North Africa_ Fighting in Western Libya, Scattered Diplomacy

North Africa
Fighting in Western Libya, Scattered Diplomacy

VOA News April 26, 2011


Libyan rebels are seen walking down a street close to a building where forces loyal to Col. Moamer Kadhafi are reportedly held up in the Zwabi district of Misrata on April 24, 2011

Troops loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have widened their military strikes on Berber towns in Libya's Western Mountains while continuing to battle rebels at the besieged western city of Misrata.

Tuesday's fighting raged amid scattered diplomatic efforts that have failed to end the conflict.

Russia said it will not support any new United Nations Security Council resolution on Libya which it says may escalate the conflict. U.N. diplomats have not decided on any further actions.

Interfax news agency quotes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying his country opposes more military activity against Libya. Last month, Russia abstained from voting on a resolution authorizing a no-fly zone in Libya to protect civilians.

The Russian comments come after Italy agreed to join the NATO alliance in using military force against Libya. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said at a Tuesday news conference with France's Nicolas Sarkozy that Italy's involvement will be limited to helping strike military targets.

On Monday, Libyan state television said NATO warplanes bombed civilian and military targets in the capital, Tripoli, and in Bir al-Ghanam, 100 kilometers southwest of Tripoli.

One of the airstrikes destroyed a building in the complex where Libyan leader Gadhafi lives. NATO says it targeted a communications headquarters used to coordinate attacks against civilians.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will hold talks on the Libyan conflict in Washington Tuesday with his British counterpart, Liam Fox.

The Financial Times, quoting a senior British official, says one topic of discussion will be whether action can be taken to cut fuel supplies to the Libyan leader’s armed forces.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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Comments (8)

26-04-2011 Muammar gadaffy is a follower of Osama bin laden and needs to be hunted down and put put of cOmmision, whatever it takes before he murders even more innocent civilians


26-04-2011 hamad part 1 of 2 (Oman)
Any new UN resolution could complicate the situation and urge oppositions to create conflict in order to gain the empathy of international society and UN . Russia is in save position which gives it many advantages and benefits . If UN legislate any new regulation which could mandate NATO and coalition forces to attack Gaddafi and his loyalists farther , it will ruin its reputation sharply and expose its role in the human rights map .


26-04-2011 hamad part 2 of 2 (Oman)
There are many ways which could weaken the force of Gaddafi without causing more civil victims in both side and then let Libyans solve their plight by themselves . We do not need foreign intervention to determine who should lead Arab countries which will exist many troubles in short rang term . Libya , Yemen and Southern Sudan are comprised of various big tribes which are ready to fight till last drop of their blood to seize wealth and throne .


26-04-2011 John (Mark)
what is the difference between the western powers and Osama, how can you start bombing an Independent Nation with a Government in place just like that, then also attempt to kill a countries leader in his own country,


26-04-2011 Richard Mahony (Australia)
There is no evidence that Gadhafi is a follower of Bin Laden. Because Libyans speak Libyan Arabic and standard Arabic is the official written language of Libya does not mean that Libya is an Arab country, any more than the fact that Americans speak English means that the USA is an English country. Gadhafi's government has deliberately targeted Libyan civilians. Gadhafi is unfit to rule and must go. The so-called Arab countries are unwilling to put troops on the ground to make this happen.


26-04-2011 james r. (j.rosella@comcast.com)
If indeed?, Gaddafi is a follower of 'UBL' why??, then has 'AQ' attempted to assassinate him on numerous occasions. The only knewn presence of 'AQ' within Libya are the 25% of "rebels??" who fought against U.S. Forces in Afghanistan & Iraq.


26-04-2011 This is barbarism seeped in hypocrisy. Civilized and morally conscious nations do not bomb another nation just because the weaker nation does not kowtow to the interests of the powerful allies in his case. US and NATO strikes have killed more civilians in their creeping military mission in Libya. The UN Resolution 1973 was just a ruse for regime change


26-04-2011 dieter91c@teachers.org (Zambia)
US controlled United Nations doesn't even hear the AUs voice

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