Sunday, March 20, 2011

Benghazi, heavy bombardment by Gaddafi for two days said at least 94 people killed

At least 94 people killed in Gaddafi’s assault on Benghazi

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Admin
This post is being constantly updated
All times are in Libyan local time GMT +2
 perfectsliders 

   "I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle" Mohammed Nabbous martyr today.

AFP12:31 AFP The latest death-toll from Benghazi, which came under heavy bombardment by Gaddafi forces for two days before the UN operation began. AFP quotes medics in the city, they said at least 94 people were killed in the assault.
BBC12:29 BBC Prayers are to take place in Misrata and Tobruk in memory of Mohammed Nabbous, a well-known activist who was killed in Benghazi on Saturday as he filmed the pro-Gaddafi attacks on the city. Mr Nabbous was the founder of Libya Free TV and was due to become a father.
Sky News11:00 Sky News reports that Gaddafi’s forces are still active in Misrata, troops have been encircling the city and snipers are on the rooftops despite the overnight attacks of the UN operation.
A pharmacist in Misrata writes to the BBC: “We can hear shelling now, heavy shelling. Gaddafi militiamen are entering from the west and they are positioned on the main street which leads to the town centre. There are tanks and snipers on top of buildings. There was a big explosion just now. I am currently staying in the main hospital, this is what we hear is happening. In the last three days, there have been Gaddafi ships in the port. We have been unable to collect containers with medicine from the port because of that – they would shoot.
BBC
10:40 BBC This just in: Armed men have detained the crew of an Italian ship in the Libyan capital’s port, Italy’s Ansa news agency reports. It says the ocean-going tug comprise eight Italians, two Indians and one Ukrainian
05:33 Reuters China wants stability restored to Libya as soon as possible, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, after Western forces started using strikes from air and sea against Muammar Gaddafi’s troops. Expressing regret about the military attacks in Libya, the ministry said it hoped the conflict would not escalate and lead to greater loss of civilian life.
05:29 BBC Abdel, a doctor in the town of Misrata, Libya, about 200km east of Tripoli, tells BBC World television that Gaddafi loyalists have been moving the bodies of people killed in clashes between rebels and government forces to sites that have been bombed by the coalition to make it appear they have died in the strikes.
04:51 Footage of interview with captured Brigadier in Benghazi
Captive: My rank is brigadier, my name mohammed alaa addeen Ali salem Hnesh. I was captured today in Gar Younes, a number of civilians captured me.
Guys off camera: Revolutionaries!
Captive: Revolutionaries yes. What else did you ask me?
Interviewer: How did you enter?
Captive: My specialty is land mine clearance and I am part of the national program for mine clearance and land development
Interviewer: Which battalion do you belong to?
Captive: I am not part of a battalion, I am with the “People’s rotation” as a basis, but I am assigned to that prgram as well (mine clearance & land development)
Interviewer: Which battalion? You guys came with a battalion today..
Captive: No no..
Man off shot: Which battalion did you come with?
Captive: No no, I came on my own, I didn’t come with any battalion. This was the instruction I received…
04:32 Footage from Benghazi 19th March 2011. A translation is below the video: 
Translation:
Guy off shot: video, video eh?
Cameraman: Video yeah
Guy off shot: record the tank that the youth captured over there
Cameraman: Recording the tank they captured, this is the tank they captured,
Guy off shot: The other one’s over there
Cameraman: Show the independence flag, raise the independence flag
Cameraman: Show them the ammunition, the ammunition they seized from them today…
04:20 BBC Abdul Karim, a doctor in Libya’s third city of Misrata, tells the BBC: “There has been strong firing from Gaddafi’s tanks from the western side of Misrata, in an area called Guseir. The firing started five hours ago. I can still hear the sounds of explosions. I was heading home when I heard the explosions, so now I have gone to a safer place.”
03:54 Mohammed, I can’t even begin to put to words how much you grew in my heart in such a short space of time. You are in a better place my brother. May God give your wife and family patience and steadfastness during this devastating time. 
03:38 BBC The RAF’s Storm Shadow missile is a long-range air-launched cruise missile – and one of the most sophisticated air-launch weapons in the world.
Storm Shadow is a “fire and forget” weapon. Its strength is in that it can be launched by a bomber from any location up to up to 155 miles (250km) from the actual target. Read the article here
03:22 BBC A spokesman for the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff says the Royal Air Force has “participated in a co-ordinated strike against Libyan Air Defence systems”. “In addition to the Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) launched from a Trafalgar Class submarine, I can now confirm that the RAF has also launched Stormshadow missiles from a number of Tornado GR4 fast jets, which flew direct from RAF Marham as part of a coordinated coalition plan to enforce the resolution,” a statement adds.
The British fast jets flew 4,828km (3,000 miles) from RAF Marham and back – the longest range bombing mission conducted by the RAF since the Falklands conflict, according to the Ministry of Defence. The operation was supported by VC10 and Tristar air-to-air refuelling aircraft as well as E3D Sentry and Sentinel surveillance aircraft.
UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox says: “We made clear that if Gaddafi did not comply with the UN Security Council resolution 1973, it would be enforced through military action. Our armed forces have therefore participated in a co-ordinated international coalition strike against key military installations… This action has provided a strong signal – the international community will not stand by while the Libyan people suffer under the Gaddafi regime.”
03:16 The Guardian Qatar’s prime minister has told local new channel al-Jazeera that Qatar will definitively participate in the military action in Libya
“Qatar will participate in military action because we believe there must be Arab states undertaking this action, because the situation there is intolerable…. it has become an open war involving mercenaries. I think that this is an issue that must stop very quickly,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said, adding:
We do not accept any harm coming to the Libyan people. We are not targeting the Libyan people, or targeting even the colonel [Gaddafi] or his sons, quite the opposite. How can we stop the bloodshed, this is our intention.
03:13 Libyan State TV Reporting that 48 people have been killed and another 150 wounded by the air and missile strikes, according to the Reuters news agency.
03:07 Louis Abelman has compiled touching article about the martyr Mohammed Nabbous. We bring you the first couple of paragraphs and encourage you to read the rest of it here
Today we received the news that Mohammed Nabbous, a citizen media activist and one of the great figures of the February 17th youth revolutionary movement, was killed by a Qadaffi sniper while covering the first hours of fighting in Benghazi. His death represents a terrible loss for the movement and for the future of Libya.

We met Nabbous briefly, soon after arriving in Benghazi. As a leader and a member of the Transitional National Council, he gathered a progressive group of activists around him and organized the institution known as the February 17th Revolution Youth Media Center. In that grimy warren of hallways and former interrogation cells, reclaimed from the regime and plastered floor to ceiling with graffiti slogans and cartoons, his name was intoned gravely, even reverently.
00:58 Al Jazeera English Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi had bombarded areas of Benghazi. Gaddafi’s forces fired from tanks and used rockets to strike the city. Some residents have sought refuge in mosques for safety
Associated Press02:42 AFP African Union is calling for an immediate stop to military action in Libya
02:40 Al Jazeera English Pro-Gaddafi supporters are coming out to the streets of Tripoli, shouting and chanting at 02:40 local time
02:35 Al Jazeera English Gunfire and anti-aircraft rounds heard being fired over Tripoli
Almanara Media02:29 Almanara Media reports that anti-aircraft missile batteries have been bombarded in the following locations: An-Naasiriyah, Al Ma’moorah, Al Garaboolee and Tajoura
02:28 BBC Reports from Benghazi say revolutionaries have regained control of the city after driving out forces loyal to Col Gaddafi. The rebels say roads to the east are clogged with car loads of people fleeing.
Posted by Robby Ball at 3:52 AM