Iman al-Obeidi
 Iman al-Obeidi    | |
|---|---|
 Channel 4's Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Miller with Iman al-Obeidi | |
| Born | 1982 Tobruk, Libya |
| Nationality | Libyan |
| Alma mater | Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Bayda |
Iman al-Obeidi (born circa 1982) is a former Libyan postgraduate law student who received worldwide media attention during the 2011 Attacks on Libya when she burst into the restaurant of the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli and told the international press corps there that Libyan troops had beaten and gang-raped her. Her public statement challenged both the Gaddafi government and the taboo against discussing sex crimes in Libya.[1][2]
Government security forces dragged her out of the hotel to an unknown destination, and attacked journalists who tried to help her. Government representatives claimed she was drunk, mentally ill, a prostitute, and a thief, and said she would be charged with slander.[3] The Washington Post described her as a "symbol of defiance against Gaddafi."[4]
She was released from government detention after three days, and was interviewed several times by Libya TV — an opposition satellite channel — and by CNN, during which she offered graphic details of her rape and subsequent detention by government officials.[5]
Background
- For background, see "Alleged Libyan rape victim no longer in government custody", CNN, April 4, 2011.
- For the Libya TV interview, see
{{URL|example.com|optional display text}} - That she was, in effect, under house arrest, see Kirkpatrick, David. "After Rape Report in Libya, Woman Sees Benefit in Publicity", The New York Times, April 4, 2011.
- For CNN update, see "Video: 'Please do not forget me,' says Al-Obeidy", CNN, April 11, 2011.
Propaganda or Truth
In August 2011, Sandra Barr of the Truthseeker blog wrote that
- "Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said incidents of such sexual violence in Libya were a demonstration of the Gaddafi government's "absolute disregard for any understanding of human rights." I live in the UK, I could catalogue a very long list of UK abuses of human rights! Most recently the slaughter of thousands of Libyans. Death toll from Iraqi and Afghanistan invasions one and a half million souls, and rising!
- Amnesty International called Iman al-Obeidi's story "stomach-churning," and requested her release and an investigation. (This was during the time Libyan authorities were interviewing her). So from her alleged abduction on March 24 to her arrival in New York on July 27, a period of 4 months, she had apparently got over her trauma! In several of her interviews she emphasised how much she would love to live in the United States, and her sister Marwa al-Obeidi said in an interview that Hillary Clinton personally arranged for a private plane to fly Iman and her father from Libya to America, via Malta, Austria and Romania! The US State Department confirmed this. The State Department also said that they would provide Iman with whatever help she needed, and that Hillary Clinton had been especially interested in Iman’s case. To quote: "been deeply interested in the case and has followed it throughout." I’ll bet!
- Maybe Ms Clinton will now turn her attention to seeking justice for all the victims that were raped in Abu Ghraib prison, by US military, and US CACI interrogators. From the outset of this debacle, Iman emphasised her support for the rebels, and made it clear that she would like to live in America. Her claims of rape were reported world-wide, and influenced millions of people, her accusations aided the rebel cause, and no one has investigated her claims! It is my guess that like her fore-runner Nayirah, if and when the truth of the matter emerges, it will be too late for many thousands of Libyans, who have been murdered since.
- Iman’s objectives from the outset, to aid the rebels, and to live in America, she would seem to have fulfilled her objectives. I have known many victims of rape, both personally, and in a professional capacity, and this woman displays none of the signs of having endured the torture she claims she endured. I could be way off track, and totally wrong, but my gut feeling on this, is that her whole story has been fabricated from start to finish!
- I will leave you all to draw your own conclusions, do your own investigations, if there is anything I have missed, please feel free to contact me.[6]
Asylum in America
She claimed to have fled Libya with a defecting military officer, who helped her cross into Tunisia, dressed in a Berber tribal costume to hide her identity. She was initially offered protection by European diplomats in Qatar[7][8] and applied for refugee status there. After initially protecting her, in early June 2011 Qatar forcibly deported her back to Libya.[9] On 4 June 2011, she was granted asylum in the United States with the help of Hillary Clinton.[10]
Iman al-Obeidi eventually settled in Colorado under the name Eman Ali.[11][12] However, she was subsequently charged with a number of violent offences, including a February 2014 assault on two patrons at a downtown bar in Boulder, Colorado for which she was convicted in May 2015 of a Class 4 felony.[13][14]
Related Documents
| Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document:Libya: Fine, but why Britain | article | 20 March 2011 | Brian Barder | David Cameron seemingly Gung Ho on toppling the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, while Barack Obama takes a back seat |
| Document:Niyirah al-Sabah’s Story | article | 28 August 2011 | Sandra Barr | Niyirah al-Sabah presenting her lies about Saddam Hussein's troops taking babies out of incubators that led to the Iraq War and Iman al-Obeidi claiming she was gang-raped by Muammar Gaddafi's forces justifying the 2011 Attacks on Libya |
References
- ↑ Jacinto, Leela "Rape of Iman Al-Obaidi Is Rape of Libya by Qadhafi and his Thugs", Al-Jazeera, April 3, 2011.
- ↑ For her postgraduate law studies, see "Parents of Libyan woman who claimed rape tell TV she's held hostage at Gadhafi's compound", Associated Press, March 28, 2011.
- ↑ "Lone, brave woman exposes truth of Libya", The Financial Times, March 28, 2011.
- ↑ Tara and Sly, Liz. "Libyan government offered money to appease Iman al-Obaidi, woman in rape-claim case, mother says", The Washington Post, March 27, 2011.
- ↑ For the CNN interview, see Cooper, Anderson. "Alleged Libyan rape victim speaks out", AC360, CNN, April 4, 2011.
- ↑ "Iman Al-Obeidi Propaganda or Truth!"
- ↑ Robertson, Nic. "Alleged rape victim flees Libya", CNN, May 8, 2011.
- ↑ Andrew Gilligan "Libyan rape victim escapes to Tunisia with defecting military officer", The Daily Telegraph, May 9, 2011.
- ↑ "Alleged Libyan rape victim deported from Qatar back to Libya", CNN, June 2, 2011.
- ↑ "WebCite query result"; accessed June 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Libyan refugee arrested after failing to appear in court on Boulder case". Daily Camera. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ "Libyan refugee Iman al-Obeidi convicted in Boulder assault case". The Denver Post. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ "Libyan political refugee living in Boulder charged with assault arrested again". 7NEWS. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ Moni Basu, CNN (2 September 2015). "Libyan symbol of freedom facing 6 years behind bars - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
