France formally recognises Libya's rebels

[pmaitra]

Gaddafi troops assault rebel-held Libyan town Ajdabiya

Gaddafi troops assault rebel-held Libyan town Ajdabiya

16 March 2011; BBC News

Libyan government planes bombed the outskirts of Ajdabiya on Tuesday

Libyan rebels have denied claims that pro-Gaddafi forces have taken Ajdabiya - the last town before their headquarters in Benghazi.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi says that, after heavy bombardment, government soldiers have made their first ground assault on the town.

The advance by troops loyal to Libya's leader comes ahead of the UN Security Council discussing a no-fly zone.

The UK, France and Lebanon have called for this in a draft resolution.

Rebel leaders want the international community to prevent pro-Gaddafi forces from using aircraft against them.

However, countries such as the US, Russia, China and Germany are understood to harbour doubts about imposing a no-fly zone. Some are wary of foreign military intervention in the conflict.

The Arab League has backed the idea but Tuesday's meeting of G8 foreign ministers in Paris failed to do so.

Pro-Gaddafi forces are also reported to again be shelling Misrata - the only western city in rebel hands.

"Very heavy bombardments are taking place now from three sides. They are using heavy weapons including tanks and artillery. They have yet to enter the town," a resident called Mohammed, told the Reuters news agency by telephone.

Massacre feared

Col Muammar Gaddafi's allies say they are now in control of Ajdabiya but rebel leaders say the assault was repelled.

Map of Libya

Ajdabiya is 160km (100 miles) from Benghazi, Libya's second city, and also controls the road to the Egyptian border.

Our correspondent says the situation in Benghazi is getting more tense by the hour and the calls for a no-fly zone more desperate.

Jalal al-Gallal of the National Libyan Transitional Council said that there would be a "massacre" if the international community did not intervene.

"He [Gaddafi] will kill civilians, he will kill dreams, he will destroy us," he told the BBC.

Col Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam told Euronews TV that: "Everything will be over in 48 hours" even if a no-fly zone is imposed.

But our correspondent says that government announcements that an attack on Benghazi is about to begin appear to be propaganda designed to unnerve the opposition.

Even if Ajdabiya falls, the government does not seem to have enough troops in the field to attack the city of one million people, he says.

However, medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Wednesday announced that it was pulling its staff out of Benghazi due to the heavy fighting.

It said it would continue to send supplies to health facilities in Libya.

Gaddafi speech upside-down

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Wednesday used his blog to condemn the slow response of the international community to the situation in Libya.

"Only the threat of force can stop Gaddafi. It is by bombarding, with the few dozen planes and helicopters he really has, his opponents' positions that the Libyan dictator has turned the balance," he wrote.

"We can/could neutralise his airborne means by targeted strikes."

He also said that several - unnamed - Arab nations were prepared to take part in such action.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, however, ruled out military intervention, according to Reuters.

"We cannot have war, the international community should not, does not want and cannot do it," he told a hearing of a parliamentary commission in the Senate.

Italy, which ruled Libya for three decades, has close relations with Col Gaddafi.

On Tuesday, there was fierce fighting around Brega. The oil town has changed hands several times over recent days and reports have suggested the rebels have lost control.

Meanwhile, in a TV speech, Col Gaddafi taunted the UK and France.

"Britain no longer exists. It is a trace of what it used to be. It has been promoting attack on Libya. Is there a common border between us? Are you our guardian? By what right?" he said.

He went on to "dare" the US, Britain and France to "give their people freedom like I did to the Libyan people".

Our correspondent says the defiant speech was projected upside-down onto a big screen in the main square of Benghazi.

He says people threw shoes at the screen in a traditional expression of their contempt for Col Gaddafi.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12756874

 

[pmaitra]

Gaddafi: 'Libya funded Sarkozy's French poll campaign'

Gaddafi: 'Libya funded Sarkozy's French poll campaign'

16 March 2011; BBC News

In his interview, Saif al-Islam called on France to 'give us back our money'

The son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has alleged that his country helped finance Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 presidential election campaign.

"We funded it and we have all the details and are ready to reveal everything," Saif al-Islam said.

His remarks to the Euronews TV channel came days after Libyan state TV reported a "grave secret" that would bring about Mr Sarkozy's downfall.

The Elysee Palace has denied Mr Sarkozy benefited from any funding from Libya.

"We deny it, quite evidently," a spokesman told Le Monde's website.

No-fly zone

Libya had threatened to reveal more about the "grave secret" if France went ahead with its decision to recognise the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

France has been at the forefront of efforts to secure a no-fly zone to halt the advance of Col Gaddafi's forces against Libyan rebels.

In the interview, Saif al-Islam referred to Mr Sarkozy as "this clown" and said he was given assistance so that he could help the Libyan people.

"But he's disappointed us," he said. "Give us back our money. We have all the bank details and documents for the transfer operations and we will make everything public soon."

Col Gaddafi was greeted by Mr Sarkozy when he visited Paris in December 2007, months after the French leader's ex-wife Cecilia had flown to Tripoli to help secure the release of six Bulgarian doctors.

In the Euronews interview, Col Gaddafi's son said military operations against the rebels were "finished" and everything would be over within 48 hours.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12760367

 

[badguy2000]

what I want to see most now is the face of MR Armand......I just want to know what is the emotion on it....

 

[pmaitra]

what I want to see most now is the face of MR Armand......I just want to know what is the emotion on it....

BadGuy2000, do you not think that your statement is somewhat provocative?

 

[badguy2000]

BadGuy2000, do you not think that your statement is somewhat provocative?

I think that it is Mr Armand that should rethink why his blah are always prove to be laughing stock later.......

........when someone blahed obviously misleding stuffs, he should prepare to become the laughing stock later.....

 

[SHASH2K2]

I think that it is Mr Armand that should rethink why his blah are always prove to be laughing stock later.......

........when someone blahed obviously misleding stuffs, he should prepare to become the laughing stock later.....

what you are saying about him is more apt for you . You are the one who type first and think later .

 

[badguy2000]

what you are saying about him is more apt for you . You are the one who type first and think later .

come on........if I find my data or viewpoint is wrong, I would simply say " I am wrong".

However, if some guys like Mr Armand even proves obvously wrong later,they would still sustains "china crappy...china crappy"...

 

[pmaitra]

Gaddafi advances, no-fly diplomacy falters

Gaddafi advances, no-fly diplomacy falters

Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:53am GMT
Reuters

By Mohammed Abbas

TOBRUK, Libya (Reuters) - The Libyan army shelled a rebel-held city and closed in on the opposition bastion of Benghazi on Wednesday as diplomatic steps to stop long-serving autocrat Muammar Gaddafi crushing a rebellion ran aground.

In Geneva, former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner berated the international community for its delay in imposing a no-fly zone, saying it was already too late to save lives.

"A no-fly zone is a minimum. It's certainly already too late," Kouchner said of Gaddafi's crackdown on the increasingly vulnerable-looking uprising, which was inspired by pro-democracy rebellions that toppled the Egyptian and Tunisian presidents.

"Even if we were able to decide today, it's so late," he told World Radio Switzerland. "We've known since three weeks that the poor civil society, the poor people, are dying. And we are doing nothing."

In Benghazi, seat of the insurgents' provisional national council, the mood was a mixture of defiance and nervousness, with some citizens predicting a bloodbath and others confident the rebels would still snatch victory against the government offensive.

Italy, a potential base for such a no-fly zone proposed by Britain and France, ruled out military intervention in the oil-exporting north African country.

"We cannot have war, the international community should not, does not want and cannot do it," Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in Rome.

The Libyan army told residents of Benghazi to lay down their arms, and one of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, told Euronews TV that Libya's second largest city would fall whether or not world powers imposed a no-fly zone.

"Everything will be over in 48 hours," he said.

Aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres said the violence had forced it to withdraw its staff from Benghazi and begin moving teams to Alexandria in Egypt.

Residents in Misrata, the country's third largest city 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, Gaddafi's stronghold, said his forces attacked the rebel-held city with tanks and artillery.

The shelling killed at least five people and wounded 11, a doctor at Misrata hospital told Reuters by telephone.

"Very heavy bombardments are taking place now from three sides. They are using heavy weapons including tanks and artillery ... They have yet to enter the town," said one resident, called Mohammed, by telephone.

Foreign powers have condemned Gaddafi's crackdown but show little appetite for action to support the revolt. A Gaddafi victory and the suppression of protests in Bahrain could turn the tide in the region against pro-democracy movements.

Supporters of a no-fly zone to halt Libyan government air strikes on rebels circulated a draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that would authorise one, but other states said questions remained.

The draft was distributed at a closed-door meeting by Britain and Lebanon after the Arab League called on the council on Saturday to set up a no-fly zone.

German Ambassador Peter Wittig told reporters after the meeting his country still had queries, and noted that while the Arab League had called for a no-fly zone it also opposed any foreign military intervention.

NATO has set three conditions for it to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya: regional support, proof its help is needed and a Security Council resolution.

An Arab League call for a no-fly zone satisfies the first condition, but with access to most of Libya barred by Gaddafi's security forces, hard evidence that NATO intervention is needed to avert atrocities or a humanitarian disaster is scarce.

Growing numbers of Libyans are now crossing into Egypt fleeing Gaddafi's advance, the U.N. refugee agency said.

GADDAFI TAUNTS THE WEST

In a televised speech, Gaddafi taunted Western countries that have backed the imposition of a no-fly zone to come and get him.

"Strike Libya?" he asked. "We'll be the one who strikes you! We struck you in Algeria, in Vietnam. You want to strike us? Come and give it a try."

In an interview with the Italian daily Il Giornale published on Tuesday, Gaddafi said that if western forces attacked Libya, he would ally with al Qaeda "and declare holy war".

In Benghazi, where the revolt began in mid-February, residents said they had found leaflets lying in the city streets suggesting that if they gave up the fight against Gaddafi now, they would not be harmed or punished.

The leaflest accused rebels of being driven by al Qaeda and high on drugs, an allegation routinely levelled by the government against an uprising that was inspired by pro-democracy rebellions that toppled the Egyptian and Tunisian presidents.

Salah Ben-Saud, a retired undersecretary at the Agriculture Ministry, said in Benghazi that life in the town was normal and "pro-Gaddafi people have not really shown their face."

"There were rumours that he (Gaddafi) would try to take back Benghazi and that made people a bit nervous, but he didn't and people here don't think he would succeed anyway if he tried."

Thousands gathered in a square in Benghazi on Tuesday evening denouncing Gaddafi as a tyrant and throwing shoes and other objects at his image projected upside down on a wall.

The rebels' position looked highly vulnerable after government troops took control of the junction at Ajdabiyah, opening the way to Benghazi.



Source: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE72F08X20110316

 

[pmaitra]

Some Videos Hitherto

Some Videos Hitherto


This one is older video.

 

[pmaitra]

PT.1 Inside Qaddafi's Den: ground report from Libya

PT.1 Inside Qaddafi's Den: ground report from Libya (Parts 1,2,3,4,5/5)

 

[Ray]

what I want to see most now is the face of MR Armand......I just want to know what is the emotion on it....

BADGUY,'

This may help you.

 

[Armand2REP]

come on........if I find my data or viewpoint is wrong, I would simply say " I am wrong".

However, if some guys like Mr Armand even proves obvously wrong later,they would still sustains "china crappy...china crappy"...

Considering I never predicted the outcome, how can I be wrong? It all depends if the Franco-Anglo entente has the balls to act alone. I never declared that it did so quit your trolling.

 

[pmaitra]

This is a nice report that need to be mentined in this thread as well: China preventing UN action on Libya.

 

[pmaitra]

Q&A: Libya's stalled revolution

Q&A: Libya's stalled revolution

11 March 2011; BBC News

Some rebel forces have been compelled to retreat

For a short while following the Day of Rage announced by opponents of the Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi in mid-February, it seemed that the regime's time was coming to an end and that Libyans would soon follow the examples of Tunisia and Egypt in toppling their long-serving leader.

But now there appears to be no rapid end to the conflict in sight, writes Mohamed Madi of BBC Monitoring.

Q: How has the uprising developed?

The protests against Col Gaddafi's 42-year-long rule began peacefully but soon escalated into violent confrontation, giving the Libyan revolt a more bloody character than those in Tunisia and Egypt.

Within a few days one town after another slipped from the Libyan leader's grip, from Tobruk, Darna, al-Bayda, Benghazi and Ajdabiya in the east, to Zintan and Zawiya in the west. After a brief hiatus, important oil towns such as Ras Lanuf fell to rebels advancing from Benghazi and pledging to march on to Col Gaddafi's home town of Sirte and, ultimately, the capital Tripoli.

But as the Libyan regime mobilised its forces and began to strike back with superior firepower, the rebels' westward advance ground to a halt and in some places, such as in Zawiya and Ras Lanuf, they were compelled to retreat.

More than three weeks after the protests erupted, neither the rebels nor the regime appear to have the capability to rapidly overwhelm the other. Consequently a stalemate has developed with no immediate end in sight.

Q: Why is there a stalemate?

Much of this appears to be down to Col Gaddafi's own design.

To minimize the risk of his army making a decisive move against him, he has structurally limited its capability to project force while boosting the power of his most loyal elite units.

Consequently, the Libyan army's long-range capability is extremely limited, and the air force is outdated and poorly trained.

But it faces armed rebel groupings that are untrained, unorganised and poorly-equipped, but appear to have greater numbers and stronger morale.

Q: Is the perceived east-west split affecting momentum?

The protesters in both the east and west have been at pains to point out their mutual support and admiration for each other, invalidating the regime's claim that the rebels want to undermine national unity. Additionally, as the uprisings in Zawiya, Misrata and parts of Tripoli, in the west have shown, anti-Gaddafi sentiment runs high throughout the country.

The traditional resentment among inhabitants from the east, especially in Benghazi city, stems from the limited investment by the state in the region. Despite being Libya's second largest city after Tripoli, Benghazi receives little attention and resources from the state.

The east of Libya also has a history of hostility towards authority. Libya's national resistance hero, Umar al-Mukhtar, fought against Italian resistance from the east and drew much of his support from Benghazi. It was also in the east that the Sanusi monarchy, which Col Gaddafi overthrew in a bloodless coup in 1969, was based.

Accordingly, it was from Benghazi that Col Gaddafi chose to launch his revolution, playing to the rebellious and unruly reputation of the city. It is a reputation that has come back to haunt him since the current revolt began there on 15 February.

However, the differences do not translate into animosity between the people of eastern and western Libya. Many of Libya's tribes have families in both areas and there are little cultural or historical cleavages between the people.

Q: How unified are the pro- and anti-Gaddafi sides?

The rebel movement is a hastily assembled and disparate body. There are no alternative political organisations or civil society institutions in Libya. Unauthorised meetings of more than a few people are banned, and even under the monarchy political parties were ineffectual and discredited. This has prevented the formation of any kind of organised opposition movement, at least inside the country.

Anti-Gaddafi protesters united against the regime

The desire to topple the regime has been a unifying factor that has overshadowed any differences. The initial success of the rebels in pushing back government forces and then getting "liberated" areas back to some modicum of normality has surprised and encouraged many.

Exiled Libyans in Europe and America have been able to form opposition groups and lobbies abroad, though these are limited in their influence inside the country.

There have been numerous high-level defections from Col Gaddafi's regime, but there remains a hard-core of loyalists.

His sons, including the apparently reformist Saif-al-Islam, have rallied around their father, and for now he still seems to have the support of his hometown of Sirte and the desert stronghold of Sabha.

Q: What is the rebels' view of the West's statements about the conflict?

The rebels want to see greater international condemnation of Muammar Gaddafi. A popular refrain from protesters is to ask where are the UN and the Arab armies.

The question of the scope and nature of military intervention has become a pressing issue. The rebels are torn between accepting outside military help, which could spell a decisive end to the conflict, and the wish to topple Col Gaddafi on their own and therefore avoid being indebted to foreign powers.

Banners in Benghazi and chatter from the social media all indicate a very strong aversion to foreign forces on Libyan soil. There is also the fear that foreign intervention will play into Col Gaddafi's hands, as he has been adept at portraying himself as the defender of Libya from rapacious superpowers.

However, there does seem to be support for some types of intervention. Mindful of the fact that the Libyan leader's main advantage lies in his ability to project air power, protesters, rebel leaders and activists have called on the UN to immediately impose a no-fly zone over the whole of the country.

A petition to this effect posted on Avaaz.org has so far garnered over 830,000 signatures. Rebel leader Mustafa Abd-al-Jalil has said that he would favour a direct strike on Col Gaddafi's Tripoli headquarters in Bab al-Aziziya.

Q: What happens if the rebels win?

It depends on the circumstances of the victory, but the most likely scenario is that there will be some kind of temporary constitution and a framework put in place for elections as has been the case in Egypt and Tunisia.

Due to the unpopularity of the regime it appears unlikely that the former Gaddafi ministers will take part in any new government. This poses a potential problem as there is a shortage of experienced officials who are not sullied by links to Col Gaddafi. The Libyan diaspora could have a crucial part to play in any interim period, as many are expected to return to rebuild the country should Col Gaddafi fall.

Q: What happens if Col Gaddafi wins?

Col Gaddafi has said that the outcome of the struggle will be all-or-nothing so it is expected that he will only be able to remain in power through brute force rather than a process of negotiation.

In the event of Col Gaddafi prevailing, there are fears that there could be a purge of all individuals involved - or suspected of involvement - in the uprising, especially defectors from the regime. In the past, Col Gaddafi has publicly executed opponents and aired the footage on state TV.

Internationally, Col Gaddafi would find himself even more isolated than he was during the 1990s. The international community has all but forsaken him and is likely to impose heavy sanctions on Libya and seize Libyan assets abroad.

Another factor is the newly revolutionary status of two of Libya's neighbours, Tunisia and Egypt. Col Gaddafi explicitly supported both Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, which is unlikely to endear him to either country.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12719557

 

[amoy]

do u heed that the revolt's flag (in the photo) is actually of that feudal United Kingdom of Lybia prior to Free Officers Movement / C. Qaddafi's coup d' etat in 1969?

 

[SHASH2K2]

do u heed that the revolt's flag (in the photo) is actually of that feudal Somoza dynasties priort to Free Officers Movement / C. Qaddafi's coup d' etat in 1969?

I would be thankful if you put some more light on the issue .

 

[amoy]

I have to correct myself. That flag the rebels wave is simply that of the United Kingdom of Libya overthrown by C.Qaddafi. That just reinforces the point: what's going on in Libya is nothing a fight btwn the "dictator" and "the people". More likely it's what Pmitra analysed - a "tribal" one

http://www.libya-watanona.com/libya/flags.htm

When Libya achieved its independance in December 24, 1951 , it used the official name: Al-Mamlaka Al-Libiya Al-Motahidda (The United Kingdom of Libya) a federal system composed of three states: Tripolitania (Tarablus) with its capital Tripoli, Cerinaica (Barka) with its capital Benghazi and Fezzan (Fazzan) with its capital Sabha. The federal government was lead by King Mohammad (Idris) As-Sanousi

 

[pmaitra]

No-fly zone vote expected as Libya rebels give ground to Gaddafi

No-fly zone vote expected as Libya rebels give ground to Gaddafi

 

[pmaitra]

Latest Libya Update 3/17/11

Latest Libya Update 3/17/11

 

[pmaitra]

UN backs action against Gaddafi

UN backs action against Gaddafi

Video: Susan Rice: "This council's purpose is clear - to protect innocent civilians"Continue reading the main story

The UN Security Council has backed a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" short of an invasion "to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas".

In New York, the 15-member body voted 10-0 in favour, with five abstentions.

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces have recently retaken several towns seized by rebels in an uprising.

Rebel forces reacted with joy in their Benghazi stronghold but a government spokesman condemned UN "aggression".

Loyalist forces are bearing down on Benghazi, home to a million people.

'Threatens unity'

Earlier reports suggested that if the resolution were passed, air attacks on Col Gaddafi's forces by the British and French air forces could begin within hours.

It is not thought that the US would be involved in the first strikes, but the British and French are likely to get logistical backup from Arab allies.

The UK, France and Lebanon proposed Security Council Resolution 1973, with US support.

Analysis

Jonathan Marcus
BBC diplomatic correspondent

The passage of this resolution marks a significant diplomatic victory for France, Britain and the Arab League countries who have all strongly backed the idea of a no-fly zone. The crucial thing is that this text goes well beyond just the imposition of a no-fly zone.

Experts have cautioned that Col Gaddafi's most potent weapons are his ground forces - tanks and heavy artillery. The UN resolution appears to give legal weight, if necessary, to attacks on these forces too.

Signals from Paris suggest that air operations could be imminent. But that may be an attempt to keep Col Gaddafi guessing. In the first instance these would probably target Libyan government air defences.

But they could be the start of a brief air campaign of targeted strikes intended to halt Col Gaddafi's forces in their tracks.

Russia and China - which often oppose the use of force against a sovereign country as they believe it sets a dangerous precedent - abstained rather than using their power of veto as permanent members.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, introducing the resolution, said: "In Libya, for a number of weeks the people's will has been shot down... by Colonel Gaddafi who is attacking his own people.

"We cannot let these warmongers do this, we cannot abandon civilians."

He added: "We should not arrive too late."

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said: "This resolution should send a strong message to Colonel Gaddafi and his regime that the violence must stop, the killing must stop and the people of Libya must be protected and have the opportunity to express themselves freely."

British ambassador to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, said: "The international community has come together in deploring the actions of the Gaddafi regime and demanding that the regime end this violence against the Libyan people." He said the UK was "ready to shoulder our responsibility".

But Germany, which abstained, will not be contributing to the military effort. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said his government sees "considerable dangers and risks" in military action against Col Gaddafi.

There was a joyful response to the vote among rebels in Benghazi. Locals cheered, fired guns in the air and let off fireworks to celebrate the imminent no-fly zone.

Draft resolution

Imposes "ban on all flights in Libyan airspace" except for aid planes
Authorises member states to "take all necessary measures" to "protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack"
Excludes occupation force
Toughens arms embargo by calling on all member states to "inspect in their territory vessels and aircraft bound to or from Libya"
Widens asset freeze to include Libyan Investment Authority, Central Bank of Libya and Libyan National Oil Company among others

But Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim said the vote amounted to "a call for Libyans to kill each other", according to Agence France-Presse news agency.

"This resolution shows an aggressive attitude on the part of the international community, which threatens the unity of Libya and its stability," he is reported to have said.

Earlier on Thursday, addressing the people of Benghazi, Col Gaddafi said his troops were coming "tonight" and there would be "no mercy".

He told rebels to go home, adding that "whoever lays down his weapons" would be pardoned.

Rebel leaders replied by saying their forces would stand firm and not be deterred by Col Gaddafi's threats.

Shortly before the UN vote on Thursday, anti-aircraft fire and explosions were heard in Benghazi.

'Serious danger'

The Libyan military earlier warned that any foreign operations against Libya would expose all maritime and air navigation in the Mediterranean Sea to danger, state TV reported.

"All civilian and military activities will be the target of a Libyan counter-attack. The Mediterranean Sea will be in serious danger not only in the short term but also in the long term," a screen caption said.

UN Resolution 1973 - Votes

10 For - France, UK, Lebanon, US, South Africa, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Colombia, Portugal, Nigeria, Gabon

0 Against

5 Abstentions - China, Russia, Brazil, India, Germany

In other developments:

• Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi reportedly launched their first air attacks on Benghazi, targeting the airport at Benina
• Col Gaddafi's forces attacked the rebel-held town of Ajdabiya, a key objective before launching a ground assault on Benghazi, but rebels deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter to repel the assault
• Libyan state television reported that the city of Misrata was almost entirely under government control, but rebels and residents in the city denied this
• Official Libyan news agency Jana reported that government forces would cease military operations from midnight on Sunday to give rebels the opportunity to hand over their weapons and "benefit from the decision on general amnesty"

Following the toppling of the long-time leaders of neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year, Libyan protesters started to demand that Col Gaddafi step down after 42 years of autocratic rule.

They quickly seized much of eastern Libya.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12781009