Libyan Rebels Retreat Again, Misrata Massacre Continues!

TRIPOLI, Libya – Anti-aircraft fire erupted in the Libyan capital on Sunday, marking the start of a second night of international strikes as a defiant Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war." The U.S. military said the allied bombardment so far, using a rain of Tomahawk cruise missiles and strikes by long-range bombers, had been successful in diminishing Gadhafi's air defenses.

...

Libya said 48 people were killed in the first round of strikes, including many civilians. That brought criticism of the campaign from the head of the Arab League, which last week took the unprecedented step of calling for a no-fly zone. On Sunday, Arab League chief Amr Moussa criticized the allied strikes, saying they went beyond what the Arab body had supported.

"What happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives," Moussa told reporters in Cairo. "What we want is civilians' protection not shelling more civilians."

Nevertheless, France on Sunday said warplanes in the Arab Gulf nation of Qatar would participate in the air campaign, a sign of continued Arab support.

...

Gadhafi vowed to fight on. In a phone call to Libyan state television Sunday, he said he would not let up on Benghazi and said the government had opened up weapons depots to all Libyans, who were now armed with "automatic weapons, mortars and bombs." State television said Gadhafi's supporters were converging on airports as human shields.

"We promise you a long war," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/af_libya

 

Anyone noticed that the Iraq invasion in 2003 start also on 19th March, almost exactly 8 years ago.

 

I wonder what part of enforcing a no-fly zone includes bombing the palace..

I thought we were just going to stop them from bombing their own people with jets..but now it looks like theyre actually starting a war.

 

Unless I'm mistaken (it's happened before) the Secretary of Defense said a week or two ago that this would happen. A "NO FLY ZONE" means just that. First they take out the "evil-doers" air defenses and command & control so we can have absolute air supremacy.

I love how the Russians and the Arab League are acting all surprised about the air attacks. Like they had no idea that this would happen when 1973 sailed through the U.N.

 

Now the Libyan government is saying that building had nothing to do with command and control of the Libyan air force. They seem to think we were trying to kill Gaddafi himself. Why would they think such a thing???

 

al-Qaeda was getting boring.... Needed to stir up the pot a little bit..
al-Qaeda gave up on bombing airliners.. Libyans's are on the other hand very successful at it..

 

I want the rebels to get him...not a cruise missile

 

The French now admit that they have plans to do much more.

 

the Allies are playing with scorpians , that is , anarchists . I
rather hope the Libyans win . they are so crazy , passionate ,
hard headed , pointy tailed ... all of 'em .

how does Libya win ?

in peace , there is in a single moment
a surrender and a protection .

 

BBC website is reporting that pro-Gadaffi forces are shelling the main hospital in Misrata, and a huge explosion in E Tripoli is also being reported.

 

Libyan rebels have claimed to have taken the town of Sirte, the home of Muammar Gaddafi...
Rebels are headed in the west direction to Tripoli.. There have been reports that Libyan troops are moving back west In full retreat to protect Tripoli.



Convoys of military vehicles including truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns seen leaving Sirte headed west...





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12776418

 

yeah. I beleive the celebration was premature.. Here is the problem.
This like a monkey in the middle game now.. And what Im gathering seems Gaddafi used a flanking maneuver to entrap rebels, shelled the forces heading west on the main coastal highway. They who retreated out of Bin Jawad, around 150km east of Sirte were just caught in a crossfire.

 

March on Washington to "Stop the Bombing of Libya"
Saturday, April 16 • 12 noon at the White House

The war against Libya in historical perspective
From the Berlin Conference of 1884 to the London Conference of 2011
By Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition

The leaders of 14 capitalist powers in Europe plus the United States met for a conference in Berlin 126 years ago to decide how all of Africa’s land and vast resources would be divided as colonies and zones of control among themselves. No Africans were invited to the conference.

The 1884 Conference of Berlin, more than any other single event, became emblematic of the dynamic transformation of capitalism into a system of global imperialism.

By 1902, 90 percent of Africa’s territory was under European control. African self-governance was wiped off the map in most of the continent. Only Ethiopia remained an independent state. Liberia was technically independent too, but it was in fact under the control of the United States.

The so-called “Scramble for Africa” by Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, the United States and the other capitalist powers was essential for the growth and enrichment of the modern-day capitalist class, which included the owners of the biggest banks, syndicates and monopolies.

Africa was plundered and looted and, as a result, the western capitalists entered the 20th century with the largest fortunes in the history of the human race.

One cannot help but think about the Berlin Conference of 1884 when analyzing the London Conference of 2011 that took place on March 29. It was convened by the same imperialist governments that took part in the 1884 meeting. Africans were invited this time, but the African Union refused to attend. Almost all African nations were absent. Only Tunisia and Morocco sent representatives.
Click here to read the entire article

The Myth of Humanitarian Intervention

Protests take place nationwide to "Stop the Bombing of Libya"


Map of colonial division of Africa among European powers

President Obama will be in San Francisco WED., APR. 20 for a major fundraiser.
Join the ANSWER Coalition and other organizations to say: End the wars and occupations—Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Haiti & everywhere!


Washington, D.C., March 26
Photo: Matt Murray

Fund jobs, healthcare, schools and housing, not war!
Stop budget cuts & layoffs!
The people & the planet, not nuclear profits --
No more gov't. subsidies for nuclear corporations

Exact time and place to be announced.

For more information or to endorse, reply to this email or call 415-821-6545.

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
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CIA sends teams to Libya; US mulls aid for rebels
The CIA has sent small teams of operatives into Libya and helped rescue a crew member of a U.S. fighter jet that crashed, and the White House said Wednesday it was assessing "all types of assistance" for rebels battling Moammar Gadhafi's troops.

Gadhafi's forces adapt to airstrikes, pound rebels
Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and moved within striking distance of another major eastern city, nearly reversing the gains rebels made since international airstrikes began.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ex.../news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/24718865



4/20 @ 4:20

 

It's clear the rebels aren't able to hold towns for long when opposed. They advance while Gadhafi's forces are hiding from airstrikes, then retreat when attacked. That really shouldn't come as a surprise, they aren't a professional army by any stretch of the imagination. They could perhaps make it to Tripoli if we literally blast a path for them, but there's no way they can take it unless the US levels the city. Which isn't going to happen. They will probably retreat to Benghazi, where they are safe at least so long as there are planes overhead to destroy any force heading east to attack the city. Which without some kind of political deal for Gadhafi to leave is likely to be the situation for quite awhile.

 

Not the bloodiest standoff the world's seen over tripoli....

I wish we where really the good guys, so I could say "let's fuck him up, hand it over, and get out".

But look how that went in iraq.

 

I'm very suspicious of any military operation, particularly when the French are gung ho about it.

 

"we're not pussies. this is a humanitarian effort that we say is ok to intervene in militarily. not like that stupid evil george bush stuff." is my take on france's involvement in libya.