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Internet Restored In Tripoli As Rebels Take Control

Posted by timothy on from the let's-see-where-things-stand-in-a-year-or-3 dept.

angry tapir writes "Internet connectivity was restored in Tripoli late Sunday local time, as rebel forces took control of many parts of the capital city of Libya. A new mobile network set up by the rebels in the east of Libya in April, called Libyana Al Hurra, and a similar network in Misrata, will soon also be linked to the Libyana Mobile Phone network in Tripoli, said Ousama Abushagur, a Libyan telecommunications engineer in the U.A.E, who led the team that set up Libyana Al Hurra."

13 of 271 comments (clear)

  1. Who is the new dictator? by Dyinobal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I know I shouldn't be so cynical but I have to ask who is the new dictator? It seems like every time I read about some rebel group over throwing some government things really never get better. It's just a new dictator in place of the old. Maybe I'm wrong and Lybian's will get a government that is fair and some what workable but I'm not going to put money on it.

    1. Re:Who is the new dictator? by khallow · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The problem with Libya was that it had a stable, successful socialist economy

      Doesn't look stable to me. Recall that the rebellion predated the foreign powers.

      Where does the fact that Libya was a tyranny fit into your explanation?

    2. Re:Who is the new dictator? by kbahey · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There is no guarantee.

      But there is hope for change to the better, where there has been none at all for 42 years.

      -- An Egyptian ...

      --
      2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
    3. Re:Who is the new dictator? by timeOday · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In the beginning, Khadafi himself was a well-meaning rebel with real credibility. Same old story. The US really owes a great debt to George Washington, rarely do you find a powerful man who doesn't think he'd make a fine benevolent dictator.

    4. Re:Who is the new dictator? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Interesting

      UN HDI map is one interesting data source. See that huge green blob at the top of Africa, the only one on the continent? That's Libya. For all that can be said about Gaddafi, he really did make a working welfare state, head and shoulders above all his neighbors, and in many aspects on par even with some European countries.

      As for spontaneous revolt, well... it may be true, but the fact that rebels - from the get go! - included high-profile people and organizations strongly affiliated with CIA - excuse me if I find it dubious.

      Even if true, that grassroots movement seems to have just as strong radical Islamist component as the liberal one. If Iran is anything to go by, once the dictator is overthrown, the groups will inevitably start to fight between themselves - and Islamists are much more likely to win due to their determination and willingness to sacrifice.

    5. Re:Who is the new dictator? by Rei · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The UN HDI for Libya is biased by their very high GNI per capita (due to being one of the world's largest oil producers). But little of this actually makes it to the population (as noted by the CIA Factbook article on Libya).

      --
      I am a proud traitor to my species in alliance with my mother the Earth in opposition to those who would destroy her.
    6. Re:Who is the new dictator? by antifoidulus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And ever since Washington rarely have you found a president who knows its best not to stick your nose where it doesnt belong. Washington basically warned us about the current situation in the US over 200 years ago when he gave his farewell address. In it he basically warned against the formation of political parties and against the US getting involved in foreign wars...... basically warning us to stay away from the two things that are biting us in the ass right now.

      --
      Monstar L
  2. I am curious what the residents think by wierd_w · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not about the retun of internet services, but about the entire affair of their dictator and the uprising against him.

    Up until now our reports are essentially the press releases of the rebel faction and quadaffi's, respectively.

    Unrestricted internet access would grant a wealth of on the street reports on civilian sentiment about these events.

    1. Re:I am curious what the residents think by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      My guess would be they are glad to see Ghadaffi go, but nervous. The guy is an unmitigated asshole who has ruled with an iron fist and severely curtailed personal liberty, executed political dissidents, and taken most of the country's wealth for him and his family. You can bet he's not real popular, and I'm sure most people that aren't his cronies would love to see him gone.

      However I'm sure they are also worried. I mean who knows what kind of government the rebels bring? Maybe things become free and open, maybe they turn out to be even worse. Also war is always worrying because innocents get hurt, no way around it. You can mind your own business, strictly not take sides, and still get killed.

  3. Re:Do they allow everyone? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Do you imagine that, even if so motivated, they could have gotten ideological censorship up and running so quickly?

    Long-run, the ISP and the censor have the upper hand, because they touch every packet; but it takes time, money, and expertise to get to the point where you can go from shoving packets down the line as fast as you can and start burning system resources on the task of making service work in some ideologically convenient way...

    (More broadly, given that the Libyan government spent some decades showing no intention of going anywhere, and maintaining a fairly tight grip, there is probably a very long list of people whose now-inconvenient history of cooperation with the outgoing regime in no secret at all. If the new chaps are still unsatisfied after they've worked through that backlog, the actual witch-hunting might begin; but there are still loads of active armed remnants and former public officials to deal with first...)

  4. Missing the point by wanzeo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think rebel forces finally taking the capital qualifies as "...stuff that matters". Do we really need to search for a tech angle just to talk about it on Slashdot?

    As for the rebels, I have been impressed with how they have persisted despite awful organization and very weak help from the West. I am happy to see them finally prevail.

  5. Re:Meanwhile, in Damascus... by taiwanjohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bashar al Assad is thanking Allah that there's no oil under his country.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
  6. Re:So let's start the clock until..... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That clock has been started a long time ago (also see sig).