Libyan families fled Ajdabiya towards Benghazi on Sunday as revolutionaries flee in a panic from Gaddafi’s troops.
16:47 Jon Williams from the BBC tweets: Rebel held town of Brega now fallen to Gaddafi forces, causing panic in Ajdabiya. Rebels back where they were before weekend advance.
16:30 Reuters Libyan families fled Ajdabiya towards Benghazi on Sunday as revolutionaries flee in a panic from Gaddafi’s troops.
16:16 BBC Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez says Col Gaddafi and senior Libyan officials have tried to establish contact with the government in Madrid, ABC newspaper reported. However, the government has rejected the possibility of dialogue, she adds.
16:07 BBC French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says the first defections of those close to Col Gaddafi in Tripoli had been reported. Addressing the French National Assembly – broadcast live on TV – Mr Juppe said: “As you said, the situation on the ground remains undecided. At the political level – and this is perhaps a sign of positive developments – the first defections around Gaddafi in Tripoli are being reported.”
15:40 Reuters Following on from those reports of heavy shelling in the rebel-held city of Misrata on Tuesday, a rebel spokesman tells Reuters that 18 civilians were killed in the attacks. The claim cannot be independently verified.
15:13 Voice of Free Libya radio: Anyone who could drive a T-55 tank to report for duty.
14:47 BBC The BBC’s Ben Brown in the eastern town of Ajdabiya says that Libyan rebels “are pretty much in full retreat now”. Our correspondent adds: “The rebels don’t have the firepower to match Gaddafi’s forces. The rebels don’t have a great will to fight. Gaddafi’s forces seem to be more resilient when it comes to fighting pitch battles.”
14:51 DIRECT from Misratah (Wefaq Media) An aid ship from Malta has just arrived at the city’s port
14:31 Reuters The Libyan government says it will sue any international company which concludes any energy deals with the rebels, Reuters is quoting a report on Libya’s official news agency.
14:00 AP Libya’s Col Gaddafi is welcome to live in Uganda, the spokesman for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
13:40 Sky News UK Foreign Secretary tells MPs that five Libyan diplomats have been expelled from the UK as they could pose a threat to security.
13:27 AFP Pro-Gaddafi forces are pounding the western city of Misrata with heavy artillery, revolutionaries say.
12:31 BBC The BBC’s defence correspondent Nick Childs writes: “Clearly, the rebels remain outgunned by Col Gadaffi’s forces. The arms that might be most useful to them – for example, to attack tanks – also present the most problems, both politically and practically. A major challenge would be training people to use them. It’s not just a question of teaching people technically how to aim and fire them. Given how disorganised the rebels remain, there’s also the issue of teaching them better tactics to make them more effective. Clearly there are a range of options. But whatever they are – helping the rebels to use existing weaponry more effectively, supplying other types of equipment, or actually handing over new weaponry – there’ll be the need for expert advisors. Who would they be, and where could the training take place? Inside Libya, or in another host country? It’ll all take time, effort, and money. And, if the aim is to help maintain the momentum of the uprising, it might not be in time. Serious military training could take weeks or months.
12:20 AFP Russia’s foreign minister has warned the military coalition off arming the Libyan rebels. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told AFP that they agreed with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen that the operation was staged to protect the population, and not to arm them.
12:05 Reuters A Reuters correspondent heard aircraft and then blasts in the direction of the oil town of Ras Lanuf on Wednesday after rebels said they were retreating under bombardment by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.
“I heard the sound of jet engines overhead three times and then a series of booms. There are more booms right now but its unclear if it’s from the jets or other types of bombardment,” Reuters correspondent Alexander Dziadosz said.
11:45 BBC The latest agency despatches from Libya suggest rebels have retaken the key oil port of Ras Lanuf, while we’re also hearing reports of coalition airstrikes near Uqaylah.
11:44 AP Warplanes have “buzzed” fighting near Ras Lanuf today but have not fired on Gaddafi’s troops.
11:27 Sky News Producer Tom Rayner tweets: Sound of aircraft over Tripoli right now – seems to be lower than yesterday judging by the noise.
11:11 Al Jazeera English The question now is why the international coalition has yet to launch air strikes on Gaddafi’s troops as they advance from Nawfaliya to Bin Jawad to Ras Lanuf. Are they obeying the letter of resolution 1973, as Christian Science Monitor writer Dan Murphy suggests on Twitter, or is there something else going on?
10:32 BBC Revolutionaries have been trying to hold their front line after pro-Gaddafi forces recaptured several coastal towns including Ras Lanuf. But fighting is ongoing between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad. The BBC’s Ben Brown in Ajdabiya says he has seen the revolutionaries sending reinforcements to the front line, including four Katyusha rocket systems. Reports from the western city of Misrata say rebels there are still coming under intense attack
9:34 BBC Revolutionaries have lost the key port of Ras Lanuf and there are fears of being rolled back further, so they are praying for weaponry from western forces, says BBC’s Ben Brown. But they’re impeded as they lack any form of command structure – when they get shot at, they tend to jump into their trucks and retreat down the road, he adds.
01:11 Reuters President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the objective of a U.S. and allied campaign is to apply steady pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi so that he will “ultimately step down” from power.
In an NBC News interview, Obama said military pressure and international sanctions have “greatly weakened” Gaddafi. “He does not have control over most of Libya at this point,” Obama said.
16:47 Jon Williams from the BBC tweets: Rebel held town of Brega now fallen to Gaddafi forces, causing panic in Ajdabiya. Rebels back where they were before weekend advance.
16:30 Reuters Libyan families fled Ajdabiya towards Benghazi on Sunday as revolutionaries flee in a panic from Gaddafi’s troops.16:16 BBC Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez says Col Gaddafi and senior Libyan officials have tried to establish contact with the government in Madrid, ABC newspaper reported. However, the government has rejected the possibility of dialogue, she adds.16:07 BBC French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says the first defections of those close to Col Gaddafi in Tripoli had been reported. Addressing the French National Assembly – broadcast live on TV – Mr Juppe said: “As you said, the situation on the ground remains undecided. At the political level – and this is perhaps a sign of positive developments – the first defections around Gaddafi in Tripoli are being reported.”15:40 Reuters Following on from those reports of heavy shelling in the rebel-held city of Misrata on Tuesday, a rebel spokesman tells Reuters that 18 civilians were killed in the attacks. The claim cannot be independently verified.15:13 Voice of Free Libya radio: Anyone who could drive a T-55 tank to report for duty.
14:47 BBC The BBC’s Ben Brown in the eastern town of Ajdabiya says that Libyan rebels “are pretty much in full retreat now”. Our correspondent adds: “The rebels don’t have the firepower to match Gaddafi’s forces. The rebels don’t have a great will to fight. Gaddafi’s forces seem to be more resilient when it comes to fighting pitch battles.”14:51 DIRECT from Misratah (Wefaq Media) An aid ship from Malta has just arrived at the city’s port14:31 Reuters The Libyan government says it will sue any international company which concludes any energy deals with the rebels, Reuters is quoting a report on Libya’s official news agency.14:00 AP Libya’s Col Gaddafi is welcome to live in Uganda, the spokesman for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.13:40 Sky News UK Foreign Secretary tells MPs that five Libyan diplomats have been expelled from the UK as they could pose a threat to security.13:27 AFP Pro-Gaddafi forces are pounding the western city of Misrata with heavy artillery, revolutionaries say.12:31 BBC The BBC’s defence correspondent Nick Childs writes: “Clearly, the rebels remain outgunned by Col Gadaffi’s forces. The arms that might be most useful to them – for example, to attack tanks – also present the most problems, both politically and practically. A major challenge would be training people to use them. It’s not just a question of teaching people technically how to aim and fire them. Given how disorganised the rebels remain, there’s also the issue of teaching them better tactics to make them more effective. Clearly there are a range of options. But whatever they are – helping the rebels to use existing weaponry more effectively, supplying other types of equipment, or actually handing over new weaponry – there’ll be the need for expert advisors. Who would they be, and where could the training take place? Inside Libya, or in another host country? It’ll all take time, effort, and money. And, if the aim is to help maintain the momentum of the uprising, it might not be in time. Serious military training could take weeks or months.12:20 AFP Russia’s foreign minister has warned the military coalition off arming the Libyan rebels. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told AFP that they agreed with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen that the operation was staged to protect the population, and not to arm them.12:05 Reuters A Reuters correspondent heard aircraft and then blasts in the direction of the oil town of Ras Lanuf on Wednesday after rebels said they were retreating under bombardment by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.“I heard the sound of jet engines overhead three times and then a series of booms. There are more booms right now but its unclear if it’s from the jets or other types of bombardment,” Reuters correspondent Alexander Dziadosz said.
11:45 BBC The latest agency despatches from Libya suggest rebels have retaken the key oil port of Ras Lanuf, while we’re also hearing reports of coalition airstrikes near Uqaylah.11:44 AP Warplanes have “buzzed” fighting near Ras Lanuf today but have not fired on Gaddafi’s troops.11:27 Sky News Producer Tom Rayner tweets: Sound of aircraft over Tripoli right now – seems to be lower than yesterday judging by the noise.11:11 Al Jazeera English The question now is why the international coalition has yet to launch air strikes on Gaddafi’s troops as they advance from Nawfaliya to Bin Jawad to Ras Lanuf. Are they obeying the letter of resolution 1973, as Christian Science Monitor writer Dan Murphy suggests on Twitter, or is there something else going on?10:32 BBC Revolutionaries have been trying to hold their front line after pro-Gaddafi forces recaptured several coastal towns including Ras Lanuf. But fighting is ongoing between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad. The BBC’s Ben Brown in Ajdabiya says he has seen the revolutionaries sending reinforcements to the front line, including four Katyusha rocket systems. Reports from the western city of Misrata say rebels there are still coming under intense attack9:34 BBC Revolutionaries have lost the key port of Ras Lanuf and there are fears of being rolled back further, so they are praying for weaponry from western forces, says BBC’s Ben Brown. But they’re impeded as they lack any form of command structure – when they get shot at, they tend to jump into their trucks and retreat down the road, he adds.01:11 Reuters President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the objective of a U.S. and allied campaign is to apply steady pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi so that he will “ultimately step down” from power.In an NBC News interview, Obama said military pressure and international sanctions have “greatly weakened” Gaddafi. “He does not have control over most of Libya at this point,” Obama said.
What BS. Gadaffi has kicked the rebels back to Benghazi, is razing Misrata to the ground is massacring civilians in every occupied city.
The coalition is letting it happen, they refuse to take out his tanks and artillery.
These are all political lies that Obama is telling.
Where are the ARAB’s in all of this… Or any other humanitarian crisis that has ever befallen their kin for that matter?? More Muslims have been killed at the hands of their own than can be counted, yet somehow according to you, the US must come to the rescue here??
And just out of curiosity… Are you German?? Where the fuck are the Germans??
The “coalition” has already expended a billion dollars in one week, yet the fat asses of the house of Saud are nowhere to be seen…. Oh wait… their military is currently occupied on the island of Bahrain helping other fat ass “kings” butcher their own people. I wonder if those fat Saudi’s scream God is Great when they are shooting those unarmed people in Pearl Square.
Saudi’s appear to make great mercenaries for hire when you want to indiscriminately kill people. Perhaps Gaddafi hired the wrong goons.
It can be done so easily, a single order and the panes will attack and destroy the tanks – but they refuse to give that order!
The coalition leaders are all self serving political cowards who car care not for humanity.
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I have no country prejudice, no leader prejudice, I am humanity, I am the voice of humanity.
The voice of dictators, tyrants and their enablers is the voice of the non-humans the ones who bring civilization destruction and have no entitlement to live on this world. They keep coming back again and again to plague our world -we must make a world in which all tyrants are forever deleted from our genetic pool.
It is on all the shoulders of all those who are human beings in this world. Those who allow their fellow humans to be massacred abrogate their own right to live on this world with other human beings.
“The coalition leaders are all self serving political cowards who car care not for humanity.”
Do you see a better mean for a kaddafi fan to bring propaganda than to mock rebel for people that hate Nato’s countries ?
“It can be done so easily, a single order and the panes will attack and destroy the tanks – but they refuse to give that order!”
You clearly dont have any idea of what you are talking about.
How about Eqypt… They are recently a member of the “FREE” club now are they not?? Dont they care about their neighbours in need? Their brothers and sisters? And unrest right next door seriously threatens their fragile “democracy” does it not??
Eqypt has about 400,000 men under arms and even over 1,000 Abrams main battle tanks, dozens of Apache gunships and hundreds of jet fighers with many US supplied F15 and 16s.
They could have an armored coloumn to Ras Lanuf in 24 hours.
Where are they ????????
Do your research before you post, idiot.
Let us assume that coalition forces target all the tanks belong to Gaddafi. This way, they will cause the death of 1000 civilians. The second option is not to target them because of their position close to civilians. This way they allow the tanks to kill 10,000 civilians.
Which of the above is the better option?
Also Resolution 1973 allows the protection of civilians only – and not regime change. Removing the regime is part the protection of civilians. By killing Gaddafi and his men, we will be protecting the civilians.
“It can be done so easily, a single order and the panes will attack and destroy the tanks – but they refuse to give that order!”
You clearly don’t have any idea of what you are talking about”.
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I certainly DO and you certainly DON’T.
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“Max, you have a point, but the reason that “the coalition leaders are all self serving political cowards” as you put it, is because their mission is to PROTECT CIVILIANS, not force a regime change”
They can only protect civilians by destroying all the Tanks and Artillery, the angry people will then take care of “regime change”. As long as Gadaffi is alive the civilian populations are not safe. To not to destroy the tanks and artillery is to not protect the civilians who will certainly be all massacred one by one.
“Gadaffi’s’s tanks in Misrata hide near civilians and in shops. If coalition forces fire, they come under HEAVY criticism because of the risk of civilian casualties. If politicians who are involved didn’t give a shit about the situation in Libya, then they wouldn’t do shit.
Do your research before you post, idiot.”
I am fully aware of the situation Mr. “Idiot”. That is exactly why the politicians are cowards because they are afraid to be criticized. Those tanks will enable Gadaffi to massacre ALL , understand ALL, the rebel inhabitants of the city. The risk of one or two friendly casualties all MUST be taken.
Furthermore I don’t even buy the risk is a significant factor and even furthermore the coalition allowed the tanks to drive into the city again and agin in the open streets and from the outskirt sand they still did NOTHING. And even more furthermore there are tanks and artillery everywhere that are not hidden in shops. Do YOUR research Mr. “Idiot”.
You are a leftist “do-nothing” Darwin award winning apologist. You spout propaganda that enables the Libyan people to be killed and massacred. You are an enabler of tyranny and genocide just like the cowardly politicians you tout for.
Whatever reason those cowards got involved with Libya it has nothing to do with protecting the people. They allowed 10,000 people to be slaughtered before they finally got involved and they only helped because of the disruption to the oil market. They will get rid of Gadaffi by starving him out with sanctions for months! – in the meantime 30 to 70 percent of the population will be exterminated by him.
Those are the wages of Nebbish cowardly leftism.
…
I ‘m sure all those politicians will roast with Gadaffi in Hell where they all belong along with you , their self appointed propagandist.
Your uninformed rantings only confirm that you have no idea of what you are talking about. And you tried to sidestep my question about where you are from, which served to confirm that reside in a country that has never stepped up to do anything for anyone.
I have always found it curious where people like you come form. I mean the kind that bash the US at every turn, then immediately turn around and condemn them for not wanting to instantly offer up their sons and daughters lives to gain someone else’s freedom !?!?!?!
I wont even mention the countless billions never repaid to their taxpayers while the likes of the HOUSE OF SAUD spend their time buying up Ferrari’s, importing Beluga caviar, and having Kohler specialy gold plate the fixtures on their imported French bidets…. Oh… I guess I just did.
I will ask you again…… WHERE ARE THE ARAB’S
If the coalition starts killing civilians left, right and centre in an effort to ‘protect civilians’, how do you think the international community would take it? Vladmir Putin has already likened the intervention by coalition forces as a ‘crusade’. Of course destroying tanks and artillery protects civilians, but the entire operation in Libya would be perceived as a giant failure if the coalition starts killing civilians, no matter what the conditions. Worst case scenario the coalition forces get removed and best case scenario they become severely limited in their powers of intervention. Either way, this would allow Gaddafi to continue his killing spree. And then, the massacre will simply continue.
You say that risk is not a significant factor, yet it is enormous. The UN, who, by the way, allowed military intervention in the first place, does not applaud their own military force attacking civilians.
Do you remember when American fighters accidentally shot Libyans while strafing a field for pro-Gaddafi fighters? That made HEADLINES. Yet compared to casualties elsewhere that was nothing, and in addition, it was by accident. Think of what would happen if they started purposefully shooting at civilians. Even if you are targeting tanks, you can’t shoot civilians.
Lastly, put yourself in the shoes of Libyan civilians. No one wants to die. If the coalition said, ‘oh, we might sacrifice one or two of you’, what would you say? Sure??? Treating civilians as martyrs in order to target Gaddafi’s armoured is NOT the way to go.
Your arguments make sense (your insults don’t), but politics and the way the international community perceives the situation plays a way bigger role than you might think. The coalition simply CANNOT target civilians in ANY shape or form.
Your other argument that tanks out in the open aren’t being targeted doesn’t follow with facts at all. Tanks that are not near civilians ARE being targeted. Here’s a statement released yesterday by the AFP, “Ordnance released hit a total of 22 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces in the vicinity of Ajdabiya and Misrata”. Last time I checked 22 did not equal 0.
I’m not saying the uprising in Libya is going smoothly, but international forces really aren’t the ‘cowards’ that you say they are.
We know this isn’t a fight between east and west libya – though the fight has been beaten out of the initial resistance in much of the west it sadly appears – but the international forces cannot win the war for the free libyans (as they themselves have repeatedly insisted), but it does not look like much more progress can be made by the free forces on the ground either, even to the point of holding any territory, unless something changes dramatically very soon, and with NATO now in charge, I fear even less will be done to help (so many seemed to think going beyond a no-fly zone was exceeding the mandate, which was patently untrue, which does not bode well).
I would say that Libya is still different from many of the other regions. 1) scale of atrocity and 2)broad international support for action another (even if there is argument of what kind). It is physically impossible to help everyone, and the second point is usually needed even if you want to.
Good luck to all the democratic Lybian people! I think of you all the time from my pacific French spot…
Another reason why arming the free libyans, though helping with the middle sentence, won’t really help all that much, especially as it will cause such an international furore.
I fear the revolution has gone as far as it can, and would be over in even bloodier fashion already without the no fly zone. The free libyans simply cannot beat Gaddafi and his most stubborn followers, the international community is not allowed to, and while belief and heart are important for a fighting force, it comes a distant second to superiority in arms, training and experience.
Gaddafi’s men have those things, and thing people don’t like to hear is that, quite often, brutalizing people into submission does in fact work. The other dictators in the region must be so pleased Gaddafi has reacted like this; the fear of a civil war will deter many who want change, and the proof shooting down the people will work will put off still others.
I weep.