africom related news clips 25 aug 2011

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United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office25 Aug 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

President Kiir Meets USA Commander of Africom (Official Web Site of theGovernment of the Republic of South Sudan)

24 August 2011The President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit has commended the rolebeing played by the United States of America in facilitating peace and security to the

people of South Sudan.

Remarks by Secretary Panetta at the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, Calif. (U.S. Department of Defense Web Site)

23 August 2011SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA: Thank you very much, Colonel [sic --Daniel Pick]. I deeply appreciate your kind words and I want to thank you for theservice that you·re providing here heading up the Defense Language Institute.

Plans are Being Made to Secure Libyan Mustard Gas (CNN)

24 August 2011

Washington -- NATO has begun high-level internal discussions on how to protectLibya's mustard gas supplies if the stockpile suddenly was deemed to no longer besecure, an Obama administration official tells CNN.

Gadhafi Son Offers to Broker Libya Cease-Fire (CNN)

24 August 2011(CNN) -- The businessman son of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appearsto be out of rebel hands and says he wants to negotiate a cease-fire to save Tripoli from"a sea of blood."

Gadhafi Loyalists Continue to Defend Scattered Parts of Tripoli, Southern Libya (Voice Of America News)

24 August 2011Fighting is continuing across parts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Wednesday, asGadhafi loyalists attempt to defend their last enclaves in the city, as well as severalcities still under Gadhafi control. The embattled leader described the fall of his Tripoliheadquarters as a "tactical retreat," and he urged his partisans to continue fighting.



Libyan Rebels Hunt Gadhafi, Try to Secure Tripoli (AP)

24 August 2011TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libyans hunting Moammar Gadhafi offered a $2 million bounty onthe fallen dictator's head and amnesty for anyone who kills or captures him as rebels

battled Wednesday to clear the last pockets of resistance from the capital Tripoli.

Libya's Oil Industry Should be Able to Recover Quickly (USA Today)

25 August 2011WASHINGTON ² Libya's oil industry should be able to recover fairly quickly afterfighting ends, but it might take a year or two to reach pre-rebellion production levels,analysts say.

More Mass Graves Reported in South Kordofan (UPI)

24 August 2011

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- An advocacy group said Wednesday it confirmed theburial of human remains in the restive Sudanese state of South Kordofan.

South Sudan Says 14 Soldiers Killed in Militia Attack (Bloomberg)

24 August 2011Fourteen South Sudanese army soldiers were killed in attacks by militia gunmen onAug. 19 and Aug. 20 in Upper Nile state close to the border with Sudan, armyspokesman Philip Aguer said today by phone from the capital, Juba.

Calm in South Sudan After Close to 700 Killed (Daily Nation)

24 August 2011Militia and ethnic fighting has ceased in South Sudan as the death toll in the twoseparate clashes creeps to 675, officials said on Tuesday.

AMISOM to Deliver Aid to Famine Victims in Mogadishu (African PressOrganization)

24 August 2011MOGADISHU, Somalia, -- AMISOM today received a plane load of food and medicalprovisions intended for distribution to the famine-afflicted residents of Mogadishu.Totaling 13.5 metric tons, the aid, included food supplements for children under five,mosquito nets, vitamin A, de-worming Albedozale syrups, zinc supplements,

powdered milk and spaghetti.

Bruised by War, Mogadishu Slowly Reawake (Reuters)

24 August 2011MOGADISHU -- Their life's belongings piled on donkeys, Somali families weave alongalleys filled with the corpses of starved animals to return to their bullet-ridden homes.



South Africa: The Return of Highly Enriched Uranium to the U.S. in Context (AllAfrica.com)

24 August 2011On 17 August 2011, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of theUnited States issued a press release announcing that the South African government,

through the Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), had returned 6,3kg of highlyenriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel to the US for safe storage and ultimately fordestruction.

Nigeria: Shell Declares Force Majeure Following Damage (AllAfrica.com)

24 August 2011Royal Dutch Shell admits it may struggle to meet contractual obligations on exportsfrom Nigeria following the damage to two pipelines by saboteurs in the coutry's oil-producing region.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website

On eve of Horn of Africa pledging conference, UN calls for generous donations24 August ² Senior United Nations officials are calling on countries, businesses andindividuals to give generously to support efforts to tackle the food security crisisgripping the Horn of Africa, warning that the world cannot ´afford to lose momentumµin the fight against famine, disease and starvation.

Funding shortage forces UN agency to trim food rations for Congolese refugees24 August ² A shortage of funds has forced the United Nations World Food Programme(WFP) to halve its food rations for tens of thousands of Congolese refugees in Rwandabeginning on 1 September.

Liberians vote on constitutional changes seen by UN as milestone in peace process23 August ² Liberians went to the polls today to vote in a referendum on constitutionalchanges, a move described by the United Nations envoy for the West African country asa milestone in the process to entrench peace and stability that has prevailed since theend of the civil war in 2003.

Ban calls on South Sudan to restore security after deadly ethnic fighting 23 August ² Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Government of SouthSudan to restore security in Jonglei state, where recent ethnic clashes have claimed atleast 600 deaths.

As starving Somalis flood into Ethiopia, UN sends in emergency aid team



23 August ² The United Nations has deployed an emergency team to south-easternEthiopia where 18,000 new refugees fleeing drought, famine and conflict in Somaliahave recently poured in, compounding a situation already fraught with high mortalityfrom malnutrition and measles.

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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

1 SEPT 2011

WHEN: September 1, 2011, 5:45 p.m. ² 7:30 p.m.WHAT: The Long Shadow of 9/11: America·s Response to TerrorismWHO: Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser to the President of RANDWHERE: RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St., Santa Monica, CACONTACT: [email protected].

Media contact: http://www.rand.org/events/2011/09/01.html

8 SEPT 2011

WHEN: September 8, 2011, 12:00 p.m. ² 1:30 p.m.WHAT: Ten Years Later ² Public Diplomacy and the Arab World, Center on PublicDiplomacy at the Annenberg School, Conversations in Public DiplomacyWHO: Several Panelists (see website)WHERE: USC; Tutor Campus Center ForumCONTACT: [email protected]

Media contact:http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/16973/

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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

President Kiir Meets USA Commander of Africom (Official Web Site of theGovernment of the Republic of South Sudan)

By: Thomas Kenneth

24 August 2011

The President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit has commended the rolebeing played by the United States of America in facilitating peace and security to thepeople of South Sudan.



The President made this commendation during his meeting today with the USAmilitary delegation headed by the USA Commander for Africom Gen. Carter F. Ham,who was accompanied by Ambassador Barrie Walkly the American Charge d·Affairs inSouth Sudan. President of the Republic called on the USA to build military capacity ofthe new nation of South Sudan.

Shortly after the meeting, Gen. Ham said in a press statement that the meetingdiscussed principle topics on military partnership between the United States of Americaand the Republic of South Sudan. Gen. Ham added the partnership would provide theUSA forces and the forces of South Sudan a framework for close collaboration inaddressing the security concerns in the future. He described the meeting with PresidentKiir as great and productive and disclosed that appropriate action resulting from themeeting will be taken soon.

Gen. Ham also presented to the President of the Republic a symbol of military

partnership between the Republic of South Sudan and the United States of American.The symbol was in form of silver Jar. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remarks by Secretary Panetta at the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, Calif.(U.S. Department of Defense Web Site)

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta23 August 2011

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA: Thank you very much, Colonel [sic --

Daniel Pick]. I deeply appreciate your kind words and I want to thank you for theservice that you·re providing here heading up the Defense Language Institute.

This is a remarkable institution. We·ve had some great leaders and I know that you aregoing to stand beside them as one of the great leaders of the Defense Language Instituteand I thank you for your leadership.

I also want to acknowledge the presence of Congressman Sam Farr, who took my placehere representing this area. And like me, I think Sam is somebody who was raised inthis area, deeply committed to the institutions that are part of this area and has been astrong supporter of all of the military institutions that we have in the Monterey area,

and I want to thank him for his support. I want to thank him for his continuing goodrepresentation for this area.

I also want to say a special tribute to the faculty here at the Defense Language Institute.I know there are a lot of new technologies. I·ve just had a chance to see some of the newtechnologies that have been developed here for linguistic training. And yet, in the end,we still depend on the capabilities of a good faculty to be able to work with you and to



guide you as you learn these difficult languages. And so I want to pay tribute to thefaculty. For a long time, I·ve been very close to the faculty members that have beenhere. I really thank them for their dedication, for their professionalism, but most of alltheir commitment to ensuring that all of you get outstanding language training as youperform your very important role defending this country.

As you can gather, I·ve got a special relationship to this place. It goes back a number ofways. One, I was born and raised in Monterey, actually not too far from this location.And even as a boy, I had a chance to come here to see what was then the Presidio, andunderstand both the history and the accomplishments of this great institution as ithelped protect our country by providing great language training to our soldiers.

I also, as mentioned, had the honor to represent this area in the Congress and at thattime strongly supported and continue to strongly support the mission of this school. Ithink the faculty; the students that are here represent the very best in education in this

country because they are providing you with the tools to be able to be better soldiers indefending your country.

But most importantly, most importantly I·m proud to be here because of the missionthat this school is involved with, which is teaching foreign languages to our militaryand to our civilian personnel.

I have long been an advocate of strong foreign language training in this country. I thinkit is absolutely vital to what the United States is all about. At one point, when I was amember of Congress, served on a commission that President Carter appointed at that

time to look at the state of foreign language training in the United States. And at thattime, we determined that the level of foreign language training in America was indeeda national scandal, that it was not supported, that students were not learning the kindof languages they should be learning, and that much more needed to be done to try toimprove our foreign language training. We·ve come a little bit further since thatcommission report, but frankly more needs to be done.

I·m a believer that foreign language training is vital to just good education. Let·s startwith that, good education in this country. We talk about the three Rs, but there is afourth R, which is the reality of the world that we live in. We live in a global world. Wehave to understand that world if we really are going to be able not only to defend thiscountry, but to extend our relationships to others so that we can work together todefend the world that we live in.

It·s vital to our economic interests because we are a global world. We are increasinglycompetitive in this world. What happens abroad, what happens in Europe, whathappens in Greece, what happens in Spain, what happens in China affects oureconomy. It affects our living standards. And so it is important for us to have the



ability to speak the languages of those countries that can impact on our economicsecurity.

It is vital to our diplomacy. How can we possibly deal with other countries withoutunderstanding their culture, without understanding their language, without

understanding what really is at the heart and soul of those nations? And so havinglanguage training, language capability is important for our ability to relate to the worldthat we live in.

And lastly, it·s vital to our national security. When I was at the CIA as director, it wasmy view that you could not be a good intelligence analyst; you couldn·t be a goodintelligence operations individual without having foreign language capability. So oneof the things I did there as director was establish a mandate that if you·re going to be ananalyst, if you·re going to be an operations officer at the CIA, you better learn a foreignlanguage. It was crucial to your career, but more importantly it was crucial to what you

do in the intelligence business. The reality is that we have to reflect the nation we livein and we have to reflect the world that we·re a part of.

Languages are the key to understanding that world, to understanding the nuances, tounderstanding what other people are saying, what they mean. If we·re going to be ableto advance stability in some of the countries that we·re fighting in today, we·ve got tobe able to understand what motivates those countries, what motivates their people,understand where they·re coming from, their culture, their beliefs, their faiths, theirideologies, their hatreds, their loves. And it·s only through language that you developthat kind of capability.

So it is crucial to our national security to be -- to be able to have a strong languageability.

I consider the Defense Language Institute as a treasure in the ability to be able to trainyou, to give you that language ability so that you can better defend this country in whatyou do.

As secretary of defense, when I was director of the CIA, one of the first things I did is Itraveled throughout the world, and as I travel throughout the world now to meet withour forces is to take the time to thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you forgiving back to this country. Thank you for caring enough about this great country ofours to be willing to put your lives on the line in order to defend this country and whatwe represent to ourselves and to the world.

Our democracy is dependent on those that are willing to serve this country. That goesto the heart and soul of what a strong democracy is all about, the ability to have people,citizens who are willing to roll up their sleeves and serve this country. It was true for



our forefathers. It·s true for our pioneers. It·s true for the immigrants who have cometo this country. It is true for all of us today. Throughout history, we have been blessedwith men and women who·ve been willing to wear the uniform of this country, todefend this country, to put their lives on the line, many times to sacrifice their lives inorder to ensure that we protect our freedoms, our liberties, our values, and what this

country is all about.

We need to have that kind of dedication. And for that, I thank you. I thank you forbeing willing to do that. Wherever you come from, whatever part of this country isyour hometown, fact is you·ve been willing to do it. You·re here. And I thank you forthat on behalf of the Defense Department, but more importantly on behalf of ourcountry.

My story is the story of public service. I spent 40 years of my life in some public servicecapacity. The reason that I did it is because in many ways it reflected where I was

coming from, reflected my parents, who were immigrants to this country. They came tothis country like millions of others -- no education, no language skills, no ability toreally be able to have any skill, and yet they came here. The reason they did, as myfather would say time and time again, is because they believed that this country gavethem the opportunity to give their children a better life.

That is the American dream. That is what motivates all of us, the dream that we careenough about this country that we want to give our children a safer and a better life.It·s your dream. It·s your mission. It·s your duty to help make sure that those that wecare about, those that we love are able to enjoy a more secure America and are able to

enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we provide.

We face a number of challenges today, challenges that confront us throughout theworld. We·re fighting two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we owe it to all of thosethat have fought there, that have died there. We owe it to them to make sure that weprevail in those wars, that we are able to provide stability in both Iraq and Afghanistan,so that they can govern and secure their own countries. That·s what we intend to doand the only reason we are able to accomplish that is because of the great sacrifices thatwe have made -- that you have made -- in order to ensure that we provide a safer worldfor our children.

We·re engaged in a NATO mission in Libya and hopefully that, too, may be drawing toa close. It·s clear that the opposition have made significant gains. It·s clear that theregime forces are collapsing and that Gadhafi·s days are numbered, but it still remainsdangerous and our hope is that ultimately the opposition can·t succeed. It is theLibyans that will determine their future.



I·m particularly proud of the mission that we performed there, working with NATO. Itis a credit to the great job of nations working together on a common mission, somethingthat is absolutely essential if we·re to provide security in the future, particularly in thatpart of the world because that area, the so-called Arab Spring, is an area where we arefacing increasing changes, increasing turmoil, but the chance to make that part of the

world a better region, one that enjoys some of the values and some of the reforms andsome of the political opportunities that we have in this country.

We are a country that·s facing the war on terrorism and continue to be involved in that.Even though we come to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this September, we look back atthe operations. We look back at the efforts that we·ve made to confront al Qaeda andwe have made good progress at weakening al Qaeda and terrorists· ability to attack thiscountry. Those operations have been very successful, and yet al Qaeda still remains athreat. In the effort, one of the proudest I·ve had as CIA director was the ability to puttogether the operation that took down Osama bin Laden. The military and intelligence

community, working together, made that happen.

It·s the kind of partnership, the kind of effort that is so reflective of the capabilities ofthose in uniform. We still confront a threat. We still have to put pressure on in theFATA, in Yemen, in Somalia, and wherever al Qaeda goes. We have to make sure theyhave no place to hide in which to be able to threaten this country.

We have continuing threats in Iran, in North Korea, to make sure that they do notdevelop a nuclear capability that can threaten our world. We face cyber threats,increasing challenges in cyber threats that can endanger this country, that can paralyze

this country.

We must be prepared to defend ourselves against those kinds of attacks and be able tobe aggressive at going after those countries that would try to attack us using this kind oftechnology.

And we continue to confront rising powers in the world -- China, India, Brazil, Russia,countries that we need to cooperate with. We need to hopefully work with. But in theend, we also need to make sure do not threaten the stability of the world.

We·ve got to be able to project our power in a world in which we make clear that we area force to be reckoned with. All of this comes at a time when we are facing budgetchallenges in this country, challenges that all of us have a responsibility to confront. Weare facing the largest deficit in the history of this country, a debt that now approaches$14 trillion, an annual deficit of $1.4 trillion. We do have to roll up our sleeves anddiscipline our budget for the future. And defense has to play a role in that. Iunderstand that. But we do not have to choose between fiscal responsibility andprotecting our national security.



The Congress has enacted some budget savings in the debt ceiling agreement. SecretaryGates and the president pretty much were talking about a number that was in the ballpark that was passed by the Congress. It·s my view that while those decisions are goingto be tough, that we have the opportunity to make some very important decisions that

not only shape defense for today, but the future; that make us an agile force, adeployable force, a force that can confront the threats in the world that has the weaponsto be able to do that effectively, that we can project our presence throughout the worldand make clear to others that we care about peace in the world. But most importantly,that protects our troops and protects their families. All of that is essential.

The key strength in our military is a strong volunteer force. That·s you. What we haveto do is make sure that we never break faith with you or with you families and thecommitments that we make to you.

I think we can do this. I·m confident that we can shape this defense for the future and itcan be one that will protect this country, protect our core security interests, make us thebest military in the world, and protect our troops and their families.

The greatest danger that I share with you is the danger that perhaps Congress, as it triesto struggle with additional deficit reduction, fails and the mechanism that they put inplace called sequester suddenly requires additional cuts across the board. If thathappens, we could face almost $500 to $600 billion more in cuts, and that would bedevastating to defense.

We·ve seen this happen in the past and we must not make the mistakes of the past. Wedon·t want to hollow out our force. We don·t want to weaken our defense. We do notwant to undermine our ability to create alliances that defend the world. And mostimportantly, we do not want to break faith with the troops and with their families.

This is a difficult time. It·s a time in which all of us are going to be called on to fight forwhat we believe in. You, you·re called on to fight to protect this country. You·re beingtrained here with the abilities to be able to go out there and do what·s right in order todefend America. In turn, we, those who have leadership positions in Washington, haveto fight to protect you. That·s my job and that·s what I commit to you, that I will doeverything necessary to make sure that the right decisions are made in order to protectour national defense.

The toughest things that I have to do as secretary of defense is write condolence lettersto those families whose sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, wives and husbandshave been killed in action. That·s the toughest thing I do.



I·ve had a chance in these last few months as secretary of defense to go to the war zone,to look into the eyes of those that are fighting there, and to appreciate the sacrifice thatthey·re making.

I·ve gone to Bethesda and Walter Reed and seen our wounded warriors -- sometimes

the most horrible wounds you can imagine. And yet they have the spirit of wanting tomove on. They know that they·re going to make it. Many of them want to return toduty. That kind of drive, that kind of inspiration is incredible, and it·s something wehave to remind ourselves of.

I·ve been to Dover to greet the bodies of those who were killed in the helicopter crashand meet with their families. And I·ve gone to Arlington. In every situation, families ofthose who have lost loved ones come up to me and say, do me one favor, Mr. Secretary.Do not give up on the mission that my loved one gave his or her life for. Do not give uson that mission. And I have committed to them that I will not because what all of those

who serve this country, all of those who sacrificed to this country represent is duty andhonor, but most of all sacrifice.

On behalf of the United States, it is an inspiration, an inspiration to see those who arewilling to commit their lives on behalf of this country. And it is an inspiration thatought to inspire all of us, all of us -- leaders in Washington, those of us who have aresponsibility for running agencies and departments, those who serve in elective office -- it ought to be an inspiration to everyone to exercise the same leadership and make thesame sacrifices to ensure that our country is safe for the future.

It is only through that kind of commitment, through that kind of fight that we willensure that the American dream that my parents came here to achieve, the Americandream of giving our children a better life, is achieved. But more importantly, to ensurethat we always have a government of, by, and for the people.

Thanks very much. Carry on the fight.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plans are Being Made to Secure Libyan Mustard Gas (CNN)

By Barbara Starr24 August 2011

Washington -- NATO has begun high-level internal discussions on how to protectLibya's mustard gas supplies if the stockpile suddenly was deemed to no longer besecure, an Obama administration official tells CNN.



At this point the effort is considered "prudent planning" only, the official said, but thisis the first indication the international community could be prepared to secure thestockpile currently at the Rabta site south of Tripoli.

The mustard gas is not weaponized and would be difficult to use in any immediate

attack. But much of the concern is that material could be diverted or sold to third partiessuch as terrorist groups.

The United States is involved in the safeguard discussions, but there is no currentconsideration of sending U.S. troops the official said.

The focus of the planning effort is what to do "if a force of some type is needed to securethe site," he said. "The discussion is: who is best suited to do it?" Any force couldinclude both military personnel as well as intelligence or contractor personnel with thetechnical expertise in monitoring chemical stockpiles.

A NATO official said if there is a need to send personnel to Rabta it might be done byindividual nations rather than the alliance which would have to reach a consensus onsending NATO forces on a new mission.At the moment no one has publicly said whether Moammar Gadhafi's forces or rebelforces are in control of Rabta, although U.S. officials have said for days they believe thestockpile is secure. The discussions have accelerated in recent days as the Gadhafiregime began to collapse.

"We are watching the chemical weapons and SCUD missiles to make sure they are not

used in the endgame," a senior NATO official told CNN.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaghafi Son Offers to Broker Libyan Cease-Fire (CNN)

24 August 2011By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- The businessman son of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appearsto be out of rebel hands and says he wants to negotiate a cease-fire to save Tripoli from"a sea of blood."

In an e-mail exchange with CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson,Saadi Gadhafi -- whose capture had been announced by the rebel leadership on Sunday-- said he had the authority to negotiate and wanted to discuss a cease-fire with U.S.and NATO officials.



"I will try to save my city Tripoli and 2 millions of people living there ... otherwiseTripoli will be lost forever like Somalia," he wrote. Without a cease-fire, he added, "Soonit will be a sea of blood."

Saadi Gadhafi was one of three sons of the now-hunted Libyan leader who the rebel

National Transitional Council announced had been captured during their weekendadvance on Tripoli. However, they said Monday that one of the other two, MohammedGadhafi, had escaped. And Saif al-Islam Gadhafi -- a top adviser to his father -- made anappearance before international journalists early Tuesday to refute reports of his arrest.There was no immediate comment from NTC officials on Saadi Gadhafi's status or hisoffer, made a day after rebel forces overran his father's Bab al-Aziziya compound andclaimed control over nearly all of Tripoli. Libyan government officials have madeseveral previous cease-fire offers during the course of the six-month revolt againstGadhafi's 42-year rule.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaghafi Loyalist Continue to Defend Scattered Parts of Tripoli, Southern Libya(Voice Of America News)

By: Edward Yeranian24 August 2011

Fighting is continuing across parts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Wednesday, asGadhafi loyalists attempt to defend their last enclaves in the city, as well as severalcities still under Gadhafi control. The embattled leader described the fall of his Tripoliheadquarters as a "tactical retreat," and he urged his partisans to continue fighting.

It was another day of fighting in parts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as Gadhafi loyalistsused automatic weapons, anti-aircraft guns, mortar rounds and grad rockets to stave offa rebel advance on their last positions in the south of the city.

Witnesses say that snipers loyal to Gadhafi also have been firing from buildings alongstrategic roads, paralyzing life in much of the capital. Gadhafi supporters also havetargeted the road to the airport in southern Tripoli, making its use unsafe, although thefacility is now in rebel hands.

Gadhafi forces were routed from the Bab al Aziziya military complex Tuesday, but his

supporters have regrouped in a wooded area south of the facility. Gadhafi loyalists alsohave detained over 30 foreign journalists in a luxury hotel, not far from the formergovernment enclave.

Gadhafi delivered a rambling phone message to his supporters early Wednesday, overone of the few remaining TV stations he still controls. He urged supporters to come toTripoli to free the capital.



He said that (his supporters), be they young, old, men or women, need to come toTripoli from elsewhere, to clean up the capital and capture criminals, traitors and rats.

Gadhafi's government spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim insisted that the colonel's partisans

are well armed and will continue to fight a guerrilla war that could last a long time.

He said that (the Gadhafi forces') military, strategic and popular situation is quitestrong, and they can continue to fight not just for days and weeks, but for months andyears. He called the fight against opposition fighters a plot against his country and saidhis side will continue to resist until it wins.

The man often described as the rebels' ´prime ministerµ, Mahmoud Jibril, told a newsconference late Tuesday that he expects a ´bitter battleµ to take the coastal port city ofSirte, which remains a Gadhafi stronghold. Gadhafi forces also continue to hold the

oasis towns of Sabha and Jiffra, as well as small enclaves near the Tunisian border.

British Foreign Minister William Hague urged Gadhafi to give up the fight and acceptthe fact that his people want him to go.

´There's a clear, fundamental, decisive rejection of that regime by the people of Libya,and the regime has clearly lost control of most of the capital and much of the country,"he said."I think it is time now for Col. Gadhafi to stop issuing delusional statements and torecognize that. He should be telling his dwindling and remaining forces now to stand

down.µ

On the diplomatic front, representatives of the rebel Transitional National Council aremeeting with Western officials in the Qatari capital, Doha, in a bid to release Libyangovernment funds for use by the cash-starved rebel government. Rebel Prime MinisterMahmoud Jibril says that he needs $2.5 billion before the end of the month to paysalaries of civil servants.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libyan Rebels Hunt Gadhafi, Try to Secure Tripoli (AP)

By BEN HUBBARD and KARIN LAUB24 August 2011

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libyans hunting Moammar Gadhafi offered a $2 million bounty onthe fallen dictator's head and amnesty for anyone who kills or captures him as rebelsbattled Wednesday to clear the last pockets of resistance from the capital Tripoli.



While pockets of die-hard loyalists kept up the fight to defend Gadhafi, his support wascrumbling by the hour. His deputy intelligence chief defected, and even his foreignminister said his 42-year rule was over.

A defiant Gadhafi vowed from hiding to fight on "until victory or martyrdom," in an

audio message early Wednesday.

He may have little choice. Asked by the British broadcaster Channel 4 if a negotiatedsettlement or safe passage for Gadhafi from Libya was still possible, Foreign MinisterAbdul Ati al-Obeidi said: "It looks like things have passed this kind of solution."

Rebel leaders were beginning to set up a new government in the capital. Their interimadministration, the National Transitional Council, has been based in the eastern city ofBenghazi, which fell under rebel control shortly after the outbreak of widespreadprotests in February.

"Members of the council are now moving one by one from Benghazi to Tripoli," saidMansour Seyf al-Nasr, the Libyan opposition's new ambassador to France.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libya·s Oil Industry Should be Able to Recover Quickly (USA Today)

By Jim Michaels25 August 2011

WASHINGTON ² Libya's oil industry should be able to recover fairly quickly after

fighting ends, but it might take a year or two to reach pre-rebellion production levels,analysts say.

If the country can establish political stability, Libya could begin producing 250,000 to300,000 barrels a day within several months, said Samuel Ciszuk, an analyst at IHSEnergy, a consulting firm. Reaching pre-war levels of 1.6 million barrels a day will takea year or more, he said. Most production was stopped by widespread violence.

Restoring Libya's oil production would help stabilize prices and be good news formotorists, who could see modest price drops immediately, energy analysts say.

Unlike in Iraq, where the oil industry was devastated by economic sanctions andstruggled for years to rebuild, Libya's infrastructure is in good shape and has benefitedfrom Western investment, says Amy Jaffe, an analyst at the Baker Institute for PublicPolicy at Rice University.

Even so, Libya's ability to ramp up oil production will depend on how much damagewas done to refineries and port facilities and what type of government is established.



Rebels struggled Wednesday to get control of Libya's capital. Their leaders established anational government in Tripoli even as clashes with regime loyalists continued. Therebels put a $1.67 million bounty on missing strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

Months of fighting have rattled world oil markets. The United States imports less than1% of its oil from Libya, but European countries, including France and Italy, dependheavily on Libyan oil.

Libya's former oil minister, Shokri Ghanem, says the country could probably restoreproduction within a few months and reach pre-rebellion levels in about two years,according to Platts, an oil industry information service.

A precise forecast won't be available until engineers survey equipment and oil fields.

"A lot of these facilities haven't had eyes on them by experts in several months," saidChristopher Guith, an energy specialist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "No oneknows the state of those fields and the state of the infrastructure."

Rebels and loyalists fought some of the fiercest battles around Ras Lanouf, Brega andZawiya, cities with major refineries. Fires broke out at some of the facilities during thefighting.

European firms have been active in Libya for years. U.S. companies went in aftersanctions were lifted in 2003, when Gadhafi agreed to dismantle Libya's weapons of

mass destruction.

Foreign employees, who left when fighting started, will be eager to return if Libya isstable, said Al Hegburg of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A key attraction for oil companies is Libya's potential. Before Gadhafi took power,Libya was producing about 3 million barrels a day, nearly twice what it producedduring his regime.

Guith says, "It is definitely a good opportunity for oil exploration companies."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More Mass Graves Reported in South Kordofan (UPI)

By: Unattributed Author24 August 2011

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- An advocacy group said Wednesday it confirmed theburial of human remains in the restive Sudanese state of South Kordofan.



Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced a two-week cease-fire in SouthKordofan to allow time for the observation of suspected South Sudanese rebels.

Conflict in the border state erupted as South Sudan prepared for its inaugural

Independence Day. U.N. human rights teams investigating the situation said much ofthe conflict in the area appeared to be ethnically motivated.

The Satellite Sentinel Project announced it confirmed human remains were buried insites believed to be mass graves in South Kordofan. The SSP said it had evidence tosuggest the Sudanese Red Crescent Society was linked to the atrocities.

"Acting on instructions from the State of South Kordofan, the SRCS used an excavatorto dig and cover large pits," the group said in a statement. "In some cases, eyewitnessesreported, SRCS workers poured fuel on dead bodies and set them on fire."

Dafalla al-Haj, the Sudanese representative to the United Nations, said a recent reportfrom U.N. human rights officials on South Kordofan state was based on hearsay anddidn't reflect the situation on the ground, the official Sudan News Agency reported thisweek.

U.N. officials said there was evidence that at least 150 bodies were discovered in SouthKordofan.

South Sudan's independence was part of a comprehensive peace deal reached in 2005

that helped end Sudan's civil war, one of the bloodiest in world history.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Sudan Says 14 Soldiers Killed in Militia Attack (Bloomberg)

24 August 2011By: Non-Attributed Author

Fourteen South Sudanese army soldiers were killed in attacks by militia gunmen onAug. 19 and Aug. 20 in Upper Nile state close to the border with Sudan, armyspokesman Philip Aguer said today by phone from the capital, Juba.

Fifty three fighters from the armed groups were killed in the clashes. The attackerstargeted army bases in Alal and Kaka Moro villages on Aug. 19 and in Kaka Al Tejareyatown on Aug. 20, all located north-west of Malakal, the state capital, Aguer said.

The attackers were "a mix of Arab elements based in Sudan and South Sudanese," ledby a Khartoum-based militia leader, Gordon Kong, and renegade General George



Athor. The Arab fighters are based in Al Hamra area in Sudan's Southern Kordofanstate, and were supported by the Sudanese army, Aguer said.

Sudanese army spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khaled did not answer calls to his mobilephone seeking comment.

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Calm in south Sudan After Close to 700 Killed (Daily Nation)

By MABIOR MACH24 August 2011

Militia and ethnic fighting has ceased in South Sudan as the death toll in the twoseparate clashes creeps to 675, officials said on Tuesday.

In Jonglei state, where two rivalling tribes clashed on Thursday in Pieri Village in Uror

County, more than 600 people have been killed in action, according to a report by aparliamentary team that visited the site in the aftermath of the fighting.

A separate militia fighting in Upper Nile state that erupted on Saturday ceased after 72were killed, the Upper Nile state Governor, Simon Kun Puoch said.

Timothy Taban Juch, a member of a parliamentary team that visited Uror Countydescribed the clash as ´terribleµ and ´horribleµ.

´The fighting has stopped but the casualties are too many. It is over six hundred killed

in action and then the wounded is ranging from 600 to 750 and 985 were wounded,µ Juch said

´The abducted children range from 198 to 200. The number of cattle raided is over36,000 and there are about 14 villages partially burnt down, including the payamheadquarters and offices of MSF Belgium,µ Juch said.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMISOM to Deliver Aid to Famine Victims in Mogadishu (African PressOrganization)

By: Non-Attributed Author

24 August 2011

MOGADISHU, Somalia, -- AMISOM today received a plane load of food and medicalprovisions intended for distribution to the famine-afflicted residents of Mogadishu.Totaling 13.5 metric tons, the aid, included food supplements for children under five,mosquito nets, vitamin A, de-worming Albedozale syrups, zinc supplements,powdered milk and spaghetti.



It has been donated by the Lindner Foundation Uganda, and flown into the Somalicapital by the Uganda Peoples Defence Force.At hand to receive it was the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of theAfrican Union Commission for Somalia, Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi, accompanied by

the AMISOM Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha.

Hon. Wamunyinyi expressed his gratitude to the Foundation for the donation and saidit was a valuable gesture of support for the suffering people of Somalia.

´We at AMISOM have been mandated to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aidand we are proud to play our part in the effort to save the people of this nation. Notonly are our troops helping to make the city safe for humanitarian work, we are alsohelping in delivering the aid to local communities,µ he said.

´Coming two days before the African Union hosts a pledging conference to raise fundsfor Somalia, this is a strong indicator of the efforts ordinary Africans and governmentsare making to alleviate the suffering in the country,µ he added.

Last week, AMISOM delivered another consignment of food, this time donated by thestaff of RA International to the capital's Wardhiigley District for distribution to IDPs inthe area.

Denis Awalinga, Country Director for Lindiner Foundation Uganda, who arrived withthe aid said that the assistance provided by AMISOM had been crucial in getting the aid

to Somalia.

´At the beginning of this month, we saw what was happening here and we felt that, asa child-based NGO, we do what we can, we give the little that we could. So we got intouch with AMISOM and they carried out assessments on the ground with the help oflocal NGOs which allowed us to make judgments on what to bring,µ he said addingthat AMISOM would also help transport the aid to the Somali populace.

The UN has declared a famine in 5 regions of the war-torn country, most of them inareas where extremist insurgents have banned the delivery of humanitarian aid. TheAU will host a pledging conference in Addis Abba on Thursday which is expected toraise millions in cash and kind for Somalia.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bruised by War, Mogadishu Slowly Reawake (Reuters)

By: Abdi Sheikh, Yara Bayoumy24 August 2011



MOGADISHU -- Their life's belongings piled on donkeys, Somali families weave alongalleys filled with the corpses of starved animals to return to their bullet-ridden homes.

After four years of war, Mogadishu bears the signs of a city slowly rising from the ruinsof war.

Gunfire, bombs and mortars had punctured the coastal city almost everyday asWestern-backed government forces and African Union troops fought an insurgency bythe Islamist al Shabaab rebel group.

But earlier this month, the al Qaeda-inspired militants -- outgunned and divided --withdrew nearly all their combatants from their bases in the capital and Somalis woketo what they say they hope will be an extended period of calm.

"I led a dog's life for the last two years," said Liban Abdulle who was forced to flee his

home and shop in Abdiaziz, a once thriving Mogadishu district near the water-front.

Al Shabaab overran the neighborhood in 2008, as it did elsewhere in Mogadishu,turning it into a battlefield, digging tunnels and trenches and commandeering people'shomes.

Abdulle fled to Elasha on the outskirts of Mogadishu, one of several towns where tensof thousands of displaced Somalis settled.

"I have now returned to my former home. The house was looted and destroyed. But I

am happy, my cousin sent me $400 to revive my shop. Business is good and peoplehave returned," he said.

A local rights group said up to half a million people had returned to their dwellings inthe last three weeks, in a city that numbered two million people before the insurgency.

Those with no homes to return to in Mogadishu, fill squalid, makeshift refugee campswhere an influx of Somalis fleeing famine in the country's south have further swellednumbers.

AU tanks and Somali forces on pick-ups mounted with anti-aircraft guns patrolMogadishu's streets, trying to maintain the lull in fighting, which over four years haskilled more than 20,000 people according to U.N. estimates.

There are still some pockets of resistance by al Shabaab in the capital's northerndistricts. The militants have vowed to press the fight and resort to al Qaeda-styleattacks.



But the threats have not deterred many families from returning, with their mattresses,pillows, buckets, rugs and tires piled high on carts and buses.

FILLING TRENCHES, CLEARING BUSHES

On one Sinai street, bullet holes scar a row of one-storey bricked houses, their metalsheet roofs in various stages of collapse.

"The rebels dug trenches, overgrown bushes crowd the house and the skeletons of ourdonkeys lie nearby," said Gele Culusow from the Karan district, where hastilyconstructed cemeteries mark the graves of those who dared remain to guard theirhouses.

"Some good traders helped us with tractors to fill the trenches and to level heaps.Everyone around here has an axe to clear bushes around their houses. It is do it

yourself," he said.

After four years away, Habiba Osman returned to her home in Taleh, a neighborhoodbetween the K-4 road junction and Somalia's main Bakara market, a former rebel base.

"Electricity cables, water pipes, the roof and some walls were ruined by shells. Iunderstand al Shabaab were firing mortars from my house, prompting the AU's shellsto land on it," said Osman who had to pay $4,000 to repair the damage.

"Now there is hope for living. I am home with my children."

Roads that once served as front lines in the fighting have re-opened. The booming partsof the capital are those which have been under government control for the last fouryears.

There, vehicles are out on the streets late into the night, businesses stay open later andolder houses along well-lit streets are being torn down to make way for newer ones.

LIVING TO SEE THIS DAY

Mogadishu has become a haven for Somalis fleeing the drought-hit, rebel-controlledparts of the country where al Shabaab imposed a ban on food aid agencies and tried toprevent Somalis from fleeing in search of food.

Although operating in Mogadishu is far from easy, relief groups say that more food aidis reaching refugee camps and sanitation conditions have improved since al Shabaabpulled out.



"I never thought my children and I would live to see this moment," said Samira Yasinwho fled to the Korsan camp in Elasha from Mogadishu's Daynile district after herhusband and son were killed in fighting four years ago.

Previously living under al Shabaab control, Yasin described a filthy, mosquito and flea-

ridden camp where her children suffered from measles and malnourishment.

"Now at least life is better. There are no parasites and no al Shabaab. We get free food,medicine and water. I will work for my children and take them back to our house," shesaid.

"I believe God will not revive al Shabaab again, because he is merciful."

Many regional observers expect al Shabaab, who said their retreat was tactical, toreemerge in Mogadishu, this time as guerrilla fighters rather than a conventional

fighting force.

Still, many residents are optimistic for the future.

On Tuesday, hundreds of men, traditional white cloth wrapped around their bodies,gathered in a football stadium and engaged in Shirib, poetic short verse composed bysome Somali clans. They jumped to the rhythm of their chants: "Come out for peace.Mogadishu's wounds are healed. Come out for peace."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Africa: The Return of Highly Enriched Uranium to the U.S. in Context(AllAfrica.com)

By Noel Stott24 August 2011

On 17 August 2011, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of theUnited States issued a press release announcing that the South African government,through the Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), had returned 6,3kg of highlyenriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel to the US for safe storage and ultimately fordestruction.

NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the US Department of Energy (DOE)responsible among other things for maintaining and enhancing the safety, security,reliability and performance of the US nuclear weapons stockpile. The shipment arrivedat Savannah River Site (SRS) on 16 August. The SRS is a key DOE industrial complexdedicated to nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship and nuclear materials destructionin support of the US nuclear non-proliferation efforts. It is situated 20 miles south ofAiken, South Carolina.



Subsequent press reports and releases by mainly US-based academics and NGOslauded this development as a significant step in 'reducing and securing vulnerable[emphasis added] radioactive materials held at civilian sites around the world' andstated that it represents an important effort to 'strengthen the world's defences against

nuclear terrorism'.

While at first reading these may seem reasonable assertions, a number of importantcaveats need to be highlighted.

Firstly, 'spent fuel' is defined as fuel whose elements have been removed from thereactor because the fissionable material they contain has been depleted to a level nearwhere it can no longer sustain a chain reaction. The high concentration of radioactivefission products in spent power-reactor fuel creates a gamma-radiation field, which at adistance of a metre would be lethal. South Africa, or more accurately Necsa, no longer

has any use for this material.

Secondly, the US and South Africa have been working constructively for a number ofyears on various peaceful use applications of nuclear material and in particular on theneed to minimise the use of HEU. Examples of such co-operation are the conversion ofSouth Africa's SAFARI-1 reactor to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel as well as trainingin medical responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies. Indeed, today SouthAfrica is leading the transition to produce the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99)with LEU rather than HEU.

This joint work was given impetus by South African President Jacob Zuma'sattendance, in 2010, at the Nuclear Security Summit.

Zuma was one of only five African Heads of State or government invited to developconcrete measures towards ensuring that nuclear materials under their control are notstolen or diverted (the others being Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria). Theypledged to improve security as changing conditions may require, and to exchange bestpractices and practical solutions for doing so. The Summit's final communiqué alsohighlighted the fact that 'highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium requirespecial precautions'.

Thirdly, the return is not unique. The repatriation of used and unused HEU fuel to itscountry of origin - either the US or Russia - has been an international goal since theearly 1980s. Some 1,249kg of US-origin highly enriched uranium from sites around theworld have already been returned, including from Chile in April 2010 just after theearthquake the previous February.



Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the spent fuel storage facility at Necsa is not,and has never been, 'vulnerable' - in the sense of being in danger of being accessed byorganisations or persons with criminal intent or worse, with terrorist ideologies.

South Africa is fully aware of its obligations and is totally committed to the safety and

security of such materials and sources. The nuclear material democratic South Africaholds, including the HEU from the Apartheid state's nuclear weapons programme, isunder constant and real-time surveillance and will never again be used, wittingly orunwittingly, to produce a nuclear weapon. This HEU does not pose 'a potential securityvulnerability', as one academic alleges.

Given the developmental benefits of nuclear and other radioactive materials for Africa,there is a clear need to ensure the continued delivery of the benefits that nuclearmaterials and related applications provide, such as radionuclides intended for use inlife-saving medical applications.

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Nigeria: Shell Declares Force Majeure Following Damage (AllAfrica.com)

By: Non-Attributed Author24 August 2011

Royal Dutch Shell admits it may struggle to meet contractual obligations on exportsfrom Nigeria following the damage to two pipelines by saboteurs in the coutry's oil-producing region.

Shell's Nigerian joint venture "has declared force majeure on Bonny Light exports forthe remainder of August as well as September and October," the company said in astatement.

Force majeure is a legal term releasing a company from contractual obligations due tocircumstances beyond their control. Bonny Light is a type of crude.

Shell has reported six oil spills this month on the Okordia-Rumuekpe trunk line atIkarama in Bayelsa state in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, "all from hacksaw cutsby unknown persons."

"On August 21, another three hacksaw cuts were reported on the nearby Adibawadelivery line," the Anglo-Dutch firm said. "Some production is shut in while (Shell's joint venture) repairs the line."

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the continent's most populous nation.



Pipeline damage and associated spills are common in the Niger Delta region as a resultof oil theft to feed the lucrative black market.

Militants claiming to be fighting for a fairer distribution of oil revenue have alsoregularly blown up pipelines, though such attacks have decreased since a 2009 amnesty

deal.

Shell has said that more than 75 percent of all oil spills and more than 70 percent of oilspilled from its Nigerian joint venture facilities in the Niger Delta from 2006-2010 werecaused by sabotage and crude theft.

Activists say oil firms such as Shell have not done enough to prevent such incidents.

A UN report earlier this month said decades of oil pollution in the Ogoniland area ofthe Niger Delta, located in neighbouring Rivers state, may require the world's largest

ever cleanup.

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