libya's un delegation has had enough:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/wo...ef=global-home
there have been reports of resignations in multiple libyan embassies around the world in protest of kadhafi's use of mercenaries (in some reports) or the army (in others) to massacre civilians in benghazi and tripoli (the former being at this point confirmed as worse...but reports are sketchy still).
two fighters defected to malta after the pilots refused to fire on protestors.
there are reports of other pilots also refusing in benghazi.
Live Blog - Libya | Al Jazeera Blogs
other reports of army incursion into cities in the east are counter-balanced with reports that the libyan army has moved off the egyptian border.
the situation in tripoli is apparently a function of class position; pretty quiet in middle-class areas, bombing of poorer areas. again, so go the reports.
there are caravans with medical supplies heading from egypt.
it's a brutal situation at the moment.
meanwhile
Quote:
Oil surges as Libyan protests threaten supply
By Jack Farchy in London
Published: February 21 2011 12:22 | Last updated: February 21 2011 12:22
Oil prices jumped to a two-year high above $105 a barrel as the wave of protests that has swept across the Middle East hits Libya, for the first time affecting a significant producer of crude.
Traders said the growing unrest in Libya – where a bloody weekend ended with more than 200 people reported killed – was more significant to the oil market than earlier protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
“Compared to Tunisia (a minor crude exporter) or Egypt (not an exporter but a transit country), instability in Libya is a major concern to the oil industry,” said JBC Energy, a Vienna-based consultancy.
Libya is a medium-sized member of Opec, the oil producers’ cartel, producing 1.6m barrels a day out of a global total of 88.5m barrels a day, according to data from the International Energy Agency. It is an important exporter of crude to Europe, supplying just over 1m barrels a day to the continent, with Italy, France and Germany the top importers.
Crude oil futures rallied sharply on Monday after a weekend of protests and violence across the country, which culminated in a speech by Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of leader Muammer Gaddafi, in which he warned that a civil war could result in Libya’s oil being “burned by thugs, criminals, gangs and tribes”.
European Brent oil futures rose 2.5 per cent to a peak of $105.08 a barrel – the highest since September 2008. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, was 3.6 per cent higher at $89.33.
Precious metals also benefited from the uncertainty in the Middle East, as investors sought safety and switched out of assets perceived as riskier. Gold touched $1,400 an ounce for the first time since early January, up 1.2 per cent on the day, while silver hit a fresh 30-year high of $33.50.
The immediate effect of the unrest on Libya’s oil production was unclear.
The market was buoyed by an unconfirmed report from Al-Jazeera, the Arab news channel, that a strike had stopped production at the Nafoora oilfield in the country’s Sirte basin.
European majors such as BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Statoil said they had halted some exploration operations in the country and evacuated staff.
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FT.com / Commodities - Oil surges as Libyan protests threaten supply