Nato Airstrike Kills Qaddafi's Son

British PM Says NATO Targeting Libyan Decision Makers -- Voice of America

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday NATO forces are targeting Libya's command and control units, not specific people.

Mr. Cameron refused to comment on media reports that a son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had been killed in a NATO airstrike.

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said late Saturday that 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gadhafi and three of Moammar Gadhafi's grandchildren were killed during what Ibrahim called a direct attempt to assassinate the Libyan leader.

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More News On NATO's Military Strike Against Gaddafi

NATO strike kills Gadhafi's son but leader escapes -- Yahoo News/AP
Libya says Gaddafi survives air strikes, but son killed -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Kadhafi 'directly targeted' as son killed: regime -- Yahoo News/AFP
Qaddafi Is Said to Survive NATO Airstrike That Kills Son -- New York Times
NATO strike kills Kadafi son, Libyan official says -- L.A. Times
Muammar Gaddafi son killed by Nato air strike – Libyan government -- The Guardian
Col Gaddafi's youngest son 'killed in Nato air strike' -- The Telegraph
Libya crisis: Gaddafi son 'killed in air strike' -- BBC
Libya says Gaddafi's youngest son killed in NATO airstrike -- Xinhuanet
NATO: Moammar Gadhafi not target of attack -- UPI
Nato denies deliberately targeting Muammar Gaddafi -- The Guardian
Gaddafi son's killing puts Nato in firing line -- The Guardian
Scepticism surrounds 'Gaddafi son's death' -- Al Jazeera
Death of Saif Al-Arab Gaddafi may backfire for Nato -- BBC

If Losing, Would Gaddafi Use WMDs?

The question of arming the rebellion in Libya has divided the international community Photo: REUTERS

Col Gaddafi Still Has Quarter Of Chemical Weapons Stockpile -- The Telegraph

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi still has a quarter of his stockpile of chemical weapons and is ready to use mustard gas in a "desperate" fight to the death, a senior Libyan rebel military commander claimed yesterday.

General Abdul Fatah Younis, who was Col Gaddafi's interior minister before defecting to the opposition and is now the rebel army's chief of staff, gave the warning as he pleaded for Nato allies to arm the rebels with heavy weapons, including helicopters and anti-tank missiles, to defend the besieged city of Misurata.

He predicted the Libyan dictator would "never accept retreat" and would be ready to use chemical weapons in a last stand against rebels or the civilian population.

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My Comment: A part of me tells me that while he would be prepared to use WMDs, his sons would veto him. Wishful thinking on my part .... I hope not.

Libya's Civil War Crossed Over Into Tunisia Today

Libya Angers Tunisia As War Briefly Crosses Border -- Yahoo News/Reuters

TRIPOLI/TUNIS (Reuters) – Libya's two-month civil war spilled over the border into Tunisia, provoking outrage in the western neighbor, while rebels in Misrata said only NATO could halt the bombardment of the besieged city.

The struggle between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebels trying to end his more than four decades of rule drew in outsiders last month, as NATO began air strikes on government troops under a United Nations mandate.

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More News On The Libyan War Crossing Into Tunisia

Libyan conflict spills across Tunisian border -- The Independent
Libyan Rebels Fight to Keep Control of Key Border Crossing -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Rebels, Gadhafi troops battle for key border post -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
Colonel Gaddafi's Forces Fire Into Tunisia -- SKY News
Refugees Stream Into Tunisia To Flee Libya Fighting -- NPR
Tunisia protests over Libyan incursion during clash -- Reuters

Is Rape Now A Weapon Of War In Gaddafi's Army?

Moammar Qaddafi's Viagra War? -- Turtle Bay, Foreign Policy

Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the U.N. Security Council today that there is another good reason to confront Libyan forces. Moammar Qaddafi has reportedly been passing out tablets of Viagra to his front line troops to help them rape women.

Rice made the allegation in a closed-door meeting of the Security Council after facing criticism from council members that the Western-backed coalition has effectively sided with Libya's rebels in the country's ongoing civil war. China, Russia, India and other have expressed concern that the NATO-backed military coalition has exceeded its mandate to protect civilians, and had become a party to the country's conflict.

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More News On Rape Being Used As A Weapon Of War In Libya

U.S. says Gaddafi troops raping, issued Viagra: envoys -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Viagra allegations raised amid Libya divisions at UN -- AFP
Gaddafi Troops Raping, Issued Viagra: U.S. Envoys -- Huffington Post
Report: Gadhafi Forces on Viagra-Fueled Rape Spree -- Newsmax
Fuelled 'by Viagra', Gaddafi's troops use rape as a weapon of war with children as young as EIGHT among the victims -- Daily Mail
Gaddafi thugs 'rape children while pumped up on Viagra' -- Daily Mirror
Save the Children Reports Gaddafi Militia Raping Children in Libya -- Gather
Charity says children raped during Libya conflict -- Reuters
Alleged Libyan rape victim says she lives in constant fear -- CNN
After Rape Report in Libya, Woman Sees Benefit in Publicity -- New York Times

U.S. Air Force Pilot Shot Down Over Libya Talks About His Rescue

Maj. Kenneth Harney is welcomed home at RAF Lakenheath, England, on March 26.

‘The Best Feeling’: F-15 Fighter Crew Shot Down In Libya Reveal Moment They Were Rescued -- The Daily Mail

A U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Libya has told of his elation as he was plucked from the hot desert sand by a Marines rescue team.

Major Kenneth Harney of Lexington, Kentucky, and Captain Tyler Stark of Littleton, Colorado, ejected from their F-15 over the country while enforcing the no-fly zone.

Until now U.S. military authorities have kept most details about the mission, including the pilots' names, a closely guarded secret. But earlier this month, with no notice and very little fanfare, the men spoke publicly for the first time about their ordeal.

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Update #1: Downed F-15 crew on Libya rescue: 'The best feeling' -- CNN
Update #2: US bombs remains of F-15 in Libya -- Press TV (Iran)

My Comment: Rotting in a Libyan jail, or being in the arms of a cute blond (see above photo) .... duhhhh .... I would also be overjoyed with my rescue.

Britain Hints That Ground Troops Will Need To Be Sent To Libya

PENTAGON BRIEFING - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates conducts a press conference with U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox on the steps of the Pentagon, April 26, 2011. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen

Libya: Britain 'May Have To Look At’ Deploying Ground Troops -- The Telegraph

Britain “may have to look at” deploying ground troops in the Libya campaign in order to establish safe havens for civilians, Liam Fox has said.

Fears of a humanitarian crisis have grown as food imports into Libya’s rebel-held east have been hit while the National Transitional Council struggles to establish lines of credit and foreign traders fear they will not be paid.

Dr Fox, the defence secretary, was asked if soldiers would be needed for humanitarian purposes or to protect safe havens in Libya or its borders and if this would require a new United Nations mandate.

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My Comment: Warning: Mission creep .... mission creep .... mission creep.

The Battle Of Misurata In The Raw (Video)

Hat Tip: CDR Salamander

My Comment: CDR Salamander's comment on the above video is priceless ....

.... Want to know what an army without officers and NCOs looks like? ....

Indeed. Watch the first few minutes of the video to see what a disorganized army looks like.

Britain Is Ready To Arm Libya's Rebels

Libya: Britain Could Arm Rebels, David Cameron Admits -- The Telegraph

Britain could arm the Libyan rebels to avert a lasting stalemate in the country, according to David Cameron.

The Prime Minister's admission came as William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, warned ministers to "prepare for the long haul" in Libya and a defence minister said the conflict "may go on for considerably longer".

The military intervention against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces is in its sixth week, but the rebels aiming to oust the Libyan dictator have failed to make significant progress against him.

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My Comment: If the Brits feel this way, I suspect that the French will also jump in. Arming the rebels will be a major escalation, and with British/French military advisers on the ground (plus NATO air power), this war will slowly shift in favor of the rebels.

Women And Children Used As Human Shields In Battle For Misrata

A man tries to console another outside the hospital in Misrata as the body of a relative is taken for burial

Gaddafi's Soldiers Use Women And Children As Human Shields As Battle For Misrata Takes Gruesome Twist -- The Daily Mail

* 'His men were taunting us and laughing as they disappeared with our women and children'
* Nato jets bomb Libyan leader's heavily-fortified compound
* Prepare for a long haul, Hague tells Cabinet ministers

Muammar Gaddafi's soldiers are using women and children as human shields to protect them from attacks in the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, it has emerged.

This gruesome new twist in tactics by his forces came as Nato bombers targeted Gaddafi himself, destroying buildings around his seat of power in Tripoli, the capital, which remains under the despot’s control.

The raid flattened a building inside Gaddafi's heavily-fortified Bab al-Aziziyah compound early on Monday – in what officials claimed was a failed attempt on the Libyan leader's life. More than 45 people were hurt in the strike.

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My Comment: One day there will be an accounting for what has happened in Misrata .... a prospect that Gaddafi's family will soon realize as their grip on Libya continues to weaken.

Warning To Gaddafi: 'Give Up Now Or We’ll Kill You,'

PENTAGON BRIEFING - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates conducts a press conference with U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox on the steps of the Pentagon, April 26, 2011. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen

'Give Up Now Or We’ll Kill You,' Liam Fox Warns Gaddafi As He Starts Talks With U.S. On Widening Scope Of Airstrikes -- Daily Mail

Defence Secretary Liam Fox will meet senior U.S. commanders today to draw up a final plan to finish Colonel Gaddafi.

Before flying to Washington last night, Dr Fox warned the dictator and his commanders they face assassination unless they give up now.

He said: 'If the regime continues to wage war on its people, those who are involved in those command-and-control assets need to recognise that we regard them as legitimate targets.

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My Comment:Is Gaddafi listening ... probably. Does he care .... probably not. But the end game for his rule is being planned out right now.

War Crimes Being Committed In Libya

Therapy: Libyan children draw pictures to express their feelings about the war in the rebel city of Benghazi

Fuelled 'By Viagra', Gaddafi's Troops Use Rape As A Weapon Of War With Children As Young As EIGHT Among The Victims -- The Daily Mail

Children as young as eight are being raped in front of their families by Gaddafi's forces in Libya, according to a leading charity.

Aid workers described horrific stories of widespread sexual abuse, including one incident in which a group of girls was abducted and held hostage for four days.

When they were finally released, they were too traumatised to speak.

Other children have described being forced to watch as their fathers were murdered and their mothers raped.

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My Comment: One day there will be an accounting for the atrocities that are occurring in Libya today .... unfortunately .... there is little is anything that can be done to stop it right now.

Who Are Gaddafi’s Mercenaries?

Suspected mercenaries sit inside a prison in Benghazi Photo: REUTERS

Libya: Col Gaddafi 'Has Spent £2.1m On Mercenaries' -- The Telegraph

Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime has spent $3.5 million (£2.1m) hiring hundreds of mercenaries from north Africa to help defeat anti-government rebels, according to senior Nato officials.

Details of a deal to recruit 450 fighters from the disputed Western Sahara region have been passed to Nato officials by a former Gaddafi loyalist who was involved in the negotiations before defecting to the rebels.

According to the defector, who has not been named, the mercenaries are being paid $10,000 each to fight for Col Gaddafi for two months. The deal with the mercenaries was arranged last month after serious anti-government protests threatened to overthrow the regime.

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Update #1: Will Obama allow Gaddafi’s mercenaries to act with impunity? -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Update #2: Kadhafi-Polisario: the details of a transaction revealed by a British daily newspaper -- Sahara News

My Comment: If news reports of Gaddafi trying to recruit mercenaries is true, it tells me that he must feel very insecure with the Libyan military (or what is left of it) that is propping up his regime right now. In fact .... I am willing to predict that if this war of attrition continues, even having a mercenary army will not be enough to sustain him and his family as rulers of Libya.

Gaddafi Is Slowing Losing Control Over Libya's Largest City, Tripoli

Gaddafi Clings To Tripoli – But For How Long? -- The Independent

A special report from inside the embattled Libyan capital.

Muammar Gaddafi's opponents unfurl a rebel flag from a motorway overpass in the dark and speed away. On the outskirts of the capital, masked protesters denounce the Libyan leader, then quickly disband. The pop of gunfire is heard almost every evening, some of it, according to dissidents, from sneak attacks on army checkpoints.

Furtive resistance is the best those seeking Gaddafi's removal can muster, under the heavy weight of fear in the most important stronghold of his rule. But the fact that such small-scale actions are taking place at all is a sign that activists are still trying to bring the rebellion to the capital, even after Gaddafi's forces gunned down demonstrators two months ago. If confirmed, the reports of sporadic shooting at security posts could mark a significant shift away from peaceful protest, signalling the desperation of regime opponents in Tripoli.

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My Comment: I do not know if Gaddafi is losing control of Libya's largest city, but I do know that if this war becomes a war of attrition, he will be the first to be bled dry. With each passing day the rebels are getting more organized and trained/experienced to fight against Gaddafi's military. Couple this with NATO air strikes, attrition becomes the order of the day. While Gaddafi can probably still field an army made up of loyalists and mercenaries .... this will not last a long time. I do not see many loyalists in Gaddafi's camp .... and mercenaries .... their loyalty is towards money and staying alive, while the rebels goals are more personal and national.

As for losing Tripoli .... if this happens .... Gaddafi will be finished and it will only be a matter of time before he is hung on some nearby lamp-post.

U.S. Predator Drones Are Now Striking Targets In Libya

U.S. Drones Hit Targets In Libya -- Wall Street Journal

U.S. Predator drones struck their first targets in Libya over the weekend, military officials said.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said a Predator strike hit a multiple-rocket launcher near the Libyan city Misrata at 11:00 GMT on Saturday, or 7:00 a.m. Eastern time. The NATO announcement said multiple rocket-launcher systems have been used to attack civilians in Misrata.

Capt. Darryn James, a Pentagon spokesman, disclosed the strike on Saturday but provided few details. NATO said Sunday that a second strike took place at 8:40 p.m. GMT Saturday.

Although the U.S. had said it would step back from an offensive role in the Libya mission, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the U.S. would provide two unmanned Predator drones around the clock to strike targets.

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My Comment: These attacks are being done with only two drones .... but the message that they are giving to Gaddafi and his supporters are clear .... if the fight continues expect more drones and more lethal strikes. The following L.A. times story .... U.S. drones may provide psychological edge in Libya .... gives more insight on the impact that drones may have on the Libyan civil war.

NATO Leaders Are Calling For The Killing Of Gaddafi

Senator John McCain, who visited Libya at the weekend, said that Gaddafi should be targeted but argued that it was more important to increase US firepower over Libya Photo: REUTERS

Libya: Western Leaders Call For Nato To Target Gaddafi -- The Telegraph

Senior western leaders called for Nato to adopt an assassination policy against Col Muammar Gaddafi to salvage the bombing campaign in Libya from a descent into stalemate.

The calls came as Col Gaddafi was reported to have strengthened his grip on power by repatriating billions of dollars in overseas assets that should have been frozen by UN sanctions.

On Sunday, there was growing pressure on Coalition forces to directly target Col Gaddafi with military strikes.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services committee, said that the quickest way to end the emerging stalemate was to "cut the head of the snake off". He said: "The people around Gaddafi need to wake up every day wondering, 'Will this be my last?'

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My Comment: This reminds me of the arguments that were used in justifying the need to target Saddam Hussein .... in the end they finally got their wish by capturing him and executing him after a trial .... but unlike what was predicted, the war and sectarian strife in Iraq only intensified.

A Look Inside The Libyan Rebel's Training Camps

Libya: Inside Benghazi's Rebel Training Camps -- The Telegraph

Libyan insurgents may be making sporadic progress - but their tactics need a lot of work, finds Ben Farmer at a rebel training camp.

The ageing military instructor had assumed the statuesque pose of a javelin thrower to teach his rebel pupils how to fire a rocket-propelled grenade.

"It flies through the air like this," he demonstrated gravely, grasping the rocket projectile in his right hand like a paper aeroplane.

Seated at his feet in deep, but puzzled attention were nearly 30 cross-legged students dressed in everything from long traditional robes to business suits, rather than fatigues.

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My Comment: Is Gaddafi and his son's doing the same thing on their side of the front line .... something is telling me that they are relying on mercenaries and the remnants of their army. If this becomes a war of attrition, and the rebels are able to obtain a steady supply of weapons, my money is now on the rebels to succeed.

Heavy Fighting Continues In The Libyan City Of Misrata

Heavy Fighting Grips Libyan City Of Misurata -- Al Jazeera

Another deadly day of fighting leaves at least 25 dead as rebels fight to push pro-Gaddafi forces out of Misurata.

Heavy fighting has raged anew in Misurata, leaving at least 25 people killed and at least 71 others critically injured as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi gave up more ground inside Libya's third-largest city.

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said early on Sunday the army had suspended operations against rebels in Misurata, but not left the city, to enable local tribes to find a peaceful solution.

"The armed forces have not withdrawn from Misurata. They have simply suspended their operations," Kaim told a news conference in the capital.

If the rebels don't surrender in the next two days, armed tribesmen will fight them in place of the army, he said.

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More News On Libya's Civil War

Heavy fighting rages in Libyan city of Misrata -- Yahoo News/AP
Government forces retreat in Libya's Misrata -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Fighting grips Misrata, drones enter Libya conflict -- Yahoo News/AFP
Libya crisis: stench of death as shooting stops in centre of besieged Misurata -- The Telegraph
Libya rebels claim 'Misurata is free' -- Al Jazeera
Libya rebels claim victory in Misurata -- Washington Post
Libyan Rebels Drive Army Out of Misrata -- Wall Street Journal
Libyan Rebels Buoyed by Strategic Win -- Wall Street Journal
Libya: Misrata rebels capture Gaddafi soldiers -- BBC
Libya crisis: Misrata tribes 'may fight rebels' -- BBC
Libyan rebels claim "Misrata is free" as Gadhafi forces retreat -- MSNBC (Photo Gallery)

First Predator Strike In Libya Confirmed By US Military

Photo: Two Predators were already being used above Libya for intelligence and reconnaissance missions

US Confirms First Predator Strike In Libya -- BBC

The US military has confirmed the first strike by an unmanned Predator drone aircraft in Libya.

The Pentagon did not provide details of the target, but said that it occurred in the early afternoon local time.

Drones can hit military targets more easily in urban areas, minimising the risk of civilian casualties.

Earlier, Libya's government warned that tribes loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi might take over the fight against the rebels in the western city of Misrata.

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My Comment: And so it begins.

Armed Drones Are Not Going To Change The Dynamics Of The War In Libya

A U.S. Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport. Pool/REUTERS

Drones A Boost In Libya, But No 'Magic Bullet' -- MSNBC

Deployment also shows how unwilling NATO allies are to risk casualties.

BRUSSELS — The arrival of U.S. killer drones in Libya is a psychological boost for rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi and for European NATO allies but no "magic bullet" to break the stalemate in the war.

President Barack Obama's decision to send armed Predator drones was significant in showing Washington being drawn back reluctantly into the front line after European powers France and Britain showed their limits in leading the NATO air campaign.

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More News On The U.S. Authorizing The Use Of Drones In Libya

US sends armed drones to Libya to support battle for Misrata -- Deutsche Welle
Attack of the drones: Now Obama approves the use of unmanned aircraft in Libya conflict -- The Daily Mail
US to begin drone strikes in Libya -- Christian Science Monitor
McCain visits Benghazi; Libyan rebels welcome armed drone aircraft -- Washington Post

My Comment: Sending two armed drones to conduct military operations over Libya will have a negligible effect (if any) on the final outcome.

The Battle For The Libyan City Of Misurata Continues

Rebel fighters stand atop a captured tank in central Misrata on Friday after routing forces loyal to Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi from the area. (Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)

Libya: Misurata Rebels Dislodge Gaddafi Snipers -- The Telegraph

Rebels in the embattled town of Misurata have claimed a significant blow against Col Muammar Gaddafi's troops by dislodging snipers from the town's highest building after weeks of bloody clashes.

Pro-Gaddafi marksmen inside the eight-storey insurance office block have terrorised the Libyan town and are thought to have killed scores in the past month.

Rebel militiamen ousted them after taking several buildings along the strategic main thoroughfare of Tripoli Street, enabling them to cut supplies to a Gaddafi unit and dozens of rooftop snipers.

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More News On The Battle In the Libyan City Of Misrata

Misrata rebels strike back against Gaddafi snipers -- The Guardian
Gaddafi snipers driven from roofs of embattled city of Misrata amid most fierce scenes of urban warfare since the war began -- Daily Mail
The district of Misrata in Libya won by rebel forces -- BBC
Libyan rebels take key parts of Misrata -- CBC
Misery in Misrata as siege worsens -- Herald Sun
Attrition in Misrata as Libya heads for ‘stalemate’ -- Euronews
Fierce firefights as Libyan rebels try to hold onto Misurata -- The Telegraph
Fighting Intensifies in Rebel-held Misrata, Libya -- NTD Television
It's win or die for Libyans in Misrata -- CBS News