Advance of rebels, but always strong Gaddafi - The Australian

Rebel fighters to break through the lines advanced and Libyan Government on fronts twin yesterday, seizing key positions and threatening the main route of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Tripoli in the greater thrust to the ground for weeks.

The attack, which included stolen rebels in Benghazi, to the West of the Libya with the Tunisia, began shortly after dawn. Rockets and mortars were fired from rebel positions to the village of al-Qawalish in the foothills of the Western Cordillera of the Nafusa.

Six hours later, after an attack from three sides who sent the forces of the Government retreat in the desert, hundreds of rebels on trucks yelled "allah akbar" (God is greatest) as they loudly in the village.

For weeks, Government forces have used al-Qawalish as a position from which to bombard the rebels in the mountains of Western. Stimulated by French deliveries of weapons and the bombing of NATO, the rebels can use his capture as a platform to advance to Tripoli.

Thrust brings the rebels near the town of Garian, about 40 km to the Northeast, which controls the main road leading to the Libyan capital. "It will become much more interesting if the rebels in Garian", said one Western diplomat. "Not only allowing them to consolidate their grip in the mountains, it would cut more likely Gaddafi road if he wants to get out of Tripoli."

Hundreds of rebel reinforcements were sent in the West of the Benghazi Libya since may for the latest attack, using an air route that leads to the Tunisia, where they infiltrate across the Libyan border in the Nafusa mountains. Many were recruited from Tripoli and formed a unit called the Tripoli Khattiba rebel liaison with cells and guide the forces from the area in the city.

The coast Mediterranean Libya, rebel commanders said they had pushed 20 km west of Misratah, bringing within 130 km of Tripoli, with their larger advanced single since Gaddafi forces forced the city in May.

But a bombing of Government artillery and Grad rockets tested the rebels, killing three fighters and injuring more than 50. In the stronghold of the rebels of Benghazi, of thousands of people from eastern Libya through in a show of support for the opposition.

Representatives of the National transition Council warned that Gaddafi overthrow could take several months, reports of the divisions of the Directorate of rebels and failures in military planning.

"The NTC had no idea of how to advance from here," said a rebel leader. "It became bitterly divided." There are huge, fuel, medical problems of finance and armaments to unravel.

"The NTC are having enough problems trying to agree on how to provide themselves Benghazi, let alone organize the takeover of Tripoli." The notion that they are ready for a move on the capital to coincide with the uprising of the city, or even to plan properly, it is ridiculous. »

Foreign diplomats and the rebel leaders have spoken of a deadline August 1 aim to overthrow Gaddafi, but rebel commanders warn that unless Qaddafi is removed by a coup of State or a political agreement, conflict slip fall in the North.

THE TIMES

Libya rebels ready to push towards Tripoli - AFP

Libya rebels ready to push to TripoliBy Andrew Beatty (AFP) - 2 hours ago

BENGHAZI (Libya) - Buoyed by drops of French weapons and intensified air strikes of NATO on the armour of first line of the regime, rebel army of the Libya said it is ready for an offensive that could put it in the deletion of the distance from Tripoli.

The rebels late Saturday announcement came as block extended on the battlefield has prompted increasing pressure from countries outside the coalition led by NATO for a negotiated solution to a conflict that has dragged for four years and a half months.

Rebel fighters are preparing to advance their enclave of Hill in the mountains of Nafusa, southwest of Tripoli, in the next 48 hours in a bid to regain the territory, in the Plains on the road to the capital, said spokesman Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani.

"Over the next two days (Revolutionary) will find answers, things will change on the front line,"he says. ".

The rebels had withdrawn the week to last the Plains town of Bir al-Ghanam, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Tripoli, with the bombing of Loyalists.

But the week was last France performs a series of controversial weapons falls to rebel fighters in the mountains of Nafusa and NATO bombed loyalist positions around Bir al-Ghanam and elsewhere on the frontlines around the rebel enclave.

Two armoured forces of Gaddafi were destroyed in the City Friday evening.

Gharyan, another fortress of Government near the mountains, NATO aircraft struck eight goals in the last four days, including a military complex used to resupply the troops Gaddafi, tanks and other military vehicles, NATO said Saturday.

In its daily report for Friday, NATO said that have launched a total of 42 sorties to strike on the Libya, hitting two tanks near Gharyan and two vehicles armed near Bir al-Ghanam.

"March on the jebel (mountain) and seize the weapons that the French have provided", he said.

Foreign Affairs French Minister Alain Juppe insisted that the weapons were intended only to defend the peaceful civilians of the forces of Gaddafi and falls therefore in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations on the conflict.

"It is not a violation of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council" which France and other allies launch strikes air and imposed embargoes to protect civilians from Gaddafi, said.

No there was no immediate confirmation of Moscow talks between Russian and officials in South Africa and representatives of the NATO-led coalition, but the two countries have been outspoken advocates of a negotiated solution to the conflict.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria said the talks in Russia include all members of the so-called International Contact Group on the Libya but could provide more details.

In a statement late Saturday, the Kremlin said that Zuma and President Dmitri Medvedev held a telephone conversation in which they agreed on a "personal meeting in the nearest time" but gave no details on when it would take place.

Pretoria said that the talks were scheduled for Monday and that Zuma leave for them later on Sunday.

The announcement was made shortly after the President returned from a Summit of the African Union in Equatorial Guinea, where the continental Group adopted a plan for negotiations between the Libyan belligerents.

Zuma, "We are very happy that we have reached this point, we can now say very soon we will launch talks in Addis Ababa and we believe that we will have the support of everyone," said after the Summit.

But reached agreement in Equatorial Guinea produced little movement prior to the, which proposals have been rejected by the rebels who insist on the fact that Gaddafi must resign before they will agree to a truce.

New items in the plan to the include provisions for a multinational force of peacekeeping organized by the United Nations.

The block also said that Gaddafi agreed to stay out of the negotiation.

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