A full 86% of US adults approve of interracial marriage, a new Gallup poll shows—quite a change from the 4% who approved in 1958. UPI touts the high number, noting that approval is at its highest point yet, with the nation “on the verge of unanimity on the topic….
Continue reading …In the most substantial effort yet to hold the Vatican’s feet to the fire for clergy sexual abuse, human rights lawyers will file a complaint today asking the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute Pope Benedict XVI and three top Vatican officials for crimes against humanity. According to the…
Continue reading …James Murdoch will be recalled for a second grilling before Britain’s Parliament, a senior lawmaker investigating the phone hacking scandal said today. John Whittingdale told Sky News that his committee was “beginning to reach the end of its deliberations” but wanted to tie up “one or two loose ends” by…
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Father Edward Daly, famous for protecting the wounded during Blood Sunday, says Vatican must ease shortage of priests On Bloody Sunday in 1972 Father Edward Daly faced down the Parachute Regiment responsible for shooting dead 13 unarmed Derry civilians, waving just a white handkerchief as he protected the wounded from the army’s bullets in the Bogside. Now 39 years later the retired Bishop of Derry is confronting an even more powerful force than the Paras: the Vatican. Dr Daly, who was the Bishop of Derry for 20 years during the Troubles, has become the first senior Irish Catholic cleric to call for an end to celibacy in the church. His intervention in the debate over whether priests should be allowed to marry is highly significant because he is still one of the most respected figures in the Irish Catholic church at a time when faith in the institution has been shattered by the paedophile scandals involving clergy. Challenging centuries of Catholic theocracy, Daly has said that allowing the clergy to marry would solve some of the church’s problems. The number of Catholic priests in Ireland is in sharp decline as older clergy die and very few young men take up a celibate life. In some parishes the church has transferred priests from Poland and the developing world to fill the gap. “There will always be a place in the church for a celibate priesthood, but there should also be a place for a married priesthood in the church,” Daly writes in his new book A Troubled See, Memoirs of a Derry Bishop, which will be launched at Magee College in the city on Wednesday. “I think priests should have the freedom to marry if they wish. It may create a whole new set of problems but I think it’s something that should be considered,” he says. “I’m worried about the decreasing number of priests and the number of older priests. I think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed and addressed urgently.” While Daly accepts he might be out of step with current Vatican thinking he points out that he is “not engaged in a popularity contest”. He says that during his time as a bishop he found it “heartbreaking” that so many priests or prospective priests were forced to resign or were unable to get ordained because of the celibacy issue. Many young men who once considered joining the priesthood turned away because of the rule, the 74-year-old cleric argues. Daly became a recognised figure around the world in 1972 when he was seen waving a bloodied white handkerchief in front of British paratroopers in Derry during Bloody Sunday. The sight of the priest during the army massacre in the city became one of the most iconic images of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Daly was also a fierce critic of the IRA’s armed campaign and a strong supporter of the peace process kickstarted by the likes of his friend and confidant, the Nobel peace prize winner John Hume. In the book the former bishop praises Hume who he says is “one of my great heroes”. He had first-hand experience of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 and took part in the civil rights demonstrations in the city prior to the Troubles erupting. Daly also played a part in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six. His tenure as Bishop in Derry spanned the years 1974 to 1993 and included some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. He accepts that admission of married men to the priesthood could well create new problems and issues for the church. “However, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, major decisions must be made,” he adds. In his book he also denounces the paedophile priests whose crimes and the cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy has dramatically reduced the church’s respect and influence in Ireland. He is “heartbroken and appalled” that fellow clergymen were engaged in “such horrible criminal acts against the most vulnerable”. Catholic priests have been unable to marry since the Gregorian reforms in the 11th century made celibacy compulsory. Historians have contended that the move was partly for spiritual reasons, but was mainly to ensure estates held by clerics would pass back to the church upon their deaths rather than to offspring. However, in recent years Pope Benedict XVI has made allowances for married Anglican ministers to transfer to the Catholic church after a number made the move in protest at controversial Anglican issues including the ordination of women priests, and acceptance of ministers in same-sex relationships. The County Fermanagh-born cleric now works as a chaplain in Derry’s Foyle hospice. Vatican’s view Bishop Daly’s proposal will meet with dogged silence in the Vatican, but widespread understanding in the Roman Catholic church. The view from the top is clear. Last year, when the scandal over clerical sex abuse was at its height, the archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn, suggested part of the problem might be priestly celibacy. His comment was all the more interesting, coming as it did from a conservative theologian andformer star pupil of Pope Benedict. But in case anyone thought his musings had Vatican backing, the pope went out of his way a few days later to praise celibacy as an “expression of the gift of oneself to God and others”. Three months later, he reinforced his defence of the status quo, describing celibacy as a “great sign of faith”. The debate over whether to admit married men to the priesthood, however, is one not even the pope can stifle. Two developments have refocused attention on the issue in the last couple of years – and one is partly attributable to Benedict himself. The first is the continuing sex abuse scandal, which on Tuesday acquired new life when the US-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked the international criminal court to investigate the Vatican for crimes against humanity. The first senior figure to argue the case for a link between an unmarried priesthood and sex abuse was the bishop of Hamburg, Hans-Jochen Jaschke, who in March 2010 told a newspaper interviewer a “celibate lifestyle can attract people who have an abnormal sexuality”. The other development has been the welcoming into the Catholic church of traditionalist Anglicans, unable to reconcile their faith with the ordination of women or the consecration of openly gay bishops. Their incorporation has been made easier since October 2009 when Benedict issued a controversial ordinance allowing them to retain much of their identity, liturgy and pastoral arrangements. The reordination into the Catholic church of married Anglican priests has pointed up the fact that priestly celibacy is not a doctrine, but a discipline. In 1970, the decline in priesthood vocations persuaded nine leading theologians to sign a memorandum declaring that the Catholic leadership “quite simply has a responsibility to take up certain modifications” to the celibacy rule. Extracts from the document were reprinted in January. Not least because one of the signatories was the then Joseph Ratzinger, now pope Benedict. Northern Ireland Ireland Catholicism Religion Christianity Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Father Edward Daly, famous for protecting the wounded during Blood Sunday, says Vatican must ease shortage of priests On Bloody Sunday in 1972 Father Edward Daly faced down the Parachute Regiment responsible for shooting dead 13 unarmed Derry civilians, waving just a white handkerchief as he protected the wounded from the army’s bullets in the Bogside. Now 39 years later the retired Bishop of Derry is confronting an even more powerful force than the Paras: the Vatican. Dr Daly, who was the Bishop of Derry for 20 years during the Troubles, has become the first senior Irish Catholic cleric to call for an end to celibacy in the church. His intervention in the debate over whether priests should be allowed to marry is highly significant because he is still one of the most respected figures in the Irish Catholic church at a time when faith in the institution has been shattered by the paedophile scandals involving clergy. Challenging centuries of Catholic theocracy, Daly has said that allowing the clergy to marry would solve some of the church’s problems. The number of Catholic priests in Ireland is in sharp decline as older clergy die and very few young men take up a celibate life. In some parishes the church has transferred priests from Poland and the developing world to fill the gap. “There will always be a place in the church for a celibate priesthood, but there should also be a place for a married priesthood in the church,” Daly writes in his new book A Troubled See, Memoirs of a Derry Bishop, which will be launched at Magee College in the city on Wednesday. “I think priests should have the freedom to marry if they wish. It may create a whole new set of problems but I think it’s something that should be considered,” he says. “I’m worried about the decreasing number of priests and the number of older priests. I think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed and addressed urgently.” While Daly accepts he might be out of step with current Vatican thinking he points out that he is “not engaged in a popularity contest”. He says that during his time as a bishop he found it “heartbreaking” that so many priests or prospective priests were forced to resign or were unable to get ordained because of the celibacy issue. Many young men who once considered joining the priesthood turned away because of the rule, the 74-year-old cleric argues. Daly became a recognised figure around the world in 1972 when he was seen waving a bloodied white handkerchief in front of British paratroopers in Derry during Bloody Sunday. The sight of the priest during the army massacre in the city became one of the most iconic images of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Daly was also a fierce critic of the IRA’s armed campaign and a strong supporter of the peace process kickstarted by the likes of his friend and confidant, the Nobel peace prize winner John Hume. In the book the former bishop praises Hume who he says is “one of my great heroes”. He had first-hand experience of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 and took part in the civil rights demonstrations in the city prior to the Troubles erupting. Daly also played a part in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six. His tenure as Bishop in Derry spanned the years 1974 to 1993 and included some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. He accepts that admission of married men to the priesthood could well create new problems and issues for the church. “However, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, major decisions must be made,” he adds. In his book he also denounces the paedophile priests whose crimes and the cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy has dramatically reduced the church’s respect and influence in Ireland. He is “heartbroken and appalled” that fellow clergymen were engaged in “such horrible criminal acts against the most vulnerable”. Catholic priests have been unable to marry since the Gregorian reforms in the 11th century made celibacy compulsory. Historians have contended that the move was partly for spiritual reasons, but was mainly to ensure estates held by clerics would pass back to the church upon their deaths rather than to offspring. However, in recent years Pope Benedict XVI has made allowances for married Anglican ministers to transfer to the Catholic church after a number made the move in protest at controversial Anglican issues including the ordination of women priests, and acceptance of ministers in same-sex relationships. The County Fermanagh-born cleric now works as a chaplain in Derry’s Foyle hospice. Vatican’s view Bishop Daly’s proposal will meet with dogged silence in the Vatican, but widespread understanding in the Roman Catholic church. The view from the top is clear. Last year, when the scandal over clerical sex abuse was at its height, the archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn, suggested part of the problem might be priestly celibacy. His comment was all the more interesting, coming as it did from a conservative theologian andformer star pupil of Pope Benedict. But in case anyone thought his musings had Vatican backing, the pope went out of his way a few days later to praise celibacy as an “expression of the gift of oneself to God and others”. Three months later, he reinforced his defence of the status quo, describing celibacy as a “great sign of faith”. The debate over whether to admit married men to the priesthood, however, is one not even the pope can stifle. Two developments have refocused attention on the issue in the last couple of years – and one is partly attributable to Benedict himself. The first is the continuing sex abuse scandal, which on Tuesday acquired new life when the US-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked the international criminal court to investigate the Vatican for crimes against humanity. The first senior figure to argue the case for a link between an unmarried priesthood and sex abuse was the bishop of Hamburg, Hans-Jochen Jaschke, who in March 2010 told a newspaper interviewer a “celibate lifestyle can attract people who have an abnormal sexuality”. The other development has been the welcoming into the Catholic church of traditionalist Anglicans, unable to reconcile their faith with the ordination of women or the consecration of openly gay bishops. Their incorporation has been made easier since October 2009 when Benedict issued a controversial ordinance allowing them to retain much of their identity, liturgy and pastoral arrangements. The reordination into the Catholic church of married Anglican priests has pointed up the fact that priestly celibacy is not a doctrine, but a discipline. In 1970, the decline in priesthood vocations persuaded nine leading theologians to sign a memorandum declaring that the Catholic leadership “quite simply has a responsibility to take up certain modifications” to the celibacy rule. Extracts from the document were reprinted in January. Not least because one of the signatories was the then Joseph Ratzinger, now pope Benedict. Northern Ireland Ireland Catholicism Religion Christianity Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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• Bash F5 or use our auto-refresher for the latest • Send your thoughts to barney.ronay@guardian.co.uk • Catch up on Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen here • And get all tonight’s latest scores right here 13 mins Cleared off the line by Sagna. that was lovely play by Gotze, who found Lewandowski in lots of space near goal by the simple tactic of passing it to where Koscielny should have been standing, if Koscileny was a better defender. Lewandovski rounded Szczesny but his shot was hacked away by Sagna. Dortmund are all over Arsenal here, as you might expect in the early minutes. 11 mins Blimey. A simple long pass over the top finds Kagawa in a vast pocket of space that seems to stretch from horizon to horizon. Unfortunately he fails to control it properly and then shoots wildly over the bar. Koscielny: I’m also looking at you. I’m scratching my head and frowning while I’m looking at you. Now I’m shaking my head. Terrible marking there from the disappointing Frenchman. 8 mins Dortmund look quite fluid between midfield and attack, lots of scampering movement. It is very open, albeit this is partly because Arsenal don’t really know how to defend properly. Arteta has been neither anchoring nor passing so far. He has instead been doing nothing at all. 5 mins Gotze has a nice little attacking jink but it comes to nothing. He looks very clam and aware of what’s around him. And, oh my, Gervinho has a great chance to score, put through in front of the keeper with the ball bouncing a little high, but he makes a right pig’s ear of it and allows Weidenfeller to paw away his weak side foot shank. Although there was a fine challenge from Hummels in there. Gervinho: sorry. You’re probably a nice guy. But somehow you and I both know this just isn’t going to work out, don’t we? 3 mins Walcott is playing quite high up the pitch, presumably to use his acceleration on the break. Gary Naylor writes: “I wish Mikel Arteta well after years of fine service at Goodison. He might need those good wishes too, if he’s holding in midfield – has Arsene seen him play?” Not sure it’s really an “anchor” role. More a deep playmaker and a ball carrier. Song will do the fouling. 1 min Arsenal kick off and they’re on the attack straight away. Walcott finds a bit of space on the right and wins a corner which Big Per rumbles up for, but it’s cleared in frustratingly easy fashion. Already looks like there’s a lot of space out there. I scent goals. 7.44pm: Philippa Booth notes: “also in Group F OM are in an Arsenal-esque bit of trouble in Ligue 1 at the minute, if not worse (3 pts from 5, lying in 17th) and selection issues for DiDi mean that Djimi Traore (yes, him) is at left back while Jeremy Morel (a left back) is promoted to the wing. Could be interesting…” indeed it could. Sort of. About to kick off here. 7.43pm: The players are out. They’re standing there listening to the anthem like it’s a proper anthem. 7.37pm: Paul Merson on the Sky coverage seems strangely jumpy. How excited is it possible to get about these early group stages, even when you’re a drooling fan or Paul Merson? This at least should be a decent game. I’m genuinely curious about Arteta playing for Arsenal. I’m also Dortmund-curious and expecting big things from Gotze. I have it on good authority Germany is currently churning out an alarming excess of really good young players. Compulsory academies: it’s the key. And not the kind of academies where you still get shouted at and told to hoof it but in slightly more expensive surroundings and with isotonic drinks. 7.36pm: Paul Broadwater… Now this is the right kind of email. “Though this will sound like the most unattractive bout of arse kissing ever, Barney, thank you very much despite producing just the preamble so far tonight – some common sense and perspective from a journalist…” and so it goes on for a bit. More of that kind of thing. Note: it’s never unattractive. 7.33pm: Liam Mosley fancies crisis-club Arsenal tonight. “I know Arsenal have hardly set the world alight but the price for them to win 16/5 does seem a bit generous. Dortmund have not met the high standards of last season and are relative novices at this level. Worth the price of a pint surely? Or if you are me two pints.” It’s a loud, angry, swinging kind of ground. Never an easy place to go, the BVB Stadion. And Arsenal have a very open-looking team tonight. They’re not here for a draw. Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal ‘s trip to Borussia Dortmund . It’s a tricky group F opener for crisis club Arsenal (who are not in crisis), their under-pressure manager Arsene Wenger (who is not under pressure) and his end-of-window panic signings (NB all experienced international players) as their season lurches (note: season not lurching) into another calamitous and potentially fatal non-fatal, fairly low-key… well, you get the point. This feels a bit like a game on two levels. On a sensible level it is a very interesting match-up with the youthful German champions, who are coming on a bit like an Arsenal 2.0, all thrusting, prancing ball-playing home made product and a charismatic and innovative coach. On an insensible level this has suddenly become a vital match, for reasons of perception above all. Wenger has become a story. A kind of ersatz pressure is being summoned up out of not that much. And Arsenal desperately need to get to the knockout stages, not for reasons of finance, or to break new ground, or because they’ve got any hope of winning the thing, but to arrest a perception of genuine decline. Of course, there is a bit of decline. A front line of Gervinho, Benayoun, Walcott and Van Persie is so-so, but it’s not what it once was. I like the Arteta signing though: he is a wonderful player, plus it’s a fascinating notion, that he can make the step up to a higher level at 29. Don’t see why not. There are even some things he does better than Fabregas. Also, Mertesacker is a good signing: I believe he will be a triumph. He’s slow apparently, but then so are John Terry, Jamie Carragher, Gary Cahill, Chris Samba and Carlos Puyol. So was Bobby Moore. The idea with a centre half is not to do that much running around in the first place. Anyway, enough ranting. Here are the teams: Borussia Dortmund Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Bender, Kehl, Gotze, Kagawa, Grosskreutz, Lewandowski. Subs Langerak, Da Silva, Zidan, Blaszczykowski, Gundogan, Felipe Santana, Perisic. Arsenal Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Song, Arteta, Walcott, Benayoun, Gervinho, van Persie. Subs Fabianski, Park, Andre Santos, Djourou, Arshavin, Frimpong, Chamakh. Champions League Champions League 2011-12 Arsenal Borussia Dortmund Barney Ronay guardian.co.uk
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Speculation that David and Judith Tebbutt from Hertfordshire were attacked by gang from al-Qaida-linked group A team of Metropolitan police officers has been dispatched to Kenya to aid the investigation into the murder of a British holidaymaker and the kidnap of his wife at the remote Kiwayu Safari Village resort, close to the Somalian border. The team arrived amid speculation that David and Judith Tebbutt from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, were attacked by a gang from Somalia and from the al-Qaida linked insurgent group, al-Shabab. Scotland Yard said the Kenyan authorities “remain the lead investigators”. The gang raided the Tebbutts’ beach house in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were the hotel’s only guests, having just arrived following a week in the Masai Mara game reserve. Attackers are said to have shot the 58-year-old, a finance director at the publisher Faber & Faber, and sped from the isolated resort near Lamu island by boat having abducted his wife, 56. As the hunt for her continued, police in Kenya were reported to have arrested a man suspected of being involved. A search and rescue operation is under way but the Ministry of Defence refused to confirm reports British special forces had been drafted in. Kiwayu Safari Village said everyone at the resort was “devastated” and sent their “deepest condolences” to the Tebbutts’ son, Oliver, 25, family and friends. “Our thoughts are with them as we pray for Judith’s safe return.” The Foreign Office said a team had been deployed from the high commission in Nairobi, and called for those involved in the kidnapping to “show compassion”. The FCO warns against “all but essential travel to within 30km of Kenya’s border with Somalia”. Ben Lopez, a kidnap-for-ransom consultant and author of the book The Negotiator, said it was now a “waiting game” to see what the gang want. Lopez, who works for Compass Risk Management which specialises in the prevention and mitigation of incidents of kidnap, maritime piracy and extortion, said: “We don’t know if it’s al-Shabab or a regular kidnap-for-ransom”. He said it was likely the abduction was planned, rather than opportunistic, and it could be some days before the kidnappers got in touch. Tributes have been paid to David Tebbutt, who was a member of the Book Trade Charity, which offers support and grants to those in the book trade. “He was a lovely chap, he was on the grants committee. He was a very caring person and very concerned about the people that we were supporting financially,” said the charity’s chief executive, David Hicks. The couple had visited Africa many times, said Iain Stevenson, professor of publishing at University College London, who described his friend’s death as an “an enormous loss to the publishing world”. “He loved travel, he was always going on holidays, he got teased about his exotic holidays,” he said. “He was just basically a very kind, modest, unassuming man, very funny, with a wicked sense of humour, but he was very dedicated to his family. “The whole reason he moved to Bishop’s Stortford was so his son could go to Bishop’s Stortford College. It must be awful for them [the family], particularly their son.” Kenya Africa Somalia Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …On Sunday, America remembered the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, but last night, Jon Stewart reminded us that there’s another important date to commemorate: September 13, 2001. After all, that was the day Jerry Falwell said that “the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and…
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Party to debate media laws at conference after demands for new newspaper code in wake of phone-hacking scandal Heavy fines large enough to change media executives’ behaviour should be imposed on errant newspapers by a new independent press regulator, the Liberal Democrats are to propose. An emergency motion, due to be published on Wednesday and discussed at party conference next week, calls for the fines to be large enough to act as a real deterrent, and change the culture of newspapers in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at News International. The fines would be imposed on newspapers that breached the terms of a new newspaper code. They would also be required be put corrections in more prominent positions than at present. In line with proposals from the information commissioner, the Lib Dems are also proposing that reporters found guilty of breaching the Data Protection Act on unlawfully obtaining material should be subject to custodial sentences. A previous attempt to make journalists liable to prison sentences was blocked following strong private lobbying by newspaper groups. Nick Clegg’s party is also proposing that competition authorites should be able to intervene on issues of media plurality not just at the point of a takeover, but also when a newspaper group is gradually increasing its shareholding in a company or its market share. The Lib Dems regard the phone-hacking scandal as one of the issues on which they can claim to be apart from the other two main parties, since they have always had strained relations with News International titles. The motion – which is certain to be passed – will give the party probably the most developed policy of the main three on future media ownership laws. The party is keeping an open mind on whether the new regulator superceding the Press Complaints Commission should be statutory, but recognises that a regulator with powers to impose large fines will probably need some form of legislitive backing. One model being examined by the Liberal Democrats is to follow the example of solicitors, where the Legal Services Board has legal powers to oversee the work of the Solicitors; Regulatory Authority, which is appointed by the Law Society and capable of fining solicitors or striking off firms. The conference motion deplores the “illegal and intrusive behaviour of those journalists and private investigators who have been complicit in phone hacking, especially where the bereaved or victims of crime have been targeted”. It also condemns “the gradual erosion of safeguards on media plurality and independence over the last 30 years, and the failure of previous governments, the police and the Press Complaints Commission to take effective action to address this”. The new regulatory body would be required to “impose appropriate sanctions against proprietors, editors and journalists guilty of breaching the code; such as financial penalties that are large enough to act as a deterrent, and the power to ensure that apologies and retractions are given due prominence”. It also calls for a strengthening of the rules on fit and proper ownership, to ensure corporations as a whole are held to account and not just senior individuals within them. Don Foster the Liberal Democrat culture spokesman said: “We can’t continue having periodic crises of confidence in the media. “This motion outlines a broad vision of what media regulation should look like. It seeks to establish Lib Dem priorities without prejudicing the Leveson inquiry’s eventual findings. “We have heard enough empty condemnations from politicians who used to be in bed with press barons. Now is the time to talk about fundamental reform.” Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrat conference 2011 Phone hacking News International Newspapers & magazines Media law Press Complaints Commission Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Interim Libyan leader pleads for unity as tensions rise between factions
September 13, 2011 No Comment
Mustafa Abdul Jalil battles to quell row between Islamists and secularists amid fears internal split could derail rebuilding effort Libya’s interim leader is facing a battle between conservative Islamic groups and secular figures as he struggles to unite multiple competing factions. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC), sought to quell anxiety over festering internal divisions in his first speech in Tripoli on Monday night. He told a crowd of about 10,000 people that sharia law should be the main source of legislation in Libya, but added: “We will not accept any extremist ideology We are a Muslim people, for a moderate Islam, and will stay on this road.” Splits have emerged in the country’s new leadership between Islamist conservatives and more secular figures, some of whom have long lived in exile or once had ties with Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. There are concerns that rising tensions could derail rebuilding efforts after six months of civil war. “Abdul Jalil is trying to keep the peace, and it’s a struggle between both sides, between the two powerful camps,” an official close to the NTC told the Associated Press. “He’s trying to maintain a balance between the two camps, and keep the international community happy. It’s very difficult.” Prominent Islamist figures include Abdul Hakim Belhaj, a former member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a militant organisation that long opposed Gaddafi. He is now the commander of the Tripoli military council, which has called for the resignation of Mahmoud Jibril, the US-educated acting prime minister. Regional differences have also come to the fore, with rivalry between Tripoli and Benghazi and complaints from cities such as Misrata that their sacrifice is not being fully acknowledged. In his speech, Jalil also emphasised that women had played an important part in the revolution and would continue to do so. “Women will be ambassadors,” he said to cheers from women and girls in the crowd waving flags. “Women will be ministers.” Many of the women were dressed in the red, black and green of the revolution. Senior European officials negotiating with the leadership in Tripoli say it is drawing up ambitious plans to turn the country into the “beacon” of the Arab and Islamic worlds, but faces a lengthy and dangerous bout of infighting between rival factions. Agostino Miozzo, an Italian doctor and veteran of humanitarian emergencies who is the EU’s international crisis manager, emphasised that the leaders of the NTC were determined to resist international pressure and to decide the fate of their country themselves. “Tripoli seems to be moving fast towards normality, but they [the NTC] need time to fight the internal political struggle,” Agostino said, after spending more than a week in Tripoli establishing contact with the new rulers. “We have no idea of the southern part of the country. That will be most problematic in the coming months. This part is totally out of control.” European officials working on Libya and in regular touch with the new regime say they have been surprised by the resolve of the NTC to reject international pressure and to take its own decisions. The revolutionary leaders have compiled a “black book” of Gaddafi cronies, relatives and loyalists who can expect retribution for their roles under the dictatorship, but they are anxious to avoid the Iraq “de-Ba’athification” disaster. The vast majority of the Libyan army officer class, including those still fighting the NTC in places such as Sirte, should be incorporated into a post-Gaddafi military. Jalil has told Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, that “very few” army officers have been blacklisted. The NTC is using mobile phone messaging to urge bureaucrats in Tripoli to return to their desks. “They are requesting all staff professionals and all officials to the level of under-secretary of state to go back to work,” said Miozzo. As well as ongoing challenges from Gaddafi loyalist forces in parts of the country, the new leadership is riven by friction between Islamists and secularists, and tribal and regional tensions. Libya Middle East Africa Muammar Gaddafi David Smith Ian Traynor guardian.co.uk
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