Libya - Latest Updates Part II ( Archived) (937)

I suggested all along when the Libyan crisis started,that Western and American forces go there,get rid off Qaddafi and his clan,give power to the people to have a say how and whom they want to governed them,and leave.-So the Western powers they will hailed and applauded as liberators,not as conquers.Now, days of bloodshed,they think about it.

Libya rebels seek air strikes against Gaddafi

By Mohammed Abbas – 1 hr 26 mins ago

AJDABIYAH, Libya (Reuters) – Libyan rebels calling for air strikes to set up a "no-fly" zone came under attack by a warplane for a third day on Friday as Muammar Gaddafi tried to loosen the opposition's expanding grip on a key coast road.

Eastern-based rebels spearheading a two-week-old revolt told Reuters they were open to talks only on Gaddafi's exile or resignation following attacks on civilians that have brought global condemnation and triggered a probe at the war crimes court.

"If there is any negotiation it will be on one single thing -- how Gaddafi is going to leave the country or step down so we can save lives. There is nothing else to negotiate," said Ahmed Jabreel of the rebel National Libyan Council in east Libya.

"We are not going to negotiate any political solution. We want him put on trial, but if we don't give him an exit, we know more people will be killed," said Jabreel, an aide to ex-justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil who heads the council.

Western nation have called for Gaddafi to go and are considering various options including the imposition of a no-fly zone, but are wary about any offensive military involvement to stabilize the world's 12th-largest oil exporter.

In the east, rebel volunteers said a Libyan government warplane bombed just beyond the walls of a military base held by the opposition in the town of Ajdabiyah but did not hit it,

"We were sat here, heard the jet, then the explosion and the earth shook. They fell outside the walls," said Hassan Faraj, who was guarding an ammunitions store at the Haniyeh base.

Another volunteer guard, Aziz Saleh, said two rockets had been fired and had landed just outside the walls of the base.

The air attacks have failed to stop the rebels using a key coast road to push their front line west of Brega, an oil terminal town 800 km (500 miles) east of Tripoli. They said they had driven back troops loyal to Gaddafi to Ras Lanuf, site of another major oil terminal, 600 km (400 miles) east of Tripoli.

Amid growing international concern about dwindling food and medical supplies in some rebel-held areas, diplomatic efforts are accelerating to end a conflict that the West fears could stir a mass refugee exodus across the Mediterranean to Europe.

U.S. President Barack Obama said he was concerned a bloody stalemate could develop between Gaddafi and rebel forces but gave no sign of a willingness to intervene militarily.

"Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave," Obama said, the first time he has called in public for Gaddafi to leave Libya, although he has urged his exit in written statements by the White House.

The popular uprising against Gaddafi's 41-year rule, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Middle East or North Africa, has knocked out nearly 50 percent of the OPEC-member's 1.6 million barrels of oil per day output, the bedrock of its economy.

The upheaval is causing a humanitarian crisis, especially on the Tunisian border where tens of thousands of foreign workers have fled to safety. But an organized international airlift started to relieve the human flood from Libya as word spread to refugees that planes were taking them home.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez pushed a vague peace plan for Libya, saying he had spoken to his friend Gaddafi who had supported the proposal for a negotiating commission, accusing the West of eyeing the North African nation's oil.

But Saif al-Islam, a son of Gaddafi, said on Thursday that Libya did not need outside help to solve its troubles.

Rebels holding the port city of Zawiyah, 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital, Tripoli, said they had launched counter-attacks against Gaddafi's forces massing in the area and warned supplies of medicines and baby milk were running low................

Maybe the best course of action here....is to let the Arab League nations....each with a Air Force. Do the no fly zone patrolling.

They can fly from neighboring Tunasia and Egypt. The US and NATO provide tanker refueling inside those countries. Outside of the range of Libyan air defenses.

Seems to me like a possible acceptable no fly to the Muslim world.

....is to stay at home rebuilding your crumbling economy and stuff like that..

We are always happy to lend a hand to democracy building, Antjo.

I thought you would like the compromise solution here. Maybe you are pro Qdaffi....knowing that those Arab League No Zone would help to boot him out of power.

I think since you provoked me....I will send the idea to the White House. I was hoping Zues here.....would pick up the idea let it develop inside NATO.

But since you jumped in as you did.....I will pass the idea on to our people.