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UPDATED: Gadaffi's son may have been killed in Libya - Clinton


UPDATED Wednesday 4pm:  ABC News has reported US Secretary of State HIllary Clinton saying she has heard reports one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons may have been killed in the coalition air strikes against Libya but would not confirm it.

NBR staff
Mon, 21 Mar 2011

UPDATED Wednesday 4pm:  ABC News has reported US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying she has heard reports one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons may have been killed in the coalition air strikes against Libya, but could not confirm it.

According to excerpts of an interview Mrs Clinton gave, she said the "evidence is not sufficient" to confirm that a son was killed.

Mrs Clinton said that if a Gaddafi son had been killed, it would not have been by US forces. "We hear many different things, but we know it's not us," she said, according to ABC.

 


UPDATED Wednesday 9am: Libyan rebels have failed to capitalise on more than three days of air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi’s tanks and air defenses by Western forces.

International media report Colonel Gaddafi’s forces have attacked two west Libyan towns, including rebel-held Misrata.

Residents of Misrata told Reuters tanks were shelling the town and snipers were taking part in the operation.

A civilian car was destroyed killing four children on board, witnesses reported.

Western air strikes hit a number of sites in the nation’s capital Tripoli, according to Libya’s state television network.

In east Libya, rebels have made no advance on the strategic town of Ajdabiyah despite air strikes targeting Colonel Gaddafi’s heavy armour.

Nato members are also arguing over which country should lead the air campaign once America pulls back in a few days.


UPDATED MONDAY 3pm: Agencies are reporting that part of an administrative building at Muammar Gaddafi's compound at Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli has been "completely destroyed".

However, the United States Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said at a Pentagon press briefing the coalition forces were "not going after Gaddafi".

"We are not targeting his residence," Gortney said in response to reports of smoke rising from the area of Gaddafi's palace.

 

The building which was about 50 metres from the tent where Gaddafi generally meets guests was flattened, according to media reports. The administrative structure was hit by a missile, official Libyan spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told journalists who were taken to the site by bus.

Meanwhile, NATO has approved a military plan to implement the UN arms embargo on Libya, but failed to agree on a plan to enforce the no-fly zone, with Turkey opposing military intervention, diplomats told the Associated Press.


UPDATE MONDAY 8.30am: The Arab League has spoken out against the Western assault on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, condemning the “bombardment of civilians.”

It comes after European and US forces attacked Colonel Gaddafi’s air defences and armour with warplanes and cruise missiles.

The air striks have caused Colonel Gaddafi’s forces to retreat from the outskirts of Benghazi.

However, he sent tanks into the rebel city Misrata, where they were protected from air attack by the risk to the West of killing innocent civilians.

Arab League chief Amr Moussa has called for a report into the bombardment, which he said had “led to the deaths and injuries of many Libyan civilians.”“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians,” Egypt's state news agency quoted him as saying.
He called for an emergency meeting of Arab states to discuss the Libyan situation.

However, a senior US official has rejected Mr Moussa’s comments.

“The resolution endorsed by Arabs and UNSC (the United Nations Security Council) included 'all necessary measures' to protect civilians, which we made very clear includes, but goes beyond, a no-fly zone,” the official told Reuters during a visit by President Barack Obama to Rio de Janeiro.


UPDATE SUNDAY: The United States has fired more than 100 cruise missiles at Libya from the sea after French fighter jets targeted Muammar Gaddafi's forces from the air.

International media reports say the US military said 20 sites were hit as the missile strikes targeted air defence installations on or near the Mediterranean coastline, many in the western half of the country that is Gaddafi's stronghold. The French said they were focusing on the rebel-held east.

President Barack Obama said military action was not his first choice.

Overnight, the Allies made good on their promise to enforce a cease fire. A French Rafale figher jet opened fire on Libyan forces, destroying a tank according to a New York Times report.

Earlier, forces loyal to Colonel Qaddafi defied the cease fire by attacking rebels around Benghazi. Heavy fighting and bombardment was reported around the city. Qaddafi denied any assault was taking place.

A UN Security Council mandated no-fly zone also went into force overnight, covering the entire country. Any plane that defies the no-fly order could be shot down. 

On Saturday local time, western and Arab leaders - including US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and French president Nicolas Sarkozy - met in Paris.

After the meeting Mr Sarkozy said French planes were willing to attack Libyan armoured vehicles to protect unarmed civilans -  echoing US President Barack Obama, who yesterday told Qadddafi to pull back his forces, or face military action.

However, the meeting's official resolution was more cautious, referencing only the no-fly zone. By Le Monde's account, it indicated some degree of disagreement over how to proceed.


SATURDAY MARCH 19: At 8am this morning NZ time, US president Barack Obama warned Libya to immediately cease attacks on rebels and civilians, and withdraw troops from major cities, or face military action.

However, the US president ruled out the involvement of US troops in any ground action.

Mr Obama said that Britain, France and Arab nations would take the lead.

Overnight, Libya pledged to halt millitary action against rebels who control large parts of the country, and withdrew an earlier threat to shoot at passenger planes.

The move came just hours after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a no-fly zone cover the country, where opposition forces are fighting to oust Colonel Qaddafi. The resolution was supported by all council members bar Russia, which obstained. Any Libyan plane that defies the resolution could be shot down.

Libyan foreign minister Mussa Kussa said his country was obliged to accept the UN resolution and that there would be an  “immediate cease-fire and the stoppage of all military operations”.

But the US, Britain and France were suspicious of the ceasefire.

According to a BBC report, Western and Arab countries were pushing ahead with plans for possible air strikes in support of the UN Security Council resolution for a no-fly zone.

US secretary of state  Hillary Clinton said the US would be “not responsive or impressed by words", echoing comments by British prime minister David Cameron.

The leaders' suspicions seemed well founded. According to New York Times and Associated Press reports, Libyan government forces were still bombing the towns of Misurata and Ajdabiya hours after the 'cease fire' was declared.

NBR staff
Mon, 21 Mar 2011
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UPDATED: Gadaffi's son may have been killed in Libya - Clinton
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