Muammar Gadhafi forces on Thursday fired a hail of rockets at the besieged city of Misrata, said rebels, while diplomatic disputes over NATO bombings overshadowed the battles on the ground. Misrata rebels in the insurgent stronghold isolated in western Libya, said that 23 people were killed when at least eight Russian Grad rockets were fired into a residential area.
They also warned of a slaughter if NATO did not increase their attacks on the United Nations mandate to protect civilians. The third largest city in Libya has been under siege of Gadhafi troops for more than six weeks and international organizations have warned of a humanitarian crisis.
Hundreds of civilians have died in Misrata, according to reports. After meeting in China, leaders of five emerging powers called BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa expressed misgivings about NATO air strikes and called for ending the civil war two months. His criticisms come amid divisions in the Western alliance over whether the Allies should intensify their attacks against Gadhafi and heavy artillery to break the stalemate in the war.
Foreign Ministers of NATO met in Berlin to seek a common position. BRICS position also contrasted with the first joint call for Gadhafi leaves power by a group of Western and Arab countries met on Wednesday in Qatar. In the strongest statement so far, the "Contact Group" international Gadhafi on Libya demanded that he left office and expressed his support for the rebels.
Four States BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India and China abstained on 17 March at a Security Council vote authorizing military action to protect civilians, while South Africa voted in favor. "We share the principle that the use of force should be avoided," said the emerging powers in a statement after the summit, calling for a peaceful settlement of Libya.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, in charge of foreign policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, leader of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and officials of the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Conference discussed Libya in Cairo on Thursday. A dozen demonstrators for and against Gadhafi protested outside the meeting place at the headquarters of the Arab League.
"There is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. We have to go through the peace process, political process," said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni, who described the situation in Libya as a catastrophe. The AU promote a peace plan for Libya rejected by rebel leaders in Benghazi, since it calls for end to 41-year regime of Gaddafi.
A rebel spokesman said Misrata "a slaughter (...) happen here if NATO does not intervene strongly." But the alliance is broken and several of its members are reluctant to increase the bombing. Britain and France are leading air strikes against the forces of Gadhafi, but are increasingly frustrated by the lack of support from NATO allies.
After leading the campaign in its early days, Washington adopted a secondary role and other states of the alliance are declining participation. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said in an appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two countries "share the same goal: to see the end of the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
And we are contributing in various ways to see that goal accomplished. " However, gave no indication that Washington had desire to increase its military operations. 
They also warned of a slaughter if NATO did not increase their attacks on the United Nations mandate to protect civilians. The third largest city in Libya has been under siege of Gadhafi troops for more than six weeks and international organizations have warned of a humanitarian crisis.
Hundreds of civilians have died in Misrata, according to reports. After meeting in China, leaders of five emerging powers called BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa expressed misgivings about NATO air strikes and called for ending the civil war two months. His criticisms come amid divisions in the Western alliance over whether the Allies should intensify their attacks against Gadhafi and heavy artillery to break the stalemate in the war.
Foreign Ministers of NATO met in Berlin to seek a common position. BRICS position also contrasted with the first joint call for Gadhafi leaves power by a group of Western and Arab countries met on Wednesday in Qatar. In the strongest statement so far, the "Contact Group" international Gadhafi on Libya demanded that he left office and expressed his support for the rebels.
Four States BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India and China abstained on 17 March at a Security Council vote authorizing military action to protect civilians, while South Africa voted in favor. "We share the principle that the use of force should be avoided," said the emerging powers in a statement after the summit, calling for a peaceful settlement of Libya.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, in charge of foreign policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, leader of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and officials of the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Conference discussed Libya in Cairo on Thursday. A dozen demonstrators for and against Gadhafi protested outside the meeting place at the headquarters of the Arab League.
"There is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. We have to go through the peace process, political process," said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni, who described the situation in Libya as a catastrophe. The AU promote a peace plan for Libya rejected by rebel leaders in Benghazi, since it calls for end to 41-year regime of Gaddafi.
A rebel spokesman said Misrata "a slaughter (...) happen here if NATO does not intervene strongly." But the alliance is broken and several of its members are reluctant to increase the bombing. Britain and France are leading air strikes against the forces of Gadhafi, but are increasingly frustrated by the lack of support from NATO allies.
After leading the campaign in its early days, Washington adopted a secondary role and other states of the alliance are declining participation. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said in an appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two countries "share the same goal: to see the end of the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
And we are contributing in various ways to see that goal accomplished. " However, gave no indication that Washington had desire to increase its military operations.
- Battle for Misrata continues (14/04/2011)
- Gaddafi troops assail Misrata with Grad rockets (14/04/2011)
- Gadhafi Forces Attack Misrata (14/04/2011)
- Qaddafi Controls Every Western City Except For Misrata, Where The Rebels Warn Of A Massacre (14/04/2011)
- Heavy fighting in Libya's Misrata, resident says (11/04/2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment