Amnesty International Calls for International Help

New York: Amnesty International warned today of a growing humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of people flee Libya to neighboring states and urged the international community to offer urgent support to assist those fleeing the violence and chaos.

The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Tunisia would need help to deal with up to 75,000 people who had fled Libya since February 20. It said many thousands remained stuck at the border between the two countries in freezing conditions. 

The U.N. refugee agency said 69,000 people had also crossed into Egypt from Libya since February 19.

“All Libya’s neighboring states must keep their borders open and provide assistance to all those fleeing violence. They are obliged to do this under international law,” said Michael Bochenek, Amnesty International's law and policy director.

“The international community must also do all it can to offer urgent support and assistance to the Tunisian authorities and other states accepting those fleeing the violence, and help migrants return safely to their home countries as quickly as possible if they desire,” 

Amnesty International also said it was concerned that migrants in Libya who originate from countries in sub-Saharan Africa were being turned back at the Tunisian border.

“All those fleeing the chaos in Libya must be given sanctuary by neighboring states without discrimination – not refused entry and put at risk of falling victim to further violence.” 

About 14,000 Filipinos are trapped in Libya, according to the Philippines Labour Department. The Labour Department estimated that there were 30,000 Filipinos working in Libya before the crisis began there.  The Philippine group Migrante-ME has estimated that the total was closer to 150,000.  

Migrante-ME has said that some workers have been hiding in Tripoli while many others are stuck in Libya's oil production areas.

Other foreign migrants workers include an estimated 60,000 Bangladeshis and between 2,000 and 5,000 Nepalis with many struggling to find a way out.

It is estimated that were more than a million refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Libya before the current crisis, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa.

"The international community must also provide aid to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees and other bodies struggling to deal with this crisis. They must also act quickly, before the problem gets even worse," said Bochenek.

Amnesty International is also calling for:

·        Neighboring countries to allow entry to all arrivals from Libya - of Libyan nationals as well as nationals of other states.
·        Receiving countries to address the immediate needs of arrivals (shelter and accommodation, food, medical services) pending their referral to appropriate services and procedures that address their situation more directly.
·        The international community should assist countries receiving those fleeing Libya with their immediate needs and should assist with resources necessary to ensure that people can reach a place of safety.
·        Allow Libyan nationals temporary protection to allow time for the situation in Libya to be clarified and possible longer-term solutions for them to be identified.
·        States to screen, separate, and respond appropriately to those who are implicated in serious criminal acts, notably crimes under international law.
·        For the referral of those who have been recognized as refugees or are asylum seekers to national asylum procedures or to UNHCR.
·        Provide assistance to those third-country nationals who do not claim international protection with assistance to enable them to return in safety to their homes.


Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

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Effective Bomb Attacks Decline in Afghanistan

By Cheryl Pellerin  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 2, 2011 - Across Afghanistan, the percentage of effective enemy attacks using homemade bombs declined from August to January, the outgoing director of an agency devoted to defeating those devices said yesterday. Army Lt. Gen. Michael L. Oates, second from right, gets a briefing from Army Brig. Gen. Michael Shields, right, and Army Lt. Col. David Flynn, second from left, at the Aghrandab District Center in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Oct. 13, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ian Schell  During a briefing at his organization's headquarters in Arlington, Va., Army Lt. Gen. Michael L. Oates, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, said the enemy puts out between 1,300 and 1,500 such bombs every month. "But the most important thing is that ... [the enemy's] percentage of effective attacks is declining. It has come down from 25 percent to 16 percent, and that results in fewer dead soldiers and civilians," Oates said. "The enemy," he added, "is 84 percent ineffective against us." But the high number of homemade bombs still being produced means much work remains, he said. "Because the volume has not dropped, this tells us that the enemy still has the motivation, the financing, the precursor material and the ability to emplace IEDs," Oates said. The aggregate data offers a statistical snapshot of activity across the embattled nation, he said, but it doesn't mean that bomb attacks have been less lethal in hot-spot areas such as the south and southwest regional commands, where deaths and injuries have increased recently. "To understand this war in Afghanistan or the one in Iraq," Oates said, "you have to telescope up and down [inside each nation] to get a full view." Methods of attack for the bombs also differ by area in Afghanistan, he said. In eastern Afghanistan, where the Haqqani terrorist network is the principal adversary, Oates said, more command-wire devices and some limited military explosives are used. "Down south," he said, "it's almost exclusively fertilizer-based bombs and pressure-plate devices that our soldiers have to contend with." Those types of bombs, he added, account for 70 percent of the attacks in Afghanistan. Command-wire, remotely controlled bombs remain a very small percentage of the total, the general said. On the battlefield, Oates said, persistent surveillance is one capability that is helping to reduce enemy effectiveness. Soldiers have equipment such as advanced firearm sighting systems, and airborne platforms -- including fixed-wing, manned and unmanned systems – that provide eyes in the sky. "We've increased significantly the number of aerostats, or blimps," Oates said. "They're ground-tethered and they've got cameras and suites of sensors aboard that can pick up a number of things." Sixty-seven aerostats are in Afghanistan now, Oates said. "Commanders there have asked for more," he added, "and we're probably going to double that number in the next year." This constellation of surveillance sensors that have gone into service over the last nine months is making a significant difference in finding the precursors of homemade explosives, the general said, watching those who try to emplace bombs and understanding how the enemy network is moving things around the battlefield. Good training and better protective equipment also have contributed this year to reducing the enemy's effectiveness, Oates said, offering an example. "Last year at this time, there were 12 or 13 route clearance companies in Afghanistan. Today there are 75," he said. "That's an enormous capability to sweep and clear the road on a much more frequent basis and a much more effective basis." In addition to protecting troops, keeping areas clear of roadside bombs also enables the civilian population to use the roads, Oates said, noting that the enemy kills more civilians than coalition and Afghan forces. On March 4, Oates will transfer authority for the organization to Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, who is returning from a 13-month deployment with U.S. Forces Iraq as deputy commander for advising and training. The new director "has extensive combat experience, and most importantly, recent experience," Oates said. Barbero "just came from Iraq three weeks ago, ... so he's going to bring that combat relevancy that's so vital to the directorship," he added. Oates pointed out that the organization was chartered to respond rapidly to warfighters' needs. "I think we've met that challenge," he said. "The people we care most about -- the soldiers and Marines overseas -- they're very happy with our work."

Biographies: Army Lt. Gen. Michael L. Oates Related Sites: Joint IED Defeat Organization  Related Articles: General Sees Progress in Counter-IED Fight  IED Eradication Needs Global Attention, General Says

Face of Defense: Crew Chief Earns Citizenship

By Army Sgt. Amanda Jo Brown  Task Force Phoenix KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, March 2, 2011 - After months of research and dedication, Army Sgt. Andreas Buttner took the oath of U.S. citizenship with more than 100 other service members Jan. 29 at Kandahar Airfield here. Army Sgt. Andreas Buttner, right, displays his certificate of citizenship as he stands next to his escort, Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Allan Mace, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 29, 2011. U.S. Army photo  Buttner, a 34-year-old crew chief in Company C, Task Force Phoenix, began the process of obtaining his citizenship after arriving here in September. Originally from Fulda, Germany, Buttner deployed to Afghanistan prepared with all of the paperwork he would need to begin his naturalization packet. He acknowledged he was anxious about the process even though he had been extremely thorough. "I was nervous and excited -- nervous that I was missing any documents, [and] excited that I was on track for citizenship," he said. Buttner mailed the completed packet back to the United States to begin the review process, and naturalization authorities began his background check. Four months after submitting his naturalization packet, Buttner and his escort, Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Allan Mace of Sacramento, Calif., flew to Kandahar to finish the immigration process, which included completing an interview. "The interview took about one and a half hours, and I was very nervous, because the decision for citizenship approval or disapproval is made right then and there," Buttner said. "Of course, the thought of missing any paperwork or supporting documents was on my mind." Prior to his interview, Buttner was required to study 100 questions for an exam that covered American history and government. He passed with flying colors. Mace, who has known Buttner for more than four years, said Buttner sacrificed and invested himself in the United States. "It is people like him who tell the world that with hard work, diligence, dedication and love for a nation that the United States continues to be a country of opportunity and compassion," Mace said. Buttner recommends that soldiers who want to become U.S. citizens take advantage of the support the military offers. "I am extremely proud to be a citizen and to continue to fight alongside my fellow citizens for the stabilization of Afghanistan and to ensure the freedom and liberty of all back home," he said.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force