Qadafi may have fled to Venezuela (unconfirmed but credible British sources)

[visionary]

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE72O15920110325?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

RABAT, March 25 (Reuters) - Aid organisations are able to deliver some supplies to the Libyan city of Misrata but are concerned because there are still government snipers in the city centre, officials and rebels said on Friday.

"There is a fairly regular supply going into Misrata," Simon Brooks, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross operations in eastern Libya, told Reuters by satellite phone. "But we are deeply concernd about the reports we are receiving about fighting in the city."

"It is still difficult to get out of Misrata. The snipers are still hiding in buildings on Tripoli Street," Sami said. "It is the main thoroughfare that takes you to the city centre."

Mustafa Gheriani, a rebel spokesman in Benghazi, said the Misrata port area was recaptured by the rebels but blockaded by Gaddafi naval forces on Thursday. He believed the naval forces had now pulled back and the rebels were trying to organise aid shipments by sea.

"Our main concern is Misrata and Zintan. They are under siege from many troops. They are starting to run short of basic needs," the spokesman said.

I think this is from before the shelling and such that went on today, maybe.

Looking at the time's mentioned in the article and the date of when it was published.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/25/libya-live-blog-uae-to-support-enforce-no-fly-zone/

[4:18 p.m. ET Friday, 10:18 p.m. Friday in Libya] NATO has agreed in principle to protect Libyan civilians and will work out details this weekend, said Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command.

Ham, who is overseeing U.S. military involvement in the Libyan mission, said the biggest challenge in going after Moammar Gadhafi's troops and snipers is when they are in close proximity to civilians.

He also said that removing Gadhafi by military means is not the aim of the mission.

ixwx_B38678

[visionary]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/24/rabasa.bosnia.libya/index.html

Arm the Libyan rebels to fight Gadhafi

By Angel M. Rabasa, Special to CNN

March 24, 2011 -- Updated 1116 GMT (1916 HKT)

(CNN) -- The no-fly zone and air strikes on military targets of the Gadhafi regime bear close parallels to events in Bosnia in autumn, 1995, when NATO air strikes and the threat of further attacks halted the Bosnian Serb military onslaught against Bosnian Muslim targets.

If effective, the international action might prevent the Gadhafi forces from crushing the rebellion in Libya, but it will not end the conflict.

The Gadhafi regime retains overwhelming military superiority over the Benghazi-based Interim National Council. Unless the military imbalance is redressed, Gadhafi will retain the ability to threaten or renew his attacks on his opposition. As long as this situation persists, international military involvement in Libya -- to enforce the no-fly zone and prevent ground attacks by Gadhafi's forces -- will likely have to continue.

What the United States did in Bosnia might hold the key for an effective response to the crisis in Libya. In Bosnia, the United States sought to redress the military balance, which since the onset of the war in 1992 had heavily favored the Bosnian Serb army.

To restore balance and create conditions for lasting peace in Bosnia, it was necessary to establish a capable Bosnian Federation army. A "train and equip" program was implemented by a small interagency group based in the State Department.

Despite the Europeans' skepticism and dislike for the program, it succeeded. The program raised donations of several hundred million dollars from Muslim countries, supervised the purchase of military equipment for the armed forces of the Federation and arranged for a U.S. contractor to train Federation troops. The program also helped promote other U.S. objectives in Bosnia by diminishing Iranian influence and ensuring the departure of the foreign fighters.

---------- Post added March-25th-2011 at 11:24 PM ----------

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

3:45am A military site in Tripoli's eastern Tajura suburb was in flames early on Saturday morning after three major explosions rocked the district, a witness told AFP

http://twitter.com/ChangeInLibya

BREAKING:

video of captured tanks, APCs and ROCKET LAUNCHERS in Zintan after G forces fled. #libya #feb17 30 minutes ago via web

@acarvin From what I heard Andy, the city and the "scout forest" have been liberated, but Gaddafi troops are near the weapons stores 18 minutes ago via web in reply to acarvin

@acarvin These stores are between Zintan, Kikla and other western mountain cities.. Gaddafi only has this small area 18 minutes ago via web in reply to acarvin

UPDATE

12:13 am est

Looking at the damage in the city.

DCaqcMfgC2s

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

6:57am AFP - The United States and it's allies are considering supplying weapons to the Libyan oppostion, the Washngton Post newspaper has reported.

It added, citing unnamed US and European officials, that the Obama administration believed the UN resolution that authorised international intervention in Libya has the "flexibility" to allow such assistance.

According to the newspaper, Gene Cretz, the recently withdrawn US ambassador to Libya, said administration officials were having "the full gamut" of discussions on "potential assistance we might offer, both on the non-lethal and the lethal side".

But no decisions had been made, the paper noted.

[mikered30]

Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8407047/Libyan-rebel-commander-admits-his-fighters-have-al-Qaeda-links.html

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

10:25am Libyan opposition rebels take the key eastern town of Ajdabiya from government control, Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from the city. Bays said:

“There is no doubt about it, you can probably hear some of the celebrations behind me, Ajdabiya is in opposition hands.”

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 09:51 AM ----------

http://twitter.com/Reuters

FLASH: Pro-Gaddafi forces continuing attacks on civilians in Libya's rebel-held Misrata -- resident tells Reuters about 2 hours ago via web

FLASH: Pro-Gaddafi forces control eastern and western entrances to Misrata, snipers on rooftops in city centre – resident about 2 hours ago via web

FLASH: Western coalition aircraft in skies over Libya's rebel-held city of Misrata - rebel spokesman 20 minutes ago via web

FLASH: Western air strikes hit positions of pro-Gaddafi forces in outskirts of Misrata, including ammunition dump - rebel spokesman 20 minutes ago via web

http://www.channel4.com/news/libyan-rebels-take-back-ajdabiyah

Rebel fighters in Libya danced on tanks, waved flags and fired in the air near buildings riddled with bullet holes. Half a dozen wrecked tanks lay near the eastern entrance to the town and the ground was strewn with empty shell casings.

There were signs of heavy fighting at Ajdabiyah's western gate. The decomposing bodies of more than a dozen Gaddafi fighters were strewn over the ground. An abandoned truckload of ammunition suggested Gaddafi forces had beaten a hasty retreat.

"All of Ajdabiyah is free and all the way to Brega is free," said Faraj Joeli, a 20-year-old computer science student turned rebel fighter.

A weeping Libyan woman has made a desperate plea for help slipping into a Tripoli hotel full of foreign journalists to show bruises and scars she said had been inflicted on her by Muammar Gaddafi's militiamen.

As reporters, including Channel 4 News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Miller, gathered to hear her story, security guards grabbed the woman, bundled her into a car and drove her away following a brawl.

Jonathan Miller said: "I personally saw a waiter and a waitress raise a knife to try to stop this woman talking.

"They accussed her of being a traitor and betraying the Gaddafi regime."

The woman, Eman al-Obaidi, said she was arrested at a checkpoint in Tripoli because she is from the city of Benghazi, the bastion of a rebel insurgency against Gaddafi's rule.

"They swore at me and they filmed me. I was alone. There was whiskey. I was tied up," she said, weeping and stretching out her arms to show scars.

Her face was heavily bruised and her upper right thigh had blood on it. "They peed on me. They violated my honour," said Obaid.

Monsters.

Sky News video of the woman who was allegedly raped being dragged away by Gaddafi men, as reporters try to stop them. http://bit.ly/fSQN48 10 minutes ago via TweetDeck

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid601325122001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAEabvr4~,Wtd2HT-p_Vh4qBcIZDrvZlvNCU8nxccG&bctid=857700396001

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 10:14 AM ----------

#0913: The BBC's Ben Brown at the eastern gate of Ajdabiya says he has seen 20 government tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces that have been either destroyed or abandoned.

#1009: Ajdabiya resident interviewed by the BBC thanks President Sarkozy of France and UK PM David Cameron for their support, after the apparent fall of the town to anti-Gaddafi forces following further Western air strikes.

#1049: After the fall of Ajdabiya to anti-Gaddafi forces, government troops were retreating south-west toward Brega, the rebels tells Reuters.

#1017: Libyan TV quotes a military source as saying civilian and military sites in Tarhunah, south-east of Tripoli, were "bombed by the colonialist crusader aggressor a few moments ago".

#1142: Libyan TV says "crusader colonial coalition forces" committed a "massacre against civilians to provide air cover for armed gangs" in Ajdabiya - a strategic town captured by rebels after Western air strikes on Saturday.

#1145: State TV reports that a "large number of innocent civilians", including women, were targeted by coalition forces in the central Libyan town of Sabha. The TV showed people in hospital.

#1207: Ajdabiya residents have claimed they were brutalised by Gaddafi forces. Ibrahim Saleh, 34, told AFP news agency: "The tanks were firing on the houses non-stop. I couldn't move from my house for days. There was no water or fuel or communications, and when people went out even to get fuel they were fired on."

#1341: Libyan state TV has an original take on the march in London against government spending cuts. A screen caption reads: "Tens of thousands of British citizens out in mass protests now in front of the British House of Commons condemning the colonialist, crusader aggression against the Libyan Great Jamahiriyah."

More about that woman in the hotel. Nic Robertson said that she claimed she was held down and raped by fifteen of Gaddafi's men earlier. Also he said that the people who came in there to take her away smashed a bunch of cameras and beat and kicked journalists, even kicking one of them who had fallen to the ground. At least one of the attackers was supposed to be their government appointed tour guide. And this particular one brandished a pistol and threatened the journalists as well.

[visionary]

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

#1439: During their entry into Ajdabiya, the rebels got their hands on a dozen boxes of much-needed anti-aircraft ammunition, as well as hauling away a captured rocket launcher, AP reports.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

3:00pm In the past hour allied war planes have hit Gaddafi targets in the opposition-held town of Misurata. Pro-democracy fighters now say they have moved past Brega further to the west. And that they are heading towards Ras Lanuf - another oil-rich town.

Al Jazeera's James Bays says celebrations by the rebels in Ajdabiya, where he is reporting from, are continuing after the town was retaken by the rebels. Gunfire could he heard from background as he spokes and referred to it as "fresh celebrations".

But he added that it is unclear whether the rebels' victory was planned.

The opposition fighters have come along the main road, hit the roadblock of Gaddafi's forces and that was a stalemate ... It was only when those airstrikes [of coalition forces] took place that the situation changed.

It [town] was recaptured because of what came from the skies. It was here- at the west gate in Ajdabiya - that Gaddafi forces made their last stand ... There was bombardment from international jets; international coalition ... People here are celebrating. The people are firing in celebration rather than anger. Most people had fled Ajdabiya during the fighting, but some had hidden in their homes but now they [are] joining the celebrations.

[visionary]

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

#1609: Libyan rebels claim to have taken Brega - AFP.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

3:53pm Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, where the National Council for the rebels held a press conference, says a senior Libyan army officer has been captured. She says the rebels believe Gaddafi forces are on the back foot and the captured general will be brought to Benghazi.

We're hearing reports that the number three in Gaddafi's army, Bilgasim Al-Ganga, has been captured overnight in fighting in Ajdabiya. He has a fierce reputation among the opposition who accuse him of committing many atrocities under the Gaddafi regime.

There is muted optimism. It really does feel the momentum of the Gaddafi forces has been stopped. They are not outwardly celebrating but they are definitely optimistic.

Massive attack by Gaddafi forces going on in Misrata right now!

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

#1628: A Misrata resident who's been in touch with the BBC reports: "Strong and random bombing targeting the residential areas... Gaddafi's troops are trying to enter the city by any cost and they're commencing a brutal and fierce attack from two directions."

#1630: Reuters also reporting that pro-Gaddafi forces are shelling the port and surrounding area in Misrata, citing rebels.

#1635: Pro-Gaddafi tanks advancing eastwards towards Misrata, Reuters reports.

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 12:54 PM ----------

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

#1645: This from Reuters' regular source in Misrata: "From the east, they are shelling with mortars and artillery the port and areas around it. There is the main fuel tank in the port which feeds the central part of the city and [there are] also thousands of workers, mainly Egyptians, who fled and stayed at the port hoping for rescue."

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 01:02 PM ----------

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

4:16pm Rebels tell the AFP news agency they have retaken the eastern town of Brega, and a journalist confirms their forces are in the town centre. "We are in the centre of Brega," rebel fighter Abdelsalam al-Maadani told AFP by telephone.

"Gaddafi's forces are on the retreat and should now be at Al-Bisher (30km, 20 miles) west of Brega," he said.

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

#1659: A resident in Misrata tells the BBC: "I just got back from the city centre... many buildings are totally destroyed and aircraft are flying now over misrata. We can hear the sound of the air forces... the situation is very very critical." A reminder that we can't independently verify these reports.

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 01:19 PM ----------

This appears to be from the Swiss journalist that was reported to be in Zintan a few days ago.

He seems to have just set up a twitter account, as these are I think his only two posts so far.

http://twitter.com/gaetanvannay

No tweet from Zintan-Libya, pbe of connexion & security. Out of there. Zintan no more surrounded, but lack of basic: food, medical... about 2 hours ago via Echofon

Zintan still waiting for coalition strike on the northern front: more than 30 tanks and roquettes-launchers down the mountains about 1 hour ago via Echofon

There was some talk last night that Gaddafi forces had pulled away from the town of Zintan a day or so ago and were gathered around a weapons storage facility in the mountains nearby.

(between some of the mountain towns)

[visionary]

No idea the accuracy of these two reports, but it is clear that things have been getting very bad in Misrata last night and today.

http://twitter.com/dovenews

BREAKING!!! 10s of Gaddafi's snipers are entering Misrata in buses via the western entrance. #libya #savelibya #freelibya #feb17 7 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/LibyaInMe

7 buses have entered Misurata from Qazeer direction, and a witness says there are hundreds of mercenaries in them #libya #feb17 10 minutes ago via web

A caller from Misrata on Al Jazeera is saying that the city is under massive attack from snipers, mortars, and tanks and people can barely leave their homes for fear of being blasted to pieces in the streets, but even the homes themselves are being bombarded by heavy artillery.

He said the airstrikes have helped destroy the supply lines of Gaddafi forces but have not been able to stop tanks and troops from flooding into the city, spreading out, and killing civilians indiscriminately.

From reports I'm seeing, it seems that tanks are attacking and entering from the east (Sirt?) and snipers and mercenaries are coming in from the west (Tripoli?). That is, if the mercenary/sniper busing reports are true.

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/hamzamu

#libya #misrata Gaddafi rockets targeted refuges camp 4 times today with GRAD 8 minutes ago via TweetDeck

#Libya #Misrata : There is heavy battle going now on Gezer District since this afternoon 1 minute ago via TweetDeck

#Libya : CALL for a SHIP to AID #Misrata , They r saying Gaddafi sea hunters units still around Misrata harbor why they UN didn't take it down yet ?

#Libya #Misrata "There is many killed , many injured , but i can't give you any numbers " My friend in Misrata !! less than a minute ago via TweetDeck

http://twitter.com/ChangeInLibya

Callers from Misurata on #CNNLive confirm civilian buses carried Gaddafi troops into the city this morning. #libya #feb17 #gaddaficrimes 8 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/feb17voices

LPC #Misrata: " Its not safe in your home, its not safe in the street here.You just don't know." [Due to continued #Gaddafi shelling} #Libya 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck

http://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak

Reuters: Rebels say shelling by pro-Gaddafi forces in Misratah stopped when Western coalition aircraft appeared overhead 6 minutes ago via SkyNews Alerts - Breaking

http://twitter.com/arwaCNN

jubliation in #ajdabiya, ppl thank coalition 4 airstrikes that allowed them 2 force #gadhafi forces out #libya 4 minutes ago via web

residents trickling back 2 survey damage 2 homes & city, one says despite it all 4 first time in his life he feels free #ajdabiya #libya 2 minutes ago via web

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 03:32 PM ----------

http://twitter.com/ChangeInLibya

AJA CALLER FROM MISRATA: Ships CAN GET to our port now thanks to coalition protection, PLEASE SEND US AID WE NEED IT #libya #feb17 2 minutes ago via web

AJA CALLER FROM MISRATA: It's very important that food & medicine is sent to us by sea we need it. Route is safe now. #libya #feb17 #malta 1 minute ago via web

@NexusIndivulsus The port area is protected thanks to the naval blockade, apparently there are ships there guarding the seashore less than 5 seconds ago via web in reply to NexusIndivulsus

Confusing, as I thought Gaddafi ships had come back and were blocking any aid again.

http://twitter.com/Liberty4Libya

#Misurata caller 2 #AJA says path 2 port open & under protection of #UN allied Navy forces. All aid can arrive via city port now #Libya RT 9 minutes ago via web

Reports r coming through that Free Libya Army is moving towards #RasLanuf city #Libya #NEWS AGENCIES 4 minutes ago via web

I hope they don't move too fast and over extend themselves or get spread too thin.

They need to worry about supplies and stuff too.

[FrFan]

I think President Obama is right, we must arm the rebels, the sooner this war will end the better. We must help them more, so they can put Kadhafi down asap and stop the "slaughter".

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26

9:45pm Libyan rebels say they have seized control of the oil port of Brega, but there is no independent confirmation. Brega, site of an oil export terminal and refinery, sprawls over a large area and overall control can be hard to determine.

"Brega is 100 percent in the hands of the liberating forces," Shamsiddin Abdulmolah, a rebel spokesman in Benghazi, said.He said forces opposed to leader Muammar Gaddafi had been driven out late on Saturday afternoon in what would have been a signficant success for the rebels.

There were no journalists in the town and no immediate independent confirmation of the rebel breakthrough.

http://www.libyafeb17.com/

22:49 Reuters French warplanes destroyed five Libyan military planes and two helicopters at Misrata air base on Saturday, a French armed forces spokesman said.

CONFIRMED from Misratah: Coalition jets bomb Gaddafi tanks and artillery in Timeenah area (South Misratah) #libya http://www.libyafeb17.com 3 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/Cyrenaican

So, if you haven't already heard, both Ajdabiya and Brega are no longer under #Gaddafi's rule #Libya #Feb17 about 1 hour ago via web

Was in Ajdabiya all day today went from the Eastern to Western checkpoint...alhamdulillah, today was big, lets hope its what we think #Libya about 1 hour ago via web

I went into 2nd building, where they were living...massive piles of army uniforms in absolutely every room, also in the yard, near weapons about 1 hour ago via web

The #Gaddafi forces, after they had been bombed, took off army uniform, wore civilian clothing, tried to run into the city, towards the sea 30 minutes ago via web

This was told to me first by the shabaab who were involved in the fight, later I saw the clothing on my own. 29 minutes ago via web

Houses used by #Gaddafi troops were entirely trashed, books ripped, furniture broken... human feces all over floors, despite working toilets 20 minutes ago via web

7 October street near Western checkpoint almst completly destroyed, apartment buildings shelled, seems like they were targeted #Libya #Feb17 14 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/ChangeInLibya

Just 2 clarify: The story AJA repeat about an aid ship being denied entry to Libya is old (4+ days) -coalition WILL PROTECT SHIPS NOW #libya 9 minutes ago via web

[FrFan]

French warplanes destroyed an artillery battery with a laser guided bomb, the battery that was firing on the city of Ajdabiya. Other destroyed targets: ammunition depots, maintenance facilities, and the historical command centre of the Libyan regime.

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/LibyaFeb17_com

DIRECT from Misratah: Gunfire between snipers and revos from Quweiri Store till end of Tripoli Street right now #libya http://libyafeb17.com about 1 hour ago via web

DIRECT from Misratah: Gaddafi's forces have stopped firing after explosions heard across city. Fighter jets flying overhead right now #Libya about 1 hour ago via web

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/africa/the-women-fighting-organising-feeding-and-healing-libya-s-revolution

The women fighting, organising, feeding and healing Libya’s revolution

Sarah Birke

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2011

In a bare, shabby side room in Benghazi's central courthouse, the hub of pro-democracy Libyan operations, Salwa Bugaighis talks animatedly, hardly flinching as gunshots ring out from the raucous crowds outside.

The 44-year-old lawyer, an elegant woman dressed in black trousers and jacket, her eyes neatly lined with kohl, was on the steps of the courthouse at the first protest on February 15, when a group of legal professionals and academics gathered to protest the arrest of a colleague and to call for legal reforms, including a constitution. She has barely left the building since. By February 17 the government's vicious reaction had led to calls for regime change, and just three days later rebels claimed control of the city, Libya's second largest after the capital Tripoli.

"There is so much to do," Bugaighis says as she strides down the corridor lined with graffiti, her jacket flying out behind her. "We had no idea we would get rid of Qaddafi in just a few days and we were left with nothing, no institutions at all. We had to quickly work out how to organise everything for ourselves."

For her, that means an amorphous job running logistical operations and acting as a liaison between the street and the National Transitional Council, the interim governing body led by Qaddafi's former justice minister, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, that heads a number of city councils around the east. This morning she has been talking to young people on the street, relaying their messages to the council's members.

Later, she will meet with the military committee to discuss how to prepare Benghazi against an attack - government forces were then quickly heading east, though the new UN-imposed no-fly zone has lessened the threat - while fielding calls about arriving food shipments.

Bugaighis, a mother of three, is just one of a group of women who have been at the vanguard of Benghazi's uprising. Away from the front lines where the east's men are battling to hold off pro-Qaddafi forces, women work side-by-side with men to keep the rebels fighting, society and the economy functioning and the uprising visible.

Day jobs have been shed, replaced by a spirit of volunteerism that has led to ad hoc committees and fledgling democratic institutions. Some, like Bugaighis, are members of the organisational institutions centred in the courthouse. She is joined by her sister Iman Bugaighis, a professor-turned-spokeswoman for the rebels, and by Salwa el Deghali, the women's representative on the council. But, as was the case in Egypt and Tunisia, women were involved in the protests from the start, and Libyan women across all classes and levels of education are now playing a role from providing food to keeping up numbers in the streets, regardless of the outcome of the rebellion.

Like many Libyan women, attorney Salwa Bugaighis has taken on many roles since the uprising began. Ivor Prickett for The National

Journalist Suzanne Himmi began writing the stories she heard on the first days of the protests, hoping to give the people a voice. She now writes daily for the new Libya newspaper. Ivor Prickett for The National

Female students and teachers from Garyounis University march through the streets of Benghazi in protest of the Qadaffi regime. Ivor Prickett for The National

Dr Jasmine Sherif treats a man who was injured fighting in the streets of Benghazi. Ivor Prickett for The National

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 07:18 PM ----------

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

1:01am Western air strikes have targeted military and civilian areas in the town of Sabha, Libyan state television reported on Saturday, quoting a military source. It gave no further details. Sabha lies south of the capital Tripoli, in central Libya.

1:15am Local residents fight to put out a fire, the cause not yet established, that broke out in a building in Ajdabiya, Eastern Libya yesterday via EPA

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 07:59 PM ----------

http://twitter.com/ChangeInLibya

Benghazi Free Radio is sending messages to people in Sirte asking them to welcome the revolutionaries and abandon Gaddafi #libya #feb17 19 minutes ago via web

Reports that Gaddafi tanks and soldiers retreating to Sirte from Ras Lanouf were bombarded by coalition jets tonight #libya #feb17 1 minute ago via web

---------- Post added March-26th-2011 at 9:03 PM ----------

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

2:17am Coalition forces were carrying out intensive air strikes on pro-Gaddafi forces on the 400 km long road between Ajdabiya and Sirte, in the east, a government spokesman said Saturday.

What government? The Libyan government?

[FrFan]

There is no libyan government, you're right, I guess they are refering to the National Transitional Council which was established on March 23rd.

The former envoy to international affairs and new Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has appointed former foreign minister Ali Al-Jamahiriya Isawi as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and assigned the portfolio of Defense to the commander in chief of the rebels Khalifa Hafter.

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

9:40am Libyan rebels are advancing westwards, and claim to have taken complete control of the eastern oil port town of Brega. "Reports from rebels say that in Brega, the anti-government forces have now taken control of that entire town," Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reported from Benghazi on Sunday.

Obviously this is old news by now, but I'm starting here this morning.

10:38am Libyan rebel fighters have pushed west to Uqayla after they routed Muammar Gaddafi's forces from the strategic town of Ajdabiya, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents reported.

11:40am Rebels fighting forces loyal to Gaddafi were in control of the key eastern oil town of Ras Lanuf on Sunday, AFP correspondents reported.

Since retaking Ajdabiya on Saturday, opposition rebels now also claim control of Brega and Uqayla.

12:01pm Al Jazeera's James Bays reported from Uqayla, where opposition rebels had taken control. He said the recent advances made by anti-Gaddafi fighters could prove problematic for western coalition forces.

The coalition forces can say everything they are doing is aimed at protecting civilians. But now it's not Gaddafi forces who are advancing, it's opposition forces advancing. The next big place on the map after Ras Lanuf is Sirte. Now that is a big city, it's Gaddafi's stronghold. If opposition fighters start advancing on that, how can you say it's Gaddafi's forces who are threatening civilians? Gaddafi's forces will be the ones holding the ground, and those that are advancing would be the opposition fighters. [it will be] much harder I think for the coalition then to act in favour of the opposition in the terms of that UN resolution.

That's why there is much talk among the opposition once again of using peaceful means to convince those in Sirt to join the revolution.

http://twitter.com/LibyaFeb17_com

Fighters from Ras Lanuf say front line is now west of the town - #libya #feb17 - http://t.co/tki5brG 30 minutes ago via Tweet Button

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

#1042: An AFP correspondent in Ras Lanuf says the town is entirely in rebel hands. "They are manning checkpoints in and out of the city and are pursuing Gaddafi forces west."

This is old but explains more about what happened yesterday:

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

#0802: Overnight, French fighter aircraft destroyed five Libyan air force jets and two helicopters. The aircraft were on the ground at a base in Misrata, said a French military spokesman, and had been preparing to launch attacks on the besieged city.

Now for some more recent and worrisome news about Misrata:

#0815: A doctor in Misrata told the BBC overnight the city had suffered one of the strongest attacks since the start of the conflict. "Gaddafi troops are using new tactics to avoid being hit, they are using civilians and buildings as shields to hide their tanks. The troops are using civilian vehicles instead of tanks, using live machine guns instead of artillery. Once we hear the sounds of aircraft they stop attacking, because they are hiding. But once the planes go they start bombing again."

#0844: The UK's Defence Secretary Liam Fox tells the BBC's Andrew Marr: "We're not arming the rebels and we're not planning to arm rebels". He says the coalition has intervened "on the sides of the civilians so that hopefully they can sleep in their beds at night without wondering whether the regime is going to murder them".

#1020: An AFP reporter has visited a hospital in Benghazi where he found injured regime soldiers being treated by the rebels. The soldiers said they felt they had been lied to by Col Gaddafi. "I was loyal, now I'm not, after finding out the truth about the fighting," said one. "In Benghazi I found young people making a revolution to escape from the darkness they were living in."

#1024: Another of the wounded soldiers told AFP he too wanted to switch sides. "Why not? Gaddafi is just one person. But the country is important."

Wow! Personally I think they might want to gather everyone together and set up some supply lines and medical stations before heading towards Sirt.

http://twitter.com/LibyaFeb17_com

BREAKING: Revolutionaries are in control of Bin Jawad 50km west of Ras Lanouf once again! - #Libya - http://bit.ly/fWY5L5 11 minutes ago via web

I don't know if this can be confirmed yet though.

Also there probably isn't a whole lot of town there to take over, lol.

Not sure if this is true either, there was no mention of Gaddafi forces in Ras Lanuf before and other reports said there were no pro-Gaddafi fighters there.

UPDATE: Revolutionaries have captured 40 mercenaries in Ras Lanouf - #Libya - http://bit.ly/fWY5L5 17 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng

Libyan rebels retake hamlet of Bin Jawad #Libya about 1 hour ago via web

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 08:11 AM ----------

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

#1144: A resident of Misrata has told the BBC a huge ammunition depot was hit last night. "It kept blowing up all night because of the ammunitions inside, it was quite spectacular. We are relieved that it has been destroyed."

#1146: He said there was no let-up in the violence in the town. "At 8am Gaddafi's forces started shelling Misrata again and the snipers are still here, wreaking havoc and terrorising people in the street. I want the international community to know there is no ceasefire in Misrata.

I also want to express our deep gratitude to the international community for their efforts. They are life savers - they really have saved thousand of lives."

Al Jazeera English is reporting on television that the opposition forces have now passed Bin Jawad and are heading west and the reporter himself has passed through it as well.

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 08:16 AM ----------

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

#1208: The BBC's Ben Brown in eastern Libya says the rebels are in a state of high excitement as they move westwards, firing their guns into the air and performing wheel spins as they drive off.

#1155: A rebel commander told the BBC's Ben Brown the government forces are "running for their lives".

I'm getting a little worried about their overconfidence here.

They shouldn't do anything too rash.

I would expect an ambush or at least a massive attack as soon as they get to or near Sirt.

And they really need to stop wasting their ammo!

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

1:30pm Al Jazeera correspondent James Bays reports from Ras Lanuf, which has just fallen into rebel hands.

It is pretty clear to me, and I am at the main refinery in Ras Lanuf, that here it is the opposition who are in control. No signs of Gaddafi's forces here, what they left behind is here, some of their weaponry is here, some of their armourments are here, but they have not left their tanks behind or any of their heavy armour, just some of the ammunition has been left behind, suggesting it was a pretty speedy retreat.

1:40pm Al Jazeera's James Bays reported from Ras Lanuf, saying that the rebel fighters did not encounter much opposition on the road towards the key oil town:

We have traveled along the road all the way in the last few hours, down from Benghazi and the scene is pretty similar all the way along the road.

It is an open road through the desert and there is no sign of any Gaddafi forces apart from at one point in about the last 20 kilometres where there was a group of opposition fighters on the side of the road and they said they had come under fire.

They believe that somewhere in the desert there was one of Gaddafi's solidiers who had fled his position when the opposition advanced along the road. and he was taking pot shots at them, as they advanced down the road and tried to chase him.

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

#1246: Libyan rebels have retaken control of the town of Bin Jawad, 525km (330 miles) east of Tripoli, the Reuters news agency reports. A correspondent says he saw more than two dozen rebel pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns in the town centre. Fighters were shooting in the air in celebration. The rebels said they planned to push on towards Col Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte to the west.

#1252: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells CBC that there are "a lot of diplomats and military leaders in Libya who are flipping, changing sides, defecting". Defence Secretary Robert Gates adds: "Don't underestimate the potential for elements of the regime themselves to crack."

James Bays on Al Jazeera English television says that opposition forces tell him that they have taken some small towns to the west of Bin Jawad and have scouts out even farther towards Sirt. He says that the fighters are reluctant to get too close to Sirt at the moment. Apparently there are Gaddafi troops 60k to the west of Bin Jawad and a major valley road on the way to Sirt is full of mines.

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 09:19 AM ----------

Another reporter for Al Jazeera is in Ras Lanuf and she said that there is a lot of ammo and some rocket launchers and other things left behind in the town.

Also there is yellow writing on the wall of a house or shack saying: 'watch out for land mines'.

There is apparently a piles of unused mines on the other side of the shack and it is believed that while there are no mines planted nearby that the Gaddafi forces have used some farther to the west.

[twa]

Gonna be interesting to see if air strikes to 'protect the civilians' continue as the rebel forces advance

These kinetic military efforts are interesting as they evolve.

add

Yet even after a week of air strikes, Pentagon officials say forces loyal to Gadhafi are a potent threat to civilians. Defense officials are looking at plans to expand the firepower and airborne surveillance systems in the military campaign, including using the Air Force's AC-130 gunship armed with cannons that shoot from the side doors, as well as helicopters and drones. Gates said the U.S. could supply rebels with arms, but the administration hadn't made a decision.

Talk of any escalation will surely raise concerns. With the United States already trying to exit long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration has gone to great efforts to define the Libya operations as limited in scope and duration - and necessary to prevent Gadhafi from possibly massacring civilians while his forces were reaching the rebel stronghold of Benghazi

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110327/D9M7JGB00.html

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/NicRobertsonCNN

Libyan govt offcls continue to smear #EmanAlObeidi. Total character assassination. Govt spksmn told some journos she’s a "prostitute." 3 minutes ago via web

Libyan offcls say maybe a few female jounrlsts can visit #EmanAlObeidi but no one believes him. SEEING will be believing. 2 minutes ago via web

On Tripoli streets, long lines for gas, stores closed. #EmanAlObeidi is talk of the city. less than a minute ago via web

Libyan govt officials seem shocked at rebel advance. Army losses NOT shown on state TV 1 minute ago via web

Now that's interesting.

Although, could it be an act?

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

2:51pm There are reports Libyan rebels have taken back control of the town of Bin Jawad, about 525km east of Tripoli, as they push forward towards Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte on Sunday, according to Reuters.

The latest advance puts pro-democracy fighters firmly in control of all oil terminals in eastern Libya - Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega, Zueitina, Ajdabiya and Tobruk.

I''m not sure how firmly they control all those places, to the extent that it would help them reap rewards from oil control in all of them.

There are reports that Al Jazeera Arabic is reporting from Misrata now and showing the devastation that has occurred there.

http://twitter.com/abdu

AJ correspondent Nasser Al Badri is the first journalist to reach Misrata. He's reporting from Misrata hospital #Libya 13 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad

AJ shows for the 1st time the extent of Gaddafi's brutality in Misrata. Hundreds killed in a month of siege, entire families wiped out. 8 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad

http://twitter.com/Benghazidoc

AJA: correspondent reporting from hospital in #Misrata. He got in by sea on aid ship. 12 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad

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

#1404: Libyan and Arab sources have meanwhile told al-Sharq al-Awsat that Col Muammar Gaddafi is seeking to convince Western powers to accept a plan which would see him cede powers to his son, Saif al-Islam, for a transitional period of two to three years in return for a ceasefire.

A Libyan official the pan-Arab newspaper that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had discussed the proposal with US, British and Italian diplomats. He is said to have also wanted assurances that the Gaddafi family would not face prosecution.

#1406: When asked about Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's alleged offer to lead Libya during its transition towards democracy, a representative of the rebel Transitional National Council told al-Sharq al-Awsat: "This is a new political manoeuvre, and we will not participate in it in any way. If Gaddafi wants a solution, then he should relinquish authority immediately. Otherwise, let him wait for us as we are coming to him in his headquarters whether in Sirte or Tripoli."

#1413: Despite the rumoured ceasefire offer, Col Gaddafi's forces are again shelling the rebel-held western city of Misrata, a resident called Saadoun has told the Reuters news agency. "Misrata is under attack, the city and the port area where thousands of workers are. We don't know whether it's artillery or mortars," he added.

#1424: Oil fields in rebel-held eastern Libya are producing between 100,000 and 130,000 barrels of oil per day, a rebel official tells the AFP news agency. Oil exports should begin "in less than a week", the official adds.

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 11:17 AM ----------

Ok, so latest news from Al Jazeera English reporter James Bays is that he is now in the area of Nawfaliyah to the west of Bin Jawad.

A few hours ago Gaddafi troops had occupied a ridge behind them on the road back to the town of Nawfaliyah, but they have all left.

Some of them have surrendered and the others retreated.

Nawfaliyah is supposedly the last safe area along the road to Sirt. Somewhere beyond this area is the red valley and it and roads around it are suspected to be mined. Gaddafi forces are now believed to have mostly pulled back 130 km to the west of Nawfaliyah to Sirt or around it.

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/arwaCNN

opposition encounter no resistance, no sign of gadhafi mil. @ ras lanouf. just saw truck & car loaded with ammo & rockets heading 2 front 30 minutes ago via web

damage 2 ras lanouf appears not that extensive from outside, but inside seems some of the homes were set on or caught fire #libya 28 minutes ago via web

met young man in burnt home in ras lanouf trying 2 save family photos, was visibly emotional, eyes glistening w/tears #libya 24 minutes ago via web

just met young man from benghazi who drove to ras lanouf w/american flag 2 thank USA 4 intervention. #libya 7 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/AlanFisher

#NATO to limit #Libya ground strikes to protecting civilians 41 minutes ago via web

So...the difference from what they've been doing is?

Wow! On Al Jazeera they're showing quite a lot of ammunition left behind in Ras Lanuf.

Guess that will make up for what they fire in the air the next couple of days.

Also bunches of rockets too though.

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

#1604: Back to Libya now: forces loyal to Col Gaddafi are fighting with rebels in the centre of the western city of Misrata, a rebel tells the Reuters news agency. "All day long we heard clashes between rebels and Gaddafi forces in the area of Tripoli street, in the city centre," Sami says.

"We heard tanks, mortars and light weapons being used. This is still going on now." One person was killed by sniper fire on Saturday, he adds. "There are no casualties so far today but given there were heavy clashes today we could still have casualties.

The rebels want to press ahead with their assault and force Gaddafi's men out of the city all together. But we need more time because of the snipers positioned on rooftops."

#1607: A resident of Misrata also tells the BBC: "With such random explosions and blasts you're not safe at all, even in your home. And this is the tragedy: the situation is getting worse day after day. The people and civilians are pushed towards the sea. Almost 60% of the entire city is under the control of Gaddafi's troops and mercenaries. The people are trying to look for a safe place to shelter themselves from the tanks and snipers, even though there is no safe place."

#1611: The Misrata resident tells the BBC that Gaddafi loyalists are in control of the People's Hall in the city centre and that they have deployed snipers on the building's roof.

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 12:25 PM ----------

I'm seeing reports that opposition forces have reached Harawah now which is almost halfway from Nawfaliyah to Sirt. If so they're getting awfully close to the city.

I haven't really seen any independent confirmation of this though.

check the map, which will probably require zooming about four times

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/google_map_libya.htm

Also I noticed that Nawfaliyah (the town) is slightly off the coast a bit from the main road.

Oh another thing of note. Earlier on Al Jazeera English they showed opposition forces in cars at gas stations in Nawfaliyah, probably to get fuel and/or food.

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 12:40 PM ----------

They might not be at Harawa yet....

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

#1628: The rebels told AFP that they would halt their advance overnight at Nufilia because they had heard Col Gaddafi's troops were deployed about 50km (30 miles) down the road towards Sirte. They would wait for coalition air strikes to destroy any heavy weapons, they added.

Supposedly Coalition air strikes last night outside Sirt were some of the most extensive yet.

Not sure if they will be doing more there now though, or where the Gaddafi armor is exactly.

(we'll have to see if things change with NATO taking over everything now, although it isn't supposed to take effect for a couple of days or so.)

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 12:47 PM ----------

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

#1635: Libyan state television reports that the western city of Misrata is "now secure". "Counterterrorism units arrest the terrorist gangs which terrorised civilians in Misrata. The city is now secure and life is going back to normal," a caption says.

****! Hopefully just lies....

I mean, obviously things are not anywhere near normal there and probably won't be anytime soon.

Arresting people and being in control....

[visionary]

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

#1647: Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency says a convoy of 20 military vehicles, including truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns, have been seen leaving Col Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte and heading westwards towards the capital, Tripoli.

Dozens of civilian cars carrying families and loaded with people's belongings were also seen fleeing. Rebels have reportedly reached Nufilia, only 100km (60 miles) east of Sirte.

Hmmm.

Are they abandoning Sirt or trying to reinforce Tripoli?

Or a little of both?

(also check the last post if you missed last few updates)

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 01:24 PM ----------

On Al Jazeera Enlgish a man in Misrata is saying that tanks and artillery are shelling the city indiscriminately again. He says casualties are being helped into ambulances and some of them are in pieces.

He also says that Al Jazeera street has been completely evicted and around 3,000 people have been forced to leave their homes because of the destruction.

Also tons of refugees from all over the world are stuck in Misrata with no where to go and no way to leave.

LMAO!

The anchor on Al Jazeera just said that the guy he talked to was a member of the Opposition National Council, after the man had already corrected him and said he was only a member of the local council of Misrata.

[visionary]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-woman-offers-glimpse-into-workings-of-gaddafi-government/2011/03/26/AFNppLkB_story.html

Mother of Libyan woman in rape-claim case says she is ‘very proud’ of her daughter

Aisha Ahmed, contacted by telephone at her home in Tobruk, in the rebel held eastern part of the country, said she was proud of the courage displayed by her daughter, Iman al-Obaidi, whose dramatic outburst Saturday was broadcast around the world.

“I am very happy, very proud,” said Ahmed, describing her daughter as a 26-year-old law student in Tripoli.

A government official in Tripoli who said he had spoken with Obaidi called her a prostitute and said the rape took place when a party went wrong.

Hasan Modeer, a rebel activist who was with Obaidi's mother in Tobruk, said a government official had called Ahmed at 3 a.m. Sunday, asking her to convince her daughter to change her story.

“They said they will give her a new house and a lot of money and anything she wanted,” Modeer said, adding that Ahmed had relayed the message to her daughter by phone but that Obaidi had refused.

“She said, ‘I will die rather than change my words,’ ” Modeer said.

Journalists have been pressing Ibrahim to allow them to meet with Obaidi to verify her story. But, he said, her family has so far refused to allow her to do so.

Obaidi’s father, Atiq Saleh al-Obaidi, said no such request had been relayed.

“The only communication we’ve had was when they called us at 3 in the morning” offering money if she recanted, he said.

He also contradicted the government’s claim that his daughter was a divorced mother, saying she was single and has no children.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-27

9:57pm Boat loads of African migrants fleeing Libya arrived in Italy on Sunday, the first such landing to reach Europe since the start of the uprising against Gaddafi. About 800 mostly Eritreans, Ethiopeans and Somalis in three boats landed on the tiny island of Linosa, close to Lampedusa where thousands have been arriving from Tunisia, fleeing the uprising in that country.

Mussie Zerai, an Eritrean Catholic priest in Italy who has been in contact with many of the migrants via satellite phone, said hundreds of loves of refugees fleeing Libya have been saved. He added:

We know there are still many others trapped in Libya. We appeal to the solidarity of the European Union at this dramatic time... to welcome the Eritrean, Ethiopian and Somalian refugees.

http://twitter.com/ksnavarra

Foreign journalists driven to #Sirte travelled in a bus with no security or Press signs and taken into hostile crowd 20 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Foreign journalists driven to #Sirte unescorted and taken into hostile armed crowd . Later taken into safety #Libya 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Earlier I saw on CNN as I was leaving the restaurant that I was having lunch at that there were more huge explosions today in Tripoli (3 maybe) and some anti-aircraft fire afterward.

It seems that there have been a lot of strikes on Sirt lately as well and there are not many military bases left there.

http://twitter.com/Liberty4Libya

#Libya #Sirte reliable sources in the city indicated #Gadafi revolutionary guards & Militias departed city. #Source 40 minutes ago via web

#UN sources indicate #Gadafi looking 4 exit & his sons, some of his inner circle as soon as this #Tuesday.daughter #Aisha in #Algeria #Libya 37 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/feb17voices

LPC #Misrata: Airstrikes last night were extensive, and we are grateful for them. #libya 30 minutes ago via web

LPC #Misrata: [free] Libya is in a process of defining our friends..[coalition members]: our best friends now. #Libya 27 minutes ago via web

LPC #Misrata: caller says #Gaddafi forces used busses of 'goodwill marches'w/some civilian passengers, as cover for moving troops to city. 15 minutes ago via web

LPC #Misrata: caller says #MIsrata residents have observed individuals w/military backpacks descending from 'goodwill' busses. #Libya 4 minutes ago via web

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

[visionary]

Twitter has been full of quotes from Libyan State TV's continuous slander of Eman al-Obaidi the past two nights. It's quite amazing how State TV has gone about a campaign to turn her into an evil seductress whore whom they now seem to even be implying is a foreign spy.

In other news:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/27/libya.war/index.html?hpt=T1

While the opposition rolled westward, the city of Misrata -- located between the rebels' current position and Tripoli -- remained under siege by government forces for the 11th consecutive day, an eyewitness told CNN.

The city remained under shelling and pro-Gadhafi snipers remained on rooftops, he said. Pro-Gadhafi forces appeared to be shelling strategic places like the port and a main industrial area, he said. Busloads of soldiers have arrived in the city dressed as civilians, the witness said. The soldiers ostensibly came to participate in a peace march, but it appeared to be a ploy to set up positions around the city, he said.

"The snipers are firing into the main streets and into the back streets. There are also tanks," he said. According to him, 116 civilians have been killed in the last week.

A doctor in Misrata working at a hospital said eight civilians were killed and 22 injured in the violence Sunday. CNN could not immediately confirm his report independently.

French warplanes on Sunday led airstrikes on armored vehicles and on a large ammunitions depot in the regions of Misrata and Zintan, according to the French Ministry of Defense.

Perhaps the ammo dump was where most of the armor and troops who had retreated from attacking Zintan had reportedly been gathered.

Nic Robertson on CNN says there were six loud explosions around the same area a few hours ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/27/libya.nato/index.html?hpt=T1

NATO ambassadors unanimously approved a so-called "no-fly plus" plan that will put the alliance in charge of protecting civilians as well as enforcing a no-fly zone and an arms embargo.

"Our goal is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack from the Gadhafi regime," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. "NATO will implement all aspects of the U.N. resolution. Nothing more, nothing less."

The new NATO mandate will begin in two to three days, NATO officials said, allowing the current coalition, led by the United States, the United Kingdom and France, to stand down.

At the same time, NATO was putting the final touches on its takeover of the no-fly zone over Libya. The handover from the United States and allies should be complete by Monday. NATO officials described the transition as a phased and seamless operation.

All alliance members will have to abide by the rules of engagement approved Sunday, albeit with caveats that may allow some nations not to participate in operations in Libya. However, it is assumed that none of these nations will prevent other alliance members from executing the military plan and rules of engagement that were approved.

A senior U.S. administration official spoke to reporters soon after the announcement.

He stressed the NATO mission is to protect civilians and did not rule out the possibility of an attack on the rebels if they were to go on the offensive and strike cities with civilian populations, now held by pro-Gadhafi forces.

Interesting video of close up fighting by the opposition fighters on the front line back before they started losing ground a couple of weeks ago. Wow!

I recommend watching it.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=112782612136084&oid=199710906717279&comments

Also some footage of life in Tripoli

Yikes, I feel for anyone protesting against Gaddafi in Tripoli.

****...what an ending....

http://twitter.com/LibyaInMe

UAE delivered Food relief, smuggling it through Tunisia to #Zintan. #Libya

#feb17 8 minutes ago via web

8XkqK_5YWfE

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-28

4:00am Libyan rebels' geared for a further westward push toward Tripoli on Monday after their progress toward Sirte got a boost from Gaddafi's hometown being pounded by a coalition air raid.

NATO finally took full command of military operations in Libya from a US-led coalition Sunday, enabling the alliance to strike at Kadhafi forces should they threaten civilians.

Al Jazeera's Opposition fighters photo gallery:

http://english.aljazeera.net/photo_galleries/africa/201132717513117853.html#

CNN Libya photo gallery:

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2011/03/world/hires.libya/index.html?hpt=T1

A few pics from BBC: (you'd think there would be more)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12846935

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 11:11 PM ----------

WOW!

On Al Jazeera English's website now!

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/

Breaking News

Libyan rebels have seized Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, spokesman says. More soon...

---------- Post added March-27th-2011 at 11:17 PM ----------

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201132681812362552.html

Libyan rebels are claiming to have captured the town of Sirte, the home of embattled Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

The Reuters news agency on Monday quoted a rebel spokesman as saying that the town has fallen into the hands of anti-government fighters. The claim could not be independently verified

Not much info still. Waiting to see if some media can confirm this from Sirt....

Also having to force myself to calm down a bit.

[twa]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-prisoners-20110324,0,5238438.story

Libyan rebels appear to take leaf from Kadafi's playbook

The rebels of eastern Libya have found much to condemn about the police state tactics of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi: deep paranoia, mass detentions, secret prisons and tightly scripted media tours.

The rebels of eastern Libya have found much to condemn about the police state tactics of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi: deep paranoia, mass detentions, secret prisons and tightly scripted media tours. But some of those same tactics appear to be creeping...

The opposition has acknowledged detaining an unspecified number of sub-Saharan Africans on suspicion of serving as Kadafi mercenaries. Human Rights Watch has described a concerted campaign in which thousands of men have been driven from their homes in eastern Libya and beaten or arrested.

Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director for the rights group in Libya, said he had been promised access to the detainees and prisoners put on display Wednesday.

Another 30 men who were paraded about were described as Libyan soldiers captured in the last week or so. Some were said to have served in the armored column that was demolished by allied airstrikes on the outskirts of Benghazi over the weekend.

"These are the people who came to kill us," said Col. Ahmed Omar Bani, a military spokesman for the council, gazing on the detainees with contempt.

Asked whether some of the accused might indeed be foreign construction workers, Bani replied: "We are not in paradise here. Do you think they're going to admit they are mercenaries? We know they are, of course."

Bani said nightly raids to detain men named in the internal security files had intensified in recent days and would continue "until we get them all."

One of the accused shown to journalists was Alfusainey Kambi, 53, a disheveled Gambian wearing a bloodstained sport shirt and military fatigue trousers. He said he had been dragged from his home and beaten by three armed men who he said also raped his wife. A dirty bandage covered a wound on his forehead.

Khaled Ben Ali, a volunteer with the opposition council, berated Kambi and accused him of lying. Ali said Kambi hit his head on a wall while trying to escape.