Safety in Tripoli

Bechir,

Becarefull man, Tripoli is not safe gunshots everyday. Specially if you were Tunisian they will haras you and maybe shoot you.

Mo

Hi Mo and thanks for answering. Your aswer is quite scaring. If it is a joke, that is not funny, but if it is true please tell me more details.

thank you again

I am serious!

You can read this quite precise report on security situation.
http://wdintripolis.blogspot.com/2012/0 … l?spref=tw

Hi Bechir,
I don t thik is that bad. ži am here since may, I am a woman and still the situation is not 100% safe, but if you keep preacautions everything will be ok.

Good luck

everything is normal before dark

hotmani wrote:

everything is normal before dark

Just like in "I am Legend".

Our Egyptian Sales Manager was stopped on Shatt Street in broad daylight today by armed men driving a 4x4 pickup with logos of "Aman Watni" on the doors and no number plates.

They made up a story that his car was used in a shooting in Misrata last month according to their information.

They made him drive 30-40km out of town to a deserted location, checked his wallet and eventually let him go, without his money, which he offered to them and they did not refuse............ all for no apparent reason.

Goes to show that security is still fragile and anything can happen at any time. Best option is to keep a low profile, limit exposure on the streets to bare minimum.

Siddiqui

Did they take away the car too?

He was driving a beat up old VW Bora so no it was not taken.

Hi Bachir,

Nevertheless situation is not ideal but people are living. Most of them, answering your post are foreigners living out there and many are coming every day.
So don't worry and if you are getting a good opportunity, take your chances. I have many friends moved back recently situation is not that bad as portrayed.

Good luck

Riz

what about benghazi?????is it safe?

harira benghazi not safe and all libya i am egyptian guys and i moved from libya last june life is unrest and after killing us embassdor and marines be libya it will more mess really i feel sorry for libya coz i like it

Siddiqui wrote:

He was driving a beat up old VW Bora so no it was not taken.

That derives one more advise: if you are to drive in Tripoli, drive beat up old car.
One of my libyan colleagues said: "it is safe in Libya. Dont worry all they need is your car. They will take away your car only, not your life."

My gut feeling on this is that everyone should have a evacuation plan and the money on hand to execute it.

what u mean glsgirl i dont understand your sentence????

During the beginning of the Feb 17 revolution, if you remember, notification and evacuation of expats did not exactly happen smoothly.  Pets, belongings, money in bank accounts, etc. had to be left behind. What I am saying is that expats (especially American ones), should basically be ready to go at a moment's notice.  I'm not saying that anything is going to happen...just be ready for it if it does.

HI
Guys it's not time to be funny Libya it's nice place  to live in don't hear that shit news Tripoli such beautiful city and safe Libyan people they friendly and the love to move on the don't even like to hear gun shot so be confident and come you thanks me for this rich information

I have nothing to gain or lose by advising expats to be ready to leave.  I have been on this site for a long time now and have concerns for the people on it especially those with families living there.  If you look at my posts, you will see nothing but my profession of love for Libya.  But understand this, I know a lot of Libyans and I have been reading a lot chat concerning the views of Libyans toward westerners in general and Americans in particular. During the war Libyans could be counted on to help evac people AAAANNNNNDDDDD arriving in Tunisia or Egypt meant you were out of the fire.  Tunisia and Egypt are just as dangerous for people and may not be a viable means of evacuation. Also the airlines are still not at full capacity, in fact the airport in Benghazi is closed.  Again, I'm not saying "jump ship" - I'm just saying "be prepared".

Can anyone tell me about conditions for Americans in Misurata. My company wants to relocate me there to oversee a project.

As of today Sunday 16th of september, does anyone know why passenger planes are not allowed to land at Libyan airports?
I don't mean to alarm anyone but am concerned as I heard that passenger planes had to return...

@ FatmaKumru  I don't know about Tripoli but in Benghazi there are US drones in the sky.  Some people wanting to "take a shot" at America are shooting up into the sky. This  makes it rather unsafe for all airlines trying to take off or land given that there are anti aircraft weapons out there.

GISgirl wrote:

@ FatmaKumru  I don't know about Tripoli but in Benghazi there are US drones in the sky.  Some people wanting to "take a shot" at America are shooting up into the sky. This  makes it rather unsafe for all airlines trying to take off or land given that there are anti aircraft weapons out there.

Oy!!! thx and take care GISgirl..

fatmakumru wrote:

As of today Sunday 16th of september, does anyone know why passenger planes are not allowed to land at Libyan airports?
I don't mean to alarm anyone but am concerned as I heard that passenger planes had to return...

That was because the people working at the Air traffic control towers decided out of no where to go on a strike!!! Apparently, got to know they were demanding raise in salaries and other benefits.

jotxo what happened to you that makes you say what you have said over here ?

Dear Tarekuaee.

I guess I'm going through a crisis, and you are right, I might have been unfair. To be frank, most of the stress hardship of living in Libya does not come from Libya itself, nor the Libyans, but the security restrictions that prevent me from having a normal life.

In fact, I'm going to erase the message, because it was not fair, I apologise, Tarek. Thanks for asking in such a kind manner.

Jotxo

I wonder what is the cause of "security restrictions" then?

it is ok dude,


it is just that i am Libyan but i have lived all of my life outside Libya and life is enforcing me to start investment over there nowadays , and seeing you say something like that really scares the... out of me .

i am also in a life curve and any i doing like a sonar now for any news from Libya before i come !!

The air traffic control strike in Tripoli was over in less than 12 hours and Tripoli International Airport opened again - all flights were back to normal the same day.  In Benghazi - the no-fly zone was only in place for less than a day, to be able to get the drones flying in the air space to stop the crazies shooting at planes.  It was also sorted in less than a day and all flights back to normal again.  The Libya Herald is a very good English speaking newspaper reporting out of Tripoli - and usually has highly accurate and uptodate news, for those of you who are interested....  :-)

And by the way I am a foreigner who has been back in Tripoli for just over a month now, and most things in Tripoli are fine - I go out on my own during the day, and do shopping and business without any problems.  I take the precaution of going out with male friends at night, to be on the safe side - but it doesnt stop me from living a pretty normal life in Tripoli.  I am very glad to be back - and Libyans are mostly just as friendly and helpful now, as they were before the war!!  :-)

trex wrote:

fatmakumru wrote:

As of today Sunday 16th of september, does anyone know why passenger planes are not allowed to land at Libyan airports?
I don't mean to alarm anyone but am concerned as I heard that passenger planes had to return...

That was because the people working at the Air traffic control towers decided out of no where to go on a strike!!! Apparently, got to know they were demanding raise in salaries and other benefits.

GISgirl wrote:

I have been on this site for a long time now and have concerns for the people on it especially those with families living there.  If you look at my posts, you will see nothing but my profession of love for Libya.

Yes, the above is true, she also has a completely unrealistic view of Libya and Libyans and the situation they are in and tends to sway her opinions with the winds of media.

As I told you a year ago, it's going to take a long, long time for Libya to stabilize. You don't go from 40 years of one government to heavily armed conflict, over throw, and then right back to peace loving flowers all in less than 24 months. It just doesn't work that way. This takes a long time and people have to be in for it for the long haul and hope to contribute and make a change for a better future not the quick cash grab -- those days are over.

The Libyan people have to chose a powerful leader to lead them and sort the country out for Libyans according to "their" theirs --  not according to foreigners terms.

Jenni Red wrote:

to stop the crazies shooting

Yes, I remember you as well South African. I think it's in extremely poor taste that someone who championed the young Libyan  men when they raised arms and put their lives and the lives of their families on the lines to go up against their government at the time -- now turns a 180 degrees and call them "crazies" because they can't see eye to eye with, let's face it for what it is, foreign backed Libyans.

Stupid drones in the sky will not resolve anything as it has nothing to do whats on the ground. There is no infiltration of anything. Its a dispute which might go on for a long time until a government and leader is found who has the Libyan peoples and their future at the top of his priority.

Jeez Doug.... what crawled up your ... and died to make you in such a bad mood as to go into attack mode?  What, you think verbally going after an American woman and a S. African woman will give you "street cred" with the Libyans?  Jenni and I were answering specific questions about specific incidents at a certain point in time.  As for my response to the question asked, it is based on word of mouth (or rather word of keyboard)from Libyans I actually know in Libya, UK and the US...not on the "winds of media" as you put it.  I actually don't even watch TV so I am curious to know which opinions that I have expressed in this forum you feel are based on the media.  Are you trying to perpetuate the stereotype that the only things Americans know about comes from Fox News?  You have been on my case since you first started posting on the Libya forum (somewhere around the middle of the revolution) so lets just agree to disagree without going into personal attacks.

i would like to see you both debating on my restaurant after i open it in Tripoli :p

Thanks Tariq,  if I come to your restaurant it will be to enjoy the food with my friends from Zawia,  we are always looking for a good place to hang out for lunch.  To be honest, I don't like drama and 2 non Libyans debating about Libya is a pointless joke...although it might be rather entertaining for the Libyans

you r most welcome , i promise you with a lot of free meals if i managed to overcome this challenge and open my new restaurant hehehe

Hi Tarek - would def like to meet you AND GIS Girl in your restaurant - would be a blast!!  :-)

Doug - I echo what GIS Girl said to you - what made you so hating all of a sudden?...As GIS Girl said - I was answering a SPECIFIC question, not generalising.  The situation at Benghazi airport was a serious security situation - and the drones had government permission to come in and stop the guys from shooting wildly at CIVILIAN aircraft, which is why the no fly zone was briefly declared and then lifted the same day.

I am STILL strongly in support of the revolution and have not done ANY 180 degree turn, as you accuse me of - but I also know that all the REAL tuwar are now also fully supportive of the rule of law, and want this in place as soon as possible - it is no longer the Tuwar shooting into the air - the real tuwar are back at work and working on rebuilding Libya - just as I am.  it IS the few "crazies" who are now trying to destabilize this country and make it ungovernable.  The real Libyans dont want that.  They want Libya to move forward into a real freedom and democracy - and YES i agree with you it is going to take a while for that to happen (possibly 10-20 years, going by what happened in my own country, South Africa) - but we have to start somewhere - and everyone I have spoken to, believe that "somewhere" is in the area of safety and security...

Salaam to you - and to everyone else on this site!!  :-)

Jenni

GISgirl wrote:

Jeez Doug.... what crawled up your ... and died to make you in such a bad mood as to go into attack mode?

Absolute drivel. You both strutted around here propping up the violence 1.5 years ago when it seemed to suit your "democratic  values" (remember that the bombs and bullets during the revolution also hit a whole bunch of men, women and children which had no interest in participating in the revolution !)  -- well, now we have a country in transition to democracy.. but you're calling those same people "crazies" because they are now fighting for their place in the new democracy -- whatever it may turn out to be.

Jenni Red wrote:

I am STILL strongly in support of the revolution and have not done ANY 180 degree turn, as you accuse me of - but I also know that all the REAL tuwar are now also fully supportive of the rule of law, and want this in place as soon as possible - it is no longer the Tuwar shooting into the air - the real tuwar are back at work and working on rebuilding Libya - just as I am.  it IS the few "crazies" who are now trying to destabilize this country and make it ungovernable.  The real Libyans dont want that.  They want Libya to move forward into a real freedom and democracy - and YES i agree with you it is going to take a while for that to happen (possibly 10-20 years, going by what happened in my own country, South Africa) - but we have to start somewhere - and everyone I have spoken to, believe that "somewhere" is in the area of safety and security...

No it is a 180 degree turn and you are calling people who had lots of balls to stand up and fight against their government at the time crazies*.

The only thing that has happened so far is that there was a mass grab to secure all foreign contracts after Gaddaffi was removed. No one gives a flying shit about the local people or problems. There was no effort what so ever from what I can see from anyone to address the problems. All efforts to get any sort of interest to putting money towards education has been meet with silence and feet dragging. Even though putting young people into classrooms and giving them some sort of hope for a better liveleyhood is probably the best way of taking them off the streets putting down their guns.

Hell, even if it means the government taking a bit if a leap and digging into the piggy bank and subsidizing and guaranteeing them a guraduation and guaranteeing them jobs upon graduation -- just temporary for this group to get them to put down their weapons and get off the streets -- but no instead of trying to give them some sort of hope of a different future they given them drones and label them as "islamist crazies" now.

Good luck to you.

* You just try to imagine what would happen to you if you tried to pull a similar stunt in South Africa agaist your own governent.