Libya Topics

Democracy Now! reports on the Libyan conflict and on the coalition of nations engaged in military operations in Libya.

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  • Play_shadid_reporters

    Freed from Captivity in Libya, Anthony Shadid of the New York Times Recounts Ordeal under Gaddafi's Forces

    Anthony Shadid is one of four New York Times reporters who were captured in Libya last month by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. They were held for nearly a week, during which they were beaten and threatened before ultimately being set free. Just two weeks after their release, Shadid joins us for an extensive interview on his ordeal in Libya, the outlook of the conflict, and his thoughts on the rolling rebellions sweeping the Middle East and North...
    Apr 06, 2011 | Story
  • Play_libya

    Intervention Could Make Things Worse: New York Times' Anthony Shadid on Rebellions in Libya and the Middle East

    In Libya, government and rebel forces remain locked in a deadly stalemate as rebels fight for an end to Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s nearly 42-year rule. We speak with New York Times correspondent and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Anthony Shadid, who covered the conflict between government and rebel forces before he and three colleagues were kidnapped and beaten by Gaddafi’s forces. They were released two weeks ago. We speak with...
    Apr 06, 2011 | Story
  • Kucinich

    Rep. Kucinich: Lack of Congressional Approval Could Make Obama's Libya Attack "Impeachable Offense"

    Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio joins us to discuss why he thinks President Obama may have committed an "impeachable offense" by committing U.S. military forces to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya without congressional approval. "This president has assumed power that no president, not even President Bush, has assumed,” Kucinich says. “I think that we need to focus on this, not as a matter of whether we like President...
    Apr 01, 2011 | Story
  • Yemen

    Jeremy Scahill and Ex-DIA Analyst Joshua Foust on "The Dangerous U.S. Game in Yemen" & CIA Ops in Libya

    Hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Yemen on Wednesday as part of the unwavering protests for the resignation of U.S.-backed President Ali Abdullah Saleh. We speak to independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, who argues the U.S. secret war has unintentionally played a significant role in weakening Saleh’s regime, and Joshua Foust, who recently left his post as Yemen analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency. We also get their reaction...
    Mar 31, 2011 | Story
  • Obeidi

    Libya's Eman al-Obeidi Remains Missing Since Risking Life to Tell Story of Rape by Gaddafi's Forces

    A woman who says she was raped by forces loyal to Libyan Col. Muammar Gaddafi remains missing five days after she was arrested for bursting into a hotel full of international reporters in Tripoli and recounting her ordeal. The woman, Eman al-Obeidi, said she had been held against her will for two days and raped by 15 of Gaddafi’s men. Obeidi’s face and legs were bruised, and she had blood on her right thigh. We speak with journalist...
    Mar 31, 2011 | Story
  • Play_libya_obama

    "We Have Intervened to Stop a Massacre”: Obama Defends the U.S.-Led Military Action in Libya

    In his first major television address since ordering the bombing of Libya earlier this month, President Obama defended his decision, citing Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s repeated human rights violations, an international consensus for interventions, the revolutions sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, and the threat of a massacre in the Libyan rebel stronghold in Benghazi. [includes rush transcript]
    Mar 29, 2011 | Story
  • Play_libya_debate

    A Debate on U.S. Military Intervention in Libya: Juan Cole v. Vijay Prashad

    As President Obama defends the U.S.-led military attacks on Libya, we host a debate. University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole has just published an article titled “An Open Letter to the Left on Libya." Cole defends the use of military force to prevent a massacre in Benghazi and to aid the Libyan rebel movement in their liberation struggle. In opposition to U.S. intervention in Libya, University of Trinity Professor Vijay Prashad warns...
    Mar 29, 2011 | Story
  • Debate-air-strikes

    Debating Intervention: Is U.S.-Led Military Action the Best Solution to Libya Crisis?

    Forces loyal to Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi continue to advance on rebel-held towns amidst ongoing U.S.-led air strikes. Gaddafi’s deadly crackdown on the Libyan uprising has sparked debate on longstanding questions around international intervention. We’re joined by Libyan poet, scholar and University of Michigan professor Khaled Mattawa, who supports U.S.-led intervention, and UCLA law professor Asli Bali, who says the U.S.-led...
    Mar 23, 2011 | Story
  • Muhannad

    Fate of Libyan American Student and Rebel Fighter Muhannad Bensadik Unknown After Shooting in Libya

    Muhannad Bensadik is a 21-year-old Libyan American medical student who has joined the armed struggle against Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. He was reportedly shot during fighting near Brega earlier this month, but it’s unclear if he is dead or missing. We air an interview conducted by Democracy Now!'s Anjali Kamat with Bensadik just two days before he disappeared. We’re also joined by Bensadik's mother, Suzi Elarabi. She recently...
    Mar 23, 2011 | Story
  • Libya_airstrike

    “The No-Fly Zone Has Always Been a Recipe for Disaster”: Jeremy Scahill Says Libyan Strategy Has No Endgame

    The U.S. and allied air strikes on Libya have entered their fourth day as part of an international effort to enforce a no-fly zone. While the United States is denying it is attempting to assassinate Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, allied forces bombed his compound for the second night in a row. “In Iraq, [the no-fly zone] resulted in a strengthening of Saddam Hussein’s regime... I think that it could end up backfiring in a tremendous...
    Mar 22, 2011 | Story