said last year, "We were opposed to unlawful rendition. We were opposed to any use of torture or similar methods. Not only did we not agree with it, we were not complicit in it and nor did we turn a blind eye to it." He added: "No foreign secretary can know all the details of what its intelligence agencies are doing at any one time."Challenged with this latest information Mr Straw's office had no comment to make.I bet it didn't. Is there any wonder that so many people do not trust any politician nor any political party? Source and full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17651802Tags: Libya, Gaddafi, Jack Straw, rendition, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, Abu Qatada, Chirstopher Tappin, UK extradition
 The International Criminal Court, ICC, is concerned over the whereabouts and state of health, of Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif.
Libyan people are trying to get back to some sort of normality but for them there are many lose ends to tie up. One is Saif. The World and the Libyan transitional council will not want a repeat of the death of Colonel Gaddafi. Whilst his unceremonious execution and abuse at the hands of his captors was in many ways understandable it was unacceptable.
Once Saif was apprehended the NTC of Libya insisted that he would be treat properly and tried accordingly, albeit in Libya. The ICC had set a deadline of today, Tuesday January 10, 2012, for an update on the health of Saif. This has now been extended.
The last reports the ICC had received regarding Saif indicated that he was being treat well. It was claimed though that he had not had contact with a lawyer. Libya wants to ensure that Saif is tried for his crimes, in Libya and not in the Hague, Holland. That does not trouble the ICC as long as he is treat fairly.
If Libya refuses to comply with the ICC request they could be referred to the UN security council. The ICC will be loathe to do this hence the deadline extension. If they fail to meet the new deadline of January 23, that could be a different ball game.
Saif has been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity.
 Today October 23, 2011, Libya has held its official Liberation Ceremony. It seems that it took the death of ousted Colonel Gaddafi for the country to feel able to do this. With no-one left to fight for those once loyal to Gaddafi will have to call a day to hostilities.
Well that is the hope.
Of course there is so much work to be done. Already businesses in countries such as the UK and France will be putting forward tenders for the work needed to rebuild. Just who will be paying for all this remains to be seen. Libya has assets but some are still frozen in foreign lands. France and the UK may be hopig to beneift from their allegiance to the NTC but they will have to compete with other countries all waiting inn line.
Then there is the oil. Previously most of the plum jobs in the Libya oil fields were held by foreign nationals. This could of course change.
But today it is a time for celebration in Libya.
The ceremony was held in Benghazi the town that spearheaded insurgency early in this revolution. It heralds an end to the eight month hostilities and the reign of Gaddafi. The ceremony included songs which pre dated the Gaddafi revolution in 1969.
Sky News has reported that "Abdel Rahman al-Kabisi, minister of martyrs and the wounded, told the gathering that the event marked "a great historic moment in beloved Libya's history". "Oh pharaoh of the century [Gaddafi], you are now in the bin of history... In a stroke of fate... you have been thrown into the bin of history. Go to hell," he declared." Nicely put.
The current leader of the NTC told the tens of thousands who attended, "For more than 40 years we lived hostages to a tyrant who had a sick mind. "I promise you that the national army will be rebuilt [and you] will no longer take orders from tyrants. "Freedom is great. Its price is great ... so bite into it. Preserving it is more difficult than obtaining it." That's for sure.
One speaker referred to the Turks who today have suffered a massive earthquake. A heart warming gesture
Decent people everywhere will hope that the Libyan people can rebuild a better life for all. The West must let them do so and not interfere. The people have chosen a fresh start and it must be up to them what form this takes.
 In what is an unsurprising announcement, the Libyan NTC has declared that Colonel Gaddafi's body will not undergo a post-mortem examination.
Their official reason as to why is, who knows? The military commanders have said nothing else on the matter. It will leave most people surmising, probably correctly that he was battered and executed.
Without passing an opinion either way, it has to be said that the rule of the mob must cease in Libya, and cease soon. NATO has said it will pull out of Libya by the end of next week, so they must feel the country is now safe. One can only deduce that, as they went in supposedly to protect Libyan citizens. It seems that the death of Gaddafi has made the country safe, as far as they are concerned.
This of course leads one on to suspecting what sort of missions the NATO forces have been carrying out in Libya? So many lies and still more flooding out of Libya and the mouths of Western politicians.
The current Libyan Prime Minister has today said that free elections should be held within 8 months. Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen. TheLlibyan people wanted their freedom from the tyranny of Gaddafi and now they have it. It is to be hoped that the gains they made, at such a huge humanitarian cost, will not be squandered.
A top UN Human right's chief still questions how Gaddafi died but he will receive no answer. As the debate regarding where to bury Gaddafi's body rumbles on, Libyan people are viewing his bloodied remains and catching his image on camera.
It is expected that the NTC of Libya, will declare Libya liberated tomorrow, Sunday October 23, 2011.
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