Libya

[Faranacab]

Reuters Muammar Gaddafi’s wrecked tanks and other army vehicles smouldered on a strategic road in east Libya on Sunday after Western powers launched air strikes that galvanised embattled rebels. At least 14 tanks, 20 APCs and other vehicles have been destroyed near Benghazi

[Faranacab]

BBC Col Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, said that the regime in Tripoli had been “surprised” by the air strikes. Speaking to Christiane Amanpour on ABC’s This Weekhe said: “Believe me one day you will make up and you will find out that you were supporting the wrong people and you had made a big mistake in supporting those people. It’s like the WMD in Iraq. It’s another story.”

[Faranacab]

Reuters Admiral Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military commander, on Sunday said the end-game of military action in Libya was “very uncertain” and acknowledged it could end in a stalemate with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

[Faranacab]

BBC Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, in comments on Egypt’s official state news agency, wants an emergency meeting of the organisation. “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,” he said.

[Faranacab]

The Guardian more photographs from The Guardian taken on the road between Benghazi and Ajdabiya

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Aljazeera Civilians have been hit in the bombardment of sites in Libya, says Russia - which called for an immediate end to the strikes. A foreign ministry spokesman said:

• "In that respect we call on countries involved to stop the non-selective use of force.
  
  We believe a mandate given by the UN Security Council resolution-- a controversial move in itself - should not be used to achieve goals outside its provisions, which only see measures necessary to protect the civilian population.

• He said that 48 civilians had been killed in the overnight shelling, with strikes hitting a medical facility, roads and bridges.

• Libyan state TV had also given the same casualty count earlier in the day.

[Faranacab]

Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League says that Arabs did not want military strikes by Western powers that hit civilians when the League called for a no-fly zone over Libya, saying:

"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."

[Faranacab]

Aljazeera A group of eight Italian aircraft are today ready to join operations against Libya says defence minister Ignazio La Russa.

We want to participate as equals in the operation.

He also said Italy was "ready to take action" over an Italian tugboat, whose 11 crewmembers have been detained in Libya.

[Faranacab]

U.S & British military strikes hit 20 of 22 targets

Reuters Missile strikes launched by the United States and Britain as part of a bid to cripple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s air defenses hit 20 of 22 targets, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

The missile strikes on Saturday caused ‘various levels of damage’ at 20 of 22 sites, centered around Libyan air defenses, said Lieutenant Commander James Stockman, a spokesman at U.S. Africa Command. Possible damage at two other sites was being assessed, he said.

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Aircraft from Qatar are moving into position in preparation to join the military operation in Libya. More on that soon.

[Faranacab]

Al Jazeera British special forces have been on the ground in Libya for weeks, preparing for possible operations, says German newsmagaine Focus.

Members of the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service have reportedly been noting the locations of potential targets, such as fighter jets and communications facilities.

[Faranacab]

Al Jazeera Among the headlines, you may think '"Odyssey Dawn" is the only military operation in action - but we understand each of the contributing nations has their own codename for enforcing UN Security Council resolution 1973:

• Operation Odyssey Dawn - The US military operation.

• Operation Ellamy - The UK military effort

• Operation Mobile - The Canadian component.

• Operation Harmattan- The French military operation.

If we find out why they're named those names, we'll let you know."..

[Faranacab]

Two journalists working for a French news agency and a photographer traveling with them have gone missing in Libya while reporting on the fighting between Moammar Gadhafi’s forces and rebels, the agency said Sunday. Read more here.

[The_Patriot]

The Guardian more photographs from The Guardian taken on the road between Benghazi and Ajdabiya

owned

I think these tanks were destroyed by the french airplanes.

[The_Patriot]

Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League says that Arabs did not want military strikes by Western powers that hit civilians when the League called for a no-fly zone over Libya, saying:

"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."