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Frattini denies Italian support for Libyan rebels
As the L?�byan crisis intensifies Europe is watching developments nervously. There are concerns over energy supplies and an influx of refugees from the conflict zone. Italy, the former colonial power in Libya, has a complex relationship with the country. The Italian foreign affairs minister, Franco Frattini, spoke to euronews about his concerns over the unfolding conflict. euronews: “Minister Frattini, Gaddafi says he will resist to the death, while over 1,000 Libyans are reported to have been killed by his mercenaries. Prime Minister Berlusconi has assumed an attitude of non-interference towards Gaddafi, but the Libyan dictator says that Italy has interfered by providing weapons to the demonstrators.” Frattini: “That is not true, we have not given weapons to the demonstrators or the rebels. We did not give weapons to anyone in Libya. It is also not true that Italy has not taken a position against Libya. We have take the same position as the EU and the rest of the international community, which is strong condemnation of the bloodshed and a demand for the immediate cessation of violence.” euronews: “Do you thing Gaddafi is trying to hold on to power by using the rhetoric of the past to get his people angry, calling for revenge for Italian colonialism, or even worse using blackmail, threatening a devastating invasion of migration to Italy and Europe? Frattini: “We reject any legacy of a colonial past that has hurt the Libyan people, but to once again accuse Italy and the United States of interfering in Libya’s affairs is false, not true. We will continue to work with the international community to ensure that the violence ceases immediately.” euronews: “No one wants to lose the profitable business Italian firms get from Libya, but at this point would be it not be better to tear up the friendship pact between Italy and Gaddafi?” Frattini: “The signature of this friendship is an agreement that has resulted in a treaty, overwhelmingly approved by the Italian parliament and concerns the Italian national interest. We will see what happens in the future. I hope we can finally start a national dialogue and that the demands of the Libyan people are heard, that the violence will stop. This is what the international community calls for and Italy is working on it.” euronews: “How is it possible that nobody anticipated this great revolution that, from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya and most likely also tomorrow to Algeria and Morocco, has inflamed the whole Mediterranean?” Frattini: “Until two months ago the Western world had settled for partnerships of convenience, stability and economic interests. Perhaps we underestimated the partnerships of coexistence, those based on common social visions. No-one could have predicted the rapidity of events. Events were so fast that no government could make provisions, not even the Italian one. Above all it was absolutely not expected by the analysts who have written rivers of ink about the Arab world. And this was just between the end of December and early January. They did not understand anything!” euronews: “Now what will happen over the next five years?” Frattini: “I do not know what to say, but it’s our duty to help this transition process without dictating policy to any of these countries. Only those unfamiliar with the Arab world could be so irresponsible as to believe that they would passively follow the directives coming from Rome or Brussels or Washington. They never follow that sort of lead! All the Mediterranean leaders, whom I know very well, recognise one Italian virtue: that of teaching others, by listening and then helping. This is the right way!” euronews: “It is now certain that there will quickly be an exodus of biblical proportions from North Africa. Northern League leader Umberto Bossi says that Italy must tell France and Germany to take the refugees: it’s clearly a provocation but if Italy and Lampedusa island are the frontline, where is the EU?” Frattini: “Unfortunately, there were vague and inconsistent answers from Brussels. We strongly urge Europe to intervene quickly because the matter is not Italian or Sicilian, but it concerns the entire European Union. If there are 200,000 or 300,000 desperate people who head north, Italy alone could never take them. All EU countries should take on this issue. Otherwise it is simple: the crisis could undermine the principle of solidarity which is one of the pillars upon which Europe was founded in 1957. It would be a pickaxe blow into a fundamental requirement of Europe. We Italians are working to avoid this, and ensure there is a global European response to this emergency.” euronews: “You have been vice president of the European Commission. Do you think that Brussels’ attitude towards Italy is the result of a strong reluctance by the European Commission to deal with a government whose prime minister will be on trial next April?” Frattini: “The European Union doesn’t usually take this sort of thing into consideration. These are the considerations of Italian domestic politics. We think and believe that the Italian government has every right, is legitimate, and has a parliamentary majority that allows us to move forward.” euronews: “Honestly, haven’t you been embarrassed to read for months, on the front pages of the world’s newspapers, transcripts of Berlusconi’s sexual shenanigans?” Frattini: “I have told many of my fellow ministers who read that this is probably the result of massive leaks, which in other countries are punished harshly. In Italy the invasion of privacy is permitted, tolerated and substantially encouraged. In most Western countries all this is punished. And that’s what I explained to my European colleagues.” Copyright © 2011 euronews

Yemen opposition reject unity govt with Saleh
Yemen’s opposition parties have said they will reject any offer from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a unity government. Read our news file The offer is expected to be made within the next 24 hours but Yemen’s opposition coalition insisted they would not compromise over their key demand that Saleh must resign. Mass rallies against the president’s 32-year rule began over a month ago. Saleh has already said he will not seek re-election at the end of his current seven-year term in 2013 but that promise has failed to quell the unrest. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Teachers strike in Bahrain’s revolution
Anti-government demonstrators camped in the centre of Bahrain’s capital Manama have been joined by 1,500 striking teachers, all calling for the downfall of the regime. There is little sign of the revolt letting up, but the atmosphere has eased considerably after the deaths of seven people in the past week. One of the teachers, Yasser Abd Hussein, said: “We have left the schools and declared a general strike. We’ll stay here until the departure of this regime.” Another protester, Madeen Ali Ahmed, said: “The massacre led us to increase our demands, from reshuffling the government to its complete removal.” Bahrain’s King has asked his son the Crown Prince to start talks with all parties but the opposition are reluctant to enter into dialogue after the bloodshed of recent days. Their demands include a true constitutional monarchy that would give Bahrainis a greater role in a directly elected government. Seventy per cent of the population are Shi-ite Muslims but they are a minority in the parliament. The Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa royal family, who have ruled Bahrain for 200 years, dominate the cabinet. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya witness: ‘It’s time for revolt. We are free’
With foreign journalists banned form Libya, information on what is happening on the ground is hard to come by and difficult to verify but euronews was able to speak to Mohamed Nabous of Radio Free Libya to ask his perspective. He told us: “We’ve managed to get rid of all government representation here. It’s time for revolt. We are free. We have completely liberated ourselves from the Gaddafi government.“?� Amid reports of mercenaries in Libya, particularly in Benghazi, who are terrorising and killing people inside the city, we asked if he could confirm this.?�“Yes it’s 100 percent true,” he said. “I have photos and videos to confirm it. We are now holding four foreign mercenaries but we can’t talk with them because we don’t speak their language.?�“Popular committees have been set up following the chaos of the last three days. These committees are in charge of ensuring security within the city. It’s the committee which rules here now. It has taken up office in the court building. I should add that the committee has decided to collect all the weapons in the hands of young people to avoid any kind of crime. We’ve done this despite the fact that the people here are united and the young are very well organised. They themselves took this initiative to collect the arms before the committee did.”?� Copyright © 2011 euronews

Diplomacy with muscle for Libya?
Two American amphibious assault ships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to waters off Libya. The visual build up of force is not a green light for military intervention. There is little consensus on that among western powers, at the moment they are watching and talking. British Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “I do think it is the job of the leaders in the Western world in particular to prepare for all eventualities, and all the things that might happen, particularly if Colonel Gaddafi unleashes more things on his own people. And on those grounds, yes I think we should, and we are, looking at plans for a no-fly zone, and I was particularly heartened by what Secretary of State Clinton said. She said ‘a no fly zone is an option we are actively considering’, these issues are being discussed in the North Atlantic Council.” The Arab League has said it could impose a “no fly” zone. Secretary-General Amr Moussa confirmed it was one of the steps they could take in cooperation with the African Union. “The Arab League will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of our brothers in Libza is spilt,” he said. The Arab League has suspended the membership of Muammar Gaddafi’s government. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Palestinian government resigns to seek new start
The Palestinian government – under pressure after internal scandals and events elsewhere in the Arab world – has resigned, say officials in Ramallah. President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to ask Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to form a new team ahead of planned elections later this year. The government has been weakened by revelations that major concessions were offered to Israel during peace talks. On Saturday the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, stood down. The latest move is also being seen as an attempt to show the government’s responding to events in Tunisia and Egypt. For Abbas, the fall of his ally Hosni Mubarak was a bitter blow. But the planned elections face one major obstacle. Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza strip, says it will not take part, arguing that Abbas has no legitimacy. The Palestinian leader’s mandate ran out in January 2009 but was extended until new polls could be held. Elections set for last year were put back because of disputes between Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah movement. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Chinese consumers more pessimistic
Consumer confidence in China dropped in the final three months of last year hurt by expectations for rising prices. China’s National Bureau of Statistics released the data based on surveys. It was the second consecutive quarterly decline. Concerns about quickening inflation, especially surging property prices, and rising interest rates all had a negative effect on consumer confidence, the survey showed. Of those consumers polled, 84 percent thought food prices would climb further over the next 12 months, up from 78 percent in the third quarter. About 67 percent of those questioned believed property prices were on the ascent, up from 62 percent in the previous quarter. China’s inflation is running close to two-year highs, and many analysts believe it could accelerate in coming months as global food prices soar. Copyright © 2011 euronews

British MPs back Libya mission
British forces may have already engaged in military action over Libya, but back in Westminster a relieved government now has the full backing of parliament. A debate which lasted six hours saw MPs vote overwhelmingly to support UK forces’ involvement in enforcing the no-fly zone. But it was not an easy ride for Prime Minister David Cameron who had to respond to several uncomfortable questions. “Many people would ask the question I am sure today about regime change and Gaddafi and the rest, I have been clear: I think Libya needs to get rid of Gaddafi. But in the end, we are responsible for trying to enforce the Security Council resolution. The Libyans must choose their own future,” said the prime minister. READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy But if Cameron has his political mandate there is less support from a sceptical British public. Only one in three people agrees with the action while two thirds are either against or don’t know. Britain’s government has been at pains to stress the legality of the intervention in order to distance itself from the Iraq campaign which divided the country. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Pro-Gaddafi forces ‘close in on Benghazi’
There have been some dramatic developments in Libya in fighting between rebels and troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.?�France’s AFP news agency says pro-Gaddafi forces have?�proposed a ceasefire until Sunday to give the opposition time to surrender.?�It comes amid fresh reports that the rebel held city of Ajdabiyah is surrounded, leaving open only the road north to the larger rebel stronghold of Benghazi.?�A senior hospital official in Adjabiyah says at least 30 people have been killed, with 80 others wounded in the fighting.?�Gaddafi soldiers are also now said to have recaptured the major oil terminal of Zueitina on the outskirts of the rebel capital. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Saudis up output as Libyan oil exports disrupted
Oil prices retreated from their recent highs on Friday as a senior industry official said top exporter Saudi Arabia has increased output following disruptions to supplies from Libya. Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said this week that the producers’ cartel OPEC is prepared to meet any shortage if needed and has enough spare capacity to do that. OPEC has resisted calls for a formal increase in output and does not plan to meet until June. But sources say Saudi Arabia – the only country able to pump large amounts of extra oil at short notice – has raised output about eight percent to above nine million barrels per day. Some European oil firms said they plan to buy crude from Iran as well as Russia and other Caspian countries. The West’s energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency, said on Friday there was no need for an immediate strategic stock release. Copyright © 2011 euronews