NATO takes over air operations as CIA works the ground in Libya
By the CNN Wire Staff
March 31, 2011 -- Updated 1004 GMT (1804 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* An opposition member in Misrata reports intense fighting and "day-to-day"
casualties
* Moussa Koussa is the first significant member of Gadhafi's inner circle
to defect
* Rebel forces retreat eastward after losing several cities they had gained
* A U.S. representative says weather conditions have prevented recent
coalition airstrikes
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- NATO took sole command of air operations in Libya on
Thursday as CIA operatives worked the field to connect with rebel fighters who
have seen their surge toward Tripoli impeded.
The NATO mission -- called Operation Unified Protector -- includes an arms
embargo, a no-fly zone and "actions to protect civilians and civilian centers,"
the alliance said Thursday.
It follows a U.N. Security Council resolution allowing member states "to take
all necessary measures" -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to
protect civilians under the threat of attack in Libya.
Over the weekend, CNN reported that rebels had taken al-Brega, Ras Lanuf and
Bin Jawad and reached a town just east of Sirte. But in the last three days,
opposition fighters have been pushed back eastward.
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Rebel forces -- hampered by a lack of organization, training and military
know-how when compared to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's troops -- have been
demanding an end to Gadhafi's almost 42-year rule in Libya.
But they have been facing sustained attacks and have called for the
international community to supply them with better and more powerful equipment.
Saddoun El-Misurati, a spokesman for the Libyan opposition in Misrata,
described intense fighting and casualties in the city.
"We managed to get two shipments so far of badly needed medical supplies to the
hospitals. But obviously we still need more supplies in dealing with the
day-to-day casualties and the situation on the ground," El-Misurati said.
"Our greatest hope will rely mainly on the support of the international
coalition forces in the form of change of tactics from the air to target tanks
and heavy artillery and also take out groups of sniper positions on buildings
and in the city," he said.
Rebel forces have lost Bin Jawad and the key oil town of Ras Lanuf and are
backed up to the al-Brega area, opposition member Col. Ahmed Bani said
Wednesday. Ajdabiya, which is east of al-Brega, will be prepared as a "defense
point" if the withdrawal continues farther east, he said.
Weather conditions prevented a NATO-led coalition from launching more
airstrikes in an attempt to weaken Gadhafi's ability to attack civilians, a
U.S. representative said Wednesday.
While U.S. and British officials say no decision has been made about whether to
arm the opposition, a U.S. intelligence source said the CIA is in the country
to increase the "military and political understanding" of the situation.
"Yes, we are gathering intel firsthand and we are in contact with some
opposition entities," the source told CNN.
But Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, said on CNN's "AC360" Wednesday night
that he's skeptical how effective the agency's action might be.
"I would rather see the Defense Department on the ground, if you have to be
there, training," Baer said. "The CIA hates covert action. It rarely works. It
worked in Afghanistan, but other times it's almost impossible to do."
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RELATED TOPICS
* Libya
Amid the setbacks faced by rebels Wednesday, a significant crack in Gadhafi's
armor surfaced when Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa fled to London and
told the government there that he has resigned, the United Kingdom Foreign
Office said.
Koussa -- a former head of Libyan intelligence -- was a stalwart defender of
the government as recently as a month ago. But in recent weeks, his demeanor
visibly changed. At one recent media briefing, he kept his head down as he read
a statement and left early.
The Foreign Office called on other members of the regime to follow Koussa's
example and "embrace a better future for Libya."
As the battles in Libya continue unfolding, the end game in Libya -- and
whether a negotiated exit for Gadhafi would be possible or desirable -- remains
uncertain.
The International Criminal Court, at the request of the United Nations Security
Council, is investigating alleged "crimes against humanity" by Gadhafi.
Last week, the Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he was certain his
investigation would lead to charges against Gadhafi and members of his inner
circle. That could complicate any efforts to reach a negotiated exit for the
Libyan leader.
Baer said a more drastic approach could be the most effective course.
"I hate to say it, but right now our best chance of ending this conflict is
eliminating Gadhafi," he said. "I'm not advocating -- this is just the quickest
solution. He is the problem. We're doing these stop-gap measures like bombing.
It's stopping a massacre, but on the other hand, we're getting pulled into a
quagmire."
CNN's Nic Robertson, Ben Wedeman, Reza Sayah, Dana Bash, Pam Benson, Anderson
Cooper, Tim Lister and Zain Verjee contributed to this report
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