http://www.smh.com.au/world/rebels-on-run-as-gaddafi-outflanks-un-20110316-1bxcf.html
Rebels on run as Gaddafi outflanks UN Simon Tisdall and Nicholas Watt March 17, 2011 Click to play video Gaddafi son vows victory over 'gangsters' Saif al-Islam Gaddafi tells reporters the uprising against his father will be over in two days. a.. Video feedback b.. Video settings LONDON: Muammar Gaddafi's effort to defeat the rebels before they receive international support appears to be paying off, with the uprising close to collapse even as the US ended weeks of stalling to join Britain and France in supporting a UN resolution to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. A UN vote is expected in coming days, but is likely to be too late to support the rebellion. Colonel Gaddafi's troops, backed by air power, moved into the town of Ajdabiya late on Tuesday, clearing the way to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, 150 kilometres away. It is not known if the dictator's forces have complete control of Ajdabiya, with reports emerging that opposition fighters had launched a counter-attack. On the back foot ... rebel fighters flee Ajdabiya. Photo: Reuters If Colonel Gaddafi's troops have seized Ajdabiya, it opens the way not only to Benghazi but to Tobruk and control of Libya's border with Egypt. The coastal road divides at Ajdabiya, offering the Gaddafi forces the chance to bypass Benghazi to seize towns to the east and then besiege the rebels' de facto capital from both sides. Colonel Gaddafi's troops also launched an attack on the rebel-held western city of Misurata yesterday, killing at least four people and wounding 10, a rebel spokesman said. Australia's Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, has given his strongest advocacy yet of a no-fly zone, accusing Group of Eight countries of being ''weak'' for passing the issue of sanctions on to the UN Security Council. ''If . we see the large-scale butchery of Libyan civilians, I am deeply concerned about how the international community will reflect on itself,'' Mr Rudd told the ABC last night. Meanwhile, Washington is facing accusations its delay had given the Libyan leader the space he needed. ''They have betrayed us,'' said Ahmed Malen, one of the revolutionary volunteers pasting anti-Gaddafi posters on walls in Benghazi. ''If they kill us all, the West will have blood on its hands. They do not believe in freedom. They are cowards.'' The US President, Barack Obama, will face criticism from Democrats as well as Republicans if the rebellion collapses. France's Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, admitted that a no-fly zone might now be too late. ''If we had used military force last week to neutralise some airstrips and the several dozen planes that they have, perhaps the reversal taking place to the detriment of the opposition wouldn't have happened,'' he told Europe-1 radio. The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, also highlighted his frustration over the delay when he told MPs in Westminster: ''Patience has to be tempered by the fact that there is an urgent situation here.'' The Obama administration, already fighting two wars, was reluctant to join a third and challenged the value of a no-fly zone. But, after the Arab League countries met and agreed on a request on Saturday for a no-fly zone, the US, along with Britain, France and Lebanon, supported a draft resolution to be presented to the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Colonel Gaddafi has again vowed to crush the rebellion. ''If this is a foreign plot, we will crush it; if it is a domestic plot, we will crush it,'' he told state TV. During his appearance, a crowd watching on a TV projection on a wall in Benghazi shouted curses and threw shoes at the image, according to al-Jazeera. As before, Colonel Gaddafi played down the scope of the conflict in his country. ''They said thousands have died, but only 150 have died,'' he said. At the same time a statement released by his army said troops would soon move on Benghazi, 1000 kilometres east of Tripoli, where gunfire has already been heard: ''The armed forces are arriving to ensure your security, undo the injustice done to you, protect you, restore calm and bring life back to normal.'' ''This is a humanitarian operation being undertaken in your interests, and is not aimed at taking revenge against anyone.'' It was not clear if the gunfire heard in Benghazi heralded an assault by loyalists: fireworks were also heard yesterday after rumours, later denied, that Colonel Gaddafi's Tripoli residence had been bombed. Thousands fled Libya's second city and more are expected to try to reach the Egyptian border in coming days. Guardian News & Media; with agencies [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
