Football lethal in NATO’s ‘new’ Libya

This shocking video is about the torture of an Egyptian in Libya.

Unfortunately, Bahrain is not the only country where violence severely damages sports.

Military violence, like the NATO war violence in Libya, can break eggs. But, like the English nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty says, “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men” cannot put an egg together again; let alone make a healthy chick hatch from it.

By Essam Mohamed, 4 November 2013:

Libya Insecurity Impacts Sport

Tripoli — The latest casualty from the rash of bombings, targeted assassinations and crime in Libya is national sport.

“Instability will prevent Libya from organising the African Cup of Nations in 2017,” sports reporter Salah Belaid told Magharebia. “It will also reduce its chances of organising Arab and African tournaments.”

Youth and Sports Ministry spokesman Mazen Dribka expressed Libya’s keenness to host CAN 2017. Libya will “do whatever it takes to resolve this problem”, he said.

“Matches will continue without spectators and yes we still fear that perhaps new coach Javier Clemente may quit. His decision to join the team is considered in these circumstances courageous and supportive of Libyan football and a clear victory for sport,” he added.

“This is especially true after the assassination attempt against the Egyptian al-Ahli coach, Hossam al-Badri,” Dribka said.

The attack on the coach was not an isolated incident. Libyan international and al-Ahli midfielder Mohamed al-Maghrabi was shot in the arm October 14th, two days after three men opened fire on al-Badri outside his Tripoli home. Other al-Ahli players also reported receiving threats over text messages.

…

Seeking to establish security and stability, the sports ministry is trying to promote sport activities. The ministry is aware that weapons represent a danger for young people, the country, and the security situation.

“Due to the stabilising effect of football, the Libyan interim government supported the premier league with one million Libyan dinars disbursed to each of the 16 teams of the league. This was an exceptional measure,” ministry spokesman Dribka said.

“Of course the league this year is exceptional in all respects. Spectators are banned from attending matches,” he said.

Ali Alaaqari, a 37-year-old football fan active on sports forums, said, “Establishing security promotes sport, fair competition, and sportsmanship. These values need to be promoted.”

“We need to attract young people away from arms, to have them reintegrate into civilian life. Sport can contribute to meeting this goal swiftly and directly,” he told Magharebia.

Libya: UN Mission Condemns Spate of Assassination Attempts in Benghazi: here.

Tensions in Libya are rising this week after federalism advocates in oil-rich eastern Libya have announced the formation of their own regional administration. Sunday in the town of Ajdabiya, 150 kilometers south of Benghazi, Ibrahim Jathran and other federalist leaders accused the central government of Prime Minister Ali Zeidan of “incompetence and corruption.” Jathran, a former head of Libya’s Petroleum Protection Force turned on Zeidan earlier this year by using the force, which is largely made up of militias, to seize the country’s biggest oil-exporting ports Ras Lanuf and Es-Sider: here.

Libyan military colonel assassinated. Colonel Fethallah al-Gaziri, newly appointed head of military intelligence in Benghazi, shot dead during a family visit: here.

Many Moroccans who came back home from Libya after the revolution have yet to go back. While some of them plan to return to Libya, others fear the on-going violence: here.

Related articles

• Heavy gunfire heard in Libya’s capital Tripoli | ToM (andrewazzopardi.org)
• Libyan war, two years later (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• East Libya Declares Self-Government (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
• Al Ahly Tripoli coach Hossam al-Badri shot at in Libya after 1-1 draw (theguardian.com)
• Militia Leaders in Oil-Rich Eastern Libya Declare Their Independence From Tripoli (matthewaid.com)