NATO'S Massacre at Majer, Libya

Residents Say NATO's Air Strikes Killed 85 People, Including 33 Children, 32 Women and 20 Men.

(MAJER, Libya) - Located about 20 miles east of the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna, six miles south of Zliten, and off Libya's southern coast across the Mediterranean from Rome, Majer was a picturesque village known for the fine quality of its dates and is claimed by locals to produce the best tarbuni (date juice) in Libya.

Family members, eyewitnesses and Libyan government officials claim that NATO's air-strikes at Majer killed 85 people, including 33 children, 32 women and 20 men. Reporters and visitors were shown 30 of the bodies in a local morgue, including a mother and two children. Officials and residents explained that approximately 50 bodies were taken to other locations for family burial and most of the injured rushed to hospitals at Tripoli.

At Majer, NATO chose to bomb three neighboring compounds and visitors examined a total of five bombed-out houses. There was no evidence of weapons at the farmhouses, but rather mattresses, clothes and books littered the area. One badly injured 15-year old young lady, Salwa Ageil Al Jaoud, had earlier written her name inside one notebook found amidst the rubble. She was later visited in hospital and attested, like the witnesses at Qana had, that there was no military presence in the homes that were bombed.

NATO used the same tactic that Israel used during the two Qana massacres. After the first three bombs dropped at around 11:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Monday, August 8, many residents of the area ran to the bombed houses to try to save their loved ones. NATO then instantly struck with more bombs slaughtering 85 Libyans.

The badly burned and mangled bodies of two boys named Adil Moayed Gafes and Aynan Gafees were pulled from the rubble by family members deeply in shock. One anguished gentleman repeated the words, ""There is no God but Allah, and a martyr is loved by Allah," and soon others joined in.

Standing on a pile of rubble, Libyan government spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, declared, "This is a crime beyond imagination. Everything about this place is civilian!"

According to Libyan officials interviewed at the Rixos Hotel here in Tripoli last night, NATO attacked Majer "to try to help rebel fighters enter the government-held city from the south as it deepens its involvement and military command and control of one side in what has become a civil war hoping for billions of dollars in reconstruction contracts and special oil deals from its chosen team set up in eastern Libya."

Seemingly borrowing a page from the Israeli army media office, NATO's Carmen Romero, the NATO Deputy Spokesperson and Colonel Roland Lavoie, Operation ''Unified Protector'' military spokesperson on 8/9/11 told a joint Brussels-Naples news conference that "the village bombed contained a military assembly area and that NATO to date had no evidence of any civilian casualties but that NATO always takes extraordinary measures to assure the safety of civilians."

It is predictable, that as the evidence of the massacre at Majer becomes public and NATO is pressed to explain the killing of yet more Libya civilians, NATO, probably within the next 48 hours, will announce "an internal investigation" into the events at Majer while asserting in advance, as the Israelis regularly do, that their bombing was only directed at "legitimate military targets."

Every Muslim and Christian Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, and every Lebanese citizen whose family members or loved ones were slaughtered during Israel's two massacres at Qana, Lebanon, is reminded today of the indescribable loss suffered yesterday by their Libyan sisters and brothers at Majer, Libya.

The Majer massacre was perpetrated yet again with American weapons once more gifted by American taxpayers without their knowledge or consent and against every American humanitarian value shared by all people of good will. As at Qana, the inventory of American weapons that has been provided to NATO and available for use here in Libya since March 29, 2011, sometimes indiscriminately, in order "to protect civilians" includes, but if not limited to, the following:

B-2 stealth bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, F-15Es currently based at the 492nd Fighter Squadron and 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, Britain, F-16CJ "defense-suppression" aircraft based at the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, EC-130 Commando Solo psychological operations aircraft from the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Middletown, PA, KC-135s from the 100th Air Refueling Wing currently based at Mildenhall, Britain and the 92nd, Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, WA, C-130Js recently based at the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and A-10 attack fighters, and AC-130 gunships.

The NATO attacks on Libya began with the bombing of claimed Libyan air-defense equipment using 110 American Tomahawk and Tactical Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Also launched were bombing attacks using three American B-2 Spirit Bombers delivering 45 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) against Libyan air bases. Tomahawks were also fired from British ships in the area.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Barry (DDG 52),Submarines USS Providence (SSN 719), USS Scranton (SSN 756) and USS Florida (SSGN 728),Marine amphibious ships USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and USS Ponce (LPD 15) Command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), Support ships Lewis and Clark, Robert E. Peary and Kanawha, AV-8B Harrier fighters, CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft aboard the Kearsarge and Ponce, KC-130J tanker aircraft flying from Sigonella Air Base, Italy, EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft of VAQ-132, based at Whidbey Island, WA and flying from Aviano Air Base, Italy (the above listed aircraft were diverted from Iraq at NATO's request "to help protect Libyan civilians"), P-3 Orion sub-hunters and EP-3 Aries electronic attack aircraft.

In addition to the above listed weapons, more than 50 types of American bombs and missiles are stockpiled for NATO use "to protect civilians in Libya" and their use to date is illegal under both American and International law, because it has resulted in the killing, maiming or wounding of approximately 7,800 Libyan civilians between March 29 and August 9, 2011.

Dead civilians in Zliten Hospital. CNN cameraman
in background. Copyright, Matthew Ozanon 2011

A survey of NATO bombing sites, ground inspections, cataloged serial numbers from unexploded ordnance, examination of bomb and missile fragments at civilian sites in Western Libya, and consultation with Libyan military sources confirm what two US Senate Armed Services Committee staffers and international lawyers have postulated.

NATO, like their Israeli allies at Qana, Lebanon, committed war crimes and crimes against humanity at Majer, Libya on August 8, 2011.

Specifically, NATO stands accused of committing the following crimes against the people of Libya according to a consensus from meetings with an increasing number of visiting international lawyers and human rights advocates who have come here from Europe, Asia and South and North America.

Applicable international law includes but is not limited to Article 3 of the Statute of The Hague International Penal Court which clearly states that one criterion for indictment for war crimes is: "Attack or bombardment, by whatever means, against undefended cities, towns, villages, buildings or houses".

  NATO's continuous use of civilian targets for military purposes, a scenario which NATO wantonly and callously calls "collateral damage" fits this clause exactly and would be a cornerstone of a case accusing this organization of being guilty of war crimes.

  Violation of the Geneva Convention IV, Article 3 (a): "To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons: violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds."

These are similar causes of action that were filed against Israeli officials by American lawyers at the New York based Center for Constitutional Rights in Ali Saadallah BELHAS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Moshe YA`ALON, Defendant (466 F.Supp.2d 127 (2006) A case that educated the international legal community and the public about the necessity to strip sovereign immunity from international outlaws and allow lawsuits in domestic as well as international courts.

The NATO massacre at Majer requires international law suits that achieve nothing less.

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Mathew August 15, 2011 6:20 pm (Pacific time)

Editor my previous comment was directed at your statement regarding your brief and limited visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, and what makes you think you have any idea what's going on there, much less have any knowledge of Osama's living/medical conditions before the SEALS killed him? I agree that if you would like to call these warriors liars, let me know when so I can bring some popcorn. Otherwise you have a very high opinion of yourself, and why I have no idea, unless you're just putting everyone on? Is that it? As per Libya, well I see that as nothing more than an Obama distraction that failed, and does not get very high on my interest list, nor the majority of Americans. Obama's toast.

Tim King: I get sick of guys like you so fast man.

Mathew August 15, 2011 9:16 am (Pacific time)

Critical thinking? That's a wonderful thing to engage, but primary source information is needed before you can engage that action. So editor, what are your primary sources? That's a fair question don't you think? By the way I know a couple of journalists that have made multiple trips to Iraq/Afghanistan, and from their statements to me, they learn something new on each trip that changes their perceptions. It's important to be able to take in new info, even when it changes the current assessment one has, in my opinion, and that is the hallmark of critical thinking analysis.

Editor: Matthew, our reporter Dr. Franklin Lamb is on the ground in Libya, has been from the beginning, is that really something you missed?

Anonymous August 14, 2011 6:36 pm (Pacific time)

Editor I think our military and all the experts in the State Department and our various special op intelligence services (including all our allies around the world) have been wasting time and money. All they needed to do was contact you for the real scoop. I mean you spent considerable time in Iraq and Afghanistan, that coupled with your seasoned experience, geez, let's go get Tim Kings perspective! A little info, back in the early 60's, before you were born, we uncovered a huge North Vietnamese/VC cave system fully equipped with all the latest medical tech, along with numerous generators that actually vented out into swamps so thickly covered by a dense jungle canopy it never would have even been detected by todays infrared. Many of the cave systems in Afghanistan have been off limits to media, but moving in time nearly 50 years, pretty sure that they could duplicate what I saw, even surpass it. When our top people say they killed Osama, and people call them liars, then do it to their faces tenderfoot, do it to their faces. You have an uninformed opinion, that is all you have.

Editor: We are critical thinkers, almost all other media is void of veterans and people with comprehension of the military. How a guy living with failing kidneys relates to a well stocked medical system in North Vietnamese caves loses me quite frankly. Also, name an Oregon reporter who has spent more time in either Iraq or Afghanistan than myself, as a reporter. Who? In Oregon, I know of a couple of reporters and photographers who have been in a war for a week, maybe three weeks. That includes Bosnia. I know many journalists who have spent more time there than myself but they aren't doing it as editors of daily publications/ I understand you believe the people who provide the government point of view, that is your right. Frankly I have little faith that what our government says is true. Now you want me to confront who exactly? I'm sorry you are troubled by critical thinking, it is what we do here.

Anonymous August 14, 2011 2:27 pm (Pacific time)

30 of our finest Soldiers got killed in Afghanistan. Shot down by terrorists. Not a word from this pathetic paper. Not a word from the liberal Media all together. Like it's not a big deal, just some soldiers killed in action. Who cares right? But an air strike kills some people in a different part of the world, the heart bleeding liberals start crying.

Editor: It is not that simple, and I do have a brand new piece that is a tribute under development by Luke Easter, a former Marine and a good American. Me, I'm very disturbed by the absurdity of the whole thing. I do not believe that bin Laden was alive any time over the last ten years, his image that has been used repeatedly by the Bush administration to steer political climate featured different men being 'presented' as bin Laden. I have been to the places in Afghanistan where he trained and served as part of the Mujahideen and I have talked to so many people... there is so much about the man that 99% of Americans know nothing about and if they did they would feel differently about it. I have no question that many men died in the crash, but just as bin Laden's 'remains' were allegedly tossed in the sea without ID, as a man can not live in a cave system receiving kidney dialysis for ten years, with a several million dollar price tag on his head, in a poor region pillaged by a terribly aggressive U.S. war.... But it isn't about being liberal, is it? Is Obama liberal? Was Jesus liberal? This is about truth, about refusing to nod as a sheep and believe all of the BS we're fed by a false flag government of little honesty.

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it

Mark Twain

Anonymous August 13, 2011 7:47 pm (Pacific time)

Here is the full text of Patrick Henry that luke easter uses out of context for his own interests...http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/henry-liberty.html

Anonymous August 13, 2011 3:38 pm (Pacific time)

Also: look up.. ATF sending high power weapons to Mexico causing thousands of deaths..The U.S./Nato/globalists, are taking down the mexican government also...Then look up: wachovia bank laundering drug money (one of the banks obama bailed out). then look up, "marines guarding opium fields in afghanistan, spreading cheap and potent heroin thru out the world....As mentioned...wake up! Please give me ONE shred of evidence that ghadaffi is killing the civilians..just ONE.

Anonymous August 13, 2011 3:34 pm (Pacific time)

Luke..Please provide any info on how many people gadaffi has killed.. From my research, it was rebels, alCIADA, backed by NATO, that attacked a military base, and the military base defended itself. Please provide any proof.. Here is mine. 1. http://whatreallyhappened.com/content/talking-two-gaddafi-loyalists-libya 2. http://12160.info/video/gaddafis-son-libya-like?xg_source=activity 3 Please show me one shred of evidence that ghadaffi is killing his people.. 4. Look up: ghadaffi wont be a part of the central banks that enslave nations. 5. Look up: ghadaffi has given his people free health care, and education (incuding universities). 6. Look up: ghadaffi has built a water system that rivals the planet. (NATO bombed the water system, water that people need) 7. Look up, NATO killing innocent civilians. 8. NATO has killed many innocent civilians, and the U.S has killed upwards to a million Iraqi's. Wake up Luke, look at what is going on, instead of sitting at your lil own websites, that you agree with. Our country is in turmoil, and the only reason there are terrorists, is because we keep intervening in other countries...Luke, what would you do, if a drone from China killed your family? Or do you even have a family? Wake the frig up!!

gp August 13, 2011 1:07 pm (Pacific time)

This is great, fewer people for American and European, Australian and Israelis to share the wealth with, hey, don't reduce your lifestyle, just get a new car and elect a government that will kill others so you can keep filling up your gas tank. Americans do not care if their government kills or maims kids or evil doers, if they did they would be out in the street rioting or breaking windows like the rest of the awake populations in the world. Nope, let the Americans watch the television, the computer screen and go shopping and they don't give a damn what happens to anyone else, I am sick of hearing how americans don't sponsor terrorism. They love it. There may be a few exceptions like the Berrigans who poured their blood over the missles, O'Keefe the crazy tatooed anti Zionist activist and the King family but there are not too many more, maybe a few hundred in all of the USA.

Anonymous August 13, 2011 9:50 am (Pacific time)

Obama killed these people! It's all on him and his staff, for they began this violence. Hey just ask former Rep. McKinney, or Farrakhan.

Luke Easter August 13, 2011 2:01 am (Pacific time)

Compared to how many Kadaffi has killed or had killed and surpressed, jailed, crippled, tortured... What about those bombed outside Lybia? It's called war and what else are they going to say? Factual or neccessary to save their lives from an insane leader? Saddam, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and this Idiot. As long as he's alive expect more lies. Freedom is not free. It cost lives and unfortunately many are innocent lives. "Give me liberty or give me death" Patrick Henry.

Anonymous August 12, 2011 5:35 pm (Pacific time)

I also suggest, looking up in the sky abut every hour during the day...what you will see, will blow you away..Dont take my word for it, just go look. Its happening as I write this, I just looked, and its disgusting. The bankers are killing everyone, not just a million Iraqi's, and those in Libya, they are slow killing us also thru vaccines, flouride in the water, GMO food etc Their religion is "eugenics" look it up.

Anonymous August 12, 2011 1:25 pm (Pacific time)

NATO bombing is happening for humanitarian reasons, not because Libya wont accept a central bank, and be slaves to the new world order bankers. signed: mainstream media.

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NATO'S Massacre at Majer, Libya

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