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Libyan Ambassador to UN Criticizes Gadhafi and Asks for UN's Help; Libyan Opposition Activist Wants Tangible Support From International Community But Not Military Intervention; Social Media Getting Reports Out of Tripoli Where Traditional Journalists Cannot Get In; What's Next for Libya? Correcting Gender Inequality in Germany; UN Security Council Drafts Resolution Against Libyan Governments' "Crimes Against Humanity;" Gadhafi Tells Supporters, Be Ready to Fight; Other Nations Continue to Evacuate Their Citizens From Libya; Oscar Preview
Aired February 25, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Libya the focus this hour.
We're going to take you to the UN, where we've seen quite extraordinary scenes from a Libyan there who is protesting his own government's response to what's going on.
Also on the ground, dancing and be happy -- as his regime crumbles around him and more protesters are shot in the streets, Moammar Gadhafi turns up to give a pep talk to his supporters in his last remaining stronghold, the Libyan leader made a brief speech in Tripoli on Friday, after his militiamen reportedly fired on protesters to stop them from marching in the capital. Gadhafi told his cheering supporters to be ready to fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER (through translator): We are prepared to break any aggression by the people's will, the armed people. And when will -- the time will come all the ammunition warehouses will be opened for the people to defend the country. I came here in order to greet you, to greet your courage. And I tell you to repel them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, and this amateur video is said the capture some of the earlier unrest in Tripoli. Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador, who has defected to join the opposition, says thousands of people have been killed so far in the uprising.
Tripoli may be a holdout, but more of Libya is now falling into opposition hands. In addition to the towns that we showed you yesterday, protesters have reportedly now taken control of Brega, both the city and its oil terminal. One of Gadhafi's sons, though, says the family will not be forced out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAIF AL-ISLAM GADHAFI, SON OF MOAMMAR GADHAFI: We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. Plan A is to live and die in Libya. Is to live and die in Libya. Is to live and die in Libya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Saif Gadhafi there.
Well, meantime, a ferry evacuating hundreds of people from Libya, more than half of them Americans, has arrived in Malta. The ferry had been stuck in the port in Benghazi due to bad weather.
Other nations also scrambling to evacuate their citizens as soon as possible.
Well, while some anti-government activists in Tripoli are braving the streets, others feel it is far too risky, saying that they are forced to sit in their homes as if they were sitting in jail.
We spoke earlier by phone with a resident in Tripoli.
We aren't revealing his identity, but here's what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VOICE OF LIBYAN PROTESTER, TALKING TO CNN FROM TRIPOLI: And I started hearing people shouting. I joined them. And we went, maybe, for 100, 150 meters. And then the security came back and started to -- to fire tear gas and live ammunition. And then I just decided to go home and wait for what -- what's going to happen.
Later on, we heard that people are coming from the east, with a huge crowds. But then I think there were snipers on top of buildings. That's what they told me. And they started shooting people. At least three people were killed. Seven were arrested.
Well, we are already scared, you know?
It's -- it's scary stuff. It's scary doing this conversation. This is just a little bit of Gadhafi's killing, you know. It's been going since the day he -- his first day. But now, because of the media and because of the Internet, he is totally exposed, you know?
The numbers are getting larger and larger and we don't know how long there's going to be -- going to be until the end.
I know it's going to end for sure, but we -- we don't want to see more people that are on the streets or in their homes or whatever. These are mercen -- mercenaries, you know. They just get paid to -- to show up. And themselves, they are scared to death, these people, because they know very soon they -- they will just disappear and you never see them. You'll never see a picture of Gadhafi very soon. We're not scared anymore of him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. Well, that's one eyewitness report in Tripoli.
We are able to report from areas outside of Tripoli, with our own staff, because there are no government handlers or censors to shut us down.
Ben Wedeman is in Libya's second largest city, which is Benghazi, which has been in the hands of the opposition since Sunday.
And he joins us live now with an update -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. Today we saw these very big demonstrations, despite the -- the cold, the wind and the rain. Demonstrations against Moammar Gadhafi's continued rule in Libya. It was really quite -- almost a celebration. But all is not happy here in this city.
We heard from the committee that runs the city after the Gadhafi forces were drawn -- pushed out, they told us that at this point, the death toll from the fighting that took place here is 250, with 30 bodies simply beyond identification.
What is clear is that despite the joy we see on the streets now, this city did pay a high cost for its freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: (voice-over): "Get out of the way" -- staff moving yet another casualty of Benghazi's Al Jala Hospital. This man was wounded not in clashes with the Libyan military, but, rather, when he picked up a hand grenade in an abandoned army camp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell them what's happening in our country, please. We did not meet anything just so they'll all know what's happening in our country.
WEDEMAN: His wounds are light, however, compared to other cases here in the intensive care unit.
RAMADHAN ATIWA, PHYSICIAN: This is a child who's been shooted in his chest. The bullet went through the lung through and through and ended in the left -- left ventricles.
WEDEMAN: Dr. Ramadhan Atiwa, a Libyan doctor based in London, rushed home to help treat the wounded. He wasn't prepared for what he found.
ATIWA: And the live ammunition which is being used in this country is only -- it's -- some of them are anti-aircraft, anti-tank. Imagine if you are a human being and you are being shot with a -- a weapon which is designed to penetrate 10 or 20 centimeters of -- of the -- of a tank.
WEDEMAN: The morgue was equally overwhelmed, staff unable to identify bodies burned beyond all recognition, though they were able to verify the identity of mercenaries killed in the fighting.
This hospital handled the bulk of casualties at the peak of the fighting between protesters and government forces. The experience of the past week was traumatic for all, says Dr. Ali Rabia.
ALI RABIA, PHYSICIAN: This situation we never have been faced before. So, actually, it's very, very sad
and a very depressing moment at the -- at that time. Really, it's -- if liberty was, I mean, crying and was uncontrolled and.
WEDEMAN: Volunteers from the liberation Red Crescent Society visited the hospital, giving flowers to the wounded -- a small token of gratitude from a city quickly becoming accustomed to its hard-won freedom.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WEDEMAN: And, Becky, people here in Benghazi also heard the news on Libyan state television that Moammar Gadhafi is threatening to open the doors to his arsenals to sympathetic tribes and supporters, saying that if they want to, they can use those arms to go after his opponents -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman for you, reporting from the east.
Let's get more now on the rebellion threatening to unseat Moammar Gadhafi.
We're joined by Mohammed Ali Abdallah.
He's the deputy secretary of the opposition group, National Front for the Salvation of Libya, based in London, and joining us here in the studio.
As we talk, we're just looking at pictures of those who have been -- in fact, they've gone home.
We're looking at pictures of -- of those who have been able to actually get out of the country.
But so many people, of course, are still there. And as Ben's report reflects, what's clear is that things are very unclear.
MOHAMMED ALI ABDALLAH, OPPOSITION ACTIVIST, NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE SALVATION OF LIBYA: Yes, that -- that's -- that's one of the issues and one of the tools that Gadhafi has used in this uprising is he's trying to create this vacuum of information and trying to fill that vacuum with false information. And this is an ongoing game that he's trying to play.
ANDERSON: So tell us, what do you know at this point?
ABDALLAH: Well, I mean, the latest information that we've got is that there were heavy clashes today in Tripoli, specifically around the areas of Tajura, which is the east suburb of Tripoli.
There is -- the key element in Tajura is a military base that has joined the uprising. And they tried to march onto Tripoli to try to reach general strike. They were not successful yet. However, clashes still remain until now and people were reporting gunshots in that area.
There was also demonstrations after the Friday prayer, where both -- basically, most of the mosque people came out demonstrating and were met with gunfire.
ANDERSON: You say the demonstration from the military environment wasn't successful.
Why?
Who are those -- do we know, what's the profile of those who are -- let's call them pro-government or pro-Gadhafi supporters -- at this point?
ABDALLAH: The -- the pro-Gadhafi supporters are basically his -- the barracks or the -- the military brigades that are under his son's command. So the Hamid Brigade (ph), which has been the primary one used in most of these attacks. So these are people who are made up of loyal, you know, people who are soldiers in these brigades and the majority of the numbers are actually mercenaries coming from many different countries, mainly in Africa and Eastern Europe.
So this is the makeup. Now, the pro-Gadhafi supporters that we see on some of the state television demonstrations, most of these are people who are paid to come out and hold out those pictures and flags. And these are few -- a couple or 300 people. And then you see the fish eye camera zooms and trying to, you know, portray it as if it's a huge crowd.
But in reality, the -- the people -- those -- that -- that number is - - is dwindling every day by day, as they see him being toppled.
ANDERSON: As we talk, we are -- and at this point, our viewers know - - looking at pictures coming in of the ferries which, of course, taken Americans -- primarily Americans -- to Malta at this point. It's a very scary environment for foreigners, but possibly a lot scarier for those who remain in the country.
At this stage, what's your best guess as to what happens next?
ABDALLAH: Well, it's anyone's guess right now.
But I think what the unanimous idea is, is that Gadhafi's regime is finished, OK?
That's a foregone conclusion. I think it's just a matter of when. And that is, in my opinion, I think, no more than three or four days that we will see...
ANDERSON: But what happens within that period of time?
ABDALLAH: That -- that's the scary part. And we've seen how -- how much of a maniac this guy is and how -- the extent that he's willing to go to, to -- and the force he's willing to go to. The only comforting feeling is that -- is that I think a lot of the force that he was relying on has sort of either defected publicly or have made the decision not to have a -- a role in this publicly.
ANDERSON: And a very public defection from the U.N. tonight.
Let's have a -- a listen to what the Libyan ambassador said just practically moments ago.
Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: We meet at the critical moment, potentially a defining moment for the Arab world. Fundamental issues of peace and stability are at stake. Most imminent -- immediately, at this moment, in Libya.
Since my undersecretary-general for political affairs, Lynn Pascoe, briefed you earlier this week, there have been continuing reports of violence and the indiscriminate use of force. Estimates indicate that more than 1,000 people have been killed.
The eastern part of the country is reported to be under the control of opposition elements who have taken over arms and ammunitions from weapons depots.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You spot the obvious mistake.
That was, of course, Ban Ki-moon, the secretary-general.
And we -- we apologize for that. The Libyan ambassador really quite outspoken about Gadhafi just hours ago at the United Nations.
ABDALLAH: Yes, I think the emotional element there pretty much says it all. That's probably one of the very close allies to Gadhafi. And he had a hard time making this decision. But I think it sort of -- the -- it crossed the line. And I think making that statement in such a platform is a -- is a big blow for Gadhafi himself, OK?
It's not so much Shalgham role itself, it's the platform and the message that he -- that he relayed, OK?
And it -- it gives you the extent of the tragedy and the massacres that the Libyan people are facing. And, at the end of the day, this has left a message and that's the important thing I think we want to highlight in this.
ANDERSON: Stay with me.
I'm going to take a -- a very short break.
But you'll be here for our viewers throughout the next half hour or so.
Stay with CONNECT THE WORLD.
We are covering this story for a number of angles for you tonight, including the view from the UN. Ahead, my interview with the world's top human rights advocate, Navanethem Pillay. She is calling for an international investigation into the atrocities in Libya.
Up next, though, the exodus from the country. The Maria Dolores has just arrived in Malta carrying about 300 people. That story straight ahead after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, it was just a complete mess. The whole place is just a rubbish dump. It doesn't matter, people are abandoning -- abandoning every last piece of luggage they've got.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, they might not be happy, but at least they're out. Tens of thousands of people are trying to get out of Libya.
You are looking at pictures of foreigners arriving at Malta International Airport on a British people.
Well, just over an hour ago, the Maria Dolores arrived at the port city of Valletta in Malta. The ferry carrying 300 passengers from Libya. More than half of them were Americans.
Well, from China to Turkey, Greece and many more countries, governments around the world are making emergency provisions for extracting their citizens from Libya. Many evacuees are heading to neighboring Malta.
And that is where CNN's Ivan Watson is -- Ivan, you just saw the Maria Dolores pull up.
What is -- what's going on now?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this ship came in and into a port that normally welcomes, Becky, hundreds of thousands of tourists coming in on cruise ships. And now it is starting to receive this flood of people fleeing Libya, as the crisis continues to deteriorate there. And we've seen people streaming off this ship. Many of them have spent two nights aboard the Maria Dolores in Tripoli Harbor because of a storm in the Southern Mediterranean that didn't -- that prevented them from being able to sail out.
And this is not the only ship we're going to see here. In the hours to come, there will be another ferry boat coming from the second opposition held city of Benghazi, carrying some 2,000, mostly Chinese passengers. There are tens of thousands of Chinese, many of them construction workers, in Libya. And many of them trying to escape right now. Another British royal frigate from the British Royal Navy is expected to arrive later tonight, also carrying people evacuated.
And we've had planes arriving here, as well, with commercial flights and British military flights evacuating people.
These are just the foreigners that are trying to escape by land, sea and air. A bigger question, Becky, if this crisis continues to get worse, if the bloodshed continues, there are fears that Libyans themselves may try to flee their country. Malta is a tiny island nation. It is about 220 miles away from the Libyan border. It already faces the problems with illegal immigration and there are concerns that they could face refugees, as well, if the fighting between factions continues to get worse -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Very briefly, if there were one theme from those who have fled the country, what would it be?
WATSON: I think, you know, the signs -- the families coming off is -- is really remarkable, to think that you had people with children trapped in a city where gunfire rang out night after night and the only way they could find to escape was to show up at a port and board a ship and wait on board that ship for two nights, two nights, not really knowing, not having much Internet, not having much telecommunication because, of course, the regime has largely shut down communication with the outside world and not really knowing and being vulnerable there, waiting to finally come here to safety. And some of these people have waved to us as they came -- came off the boat. And they're being greeted by diplomats from a number of different governments around the world.
Only about half of these more than 300 passengers are Americans, many of them from Australia, Ireland, Canada, as well.
ANDERSON: All right...
WATSON: They expect to see more in the hours to come here in the -- in the harbor here in Malta.
ANDERSON: Ivan Watson in Malta.
World leaders called for action against Libya. The U.N. Security Council is meeting as I spoke.
But what, if anything, will they do about the crisis?
Up next, we are live at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Well, completely flattened one woman's house in Christchurch, New Zealand after the earthquake hit. How she escaped unharmed -- that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Consistent with the president's tasking to the government to prepare options to hold the Libyan government accountable for its violation of human rights, we have decided to move forward with unilateral sanctions, which we are in the process of finalizing, coordinated sanctions with our European allies and multilateral efforts to hold the Libyan government accountable through the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You just heard the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, announcing in the last two hours the US' decision to impose sanctions against Libya.
Let's get to the United Nations, where the secretary-general is speaking on Libya as we speak. In fact, apparently he's not at the moment.
So let's get to our -- in fact, he is.
Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KI-MOON: The Libyan ambassador delivered an impassioned plea for our help. My message to the Security Council was simple and direct -- now is the time for decisive action. This is an historic turning point and the international community must rise to the occasion.
Ladies and gentlemen, the situation remains exceedingly grave. Today, we have received further reports of violent clashes with high casualties. We have also further reports of gross and systemic violations of human rights. These include indiscriminate killings, arbitrary arrests, shootings of peaceful demonstrators, the detention and torture of the opposition and the use of the foreign mercenaries, dangerous impediments to medical treatment and access of humanitarian workers.
Let me also note that we are experiencing a growing crisis of refugees and displaced persons. UNHCR reports that some 22,000 people have fled to Tunisia. Another 15,000 have gone to Egypt.
However, they fear that much larger numbers of residents immigrant workers are trapped and unable to leave for safety.
Many of those crossing the border have told the U.N. staff that the journey was terrifying.
It is crucial that humanitarian agencies have access to the border regions. It is also important that neighboring states, including Europe, keep their borders open to people fleeing Libya.
We expect the situation to worse. The World Food Program warns that Libya's food supplies are running dangerously low. In my conversations with the leaders of the region and the world and in my public and private statements, I have spoken out bluntly and repeatedly. The violence must stop. Those responsible for so brutally shedding the blood of innocents must be punished. Fundamental human rights must be respected.
The challenge for us now is to protect Libyan civilians and do all we can to halt the ongoing violence. That is why I urged the Security Council to consider the wide range of options for action. And those include proposals for trade and financial sanctions, including targeted measures against the leadership, such as a ban on travel and the freezing of financial assets. Some member states called for an arms embargo, others draw our attention to the clear and egregious violations of human rights taking place in Libya and urge the Security Council to take effective action to ensure real accountability.
I urge the Council to consider concrete action.
In this context, I welcome the resolution adopted today by the Human Rights Council to establish an independent international mission of inquiry and I pledge my full support.
I also recommended that -- it is also recommended that Libya be suspended from the Human Rights Council. As you know, that would require a two thirds majority vote of the General Assembly. The president of the General Assembly has informed me that this matter will be taken up early next week.
I also welcome the measures just announced by the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen, I will continue to engage more than (INAUDIBLE) leaders on this issue. On Monday, I will travel to Washington to discuss these and other matters with the U.S. President Obama.
Let me conclude by saying that whatever the Security Council and General Assembly and world leaders may decide, we must be mindful of the urgency of the moment. In these circumstances, the loss of time means more loss of lives. This is a time to act.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General, you -- you talked to Mr. Gadhafi and apparently it -- it didn't have any particular effect.
Do you plan to try to talk to him again and -- and deliver your message to him directly again?
KI-MOON: I'm not sure whether, after having spoken extensively with Colonel Gadhafi, whether he will heed to the course of international community. Of course, whenever it is necessary, I'm willing to do anything to protect the population, the civilian population, and to stop the violence.
But he has been trying to justify and defending his position. I have been trying to talk to all the leaders in the region. And I will continue to do that.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General, you said that this is an urgent time, loss of time is loss of life. And a draft resolution details embargoes, sanctions, freezing accounts.
Is that enough to stop the violence now?
As you said, it's an urgent time.
Is that enough to stop it now?
Should there be military intervention?
KI-MOON: I have urged the Security Council to take the wide range of options. I understand that the Security Council is very seriously considering all possible options. But that is up to the member states of the Security Council to determine what course of action should be taken at the same time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, the last question (INAUDIBLE).
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General, you stressed the importance of accountability. Now we understand there is one member of the P5 who is against it. Another member did not receive from the P5, did not receive the instructions.
How important is to refer this to the ICC and hold people responsible for the killings in Libya accountable?
KI-MOON: In principle, whoever commits crimes of such a scale then must be held accountable. And I believe that the member states of the Security Council will consider all possible means and I have urged the members of the Council to consider a wide range of options.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General, can you tell us...
ANDERSON: All right, you've been listening to the secretary-general of the Security Council there on Libya.
Some extraordinary scenes earlier on at the UN, as Libya was discussed. Let's get a round-up for you from Richard Roth, who is at U.N. headquarters in New York -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Things normally go according to a strong agenda here at the United Nations, but the last 90 minutes, certainly, scenes we don't see often here in the corridors or inside the Security Council Chamber.
Let's take a look at what happened here. The Libyan ambassador to the United Nations, Mohamed Shalgham, who has kept a low profile for the last few days, though his deputy came out denouncing Moammar Gadhafi, he criticized Gadhafi, asked for the UN's help, and then afterward was embraced by dozens of United Nations ambassadors, their staff members.
There were tears in the room from his deputy, Mr. Dabbashi. It was quite a moment you don't often see in the rather staid, formal UN Security Council room, where everything is on paper no matter how dramatic the issue or millions of people affected some -- in some far-flung place.
The ambassador, after he spoke to the full Security Council about how he was representing Libya and he was so concerned about what's happening in the streets of Libya, this long-time friend and confidant of Moammar Gadhafi criticized him and then told the press that, in effect, Gadhafi must be made to stop what's happening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDURRAHIMAN MOHAMED SHALGHAM, LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: What's important for us, for the Libyan people, that the Security Council should have now a real decision to stop what's going on in our country, the bloodshed. Firing at the innocent civilians.
And I hope that within hours, not days, that it can do something tangible, effective, to stop what they are doing there, Gadhafi and his sons, against our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: This seasoned political operative had to know which way the winds were going. He waited four or five days while staff members in his own mission risked their fate on Monday coming out against Gadhafi.
The secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, as we just heard, calling this such an urgent situation now. The Security Council is behind closed door right now, Becky, discussing a resolution that would impose sanctions, once again, on Libya. We could have a vote on this sanctions resolution as early as tomorrow.
ANDERSON: All right. Part of what Ban Ki-moon describes as a "wide range of options," Richard Roth at the United Nations.
I'm still joined here in the studio by Mohammed Ali Abdallah, who is the deputy secretary of the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. In London, you thought, only for a couple of days because you were here for a protest outside the Libyan embassy. You've been here for ten, I believe, and you can't believe quite what you're seeing.
We've heard from the Libyan ambassador, tonight, of the United Nations. Your thoughts?
MOHAMMED ALI ABDALLAH, DEPUTY SECRETARY, NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE SALVATION OF LIBYA: Well, I think the Libyan ambassador's thoughts echos a lot of the diplomats and the Gadhafi regime's string, because I think there's a line, I think, to most of these people. They were probably aware of the brutality of the Gadhafi regime, 42 years of oppression, this is not anything new to the Libyan people.
However, there is a line. These people felt that, right now, they are in a losing battle if they stay on the side of the regime, and they have to step out of that shadow, so --
And it's not an easy decision, regardless of what we want to say about it. I think it's not the time to put any blame or to put scapegoats, anything like that. As a Libyan and as an opposition member, I believe that. I think right now, it's a time to, number one, save the lives of the Libyan people, end this regime, and establish a transitional form of government that can help us, lead us to shore, to safety.
And then, at that point, once we have a judicial system and a constitution, everybody has to be accountable for all their actions, regardless of what side of the coin you're on.
ANDERSON: He asked, tonight -- or he certainly made a point of saying that he was hoping that the international community, through the United Nations, could affect some tangible and effective means by which Gadhafi would be stopped at this point.
The issue is this. Just what can the international community do at this point in the short, medium, and long term? We think we may get a resolution on sanctions, so let's start there. Any good?
ABDALLAH: Well, first of all, I hope the sanctions are the sanctions against Gadhafi and not Libya. And that's the wording that was used, and I hope it's not kind of a sanction back -- similar to what the Lockerbie sanctions were, where the Libyan people paid the price and not Gadhafi. That's number one.
Number two, I think it's all about timing. Right now, it's too little too late, and that's my opinion. I think we are ten days into this massacre. The international community has been very disappointing when it comes to that. However, it's better late than never as well.
So, what are the tangible actions? I think the freezing of his assets. The priority right now is to issue an arrest warrant for Gadhafi and his kids. This has to be done. An arrest warrant has to be executed.
There has to be a no-fly zone established over Libya to stop the mercenaries and to stop the air bombings that are continuing. These are tangible actions that should have been done many days ago and need to be taken right away.
ANDERSON: The other tangible action that I've heard mooted over the last couple of days is intervention. Would you want that?
ABDALLAH: Military intervention into Libya is something that no Libyan wants, and I am completely against any kind of -- any foreign soldiers, whether it's UN, NATO, or whatever, touching the Libyan soil. This is something that I think it would turn this uprising -- this revolution into a disaster. And this is definitely not what any Libyan wants.
ANDERSON: Even if they were Egyptian or Tunisian, which is what's been mooted?
ABDALLAH: Yes, well, Egyptian or Tunisian soldiers, that's not a practical option right now, so I'm not sure it's even worth discussing. However, any foreign soldiers on Libya is something that we're against. I think that, as people in Libya, they feel they've reached this far on their own. Seeing another scenario similar to what we saw in Iraq is definitely not what we want.
So, we want intervention. The maximum military intervention I think Libyans would accept is some kind of air strikes onto Gadhafi's locations where he's launching these attacks from. That's the maximum we would accept, and we hope that that's something that could end the bloodshed.
ANDERSON: You're listening to Mohammed Ali Abdallah, the deputy secretary-general of the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. Luckily for us and for you viewers here in London, he wasn't supposed to be here for as long as he has been, but we're enjoying having you with us --
ABDALLAH: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And then getting some analysis from you. Remind us, before we take a look at the pictures that we've been able to accrue for our viewers, tonight, from Tripoli -- and it hasn't been easy. Remind us what your family and friends are saying there.
ABDALLAH: People are saying, number one, everybody's spirits are very high. People that -- the resolve is unbelievable. If you spoke to them two or three weeks ago, before the uprising, Gadhafi's regime is a taboo subject. You can't ask questions, nobody was even willing to talk about it.
Right now, it's the only subject. People are talking about how much the spirit is so high, people feel so free. They're going out to the streets and voicing their opinions. They smell the air -- freedom in the air. It's coming there. It's near.
However, there's also a concern of the bloodshed and how much more bloodshed do we have to sacrifice before we arrive at this safety?
ANDERSON: Can you describe to me how it feels, in this relatively short period of time, to have lost the fear?
ABDALLAH: Well, I think if you ask someone inside of Libya, I think it's the best feeling that you can have. I spoke to several people over the last few hours, and that's the -- even the tone of voice is different.
I spoke to some people who just went in with some medical relief caravans in through the Egyptian border, and I think -- I mean, it's an amazing -- I'm jealous, to be honest with you. I wish I could be there. I'm itching to go there, and my organization is holding me back, "No, you have to do certain things here."
My gut feeling is, I want to be there. I want to be a part of it, but also, I feel like I want to -- I'm jealous in the sense of, it's such a beautiful feeling that you cannot relay remotely or by proxy. You have to be there to know it.
ANDERSON: But of course --
ABDALLAH: I'm looking forward to that moment.
ANDERSON: There was a period of time, here, which is incredibly unclear. All this week, we've been getting extraordinary reports from the social media environment, just giving us a sense of what we can get from Tripoli. Do we have that for our viewers at this point? Yes we do. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Reports from Tripoli have been hard to come by. The government's stronghold has been virtually shut off to Western news organizations. But thanks to social media, we are getting some reports of what's going on on the ground.
(CROWD CHANTING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): This video was posted on Facebook and appears to show protests happening after Friday prayers in Tripoli.
(GUNSHOTS)
ANDERSON (voice-over): It's unclear whether there are government troops nearby or where exactly this happened in the city.
This material from yesterday shows streets littered with burnt-out cars after a similar protest. There's so much debris on some of the roads that it is nearly impossible to get past.
Other videos, this one also from yesterday, shows alleged mercenaries patrolling the streets of Tripoli, clear signs of a government crackdown. Even at night, people are risking their own safety to document what is happening.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Tajura, on the outskirts of Tripoli, this video shows anti-government protesters on the streets. And it's not just in Tripoli where people are uploading videos onto YouTube.
(PEOPLE SCREAMING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): This appeared on February the 22nd from a user named "mukhtaralasad" and shows alleged mercenaries in yellow hats on the streets of Benghazi before the area fell into protesters' hands.
(GUNSHOTS)
ANDERSON (voice-over): These videos are making it online, despite government moves to try and shut down the internet and block social media sites. Libyans still doing what they can to show the world exactly what is happening.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You've been looking at some of those shots and describing to me that you're quite familiar with these. Familiar with the geography, perhaps, not with what we're seeing, then?
ABDALLAH: Yes, the geography you saw starts from Tripoli, Benghazi, Darnah, Bayda, many different cities. The most important ones are the ones in the beginning, there, were from the area of the Siahiyah in Gargaresh in Tripoli, which is on the western part of the city.
And as Tripoli is sort of the decisive battle right now, it's very important to see that kind of activity and those kind people marching through the streets today. This is something that we received through the social networks, and this is a very important point, is that people always ask, "What's the role of the opposition outside in this?"
And we are definitely not claiming that we are the ones behind this or driving this. That's far from the truth. However, our role is to be able to coordinate these kind of Facebook pages, YouTube pages, and communications to get the picture out to the world, considering the blackout that we've seen from a journalism standpoint.
ANDERSON: Mohammed, when we spoke to people in Egypt as things fermented, as it were, a number of times, I asked those who were opposing the Mubarak regime, "What happens next?" What happens on the day after, as it were? Have you thought about that at this point? Who are the opposition in a country were so little civil society and institutions exist?
ABDALLAH: Yes. The opposition to Gadhafi is not institutionalized inside Libya. It is outside Libya, such as the National Front outside of Libya. However, I think what we've seen in the eastern part of Libya and some of the cities in the west, like in Zaltan and Nalut is that, once the regime lost control, the city organized itself through the intellectuals, through the tribal leaders, through the religious leaders, the military leaders.
One of the beautiful things that I heard from your colleagues from CNN who were -- as they were driving in Al Bayda and Darnah, and I was talking to the crew, is they said that they were amazed at how much organ -- how much order there was in the city, considering the regime is not there.
And the other thing is that there is banks, shops, and stores that were untouched. This is a reflection of what freedom can drive, and I think we're getting a glimpse into what the potential within Libya is.
So, what happens on the day next is people will have that sense of freedom and that spirit, and I'm not naive enough to think that everything is going to be rosy on the next day. That's not -- I think, as a matter of fact, that the hardest part of rebuilding the country is yet to come. And I strongly believe in that, and I think people think, OK, this -- what we're going through right now is a very difficult phase. By -- no doubt, it is.
But I think it's even more difficult to rebuild. It's always easier to destroy than to build. But I think people are always looking forward to the opportunity to rebuild, and that's the feeling that we've got, Libyans inside and outside. We can't wait to get the chance to start.
Everybody is -- and there's -- everybody's onboard, doctors, professionals, businessmen, men, women, from all walks of life. Everybody wants to get that -- the ball rolling, and that's what we're looking forward to right now.
ANDERSON: Watch this space. Mohammed Ali Abdallah, deputy secretary- general of the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you --
ABDALLAH: My pleasure. Thank you.
ANDERSON: For helping me out this evening.
At 42 minutes past 9:00 in London, I'm Becky Anderson. Level the playing field. That is the warning to German companies as the country battles gender inequality. Up next, how Germany plans to do just that. That's next, here on CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This week is part of our special coverage on Germany. We've shown you some amazing new inventions, introduced you to remarkable young entrepreneurs, and looked at a company leading the way in the future of wind energy. We've also delved into Germany's buzzing art scene with a look at the famous Berlinale film festival.
Well, today, in art, science, and the environment, Germany is powering ahead. But there's one area where the country isn't necessarily taking the lead. Jim Clancy reports on how the country is trying to turn things around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As German men and women travel to the office each morning, studies show they are headed to very different destinations in the workplace. Women will earn about 25 percent less than men. They won't rise to senior management.
Worse, while US firms have about 14 percent of their boards made up of women, the top German companies all but bar women from the directors' chairs.
BARBARA BEHAM, HUMBOLDT UNIVERSITY, BERLIN: We have about two percent in the top hundred organizations in Germany. So this is a -- it's a very low level compared to the US.
CLANCY (voice-over): The country with the largest gender pay gap in Europe has a chancellor who is a woman, and women make up almost a third of parliament. With that kind of political power, German companies are being warned to level the playing field, or else.
ANNEGREAT KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, CDU DEPUTY PARTY LEADER (through translator): Politics can ensure that executive positions are made available to women through quotas. That way, they can create an environment that allows for both a family and a career.
CLANCY (voice-over): Such warnings have spurred companies to offer more childcare, and men do qualify for a parental leave of absence. But it is German society that sees a stay-at-home mom as a better mother.
BEHAM: We haven't achieved a lot in the homes, so it's mainly women who shoulder this double shift.
CLANCY (on camera): But changing society isn't so simple. Part of the solution might be found here at the Father Center Berlin. We talked with the founder, Eberhard Schaefer.
EBERHARD SCHAEFER, FOUNDER, FATHER CENTER BERLIN: Part of the idea is to have better career opportunities for mothers, it's necessary that fathers share work and life better. Not only work, but also take care of children.
CLANCY (voice-over): The fathers gather twice a week, with kinder in tow, and readily admit that they could be doing more to share parenting duties with the women in their lives.
OLIVER DANIEL, FATHER: I know a lot of other fathers who are very keen to spend more time with the family. Whether there's a general shift, I don't know. But there's certainly a trend that fathers try to have more time with their children. And this kind of place allows that.
CLANCY (voice-over): The program here is one of only two in Germany. It's overall effect miniscule. But the Father Center Berlin has already won two awards for innovation. The awards may also recognize what women have been saying all along. Somebody should train the men. Jim Clancy, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Coming up next on CONNECT THE WORLD, it's one of the most watched events in the world, if not for the dresses, as much for the films themselves. We're going to get this full scope on this year's Academy Awards. That less than 90 seconds away.
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ANDERSON: All right. I want to get you the latest on what is our top story this hour. Diplomats say a draft UN Security Council resolution warns that the violence in Libya could amount to crimes against humanity. It's also called for travel bans, an arms embargo, and freezing of top officials' assets.
And there were scenes that we don't often see in the UN Security Council chamber. The Libyan ambassador to the United Nations, who is a long-time confidant of the Libyan leader, criticized Gadhafi and said he was with the Libyan people. Well, afterwards, he was embraced by other ambassadors.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi made a brief speech in Tripoli on Friday after his militiamen reportedly fired on protesters to stop them from marching on the capital. Gadhafi told his cheering supporters to be ready to fight.
Meantime, a ferry evacuating hundreds of people from Libya, more than half of them Americans, has arrived in Malta. The ferry had been stuck in that port in Benghazi due to bad weather. Other nations also scrambling to evacuate their citizens as soon as possible.
That is the very latest. Do, of course, stay with CNN as we bring you the latest, both from New York, from the UN and, indeed, from Libya itself.
Well, film lovers amongst you, get set. The 83rd Annual Academy Awards are just around the corner. For the past two months, film festivals have had people buzzing around the world with predictions about who's going to take home that most coveted prize of all, an Oscar. Well, the top contenders coming up.
First, though, Brooke Anderson with the latest on ceremony preparations in Tinsel Town.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Brooke Anderson at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California, where Oscar producers are feverishly preparing for the big show on Sunday. And they really are making an attempt this year to make the telecast look radically different from telecasts in the past.
The first major and biggest change are the hosts this year. Anne Hathaway and James Franco, very youthful hosts. We actually caught up with them yesterday afternoon, here at the Kodak Theater, where they were rehearsing, having themselves a good time.
Anne told us that she did not -- she was asked first to do this, but she did not want to sign on until she knew that James was going to be her co-host. And listen to what James told us about what he's bringing to the table on Sunday. Here it is.
JAMES FRANCO, OSCAR HOST: Nobody thinks that I'm Chris Rock or Billy Crystal or Hugh Jackman, who either come from comedy worlds or the dance and musical theater world, like -- So, I can try anything, and nobody has high expectations, so it's fine if I'm not great.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, reporting for CONNECT THE WORLD. Back to you, Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON: Oh, he's no Ricky Gervais, is he? Well, over the past couple of months, I've had the privilege of talking to some of the biggest stars of this year's awards season. So, in anticipation of the big day, let's remind you of some of the men and women who've made the cut as your Connectors of the Day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEOFFERY RUSH AS LIONEL LOGUE, "THE KING'S SPEECH": Simple mechanics.
COLIN FIRTH AS KING GEORGE VI, "THE KING'S SPEECH": Fine.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Leading the British contingent this Sunday will be "The King's Speech," with nominations in 12 categories, including Best Supporting Actress and Director.
HELENA BONHAM CARTER, ACTRESS, "THE KING'S SPEECH": I'm only up for Best Supporting something.
ANDERSON (on camera): For best supporting.
CARTER: It's a small-sized credit for me, yes.
ANDERSON: She's just up for Best Supporting Actress, of course. What is it about the movie, do you think? I'll ask you, because I know, I loved it.
TOM HOOPER, DIRECTOR, "THE KING'S SPEECH": I think it's just the way it moves people. And it moves people in a way that I'm being told people want to go back and re-experience it.
JESSE EISENBERG AS MARK ZUCKERBERG, "THE SOCIAL NETWORK": Taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.
ANDERSON (voice-over): "The Social Network" doesn't lag far behind. And writer Aaron Sorkin is thought by many to be a shoe-in for Best Adapted Screenplay.
AARON SORKIN, WRITER, "THE SOCIAL NETWORK": It didn't feel to me like the Facebook Story. I don't know much about Facebook and I still don't. Technology has never been that interesting to me. But in this story, what I saw were elements that are as old as storytelling itself of friendship and loyalty, jealousy, betrayal, power, class.
ANDERSON (voice-over): And though he wouldn't admit it himself, "Social Network's" Jesse Eisenberg plays key competition to Colin Firth for Best Actor.
EISENBERG: Every movie that's included here tonight, of course, is so wonderful. I like movies that are bad, so the fact -- so I love movies that are even not included.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Many expect a very pregnant Natalie Portman to take home the Best Actress nod. And according to her director, it couldn't be more deserved.
DARREN ARONOFSKY, DIRECTOR, "BLACK SWAN": I'm so proud of her. She worked for 365 days, 8 hours a day, training to become a ballerina. I gave her a huge task, to become a prima ballerina, which normally takes 20 years. And she did it in a year pretty convincingly.
LEONARDO DICAPRIO AS COBB, "INCEPTION": We're actually in the middle of a workshop right now.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Director Christopher Nolan's dreamworld in "Inception" has also impressed the Academy. And though Nolan himself isn't up for an award, the film's star, Leonardo DiCaprio, certainly gives him his due.
DICAPRIO: There's only so much you can extract from a screenplay. You have to tap into the director's mind, and this was something that he'd been contemplating for ten years.
ANDERSON (voice-over): And of course, what would a ceremony be without a bit of Harry Potter. This year's "Deathly Hallows" is up for two awards.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE AS HARRY POTTER, "HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART I": What is it?
RHYS IFNAS AS XENOPHILIUS LOVEGOOD, "HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART I": What is it? Well, it's the sign of the Deathly Hallows, of course.
ANDERSON (voice-over): And CONNECT THE WORLD got special access to the magical team.
EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS, "HARRY POTTER": I guess I'll never forget doing that torture scene with Helen Bonham Carter.
RUPERT GRINT, ACTOR, "HARRY POTTER": I always kind of thought I could relate to him. Obviously, we're both ginger.
RADCLIFFE: It was the last day, when we got to that point, yes, it was quite -- we all wept like kids.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right, well, many of those interviews I conducted at the BAFTAs a couple of weeks ago. Some of them a little bit earlier than that. Some of my predictions, then, but I'm no expert. Let's get you an expert, shall we? Out of New York for you this evening, the "New York Times" film critic AO Scott.
So, the BAFTAs is often treated as the rehearsal, the dress rehearsal, as it were --
AO SCOTT, FILM CRITIC, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Right.
ANDERSON: "The King's Speech," to a certain extent, cleaning up there. So, should we expect that Sunday evening?
SCOTT: I think it's quite probable, because "The King's Speech" also cleaned up in the Guilds here in the United States, the Producers' Guild, the Directors' Guild, which are -- have an overlapping membership with the Academy and tend to be a good indicator.
So, it probably, going into Sunday night, "The King's Speech" has the edge in the Best Picture race. I think that most people think, and I would agree, that Colin Firth is pretty much a lock on Best Actor.
ANDERSON: What about Direct -- let's go through them systematically, the big ones. So, Director.
SCOTT: OK. I think this year it might split. I would call it for David Fincher. I think that -- it's been a two-picture race in Best Picture between "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech." I think "The King's Speech" will take Best Picture, but Fincher will get kind of the consolation prize of Best Director.
ANDERSON: All right, as he did in the BAFTAs, of course. What about Best Actress?
SCOTT: Right. I think that's one where we might see a little bit of an upset. I think, probably, Natalie Portman is still the front-runner and has been sort of -- gracefully making her way through the whole awards season. I think that there might be -- that there's a chance that Annette Bening will take it away from her.
I think that Annette Bening is someone who's been around for so long, is so well-liked in Hollywood, has been overlooked before, gives a wonderful performance in "The Kids Are All Right." And I think if there are people who sort of want a member of the older generation or the middle generation of actors there, Annette Bening has a chance.
ANDERSON: And of course, the Guild supported her. It's difficult for her, because she's up for Best Actress, am I right in saying, in the Oscars? She certainly was in the BAFTAS, with her co-host, of course.
SCOTT: With -- wait. With --
ANDERSON: With Julianne. Julianne Moore.
SCOTT: Well, with Julianne Moore, sure.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SCOTT: Who has not been nominated. Which is strange, because it's true, the two of them are so -- are so important to that movie. Although, Mark Ruffalo was also nominated, Best Supporting Actor. But I think that Annette Bening has a shot to represent that movie, which was a very well- received and popular movie over the summer.
ANDERSON: OK, all right. So those are your predictions. How would you describe this year? I've heard this year's movie described as a bit more gritty. A bit more -- I don't know. Down and dirty than some years that we've seen of yore, as it were.
SCOTT: Well, I think one thing that's notable about this year's movies, there certainly are some gritty ones. There's "True Grit," which is kind of gritty. And "Winter's Bone," which is very kind of harsh, realistic look at rural poverty in America. And, of course, "The Fighter," another movie about blue collar, working class American characters.
I think one thing that's interesting about this year is that, if you look at the five main contenders, the five movies that came out toward the end of the year that would have been the traditional five nominee slate for Best Picture, they've all done very well both with critics and with audiences.
"King's Speech," "Black Swan," "Social Network," "The Fighter," and "True Grit" are all reasonably big hits at the box office. And that's something that's a little bit unusual. In the past years, there's been a lot of anxiety that the Academy was going too small, that it was looking at more independent films, smaller scale, art house films, and losing touch with the mainstream mass audience.
This year, they seem to maybe have hit the sweet spot a little bit, with movies that are both satisfying to critics and other opinion-makers, and also popular with regular moviegoers. So, I think that that gives it a chance to appeal more widely, maybe, than it has in the last few years.
ANDERSON: All right. Good stuff, we look forward to it. We thank you for your expert analysis tonight. The Oscars, of course, on Sunday evening.
I'm Becky Anderson, that is your world connected, thanks for watching. The headlines follow this.
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