A source within hacker activist group Anonymous told Antiwar.com that media and government targets within Nicaragua and Venezuela may be hit within days, due to rhetorical support for Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi.
Yesterday, Nicaraguan President and former Sandinista rebel group leader Daniel Ortega "expressed solidarity" with Gadhafi’s "revolution."
"I have been speaking with Gadhafi on the telephone… he is again fighting a great battle, how many battles has Gadhafi had to fight," said Ortega. "In these circumstances they are looking for a way to have a dialogue, but defend the unity of the nation, so the country does not disintegrate, so there will not be anarchy in the country."
Several Anonymous-allied Twitter accounts reacted in outrage to the statement.
In Venezuela, TeleSurTV, founded by President Hugo Chávez and state-funded in large part, took no official line on Libya but in a 10-minute segment Monday night, only commentators sympathetic to Gadhafi were interviewed by an "impartial" host. All said that Gadhafi had done a lot for the Libyan people and the unrest is being provoked and funded by Western "imperialists." These themes were later echoed in a rambling speech by the dictator himself on Libyan state television.
Chávez himself has not himself said anything at all about the Libyan situation or his erstwhile revolutionary ally.
The Anonymous source said this could leave both Latin American states’ governments open to DDoS attacks, which would shut them down for a period of time. They may even be hacked.
Libyan state websites were attacked overnight by Anonymous members. As of right now, the central bank’s site is not functioning. The internet in Libya has not officially been shut off, as it was in Egypt, but there is evidence of internal interruption.
The source clarified that the group only attacks state media.
In other regional news, Peru has withdrawn diplomatic relations with Libya for the time being.
‘Anonymous’ are so out of their depth here.
Libya is descending into a medieval tribal war.
There are no good sides there.
None of them give a shit about democracy or free speech.
As bad as Gadhafi is, the guy at least payed lip service to womens rights & independence.
That will disappear when he's gone.
I'm fine with that, as I don't think it's anyones business to impose secularism on people like Gadhafi tried to.
As far as Lat Am goes: Chavez & Ortega only respect Gadhafi as an old warrior.
The guy took on the U.S., Israel, & Saudi…and lived to tell the tale.
Whatever happens, no one can take that away from him.
By the way, Anonymous are lying when they say "the group only attacks state media".
They've been attacking the independent "Aporrea" site for weeks now.
That's a leftist website, format like HuffingtonPost, which is sympathetic to Chavez.
They've been attacked for simply challenging anonymous' positions on Venezuelan politics.
Wow, apparently hypocrisy isn't a domain of the Right-wing war party.
It boggles the mind how men like Daniel Ortega and Hugo Chavez – men who have committed themselves to social justice at home – can stand in support of a lunatic tyrant like Ghadafi while he slaughters his own people.
And why do they do this? Because of some Cold War-era solidarity against the big bad USA? Because Ghadafi used to be a thorn in America's side?
Shameful!
Venezuela and Nicaragua might be trying to help by giving Qaddafi a place to go where he will be welcome. Going for unconditional surrender will lead to a bloody civil war.
I am never going to smoke thoz off-branders anymore… Because I'm beginning to hallucinate the strangest things….. Was the headline really "‘Anonymous May Attack Nicaragua, Venezuela Govts Over Libya" ???…. Over their lukewarm support for Ghadafi..??….. Yeah Nicaragua… Isn't it the place where OUR neonons sans Wehrmacht….. developed the dope for death-squad model…. that killed… tens of thousands of campesinos, farmers and their families…??? Don't the downtrodden have enough grief without misguided morons blaming the victums of the nuclear armed empire that kills and lies … What, is this blame the victims week….. As for Gadhafi…… he is no angel, but he was a LION once…. who stood up to empire's slings and arrows…. Like Castro who liberated Cuba from the Mafia, Gadafi too has been running the show too long… Too long without submitting to the will of the people…. And when I cheer for the throngs werking the ouster of Mubarak it"s only fair to cheer the crowds looking to oust the others who have been to autocratic for too long… MoMar, We salute you!!! You were a beacon of hope to the hundreds of millions once… But now you have let yourself become way too comfortable with the colonials and their proxies…it's time to pass the mantle to this new generation who yearn to be free of you….
Is "politics" as usual, if there are any miss understanding, a political and or economic dispute between US-EU or China the people of Middle East or people in North Africa needs to pay the price, if there are any word of mouth between Russia and US the people of Palestine needs to pay and the jubilee is for the Israeli government, all that is the indication in what EU is been playing politics keeping these thugs in power against US and US been helping Israel to keep the European at check, meanwhile people in middle east and elsewhere paying the price with their life. Is a falsified democratic, social democratic and liberals left or right politics as usual.
Wake me when Anonymous has taken down the Great Firewall of China, or has restored internet access to Libya. (The latter has been done by European ISPs, thank you very much.)
P. Escobar said:
“Libya is descending into a medieval tribal war. There are no good sides there. None of them give a shit about democracy or free speech.”
What a cynical, arrogant, racist and stupid comment. The bravery, valour, common decency and heroism of these people needs no defense. What typical neoliberal/neoconservative sh–head blather. Evolve, people.
I guess the word “sh–head” is on anti-war’s taboo list… too bad. The point made was valid, and succinctly put. A neccessary counterpoint to what really was truly offensive in the words used in the referred-to previous post. I can’t really believe that the antiwar.com folks wouldn’t agree with what I said. Sometimes a spicy word of description for emphasis, (if not over-blown), is precisely what’s needed. Defenders of Empire, warmongering, “subhuman” stereotypes of groups of human beings, etc., definitely deserve the epithet. Peace.
(Edited for profanity and spelling.)
Ludwig,
You are wrong.
I hate neo-liberals and neo-cons.
They, like 'Anonymous', are the ones expecting this to be some French secular revolution.
When reality hits them in the face, like it did in Palestine (where Hamas won elections), you will see how quickly 'Anonymous' & the west turn against the Libyan people.
The neocons & 'Anonymous' will threaten you just for defending the Libyans right to choose a government that doesn't share their values.