Qunfuz

An update from our freedom-loving friend in Tripoli.

Internet is restored in Libya after 6 hours offline. Kaddafi’s regime is circulating messages to people in Benghazi saying: ‘’Mercenaries in east Libya are killing people and water has been poisoned by unidentified source’’. Gaddafi is facing the fight of his life; not only he is violently responding to protesters, but he is taking advantages of those mercenaries coming from African poor countries – who barely understand or are aware of what’s going on inside Libya and tempt them with small amount of money to KILL Libyans. Around 100 martyrs were killed in 4 days only!

Today, I called my friend in Benghazi. She told me: ‘’We are hungry, no food supplies for us; people are dying more and more everyday, women and children are amongst the dead in the horrific Benghazi massacre, we are isolated from the media coverage.” She also told me that yesterday three tanks tried to roll in but the soldiers abandoned them and citizens burned them. And yesterday night, the hospitals announced 40 dead martyrs including children (one child died- 13 years old), and this morning saw the death of 15 martyrs. Hospitals are running out of medical supplies & are calling for urgent need of medical aid; gun shots barely stop, and helicopters are firing and throwing bombs on protestors. Yet beyond all this mess, she is proud that people in east Libya are doing their best to recover from the virus that has been ruling Libya for over 40 years.

Last night people in Zawiya city (40 km away from Tripoli) went out supporting Benghazi and burned the posters of Kaddafi’s pictures. Misurata today went into demonstrations supporting Benghazi. Also, last night, minutes before the internet was wholly cut (I was told this morning & it’s confirmed by Libyan newspapers) that the house of the General Secretary of People’s Congress in Libya “Mohamed Zuwae’’ (former Libyan ambassador in US, UK and Morocco) was set on fire by the youth of ‘’Fateh Revolution’’.

Today, I also received calls from friends alerting me NOT to post videos, or any piece of information or news about what’s going on in Libya and specifically in east Libya through Facebook. They also told me not to join any page on facebook that support the demonstrations or click a ‘’LIKE’’ on whatever is posted in favor of the demonstrations against Kaddafi’s regime. They also informed me that there is a serious crackdown going on in Libya, as they caught 3 of their friends between 17th and 18th of February because of posting links and videos in favor of the demonstrations against Kaddafi’s regime.

The picture is jammed entirely on Al-Jazeera every time they bring news about the peaceful demonstrations in Libya. Now, while I’m writing this piece, I was informed that ‘’Fashloom’’ area in Tripoli is under heavy gun fire and people are fighting and dying with security forces, and the exiled Libyan opposition group confirmed that the death toll has reached 120 in Benghazi.

Kaddafi‘s oppressive tools are thunderously increasing and once again proving he has no respect for human life, but will the rest of the world remain silent again while Benghazi is turning to a scene of a massacre?