Veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro in his column "Reflections of Comrade Fidel" writes that "NATO's Plan is to Occupy Libya." The piece is dated Feb. 21—the same day that European diplomats broached the use of NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. It is unclear if Fidel's piece was in reaction to the diplomats' comments, or predictive of them.

As we've pointed out, the right is divided on the Egyptian and Arab revolutions—between neocons who have deluded themselves into thinking the Egyptians are following their "regime change" playbook, and more hardcore Islamophobes who can see only a fundamentalist threat in Arab masses rising to shake off their oppressors. Falling into the latter category is Phyllis Chesler—once, long ago, a feminist of basically progressive inclination but today a monomaniacal Muslim-basher who has defected to the right. She writes on David Horowitz's Front Page Mag Feb. 21 of "A War Crime in Cairo"—making hay of CBS reporter Lara Logan's sexual abuse at the hands of Tahrir Square protesters. She uses the incident to sneer at "mainstream American media" portrayals of the protesters as "brave pro-democracy freedom fighters."

The Libyan UN Mission—breaking with the regime of Moammar Qaddafi—requested an emergency meeting of the Security Council about the situation in Libya Feb. 21, urging the world body to install a no-fly zone over the country to prevent the regime from using warplanes and helicopters to bomb its own population. Deputy Permanent Representative Ibrahim Dabbashi said Libyans had to be protected from "genocide." After meeting once the following day, the Council took no action but said it would meet again soon. (Afrol News, Radio Australia, Feb. 22)

Thousands of protesters filled Tahrir Square in the center of the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah on Feb. 22, in an ongoing campaign against the two entrenched political parties that have divided power in the Kurdish autonomous region (KDP and PUK). Three young protesters have been killed and more than 100 wounded in Sulaimaniyah since the campaign began last week. Demonstrators carried banners reading, "Don't Forget Hosni Mubarak," referring to the Egyptian president who was overthrown after massive protests on Cairo's Tahrir Square. In a bid to prevent further violence, several demonstrators wore white shirts inscribed with the words, "Wall of Peace," and stood between the bulk of the protesters and security forces.

Protesters, apparently joined by members of the security forces, seized control over several eastern Libyan cities and towns Feb. 21, including Benghazi, al-Bayda and Durna. The cities were the scene of fierce fighting over the weekend, with protesters forming militias, evidently with the aid of defecting members of the security forces. The regime is reportedly resorting to "mercenaries" from African countries to beat back the militias. Fighting has now spread to the capital, Tripoli, where helicopters and warplanes are reportedly firing from the air on protesters. State TV headquarters, the Interior Ministry building and the offices of the "People's Committees" that are the pillar of the regime were torched by the Tripoli protesters. The whereabouts of strongman Moammar Qaddafi are not known.

Mexican president Felipe Calderón Hinojosa's militarization of the struggle against drug trafficking is "a war from above" largely for the benefit of US interests, according to a letter published on Feb. 14 and written by Subcommander Marcos, the spokesperson of the rebel Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), which is based in the southeastern state of Chiapas.

A US diplomatic cable released by the WikiLeaks group on Jan. 29 has raised new questions about possible corruption in the de facto regime that ruled Honduras between the June 28, 2009 coup against then-president José Manuel ("Mel') Zelaya Rosales and the Jan. 27, 2010 inauguration of current president Porifirio Lobo Sosa.

Chief US federal district judge José Fusté sent Puerto Rican Bar Association (CAPR) president Osvaldo Toledo Martínez to prison on Feb. 10 for refusing to pay a $10,000 fine for contempt of court. This was the latest incident arising from a federal class action suit that challenges the bar's use of compulsory dues to buy life insurance policies for all its members. CAPR supporters say the association has discontinued the practice and the suit is politically motivated.