1. Popular army to march on Tripoli
Juan Cole’s Informed Comment blog has the latest round-up of events in Libya, including news that 10,000 soldiers in the east have defected and are preparing to march on the capital.
2. A regime in mortal free fall
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Lenin’s Tomb describes Gaddafi’s determination to hang on to power at all costs, and points out the way in which he has been propped up in the past by UK and US governments.
3. Weighing intervention in Libya
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Over at openDemocracy, two international relations analysts argue that sanctions, a criminal investigation and enforcing a no-fly zone are necessary to stop Gaddafi killing civilians. They also note that the strongest calls for action are coming not from the west, but from Arab populations.
4. Libya’s “African mercenary” problem
The Africa specialist Tomathon identifies a strain of racism in claims that sub-Saharan African mercenaries hired by Gaddafi are responsible for the worst violence against Libyan protesters.
5. Arab uprisings mark a turning point for the taking
Peter Hallward on Comment is Free argues that the events in Libya and across the Middle East represent a challenge to the reigning world economic order.
Don’t miss Olivier Roy’s exclusive essay on the Arab uprisings in this week’s New Statesman.