ARAB WORLD | 03.04.2011
Libya sends envoy to Greece as battle for Brega rages
The regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi sent an envoy to Greece on Sunday with a brief to discuss a possible end to the fighting that has engulfed the country.
The Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi told Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou that Tripoli wanted fighting with rebels in the east of the country to end. "It seems that the Libyan authorities are seeking a solution," Foreign Minister Dimitiris Droutsas said.
Greece enjoys relatively good relations with Libya and it is understood that Papandreou has been talking with Libyan officials and leaders in Qatar, Turkey and Britain in recent days. However, there was no indication that Tripoli was willing to make concessions to the rebels, who say they are fighting for the overthrow of Gadhafi's regime and a transition to democracy.
The Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi told Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou that Tripoli wanted fighting with rebels in the east of the country to end. "It seems that the Libyan authorities are seeking a solution," Foreign Minister Dimitiris Droutsas said.
Greece enjoys relatively good relations with Libya and it is understood that Papandreou has been talking with Libyan officials and leaders in Qatar, Turkey and Britain in recent days. However, there was no indication that Tripoli was willing to make concessions to the rebels, who say they are fighting for the overthrow of Gadhafi's regime and a transition to democracy.
It remains unclear if Tripoli is likely to offer concessionsMeanwhile, A Turkish ship sailed into port in Libya's third largest city Misrata on Sunday picking up some 250 wounded people injured during a siege and shelling of the city that has lasted for several weeks. The vessel had to leave early after crowd of people desperate to escape the city pressed to be allowed aboard.The ship arrived under air cover from Turkish fighter planes and naval backup. It went on to pick up another 100 injured people from the eastern city of Benghazi before returning to Turkey.
Rebels and loyalists battle for oil port
Heavy fighting continued on Sunday on the outskirts of Brega in eastern Libya as rebels and forces loyal to Gadhafi battled for control of the key oil port.
It remains unclear who actually controls Brega. The rebel push to eject Gadhafi loyalists from the city appeared to lose momentum Saturday as fighting subsided.
The lightly armed and poorly trained volunteers have been unable to rout Gadhafi’s better armed and more disciplined forces. The rebels had offered conditions for a ceasefire Friday, which the Gadhafi regime subsequently rejected.
It remains unclear who actually controls Brega. The rebel push to eject Gadhafi loyalists from the city appeared to lose momentum Saturday as fighting subsided.
The lightly armed and poorly trained volunteers have been unable to rout Gadhafi’s better armed and more disciplined forces. The rebels had offered conditions for a ceasefire Friday, which the Gadhafi regime subsequently rejected.
Defectors from the Libyan army are trying to reorganize the ragtag rebel movement to make them more effective in their struggle to overthrow Gadhafi.
Collateral damage
Lack of discipline in the opposition's ranks may have led to a NATO airstrike that mistakenly killed four civilians and nine rebels in Brega on Friday.
Issa Khamis, a liaison officer for the rebels' transitional government, said those killed in the airstrike were part of a convoy of up to six vehicles.
Khamis said the airstrike apparently came as rebels shot tracer fire into the air to celebrate the entry of an advance column into Brega, confusing NATO pilots circling overhead.
The fighting has taken a toll on cities in eastern Libya"It was a mistake by the rebels," Khamis said. "The aircraft thought they were coming under attack and fired on the convoy."Earlier, a civilian rebel official reported that the non-combatants killed were an ambulance driver and three medical students from Benghazi.
NATO investigating
Meanwhile, NATO - which runs the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone imposed over Libya - has voiced concern over the reports and stated that it is investigating.
Shortly after the no-fly zone was imposed on March 19, the Arab League expressed concern that the coalition airstrikes were reaching beyond the UN mandate and could jeopardize civilian lives. This raised concern that international support for the operation could crumble should collateral damage result from the aerial raids.
While rebel spokesman Mustafa Gheriani expressed regret over the deaths, he said the opposition leadership still supported the airstrikes.
Collateral damage could undermine international support"You have to look at it in the big picture," he said. "We are trying to get rid of Gadhafi and there will be casualties, although of course it does not make us happy."Protests in Rome
As the air campaign continues with neither side able to decisively gain the upper hand, hundreds of pacifists gathered at Piazza Navona in Rome Saturday to protest the UN-sanctioned, Western-led military intervention.
Italy - along with the US, Britain and France - is one of the largest contributors to the air campaign.
Rome's decision to participate was a major change of course after having cooperated with Gadhafi for years to secure a stable energy supply and stem immigration.
Coalition warplanes take off from airbases in Italy, which is serving as a logistical hub for the operation.
The protesters quoted Nelson Mandela, Bertolt Brecht and Albert Einstein, declaring that there is no such thing as a humane war.
Author: Spencer Kimball, Richard Connor (dpa, Reuters, AFP)
Editor: Martin Kuebler
Editor: Martin Kuebler
Share this article
No comments:
Post a Comment