Gadhafi fails to retake key city
Source: Agencies |
March 2, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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RESIDENTS of the rebel-held city closest to Libya's capital passed out sweets and cold drinks to fighters yesterday and celebrated with a victory march after they managed to repel an overnight attack by forces loyal to longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.
"Allahu Akbar (God is Great) for our victory," residents of Zawiya chanted as they paraded through the city's main square. Some carried on their shoulders an air force colonel they said had just defected to the rebels' side.
Witnesses said pro-Gadhafi forces battled rebels for six hours overnight but could not retake control of the city 50 kilometers west of Tripoli. They said the last of several assaults by the Gadhafi loyalists came at around 3am local time. "We were worried about air raids but that did not happen," said one resident in Zawiya.
The Zawiya rebels, who include mutinous army forces, are armed with tanks, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns.
They fought back pro-Gadhafi troops, armed with the same weapons, who attacked from six directions. There was no word on casualties.
"We will not give up Zawiya at any price," said one witness. "We know it is significant strategically. They will fight to get it, but we will not give up. We managed to defeat them because our spirits are high and their spirits are zero."
The witnesses in Zawiya said youths from the city were stationed on the rooftops of high-rise buildings in the city to monitor the movements of the pro-Gadhafi forces and sound the warning if they thought an attack was imminent. They also spoke about generous offers of cash by his government for the rebels to hand control of the city back to authorities.
Gadhafi has already lost control of the eastern half of the country and at least two cities close to the capital - Zawiya and Misrata. He still holds the capital Tripoli and other nearby cities.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR says more than 110,000 people, mainly foreign migrants, have fled Libya to neighboring countries and thousands more are arriving at the borders.
International pressure to end the crackdown has escalated dramatically in the past few days.
The US moved naval and air forces closer to Libya on Monday and said all options were open, including patrols of the North African nation's skies to protect its citizens from their ruler. The Obama administration is demanding Gadhafi relinquish power immediately.
France said it would fly aid to the opposition-controlled eastern half of the country. The European Union imposed an arms embargo and other sanctions, following the lead of the US and the UN. The EU and the US have also talked about the possibility of creating a no-fly zone over Libya.
However, Russia's top diplomat ruled out the idea as "superfluous" and said world powers must instead focus on fully using the sanctions the UN Security Council approved over the weekend. Others suggested the tactic - used successfully in northern Iraq and Bosnia - to prevent Gadhafi from bombing his own people. But Russia's consent is required as a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.
Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, yesterday urged Gadhafi to consider exile, saying she's worried the African nation could plummet into a "humanitarian disaster."
"Allahu Akbar (God is Great) for our victory," residents of Zawiya chanted as they paraded through the city's main square. Some carried on their shoulders an air force colonel they said had just defected to the rebels' side.
Witnesses said pro-Gadhafi forces battled rebels for six hours overnight but could not retake control of the city 50 kilometers west of Tripoli. They said the last of several assaults by the Gadhafi loyalists came at around 3am local time. "We were worried about air raids but that did not happen," said one resident in Zawiya.
The Zawiya rebels, who include mutinous army forces, are armed with tanks, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns.
They fought back pro-Gadhafi troops, armed with the same weapons, who attacked from six directions. There was no word on casualties.
"We will not give up Zawiya at any price," said one witness. "We know it is significant strategically. They will fight to get it, but we will not give up. We managed to defeat them because our spirits are high and their spirits are zero."
The witnesses in Zawiya said youths from the city were stationed on the rooftops of high-rise buildings in the city to monitor the movements of the pro-Gadhafi forces and sound the warning if they thought an attack was imminent. They also spoke about generous offers of cash by his government for the rebels to hand control of the city back to authorities.
Gadhafi has already lost control of the eastern half of the country and at least two cities close to the capital - Zawiya and Misrata. He still holds the capital Tripoli and other nearby cities.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR says more than 110,000 people, mainly foreign migrants, have fled Libya to neighboring countries and thousands more are arriving at the borders.
International pressure to end the crackdown has escalated dramatically in the past few days.
The US moved naval and air forces closer to Libya on Monday and said all options were open, including patrols of the North African nation's skies to protect its citizens from their ruler. The Obama administration is demanding Gadhafi relinquish power immediately.
France said it would fly aid to the opposition-controlled eastern half of the country. The European Union imposed an arms embargo and other sanctions, following the lead of the US and the UN. The EU and the US have also talked about the possibility of creating a no-fly zone over Libya.
However, Russia's top diplomat ruled out the idea as "superfluous" and said world powers must instead focus on fully using the sanctions the UN Security Council approved over the weekend. Others suggested the tactic - used successfully in northern Iraq and Bosnia - to prevent Gadhafi from bombing his own people. But Russia's consent is required as a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.
Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, yesterday urged Gadhafi to consider exile, saying she's worried the African nation could plummet into a "humanitarian disaster."
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