As the fog of war slowly lifts in Libya, it still is not clear how exactly Moammar Gadhafi died Thursday while trying to flee his hometown of Sirte in a conspicuous convoy of about 100 vehicles.
What is known, thanks to confirmations today out of Washington and Paris, is that an American Predator drone teamed up with a French Mirage 2000 fighter jet to halt the convey and send its passengers scrambling, including Gadhafi.
Both the Predator and Mirage fired on the convoy, striking at least two vehicles. As videos and photos show, Gadhafi was wounded in those strikes, but was very much alive after he ran and hid in a roadside storm drain.
Revolutionary forces quickly hunted down the men who ran from their vehicles, finding several, including Gadhafi, down the drain.
Video and still photos show Gadhafi being roughed-up, but still alive in the revolutionary fighters' custody. A short while later, he was dead apparently the victim of a gunshot wound to the head, and, according to some reports, his chest and stomach, as well.
In Geneva, Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the images "are very disturbing" because they suggest Gadhafi was killed after he was captured.
"We believe there is a need for an investigation," Colville said. "More details are needed to ascertain whether he was killed in some form of fighting or was executed after his capture."
So far there is no great rush by the governments in Tripoli, Washington, Paris, London, Ottawa or Istanbul to make a big deal of the details of the death of Gadhafi, whose body was put on ice in Misurata while people decide what to do with his remains.
Instead, the more universal sentiment from the revolutionary government, NATO members and their allies is that, for Gadhafi, the Arab Spring is over and the world is better off without him.
Showing posts with label Sirte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sirte. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Gadhafi Reported Captured and Dead Near Sirte
Moammar Gadhafi was killed this morning, possibly while trying to flee his hometown Sirte when NATO warplanes attacked his convey, Reuters is reporting.
There are also reports that Gadhafi was only wounded and remains alive in the custody of revolutionary forces.
Celebrations are erupting throughput Libya, but U.S. officials are cautiously optimistic that the unconfirmed reports of Gadhafi's demise will pan out.
Gadhafi has been rumored to be hiding in Sirte or Bani Walid, the last two remaining loyalist strongholds since the vfdalkl of the regiume in August. Bani walid fell last week, but revolutionary forces are still fighting their way through Sirte, where Gadhafi was born.
There are also reports that Gadhafi was only wounded and remains alive in the custody of revolutionary forces.
Celebrations are erupting throughput Libya, but U.S. officials are cautiously optimistic that the unconfirmed reports of Gadhafi's demise will pan out.
Gadhafi has been rumored to be hiding in Sirte or Bani Walid, the last two remaining loyalist strongholds since the vfdalkl of the regiume in August. Bani walid fell last week, but revolutionary forces are still fighting their way through Sirte, where Gadhafi was born.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Rebels Attack Gadhafi Forces in Two of Four Remaining Strongholds
Libyan rebels ended their waiting game and attacked Gadhafi forces in Bani Walid and outside Sirte today on the eve of the loosely held deadline for those cities to surrender peacefully.
NATO warplanes were seen overhead as the attacks were launched in Bani Walid, according to media reports.
Frustration set in after several broken-promises in talks between city elders and the rebels, prompting the anti-Gadhafi forces to finally commence with what they hope will be the last phases of fighting in Libya.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was the rocket fire from the Gadhafi forces the last 24 hours," said a foreign diplomatic official who closely monitors the Libyan revolution.
The rebels are attacking from at least two directions in Bani Walid, where Moammar Gadhafi has been said to be in hiding, the Associated Press reported. Gadhafi earned a spot on Interpol's most-wanted list overnight.
"They are inside the city. They are fighting with snipers," Abdullah Kenshil, the rebels' chief negotiator said of the anti-Gadhafi forces. "They forced this on us and it was in self-defense."
The fighting for Sirte remains well outside the city, according to the BBC. Sirte is Gadhafi's hometown and is a stronghold for his tribe.
There were no reports of fighting in the two other Gadhafi strongholds of Sabha and Jufra.
The Transitional National Council, meanwhile, continued to move its senior officials from Benghazi to Tripoli as the new government takes root in the Libyan capital.
President Obama welcomed today Ali Suleiman Aujali, the first representative to the U.S. from the new Libyan government.
"As the Transitional National Council undertakes an inclusive and democratic political transition where human rights are respected and valued, it will find a strong ally in the United States. We look forward to working with Ambassador Aujali and his team in the coming months," said Whiote House national security pokesman Tommy Vietor.
NATO warplanes were seen overhead as the attacks were launched in Bani Walid, according to media reports.
Frustration set in after several broken-promises in talks between city elders and the rebels, prompting the anti-Gadhafi forces to finally commence with what they hope will be the last phases of fighting in Libya.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was the rocket fire from the Gadhafi forces the last 24 hours," said a foreign diplomatic official who closely monitors the Libyan revolution.
The rebels are attacking from at least two directions in Bani Walid, where Moammar Gadhafi has been said to be in hiding, the Associated Press reported. Gadhafi earned a spot on Interpol's most-wanted list overnight.
"They are inside the city. They are fighting with snipers," Abdullah Kenshil, the rebels' chief negotiator said of the anti-Gadhafi forces. "They forced this on us and it was in self-defense."
The fighting for Sirte remains well outside the city, according to the BBC. Sirte is Gadhafi's hometown and is a stronghold for his tribe.
There were no reports of fighting in the two other Gadhafi strongholds of Sabha and Jufra.
The Transitional National Council, meanwhile, continued to move its senior officials from Benghazi to Tripoli as the new government takes root in the Libyan capital.
President Obama welcomed today Ali Suleiman Aujali, the first representative to the U.S. from the new Libyan government.
"As the Transitional National Council undertakes an inclusive and democratic political transition where human rights are respected and valued, it will find a strong ally in the United States. We look forward to working with Ambassador Aujali and his team in the coming months," said Whiote House national security pokesman Tommy Vietor.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Rebel Mind Games Aim to Avoid Attack on Bani Walid
For a while there it looked like the psychological warfare employed by rebel leaders was working to convince the people of Bani Walid to let anti-Gadhafi fighters enter the city peacefully.
Elders in the stronghold of the Warfallah, Libya's largest tribe, appeared to agree overnight to allow the rebel brigades to enter Bani Walid, but when those senior negotiators returned to town they were reportedly greeted by gunfire by pro-Gadhafi gunmen.
Since Sunday, the rebels have said an attack is imminent on the city where some people say Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif and other regime officials. No one knows for sure where they are, however.
So far the rebels are playing a waiting game with the city of 50,000 people.
A massive rebel force is concentrating outside the city about 70 miles south of Tripoli, and when talks broke down over the weekend, the Transitional National Council revoked its self-imposed deadline for a decision by Bani Walid this coming Saturday. The rebels have played mind games with Bani Walid ever since.
A pro-Gadhafi column reportedly including Mansour Dao, the former commander of Libya's Revolutionary Guards and a cousin of Gadhafi, escaped to Niger. The U.S. demanded he and others who may be wanted be detained and returned to Libya.
"Apparently, a convoy has entered, and it does include some senior members of the Gadhafi regime, but we do not believe that (Moammar) Gadhafi himself was among them," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
"We have strongly urged the Nigerian officials to detain those members of the regime who may be subject to prosecution, to ensure that they confiscate any weapons that are found, and to ensure that any state property of the Government of Libya – money, jewels, et cetera – also be impounded so that it can be returned to the Libyan people," Nuland added.
More details are emerging of the fall of Tripoli and Operation Mermaid Dawn, a coordinated rebel and NATO land, sea and air attack that successfully toppled the Gadhafi regime, save for hoildouts Bani Walid, Sirte, Sabha and Jufra.
Gadhafi's caterer, Abdel Majid Mlegta, was the rebel spy inside the regime who detailed names and locations for NATO and recruited others for the cause, Reuters reports. The mole was a key to the alliance's coordinated attacks with the rebel ground forces.
Elders in the stronghold of the Warfallah, Libya's largest tribe, appeared to agree overnight to allow the rebel brigades to enter Bani Walid, but when those senior negotiators returned to town they were reportedly greeted by gunfire by pro-Gadhafi gunmen.
Since Sunday, the rebels have said an attack is imminent on the city where some people say Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif and other regime officials. No one knows for sure where they are, however.
So far the rebels are playing a waiting game with the city of 50,000 people.
A massive rebel force is concentrating outside the city about 70 miles south of Tripoli, and when talks broke down over the weekend, the Transitional National Council revoked its self-imposed deadline for a decision by Bani Walid this coming Saturday. The rebels have played mind games with Bani Walid ever since.
A pro-Gadhafi column reportedly including Mansour Dao, the former commander of Libya's Revolutionary Guards and a cousin of Gadhafi, escaped to Niger. The U.S. demanded he and others who may be wanted be detained and returned to Libya.
"Apparently, a convoy has entered, and it does include some senior members of the Gadhafi regime, but we do not believe that (Moammar) Gadhafi himself was among them," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
"We have strongly urged the Nigerian officials to detain those members of the regime who may be subject to prosecution, to ensure that they confiscate any weapons that are found, and to ensure that any state property of the Government of Libya – money, jewels, et cetera – also be impounded so that it can be returned to the Libyan people," Nuland added.
More details are emerging of the fall of Tripoli and Operation Mermaid Dawn, a coordinated rebel and NATO land, sea and air attack that successfully toppled the Gadhafi regime, save for hoildouts Bani Walid, Sirte, Sabha and Jufra.
Gadhafi's caterer, Abdel Majid Mlegta, was the rebel spy inside the regime who detailed names and locations for NATO and recruited others for the cause, Reuters reports. The mole was a key to the alliance's coordinated attacks with the rebel ground forces.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Rehabbed Gadhafi Cozied Up to Bush Administration
Moammar Gadhafi began a working relationship with the Bush administration after the Libyan dictator abandoned his weapons of mass destruction programs and invited in international weapons inspectors, according to a published report that cited Libyan government documents.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Negotiations Falter with Gadhafi Forces Amid New Claim Despot Cornered
Giving Moammar Gadhafi and his loyalist fighters until Saturday to surrender is not the same a ceasefire for the Libyan rebels.
Several clashes have been reported around Libya and there is a new report in The New York Times that claims Gadhafi may be surrounded150 90 miles from Tripoli in a desert redoubt in Bani Waled.
Libya's largest tribe, the Warfallah, a longtime ally of Gadhafi, control Bani Waled, a city of 50,000 people.
Negotiations are underway to try to avoid a battle with Gadhafi loyalists in cities like Sirte, but doubtful rebel forces have been massing there, preparing for a fight that military analysts warn could be tougher and bloodier than the taking of Tripoli.
To avoid bloodshed, the Transitional National Council and its rebel commanders would likely need to display a commitment to immense confidence-building reconciliation measures to ease the concerns of the Gadhadhfa (our chosen spelling among several known options) tribe, centered around Sirte.
Rebel fighters repeated public threats that they will kill Gadhafi have been unhelpful with building confidence.
Moammar Gadhafi is from the Gadhadhfa, a Berber tribe, and Sirte is his hometown. There are believed to be more Gadhadhfa living around Sabha, a city in the south that the rebels would also likely to engage, if there is a battle for Sirte.
NATO would prefer to see an accord than a fight.
The Gadhafi loyalists reportedly claimed they were struck by a rocket attack in Sirte. NATO did not immediately claim responsibility.
The Christian Science Monitor addresses the issue of the UN mandates to protect citizens, calling into question whether fighters from Sirte face slaughter at the hands of the rebels.
The rebels know NATO will not tolerate rampant killings if there is an attack, but they also know the alliance has blessed the TNC. The rebels remain confident NATO is with them.
Several clashes have been reported around Libya and there is a new report in The New York Times that claims Gadhafi may be surrounded
Libya's largest tribe, the Warfallah, a longtime ally of Gadhafi, control Bani Waled, a city of 50,000 people.
Negotiations are underway to try to avoid a battle with Gadhafi loyalists in cities like Sirte, but doubtful rebel forces have been massing there, preparing for a fight that military analysts warn could be tougher and bloodier than the taking of Tripoli.
To avoid bloodshed, the Transitional National Council and its rebel commanders would likely need to display a commitment to immense confidence-building reconciliation measures to ease the concerns of the Gadhadhfa (our chosen spelling among several known options) tribe, centered around Sirte.
Rebel fighters repeated public threats that they will kill Gadhafi have been unhelpful with building confidence.
Moammar Gadhafi is from the Gadhadhfa, a Berber tribe, and Sirte is his hometown. There are believed to be more Gadhadhfa living around Sabha, a city in the south that the rebels would also likely to engage, if there is a battle for Sirte.
NATO would prefer to see an accord than a fight.
The Gadhafi loyalists reportedly claimed they were struck by a rocket attack in Sirte. NATO did not immediately claim responsibility.
The Christian Science Monitor addresses the issue of the UN mandates to protect citizens, calling into question whether fighters from Sirte face slaughter at the hands of the rebels.
The rebels know NATO will not tolerate rampant killings if there is an attack, but they also know the alliance has blessed the TNC. The rebels remain confident NATO is with them.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Rebels Give Gadhafi Forces Saturday Deadline; NATO Planes Still Flying
The rebel government is giving Gadhafi loyalists in the dictator's hometown Sirte and other pockets of resistance around the country until Saturday to lay down their weapons, or else they will be taken by force.
Indications are that rebel fighters are already concentrating on the outskirts of Sirte, about 225 miles east of Tripoli, where many Libyans believe Moammar Gadhafi is hiding.
Rebels "have a good idea" where Gadhafi is, according to Ali Abdul Salaam Tarhouni, a Transitional National Council spokesman.
"We don’t have any doubt that we will catch him," Tarhouni said, stopping short of naming Sirte or elsewhere.
Sabha in southwestern Libya, another of the last remaining loyalist strongholds, is another city where some rebels suspect Gadhafi may be hiding.
Sky News quoted a trusted inside source who said he saw Moammar Gadhafi Friday at the Tripoli compound belonging to his son, Khamis, but he and others fled that location later that day.
The TNC issued its ultimatum today, warning Gadhafi forces they have until the end of the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday to surrender or fight. Eid comes at the conclusion of the Ramadan month of fasting for the Islamic faith.
TNC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil said he hoped negotiations with Gadhafi loyalists would succeed and "avoid more bloodshed and to avoid more destruction and damage."
"It might have to be decided militarily," Jabril admitted. "I hope this will not be the case."
The NATO-Arab coalition signaled NATO airpower will be nearby, flying reconnaissance and combat missions.
NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie confirmed NATO "will remain critically important until the Libyan civilian population is no longer under threat from the former regime."
"As recently as yesterday, our aircraft struck several surface-to-air threats and multiple military vehicles in the area of Sirte, which is considered the last bastion of the Gadhafi regime," Lavoie said today.
The TNC is also calling for neighboring Algeria to hand over members of Gadhafi’s family who fled there this week, including his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren. The rebel leaders want to the Gadhafi family to face potential charges in Libya.
The rebels claim 50,000 people have been killed in the Libyan revolution, CNN reported.
Indications are that rebel fighters are already concentrating on the outskirts of Sirte, about 225 miles east of Tripoli, where many Libyans believe Moammar Gadhafi is hiding.
Rebels "have a good idea" where Gadhafi is, according to Ali Abdul Salaam Tarhouni, a Transitional National Council spokesman.
"We don’t have any doubt that we will catch him," Tarhouni said, stopping short of naming Sirte or elsewhere.
Sabha in southwestern Libya, another of the last remaining loyalist strongholds, is another city where some rebels suspect Gadhafi may be hiding.
Sky News quoted a trusted inside source who said he saw Moammar Gadhafi Friday at the Tripoli compound belonging to his son, Khamis, but he and others fled that location later that day.
The TNC issued its ultimatum today, warning Gadhafi forces they have until the end of the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday to surrender or fight. Eid comes at the conclusion of the Ramadan month of fasting for the Islamic faith.
TNC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil said he hoped negotiations with Gadhafi loyalists would succeed and "avoid more bloodshed and to avoid more destruction and damage."
"It might have to be decided militarily," Jabril admitted. "I hope this will not be the case."
The NATO-Arab coalition signaled NATO airpower will be nearby, flying reconnaissance and combat missions.
NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie confirmed NATO "will remain critically important until the Libyan civilian population is no longer under threat from the former regime."
"As recently as yesterday, our aircraft struck several surface-to-air threats and multiple military vehicles in the area of Sirte, which is considered the last bastion of the Gadhafi regime," Lavoie said today.
The TNC is also calling for neighboring Algeria to hand over members of Gadhafi’s family who fled there this week, including his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren. The rebel leaders want to the Gadhafi family to face potential charges in Libya.
The rebels claim 50,000 people have been killed in the Libyan revolution, CNN reported.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Where's Moammar? NATO Strikes Gadhafi Compound
Updated at 10:45 a.m. edt
Despite claims from the Libyan government, the strikes by two Norwegian F-16s on Moammar Gadhafi's compound overnight were not an assassination attempt, a diplomatic official confirmed a short while ago.
The strike was targeting a communications site in the Bab el-Azizia compound, the foreign official said.
end update
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Moammar Gadhafi is in hiding today after NATO dropped a barrage of bombs and missiles on his compound in Tripoli overnight not seen since the start of the United Nations-sanctioned air campaign little more than a month ago.
NATO also attacked targets around Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte and near rebel-held Misurata overnight in dozens of strikes as the alliance keeps its promise to rain down hell on Gadhafi until he capitulates.
Libyan officials accused NATO of trying to assassinate Gadhafi with the strikes, which injured dozens of Gadhafi's staff and loyalists in the Bab el-Azizia compound. At least one building was leveled in the assault.
"Gadhafi compound hit last night with some of the heaviest ordnance we have seen used since conflict began," CNN's Fred Pleitgen Tweeted this morning from Tripoli.
NATO warplanes were targeting Gadhafi's communications headquarters, the alliance said in a statement issued this morning. NATO also said it bombed an ammunition storage facility and a munitions bunker near Tripoli.
Three Libyan TV stations also went off the air briefly following the strikes.
“Yalla NATO you just made many Libyans rejoice by bombing crap out of Libya TV," Tweeted Habiba Hamid, Middle Easterrn affairs expert and editorial writer at The National in the United Arab Emerites.
In the vicinity of Misurata, NATO took out a tank and a munition storage facility.
In Sirte, NATO hit four ammunition shelters and four ammunition bunkers.
The alliance also struck a tank and four rocket launchers in Mizdah, and bombed a pair of infantry fighting vehicles near Zintan.
NATO warplanes have flown a total of 3,725 sorties, including 1,550 strike sorties, since the alliance took control of the mission at the end of last month.
Despite claims from the Libyan government, the strikes by two Norwegian F-16s on Moammar Gadhafi's compound overnight were not an assassination attempt, a diplomatic official confirmed a short while ago.
The strike was targeting a communications site in the Bab el-Azizia compound, the foreign official said.
end update
---[
Moammar Gadhafi is in hiding today after NATO dropped a barrage of bombs and missiles on his compound in Tripoli overnight not seen since the start of the United Nations-sanctioned air campaign little more than a month ago.
NATO also attacked targets around Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte and near rebel-held Misurata overnight in dozens of strikes as the alliance keeps its promise to rain down hell on Gadhafi until he capitulates.
Libyan officials accused NATO of trying to assassinate Gadhafi with the strikes, which injured dozens of Gadhafi's staff and loyalists in the Bab el-Azizia compound. At least one building was leveled in the assault.
"Gadhafi compound hit last night with some of the heaviest ordnance we have seen used since conflict began," CNN's Fred Pleitgen Tweeted this morning from Tripoli.
NATO warplanes were targeting Gadhafi's communications headquarters, the alliance said in a statement issued this morning. NATO also said it bombed an ammunition storage facility and a munitions bunker near Tripoli.
Three Libyan TV stations also went off the air briefly following the strikes.
“Yalla NATO you just made many Libyans rejoice by bombing crap out of Libya TV," Tweeted Habiba Hamid, Middle Easterrn affairs expert and editorial writer at The National in the United Arab Emerites.
In the vicinity of Misurata, NATO took out a tank and a munition storage facility.
In Sirte, NATO hit four ammunition shelters and four ammunition bunkers.
The alliance also struck a tank and four rocket launchers in Mizdah, and bombed a pair of infantry fighting vehicles near Zintan.
NATO warplanes have flown a total of 3,725 sorties, including 1,550 strike sorties, since the alliance took control of the mission at the end of last month.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Battle for Gadhafi's Birthplace Commences
Updated 5:20 p.m. est
Elements of the Libyan rebel force reportedly made it within 35 miles of Sirte, but reinforcements around Moammar Gadhafi's hometown pushed them and the rest of their army back today beyond Bin Jawad, according to battlefield reports.
Bin Jawad, about 100 miles east of Sirte, was taken during the insurgents' more than 300-mile sweep over the weekend. The BBC's Nick Springate reports the rebels have lost Bin Jawad, and most have now retreated further east, beyond Ras Lanuf.
Gadhafi's forces, which retreated about 200 miles in one day during the rebel offensive, have regrouped in and around Sirte in an effort to halt the insurgents for a second time this month (in just about the same place where they was stopped the first time, around March 13).
Sirte is believed to be the last major urban battlefield until Misurata to its west, where the Eastern Libyan rebel army would link up with the insurgent force fighting there and then band together for the march toward Tripoli.
It may take a while for that scenario to play out, if at all. The rebels remain in need of armor and anti-tank weapons to defeat Gadhafi's tanks and artillary, but there was no movement on that today in London where the coalition nations met.
There are also indications that civilians loyal to Gadhafi, many believed to be from the Libyan dictator's own Qadhadhfa tribe, are armed and ready to fight a street-to-street campaign. That type of warfare would likely make the march west even more difficult, as well as threatening the safety of innocent civilians in Sirte.
end update
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The battle for Sirte has been joined, and as predicted the fight for the city where Moammar Gadhafi was born looks to be bloody and a bit more prolonged than the engagements of the past few days.
The rebel sweep across the coastal highway is stalled tonight in the desert 35 miles east of Sirte in a town called Harawa, where people dressed as civilians (and they may very well be) fired on the insurgent force.
The rebels then pulled back from the village and came under heavy artillery fire, it was reported.
Elements of the Libyan rebel force reportedly made it within 35 miles of Sirte, but reinforcements around Moammar Gadhafi's hometown pushed them and the rest of their army back today beyond Bin Jawad, according to battlefield reports.
Bin Jawad, about 100 miles east of Sirte, was taken during the insurgents' more than 300-mile sweep over the weekend. The BBC's Nick Springate reports the rebels have lost Bin Jawad, and most have now retreated further east, beyond Ras Lanuf.
Gadhafi's forces, which retreated about 200 miles in one day during the rebel offensive, have regrouped in and around Sirte in an effort to halt the insurgents for a second time this month (in just about the same place where they was stopped the first time, around March 13).
Sirte is believed to be the last major urban battlefield until Misurata to its west, where the Eastern Libyan rebel army would link up with the insurgent force fighting there and then band together for the march toward Tripoli.
It may take a while for that scenario to play out, if at all. The rebels remain in need of armor and anti-tank weapons to defeat Gadhafi's tanks and artillary, but there was no movement on that today in London where the coalition nations met.
There are also indications that civilians loyal to Gadhafi, many believed to be from the Libyan dictator's own Qadhadhfa tribe, are armed and ready to fight a street-to-street campaign. That type of warfare would likely make the march west even more difficult, as well as threatening the safety of innocent civilians in Sirte.
end update
---[
The battle for Sirte has been joined, and as predicted the fight for the city where Moammar Gadhafi was born looks to be bloody and a bit more prolonged than the engagements of the past few days.
The rebel sweep across the coastal highway is stalled tonight in the desert 35 miles east of Sirte in a town called Harawa, where people dressed as civilians (and they may very well be) fired on the insurgent force.
The rebels then pulled back from the village and came under heavy artillery fire, it was reported.
| The new rebel front in Central/Eastern Libya after gains made over the weekend. CNN military analysis retired Gen. Wesley Clark, NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander, said tonight he thinks the rebels need to negotiate with the people to get out of the way before they launch an all-out attack on Sirte. If this offensive fails it could put the revolution into a stalemate, as many observers have noted. The Pentagon, meanwhile, disclosed that it quietly called in its close-in air power over the weekend, using A-10 Thunderbolt tank-killers and AC-130 gunships to pound Gadhafi's ground forces. The Pentagon previously would not discuss the use of those planes, but it is clear they saw a role for using the aircraft that are vulnerable to small-arms fire because they fly closer to the ground that the fighters and bombers used thus far by the coalition. "We have employed A-10s and AC-130s over the weekend," said Pentagon spokesman Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said, without naming targets. The A-10 is armed a multi-barrelled 30mm cannon that fires nearly 4,000 armor-piercing rounds per minute. The AC-130 gunship is a converted transport plane that packs a punch with its 105mm cannon, as well as the 20mm & 40mm guns. |
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| The rebels march to Tripoli, from one end of Libya to nearly the other. |
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