Latest update 09:14 23.03.11
Explosions heard in Tripoli after Libya declares third ceasefire
Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi remains defiant, but U.S. says he is quietly contemplating an exit strategy.
By DPA
Explosions rocked the Libyan capital Tripoli early Wednesday, CNN reported, as the United States confirmed it would be handing over control of military operations in the coming days.
It was not clear where the explosions were in the city, the report said, adding that there was no anti-aircraft fire. Coalition forces have bombarded Tripoli with cruise missiles in recent nights.
A huge explosion is seen over the outskirts of Benghazi after a warplane was shot down over Benghazi, eastern Libya, March 19, 2011.
Photo by: AP
On Tuesday, Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi declared a ceasefire. Two previous ceasefires have not held up.
Also Tuesday, Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi held a defiant televised address, saying "we will not give up" and calling on other Muslim countries to "take part in the battle against the crusaders."
In an interview with broadcaster ABC, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the U.S. would hand over control of operations in the next few days.
The U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters that U.S. President Barack Obama, his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed that "NATO should play a key role in the command structure."
Clinton also told ABC that Gadhafi had been exploring options for a future abroad, according to U.S. intelligence.
People from his entourage have been "putting out feelers" to their contacts around the world, possibly with a view to where he could go if he has to leave the country, she said.
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