Libya Opposition

We get the latest on the situation in Libya. And look at who's behind the opposition to Moammar Gadhafi and where they would take the country if they succeed in ousting him.



PART ONE

It's Tuesday, March 1st.

Moammar Gaddafi says U.S. President Barack Obama appears to be misinformed about the situation in Libya.

Currently, Obama is moving US war ships closer to Libya to see if that helps to clears things up.

This is The Current.

Libya Opposition - Oakland Ross

We started this segment with a clip from Free Tobruk Radio. It's an opposition radio station in eastern Libya. And that song is an ode to the anti-government protests that have swept across the country ... one of many written and recorded over the last two weeks.

Free Tobruk Radio used to be a state-run station. After it switched sides, its offices were burned to the ground by pro-Gadhafi militia fighters. Its new slogan is "Freedom or Death." And it is playing a crucial role in the opposition to Moammar Gadhafi ... thanks in part to volunteers like Sala Fuwad, a 52-year-old petroleum engineer who now writes news stories about the protests for Free Tobruk Radio. We aired a clip from Sala Fuwad speaking to NPR's All Things Considered.

A few day ago, Oakland Ross paid a visit to Free Tobruk Radio. He's a columnist with the Toronto Star. We reached Oakland Ross in Cairo today.

Libya Opposition - Panel

Moammar Gaddafi's troops struck back with fighter jets, special forces units and regular army troops in the last 24-48 hours. Even as that was underway, he was giving an interview to the BBC & ABC and insisting nothing was up. We aired a clip with reporter Jeremy Bowen.

Outside of the capital, Tripoli, opposition forces appear to control significant parts of the country. They have established a provisional government in Benghazi. And most of the military is now siding with them.

But according to our two guests, the opposition is anything but unified and it's still not clear who is leading it. Simon Henderson is the Director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at the Washington Institute in Washington D.C. Ali Abdullatif Ahmida heads the political science department at the University of New England. He's also the author of several books on Libya and North Africa. He was in Biddeford, Maine.

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