Libya, Egypt Syria and Middle East unrest – live updates

• Libya’s interim leader says Islam will be main source of law • Gaddafi loyalists kill 17 guards in Ras Lanouf • Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s to give speech in Egypt 8.25am: Welcome to Middle East Live. Two key speeches look set to be main focus today. The first was given last night by Libya’s interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil. In his first Tripoli speech he said Islam will be the inspiration for Libya’s new laws. The second will be made later today by Turkey’s prime minister Recep Tayip Erdogan in Cairo. Here’s a round up of the latest developments. Libya • In his first public speech in Tripoli, Libya’s interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil, said Islam would be the main source of legislation for the new Libya, and that extremist ideology would not be tolerated. He also called for an end to reprisals attacks against Gaddafi loyalists. We need to open the courts to anyone who harmed the Libyan people in any way. The judicial system will decide … We seek a state of law, prosperity and one where sharia is the main source for legislation, and this requires many things and conditions … Bani Walid, Sirte and Sabha are now under siege by Gaddafi forces. We are betting that our brothers in those cities will fulfil their expectations and you will see them do so soon. • Jalil is caught between Islamic conservatives and more secular figures competing for power in Libya, AP reports. It sets out the two sides in the conflict in an article published by the Washington Post: The rising tensions, which have become increasingly public, could jeopardize efforts to rebuild the country and form a cohesive state after six months of civil war. Each side accuses the other of trying to monopolize a new government. On one side stand more secular technocrats, some of whom have long lived abroad or once had ties with Gaddafi’s regime. On the other are conservatives, including the Muslim Brotherhood, who opposed Gaddafi for years on the ground in Libya and suffered during his rule. • The United Nations says it is worried about the fate of civilians trapped inside besieged pro-Gaddafi towns. “Our big concern right now is Sirte, where we are receiving reports that there’s no water and no electricity,” UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told Reuters. The NTC has sent extra units to Bani Walid, but some fighters said this only worsened tribal tensions between fighters from other areas and those from the town. • Gaddafi loyalists killed 17 guards outside an oil refinery in Ras Lanouf on Monday in a surprise attack that demonstrated his toppled regime is still capable of striking back. The assault occurred hours after the National Transitional Council announced it had resumed some oil production. The Syrian-based TV station Arrai, read out a message that it claimed came from Gaddafi, saying he was still in Libya, but it was unable to air a televised appearance for security reasons. Rebel forces said they were meeting fierce resistance on the fourth day of fighting for the desert town of Bani Walid and were edging towards Sirte. • Amnesty International has highlighted widespread atrocities on both sides in the conflict. It offers harrowing testimony of the war crimes, killings of unarmed protesters and arbitrary detentions by Gaddafi’s security forces. But it also exposes a catalogue of reprisal attacks that have gained less international attention during the revolution. Egypt, Turkey and Israel The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to give a speech in Cairo today at a time of rising tension between Turkey and Israel and days after an attack on the Israeli embassy in the city. Last night on Egyptian TV Erdogan gave his backing to Arab Spring uprisings . The New York Times quoted him saying: The world is changing to a system where the will of the people will rule. Why should the Europeans and Americans be the only ones that live with dignity? Aren’t Egyptians and Somalians also entitled to a life of dignity? Syria • Russia has rebuffed western attempts to increase the pressure on the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. President Dmitry Medvedev said after talks with David Cameron that additional pressure was “absolutely not needed” because existing UN and European Union sanctions were squeezing the regime. • The United Nations has appointed three experts to investigate allegations of shoot-to-kill policies, enforced disappearances, and torture in Syria after estimating that the number of people killed in the government crackdown increased to 2,6000. Sergio Pinheiro, a former professor and human right from Brazil, will chair the independent commission. • Activists and human rights groups are calling on the Arab League to follow up on a regional initiative to end the Syrian crisis by demanding guarantees that Assad immediately stop using violence against protesters. A statement issued by a coalition of more than 170 local and international organisations comes ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the pan-Arab organization in Cairo to discuss a recent visit by the league’s chief, Nabil Elaraby, to Syria. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Egypt Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Syria Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Nato Israel Palestinian territories Niger Bashar Al-Assad Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 13, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.