Libya claims 15 civilians killed in NATO airstrike
Source: Agencies |
June 21, 2011, Tuesday
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AT least 15 people, including three children, were killed early yesterday in a NATO airstrike on a large family compound west of Tripoli belonging to a close associate of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's government said yesterday.
The airstrike came after NATO admitted it destroyed a house in Tripoli in which nine civilians were killed on Sunday, an incident likely to sow new doubts inside the alliance about its mission in Libya.
Gadhafi's government has repeatedly accused NATO of targeting civilians in an attempt to rally support against the alliance's intervention in the country's civil war. NATO has repeatedly insisted it tries to avoid civilian deaths.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said alliance bombs struck the Galil compound belonging to Khoweildi al-Hamidi outside the city of Surman, some 60 kilometers west of Tripoli, at around 4am.
Ibrahim said al-Hamidi, a former military officer who took part in the 1969 coup that brought Gadhafi to power, escaped unharmed but three children were among those killed, two of them al-Hamidi's grandchildren.
"They are targeting civilians ... the logic is intimidation," Ibrahim said. "They want Libyans to give up the fight ... they want to break our spirit."
Foreign journalists based in the Libyan capital were taken by government officials to the walled compound, where the main two-story buildings had been blasted to rubble.
Two massive craters could be seen, and rescue workers with sniffer dogs were searching the rubble. The smell of smoke was thick in the air.
The journalists were later taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Sabratha, where medical workers showed them the bodies of at least 10 people, including those of two children, killed in the strike. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, while others had been half blown apart.
NATO, which has a mandate to protect Libyan civilians, has rejected the Libyan government's allegations that it targets civilians.
However, mistakes have occurred.
The alliance acknowledged that one of its airstrikes on Sunday accidentally struck a residential neighborhood in the capital, killing nine civilians, including two children.
The airstrike was the clearest case yet of NATO bombing causing multiple civilian casualties, and came at a time when NATO was already under strain from a campaign that is taking more time and resources than it expected.
A NATO statement said a military missile site was the intended target of the airstrikes but that it appeared one of the weapons did not strike that target.
"Although we are still determining the specifics of this event, indications are that a weapons system failure may have caused this incident," said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's operations over Libya.
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi said the NATO strike was a "pathetic attempt .... to break the spirit of the people of Tripoli and allow small numbers of terrorists to cause instability and disorder in the peaceful city."
He told a news conference: "We will never forgive, we will never forget, we are here; on our land, united with our leader, ready for peace and ready for the fight for our freedom and honor."
NATO has been pounding targets in Libya since March 19 in what it says is an operation to protect civilians who rebelled against Gadhafi's 41-year rule. The Libyan leader says it is an act of colonial aggression designed to steal oil.
Strains are appearing within NATO member states as the campaign drags on for longer than envisaged and Gadhafi remains in power - even making a show of defiance last week by playing chess with a visiting official.
At the scene of the destroyed building on Sunday, clothes, smashed crockery and a rubber duck littered the area.
"Why is NATO doing this to us? Why?" asked Ibrahim Ali, who said he lived on the same street. "NATO is a big problem for the Libyan people. NATO doesn't have any business here, this is between the Libyan people."
The airstrike came after NATO admitted it destroyed a house in Tripoli in which nine civilians were killed on Sunday, an incident likely to sow new doubts inside the alliance about its mission in Libya.
Gadhafi's government has repeatedly accused NATO of targeting civilians in an attempt to rally support against the alliance's intervention in the country's civil war. NATO has repeatedly insisted it tries to avoid civilian deaths.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said alliance bombs struck the Galil compound belonging to Khoweildi al-Hamidi outside the city of Surman, some 60 kilometers west of Tripoli, at around 4am.
Ibrahim said al-Hamidi, a former military officer who took part in the 1969 coup that brought Gadhafi to power, escaped unharmed but three children were among those killed, two of them al-Hamidi's grandchildren.
"They are targeting civilians ... the logic is intimidation," Ibrahim said. "They want Libyans to give up the fight ... they want to break our spirit."
Foreign journalists based in the Libyan capital were taken by government officials to the walled compound, where the main two-story buildings had been blasted to rubble.
Two massive craters could be seen, and rescue workers with sniffer dogs were searching the rubble. The smell of smoke was thick in the air.
The journalists were later taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Sabratha, where medical workers showed them the bodies of at least 10 people, including those of two children, killed in the strike. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, while others had been half blown apart.
NATO, which has a mandate to protect Libyan civilians, has rejected the Libyan government's allegations that it targets civilians.
However, mistakes have occurred.
The alliance acknowledged that one of its airstrikes on Sunday accidentally struck a residential neighborhood in the capital, killing nine civilians, including two children.
The airstrike was the clearest case yet of NATO bombing causing multiple civilian casualties, and came at a time when NATO was already under strain from a campaign that is taking more time and resources than it expected.
A NATO statement said a military missile site was the intended target of the airstrikes but that it appeared one of the weapons did not strike that target.
"Although we are still determining the specifics of this event, indications are that a weapons system failure may have caused this incident," said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's operations over Libya.
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi said the NATO strike was a "pathetic attempt .... to break the spirit of the people of Tripoli and allow small numbers of terrorists to cause instability and disorder in the peaceful city."
He told a news conference: "We will never forgive, we will never forget, we are here; on our land, united with our leader, ready for peace and ready for the fight for our freedom and honor."
NATO has been pounding targets in Libya since March 19 in what it says is an operation to protect civilians who rebelled against Gadhafi's 41-year rule. The Libyan leader says it is an act of colonial aggression designed to steal oil.
Strains are appearing within NATO member states as the campaign drags on for longer than envisaged and Gadhafi remains in power - even making a show of defiance last week by playing chess with a visiting official.
At the scene of the destroyed building on Sunday, clothes, smashed crockery and a rubber duck littered the area.
"Why is NATO doing this to us? Why?" asked Ibrahim Ali, who said he lived on the same street. "NATO is a big problem for the Libyan people. NATO doesn't have any business here, this is between the Libyan people."
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