Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Gvt tanks Misurata


Libya: live

As the coalition assault on Col Gaddafi's regime continues, here is live coverage of events in Libya and across the rest of the Middle East.

Link to this video
Nick Collins and Laura Roberts 3:00PM GMT 23 Mar 2011
Comment
This page will automatically update every 90 secondsOn Off
• RAF commander says Libyan air force 'no longer exists'
• Allied strikes reported at eight locations in Tripoli
• Misurata hospital 'bombarded by Gaddafi forces'
• Obama says he expects US to hand command to Nato in days
• But France says Nato will not provide 'political leadership'

Latest

19.50 A doctor in the rebel-held city of Misurata has told Reuters that regime forces are closing in on the hospital where locals had described difficult conditions in recent days. This was all he said before the line was cut:
QuoteGovernment tanks are closing in on Misurata hospital and shelling the area.
19.45 The UN has issued a statement on the violence in Libya:
QuoteThe Secretary-General condemns the continued use of force in the western part of Libya, including Zintan and Misurata. Once again, he reiterates his call for an immediate end to violence by all parties, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973, and for the responsibility to protect civilians. All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Please Retweet ---- 
   PERDITTA NABBOUS speaks out for the first time after her husband Mo's untimely death 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------





19.34 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said America expects "more announcements" of Arab participation in UN-backed military action in Libya in the coming days.
19.25 Meanwhile Channel Four is reporting that residents have heard eight blasts in the east of Tripoli this evening.
19.21 Colonel Gaddafi's forces are bombarding Misurata hospital, according to a witness.
19.19 A huge blast has been heard in a military base 32 kilometres (20 miles) to the east of Tripoli, witnesses have told the Agence France-Presse agency.
19.10 NATO countries have failed to agree for the Western military alliance to take over command of military operations in Libya from the United States, a NATO diplomat has told Reuters.
Despite a third day of meetings in Brussels, the 28-nation alliance was unable to come to a decision on anything due to disagreements over the exact nature and breadth of the mission, the diplomat said.
18.48 Human rights organisations are claiming that at least 13 people have died in skirmishes in Daraa, according to Al-Jazeera:
Twitter@AJELive At least 13 dead in #Syria, human rights activists say, as security forces open fire on protesters in Daraa http://bit.ly/gN2NJ0
18.37 The current EU president has claimed western air strikes have prevented a refugee crisis which could have seen Egypt flooded with hundreds of thousands of Libyan citizens. Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said:
QuoteHad there been no air strikes... most probably now the number of refugees at the Egyptian-Libyan border would not be thousands but most probably hundreds of thousands.
That catastrophe was now avoided... we can safely say that at least this operation saved not only the lives of many, many people but also pre-empted the occurance of such a crisis situation with refugees.
18.21 The Telegraph's Nick Squires has been told by a military source that American forces carried out strafing runs during the rescue of a pilot yesterday, possibly explaining the injuries to civilians:
 US warplanes conducted strafing runs during an operation to rescue a downed fighter pilot, a military source told the Daily Telegraph.
The cannon fire could explain the fact that several civilians were injured by bullets fired during the mission near the opposition stronghold of Benghazi.
Four Harriers were sent from the USS Kearsarge in the early hours of Tuesday morning to provide cover for a pair of Osprey helicopters whose task was to pick up a pilot who ejected from his F-15E Strike Eagle because of a mechanical failure.
18.05 Italy has said France is being "intransigent" about handing over command of military operations to NATO and condemned its recognition of the Libyan interim national council.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in a speech to the Senate: "We have to return to the rules with a single chain of command under NATO."
Libyan rebels unload a government tank near the key city of Ajdabiya (AFP/GETTY)
17:46 Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the head of the Royal Navy, says that recent events in the Arab world demonstrate the need for Britain to have a modern, flexible military:
QuoteThe implications of a young Tunisian not having the correct paperwork [referring to the fruit seller who set himself on fire after police confiscated his stall, apparently sparking the Tunisian rebellion] to run a fruit stall were not foreseen, but they are no less real for that.
They illustrate how quickly events can unfold in a way that is difficult to predict and which can affect UK interests in the short term - in this case, by posing a threat to our energy security and to the safety of UK nationals living, working and holidaying in the region - and potentially in the long term too.
Or, as in Libya, simply impacting on our high standards for the protection of human rights, against an unacceptable oppressive dictator.
The recent events in the Magreb - and Libya in particular - serve as a timely reminder for the UK government... that the capacity of world events to surprise even the best prepared of us should not be underestimated.
17:20 Norway has said that it is willing to ground its fighter-bombers if it thinks that the risks to civilians from any mission is too great. Defence Minister Grete Faremo told reporters:
QuoteIf Norway can't take part in the operational plans that emerge - if the risk of civilian lives being lost is too great, for example - Norway can take out the 'red card' and keep its fighters from participating.
Norwegian Air Force F-16A Falcon (REUTERS)
17:17 Snipers have killed 16 people today in Misurata, according to Hafiz Ghoga, the official spokesman for the rebel national council.
Ghoga also told Reuters during a press conference in Benghazi that six people were killed in a bombardment by Gaddafi forces at the eastern entrance to the town of Zintan.
17:10 Strange development, worth keeping an eye on, via the Irish Times's Mary Fitzgerald on Twitter:
Twitter@MaryFitzgerldIT Benghazi rebels today showed journos captured regime loyalist they allege was involved in shooting of Pc Yvonne Fletcher but he denies it
17:03 More on that pro-coalition rally in Benghazi, from AFP, as thousands of people march through the streets, gathering in the city's central square.
Men, women and children filled the streets of the rebel stronghold, carrying the red, green and black rebel flag and chanting "The people want the no-fly zone", the news agency reports. The march interrupted the unusual quiet that persists in the city, where most shops remain closed and fairly few people can be seen in the streets during the day.
Many demonstrators carried French flags and signs in French thanking President Nicolas Sarkozy for his efforts to secure a United Nations Security Council resolution authorising the no-fly zone and strikes on government forces.
"One, two, three, merci Sarkozy," protesters chanted as they walked towards the courthouse square that has become the gathering place for demonstrators in the coastal city.
17:00 Britain is to host an international summit next week to "take stock" of the situation in Libya, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, has said:
QuoteAt the conference we will discuss the situation in Libya with our allies and partners and take stock of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. We will consider the humanitarian needs of the Libyan people and identify ways to support the people of Libya in their aspirations for a better future.
Libyan rebel supporters in Benghazi sit outside their headquarters, with revolutionary graffiti visible on the building. (REUTERS)
16:53 The coalition no-fly zone now stretches across the entire coast of Libya, says Adm Hueber.
QuoteThis is the question because there are two kinds of states in the Middle East: “real countries” with long histories in their territory and strong national identities (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran); and those that might be called “tribes with flags,” or more artificial states with boundaries drawn in sharp straight lines by pens of colonial powers that have trapped inside their borders myriad tribes and sects who not only never volunteered to live together but have never fully melded into a unified family of citizens. They are Libya, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
16:35 No information on whether or not Col Gaddafi's son has been killed, says Rear Admiral Hueber.
16:29 More from Rear Admiral Hueber. Muammar Gaddafi's military remains in violation of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to attacks on civilians, with fighting in several cities, Reuters reports Adm Hueber as saying.
Hueber told reporters the international coalition enforcing a UN-backed no-fly zone over Libya was putting pressure on Gaddafi's forces. He said the coalition had flown 175 sorties in the last 24 hours, with the U.S. flying 113 and other countries doing the remainder. Coalition forces were targeting Libyan mechanized forces, artillery and mobile missile sites, he said.
He adds that the US does not consider itself at war, but instead carrying out a mission to enforce the UN security resolution 1973 at the direction of the President. There have been no reports of civilian casualties, he says, but it is extremely complex operating air attacks on urban targets, so they try to attack before forces enter cities.
16:25 Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, has once again criticised the air strikes against Libya:
QuoteHow can the goal of protecting the civilian population be achieved with means that increase casualties among the civilian population? That is something that cannot but cause concern.
16:20 Rear Admiral Gerard Hueber of the US Joint Task Force has given a breakdown of who flew the missions over Libya yesterday and today:
Twitter@USAfricaCommand JTF Brief: Total 175 sorties past 24 hours -- of those,113 were US, 62 were non-US members of coalition.
16:17 Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, says there is "no time-line" for ending operations in Libya. AFP reports him as saying:
QuoteThe no-fly zone is not time limited by the Security Council resolution. So I think that there is no current timeline in terms of when it might end.
16:08 Rebels in Benghazi are holding a "thank you" rally for the UN coalition, according to the Libyan Youth Movement:
Libyans in Benghazi wave flags, including French and Qatari flags, to thank the international coalition that has imposed the no-fly zone over Libya.
16:04 A doctor in Misurata says that four people have now been killed by sniper fire in the city:
Twitter@feb17voices LPC #Misurata Doctor: Casualties from sniper fire today: 4 killed, other injured in hospital. Head, torso wounds. Libyan Insurance Co. tallest building in #Misurata, is being used as sniper nest. Unable to flush them out.
15:54 A rebel spokesman in Misurata has told the BBC:
QuoteMisurata was in a desperate state yesterday, we almost lost all hope, but the strikes came at a good time with good intensity and frequency. They even managed to take out some convoys inside the city which was very impressive. Gaddafi’s forces have been hiding in a hospital… I can tell you that there’ve been zero casualties from international strikes.
There are snipers on top of buildings; Gaddafi’s forces are still stationed on the main street – Tripoli street – but there’s no random shelling anymore… I’ve been able to go out, I’ve seen bakeries and groceries open for the first time in many days. The strikes made such a difference – Gaddafi’s forces are scared of them. I want to express our gratitude and appreciation for these actions, we will never ever forget.
Four Italian Air Force Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon fly over the Birgi NATO Airbase in Trapani on the southern Italian island of Sicily (REUTERS)
15:43 The Telegraph's Damien McElroy emails to tell us about the Gaddafi regime's strange attempts at PR:
A day of farce from the official Libyan news management. One group of hacks is taken out to meet bereaved relatives but returns when the minders fail to locate the building. (We did however drive round and round a military base that would have been a legitimate target of any bombing run.)
A second trip to meeting tribal elders drives almost to Algeria until the bus runs out of diesel. Tired scribes and lensmen are now heading back.
Meanwhile the minders are said to have had a fight between those who want to show the journalists something and those who want to control all movements.
15:34 Rob Crilly, one of our reporters in Libya, draws my attention to this fascinating blog by the BBC's Jon Williams on the difficulties ofreporting from Libya:
QuoteEvery war has the "journalists' hotel" - the Hotel Continental in Saigon, the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo, the Palestine in Baghdad. This time, the Government has corralled around a hundred reporters from around the world into the Rixos Hotel - a smart, Turkish hotel that has just celebrated its first anniversary. It's the garden of the Rixos that you see night after night behind Allan Little and Jeremy Bowen. But in truth, in recent days, it's become a bit of a gilded cage.
15:28 Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell, the RAF officer with command of British air power over Libya, says that Gaddafi's air force "no longer exists as a fighting force". The BBC reports him as saying that allied aircraft can operate "with near impunity" in the skies above the country:
QuoteWe are watching over the innocent people of Libya and ensuring that we protect them from attack.
We have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres.
A Libyan rebel fighter flashs the victory sign at a check point near the key city of Ajdabiya, Libya:
15.17 MI5 has reportedly warned its Nato allies of the risk of terror attacks in the wake of the military action in Libya. The security service reportedly sent a memo a few hours before the start of the operation after intercepting a number of conversations among British-based Libyans. The discussions about how to support Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were held by expatriates who, though well assimilated in the west, retain close links with their homeland, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.
15.12 The United States bombed the wreckage of an F-15 fighter jet that went down in Libya due to mechanical failure, a US military official confirmed. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the wreckage was bombed overnight "to prevent materials from getting into the wrong hands."
15.07 An update on the situation in Benghazi from our intrepid reporterRob Crilly. He tells us:
Rob CrillyBenghazi is starting to get back to normal today. Shops that have been shut since Friday - when Gaddafi forces closed in on the city - are open once again. People are more confident that government forces have been banished for good. And, on a personal note, I'm pleased to find that my hotel room has been cleaned for the first time in a fortnight.
14.29 French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told parliament that representatives from Western coalition partners taking part in military intervention in Libya will meet in London on Tuesday. He said:
QuoteI just took the initiative with my British colleague to gather in London next Tuesday a contact group including all the countries (in the coalition), plus the African Union, the Arab League and the European countries associated.
14.25 There are indications that the US military has already taken steps to ensure the crashed jet in Libya doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Rob Crilly, the Telegraph correspondent who was the first journalist to find the plane yesterday, tweets:
Twitterbloke who found downed US airman called to say there was air strike to destroy F15 wreckage last night - will try to find out more #libya
14.15 French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is saying that coalition partners will meet in London on Tuesday.
14.04 Iyad El-Baghdadi tweets:
TwitterAnd how do you counter snipers? Main problem in Misurata is snipers.
14.01 Sky News is reporting that the bomb which exploded near a Jerusalem bus stop was attached to a phone booth. Police are bracing themselves for further attacks.
13.57 Free Libya tweeted less than half an hour ago:
TwitterCoalition warplanes just conducted an air strike against Gaddafi forces stationed at the eastern entrance of #Ajdabiya, (aljazeera) #Libya
13.53 Further detail on the bomb that exploded in Jerusalem. It detonated at a crowded bus stop by the central bus station wounding at least 25 people in what appeared to be the first militant attack in the city in several years, AFP reports. An correspondent at the scene said the attack hit the 174 bus which was headed for Maaleh Adumim, a sprawling Jewish settlement which lies just to the east of Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his departure to Russia following the incident.
Israel Rescue workers and paramedics treat an injured man after an explosion near a bus stop in Jerusalem
13.46 A doctor in Misurata has told the BBC World Service that there are no pro-Gaddafi tanks in the city today, "because all the tanks have either escaped or been destroyed by the allied forces". But he says the hospital where he works is still surrounded by snipers loyal to Col Gaddafi.
QuoteThey are shooting anybody going in or coming out of the hospital. Until now we have four civilian dead.
13.43 An important correction has been issued by the Israeli embassy in Washington. It says the bomb in Jerusalem was not on a bus and was "apparently not a suicide attack".
13.39 Fighting between rebels and Gaddafi's forces in Ajdabiyah today saw residents fleeing the strategic east Libyan oil town said, describing shelling, gunfire and houses ablaze. A 25-year-old man, who gave his name only as Faraj, said the fighting had prevented him from entering Ajdabiyah, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Benghazi, Libya's second city and the rebel stronghold. "We turned back because of the shelling," he said, referring to the group of people in his car heading back towards Benghazi. "There was shelling and we saw houses that were burning."
Roads lead from the small town in Libya's east to the rebel capital of Benghazi and to the oil city of Tobruk. Rebels have been struggling to retake it since it was overrun by Gaddafi's forces on Tuesday last week.
13.34 A bus was hit by a massive explosion outside Jerusalem's central bus station on Wednesday, medical sources told AFP, saying around 20 people had been wounded, some of them seriously. The explosion occurred shortly after 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) and shook buildings hundreds of metres (yards) away, witnesses said. An Israeli embassy spokesman in Washington has said on Twitter that it is the work of a suicide bomber.
The explosion appears to be the first bus bombing in several years and comes amid rising tensions between Hamas militants and Israel.
13.03 Six fighter jets sent by Norway to the military campaign in Libya will fall under US command for the time being, opening the way for them to take action, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said.
13.01 Ambassadors of the alliance were to meet again at 2 pm this afternoon to decide on the extent of Nato involvement in the U.N.-mandated mission to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians. The United States, Britain and France agreed on Tuesday that the alliance should play a key operational role, but the assent of all 28 NATO states is needed and they have been split over whether it should also exercise political control.
The first female RAF Typhoon jet fighter pilot prepares to take off from the Italian Airforce base of Gioia del Colle near Bari in southern Italy
13.00 David Cameron has refused to guarantee the future of the RAF Marham in Norfolk, the base at the centre of British operations against Libya. It has been threatened with closure under Ministry of Defence cuts. Conservative MP Elizabeth Truss, whose South West Norfolk constituency includes the base, asked the Prime Minister:
QuoteGiven the central role RAF Marham has played in securing a no-fly zone over Libya and the brave actions of our service personnel, despite the ongoing uncertainty of that base, isn't it time we confirmed the future of RAF Marham as a fast-jet base?
Mr Cameron said Ms Truss made "a very strong case", but other MPs would argue for RAF bases in their constituencies to be retained. He added: "These decisions will be taken in due course by the Ministry of Defence."
12.57 Once more from Nick Squires aboard the USS Kearsarge. He provides further details of bombing raids that took off from the ship last night. He tells us:
American Harriers carried out more bombing raids against forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi overnight, taking off from an amphibious assault ship off the coast of Libya.
Four US Marine Harriers bombed tanks, artillery and other targets around the city of Ajdabiya, where Libyan government forces continue to battle rebels.
The Harriers took off close to midnight, then returned to the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge to rearm and refuel before carrying out more sorties. The aircraft are armed with laser guided 500lb bombs.
12.51 The first female British Typhoon pilot flew into action today as the RAF readied itself for another day enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya. The flame-haired "top gun" is the only woman who flies the fighter plane for the air force.
She took off shortly before midday from the southern Italian airbase of Gioia del Colle. A total of three RAF Typhoons and two Tornados took to the skies this morning.
12.44 Nato warships have started patrolling off Libya's coast to enforce the UN arms embargo.
12.42 Turkey has offered a submarine and five ships to police the Libya arms embargo, AFP reports. This is depite the Turkish president speculating earlier that military action from the West is motivated in some quarters by "opportunism".
12.41 George Osborne has just told the Commons during his Budget speech that the cost of providing military support in Libya will "be met entirely by Treasury reserves".
Libyan rebel fighters prepares an anti-aircraft machine gun at a check point near the key city of Ajdabiya, Libya
12.38 Western air strikes early this morning hit an air base south of Libya's rebel-held Misurata where government forces are positioned, but snipers shot two people dead in the centre of the city, a resident said. Sami told Reuters:
QuoteThis morning, air strikes twice hit the airbase where Gaddafi's brigades are based. Two people were killed by snipers an hour ago in the centre of the town. Their bodies are now at the hospital, which I visited a while ago. Shooting is still going on there (in the city centre) now.
12.37 David Cameron dismissed in Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons any suggestion that Gaddafi was adhering to a second ceasefire as "complete nonsense". He said:
QuoteI think, as we discussed on Monday, there has been an early and good effect in terms of regime forces having to retreat from Benghazi but clearly there is great concern about what the regime is doing in Misurata.
Any idea that their second ceasefire is any more meaningful than the first ceasefire we can see is complete nonsense. I think we have made good progress in the no-fly zone, good progress in terms of turning some of those forces back and protecting civilians, but clearly this is early stages and a lot more remains to be done.
The Prime Minister admitted he would have liked more support from Arab nations when the operation was launched at the weekend, adding that British forces would stick to the requirements of United Nations Resolution 1973. He said 11 nations had contributed 150 aircraft to operations over Libya but a "lot more remained to be done".
However he confirmed that Kuwait and Jordan are to make logistic contributions to action in Libya joining Qatar who has already provided aircrafts.
12.26 France's government spokesman Francois Baroin has clarified the French position on a Nato role in Libya. He says:
QuoteWe are working on the coalition having a political leadership of the operation. On the commanding of operations, for efficiency reasons we want a unique structure to organise the action of the coalition and NATO has the capacity to do this.
However, this follows Barack Obama's claim that he had won British and French support for a Nato role and that he expected to transfer America's position of command within days. The President said last night he expected "clarity" on the future command structure of allied military operations "over the next several days". That's looking rather optimistic.
12.12 Our correspondent Nick Squires is due to fly off the USS Kearsarge in a few hours and return to the coalition air base in Italy. Although the American ships are on standby to carry out humanitarian operations they are also capable of military might which he details:
Amphibious assault ships off the Libyan coast are crammed with Humvees, armoured trucks and weaponry and are capable of delivering hundreds of Marines to beach landings.
The US, UK and other coalition countries have insisted that there will be no boots on the ground as Col Gadaffi tries to suppress a popular revolt, but should the situation deteriorate, ships like the USS Kearsarge will be thrown into the front line.
The vessel’s “well deck” contains three massive hover craft which can storm towards a beach at up to 50 knots an hour to deliver Marines, amphibious assault vehicles, equipment and MRE rations – Meals Ready to Eat. The hover craft – known in military jargon as Landing Craft Air Cushioned – are powered by massive, 15ft tall propellers.
12.05 A resident of Misurata says Gaddafi forces have now started firing at the hospital killing at least three people, Reuters reports. Resident Saadoun said:
QuoteIt started half an hour ago. The snipers are ... shooting at the hospital and its two entrances are under heavy attack. No one can get in or out. We have lost all communication with people inside. The last thing we knew is that three are killed and three are critically wounded.
12.04 More than 10,700 west Africans have fled to Niger, where most of them came from, to escape violence in neighbouring Libya, the United Nations in Niamey said today. "Since February 13, the beginning of the movement of migrants, nearly 10,779 people ... including 117 women and 131 children, have fled the unrest in Libya for Niger," the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said.
12.01The US pilot who crashed in eastern Libya was "treated with dignity and respect" by his rescuers, Rear Admiral Peg Klein, Commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group on the USS Kearsarge has said. Take a look at the onboard press conference attended by journalists including the Telegraph's Nick Squires.
11.56 After visitng Tripoli and the western town of Zawiyah the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya Rashid Khalikov says there was "huge" damage to buildings in Zawiyah and although the situation there appeared calm, Libyan government forces were still heading toward the city. He told reporters that the UN has been unable to confirm reports that civilians were being used as human shields by the Libyan government, but said any such action would be unacceptable under international law.
A Libyan rebel sits on the back of a pick-up truck as rebel forces massed several kilometres from the key city of Ajdabiya to try to attack government forces that have encircled the town
11.39 Libya's rebel national council based in the country's east has named Mahmoud Jabril to head an interim government and pick ministers, Al Jazeera television reports. Jabril, a reformer who was once involved in a project to establish a democractic state in Libya, is already the head of a crisis committee to cover military and foreign affairs.
11.37 Pro-Gaddafi forces have resumed their bombardment of the town of Zintan, Reuters reports. Abdulrahman, a resident, said:
QuoteGaddafi's brigades started bombardment from the northern area half an hour ago. The bombardment is taking place now. The town is completely surrounded. The situation is very bad. They are getting reinforcements. Troops backed with tanks and vehicles are coming. We appeal to the allied forces to come and protect civilians.
11.36 Nato will have a technical and operational role rather than political leadership in the military intervention by Western powers in Libya,French foreign minister Alain Juppe says.
"NATO will intervene as a tool for planning and operational action" in applying the no-fly zone provided for in UN Security Council Resolution 1973, he said at a press conference. "It will not exercise political leadership" of the coalition."
11.35 Representatives of the Libyan opposition's Interim National Council told a meeting in Paris late last night that a post-Kadhafi regime would be "secular and democratic", AFP reports.
11.32 American air force chiefs cancelled a hastily-called press conference to talk about their F-15E Strike Eagle fighter bomber which crashed over Libya. The USAF base commander at Lakenheath in Suffolk, home of the 48th Fighter Wing, issued invites to a noon meeting to discuss the accident. An hour before the conference was due to start,Col John T Quintas announced it had been cancelled "due to sensitivities related to the accident." No further explanation was offered but the Americans said they would not now be holding a press briefing "until all the facts have been evaluated."
11.20 James Kirkup, our political correspondent, has written an interesting blog about the fact that President Obama called Nicolas Sarkozy before David Cameron to talk about command of the Libya military operation. He notes:
James KirkupContact between Mr Obama and Mr Cameron has been a sensitive issue in Westminster over recent days. Critical observers think they detect a certain froideur between the PM and the President. Meanwhile in Washington, it’s Mr Sarkozy who’s getting the plaudits for his leadership on Libya. (”Be as bold as the French,” says one Republican senator.)
The apparent order of Mr Obama’s calls to his European allies may fuel the cynics’ suspicions about US-UK relations over Libya.
11.11 The BBC is reporting that three RAF Typhoons and two RAF Tornados have taken off from Gioia del Colle airbase near Bari, southern Italy.
An aerial view of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which France sent to Libya to bolster the air campaign against Muammar Gaddafi's forces
11.05 Fighting in eastern Libya may have displaced tens of thousands of people and severely disrupted basic services and food supply lines, the United Nations says. A UN report said there was a high level of uncertainty over the current humanitarian situation in Libya, where Western air strikes began at the weekend. More than 335,600 people have fled Libya, mainly to Tunisia and Egypt, since the beginning of the crisis. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said:
QuoteThe situation of civilians in and around Ajdabiya, Misurata and other locations where active fighting continues remains of grave concern.
At least 45 people, including civilians and children, were killed in fighting in the western rebel-held town of Misurata on Monday and Tuesday, and a further 189 were injured, OCHA said. It quoted rebel forces as saying the situation in Misurata was critical, "as there is no water, fuel or electricity".
11.02 US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has flown into Cairo for talks on the Libya conflict and to reaffirm Washington's backing for democratic reforms in Egypt after an uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak.
10.45 A resident in Misurata has told Reuters that Gaddafi forces have stopped firing on the city following two air strikes by Western forces. Speaking by telephone Saadoun said
QuoteThe allied planes bombed twice so far. At 12:45 (2245 GMT) this morning and then again less than two hours ago. They (pro-Gaddafi forces) haven't fired a single artillery (round) since the air strike.
10.41 Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor for The Situation Room, has his own solution on how to pay for the cost of military action. He tweets:
TwitterThe #Libya war costing US millions. My proposal: keep a running tab & use $30 billion in frozen Gadhafi assets to pay for it.
10.35 Al Jazeera tweets:
TwitterAnti-#Gaddafi fighters call for hospital ship in #Misurata, #Libya, after troops overrun hospital. 14 dead...Gaddafi troops take over hospital, place snipers on roof, tanks outside.
10.33 Turkey's president has warned that some countries in the coalition striking Libya are driven by "opportunism" and have prompted suspicions of "secret intentions" in the oil-rich country. Abdullah Gul told reporters:
QuoteThe issue is essentialy about peoples' freedom and ending oppression... but unfortunately it is obvious that some countries are driven by opportunism. Some who until yesterday were closest to the dictators and sought to take advantage of them... display an excessive behaviour today and raise suspicions of secret intentions.
10.29 The European Union has reached an agreement in principle to impose sanctions on Libya's NOC national oil group, a diplomat has told AFP.
Gaddafi addressing crowds at his former Bab al-Aziziya residence, in the capital Tripoli last night
Posted by Robby Ball at 1:13 PM