Sunday, March 27, 2011
Woman claiming to have been raped by Gaddafi's militia is dragged away in full view of western journalists.
From the The New York Times:
“They swore at me and they filmed me. I was alone. There was whiskey. I was tied up,” she told Michael Georgy of Reuters, who was able to speak with her briefly. “I am not scared of anything. I will be locked up immediately after this.” She added: “Look at my face. Look at my back.” Her other comments were captured by television cameras.
A wild scuffle began as journalists tried to interview, photograph and protect her. Several journalists were punched, kicked and knocked down by the security forces, working in tandem with people who until then had appeared to be hotel staff members. Security officials destroyed a CNN video camera and seized a device that a Financial Times reporter had used to record her testimony. A plainclothes security officer pulled out a revolver.
Two members of the hotel staff grabbed table knives to threaten Ms. Obeidy and the journalists.
“Turn them around, turn them around,” a waiter shouted, trying to block the foreign news media from having access to Ms. Obeidy. A woman on the staff shouted: “Why are you doing this? You are a traitor!” and briefly put a coat over Ms. Obeidy’s head.
There was a prolonged standoff behind the hotel as the security officials apparently restrained themselves because of the presence of so many journalists, but Ms. Obeidy was ultimately forced into a white car and taken away.
“Leave me alone,” she shouted as one man tried to cover her mouth with his hand.
“They are taking me to jail,” she yelled, trying to resist the security guards, according to Reuters. “They are taking me to jail.”
I have no idea whether or not this woman was telling the truth or not, but I know damn well she should not have been dragged away while journalists are being punched and shoved away from her.
I can only imagine that woman's terror after she undoubtedly believed herself to be safe among western journalists, to then be grabbed be fellow Libyans and taken away to God knows where.
I certainly hope that the journalists get to the bottom of this and make sure that no harm has come to this woman.
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ahem, look at your headline - do you really mean "in full few?"
ReplyDeleteTypo in the headline.
ReplyDeleteIf she is ¨mental,¨ they will show the world they found her relatives and she is okay.
ReplyDeleteIf she is telling the truth, she may have just saved her own life. After watching this video, it is impossible for anyone to not be concerned about her welfare. Her story is damning, and they know it. So is her disappearance. The easiest ¨solution¨ is for them to drug her then film her living in a mental hospital. Reporters should demand permission to speak to her directly to determine if she´s been drugged. Her family and friends should be interviewed as well.
G, fix your headline. I think you mean "in full view".
ReplyDeleteFast forward several weeks, supposing she was impregnated from the State sanctioned rape, she is now being dragged away by the Tea Party and conservative por-life faithful that have instituted laws to protect the zygote. They'll imprison her for the baby's safety and welcome lemonaid in 9 months. Joyous for all.
ReplyDeleteWas the token Fox News reporter having an eye averting, quiet and undisturbed breakfast in the corner?
ReplyDeleteOkay THAT might have been one of the funniest typos I have ever produced.
ReplyDeleteFixed now.
Unfortunately, she is likely dead. For all that is wrong with our country, and that is A LOT, watching that footage makes me thankful that here in America, women have (some/More) rights. Glad to be back on US soil, well, until I hear some wacko right winger do or say something stupid; after being out of the country for the last month. I have been trying to keep up with you all, but it has been difficult. Nice to see that all your good work on the take down of SP is working and she is clearly crashing and burning. Asked around while on my trip about SP and all I got was WHO? or rolling of eyes. I also got......."What is wrong with the Americans that like that women?" Had lots of "Expalining" to do, but tried my best to set the record straight. Still curious as to why no one seems to be bothering with Shailey?????? Need to get up to speed with that. Keep up the good work, Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteAppalling. I'm afraid that poor woman is probably dead by now.
ReplyDeleteWhether she was lying or not, the behavior of those present ought to be explained, and I hope the reporters ask the waiters and security why her allegations were so threatening physical violence was necessary.
Anon @ 5 am - her story is not damning to these zealous citizens - this is f'ing Hotel Staff for god's sake. These are Libyan "Patriots." You can find these types of folks in Sarah Palin's Real America and our country will look just like this in Conservative America.
ReplyDeleteWow, was this Libya or a Health Care Town Hall meeting? Rand Paul rally? In the wings of a private Sarah Palin speaking engagement?
ReplyDeleteAbu Ghraib.
ReplyDeletePot, Kettle.
I would not be surprised either to learn that this woman is dead. This is just one of the kinds of atrocities that Gaddafi and his goons have visited upon people who have rebelled against his government. I strongly suspect that a lot more such incidents have not come to the attention of the media.
ReplyDeleteIf you go on a blog called TOPIX, you will read posts by a certain demented character who calls himself Smokin' Joe Obama and whose ISP is from Anchorage. He is one of many who keep perpetuating the lie that President Obama is somehow in league with Gaddafi. This fool posts on TOPIX forums with various monikers, but he is always defending Palin's idiocies and is one of the few who still insist on seeing her as presidential material. He embodies all the things that characterizes Palinbots: jingoism, racism, sexism, ant-union sentiment, among other things. His hatred of the president, as well as of those who think like him, clouds his judgment to the point where even though Obama joined other countries in support of the Libyan rebels, Smokin' and his ilk still insist on seeing Obama as anti-American and exclusively pro-Arab.
My heart goes out to this poor woman and her family, wherever they are.
"I certainly hope that the journalists get to the bottom of this and make sure that no harm has come to this woman."
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck are the journalists going to do? At best, the Libyan police will ignore any request to discuss or visit the woman. At worst, anyone inquiring about the woman will end up joining her in a mass grave outside Libya.
The Libyan Information Minister was on BBC News claiming that a criminal investigation of the woman's allegations was taking place and that she was safe and well and in the custody of the criminal investigation bureau, and that she was offered the services of a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteHe also claimed that she was removed from the hotel for making a political event of what is essentially a criminal matter.