Libya signals possible change of tactics

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's patience appears to be running out with the army's efforts to establish control of the city of Misrata, Deutsche Welle reports.

Izvor: Deutsche Welle

Saturday, 23.04.2011.

16:19

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Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's patience appears to be running out with the army's efforts to establish control of the city of Misrata, Deutsche Welle reports. A senior official says that job could now be left up to local tribesmen. Libya signals possible change of tactics Deputy Libyan Foreign Minister Kahled Khaim told reporters in the capital, Tripoli, on Friday, that the army, which has besieged the city for weeks, may soon back off. "The tactic of the army is to have a surgical solution, but with the (NATO) airstrikes it doesn't work," he said. "The situation in Misrata will be eased, it will be dealt with by the tribes around Misrata and the rest of Misrata's people and not by the Libyan army." Exactly when the army would pull out wasn't immediately clear, but Khaim indicated that the Libyan leadership had given it a limited period of time to take full control of the city. "Now there is an ultimatum before the Libyan army. If they can't resolve the problem in Misrata, then the people from the region will move in," he said. Khaim added that the local tribes would try to reach a solution through negotiations with the rebels in the city. If that failed, he said, they would resort to violence. Earlier in the week a Gadhafi spokesman told reporters that the government had begun arming and training local tribesmen in the Misrata region. Meanwhile, NATO warplanes carried out more air strikes on Tripoli in the early hours of Saturday. Loud explosions were reported near Gadhafi's compound. The Reuters news agency quoted a Gadhafi spokesman who said three people had been killed in an airstrike that hit a carpark. An international coalition launched air strikes against Gadhafi's forces on March 19, as part of a United Nations mandate authorizing the use of military force to protect the civilian population. The Western military alliance NATO assumed command of the operation on March 31. Scenes from Misrata (Beta/AP)

Libya signals possible change of tactics

Deputy Libyan Foreign Minister Kahled Khaim told reporters in the capital, Tripoli, on Friday, that the army, which has besieged the city for weeks, may soon back off.

"The tactic of the army is to have a surgical solution, but with the (NATO) airstrikes it doesn't work," he said. "The situation in Misrata will be eased, it will be dealt with by the tribes around Misrata and the rest of Misrata's people and not by the Libyan army."

Exactly when the army would pull out wasn't immediately clear, but Khaim indicated that the Libyan leadership had given it a limited period of time to take full control of the city.

"Now there is an ultimatum before the Libyan army. If they can't resolve the problem in Misrata, then the people from the region will move in," he said.

Khaim added that the local tribes would try to reach a solution through negotiations with the rebels in the city. If that failed, he said, they would resort to violence. Earlier in the week a Gadhafi spokesman told reporters that the government had begun arming and training local tribesmen in the Misrata region.

Meanwhile, NATO warplanes carried out more air strikes on Tripoli in the early hours of Saturday. Loud explosions were reported near Gadhafi's compound. The Reuters news agency quoted a Gadhafi spokesman who said three people had been killed in an airstrike that hit a carpark.

An international coalition launched air strikes against Gadhafi's forces on March 19, as part of a United Nations mandate authorizing the use of military force to protect the civilian population. The Western military alliance NATO assumed command of the operation on March 31.

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