After hours of negotiations, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to approve sanctions against Libya's government and its leader Moammer Gadhafi yesterday. CBS News reports the sanctions include "an arms embargo on Libya, freezes financial assets of family and inner circle, mandates inspections of Libyan vessels, and refers the case of apparent government sanctioned attacks against unarmed civilians to the International Criminal Court."
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "The text send a strong message that gross violations of basic human rights will not be tolerated and that those responsible for grave crimes will be held accountable. I hope the message is heard, and heeded, by the regime in Libya." Libya's deputy ambassador to the U.N., Ibrahim Dabbashi, who had called for Gadhafi to resign earlier this week, urged Libyan military to renounce Gadhafi as well.
This comes a day after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Libya, froze its financial assets, and closed its embassy in the tumultuous country. According to the NY Times, "Rebels, in control of [Zawiya, 30 miles west of the capital of Tripoli], had reinforced its boundaries with informal barricades, and army units that had defected stood guard with rifles, six tanks and anti-aircraft guns mounted on the backs of trucks. In the central square here, a mosque was riddled with enormous holes, evidence of the government’s failed attempt to take back this city on Thursday. Nearby lay seven freshly dug graves belonging to protesters who had fallen in that siege, witnesses said." And also in Zawiya, "CNN saw armed civilians taking defensive positions on rooftops to prepare for a possible effort by Gadhafi loyalists to retake the town."
It's believed 100,000 people have fled Libya in the past week. Among the people leaving is Gadhafi's beloved Ukrainian nurse. The Wall Street Journal reported, "Galyna Kolotnytska, described in a diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks as a 'voluptuous blond' who 'travel[s] everywhere' with Col. Gadhafi, called her family in Kiev on Friday to say she intends to return to Ukraine... According to the cable from September 2009, contacts in Tripoli told U.S. diplomats that Col. Gadhafi 'relies heavily' on Ms. Kolotnytska, then 38, as "she alone 'knows his routine.'"
It's suspected that Gadhafi and Kolotnytska "have a romantic relationship." Kolotnytska's daughter said, "Other Ukrainian women also work for him as nurses. Mom is one of them. For some reason, he doesn't trust Libyan women with this matter."
