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

I'll answer you later as i'm going out...

The death toll from explosions at an arms dump I reported yesterday in an area held by Libyan rebels reached 27 today, after a doctor said his hospital had received eight bodies.

"We have eight killed by the explosion at the Rajma military base as well as more than 20 injured," Imad Talahma, a neurosurgeon at Benghazi's medical city.

Conflicting reports arrive about the cause of the explosion from attacking pro-gaddafi troops to caused by defenders mishandling explosives.

At least eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded in clashes between Libyan rebels and loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi at the oil town of Raslanuf, a doctor said today.

An AFP reporter late yesterday saw opposition rebels in control of Raslanuf, positioned outside the oil compound, army barracks, police station and residential quarter, celebrating an apparent victory over Gaddafi forces.

Some of the injured rebels being treated at hospital in Ajdabiya, a town further along the Mediterranean into the rebel-controlled east, told AFP they had been heavily outnumbered and under-equipped compared to the loyalists.

In Libya various tribal factions exist each with its leaders. Most of these Leaders leaders and town elders have formed committees which have taken impromptu command of revolting areas. The local leaders in themselves respect a heirarchy of sorts from 'higher' or more authoratitative persons. However the main channel of command is from Benghazi, Libya's second city and the origin of the rebellion. Here a temporary 'government' has been set up and the local people's committees selected an ex-justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil as the head of this government.

As for the armed militias and battalions, a lot of army factions deserted en-bloc and joined the rebellions. These are following regular army ranks for command and civilians who are taking up arms are also following their lead. Defecting Colonel Hamid Belkhair is in charge of the rebels Benghazi military committee and thus he is in a certain way in charge.
However lack of proper communications and large distances mean that pockets of small militias are on their own and creating their own channel of command.

Arms and weaponry were highly available as many defecting battallions were fully armed and had access to arms depots, thus the rebels have anything from anti-aircraft, tanks, heavy artillary, RPGs, and all sorts small weapons and reportedly even some aircraft. However what is being described as the 'rag-tag' army is largely made up of civilians who have no combat experience, thus most weapons may not be very effective or even utilisable.

I've had information of rebellious towns who have organized themselves with leading committees and everyone doing their part. I've even seen a video of local boy-scouts in uniform clearing up public places from debris, young men securing borders, and everyone else helping out. In some places, police and authoritative people previously serving Gaddafi have returned to their posts to help out the new civilian command. Somehow the rebellious spirit is uniting them into one and they are managing themselves without much issues.

As for parties or leaders following this revolution, things are still unclear. At the moment all tribal factions and all groups are united with one purpose, however when the dust settles things can go in any direction. We have to wait and see.

Mixed reports coming from Libya, some speaking of small successes of the rebellious forces yet others of Gaddafi's reprisal and apparent upper hand in counter offensives as can be seen below.

From Ras Lanuf:
Armed anti-Gaddafi fighters who yesterday overran the oil supplying town of Ras Lanuf are reportedly pushing further west, and are now in control of the small town of Bin Jawad - halfway between Ras Lanuf and the Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte.

From Az Zawiyah:
Dr Hamdi, a surgeon in the local hospital, reports on the phone to Al Jazeera;
"I am at the centre of Martyrs' Square. A large number of people are gathering in the centre, after they managed to push back Gaddafi's forces, the tanks have been pushed out of the city.

There have been a number of tanks - the security forces of Gaddafi came into the city with armoured vehicles and tanks and trucks carrying antiaircraft wepons. We managed to capture two tanks, and a number of four-wheel drive military cars.

I live in one of main roads of the city, but I couldn't leave home, because a large number of Gaddafi security men were shooting at anyone who came out.

I couldn't go to the hospital. But when our courageous fighters pushed them back, I could get to the square and helped administer first aid. There are between 150-250 injured as of now.

At this moment, there are no Gaddafi security forces in the city; they have all been pushed outside of the city. The revolutionaries have taken control and have pushed them to the outside of the city."

Yet later reports:
Al Jazeera Arabic reports Gaddafi's forces have re-entered Az Zawiyah.

While correspondent Tony Birtley, reporting from Benghazi, tells us the current situation is similar to the beginning of the war in the former Yugoslavia, with the momentum of the uprising starting to dwindle...

Fresh reports are coming in of pro and anti Gaddafi tribe clashes in Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte. The city, formerly reported as a key Gaddafi stronghold and stronghold would be a strategic win for the rebellious forces.

However, so far all that is reported is inter-tribal fighting sparked by one tribe refusing to support Gaddafi's fighters in Ras Lanuf yesterday. The city, which is home to 135,000 people houses several government ministries.

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<wink> So sad that u two find this worthy of Silver.
How shallow u two r sometimes. Why should it bother u where the information comes from as long as it is accurate and truthful?

Lions and tigers and bears... oh my!