http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=libya
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1946864/posts
“Libya becomes U.N. council president (It’s a ‘rotation’ thing)”
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 1/1/08 | Patrick Worsnip
Posted on 01/01/2008 12:59:30 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Libya took over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday in a major step back to global respectability after decades as a pariah of the West.
The North African country was elected in October, as were Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia and Vietnam, to sit on the council in 2008-09 after the United States, which foiled two earlier bids by Tripoli, decided not to block it this time.
By an alphabetical accident, Libya becomes president of the 15-nation body from its very first day as a member, succeeding Italy. Each country is president for a month, the rotation going in English alphabetical order of names.
Libya and Burkina Faso had been unopposed after being endorsed by the African regional grouping for two African seats that fell vacant on December 31.
The Security Council is the powerhouse of the United Nations, with the ability to send peacekeeping troops around the world and impose sanctions on specific countries.
Unlike the five permanent members — the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China — the nonpermanent members have no individual veto. But an alliance of seven of them can stop a resolution even if the big powers want it.”
blog:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/01/taliban_kidnap_pakis.php
“Taliban kidnap Pakistani troops in last known location of Baitullah Mehsud”
By BILL ROGGIO
January 1, 2008 1:24 PM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The Taliban have kidnapped four Pakistani paramilitary forces in the town of Makeen in the tribal agency of South Waziristan. Makeen is the last reported location of Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who has privately claimed credit for Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
The four Pakistani paramilitary soldiers of the South Waziristan Scouts were kidnapped after the Taliban attacked the Ladha Fort near the town of Makeen. The Taliban “seized the soldiers as they descended from their observation post on a hill near Makeen in South Waziristan,” AFP reported. “The rebels launched rocket and mortar attacks on a military base near Ladda town from rugged terrain bordering Afghanistan,” a security official told the news organization.”