http://slatest.slate.com/id/2288201/?wpisrc=newsletter_slatest
Rebels Retreat in Libya Pro-Qaddafi forces are pressing into eastern Libya, threatening rebels' stronghold in the city of Benghazi, reports the Wall Street Journal. As an increasingly beleaguered rebel force abandoned the oil town of Brega, the Arab League called on the United Nations Security Council to institute a no-fly zone over Libya. While significant, the Arab League's call is far from certain to ensure military action, though the U.N. will probably consider the possibility of a no-fly zone this week. Meanwhile, the situation on the ground has become increasingly desperate for rebels, as government military officials announced they had "cleansed" areas of the east of opposition forces. The New York Times reports that Col. Qaddafi ordered the bombing Monday of Adjdabija just outside Benghazi. Capture of the town might allow Qaddafi to encircle rebel forces via a nearby highway. Rebel leaders denied that Qaddafi had gained the upper hand, however. "Even if our forces have withdrawn a few kilometers, that doesn't mean much in military terms," said Libya's former Minister of Interior, who joined the rebels as a military commander. "We are trying to woo them into an area where we can even out the fight," said Gen. Abdel Fattah Younis, noting that Qaddafi's advantage in the air made waging battle in open terrain difficult. Read original story in Wall Street Journal | Monday, March 14, 2011 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
